JANUARY 13, 1947
CENTURIONS MAKING CASH SPLASH IN COAST LOOP
The Dallas Centurions continue to spend money in hopes of improving from a league low (tied with San Diego) 68 wins in the inaugural season of the Great Western League as a major league. The Centurions latest signing is former New York Stars first baseman Jim Honeywood. Honeywood -who also counts stints with Montreal, the Chicago Chiefs and Brooklyn as part of his 627 big league ballgames- inked a 2 year deal with the Dallas nine that will pay him $15,000 per season.
That is a bargain in comparison to the other two big signings made by the Texas club. Veteran third baseman Ken Mayhugh was inked to a coast league record $35,000 deal in November and middle infielder Al Gross, formerly of the Washington Ealges, signed for $28,000 on New Years Day. Those are the two highest contracts ever given to players in the Great Western League and there are some thoughts that the Centurions might not be done yet.
Dallas is not the only GWL team waiving some money around this winter. The Oakland Oaks, who narrowly missed out on a berth in the Bigsby Cup Series a year ago, made a step to upgrade their pitching with a move to sign veteran pitcher Doc 'No-No' Newell to a one year deal that will pay the 38 year old $20,000 for the 1947 campaign. Newell, with a lifetime FABL mark of 199-186 and 3 big league no-hitters under his belt, immediately becomes the highest profile pitcher to jump to the new league. The Los Angeles Knights also recently signed 32 year old outfielder Joseph Mills to a $16,000 contract. Mills played just 11 games with the Philadelphia Sailors last season but was a three starter in the Sailors outfield during the war and boasts a .266 career FABL batting average.
The Great Western Baseball League has, at least so far, been nothing more than a minor inconvenience for the baseball establishment that is FABL. Sure, they have given some players an inflated sense of self-worth when seeing big money deals inked by FABL cast-offs like Ken Mayhugh and Al Gross but really, aside from perhaps raising the FABL magnates cost of doing business slightly with a few increased contracts, the coast league has had no impact on the loop that William Whitney created.
This winter, with the GWL clubs offering bigger and bigger contracts to FABL cast-offs, has proven one thing to the FABL magnates. It is now painfully obvious that there are plenty of owners with deep pockets in the Great Western League and the minor headache they pose to baseball's eastern establishment seems destined to become a full head-pounding migraine one day soon.
The question is just how much longer will Thoms Bigsby's brigade be content to play nice with FABL and follow their rules? Sure, signing Doc Newell or Ken Mayhugh is a pair of feathers in the cap of the western loop, and adding former FABL heroes like Ed Ziehl and Tom Bird as league executives or managers is good PR but you have to think at some point, and possibly quite soon, the west will want more.
Anyone who thinks the western league will remain content with signing players deemed no longer needed by FABL forever is just fooling themselves. There is money in the western clubs. Heck, Dallas was a last place team and they just shelled out nearly $70,000 for three players no one in FABL wanted. Imagine what Dallas or Houston might be willing to pay for a Texas boy like Ed Bowman or Joe Angevine? Or one of the California nine for Chick Donnelly or Leo Hayden?
Would Thomas Bigsby back up the Brinks Truck for a chance to bring local boy Al Miller back to Los Angeles? Miller is set to make $34,000 in Chicago this year. What would he be worth to the Knights and the rest of the GWL? Now, before Chicago Chiefs fans start to panic be aware that most FABL players have no interest in joining the outlaw league but that wouldn't stop them from using the threat of bolting to aid their cause in contract talks. And that is why it is essential for the FABL moguls to keep the coast loop content to only ink cast-offs.
The GWL bosses would certainly want their financial houses in order before ever going after any player under contract to a FABL club. After all, that would be an all-out declaration of war by the coast magnates and one that would likely end up as a costly contest in the courts. Odds are the GWL starts smaller. Maybe it goes after some veteran players still under contract to FABL clubs but not on the secondary roster and just riding out their time in the minors. Players that the FABL team that owns their rights might kick up a fuss about but the league as a whole will not deem valuable enough to risk their Sherman antitrust exemptions in a court of law.
Or a possible move may be for the coast clubs to continue to respect all FABL contracts but turn their attention to highly skilled players not yet FABL property. College juniors or those finishing up high school, especially those from the west might be the perfect target and ones that FABL would have a tough time challenging.
It might be difficult to find an elite prospect willing to be the first to sign with a coast club before he is selected in the FABL draft but it also might be hard for a young high school player -with no guarantee of making the big leagues no matter how talented he may appear to be- to turn down a deal that might pay him $50,000, or even double that, to sign and play in Los Angeles or Dallas.
Looking ahead to the 1948 draft what an accomplishment it would be for Thomas Bigsby if he could somehow convince Charlie Barrell - who is playing high school ball in Washington DC but is Los Angeles born with ties to Hollywood and the first family of baseball- to make the groundbreaking decision to sign with a coast club and become the first $100,000 player in baseball history. Signing him on name alone would be a huge coup for the western loop. Not going to happen you say? Perhaps not, but it is clear the Great Western League possesses both the financial wherewithal and much bigger aspirations than just being content to sign FABL cast-offs.
FOUNTAIN READY FOR HIS SHOT AT SAWYER
It has been a long time coming -more than two years- but Mark Fountain will finally get his chance at the world heavyweight title when he steps into the ring Saturday in Detroit against Hector Sawyer. It has been a wild ride full of ups and downs for the 28 year old New York City native who had expected a shot at the title much earlier than it finally has come.
Part of that was his own doing, as Fountain was a surprise loser to veteran British fighter Leo Carmichael in his return to the ring in March of 1945 after a four year absence due to the war. Fountain was knocked out by Carmichael in a bout that acted as springboard for the Brit to claim a title shot. Even worse than the loss, just the 3rd of Fountain's career and first since 1938, was the fact he suffered a concussion in the bout and spent six months away from the ring. Once cleared by physicians, Fountain returned with a vengeance, scoring a unanimous decision over Emmett Seals and then beat another top contender in Matt Price twice - once just over a year ago and then a second time in June.
He took the second Price fight after his camp and Chester Conley -the outspoken handler of Hector Sawyer- failed to reach an agreement prompting accusations from Fountain's group that Sawyer was afraid to face Fountain and intentionally ducking the top challenger.
All of that may had fuel to the fire as it is clear the two are not fond of each other and it promises to be an entertaining night at the Thompson Paladium in Detroit Saturday. Fountain is 21-3-2 entering the bout -his first shot at the ABF world title. Sawyer, who turns 33 in July, is 55-3-1 and will be making his seventh defense since winning the title at the same Detroit venue back in 1940 with a 15th round knockout of German Jochen Schrotter. Sawyer has enjoyed great success in the Motor City - he also beat Carmichael last February at the Thompson Paladium with a 9th round knockout.
Sawyer's most recent bout was the highly publicized rematch with Schrotter last summer and some detractors feel he may be rusty as his last two fights -against Carmichael and Schrotter- have been fighters at the tail end of their careers. Many wonder if the champ still has what it takes to face a top quality opponent who is in his prime such as Fountain is.
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS- Jan 18- Detroit, Mi: World Heavyweight Champ Hector Sawyer (54-3-1) faces top contender Mark Fountain (21-2-1)
- Jan 30- Union City, NJ: Rising welterweight Danny Rutledge (7-0) vs John Bolton (0-0)
- Feb 13 - New York City: Middleweight contender John Edmonds (21-2) vs Jack Rainey (22-3)
- Feb 22- St Louis, Mo: World Welterweight Champ Mark Westlake (20-2-1) vs Harold Stephens (18-3-2)
- Feb 24- Waterbury,Ct: Rising welterweight Ira Mitchell (15-1) vs Mitchell McFadden (23-6)
- Feb 25- Lakeside Arena, Chicago: Welterweight Carl Taylor (21-3-2) vs George Gibbs (16-2)
- March TBA - Middleweight champion Frank Melanson (31-0-2) vs Nick Harris (19-2-1)
4 GAME WIN STREAK EXTENDS BEES LEAD
After finishing off the final three weeks of 1946 with just 1 win in seven games the Boston Bees flipped a switch when the calendar flipped to 1947. The Bees, winners of 4 of the last 6 Challenge Cups, started Janaury off with 4 straight wins and have extended their lead atop the NAHC to 4 points over second place Chicago. Boston's success has come despite the fact that a key piece of their powerful first line - right winger Jacob Grun- saw his season come to an end in late December with a back injury. Veteran Waldemar Rupp stepped up and filled the spot alongside Tommy Hart and Wilbur Chandler and contributed 6 points over the winning streak.
Hart had been in a slump during the losing skid but broke out of it with a hat trick in a 5-4 win over Chicago last Sunday to get the Bees back on track. The 29 year old winger would earn 9 points in 3 games before being held off the scoresheet yesterday in Montreal but that did not prevent the Bees from winning 3-2.
Meanwhile, the suddenly struggling Detroit Motors are longing for the good old days of 1946. The Motors were perched at the top of the NAHC standings on New Year's Day, a point ahead of the Boston squad, but it has been all downhill for Detroit since then. The Motors suffered 5 losses in their last six games and now find themseleves in third place, just 2 points up on Montreal for the final playoff berth.
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NAHC STANINGS
TEAM GP W L T PTS
Boston Bees 24 15 6 3 33
Chicago Packers 25 12 8 5 29
Detroit Motors 26 11 10 5 27
Montreal Valiants 26 11 12 3 25
New York Shamrocks 26 10 14 2 22
Brooklyn Eagles 26 8 12 6 22
Toronto Dukes 25 8 13 4 20
SCORING LEADERS
NAME TEAM GP G A PTS
Tommy Burns CHI 25 17 18 35
Orval Cabbell NY 26 16 15 31
Tommy Hart BOS 23 17 12 29
Quiton Pollack BKN 26 17 9 26
Laurel Albers NY 27 6 20 26
Marty Mahoney CHI 25 5 21 26
Wes Burns CHI 25 13 12 25
Bobbie Sauer TOR 25 10 15 25
Sam Coates BKN 26 8 16 24
Jarrett McGlynn CHI 24 12 11 23
Joe Morey BOS 24 12 11 23
Ed Delarue CHI 22 11 12 23
Claude Skinner MON 25 11 11 22
GOALIE LEADERS
NAME TEAM W L T ShO GAA
Norm Hanson CHI 12-8-2 3 2.56
Henri Chasse DET 11-10-5 4 2.62
Pierre Melancon BOS 10-5-3 2 2.64
Tom Brockers BKN 8-11-6 1 2.65
Andy Backlund MON 4-3-0 0 3.12
Etienne Tremblay NY 8-12-2 2 3.19
Gordie Broadway TOR 7-13-2 0 3.38
Millard Touhey MON 7-9-3 0 3.39
AROUND THE LEAGUE
- Chicago's Tommy Burns, the league MVP a year ago, was named both the best and fastest skater according to a recent poll of NAHC players. The also claim that New York Shamrocks defender Bert McCalley is the toughest player in the league, Toronto's classy center Bobbie Sauer the cleanest and the hardest shot belongs to Dukes defenseman Al Cote.
- Tommy Burns also had a hot start to 1947 and was a big reason the Packers won 4 of 5 games to start the new year. Burns scored in each of the 5 games to give him 17 goals on the season after going without a goal for 5 straight games to end 1946. Chicago was just 1-3-1 during Burns goalless drought.
- Boston's Max Dewar is the players choice for the coach they would most like to play for. The 61 year old former player is the winningest coach in the modern era and has won 4 Challenge Cups since 1940.
- The Montreal Valiants have been hot and cold with the latest streak being a 4-game losing skid including back-to-back losses to the Boston Bees. Prior to that the Valiants had gone 6-3-1 in the previous 10 games.
- A 4-2-1 stretch has the New York Shamrocks thinking playoffs for the first time since 1942. The Greenshirts have 22 points, just 3 back of Montreal for the fourth and final playoff berth.
- The Brooklyn Eagles playoff hopes took a hit with news that rookie center Ian Doyle is likely done for the season after being injured in a 1-1 tie with Toronto on Saturday. Doyle, who prior to the season joined the new-look Eagles from the coast league along with fellow forwards Quinton Pollack, Sam Coates and Hank Walsh, was a key piece in Brooklyn's return to respectability this season after winning just 2 games a year ago. The 22 year old center had 11 goals and 19 points in 23 games this season.
STANDARD COLLEGE CODE URGENT, WARNS GLA
The time has come in the avowed belief of the Commissioner of the Great Lakes Alliance conference for the nation's colleges to take stock and adopt a standard code of ethics in dealing with athletes. Terming the forthcoming meeting in New York of the American Intercollegiate Athletic Association "the most important in the history of the AIAA," the GLA boss declared:
"We have reached the crossroads. The colleges either can level off and operate as they should, or they may get into trouble. We must set up a policy whereby a kid will choose a school for its educational value, rather than the school choosing a kid for his athletic ability."
Colleges, he said, have prospered under the true amateur operation and must continue to follow that pattern. "If we don't we invade the professional field, where we don't belong," he declared.
All of the major collegiate conferences will be represented in New York at the meeting, and many of the big independent schools -including Rome State, have indicated they will co-operate with the AIAA. St Blane has been invited but they have not yet advised if they will participate in the meeting.
TWO UNBEATEN TEAMS REMAIN AS SECTION PLAY APPROACHES
The top ranked Rainier College Majestics and #5 Indiana A&M are the only two remaining unbeaten clubs as section play is about to commence. The AIAA has never had a team go through the entire season and all the way to the tournament championship without a loss and the odds of it occuring this year are very unlikely despite how well the Majestics and Reapers have been playing. The reason is the section slate for the two will simply be too difficult to run the table.
Rainier College is 12-0 including a convincing 47-35 victory over St Patrick's last week behind a 19 point effort from sophomore center Tom Abbott, but the Majestics will face a stretch of games in the near future that includ four straight games against top twenty opponents from the West Coast Athletic Association. It will not be much easier for Indiana A&M as they tip-off their Great Lakes Alliance slate January 23rd with 13th ranked Detroit City College providing the opposition.
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[b] AIAA COLLEGIATE BASKETBALL TOP TWENTY-FIVE
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
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1. Rainier College (72) 12-0 1800 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Carolina Poly 13-1 1718 2 South Atlantic Conference
3. Liberty College 16-3 1658 3 Indy
4. CC Los Angeles 10-2 1530 9 West Coast Athletic Association
5. Indiana A&M 11-0 1429 5 Great Lakes Alliance
6. Noble Jones College 13-2 1405 6 Deep South Conference
7. St. Blane 14-3 1383 13 Indy
8. Central Ohio 9-2 1330 8 Great Lakes Alliance
9. Lane State 10-2 1212 11 West Coast Athletic Association
10. Redwood 11-1 1197 10 West Coast Athletic Association
11. Miami State 15-3 980 19 Indy
12. Lexington State 11-1 966 12 South Atlantic Conference
13. Detroit City College 10-3 917 7 Great Lakes Alliance
14. Northern California 12-1 890 4 West Coast Athletic Association
15. Chesapeake State 10-2 864 15 South Atlantic Conference
16. St. Ignatius 10-1 742 14 Great Lakes Alliance
17. Western Iowa 11-2 626 22 Great Lakes Alliance
18. Bronx Tech 10-1 605 16 Liberty Conference
19. Coastal California 10-2 592 17 West Coast Athletic Association
20. Texas Gulf Coast 11-3 420 NR Southwestern Alliance
21. Bayou State 10-3 399 NR Deep South Conference
22. North Carolina Tech 10-4 259 20 South Atlantic Conference
23. Great Plains State 12-4 169 NR Indy
24. Huntington State 13-3 108 NR Indy
25. Mobile Maritime 8-3 98 21 South Atlantic Conference
RESULTS INVOLVING TOP 25 SCHOOLS LAST WEEK
MONDAY JANUARY 6
#4 CC Los Angeles 49, at Brunswick 39
at #5 Indiana A&M 36, Bliss College 34
at #21 Bayou State 55, College of Waco 24
#9 Lane State 42, at George Fox 23
TUESDAY JANUARY 7
#18 Bronx Tech 39, at Brookland 37
at #24 Huntington State 53, Conwell College 44
at #1 Rainier College 63, Michigan Lutheran 28
at #10 Redwood 38, Charleston Tech 36
at #8 Central Ohio 55, Elyria 49
#19 Coastal California 64, at El Paso Methodist 46
#3 Liberty College 47, at Smithfield College 31
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 8
St. Patrick's 53, at #22 North Carolina Tech 42
at #11 Miami State 55, Lambert College 53
at #15 Chesapeake State 50, Eastern Virginia 41
Iowa A&M 34, at #25 Mobile Maritime 25
#7 St. Blane 59, at St. Gordius 47
at #6 Noble Jones College 63, Pierpont 53
THURSDAY JANUARY 9
at #2 Carolina Poly 60, Brooklyn State 49
at #13 Detroit City College 45, Michigan Lutheran 24
at #5 Indiana A&M 52, Poweshiek 34
at #21 Bayou State 53, Sunnyvale 47
FRIDAY JANUARY 10
at #16 St. Ignatius 42, Needham 32
at #23 Great Plains State 59, Payne State 40
at #17 Western Iowa 42, Eastern Kansas 36
at #25 Mobile Maritime 49, Baton Rouge State 36
#6 Noble Jones College 55, at Columbia Military Academy 26
SATURDAY JANUARY 11
at #3 Liberty College 49, Opelika State 24
at #22 North Carolina Tech 52, Michigan Lutheran 32
at #10 Redwood 37, Maldin 25
at #9 Lane State 44, Kansas Agricultural 34
at #19 Coastal California 62, Kit Carson University 30
at #21 Bayou State 42, Capital (MS) University 38
at #7 St. Blane 43, #13 Detroit City College 39
at Quaker College (CA) 44, #14 Northern California 36
SUNDAY JANUARY 12
at #11 Miami State 46, Ferguson 30
at #15 Chesapeake State 50, Ogdensburg 44
at #1 Rainier College 47, St. Patrick's 35
at #23 Great Plains State 63, Northern Mississippi 46
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 1/12/1947
- For the first time in 18 years, Congress is being sent a balanced budget, recommending expenditures of $37,500,000,000 to be offset by receipts of $37,700,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1948.
- President Truman has called on Congress for legislation to outlaw jurisdictional strikes and provide for a comprehensive study of labor-management relationsm as he outlined a program to promote industrial peace.
- Senator Bilbo gave up his fight for his Senate seat for the time being, announcing he is stepping aside for a period of time to undergo an immediate operation for cancer.
- British military authorities are said to be preparing the biggest offensive in modern Palestine's history to crush what they called "the open rebellion against law and order" by Jewish extremists.
- Frigid blasts spread a wide belt of cold over Europe this week, causing death and suffering and a heavy drain on short fuel stocks. Rome saw snow for the first time since 1942. Berlin was subjected to intense cold