OCTOBER 8, 1945
CANNONS PUSHED TO BRINK BUT PROLONG SERIES
The Philadelphia Keystones came within a whisker of completing a 4-game sweep of the Cincinnati Cannons in the World Championship Series, but the Cannons pulled out a 12-innning 5-3 victory yesterday and have managed to prolong the series at least one more day. Everything seemed to be going the Keystones way for the first 3 games and 7 and a half innings until suddenly it wasn't.
Trailing 3-2 and seemingly resigned to their fate, the Cannons gained new life when Al Wheeler, who had been having an awful series up to that point, doubled in Gail Gifford to tie the fourth game at three with two out in the bottom of the 8th inning. It went to extras -for the second time in the series- and it appeared the Keystones had it clinched when Bobby Barrell -who has dominated the series with his bat- led off with a triple in the top of the 11th and scored the go-ahead run on a Leo Costello base hit. But veteran Cannons catcher Tom Bird hit a solo homer to keep the Cannons faint hopes of winning a third straight World Championship Series alive. An inning later, after Denny Andrews slapped a two-out single it was Chuck Adams -last year's Series MVP- smacking his 2nd homer of the series to give the Cannons the walk-off 5-3 victory and force a fifth game to be played at Tice Memorial Stadium in Cincinnati today.
It remains a herculean task for the Cannons to come back and seems just a matter of time before the Philadelphia Keystones -who's pitching staff has humbled the big bats of the Cannons- claim their first title since 1933. The Cannons have faced elimination before: they trailed Boston 2 games to none in the 1943 series and lost game five a year ago to trail the Keystones three games to two before eventually coming back to win both series in 7 games. After scoring just 4 runs in the first three games combined the Cannons scored 5 yesterday despite getting just 9 hits, but for a change they had a couple of clutch hits. Will that win be enough to wake the Cannons from their series-long slumber and can they find an answer for Bobby Barrell?
Deuce Barrell, who has been marvelous at the plate in the series going 3-for-5, managed to more or less keep his uncle in check yesterday but Bobby did get a key triple that looked, for at least a little while, like it might have been the series clinching run and is 9-for-18 in the series with 3 homers and a 1.278 slugging percentage. It will be up to George M Brooks, who pitched an outstanding game in the series opener, to try and close things out today. Red Hampton -the game two loser- gets the call for Cincinnati.
GAME 3
The Cannons took the lead for the first time in the series when Denny Andrews hit a solo homerun in the first inning to the delight of the 17,919 on hand at Tice Memorial Stadium. They would have little else to cheer about as while Sam Sheppard did keep the Keystones off the scoresheet until the 6th inning, the Cincinnati offense accomplished nothing else. Bobby Barrell tied the game with a solo shot in the top of the 6th and after the Keystones had taken a 2-1 lead on Charlie Enslow's 7th inning RBI double, Barrell lit up Sheppard for a second time in the game with a 3-run homer in the 8th that put the game away.
GAME 4
The Keystones should have completed the sweep. Right from the second inning when they took a 2-0 lead while managing just 1-hit as a pair of errors, a wild pitch and 2 walks created a lot of trouble for Cannons starter Deuce Barrell. The Cannons scratched out one-run in the 4th but they hit into 5 doubleplays and failed repeatedly to deliver the key hit to make anyone think they had a chance of prolonging the series. Deuce pitched well and kept it 2-1 until, unexpectedly, Al Wheeler had his first extra base hit of the series -a two out double to play Gail Gifford with the tying run. It stayed 2-2 until the 11th and by then both bullpens were in use. Bobby Barrell's triple and subsequent run on a Leo Costello base hit seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for the Cannons. However, Tom Bird had other ideas and hit a solo homer in the home half to keep the series going. An inning later Chuck Adams was the walk-off hero with a 2-run shot to allow Cincinnati to claim a 5-3 victory and the opportunity to play at least one more game this season.
The Cannons are still alive. Somehow, some way even though they have no right to be. Even though they are, excluding pitchers, batting just .181 as a team. Even though Al Wheeler is a decidedly unwonderful 3-for-17 with a .235 slugging percentage. Even though they have scored just 9 runs in 4 games. Even though they have left 20 men stranded on base and that number would have been substantially higher had they not grounded into 8 doubleplays including 5 in Game Four alone.
The Keystones pitching has been outstanding, even better than advertised and their bullpen surprisingly good. We all knew Bobby Barrell was an incredible ballplayer but what he has done in the first four games is likely beyond what anyone would have imagined. Barrell is batting .500 and slugging 1.278. He has 6 extra base hits including 3 homers in the 4-games and it feels like he is just getting started.
There is absolutely no reason to think the Cannons can come back from a 3 games to none deficit. Even though it has happened once before. That was 1911 when Toronto dropped the first three games to Detroit only to roar back and win 4 straight including, as it turns out, those Wolves got the comeback started with an extra-inning victory in Game four. Sound familiar?
Do we dare dream that it might happen again? Is the dream of 3 straight World Championship Series still alive? Are the Cannons bats suddenly awake again - spurred on by big homeruns from Tom Bird and Chuck Adams, motivated by a fist-pumping and shouting Deuce Barrell trying to rally the troops after reaching base yet again -on a 2-base error- late in game four? It just seems too much to ask and common sense says 'not a chance'. Did we not get more than our fair share of breaks with comebacks from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits in the last two WCS, or from the miracle run, combined with the Cougars collapse, in the second half of last season when the Cannons made up a 20-odd game deficit in the standings. They are battered, struggling and rife with injuries but perhaps just a seed of doubt has crept into the minds of the Keystones pitching staff. Could that possibly be enough to turn the tide and give the Cannons a chance in a series most thought they would dominate? This writer's head says "not a chance" but his heart says "you never know."
OFFENSE RULES IN BUSY PRO GRID WEEKEND
Professional football seems to have used the success of superfortresses in the war for inspiration and decided the air game, rather than pounding it out on the ground, was the key victory. In the first Sunday with a full slate of action, the quarterbacks and ends were the story on a high scoring Sunday of American Football Association action. Three signal callers in all, led by Boston Americans aerial ace Del Thomas, passed for over 200 yards as offense was clearly the word of the day.
Thomas completed 23 of 37 heaves for 325 yards including 3 touchdown tosses to lead the Yanks to a 31-14 win on the road in Pittsburgh. The passing display by the veteran Boston star was the second most passing yards ever tossed by a quarterback in a single game, trailing only the record Thomas himself set with 396 in a contest two years ago, which was also against the Paladins.
The defending league champion Philadelphia Frigates had their season opener but fans at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial seemed more focused on hearing updates over the loudspeaker from Cincinnati where the Keystones were trying to complete a sweep of the Cannons in the World Championship Series. The out of town news was not so good as the Keystones lost in extra innings but the grid locals gave fans plenty to smile about with a dominant 30-0 white-washing of the Cleveland Finches. Frigates quarterback Bob Allen was the star of the show on both sides of the ball. Allen threw for 223 yards while splitting the passing duties with Jay Carey and on defense he added an interception and 4 tackles. Cleveland drops to 1-2 with the loss.
A dramatic finish at Thompson Field kept the Detroit Maroons unbeaten. Stan Vaught caught a 14 yard scoring pass from Rich Coleman with just 1:51 remaining in the game to give the Maroons a 21-17 win over a determined bunch of Cincinnati Tigers. Detroit is 2-0 and the only unbeaten team in the Western Division while the second year Tigers fall to 1-1.
Chicago is also 1-1 after the Wildcats travelled to St Louis and thumped the hapless Ramblers 49-6. Chicago did not turn the ball over while the Ramblers committed 6 turnovers including one that Wildcats lineman Warren Staggs returned 13 yards for the opening score of the game. As usual, Gus Brown was very effective at quarterback for the Wildcats, completing 13 of 22 attempts for 166 yards and 3 scores while back Mark Lautzenheiser ran for 90 yards and a score, while catching 6 passes for 75 yards and 2 more touchdowns.
Finally in Washington, Wasps rookie Bob Krohn had another big day. The former CCLA back threw for 219 yards, passed for one score and ran for another while kicking a field goal and adding 4 extra points. Oh, and just to round out his day he also intercepted a pass on defense to lead the Wasps to a 37-17 win at home over the New York Football Stars and improve to 2-0.
Code:
AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION STANDINGS
EAST DIVISION W L T PCT
Washington 2 0 0 1.000
Philadelphia 1 0 0 1.000
Boston 1 0 0 1.000
New York 0 1 0 .000
Pittsburgh 0 2 0 .000
WEST DIVISION W L T PCT
Detroit 2 0 0 1.000
Chicago 1 1 0 .500
Cincinnati 1 1 0 .500
Cleveland 1 2 0 .333
St Louis 0 2 0 .000
SUNDAY'S RESULT
Washington 37 New York 17
Boston 31 Pittsburgh 14
Detroit 21 Cincinnati 17
Chicago 49 St Louis 6
Philadelphia 30 Cleveland 0
UPCOMING GAMES
SUNDAY OCTOBER 14
Philadelphia at Cincinnati
St Louis at Detroit
Boston at Washington
Cleveland at Chicago
New York at Pittsburgh
Code:
AFA LEADERS
SCORING PTS
Vaught, Det 26
Lautzenheiser, Chi 24
Douglas, Was 18
Krohn, Was 15
Fykes, Cin 14
Vanatta, Chi 14
PASSING COMP-ATT YDS TD INT
Brown, Chi 34-61 512 7 1
Kohn, Was 29-53 499 3 6
Colvin, Cle 34-77 455 1 5
D Thomas, Bos 23-37 325 3 0
Allen, Phi 13-18 223 1 0
RUSHING YDS TD
Norton, Was 142 2
Lautzenheiser, Chi 142 1
Renton, Det 96 1
Daigre, Cle 94 1
Milatz, NYS 94 0
RECEIVING CAT YDS TD
Nicholson, Cle 17 226 0
Lautzenheiser, Chi 12 221 3
Vaught, Det 11 148 3
J Gilmore, Chi 11 113 1
INERCEPTIONS #
Smith, Was 4
many with 2
ROME STATE MAKES FOUR LONG SCORING RUNS TO ROUT FIGHTING GREEN
The Rome State Centurions have picked up right where they left off a year ago - with another dominant season well underway. The army academy's amazing collection football toters ran away from Cowpens State Saturday to the tune of 36-9 as almost every play the Centurions engineered on a wet, slippery field was turned into a touchdown threat. Junior backs Chet Donelson and Gus Thompson -both All-Americans a year ago- each scored on a pair of long touchdown scampers to help lead Rome State to a 30-3 lead at the break. Mercifully for Cowpens State, the Centurions second and third stringers saw much more action in the second half or the score could have been incredibly lobsided. In two games the Centurions -who were 9-0 and National Champions a year ago- have outscored their opponents by a 72-9 count.
Next week might be a little more of a test for the Centurions when they square off at the Bigsby Oval against 4-0 Detroit City College. The Knights are off to a strong start and improved to 2-0 in Great Lakes section play with a 27-7 win over St. Magnus on Saturday. It will be the first-ever grid meeting between the two schools. Despite the 4-0 start many feel it could not have come at a worse time for Detroit City College, a team of enthusiastic but green youngsters who will face a battalion of army tanks on the loose - perhaps not the mighty machine of last year but still with devastating power.
A couple of highly touted teams suffered a real scare this week but both emerged with narrow victories. Annapolis Maritime needed a last minute field goal to sneak past a gutsy Carolina Poly team 20-19 in a game many of the Navigators called their "toughest game since the loss to Rome State a year ago." Meanwhile in Deep South Conference action Alabama Baptist scraped out a 31-24 win over Bayou State thanks to 3 touchdowns engineered by quarterback Willie Hubbard in the second half. The outstanding sophomore quarterback threw for a pair of scores and ran 9 yards early in the fourth quarter for what would prove to be the winning touchdown.
The big shock on Saturday came from the west coast where mighty Coastal California was the victim of a sneak attack from Golden Gate University Pre-Flight. The fliers played tenacious defense and despite never getting into the end zone themselves, won the game 15-13 thanks to 5 field goals.
Other key results say Central Ohio smash Western Iowa 44-0, St Blane knock off Georgia Baptist 23-17, Miami State nip Noble Jones College 21-20 while Northern California and Rainier College battled to a 7-7 draw.
COLLEGE SCOREBOARD
MIDWEST
Detroit City College 27 St. Magnus 7
Central Ohio 44 Western Iowa 0
St. Ignatius 23 Central Kentucky 0
Wisconsin State 23 Whitney College 14
Minnesota Tech 48 College of Omaha 17
Indiana A&M 10 Lincoln 6
Iowa A&M 26 Lawrence State 7
Great Lakes Navy 34 Fort Benning 0
Northern Minnesota 31 Scranton State 7
Olathe Navy 29 Eastern Kansas 28
Laclede 30 Boone College-St. Louis 0
Payne State 20 Lambert College 3
Wisconsin Catholic 37 Penn Catholic 14
Wichita Baptist 7 Topeka State 7
EAST
St. Blane 23 Georgia Baptist 17
Annapolis Maritime 20 Carolina Poly 19
St. Patrick's 24 George Fox 7
Henry Hudson 24 St. Pancras 10
Ellery 27 Commonwealth Catholic 0
Liberty College 14 Empire State 7
Pierpont 21 Grafton 0
Dickson 40 Miller College 6
Pittsburgh State 47 Frankford State 7
Sadler 34 Eastern Virginia 3
Brunswick 24 New London Submarine 7
Conwell College 41 Bigsby College 3
Merchant Marine 41 Lupine 3
SOUTH
Rome State 36 Cowpens State 9
Alabama Baptist 31 Bayou State 24
Miami State 21 Noble Jones College 20
Baton Rouge State 21 Western Florida 14
Bluegrass State 23 Mississippi A&M 21
Northern Mississippi 24 Opelika State 10
Cumberland 16 Richmond State 6
Maryland State 44 Petersburg 7
Columbia Military Academy 17 Camp Blanding 0
Chesapeake State 16 North Carolina Tech 13
Charleston Tech 17 Coastal State 10
Eastern State 19 Alexandria 14
Huntington State 30 Tinker 12
Western Tennessee 53 Cookeville State 0
SOUTHWEST
Eastern Oklahoma 48 Mile High State 9
Amarillo Methodist 21 Arkansas A&T 14
Texas Gulf Coast 30 Daniel Boone College 13
Travis College 19 College of Waco 0
Darnell State 23 Oklahoma City State 20
Red River State 50 Killeen State 0
FAR WEST
Golden Gate University Pre-Flight 15 Coastal California 13
CC Los Angeles 27 College of San Diego 6
Northern California 7 Rainier College 7
Portland Tech 24 Idaho A&M 6
Boulder State 20 Provo Tech 19
Mountainview State 40 Herington Field 3
Fort Warren 17 Colorado Poly 14
South Valley State 21 Canyon A&M 7
Spokane State 17 Lane State 6
The field is finalized for each of the 3 major preseason tournaments to get the 1945-46 AIAA collegiate basketball season underway. The events, which will be held the weekend of November 8-11 are as follows:
JACK EASTION TIP-OFF CLASSIC - Boston
*CC Los Angeles Coyotes (21-10, ranked #15 last year)
*St Patrick's Shamrocks (25-6 ranked #3)
Lambert College Stags (16-14)
Travis College Bucks (17-12)
*Charleston Tech Admirals (21-11)
Huntington State Miners (15-14)
St Andrew's College Barons (14-15)
Grange College Mustangs (12-17)
NEW YORK CITY TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS - Bigsby Garden
*Liberty College Bells (27-5, ranked #6)
*Brunswick Knights (16-17)
Brooklyn State Bears (19-10, ranked #24)
Great Plains State Buffaloes (20-10)
PRESEASON AIAA SHOWCASE - Lake Side Arena, Chicago
*Rainier College Majestics (26-6, ranked #7)
*Annapolis Maritime Navigators (26-4, ranked #4)
Dickson Maroons (21-10)
Alabama Baptist Panthers (20-10)
*made National Tournament last March.
The following weekend will see five more preseason tournaments with the Bigsby Festival being the biggest of that group.
SAWYER TO FACE BRIT HEAVY IN FEBRUARY
World Heavyweight Champion Hector Sawyer says he got quite a chuckle out of reports in TWIFB and other papers claiming he had lost a step and lacked the ability to close out a fight. "Sounds like you guys are calling me old," laughed the 31 year old in a meeting with reporters to announce his next title defense. The bout will be at Detroit's Thompson Arena on Friday February 8 and will see The Cajun Crusher square off against veteran British battler Leo Carmichael.
"If I am old, what do you guys think about Leo? He's gotta be closing in on fifty now," joked Sawyer. "With our ages you will want us fighting at that ballpark in Cincinnati with all 'em washed up ballplayers. From where I sit, you guys were wrong about the Cannons being too old as well."
Carmichael is actually 37 years of age but looked much younger in scoring a unanimous decision over Cliff Baker - the eldest of the battling Philadelphia brothers- in DC last July. He had knocked out Mark Fountain in his previous bout and his record now sits at 30-4-1 but thanks to the Nazis there was a more than five year hole in his boxing resume although he did keep busy during his time in the British armed forces fighting in exhibitions.
The knock on Sawyer is not that he hasn't been successful -he is 3-0 since his return from the Army with all three fights ending earlier than scheduled to push his career mark to 52-3-1 with 47 of his wins coming due to a knock out or TKO. The worry is he fought clearly overmatched opponents and took a lot longer to finish the job than most felt Sawyer should have, or would have in his pre-war days. Sawyer has fought a lot of rounds in his career, especially when you lump in the Army tussles so the worry is perhaps all that boxing is starting to catch up with him. The champ's response is that is 'hogwash' and says he is poised to prove it with another victory in February. Mark Fountain had that same idea about 8 months ago and Carmichael made him look very bad. The champ better be wary he does not suffer the same fate.
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 10/07/1945
- The CIO Oil Workers Union staged a 'war of nerves' against the Government after President Truman declared the Federal Government seized oil plants and ordered 35,000 striking members back to work. By Saturday, under the watchful eye of the Navy, the oil men went back to work, at least temporarily.
- The longshoremen's wildcat strike appears near its end but now long-distance telephone operators in the New York City area have threatened to walkout.
- The United States and Soviet Russia engaged in a bitter long-distance debate over which nation was responsible for the failure of the London Foreign Ministers Conference. US Secretary of State James F. Byrnes says that Russia wanted "a few presently powerful states" to make the peace but the only way the conference could have continued would be for the US and Britain to "yield their views and convictions" to the Russians.
- A frontier patrol wounded seven Jewish colonists in Palestine during a clash of custody over a group of illegal immigrants, British Army headquarters announced as Jewish groups plan a general strike to protest British restrictions on immigration.
- Baron Kijuro Shidehara, newly named Premier of Japan, pledged unstinted co-operation to American and Allied military authorities in the performance of his new duties and expressed hope for the support of "all right-minded Japanese."
- The Government is not targeting November 1 as the date for ending all meat rationing.