JULY 29 , 1946
MILESTONE FOR MARTIN
3,000 Career Hits for Mr. Automatic
A week after Al Wheeler joined the 500 homerun club his former Chicago Chiefs teammate Bob Martin became a member of a special group as well with the 3,000th hit of his career. The 39 year old Martin became just the 13th player to join the 3,000 hit club and only the third player with more than 3,000 hits to get all of them with the same ballclub.
Martin, a 1925 third round pick of the Chiefs, made his big league debut with the club in 1928 and has never looked back. Only Hall of Famers Ed Ziehl and John Dibblee recorded more than 3,000 hits and exclusively played for one big league organization. The 3-time all-star, who led the Fed in hits 4 times and batting average once, notched his milestone knock with a third inning single off of Philadelphia's Pepper Tuttle in a 2-0 Chiefs win over the Keystones on Friday.
TRADE DEADLINE LOOMS
With the two New York City ballclubs sitting atop their respective associations we are down to the final few hours before the trade deadline passes. At this point the only major deal involving a contender was the Washington Eagles -who sit second in the Federal Association 3.5 games back of the New York Gothams- move to add all-star outfielder Rats McGonigle in a deal with Brooklyn. The 27 year old McGonigle had 7 hits in his first week in the Fed, as his club went 4-3 on the week but those losses included a pair at home to the first-place Gothams.
New York did make one trade - a relatively minor deal in terms of its impact on the pennant race but a move that will surely be loved by the hometown faithful as 42 year old pitcher Jim Lonardo returned for his third stint as a Gotham, coming over from Detroit in exchange for a 6th round draft pick. Lonardo, who was 4-8 with Detroit this season, is three wins shy of of becoming just the 13th pitcher with 300 career victories. Lonardo was a 10th round pick of the Gothams in 1925 and won 4 Allen Awards including 3 while pitching for the Gothams.
CHIEFS ADD SLUGGING FIRST BASEMAN
The struggling Brooklyn Kings did not have a lot of tradeable assets but they did manage to be involved in the two biggest deadline deals. First it was all-star outfielder Rats McGonigle heading to Washington and then, just prior to tonight's deadline came news that Tim Hopkins is now a Chicago Chief. The powerful 27 year old slugging first baseman should love hitting at Whitney Park and if he can be half as good as the last first baseman the Chiefs imported from Brooklyn it will be a huge acquisition for the Chicago nine. That last pickup was Ron Rattigan, who went from Brooklyn to Chicago as part of a package for Milt Fritz way back in 1930 and has been a fixture at first baseman for the Chiefs for over a decade, making 7 all-star teams in the process.
Rattigan will shift to right field to make room for Hopkins, the 6'5" first baseman known as 'Tiny Tim'. In return the Chiefs send their first round pick next January, 21 year old Class B pitcher Paul Byler and 19 year old Class A shortstop Herb Keller to the borough of Brooklyn.
JIGGS McGEE'S TAKE -It is obvious the Kings need to rebuild but you can't help but feel Hopkins is exactly the type of player they should be rebuilding around. Same for Rats McGonigle, although in the case of moving him to Washington the Kings already had a great young centerfield candidate in Ralph Johnson to replace Rats. I am not sure they have a true power-hitting bat capable of replacing Hopkins at first anywhere in their system although there is a chance that outfielder Pat Perry eventually develops the power OSA forecasts to come from the 21 year old and moves to first.
Hopkins is not old by any stretch, at 28, and has been very consistent over his pro career. He should receive a huge boost just by being able to spend half of his season going forward in hitter-friendly Whitney Park, a place that could help him average 25 homers a season over the next half dozen years. It is a mild surprise to see the Chiefs buying at the deadline but a player like Hopkins, who seems so perfectly suited to slot into the Chiefs lineup and play in Whitney Park, does not show up on the trade block often.
The Kings now possess 3 first round picks so they will have an opportunity to make some noise in January but there are questions about at least one of the prospects they acquired. That would be 21 year old pitcher Paul Byler. A 1943 second round pick he was terribly overmatched as a 19 year old at Class B and A in 1944, showing a regression from his performance split between B and C in his draft year. He missed last year serving in the Army and was sent back to Class B this season by the Chiefs, but has struggled at that level, particularly with his control. OSA still likes his potential, ranking Byler just outside the top 50 and giving him the ceiling of a fifth starter. The other prospect, 19 year old shortstop Herb Keller, was a third round pick in '45 and has struggled both at the plate and in the field but the Chiefs were pushing him hard this season by having him play A ball in his first full year out of high school. OSA, which ranks him slightly outside the top 100 prospects, feels his defense at shortstop will never be more the adequate but does give Keller above average potential as a contact hitter.
I love the move on the Chiefs end, as Hopkins will seamlessly replace Ron Rattigan -providing far less contact but far more power then the veteran- at first base. The Kings need to hit it out of the park with their January draft as I am not sure either of the two prospects they acquired for Hopkins will ever contribute much.
TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN
A Look at the Wolves Future -After Brett's look at the the present for your Wolves he will now take a look at the players who could be calling Dominion Field home in the near future. Some of these players have lost baseball time due service during the war, a far more important job given the situation. Will these players make up for lost time as their baseball careers restart or will it be too late? How many young players had the global conflict steal a FABL marquee career from their future? The answer to that will never be known, it can only be a matter of speculation.
The top players currently in the Toronto system as ranked by BNN are:
1: Jerry York (26th overall) This RHP was a first round selection in 1942, he was a fast track through the system before he enlisted missing all of '43, '44, along with the first half of 1945, After his return last summer he seemed to back on track with good performances at Davenport then Chattanooga. Now 25 he has spent the season in AAA Buffalo with mixed results 5-4, 3.91 with walks being an issue for the first time in his pro career. The scouting department remains high on York, some suggestions have been made that he already belongs in the FABL. Fans can expect to see him in Toronto in September or before if the Wolves fall further out of the CA race. York was a target of many teams in last summer's trade talks.
2: John Fast (33rd) Toronto's first round pick out of high school in the summer before Pearl Harbour Fast was in the service for almost exactly the period of time as York. He returned last summer after starting Chattanooga he moved to Buffalo in September where he is honing his skills at 2B as replacing Artuso at the FABL level is not an immediately an option. With Fast on the horizon the middle infield situation becomes more complex in Toronto or may open the door to make trades either before this deadline or during the off-season. Many felt Fast would be the call when Mike Rollinson was demoted until a severe hip injury opened the door for Frank Frady. Fast will probably stay across Lake Ontario to sharpen his skills, he will turn 23 late next week so time is on his side.
3: Harry Phillips (47th) Another RHP selected in the second round after Fast in 1941. Phillips spent almost 4 years in the US Navy. After only 10 starts in pro ball at Class C Phillips began 1946 at A in Davenport then moved up to AA in June. The Chattanooga experience has not all been smooth sailing, a move to AAA will probably depend on York's movement.
4:Harry Finney (53rd) A second round pick last summer Finney has had a meteoric rise through the system. After a brief stop in C he finished last season in Vancouver then began 1946 in Davenport progressed to AA is now in Buffalo. He has hit at every level, he further adds to the infield logjam, Finney can play any of the 4 infield positions.
5: Roy Hatch (57th) Another RHP his high ranking is a bit of a mystery to the front office. His 4 years, all in Tuscaloosa, have not provided eye-popping stats. Is Roy a late bloomer?
6: Tony Ballinger (63rd) A pick second round in past draft Ballinger is being touted as the replacement for McCormick. The journey is just beginning for Tony. The front office is hoping that the rankings are wrong or they have been strapped with a big swing and miss on the first round pick RHP Cyrus Goodman who is currently rated at 463.
Others names that are being closely monitored by the scouting department are Corky Alban RHP- Tuscaloosa, Sam Allen CF- Chattanooga, Nate Betts 1B, Mike Blackburn 3B both in Vancouver and Max Boswell RHP- Davenport. Overall the Wolves system is ranked 10th out of the 16 FABL teams.
Unlike a year ago when they made several moves at the deadline, do not expect the two-time defending Federal Association champion Philadelphia Keystones to pull the trigger on a big move prior to tonight's trade embargo. At least that is the vibe that the powers that be on Broad Street are giving off. The club, which is barely within shouting distance of the front-running New York Gothams has struggled of late, and been forced to endure a very unBarrell-like season from the great Bobby Barrell. The Keystones are hoping some minor adjustments will be enough to turn the clubs fortunes around after a 8-16 July threatened to sink dreams of a three-peat.
Freshman skipper Jack Everhart might be feeling the pressure to live up to his predecessor but he is certainly not showing it. Cool as a cucumber, the 57 year old is in the head chair for a big league ballclub for the first time since 1938, and has some plans to shore up his production from the outfield for the stretch run.
"I am moving Barrell back to left field," explained Everhart, hoping that young Charlie Enslow can give the club a jolt with more playing time in right field. Enslow has looked very good since returning after a 6-week stint on the injured list. Joe Burns and Bob Griffith will split time in centerfield leaving the struggling Davey Robicheaux as the odd-man out. "Robicheaux needs to get untracked and (Chuck) Hood is good in limited exposure. I am carrying 6 outfielders for now and I have guys with options."
Keystones management worries that demoting Robicheaux to AAA Louisville could set him back, and at 29 they feel he's too old to develop any more. Meanwhile24 year old Joe Burns is hitting too well to send down. That roster dilemma is believed to be a big reason why the Keystones did not pull off a rumoured trade with Detroit that would have returned former Philly favourite Rip Curry to Broad Street Park.
A LOOK AROUND THE DETROIT SPORTING SCENE
It has been a rough year at Thompson Field as the Dynamos youth experiment has crashed and burned. Teens Stan Kleminski and Edwin Hackberry may be top prospects in the eyes of the scouts, but both were clearly rushed to Detroit far too early by a management team hopeful of starting a new era in Detroit baseball. Hackberry most certainly will be back at some point and should spend a lot of years patrolling center field but Kleminski is another story. The youngster's bat looked more than ready after a strong spring and a three week trial in April but his defense was absymal. The Dynamos are still holding out hope he can one day play shortstop in the big leagues but his work in nearly half a season at AAA Newark has been far from acceptable.
The problem is there really is no where else to put Kleminski despite him being a top 20 prospect. Del Johnson has showed himself to be a capable hitter and a whiz with the glove at second base as a 23 year old and vet Mack Sutton is still just 29 and stands to man the hot corner for the forseeable future. The hope is still for 22 year old Dick Estes, despite his struggles at the plate, to be the first baseman of the future and the outfield might be a little too crowded for Kleminski with Hackberry, Dick Blaszak and recent first rounder Tommy Allenby -who had a hot start in C ball and was quickly elevated to Class B- the likely outfield of the future.
***MARTIN UP TO OLD TRICKS ***
Former Dynamos GM DD Martin appears to be up to his old tricks again in his new haunts. Now the new man in charge in Brooklyn, he has taken to dismantling the Kings the same way he tore up the Dynamos twice. In what can only be considered a complete tear-down the Kings dispatched 27 year old all-star outfielder Rats McGonigle to Washington and 28 year old power hitting first baseman Tiny Tim Hopkins to the Windy City. We forgive Detroit fans if this news brings back nightmares of Red Johnson, Sal Pestilli, Pete Casstevens and Hank Koblenz leaving the Motor City....or for those of you a little older how about Al Wheeler and Frank Vance in his first go-round at a Dynamos rebuild. He certainly has an M.O.
Word is that the Dynamos were in on the Hopkins sweepstakes and came up short, despite many within the organization feeling their offer was slightly superior to what the Kings eventually accepted from the Chicago Chiefs.
*** Vaught the Heck is Going On? ***
The grid Maroons are fast approaching the start of camp and there is still no word on whether or not Stan Vaught will join them. The greatest pass-catcher in AFA history has had his arguments with Head Coach Frank Yurik in the past -and briefly retired last year before changing his mind and reporting to camp- but this time the complete lack of communication between the Maroons and the all-star end is disconcerting to say the least.
*** Sawyer Set for Geriatric German ***
World Heavyweight Champ Hector Sawyer ascended to his throne at Thompson Arena more than 6 years ago with a title fight win over German thug Jochen Schrotter. The two may be trying to recapture the magic a half dozen years later with a rematch set for August 17 at the Bigsby Oval. The fans are eating up the hype as the event is a complete sell-out but many in the fight game are outraged that Chester Conley -the man who pulls Sawyer's strings- has continued to schedule has-beens and never-weres for his fighter to keep earning big paydays rather than take his chances against an opponent truly worthy of a title shot
EASY NIGHT FOR BAKER IN QUEEN CITY
Scott Baker continues to display why he is one of the top challengers for Hector Sawyer's World Heavyweight Title. Many feel the unbeaten 26 year old from Philadelphia should be the one in the ring with Sawyer next month in new York when the champ fights 40 year old Jochen Schrotter but, so far at least, Sawyer has continued to duck not just Baker but also Mark Fountain -each of whom would clearly pose much more of a challenge than the former German champ.
Baker illustrated that point again Friday night in Cincinnati when he toyed with Abel Kessler for 10 rounds to claim an easy decision and improve his mark to 16-0-2. For much of the fight it looked like Baker was just trying to get some light sparring in as he would turn it on for 20-30 seconds each round and score blows at will to easily claim the round. Only in the 10th and final round did the boxer, at the urging of his trainer-father Billy Baker -the former world middleweight champ- did 'The Chef' actually try and cook up some serious trouble for Kessler. The Missouri born fighter hung on to survive to the bell but not before he was knocked down and needed a count of 8 to regain his feet in the final seconds of the bout.
With still no response from Sawyer's manager Chester Conley it appears Baker is now set to face The Boston Bomber Roy Crawford on Crawford's home turf in late September. Baker will enter that bout hoping another positive result over the 27 year old Crawford and his 21-2 mark will finally force Sawyer to take notice and give the Philadelphian his title shot.
KEY RESULTS THIS WEEK
Nick Harris (18-2-1), a 32 year old middleweight from Cranston,RI, scored an unanimous decision over Nathan Sears (19-4), a 32 year old from Gary, In. in a bout Thursday at Chicago's Lake Side Arena.
29 year old Baltimore born welterweight Carl Taylor (20-3-2), who lost to Dennis O'Keefe for the vacant World Welterweight Title in March, returned to the ring with a majority decision in Brooklyn Friday evening over Billy Boyd (19-9-2), a 28 year old New Yorker.
On that same Brooklyn fight card, rising welterweight Mac Erickson (8-0) remained perfect with a 4th round knockout of Brooklyn native Greg Coleman (1-4-2). The 25 year old Erickson, a St. Paul, Mn. native is a rising star in his division.
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).
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 7/28/1946
- Signed into law this week, the OPA granted immediate increases over the June 30th price ceilings on coal, shoes and many lesser items in the first use of the pricing powers in 26 days. Ceilings were raised on many items over the most recent bill, which expired at the end of June, but it is designed to help reign in the rampant price increases in essential items over the past 28 days.
- Terrorists bombed and shattered part of the huge King David Hotel, headquarters of the British Army in Jerusalem, killing at least 50 in a terrifying blast that shook the modern part of the ancient city.
- Despite the Soviets rejecting its latest compromise proporsal for international control of atomic energy, the American delegation to the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission remains hopeful its plan will eventually be accepted by the Russians. Meanwhile, another US bomb test is set for next week in the Pacific.
- Student and labor revolutionists took over the government of Boliva after assassinating President Gualberto Villarroel.