SEPTEMBER 2, 1946
Chicago, Aug 30 -Unless the reform program for contracts agreed upon by the club owners here in the special session of major league officials is overwhelmingly enticing to the ball players, there is bound to me more haggling over the form of the new contract than the magnate's suspect. This was the sentiment expressed by players on learning the the 1947 season, while squeezed into the same time limit as usual, will embrace 168 games instead of the 154 which over the years has been standard procedure.
"No days off, eh?" they chorused. "Lots of double-headers? Baseball day and night? Is that what they plan to give us in exchange for a small hike to the minimum salary?"
It is clear that almost to a man the players do not like the idea. What the players do not know yet is exactly what is incorporated in the report by baseball's steering committee in response to the players list of demands that were presented last month. That information should be presented to the players some time over the next two weeks.
What is known is that the magnates are very much in favour of the expanded slate. The establishment of a fuller schedule, according to FABL President Sam Belton, means that a lot of open dates now will be filled, that there will be a tightening up of long stretches of no playing, that this does not necessarily mean more night baseball.
*** It's Okay With Pitchers ***
But the players raised objections, particularly those who are not pitchers. The pitchers see in it a chance to win more games and therefore improve their bargaining power. But for the others, who are in there every day, the longer season has no appeal whatsoever.
On big argument they pose is that extending the slate means that many of the records, regarded as so much of the backbone of baseball, must be thrown out of the window when comparisons are made between players of 1947 and those of the past. Some players said it looked as if the big leaguers were going in for bush league schedules. On the other hand, President Belton pointed out that the present schedule has around 34 open dates for each club, and that next year's schedule, starting on April 15 and ending on September 28, will not affect the time which players owe to their clubs.
*** Stockdale Declares Long Scheudle Is No Slap at Player's Deal ***
The new 168-game schedule is not a retaliatory measure to offset concessions granted players in the contract revisions. That is the word from Washington Eagles owner Calvin Stockdale. "The 168-game schedule idea has been kicking around for a year and a half," explains Stockdale. "Personally, I am sorry to see it approved, but it's not new and it's not designed as a counterblow to the players improved position."
"I got pretty mad at Chicago when the subject of a 168-game schedule was broached," continued Stockdale. "I told 'em I wouldn't have anything to do with it and tried to talk 'em out of it byt they wouldn't listen to me. We are going to be so loaded with doubleheaders it will be pitiful. I didn't like the idea of adding those 14 games to the schedule and I still don't, but in fairness to Richard Marshall of the Foresters, who requested more games some time ago, I think it should be disclosed that the 168-game schedule idea wasn't the result of bettering conditions for the players. They developed at the same time, but it was a coincidence."
FED SHOWDOWN IN BOSTON AHEAD
With the New York Gothams quickly fading from contention the Federal Association pennant hunt now appears to be down to a race between the Boston Minutemen and the Washington Eagles. The Eagles, on the strength of 10 wins in their last 12 outings, have a slim one-half game hold on the flag but the Minutemen will have plenty of chances to pull ahead as Washington and Boston meet 8 times over the final four weeks of the season with the first 3 of those contests slated for Minuteman Stadium beginning Wednesday. Boston and Washington have split there season series so far this year with each claiming 7 victories.
Boston enters the first big head-to-head test with Washington on a 6-game winning streak but they first have to survive a Labour Day doubleheader in Philadelphia. The Eagles also play two today, at home against the Pittsburgh Miners. The Minutemen will finish that season down another pitcher as veteran Dean Astle (11-6, 1.57) was injured for the second time this season and this one -a ruptured tendon in his finger- will take about 4 months to heal. Astle, who has the lowest era this season in either association becomes the second Boston starting pitcher to suffer a season-ending injury as Ray Dalpman (7-3, 2.55) went down in June with shoulder troubles.
The Gothams are now 6 games back and had a pitching injury of their own to contend with, losing Harry Carter (10-14, 3.10) for the year with an injury last week. The one bright spot in New York was Jim Lonardo's 8-0 shutout of St Louis yesterday, improving his record on the year to 6-11 but more importanly pushing Lonardo to within 1 victory of the milestone 300 wins mark. There seems little doubt now -with their pennant hopes all but dashed- Gothams manager Bud Jameson will ensure Lonardo gets plenty of opportunites to get that 300th victory. It has been just a terrible stretch for the Gothams, who before yesterdays shutout victory, were on a 10-19 stretch that dropped them from a 3.5 game lead on second place Washington in late July to now trailing by 6.
*** Stars Feeling the Heat ***
The Chicago Cougars 8 game winning streak may have come to an end with back to back losses in Montreal over the weekend but they continue to close in on the suddenly struggling New York Stars. The Stars have dropped 6 of their last 9 games and their lead over the Cougars atop the Continental Assocation, which was 8.5 games just 2 and a half weeks ago, is down to 3 games. It will be a tense Labour Day at Dyckman Field as the New Yorkers play host to Chicago for a pair of games. Cougars skipper Clyde Meyer has his pitching staff set-up perfectly for the Stars as Peter Papenfus and Donnie Jones will be the Labour Day starters. A sweep either way would be huge but not completely devastating to either club as they still have three more games against each other -at Cougars Park the final week of the season. The Stars lead the season series between the two clubs 9-8 but the Cougars have won each of the last 4 meetings.
1947 DRAFT PREVIEW: PART FOUR : MOCK FIRST ROUND
To complete our look at the 1947 draft class here is TWIFB's mock first round. It was inspired heavily by the OSA assessments of the 400 players eligible for selection this season. Pitching is very interesting this season as while there are 5 pitchers that made the first round list, all of them are lefthanders and none of the five are college players. In fact, only 3 AIAA athletes -shortstops Irv Clifford and Cecil Labonte along with catcher Jess Garman- cracked the top 16.
Code:
# NAME POS AGE SCHOOL
1: LES LEDBETTER LHP 17 Fowlerville (MI) High School
2: MARSHALL THOMAS 2B 18 Griffin (GA) High School
3- IRV CLIFFORD SS 20 Charleston Tech
4- JESS GARMAN C 20 Arkansas A&T
5: HERM KOCHER CF 17 Bremen (GA) High School
6: WILLIAM BENNS LHP 17 Water Valley (MS) High School
7: JOHN MORRISON 1B 17 Clinton High, Bronx, NY
8: FRENCHY SONTAG RF 17 Moorestown (NJ) High School
9: CHUCK TRILMAN LHP 17 Berlin (WI) High School
10: STEVE TALLEY LHP 17 Ellsworth (ME) High School
11: KEN NEWMAN 3B 17 Christian Brothers, New Orleans, LA
12: HANK ALDRICH LHP 17 Burlington (NJ) High School
13: CHARLIE ROGERS CF 17 Lockport (IL) High School
14: BILL CADY 2B 17 Wilmington (NC) High School
15- CECIL LABONTE SS 20 Constitution State
16: HENRY NORMAN CF 17 Cleveland High, Queens, NY
TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN
Toronto brings up Jerry York, Jim Laurita, Mike Rollinson and Randy Hendrix with the roster expansion. John Fast was left in Buffalo to continue to find his game, as he has not seemed to perform to expected standards since returning in July after missing 8 weeks due to a severe hip injury.
York (8-7, 3.77 at Buffalo) will probably make his starting debut September 10 in New York against the Stars...no easy entry for this highly regarded prospect who has not had the year expected in AAA. He presently sits at #29 on the OSA prospect list after peaking as hgh as #2 a couple of years ago. The 25 year old, who missed two years of playing time while serving in the Navy, was selected 8th overall in the 1942 draft. The 27 year oldLaurita, who spent all of the 1944 and '45 seasons with the Wolves, will join the disaster known as the bullpen in Toronto. Hendrix, a 26 year old catcher, will get some work as the Wolves begin planning for the post Howerton era. Fans are questioning the recall of infielder Rollinson, who has never found his batting stroke in 1946 either in Toronto, where he hit .197 before his demotion or in Buffalo where he was not much beter, slashing .226/.345/.355.
Insiders tell us that these moves were made to free up roster spots throughout the organization. A source who spoke under the condition of anonymity says "After the disappointing year in Toronto, really throughout the system, we are going to use September to evaluate what we have beginning in Toronto along with the entire minor league system. All minor league managers have told their players that they are in auditions for 1947. The winter will be used to make changes up to and including the FABL level because it is becoming more obvious everyday that what we have is neither working nor good enough."
***Millard Will Not Be Impressed ***
It looks like at least one of the western clubs is upping the ante on what it is willing to play players. The Portland Green Sox now have a payroll higher than the New York Stars this season after making former FABL regulars Aart MacDonald and Johnny Guzzo the highest paid players in the Great Western League. Their contract values are higher than all but six current Toronto Wolves and if the league the Millard likes to constantly bash continues to wave money around it can't help but force the Toronto owner -and the 15 other FABL magnates- to increase what they are paying players.
***Basketball Coming to Dominion Arena ***
It looks like the Toronto Dukes will have a new tenant at Dominion Arena. A new pro basketball loop -dubbed the Federal League- is set to tip-off in the fall and it has been revealed that Toronto will receive one of the 8 franchises.
The Kings are officially out of the pennant picture but that does not mean there are not some positives to build on. Newly acquired infielder Gil London -a waiver pickup from the Gothams- was named player of the week for the first time in his careef. Meanwhile, pitcher Leo Hayden continues to turn heads. The 24 year old won the rookie of the month award in the CA and, while he may not win it, he should get some votes in the rookie of the year balloting. After a shaky start of the season in April, he has had a very good rookie campaign going 16-9 with a 3.04 ERA. In August Hayden was 4-0 with a 1.83 ERA and he has picked up a win in September as well. This was Hayden's 2nd time winning the rookie of the CA month award. He won May’s rookie and pitcher of the month awards previously.
It is a deep crop of rookies this season with the top seven at a quick glance look like (in no particular order) New York Stars 1B Bill Barnett (.266,10,55), Detroit Dynamo's SP Wally Hunter (14-7, 2.51), Cleveland Foresters CF Paul Porter (.294,1,35) , New York Stars LF Jack Welch (.278,13,56), Brooklyn Kings SP Leo Hayden (16-9, 3.04), Sailors RF Cotton Dillon (.260,5,41) and Montreal Saints SP Bert Cupid (13-7, 3.46).
On the bad side of the ledger for the Kings is the fact that former Brooklyn first baseman “Tiny” Tim Hopkins looks like a shoe in for 30+ home runs in Chicago next season. He hit 13 in 88 games in Brooklyn and has hit 9 in 24 games with the Chiefs.
- From July 11-15 Cincinnati's Al Wheeler ended a month long homer drought with 4 longballs in a 4 game stretch including the 500th of his career. Since then Wheeler has hit just 1 homerun. The 38 year old has been very prone to hot and cold streaks throughout his career and his bat going into a deep freeze has corresponded with the Cannons collapse in the second half of the season.
- Each of the last 3 seasons he pitched (miss 1944 with an injury suffered in the spring) the Cannons Deuce Barrell has led the CA in ERA and WHIP. He is third in each of those categories this season. Papenfus (2.26) and Montreal's Wally Reif (2.32) have era's lower than Deuce's 2.57 while his 1.12 WHIP trails Cougars Donnie Jones (1.07) and Peter the Heater (1.12).
- In terms of record record, the Cougars Johnnie Jones (9-12) would be considered unlucky. In terms of ERA (2.59) he would be considered lucky (3.44 FIP). Quite a weird season for the southpaw
- Since shutting out Detroit on August 8th, Chiefs rookie John Stallings is 0-3 over 4 starts (0-4 team record). All part of the learning experience, kid. Though he did sign a new Chiefs contract for 1947 that could pay him as much as $29,250, counting the bonuses for the Allen Award and All-Star game.
- The Cougars have five road games to start the week, but 17 of the remaining 19 contests will be played at Cougars Park. On the surface, this looks like an advantage for the second place team, but they fair far better on the road (42-28, .600) then at home (33-27, .550).
- Now that the draft pick deadline has past, the Cougars class has allowed them to take the #1 spot on OSA's Prospect Pipeline with 197 points. 13 of the Cougars 19 draftees rank in the top 500, with three in the top 100 and 7 in the top 200. Leaguewide, all players in the first two rounds signed, but third rounders of Cleveland (George Scott) and St. Louis (Danny Noonan) will instead attend college. In total, just 7 players drafted in the first eight rounds (human portion) did not sign.
- Some roster decisions for the Chiefs. Shortstop Lou Hooker hasn't looked overwhelmed, and so he'll be the presumptive starter heading into 1947. For September, second baseman Elmer Hutchins will give way to Ossie Grogan and Billy Brown will have most of the playing time in right field.
- The Chiefs became the first Federal Association club officially eliminated from the flag race, following closely on the heels of the Brooklyn Kings -who were first out in the Continental loop.
- The Dynamos are only going to bring up one player from Newark this week as the rosters expand. That would be pitcher Jim Bob Jones, who is out of options so we want to give him a good look to help determine his fate for next season. For now at least, 3B Tommy Griffin and CF Edwin Hackberry will remain in Newark where they will play every day. And shortstop Stan Kleminski, who like Hackberry debuted as a 19 year old in Detroit earlier this season, will remain in New Jersey to work on his fielding.
- Dreams of a .500 season in Montreal -something not seen in Quebec since 1930-still have some faint hope after the Saints finished the week with a 4-game winning streak. It doesn't come without bad news as pitcher Pat Weakley hurt his shoulder and will be out for the season. A number of youngsters will be added for the September roster expanison including Gordie Irwin, who will replace Weakley in rotation. Irwin, 24, posted an 11-5 record with 3.03 ERA this season in Minneapolis. He also had a strong spring training and was one of final cuts made in April. Others will be considered for promotion this month include OSA's top 50 prospects 3B Luke Weaver and outfieler Bill Elkins.
- The Portland Green Sox continue to add FABL veterans to their club. The latest two are outfielder Aart MacDonald and third baseman Frank LeMieux. MacDonald becomes the highest paid player in the western circuit after being dumped by Detroit. Full of promise but never quite able to live up to it, the 34-year old centerfielder hit just .207 in 796 FABL games with the Dynamos and Cougars. Frank LeMieux, a veteran of over 1,000 FABL games, has also found a new home in Portland. The 32 year appeared in just 1 game for the Sailors this season after being claimed off waivers from Brooklyn and also spent some time in AAA with Milwaukee. The Green Sox inked him to a deal after he was released by the Chicago Cougars. LeMieux is a .298 career hitter in FABL.
- Those two are more for the future than the present in Portland. The Green Sox climbed up to .500 at 58-58, but since then have gone 1-11 and are 13 games out of a playoff spot.
- Staying with the western loop, A 5-1 week by the Los Angeles Knights elevates them into a first place tie with San Francisco, making up a game-and-a-half in the last week. 26 games left in the season and the two biggest cities in the loop are in a flat-footed tie for first. Some proud brass at the league offices, that's for sure.
MAJOR PRO CAGE CIRCUIT EYES FALL START
After nearly two years of planning the Federal Basketball League is back. That is the word from Rollie Barrell, who was one of the key men behind the original Federal Basketball League that existed for a few years in the mid-1920s before succumbing to financial woes amidst the start of the Great Depression. Barrell let word slip last week while talking about his Detroit Maroons football club with reporters that the Federal Basketball League will be reborn and will include a team based out of Detroit.
According to Barrell, the new big-time cage loop is expected to have eight members and will begin play in November. He will own a piece of the Detroit ballteam and did reveal the plan is to call the club the Mustangs as a nod to the famous WWII P-51 Mustang aircraft, who's Merlin engine was made primarily in the Motor City. The 8 team loop will have a decidedly middle-west makeup and surprisingly will not include an entry from New York City or Boston. The member teams, according to Barrell, will lean heavily on semi-pro clubs from the old Midwest Semi-Pro loop and include Chicago, Cincinnati and Cleveland along with Detroit. Also in the new league will be teams from Baltimore, Buffalo, Philadelphia and a Canadian club based out of Toronto.
Further research confirm the league will indeed be called the Federal Basketball League, just as its predecessor was, but will have no actual ties to the defunct version. The 8 inaugural member teams are said to be:
Baltimore Barons
Buffalo Brawlers
Chicago Panthers
Cincinnati Cyclones
Cleveland Crushers
Detroit Mustangs
Philadelphia Phantoms
Toronto Titans
A quiet week in the ring with the only bout involving a fighter of note saw Oakland heavyweight Dan Miller score an unanimous decision over Lynn Bell. Miller runs his record to 21-7-1 while Bell falls to 13-6.
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS- 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).
- Sep 23- Brooklyn: John Edmonds (20-2) vs Brooks O'Connor (21-3-2) ranked middleweights.
- Sep 26- Denny Arena, Boston: Scott Baker (15-0-2) vs Roy Crawford (21-2) ranked heavyweights
- 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 9/01/1946
- Six members of the House Military Committee, after meeting with General MacArthur in Tokyo, are advocating a strong and mobile United States striking force in the Pacific to meet the threat of Russian encroachment and the "imminent danger of another Pearl Harbor" in Korea or Alaska.
- With machine guns loaded, American Flying Fortresses are accompanying planes flying mail and cargo to Austria after Yugoslavs shot down two transports last month. Five American flyers were killed in the August attack, setting off an international incident.
- Due to strikes and material shortages automobile production is far shorter than the current demand for new cars, but industry officials promise it will catch up.
- Russia is objecting heavily, but an Australian delegate to the Peace Conference has proposed that the Soviets be called on to "justify her reparations demands" and asked that a special on-the-spot investigation be made of the ability of former European enemy nations to pay the Soviets $900 million demands.
- With the peace parlay making little progress, the Foreign Ministers of Britain, Russia, the United States and France met briefly in an effort to find a way to revitalize the Paris Conference.