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Jiggs McGee · 04-04-2023, 08:45 AM

JULY 22, 1946

WHEELS UP....TO 500

Wheeler Joins Mighty Mo With 500 HR

Al Wheeler officially joined the 500 home run club last week, a group so exclusive it numbered just one member -Max Morris- until Wheeler took an offering from Montreal's Jake DeYoung over the right field wall at Tice Stadium in the first inning of last Monday's Cincinnati Cannons 10-4 victory over the visiting Saints. That blast was the 11th of the season and 500th in the big leagues for the 38 year old outfielder known as the "Wonder Wheel."

It was fitting the milestone 500th came off of DeYoung as it was the 17th time that Wheeler homered off the 33 year old Montreal lefthander. It is believed that only Max Morris -with 22 against former Washington Eagle Harry Horn- ever hit more off of a single pitcher.

Wheeler, who is now just 67 rbi's away from joining Morris as the only players with 2,000 for their career, did not spend much time sitting at the 500 homerun mark as he added #501 5 innings later off of reliever Bill Ross.

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EAGLES ADD RATS FOR PENNANT PUSH

The Washington Eagles have not been in a lot of pennant races since the last flag raising in the nation's capital way back in 1925, but they made a statement this week with the acquisition of Rats McGonigle from the Brooklyn Kings. The 27 year old all-star outfielder was not having a dominant season in his first year back after missing 3 years serving in the Army, but with a much deeper collection of hitters to surround him in the Washington line-up, McGonigle might just be the piece the Eagles need to claim their 7th pennant. A batting order that features McGonigle (.242,6,23) along with Jesse Alvardo (.255,15,50), Sig Stofer (.261,21,55), Mel Carrol (.367,4,33), George Dawson (.288,2,27) and Bob Coon (.247,7,34) might not quite rival the New York Gothams for power, but may just match the current Fed leaders for run production.

The Eagles have had a couple of close calls in the pennant race recently including last year when they finished just 3 games back of the Philadelphia Keystones after failing to make a significant move to upgrade at the deadline. The club made a bold statement with the McGonigle move -shipping their first and third round draft picks along with 24 year old minor league pitcher Chet Reed to the Kings- and management hinted they may not be done making moves before the July 31 deadline.

JIGGS McGEE'S TAKE -A bold move by the Eagles who have been on the giving end more than the receiving end of deadline deals in recent years. McGonigle has had a slow adjustment back to civilian life but he might just breakout in the comfort of the Eagles line-up, which surrounds him with so much more talent than the the Kings group did. I like the move from both team's perspectives as McGonigle is still just 27 and should have a lot of years left to combine with Jesse Alvardo and Sig Stofer as the leaders in Washington.

Adding a potential high first round pick is always a good move for a rebuilding club like Brooklyn, but if the Eagles win the pennant and the pick ends up being 16th then the Kings might have a tough time replacing McGonigle, the fourth overall pick in 1939 and if he can get back to his prewar production, an outstanding ballplayer.

CONTINENTAL RACE REMAINS TIGHT

The Chicago Cougars are back within a game of first, as the Stars had trouble on the road. They dropped five of eight while the Cougars won four of seven. Both teams face a similar schedule, with the Cougars hosting the Cannons then Sailors, and the Stars hosting the Sailors then Cannons. Cincinnati is just 2.5 back after the Cannons took two of three from New York but this will be a very big week for the three-time defending Continental Association champs. The Cannons hit the road with their first stop being in Chicago for 3 games followed by 4 more in 3 days in New York against the Stars.

In the Federal Association the New York Gothams slowed the Washington Eagles charge by taking two out of three in nation's capital. Those two will meet again for a 3-game set at Gothams Stadium beginning tomorrow with Washington entering that series 3.5 games back. The Boston Minutemen are sandwiched in between, 2.5 games off the pace and set to embark on a western swing that sends them to Chicago, St Louis and Detroit before ending the trip in New York.

Brooklyn fans were shocked to hear the news that one of the clubs most popular players was being sent out of town. But the Kings with a record of 31-57 clearly are not feeling that they are in the mix for any serious pennants runs in the very near future. Since centerfielder Rats McGonigle came back from the war, he has hit .242/.351/.724 with 6 home runs and 23 RBI's. All indications were that Rats was not pleased with the clubs record this year in what clearly has become a housecleaning season for the Kings.

When GM DD Martin was asked about the deal he spoke about the future. "We have a very young club and while Rats is only 27, we felt the ability to gain another top pick in the draft and another pick in the 3rd round will continue our remaking of the Kings. This will also give us an opportunity to look at some deserving players needing some playing time like AAA OF John Moss (.301/.387/.878 10-38 at AAA Jersey City) a chance to show what he can do on the big stage. We have a tremendous amount of young talent coming up in the OF with the likes of #3 overall CF prospect Ralph Johnson and #17 LF prospect Pat Perry who are both at AA. I know its another tough season in Brooklyn for our fans, but we ask for their patience as we allow some of these young players to mature and gain the experience necessary to make the Kings a force once again in the CA for years to come. Your patience will be rewarded in the long run."

With the departure of Rats, the Kings young outfield will look like this: LF John Beaver (23), CF John Moss (24) and RF Joe Rutherford (23). If the Kings want to improve their record in the 2nd half of the season these youngsters will be asked to carry the load to help make that happen.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

Mail & Empire Mid-season Report Cards -With the second half the 1946 campaign underway it is time once again to publish Brett Bing's evaluations in the form of grades which has become a fan favourite. This summary is generally a well read column that generates much discussion among the faithful - both positive and negative. While parts of the fan base agree with Brett's grading many question his sanity, demands that he be removed from the baseball beat often flood into the mail room after this article. This year will probably be no different as Brett's report on the obviously under performing squad will be taken by many as controversial, by some as a "kick them while they are down" summary. A record of 40-46 has led to hushed whispers of whether this just a down season or is the team heading back to being irrelevant as they were in the thirties?
Brett's report:

CATCHERS
C- Clarence Howerton C-: Has age caught up to this 36 year old? While still a solid defensive, leadership asset the bat is starting starting to show signs of 15 seasons of crouching behind the plate.
Walter Loera B : His bat becoming more reliable along with noticeable gains defensively under the tutelage of Howerton. Brett expects to see a more even split of duties going forward in 1946 to allow Loera a chance to prove himself as the long term FABL option.

FIRST BASE
1B- Fred McCormick A : One of few Wolves that has played to his potential as attested to by a .278/.407/.496 line with 10 HR 42 RBI. It appears he is all the way back after missing almost 4 entire seasons. Although not quite as nimble around the bag expect to seem more of Fred as manager Call pares back his resting another player aged 36. With Walter Pack's woes, to be discussed later, Wayne Henderson has inserted himself into the conversation as McCormick's backup. Henderson will not be graded due to minimal plate appearances but is now a viable backup option at 1B or 2B. Age, 32, is drawback to Henderson to be included in future plans.

SECOND BASE
Hal Wood C+: Although his bat has never been in question, .332/.386/.428, all the discussion around Wood always comes back to ability in the field. Does his bat provide more than his glove costs the team?
Tom Fredrick C-: Tom, who was supposed to live up to "Mr. Versatility" nickname by starting 4 or 5 day a week at 3 or 4 positions, has been a disappointment after missing 3 full seasons in his country's service. His problem is the opposite of Wood's no bat, with a good glove. Can Frederick's bat heat up for the balance of '46?

THIRD BASE
Walter Pack D-: Brett came close to giving his first F grade to Pack. How does last year's Whitney Award winner fall to .213/.277/.285 with 4 HR 27 RBI after hitting 31 HR in 1945? Was Pack the epitome of a hitter who feasted on war reduced pitching or is this just an anomalous season? Fans are asking if Call should be using Pack off the bench, move Wood to the hot corner to somewhat hide his glove then give youngster Frank Frady, ungraded, or Henderson the everyday job at second. It appears that time has run out for Ockie Holliday in Toronto. Wolves do not have the luxury of keeping a defense only roster spot if they are going to climb back into the CA race.

SHORTSTOP
Charlie Artuso B+: After a torrid start his bat has cooled off, also sat out his first game in over a year recently. Expect Artuso to get sporadic rest for the balance of the season but start, hit leadoff in the the majority, by far, of the remaining games.

OUTFIELDERS
LF- Juan Pomales INC: Brett decided not to grade Pomales due to the fact he missed over a month with an injury. His absence did prove his value to the team both at the bat, in the field. If he maintains or improves on a line of .288/.350/.397 can the Wolves become a factor in the CA?
CF- Chink Stickels C : Stickels is still providing superior defense although for the Wolves to climb in the standings he must improve significantly on .259/.329/415 in order to set the table at the top of the order for the run producing part of lineup.
RF- Hank Giordano A: Only starter besides McCormick to receive an A. Should be a leading contender for ROY after being selected to his first ASG. If he maintains his .330/.367/.484 clip along with a slight improvement in the field the Wolves many be able to claw their way back into the race. Expect to see Hank in the two-hole going forward when Call presents his lineup card. A forgotten man seems to be Gus Hull, who like Holliday, it may not be long before a hard decision has to be made on his status.

Brett believes the pieces are in place for the Wolves to make a run with a few modifications, forget Frederick at second he should rotate through the OF. Possibly bench Pack move Wood to third use Frady or Henderson at second. Figure who in the system would improve the team if the spare parts, Holliday, Hull are removed from the ML roster.

Where Has the Pitching Gone?
Pitching has been the strong suit of recent Toronto teams. Although they have not won a CA title in the past 5 years the pitching staff has consistently held the team in the race until the late stages of September. The team is not use to being ranked 7th in terms of ERA, 3.70, 2nd worse in walks surrender in the CA. This fall from grace is baffling most experts, was the retirement of Art Nichols the cause of the sudden and rapid decline? Granted the staff has not been helped out by questionable play in the field at times but one thing is certain, the staff must improve dramatically if there is to be any hope of second half resurgence of the Wolves.

STARTERS

George Garrison Grade D : A record of 6-8, 2.70 is not nearly good enough for the 1945 Allen Award winner. Garrison has to set the tone even if has to single handedly win games with little support from the offense.
Joe Hancock Grade C-: More is expected than a 5-9, 3.70 record for the 1943 20 game winner Allen Award runner up. After two years in the service can Joe provide solid results behind Garrison going forward?
Bob Walls Grade C : A winning record 8-7 although 4.09 is concerning Walls has to cut down the free passes starting immediately to give the Wolves some hope.
Jimmy Gibbs Grade B : Has recently fallen on hard times dropping his last 3 starts 4 of last 6. 7-5, 3.25 are good numbers for a solid #3 or #4 starter which is what the team expects at this point from Gibbs.
Cookie Myers Grade B : Since being moved into the rotation, replacing Jim Morrison, he has provided adequate starts 1-1 in 5 starts.

Bullpen

Lou Jayson Grade D : 1-5 with 4 blown saves is not acceptable for this returning veteran. Can Jayson return to his 1943 form after knocking off the rust from 2 years in the service?
Chick Wirtz Grade D : Has the clock run out on this 38 year old. A 5.74 ERA may suggest so for a piece counted on to provide shutdown innings from the 'pen. Wirtz is not helping himself with his complaints about his role. Could he be headed for the same road as Holliday, Hull?
Jim Morrison Grade C-: After failing as a starter Morrison is not distinguishing himself in a relief role. Far too many BB have been his undoing all season.

Recent callups from Buffalo, Red More, Jim Carter have not been graded because of lack of innings. More has built up enough credibility that he will start this coming week in a doubleheader. Will this lead to further opportunities?

Can Manager Call, new Pitching Coach Johnny Franklin escape this minefield of a pitching staff to turn it around in the coming months? If not it will be a lost season at Dominion Field.

Rats McGonigle to Washington was not the only deal the Brooklyn Kings made this week. They also added 24 year old righthander Mike Thorpe - a top 200 prospect who was 4-5 at AAA in the Cougars system- in exchange for a 9th round pick and $3,000. The cash strapped Cougars have been selling everything but the kitchen sink in an effort to scrounge up enough money to sign all of their key draft picks, but Cougars brass say they have sufficient funds now and will not be making any more deals for cash.
Wheeler with his 500th homerun this week. Next we will be celebrating Bob Martin's 3,000 career hit, perhaps as early as tomorrow when Martin and his Chicago Chiefs entertain Boston. Martin sits at 2,999 after notching a hit in both ends of a doubleheader sweep of the Philadelphia Keystones yesterday. Martin is set to become the 12th players to reach the milestones. Among the other 11 are his current manager Joe Ward.
A strong debut for #1 pick and #1 prospect John Stallings, who picked up his first big league win in a start for the Chiefs against the Minutemen. He went 7.2 innings with 4 hits, a run, 6 walks, and 5 strikeouts

MANY GRID VETS GONE, ROME STATE MUST RELY ON PLEBES FOR SQUAD DEPTH

Like almost every one else, the Rome State football coaching staff is plagued by shortages these days. A powerhouse that rolled over below-normal wartime opposition for the past two seasons -going undefeated and winning back to back collegiate grid titles- the Centurions are beginning to feel the pinch of a shortage of experienced players.

"We have lost our first four tackles including All-American Jeff Box and three of five ends," says their coach before quickly adding "and we only have one experienced T quarterback. Plus there are no outstanding name players in the plebe or freshman group."

The Centurions brass may be trying to lower expectations for the upcomign season but few are buying it. They may not be as dominant as they were the past two seasons now that the other schools no longer have one arm tied behind their backs due to wartime player shortages, but it is clear Rome State will be in the mix for a third straight national title. There will be competition as plenty of teams will be much improved this season including St Blane, CCLA, Lincoln College and Detroit City College as well as the Centurions two Georgia rivals in Noble Jones College and Georgia Baptist. However, Rome State, which will be following the American Intercollegiate Athletic Association rulings allowing the use of first-year men to play varsity football this season, returns plenty of talent. It is hard to feel sorry for the Centurions with the way they destroyed all comers the past two years and one must also remember that both of their two-time All-American backs in Gus Thompson and Chet Donelson return for their senior campaigns. The duo are probably the finest running combination in football and perhaps even can be counted among the greatest backfield duos of all time. Rome State may not have the depth they did the past couple of seasons, but their backs will still be difficult to slow down.

O'KEEFE TO MAKE WELTER DEFENSE IN SEPTEMBER

World Welterweight Champion Dennis O'Keefe has confirmed his first title defense will be in Atlanta on September 21 against Mark Westlake. O'Keefe, with a 20-1 career record, won the long vacant ABF title in March with a 13th round knockout of Carl Taylor.

The 29 year old Jacksonville, Fl. native returned to the ring last August after a four year stint in the army. O'Keefe began his pro career as a 19 year old in 1936 and quickly earned the nickname 'The Jacksonville Jackhammer' as he accumulated knockout victories. His first and only loss came in Richmond, Va. in 1938 when he suffered a technical knockout defeat to a local Virginia fighter by the name of Mike Dunady. It would be the only professional fight Dunady ever competed in and at the time there was plenty of speculation from O'Keefe's trainer that Dunady was well above the weight limit for the welterweight division.

O'Keefe rebounded quickly from that loss and was 17-1 when he joined the army in the days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. A rising contender at that point in the welterweight division, O'Keefe asked for and received a combat position and saw plenty of action including being part of the allied invasion force that stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.

He returned to the ring last August and had a solid showing in a tune-up bout against lightly regarded Ronnie Scott before a dominant effort last October in which he knocked out Rudy Perry in the 2nd round, thrusting O'Keefe into the fight for the welterweight title, which had remained vacant since Englishman Kid Simpson retired in the fall of 1940.

In his first title defense since knocking out Taylor to win the crown, O'Keefe will face the man Taylor beat to claim his spot in that championship bout. Mark Westlake, a 28 year old who hails from Biloxi, Ms., lost to Taylor last October by unanimous decision in a 12 round bout to determine who would get a shot at the title. Despite that loss, Westlake -armed with a 19-2-1 career record- will get his chance at the title six months later than he hoped. Most had expected Westlake to beat Taylor a year ago as he had knocked Taylor out when they squared off in 1942 and also counted wins over highly regarded fighters Dale Roy and Peter Weldon.

GIBBS LOSES - TITLE SHOT HOPES CRUSHED?

In one of the more shocking upsets of the year George Gibbs saw his perfect record disappear along with possibly his chances of ever getting a title shot after the welterweight was the victim of a fourth round knockout courtesy of Jamie Rotz. The bout in Hartford, Ct. last Wednesday was supposed to be a warm-up fight for Gibbs and precede an expected announcement of a date with welterweight champ Dennis O'Keefe but after the outcome O'Keefe's camp quickly pivoted and agreed to a fight with Mark Westlake.

Gibbs, nicknamed 'Mr. Sandman' because of his 15 knockout wins in 16 previous fights, was a victim of his own medicine as the 35 year old Californian Rotz caught Gibbs with a beautiful cross to the chin late in the fourth round from which Gibbs could not recover. It was likely a case of overzealousness on Gibbs part, who landed some big blows earlier in the round and was loading up for a finishing blow before Rotz beat him to the punch. Gibbs, who is now 16-1, had won each of the first three rounds comfortably and knocked Rotz down in the opening three minutes. Rotz, with a 22-7 career mark, may have been the most surprised man in the auditorium when referee Vic Green reached 10 on his count and Gibbs was still flat on his back.

In other action last week the Annapolis Assassin Allen Bailey went into enemy territory and scored an unanimous decision over Canadian heavyweight champ Harry Sweetland in Toronto. The 33 year old Baily is now 32-4-2 while the 25 year old Canadian's record dips to 14-5-1.

On Saturday in Waterbury, Ct. a pair of middleweights collided with Pittsburgh native Joe Starr claiming an unanimous decision over Ronnie Norton. The 26 year old Starr is 16-2 while Norton, a 27 year old from Buffalo, drops to 16-9-1.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

Aug 17 - Bigsby Oval, New York City: World Heavyweight title as Hector 'The Cajun Crusher' Sawyer (53-3-1) defends against former world champion Jochen Schrotter (48-4).
Sep 21 - Noble Jones College Arena, Atlanta, Ga. : World Welterweight champion Dennis 'The Jacksonville Jackhammer' O'Keefe (20-1) vs Mark Westlake (19-2-1).
Oct 15- Denny Arena, Boston: World Middleweight champion Frank 'The Tank' Melanson (30-0-2) makes his third title defense against European champion Edouard Desmarais (36-0).
July 25 - Cincinnati, Oh: #2 HW contender Scott Baker (14-0-2) vs Abel Kessler (15-10-2).
July 25 - Chicago, Il: highly touted veteran middleweights Nick Harris (17-2-1) and Nathan Sears (19-2) meet at Lake Side Arena.
July 26 - Brooklyn, NY: #3 WW contender Carl Taylor (19-3-2) vs Billy Boyd (19-7-2)
July 26- Brooklyn, NY Highly touted young WW Mac Erickson (7-0) vs Greg Coleman (1-2-1)

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 7/21/1946

The Congressional Pearl Harbor Committee has cleared the late President Roosevelt and his advisors of any wrongdoing in its report on the Hawaiian disaster. That is the finding of the majority report-signed by 8 members. However, a minority report filed by two Republican Senators charges that Mr. Roosevelt and his key aides failed to perform responsibilities "eesential to the defense of Pearl Harbor." Both did agree that better unity between the Army and Navy, as well as stronger system for sharing of inteligence between the two branches is essential.
The House and Senate agreed after a week of late night meetings on a compromise to revive the OPA until next June, with a complex formula for handling price controls for various major food items. The agreement is not official yet, but they plan on finalizing it this morning.
The reconversion director has said surplus guns, tanks and ships will be broken up to help deal with a sheet metal shortage that leaves less than 2-weeks supply for steel mills.
The U.N. Atomic Committee, including the Soviet Union among its 12 members despite Russian objection last week to the formation of such a group, has begun its work on drafting a plan for a world atomic control agency.
Two high ranking members of the Russian Embassy staff in Ottawa quickly fled Canada for their homeland as a government report on Soviet espionage network in that country was published. The two had been accused of directing a Russian spy network.
Chinese communist forces are blamed for taking 7 American marines prisoner in near the Chinwangtao area. An air and ground search is underway but hampered by adverse weather conditions.

04-04-2023, 08:45 AM	#672
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	July 22, 1946 JULY 22, 1946 WHEELS UP....TO 500 Wheeler Joins Mighty Mo With 500 HR Al Wheeler officially joined the 500 home run club last week, a group so exclusive it numbered just one member -Max Morris- until Wheeler took an offering from Montreal's Jake DeYoung over the right field wall at Tice Stadium in the first inning of last Monday's Cincinnati Cannons 10-4 victory over the visiting Saints. That blast was the 11th of the season and 500th in the big leagues for the 38 year old outfielder known as the "Wonder Wheel." It was fitting the milestone 500th came off of DeYoung as it was the 17th time that Wheeler homered off the 33 year old Montreal lefthander. It is believed that only Max Morris -with 22 against former Washington Eagle Harry Horn- ever hit more off of a single pitcher. Wheeler, who is now just 67 rbi's away from joining Morris as the only players with 2,000 for their career, did not spend much time sitting at the 500 homerun mark as he added #501 5 innings later off of reliever Bill Ross. [img][/img] EAGLES ADD RATS FOR PENNANT PUSH The Washington Eagles have not been in a lot of pennant races since the last flag raising in the nation's capital way back in 1925, but they made a statement this week with the acquisition of Rats McGonigle from the Brooklyn Kings. The 27 year old all-star outfielder was not having a dominant season in his first year back after missing 3 years serving in the Army, but with a much deeper collection of hitters to surround him in the Washington line-up, McGonigle might just be the piece the Eagles need to claim their 7th pennant. A batting order that features McGonigle (.242,6,23) along with Jesse Alvardo (.255,15,50), Sig Stofer (.261,21,55), Mel Carrol (.367,4,33), George Dawson (.288,2,27) and Bob Coon (.247,7,34) might not quite rival the New York Gothams for power, but may just match the current Fed leaders for run production. The Eagles have had a couple of close calls in the pennant race recently including last year when they finished just 3 games back of the Philadelphia Keystones after failing to make a significant move to upgrade at the deadline. The club made a bold statement with the McGonigle move -shipping their first and third round draft picks along with 24 year old minor league pitcher Chet Reed to the Kings- and management hinted they may not be done making moves before the July 31 deadline. JIGGS McGEE'S TAKE -A bold move by the Eagles who have been on the giving end more than the receiving end of deadline deals in recent years. McGonigle has had a slow adjustment back to civilian life but he might just breakout in the comfort of the Eagles line-up, which surrounds him with so much more talent than the the Kings group did. I like the move from both team's perspectives as McGonigle is still just 27 and should have a lot of years left to combine with Jesse Alvardo and Sig Stofer as the leaders in Washington. Adding a potential high first round pick is always a good move for a rebuilding club like Brooklyn, but if the Eagles win the pennant and the pick ends up being 16th then the Kings might have a tough time replacing McGonigle, the fourth overall pick in 1939 and if he can get back to his prewar production, an outstanding ballplayer. CONTINENTAL RACE REMAINS TIGHT The Chicago Cougars are back within a game of first, as the Stars had trouble on the road. They dropped five of eight while the Cougars won four of seven. Both teams face a similar schedule, with the Cougars hosting the Cannons then Sailors, and the Stars hosting the Sailors then Cannons. Cincinnati is just 2.5 back after the Cannons took two of three from New York but this will be a very big week for the three-time defending Continental Association champs. The Cannons hit the road with their first stop being in Chicago for 3 games followed by 4 more in 3 days in New York against the Stars. In the Federal Association the New York Gothams slowed the Washington Eagles charge by taking two out of three in nation's capital. Those two will meet again for a 3-game set at Gothams Stadium beginning tomorrow with Washington entering that series 3.5 games back. The Boston Minutemen are sandwiched in between, 2.5 games off the pace and set to embark on a western swing that sends them to Chicago, St Louis and Detroit before ending the trip in New York. Brooklyn fans were shocked to hear the news that one of the clubs most popular players was being sent out of town. But the Kings with a record of 31-57 clearly are not feeling that they are in the mix for any serious pennants runs in the very near future. Since centerfielder Rats McGonigle came back from the war, he has hit .242/.351/.724 with 6 home runs and 23 RBI's. All indications were that Rats was not pleased with the clubs record this year in what clearly has become a housecleaning season for the Kings. When GM DD Martin was asked about the deal he spoke about the future. "We have a very young club and while Rats is only 27, we felt the ability to gain another top pick in the draft and another pick in the 3rd round will continue our remaking of the Kings. This will also give us an opportunity to look at some deserving players needing some playing time like AAA OF John Moss (.301/.387/.878 10-38 at AAA Jersey City) a chance to show what he can do on the big stage. We have a tremendous amount of young talent coming up in the OF with the likes of #3 overall CF prospect Ralph Johnson and #17 LF prospect Pat Perry who are both at AA. I know its another tough season in Brooklyn for our fans, but we ask for their patience as we allow some of these young players to mature and gain the experience necessary to make the Kings a force once again in the CA for years to come. Your patience will be rewarded in the long run." With the departure of Rats, the Kings young outfield will look like this: LF John Beaver (23), CF John Moss (24) and RF Joe Rutherford (23). If the Kings want to improve their record in the 2nd half of the season these youngsters will be asked to carry the load to help make that happen. TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN Mail & Empire Mid-season Report Cards -With the second half the 1946 campaign underway it is time once again to publish Brett Bing's evaluations in the form of grades which has become a fan favourite. This summary is generally a well read column that generates much discussion among the faithful - both positive and negative. While parts of the fan base agree with Brett's grading many question his sanity, demands that he be removed from the baseball beat often flood into the mail room after this article. This year will probably be no different as Brett's report on the obviously under performing squad will be taken by many as controversial, by some as a "kick them while they are down" summary. A record of 40-46 has led to hushed whispers of whether this just a down season or is the team heading back to being irrelevant as they were in the thirties? Brett's report: CATCHERS C- Clarence Howerton C-: Has age caught up to this 36 year old? While still a solid defensive, leadership asset the bat is starting starting to show signs of 15 seasons of crouching behind the plate. Walter Loera B : His bat becoming more reliable along with noticeable gains defensively under the tutelage of Howerton. Brett expects to see a more even split of duties going forward in 1946 to allow Loera a chance to prove himself as the long term FABL option. FIRST BASE 1B- Fred McCormick A : One of few Wolves that has played to his potential as attested to by a .278/.407/.496 line with 10 HR 42 RBI. It appears he is all the way back after missing almost 4 entire seasons. Although not quite as nimble around the bag expect to seem more of Fred as manager Call pares back his resting another player aged 36. With Walter Pack's woes, to be discussed later, Wayne Henderson has inserted himself into the conversation as McCormick's backup. Henderson will not be graded due to minimal plate appearances but is now a viable backup option at 1B or 2B. Age, 32, is drawback to Henderson to be included in future plans. SECOND BASE Hal Wood C+: Although his bat has never been in question, .332/.386/.428, all the discussion around Wood always comes back to ability in the field. Does his bat provide more than his glove costs the team? Tom Fredrick C-: Tom, who was supposed to live up to "Mr. Versatility" nickname by starting 4 or 5 day a week at 3 or 4 positions, has been a disappointment after missing 3 full seasons in his country's service. His problem is the opposite of Wood's no bat, with a good glove. Can Frederick's bat heat up for the balance of '46? THIRD BASE Walter Pack D-: Brett came close to giving his first F grade to Pack. How does last year's Whitney Award winner fall to .213/.277/.285 with 4 HR 27 RBI after hitting 31 HR in 1945? Was Pack the epitome of a hitter who feasted on war reduced pitching or is this just an anomalous season? Fans are asking if Call should be using Pack off the bench, move Wood to the hot corner to somewhat hide his glove then give youngster Frank Frady, ungraded, or Henderson the everyday job at second. It appears that time has run out for Ockie Holliday in Toronto. Wolves do not have the luxury of keeping a defense only roster spot if they are going to climb back into the CA race. SHORTSTOP Charlie Artuso B+: After a torrid start his bat has cooled off, also sat out his first game in over a year recently. Expect Artuso to get sporadic rest for the balance of the season but start, hit leadoff in the the majority, by far, of the remaining games. OUTFIELDERS LF- Juan Pomales INC: Brett decided not to grade Pomales due to the fact he missed over a month with an injury. His absence did prove his value to the team both at the bat, in the field. If he maintains or improves on a line of .288/.350/.397 can the Wolves become a factor in the CA? CF- Chink Stickels C : Stickels is still providing superior defense although for the Wolves to climb in the standings he must improve significantly on .259/.329/415 in order to set the table at the top of the order for the run producing part of lineup. RF- Hank Giordano A: Only starter besides McCormick to receive an A. Should be a leading contender for ROY after being selected to his first ASG. If he maintains his .330/.367/.484 clip along with a slight improvement in the field the Wolves many be able to claw their way back into the race. Expect to see Hank in the two-hole going forward when Call presents his lineup card. A forgotten man seems to be Gus Hull, who like Holliday, it may not be long before a hard decision has to be made on his status. Brett believes the pieces are in place for the Wolves to make a run with a few modifications, forget Frederick at second he should rotate through the OF. Possibly bench Pack move Wood to third use Frady or Henderson at second. Figure who in the system would improve the team if the spare parts, Holliday, Hull are removed from the ML roster. Where Has the Pitching Gone? Pitching has been the strong suit of recent Toronto teams. Although they have not won a CA title in the past 5 years the pitching staff has consistently held the team in the race until the late stages of September. The team is not use to being ranked 7th in terms of ERA, 3.70, 2nd worse in walks surrender in the CA. This fall from grace is baffling most experts, was the retirement of Art Nichols the cause of the sudden and rapid decline? Granted the staff has not been helped out by questionable play in the field at times but one thing is certain, the staff must improve dramatically if there is to be any hope of second half resurgence of the Wolves. STARTERS George Garrison Grade D : A record of 6-8, 2.70 is not nearly good enough for the 1945 Allen Award winner. Garrison has to set the tone even if has to single handedly win games with little support from the offense. Joe Hancock Grade C-: More is expected than a 5-9, 3.70 record for the 1943 20 game winner Allen Award runner up. After two years in the service can Joe provide solid results behind Garrison going forward? Bob Walls Grade C : A winning record 8-7 although 4.09 is concerning Walls has to cut down the free passes starting immediately to give the Wolves some hope. Jimmy Gibbs Grade B : Has recently fallen on hard times dropping his last 3 starts 4 of last 6. 7-5, 3.25 are good numbers for a solid #3 or #4 starter which is what the team expects at this point from Gibbs. Cookie Myers Grade B : Since being moved into the rotation, replacing Jim Morrison, he has provided adequate starts 1-1 in 5 starts. Bullpen Lou Jayson Grade D : 1-5 with 4 blown saves is not acceptable for this returning veteran. Can Jayson return to his 1943 form after knocking off the rust from 2 years in the service? Chick Wirtz Grade D : Has the clock run out on this 38 year old. A 5.74 ERA may suggest so for a piece counted on to provide shutdown innings from the 'pen. Wirtz is not helping himself with his complaints about his role. Could he be headed for the same road as Holliday, Hull? Jim Morrison Grade C-: After failing as a starter Morrison is not distinguishing himself in a relief role. Far too many BB have been his undoing all season. Recent callups from Buffalo, Red More, Jim Carter have not been graded because of lack of innings. More has built up enough credibility that he will start this coming week in a doubleheader. Will this lead to further opportunities? Can Manager Call, new Pitching Coach Johnny Franklin escape this minefield of a pitching staff to turn it around in the coming months? If not it will be a lost season at Dominion Field. Rats McGonigle to Washington was not the only deal the Brooklyn Kings made this week. They also added 24 year old righthander Mike Thorpe - a top 200 prospect who was 4-5 at AAA in the Cougars system- in exchange for a 9th round pick and $3,000. The cash strapped Cougars have been selling everything but the kitchen sink in an effort to scrounge up enough money to sign all of their key draft picks, but Cougars brass say they have sufficient funds now and will not be making any more deals for cash. Wheeler with his 500th homerun this week. Next we will be celebrating Bob Martin's 3,000 career hit, perhaps as early as tomorrow when Martin and his Chicago Chiefs entertain Boston. Martin sits at 2,999 after notching a hit in both ends of a doubleheader sweep of the Philadelphia Keystones yesterday. Martin is set to become the 12th players to reach the milestones. Among the other 11 are his current manager Joe Ward. A strong debut for #1 pick and #1 prospect John Stallings, who picked up his first big league win in a start for the Chiefs against the Minutemen. He went 7.2 innings with 4 hits, a run, 6 walks, and 5 strikeouts MANY GRID VETS GONE, ROME STATE MUST RELY ON PLEBES FOR SQUAD DEPTH Like almost every one else, the Rome State football coaching staff is plagued by shortages these days. A powerhouse that rolled over below-normal wartime opposition for the past two seasons -going undefeated and winning back to back collegiate grid titles- the Centurions are beginning to feel the pinch of a shortage of experienced players. "We have lost our first four tackles including All-American Jeff Box and three of five ends," says their coach before quickly adding "and we only have one experienced T quarterback. Plus there are no outstanding name players in the plebe or freshman group." The Centurions brass may be trying to lower expectations for the upcomign season but few are buying it. They may not be as dominant as they were the past two seasons now that the other schools no longer have one arm tied behind their backs due to wartime player shortages, but it is clear Rome State will be in the mix for a third straight national title. There will be competition as plenty of teams will be much improved this season including St Blane, CCLA, Lincoln College and Detroit City College as well as the Centurions two Georgia rivals in Noble Jones College and Georgia Baptist. However, Rome State, which will be following the American Intercollegiate Athletic Association rulings allowing the use of first-year men to play varsity football this season, returns plenty of talent. It is hard to feel sorry for the Centurions with the way they destroyed all comers the past two years and one must also remember that both of their two-time All-American backs in Gus Thompson and Chet Donelson return for their senior campaigns. The duo are probably the finest running combination in football and perhaps even can be counted among the greatest backfield duos of all time. Rome State may not have the depth they did the past couple of seasons, but their backs will still be difficult to slow down. O'KEEFE TO MAKE WELTER DEFENSE IN SEPTEMBER World Welterweight Champion Dennis O'Keefe has confirmed his first title defense will be in Atlanta on September 21 against Mark Westlake. O'Keefe, with a 20-1 career record, won the long vacant ABF title in March with a 13th round knockout of Carl Taylor. The 29 year old Jacksonville, Fl. native returned to the ring last August after a four year stint in the army. O'Keefe began his pro career as a 19 year old in 1936 and quickly earned the nickname 'The Jacksonville Jackhammer' as he accumulated knockout victories. His first and only loss came in Richmond, Va. in 1938 when he suffered a technical knockout defeat to a local Virginia fighter by the name of Mike Dunady. It would be the only professional fight Dunady ever competed in and at the time there was plenty of speculation from O'Keefe's trainer that Dunady was well above the weight limit for the welterweight division. O'Keefe rebounded quickly from that loss and was 17-1 when he joined the army in the days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. A rising contender at that point in the welterweight division, O'Keefe asked for and received a combat position and saw plenty of action including being part of the allied invasion force that stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. He returned to the ring last August and had a solid showing in a tune-up bout against lightly regarded Ronnie Scott before a dominant effort last October in which he knocked out Rudy Perry in the 2nd round, thrusting O'Keefe into the fight for the welterweight title, which had remained vacant since Englishman Kid Simpson retired in the fall of 1940. In his first title defense since knocking out Taylor to win the crown, O'Keefe will face the man Taylor beat to claim his spot in that championship bout. Mark Westlake, a 28 year old who hails from Biloxi, Ms., lost to Taylor last October by unanimous decision in a 12 round bout to determine who would get a shot at the title. Despite that loss, Westlake -armed with a 19-2-1 career record- will get his chance at the title six months later than he hoped. Most had expected Westlake to beat Taylor a year ago as he had knocked Taylor out when they squared off in 1942 and also counted wins over highly regarded fighters Dale Roy and Peter Weldon. GIBBS LOSES - TITLE SHOT HOPES CRUSHED? In one of the more shocking upsets of the year George Gibbs saw his perfect record disappear along with possibly his chances of ever getting a title shot after the welterweight was the victim of a fourth round knockout courtesy of Jamie Rotz. The bout in Hartford, Ct. last Wednesday was supposed to be a warm-up fight for Gibbs and precede an expected announcement of a date with welterweight champ Dennis O'Keefe but after the outcome O'Keefe's camp quickly pivoted and agreed to a fight with Mark Westlake. Gibbs, nicknamed 'Mr. Sandman' because of his 15 knockout wins in 16 previous fights, was a victim of his own medicine as the 35 year old Californian Rotz caught Gibbs with a beautiful cross to the chin late in the fourth round from which Gibbs could not recover. It was likely a case of overzealousness on Gibbs part, who landed some big blows earlier in the round and was loading up for a finishing blow before Rotz beat him to the punch. Gibbs, who is now 16-1, had won each of the first three rounds comfortably and knocked Rotz down in the opening three minutes. Rotz, with a 22-7 career mark, may have been the most surprised man in the auditorium when referee Vic Green reached 10 on his count and Gibbs was still flat on his back. In other action last week the Annapolis Assassin Allen Bailey went into enemy territory and scored an unanimous decision over Canadian heavyweight champ Harry Sweetland in Toronto. The 33 year old Baily is now 32-4-2 while the 25 year old Canadian's record dips to 14-5-1. On Saturday in Waterbury, Ct. a pair of middleweights collided with Pittsburgh native Joe Starr claiming an unanimous decision over Ronnie Norton. The 26 year old Starr is 16-2 while Norton, a 27 year old from Buffalo, drops to 16-9-1. UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS Aug 17 - Bigsby Oval, New York City: World Heavyweight title as Hector 'The Cajun Crusher' Sawyer (53-3-1) defends against former world champion Jochen Schrotter (48-4). Sep 21 - Noble Jones College Arena, Atlanta, Ga. : World Welterweight champion Dennis 'The Jacksonville Jackhammer' O'Keefe (20-1) vs Mark Westlake (19-2-1). Oct 15- Denny Arena, Boston: World Middleweight champion Frank 'The Tank' Melanson (30-0-2) makes his third title defense against European champion Edouard Desmarais (36-0). July 25 - Cincinnati, Oh: #2 HW contender Scott Baker (14-0-2) vs Abel Kessler (15-10-2). July 25 - Chicago, Il: highly touted veteran middleweights Nick Harris (17-2-1) and Nathan Sears (19-2) meet at Lake Side Arena. July 26 - Brooklyn, NY: #3 WW contender Carl Taylor (19-3-2) vs Billy Boyd (19-7-2) July 26- Brooklyn, NY Highly touted young WW Mac Erickson (7-0) vs Greg Coleman (1-2-1) The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 7/21/1946 The Congressional Pearl Harbor Committee has cleared the late President Roosevelt and his advisors of any wrongdoing in its report on the Hawaiian disaster. That is the finding of the majority report-signed by 8 members. However, a minority report filed by two Republican Senators charges that Mr. Roosevelt and his key aides failed to perform responsibilities "eesential to the defense of Pearl Harbor." Both did agree that better unity between the Army and Navy, as well as stronger system for sharing of inteligence between the two branches is essential. The House and Senate agreed after a week of late night meetings on a compromise to revive the OPA until next June, with a complex formula for handling price controls for various major food items. The agreement is not official yet, but they plan on finalizing it this morning. The reconversion director has said surplus guns, tanks and ships will be broken up to help deal with a sheet metal shortage that leaves less than 2-weeks supply for steel mills. The U.N. Atomic Committee, including the Soviet Union among its 12 members despite Russian objection last week to the formation of such a group, has begun its work on drafting a plan for a world atomic control agency. Two high ranking members of the Russian Embassy staff in Ottawa quickly fled Canada for their homeland as a government report on Soviet espionage network in that country was published. The two had been accused of directing a Russian spy network. Chinese communist forces are blamed for taking 7 American marines prisoner in near the Chinwangtao area. An air and ground search is underway but hampered by adverse weather conditions. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports Last edited by Jiggs McGee; 04-04-2023 at 10:23 AM.