MARCH 3, 1947
SPRING TRAINING PREVIEW: TOP PROSPECTS TO WATCH
With the onset of spring training, teams in the FABL are eagerly anticipating the chance to assess their top prospects. The esteemed Omni Scouting Agency has compiled a list of talented youngsters who may be poised to make their mark in the big leagues this year. Leading the OSA's rankings are two promising centerfielders who gained a taste of major league action last summer: 20-year-old Edwin Hackberry of the Detroit Dynamos and 22-year-old Ralph Johnson of the Brooklyn Kings.
BOSTON- According to the OSA, most of Boston's top prospects are still a couple of years away from making an impact. However, two 23-year-olds might have a shot at joining the club this season. Ben McCarty, a corner outfielder, was selected in the third round of the 1945 draft from New Castle State. He displayed his prowess at AAA Columbus last year, hitting .270 with 12 home runs. The OSA ranks McCarty 134th on their prospect pipeline and believes he has the potential to become a solid starter. Hal Renard, originally drafted by Detroit in 1941 and dealt to the Minutemen in a 1945 deal that sent Mack Sutton to the Motor City, has caught the attention of the Minutemen's management in recent seasons. Renard, a 23-year-old outfielder, had an impressive showing in the Cuban Winter League and is regarded as an above-average hitter.
BROOKLYN- While much of the attention will be on Ralph Johnson, the Brooklyn Kings also boast 23-year-old shortstop Billy Bryant, who might turn heads. OSA has him 83rd in a recent prospect list and calls him an elite defensive shortstop that perhaps will be the stellar glove the Kings have missed at that position since trading away Harry Barrell. Bryant had a nice showing in the Cuban Winter League after hitting .268 with 11 homers at AAA Jersey City last year.
CHIEFS- The Chiefs may not have many high-end prospects ready for the majors this year, but one player worth noting is Charles Yates. The 23-year-old, selected in the 17th round of the 1941 draft, has garnered attention from Chiefs' management over the past few seasons. Yates posted a .268 batting average in AAA last year, displaying an impressive .419 on-base percentage thanks to his 124 walks. He also exhibited power in Cuba, hitting 7 home runs in 42 winter league contests. Another player to watch is Lou Hooker, a 23-year-old shortstop who made his big league debut last season with the Chiefs, hitting .227 in 32 games. Hooker was a 5th round pick in the 1942 draft and missed two seasons while serving in the army. He was acquired by the Chiefs in a trade that sent Freddie Jones to the New York Stars last year.
COUGARS-The Cougars boast a wealth of prospects at various stages of development, including three who rank in the OSA's top 100 and are projected to be ready this season: pitcher Duke Bybee, catcher Eddie Howard, and third baseman Otto Christian. Bybee and Christian both had paths cleared for them recently with the decision to move veteran hurler Billy Riley and third sacker Hank Barnett. It is hard to imagine the 23-year-old Howard, who hit .325 at AAA Milwaukee last season, not seeing a lot of action behind the plate at Cougars Park but he will have to battle two-time all-star Harry Mead for the starting job.
CINCINNATI- He may have a problem finding a spot to play with all-star Jim Hensley ahead of him, but 24-year-old shortstop Ted Stacy is a local product drafted by the Cannons out of Cincinnati's Hillcrest High in 1941 who in 1945 became the first Cincinnati born player to suit for his hometown club. Stacy spent last year in AA and struggled at the plate and offensive production may always be a challenge for the glove-first infielder, although he did put up solid numbers in Cuba over the winter.
CLEVELAND- The Foresters have a wealth of young talent, both on the big club and in their farm system. One standout prospect who may be ready for the majors is 22-year-old first baseman Ivey Henley. He was a 5th round draft pick in 1945 and had a promising 22-game trial in the previous season, batting .273. Lorenzo Samuels, a 24-year-old first base prospect out of Cleveland's West High School, is also worth mentioning. Selected 33rd overall in 1941, Samuels showed some power in his bat and hit his first career home run during his brief 25 at-bat trial in September.
DETROIT- The focus in Lakeland will be squarely on the two 20-year olds in Edwin Hackberry and Stan Kleminski. Each made their debut last season as teenagers and Hackberry seems all but assured to be handed the starting centerfield job on Opening Day. Kleminski was named the everyday shortstop last opening day but lasted 3 weeks before he was banished to AAA Newark. The bat was fine, Kleminski hit .302 in 15 games in the big leagues but he made 13 errors in those games and the club had not choice to let him work on his defense in the minors. He will get another chance to impress this spring, but it will take a strong camp for him to not at least spend a month back in New Jersey before getting the call to Thompson Field.
MONTREAL- Montreal's system has been praised for years and OSA feels that five top-100 prospects are ready to make the jump from AAA Minneapolis to the Saints. Whether there is room for all five on the active roster remains to be seen but the scouting service is high on pitchers Andy Lyon, Gordie Irwin and Pete Ford, third baseman Luke Weaver and centerfielder Bill Elkins. Elkins tops the group at #13 on the OSA top 100 list and the 23-year-old hit .333 in a late season trial at Parc Cartier after hitting .300 in AAA -his first season playing above A level. Elkins was originally a 9th round pick by Brooklyn that was acquired a year ago in a preseason deal that sent Spud Bent to the Kings. Weaver, a 24-year-old third baseman selected 9th overall in 1943, also made a brief appearance in Montreal last season and according to OSA has all the skills scouts look for in a third baseman.
Irwin is the only one of the three pitchers to have already made his big league debut as the 25-year-old 1939 5th round pick went 2-3 with a 3.31 era in 5 starts last season. Lyon, 24, was a 7th round choice in 1941 who pitched a no-hitter in the minors three years ago and made a very successful AAA debut last season, going 3-0 with a 1.85 era in 4 starts for the Lumberjacks. Ford,25, was a 4th round selection out of Gates University in 1942 but missed 3 seasons serving in the Navy during the war. He struggled somewhat last season, posting a 4.34 era and a 4-16 record for AAA Minneapolis but OSA feels he can be a solid back of the rotation big league option.
NY STARS- 23-year-old lefthander Bill Chapman is the Stars prospect OSA feels is ready for the big leagues. Acquired in the 1944 deal that sent Billy Riley to the Windy City, the 23-year-old went 13-6 with a 3.65 era in 31 starts for AAA Syracuse last season and followed that up with a solid showing in the Cuban Winter League, helping his team reach the championship game.
NY GOTHAMS- The scouting service feels the Gothams have a pair of youngsters ready for the big leagues. Neither is a top 100 prospect although Jerry Decker, a 24-year-old lefthander, falls outside that range at #104 on a recent OSA list. Selected out of a New York City area high school by the New York Stars in the third round of the 1939 draft, Decker quickly established a presence in the bottom half of the top-100 prospect list. The Stars sent him and fellow young pitcher Wally Hunter -who was the Fed rookie of the year with Detroit last season- to the Gothams in exchange for the first pick of the 1945 amateur draft which turned out to be Bob Riggins. After missing 4 years due to the war, Decker went 10-10 with a 4.65 era in his return to pro ball with AAA Toledo last season. He had a decent showing in the Cuban Winter League and may be ready to step into the Gothams rotation, although the competition might be a fair bit tougher than it has been in some recent years. The other Gothams youngster to watch is 22 year old Tom Jeffries. OSA feels he is ready for an audition at shortstop and he might push Jim Dickinson for the starting job but there are some concerns about his ability to cover the shortstop position in the big leagues. He struggled in the field in a brief trial last season but had no such issues at the plate, hitting .359 in a brief trial with the Gothams.
KEYSTONES- There are two highly anticipated debuts expected this season for Keystones prospects. The first is 23-year-old Nate Power, a late first round pick out of Daniel Boone College in the 1945 draft who has the swing to match his last name. The first baseman socked 15 homers in just 64 games at AAA Louisville last season and added 6 more in the Cuban Winter League. OSA sees him as a potential big league regular the rest of his career, but it might not be in Philadelphia unless the Keystones are willing to shift Hank Koblenz back to the hot corner. The other one to watch for is 24-year-old righthander Joe Quade. The local high school boy was drafted 3rd overall in 1940 but spent 4 years in the Marines. He returned last season and looked very good in posting a 14-9, 3.21 campaign at Louisville. Quade used to be a top ten prospect, but OSA feels the war tarnished his development, although the scouting service still believes Quade can become a #3 or 4 starter, perhaps as early as this season.
SAILORS- There are a trio of young Sailors that OSA feels could contribute this season. All three spent last season in AAA although one of them -shortstop Herb Dorsey- has seem limited action with the big club the past two seasons. Dorsey is 26 years old now, so hard to still be considered a young prospect and was a 14th round selection in the 1939 draft. He likely will end up as a utility infielder with solid glove skills at either second base or shortstop. 24-year-old third baseman Frankie Gonnella was a first round pick in 1943 by Boston but was dealt to the Sailors in the trade that brought Paul Richardson to Beantown that year. He missed 1945 due to the war but returned to hit .285 with 19 homers at AAA Richmond last season. OSA feels he has big league power and is projected to be an above-average everyday big leaguer. The highest ranked of the three Sailors OSA says to look for in 1947 is Herb Bell, a 23 year old righthanded pitcher who sits at #79 on the scouting service prospect list. His change-up is the best of his three pitches but OSA is not sold on his ability to hold a spot in a big league rotation. Bell was selected in the 12th round of the 1941 draft and missed some time while serving in the Navy.
PITTSBURGH- The Miners have a promising group of prospects with a target date of 1949 but really just 24-year-old pitcher Jake Helm for this year, at least according to OSA. The lefthander clocks in at #110 on the scouting service prospect list and made his big league debut last season, going 0-3 with a 6.35 era in 3 Pittsburgh starts. He had a little better success in St Paul last season but struggled in the Cuban League, which might have hurt his chances of making the trip north to Pittsburgh in April. OSA likes the confidence he has in his repertoire and feels he could be a solid back of the rotation arm. Another player to watch is 25-year-old second baseman Gary Ely, a second sacker who debuted last season with the Miners. OSA is not a huge fan of the 1939 4th round draft pick, placing him outside the top 300 prospects but perhaps contradicts itself by projecting Ely as an above-average, everyday big league player.
ST LOUIS- The Pioneers have not had a lot of draft luck late both in terms of poor draws in the draft lottery and first rounders such as Tom Buchanan, Mal Bianco and Dave McCraw failing to live up to expectations. One thing the Pioneers have been very successful at is developing catchers and they have another potentially very good one in Artie Smith. OSA feels the 22-year-old taken 12th overall out of South Valley State in 1945 is ready after a couple of brief spins with the Pioneers each of the past two seasons. The problem is Smith is likely trapped behind Tucker Ness and Heinie Zimmer.
TORONTO- The Wolves have a reputation for being cautious in bringing prospects to the big leagues but at age 25 the time appears to be now for Jerry York. The righthander, selected 8th overall out of Noble Jones College in 1942, missed two seasons due to the war but made his big league debut last year, going 2-1 with a sparkling 1.99 era in four starts for the Wolves. OSA feels he is easily a mid-rotation starter and a fine addition to a veteran rotation that includes Allen Award winners Joe Hancock and George Garrison. OSA also believes the Wolves need to make room in the rotation for Harry Phillips. The 24 year old righthander was a second round pick in 1941 but immediately left for the Navy and missed 4 seasons. He returned last season and progressed quickly from A to AA with great success before struggling a little in AAA Buffalo. OSA feels he is a solid #3 starter or better but the bet is Toronto gives Phillips most, if not all, of the season to fine tune his game in Buffalo. There is also a 22 year old shortstop by the name of Harry Finney developing nicely in Buffalo last season. The 1945 second rounder out of Bluegrass State is the likely heir to Charlie Artuso at shortstop but if that is the case it might be a long wait before the 4-time all-star is ready to vacate the position.
WASHINGTON- The Eagles do not have any big league ready pitching prospects but there are 3 players to keep an eye on. The first is Jim Sibert, a 23-year-old shortstop with a high ceiling who saw some time in Washington for the stretch run and played a bit in the WCS. Scouts rave about his work with the glove and if he can hit enough, he may just force veteran George Dawson to the bench. The Eagles have another 23-year-old natural shortstop on the way up in George Penza. OSA says he is ready but with Sibert as the probable future at shortstop, Penza may end up as a second baseman -a position he displayed well at in the field in AAA. Washington has some good outfield depth but expect even more when Rudy Ellison officially arrives. The 23-year-old centerfielder hit .307 in AAA Kansas City last season and OSA feels he is ready, calling him an above average big league centerfielder.
SPRING'S SWEET SYMPHONY: BASEBALL RETURNS IN SPLENDOR
The impending dawn of spring casts its golden hues upon the landscape, as nature awakens from its slumber and the sweet fragrance of hope fills the air. In the realm of sports, a symphony of anticipation rises to a crescendo as the echoes of cheering fans and the crack of the bat intertwine harmoniously. Yes, dear readers, the time has come once again to revel in the glorious return of baseball, a spectacle that captures the hearts and imaginations of millions.
As the hallowed fields are meticulously prepared, their emerald blades standing tall and proud, the heroes of the diamond emerge from winter's embrace, eager to breathe life into their beloved sport. Among them, the New York Stars stand tall as the reigning World Championship Series victors and proud owners of the Continental Association pennant. Their valiant triumph over the Washington Eagles in a fiercely contested seven-game battle etched their names into the annals of baseball history. For the Eagles, it was a long-awaited moment, as their first flag in twenty-two years brought unbridled joy to a loyal and devoted fan base.
Now, the Stars and Eagles, along with the 14 other FABL clubs and 8 rebel teams in the Great Western League, that grace this grand stage, converge upon their respective spring training camps. From the gentle rolling hills of Florida to the sun-kissed fields of Arizona, players begin their rituals of renewal and preparation. In these sacred grounds, rookies with dreams in their eyes rub shoulders with seasoned veterans, forming a tapestry of camaraderie and ambition.
So, let us raise our voices in joyful anticipation, as baseball, our beloved national pastime, returns to grace our lives with its splendor. Let us join hands and hearts, united in our shared love for this timeless game. As the players take the field, let us remember the immortal words of the poet Walt Whitman, who so eloquently said, "I see great things in baseball. It's our game, the American game." Indeed, dear readers, let us embrace the enchantment and immerse ourselves in the magnificence of this grand spectacle, for the return of baseball is a springtime symphony that resonates with the very soul of our nation.
BEES, PACKERS SECURE PLAYOFF SPOTS
Motors Near Locking Up Third Place
The Boston Bees and Chicago Packers have become the first two NAHC clubs this season to secure their spots in the playoffs. The Bees, champions of the coveted Challenge Cup a year ago and owners of four of the silver chalices over the past four years are set to take another stab at adding to their trophy case. The Packers, on the other hand, will embark on yet another quest to bring the Windy City its first-ever NAHC crown.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Motors find themselves on the brink of playoff qualification. With just two points needed from their remaining six games, they stand poised to secure their spot among the top four teams competing for the coveted Cup. The Motors have shown great resilience and now seek to seal their fate with a final push towards glory after failing by just a single point to qualify for the Cup chase each of the past two seasons.
As the season nears its conclusion, the race for the final playoff spot remains a captivating tale. The New York Shamrocks, currently holding 41 points, appear to have a strong chance of clinching it. Though they have only three games left to play, their position seems secure, and their hopes remain high. The Montreal Valiants, on the other hand, faced a setback as they earned just a single point in their recent home and home series against the Greenshirts. While they still have a game in hand, they trail the Shamrocks by five points, making their path to the playoffs a challenging one. Time is running out, and the Valiants must summon all their strength to keep their dreams alive.
The Brooklyn Eagles, in sixth place, continue to fight against the odds. Although they haven't made the playoffs in over a decade, they refuse to give up hope. With six games remaining, they aim to close the six-point gap that separates them from the Shamrocks. Their journey is arduous, but their determination fuels their quest for a place among the contenders.
Regrettably, the Toronto Dukes find themselves all but assured of missing the playoffs for the first time since 1938. Despite their efforts, the gap of 11 points from fourth place proves insurmountable. The Dukes must confront the disappointment of an unfulfilled season and ponder over the changes expected to come as they look ahead to future campaigns.
With just over two weeks remaining in the regular season, the stage is set for a thrilling climax to this captivating campaign. As the playoffs draw near, anticipation rises, and fans eagerly await the unfolding of the final chapters of this enthralling journey.
Code:
NAHC STANINGS
TEAM GP W L T PTS
Boston Bees 42 25 10 7 57
Chicago Packers 43 24 12 7 55
Detroit Motors 42 19 15 8 46
New York Shamrocks 45 18 22 5 41
Montreal Valiants 44 16 24 4 36
Brooklyn Eagles 42 14 21 7 35
Toronto Dukes 42 12 24 6 30
SCORING LEADERS
NAME TEAM GP G A PTS
Tommy Burns CHI 43 28 31 59
Tommy Hart BOS 41 26 20 46
Marty Mahoney CHI 43 12 31 43
Orval Cabbell NY 42 21 21 42
Quinton Pollack BKN 36 25 16 41
Graham Comeau DET 42 17 23 40
Wilbur Chandler BOS 40 16 24 40
Laurel Albers NY 46 10 30 40
Bobbie Sauer TOR 42 19 20 39
Ed Delarue CHI 40 16 22 38
Wes Burns CHI 34 19 17 36
Tom Brescia NY 39 14 21 35
Garrett Ferrar DET 42 20 14 34
Clarence Skinner MON 37 16 16 32
Sam Coates BKN 35 10 22 32
GOALIE LEADERS
NAME TEAM W L T ShO GAA
Pierre Melancon BOS 19-7-7 4 2.47
Norm Hanson CHI 23-12-4 3 2.53
Henri Chasse DET 18-15-8 5 2.61
Tom Brockers BKN 14-19-7 3 2.70
Etienne Tremblay NY 15-18-5 3 2.82
Millard Touhey MON 12-20-4 1 3.31
Gordie Broadway TOR 10-22-4 1 3.58
LAST WEEK'S RECAPS
Tuesday February 25
The New York Shamrocks held the visiting Boston Bees to just 15 shots will firing 27 of their own on Bees netminder Pierre Melancon as the two clubs skated to a 1-1 draw. In Toronto, Gordie Broadway picked up his first shutout of the season with 27 saves in a 4-0 Toronto victory over a short-staffed Brooklyn Eagles. Maurice Charette scored once and added 3 assists for Dukes, who won despite being outshot 27-19. With Quinton Pollack, Sam Coates and Ian Doyle all injured much of Brooklyn's offense spent the evening in the Dominion Garden Press Box.
Thursday February 27
Four third-period goals lifted the Chicago Packers to a 4-2 win in Detroit. It was the first time since Christmas that Packers star Tommy Burns was held off the scoresheet in back-to-back games. Elsewhere, the New York Shamrocks took a big step towards eliminating the Montreal Valiants from playoff contention with a 2-1 win in Montreal. Orval Cabbell and Joe Martin each scored in the first period to pace the Greenshirts, who outshot Montreal 41-26 as Millard Touhey was outstanding in net for the Valiants.
Friday February 28
The lone game on the docket saw Hank Walsh score late in the third period to allow the Brooklyn Eagles to claim a 2-2 tie with visiting Detroit at Prescott Arena. Tom Brockers made 34 saves in the Brooklyn net while defenseman Miles Norman assisted on both of the Eagles markers.
Saturday March 1
Jocko Gregg scored twice to give the New York Shamrocks a 2-2 tie with Montreal and increase the New Yorkers six-point lead on idle Brooklyn and maintain the seven-point bulge on the Valiants for the final playoff berth. In Boston, the Bees Benton Watson scored once and added two helpers in a 5-4 victory over the visiting Toronto Dukes. Trevor Parker scored twice in a losing cause for the Dukes.
Sunday March 2
The highlight was a showdown between the league's top two teams in Boston as the visiting Chicago Packers overcame a 3-1 first period deficit to rally and beat the Bees 4-3. Ed Delarue's 16th tally of the season, with less than 4 minutes remaining in the contest, proved the difference. Marsh Mansfield, Kent Drayton and Bernie Ferrar also scored for the Packers who saw their scoring leader Tommy Burns go pointless for the third straight game -just the second time this season that has happened. The news wasn't all bad for Burns as he learned he was named the NAHC's top player for the month February. Chicago is now 2 points behind Boston in the race for first place and home ice advantage throughout the playoffs, but the Bees do have a game in hand.
Montreal's faint postseason hopes remained alive after the Valiants leapfrogged Brooklyn into fifth place with a 5-2 win on home ice over the Eagles. The backend contributed some offense for Montreal with Isaac Finnson scoring twice and adding an assist while Michael Baddock chipped in with a goal and an assist. Detroit took a huge step towards securing a return to the playoffs after narrowly missing the post-season each of the past two years. The Motors powered past the New York Shamrocks 7-1 with seven different Detroiters lighting the lamp.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
BEES TRYING TO HOLD ON TO FIRST PLACE
By Finn LeBec -Boston Globe
The Boston Bees are fighting to keep the top seed heading into the NAHC playoffs. This past week, there was a win, a loss, and a draw. An uninspiring draw started the week, as the Bees tied the Shamrocks, 1-1. After rookie George Anderson scored his 9th goal, it was very quiet. Boston only managed 15 shots in the game and had possession for only about 6-1/2 minutes in the New York zone all game, including just 1:07 in the third period. Things got better as the calendar transitioned to March and the Bees returned home to face Toronto and Chicago in livelier games.
The Bees survived a scare from the Dukes, holding on to win, 5-4, after both teams combined for five goals in the second period and fans were treated to a one-goal game for most of the third. Leroy Hester scored with 3:06 left to give a momentary two-goal bulge, but the Dukes' Les Carlson potted a goal just 18 seconds later to cut the deficit to one. To the relief of the 14,058 fans packed into Denny Arena that was as close as the Toronto club would get and the Bees picked up a valuable two points.
Boston had a tough back-to-back assignment as just 24 hours later the Chicago Packers invaded the Denny ice palace. Boston led through two periods, 3-2, but Chicago had the understandably fresher legs in the third and scored two goals to win. Marsh Mansfield tied the game with just under nine minutes to go and Ed Delarue capitalized on a costly Len Bentley holding penalty, scoring for the league's second-ranked power play (23.2%) with 3:57 left for the winning marker.
Though Chicago crept two points closer, Boston's lead over Chicago is still two points with a game in hand. Boston has a chance to create a little breathing room on Tuesday night at Lakeside Auditorium in Chicago. The Bees will then travel to Canada for games against Montreal and Toronto before facing Brooklyn and engaging in a season-ending home-and-home against Detroit. In addition to Tuesday night's tilt in Chicago, the Packers have four other games remaining in Brooklyn, against Detroit, and a home-and-home with last place Toronto.
BURNS RETURNS FOR END OF SEASON
Chicago Daily News
While most hockey fans may say the Packers' most valuable player is Tommy Burns, the star center knows otherwise. "It's got to be Wes." Tommy explained to reporters after a 4-3 win over the Bees. "I'm only at my best when big bro is on the ice. Our chemistry takes us to the highest level."
Tommy may be onto something, as since his brother hit the injured list with a fractured jaw after a February 6th loss to the Shamrocks, Tommy has just 4 goals and 5 assists in his past 9 games, while not recording a point in each of Chicago's last three games. Burns still leads the league in goals (28) and points (59), but his 31 assists are now tied with linemate Marty Mahoney. With the season coming to a close, Packers coach Ed Hempenstall has decided it's time to bring the captain back on the ice. "If we want to win our first cup, we need #12 back on the ice. He knows the risks of playing, but he's the type of guy that leaves it all on the ice. He wants to perform for his teammates."
When asked about how he feels, Wes cracked a smile. "See! I'm smiling! It doesn't hurt as much anymore!" That got plenty of laughs from the media room, but the 30-year-old was all business after that. "I've watched all our games while I've been out, and it's motivated me to get better as quickly as possible. I didn't want to miss any time, but the doctors are now more comfortable bringing me back out. I'm ready to go out and put on a show."
"It's good to have the gang back together!" right wing Marty Mahoney told reporters in advance of a crucial game in Chicago against the first place Bees. "It's not the same without Wes on the ice to start the game. Dave [Rankin] has filled in well, but he was one of the happiest guys when he heard Wes was coming back. He credits him for a lot of his success in year one." When asked if Tommy Burns was upset that he tied him for assists, Mahoney chuckled. "He shouldn't be! Half those are because of him! If he wants the assist lead, maybe he should score less."
The Packers have secured a playoff spot, but it will be tough for them to top the Bees. A win Tuesday night is a must, as Boston holds a two point lead with a game in hand. The Packers have five matchups left, three at home and two on the road, including a home-and-home with the Toronto Dukes to finish the season. This is a perfect way to finish, as the Dukes are just 12-24-6 (30 PTS) and five points behind the Brooklyn Eagles for 6th, who the Packers face next Sunday in New York.
DUKES DEBACLE OF A SEASON MERCIFULLY NEARS FINISH LINE
From The Toronto Mail & Empire
The Toronto Dukes have begun their review of players as this lost season winds down. As telling a stat as there is, would be the fact that only one player is on the right side of the +/-. That would be winger Dick Klein, who is +1 and the veteran is fifth on the team in scoring with 21 points. Some of the big minuses belong to the likes of Sam Koger is -24 (in 27 games), while rearguards Frank Featherston at -16 and Francis McGraw, with a -18 rating, having clearly struggled. Center Rosie McInnis, whose days are probably ending in Toronto, is also -18. There were some concerns about the Dukes defense when the campaign opened in November and those have proven to be well founded as the Dukes are giving a league high average of shots against per game of 33.14. while only taking a league low of 25.62 shot on target per game. Definitely not a winning formula, and goaltender Gordie Broadway has been abandoned -although he is not helping himself with a .889 save percentage.
Rumours abounded that head coach Norb Hickey is gone soon after the final game is played to be replaced by Jack Barrell who will be task with straightening out the Dukes both on the ice and in the room. Hickey may not be the only staff member that have limited time left at Dominion Gardens. Dukes have the highest league payroll, something that has owner David Welcombe likely joining with the fans in demanding change before training camp next October.
VALIANTS NOTES
Montreal Star- We knew coming into the season that the blue line would be Montreal's weakness, but yikes--it was worse than anticipated. Using Corsi-Relative, only 3 players were positive. That's why the Valiants have a minus 37 goal differential, only 1 better than the Toronto Dukes who are last in goal differential at -38.
- If we go by plus-minus, Clarence Skinner is the Valiants worst forward and Leo Bernard was a pretty bad defenseman. Well, no. They also both led the team in ice time and as a club Montreal has an awful goal differential. So of course, they are going to have a bad plus-minus. It doesn't change the fact that Skinner is Valiants top forward and club scoring leader with 32 points in 37 games, although the 29-year-old is clearly going to fall short of his career best 50 season a year ago.
- 20-year-old winger Claude LeClerc has really grown his game and impressed the scouts during his season at Syracuse. He has been added to the Valiants roster for the final four regular season games. And not just as a favor to his grandfather and Valiants club owner Charles LeClerc--Claude earned the promotion with 13 goals and 30 points in 36 games with the minor league Lancers.
MOTORS ON VERGE OF POST-SEASON
Dan Urbanski, Detroit Times
They are not quite there yet but it certainly looks like the Detroit Motors will return to the playoffs after missing the post-season by the narrowest of margins each of the past two years. A year ago, the Motors were nosed out despite finishing with 50 points in the 48-game campaign. Chicago took third place with 52 points while the Montreal Valiants -who would go on to beat league leader Toronto in the semi-finals and push Boston to six games before falling in the Challenge Cup Finals- finished 1 point ahead of the Motors to claim the fourth and final playoff spot. This after the Valiants nosed out the Motors the previous season when each was tied for fourth place with 51 points only to see Montreal advance due to the fact it had one more victory than the Detroiters.
That first playoff near-miss was a factor in the decision by Motors magnate John Connelly Jr. to part ways with Jack Barrell and replace the long-time Motors bench boss with Mark Moore. After the near miss in his debut last season, it is essential Moore leads the team to the playoffs and gives Connelly some much desired playoff revenue. With what has happened the past two years it is unwise to crack the champagne bottles yet, but with 6 games remaining and the Motors only require a total of two points from those contests the celebration has to be coming.
*** Moore's Defense First Philosphy Working ***
The Motors engine is clearly in the trunk of the vehicle as the team defense -led be a stellar campaign from goaltender Henri Chasse and a solid job from the big three of Shel Herron, Joe Todd and Bryant Williams on the blueline- is clearly why the club is sitting in third place. It is also no coincidence that Toronto is reeling this season after Williams and Todd bolted the Dominion Gardens to take up residence at Thompson Palladium.
A first round playoff date with either Chicago or Boston will be tough and the Motors have struggled this season against both of them. Detroit still has one game remaining with the Packers but their record against Chicago sits at 1-4-2, while entering their season ending home and home with the Bees the Motors sport just a 1-4-1 record in games with Boston.
BIG NAMES IN DANGER OF MISSING COLLEGE TOURNY
North Carolina Tech and Detroit City College are a pair of schools with a proven track record of success in the AIAA tournament but each will need a strong showing over the final two weeks of the collegiate cage season in order to ensure they qualify as part of the 32 team field in the annual AIAA basketball championship tournament.
The Techsters, with 4 AIAA titles under their belt and back to back trips to Bigsby Garden for the semi-finals in 1944 and 1945, find themselves in danger of missing the March showcase in consecutive years for the first time in school history. North Carolina Tech stumbled through an awful 14-15 campaign last year ending a five season stretch with at least 22 victories each year. They are 19-8 this season after a 48-42 loss to 11th ranked Mobile Maritime on Saturday. They close out the season with a fairly easy slate -hosting 10-15 Richmond State and 13-14 Coastal State this weekend before closing out the season on the road against 16-9 Central Carolina. At the moment, the Techsters project to make the 32-team field but it will likely take at least two more victories to do so.
The other big name school with a reach tournament history that needs a strong finish is Detroit City College. The Knights have never won the national tournament but they have only missed qualifying for the field once since 1931-32. It may well come down to a choice between DCC and their Michigan rivals St Ignatius. Each has four games remaining in Great Lakes Alliance play including a showdown in Detroit on Saturday. The Knights are 17-9, including a 7-5 record in section play that ties them with the Lancers for fourth in the GLA at the moment. St Ignatius is 17-8 overall.
BUBBLE WATCH
Code:
[b] AIAA COLLEGIATE BASKETBALL TOP TWENTY-FIVE
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
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1. Liberty College (72) 26-3 1800 1 Indy
2. Carolina Poly 22-3 1719 3 South Atlantic Conference
3. Central Ohio 21-4 1656 4 Great Lakes Alliance
4. Lane State 21-5 1585 2 West Coast Athletic Association
5. Rainier College 21-5 1498 5 West Coast Athletic Association
6. Noble Jones College 21-4 1427 7 Deep South Conference
7. St. Blane 24-5 1402 6 Indy
8. Bayou State 20-5 1272 12 Deep South Conference
9. Miami State 24-5 1225 8 Indy
10. CC Los Angeles 20-7 1089 11 West Coast Athletic Association
11. Mobile Maritime 20-5 1086 13 South Atlantic Conference
12. Western Iowa 20-6 1029 10 Great Lakes Alliance
13. Coastal California 19-7 914 9 West Coast Athletic Association
14. North Carolina Tech 19-8 910 14 South Atlantic Conference
15. Chesapeake State 19-6 758 17 South Atlantic Conference
16. Redwood 19-7 707 22 West Coast Athletic Association
17. Whitney College 19-7 604 16 Great Lakes Alliance
18. Detroit City College 17-9 602 15 Great Lakes Alliance
19. Huntington State 22-5 521 20 Indy
20. Great Plains State 21-7 485 18 Indy
21. Piedmont University 22-5 330 23 Indy
22. Lubbock State 18-7 226 21 Southwestern Alliance
23. Lambert College 17-8 160 19 Midwestern Association
24. Alabama Baptist 16-9 131 NR Deep South Conference
25. Texas Gulf Coast 18-8 126 25 Southwestern Alliance
RESULTS INVOLVING TOP 25 SCHOOLS LAST WEEK
MONDAY FEBRUARY 24
#24 Alabama Baptist 50, at Eastern Virginia 42
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 25
#8 Bayou State 47, at Commonwealth Catholic 39
#19 Huntington State 54, at Ferguson 33
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 26
at #24 Alabama Baptist 49, Western Florida 32
#6 Noble Jones College 59, at Cumberland 42
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 27
at Wisconsin State 38, #18 Detroit City College 33
#12 Western Iowa 41, at Minnesota Tech 40
#3 Central Ohio 53, at #17 Whitney College 51
#15 Chesapeake State 48, at Coastal State 44
at #14 North Carolina Tech 47, Columbia Military Academy 38
#2 Carolina Poly 45, at Maryland State 44
at #11 Mobile Maritime 44, Cowpens State 43
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 28
at #5 Rainier College 51, #13 Coastal California 43
#16 Redwood 39, at #4 Lane State 37
#10 CC Los Angeles 46, at Portland Tech 37
at #22 Lubbock State 42, Travis College 38
at Darnell State 49, #25 Texas Gulf Coast 47
SATURDAY MARCH 1
#8 Bayou State 57, at Western Florida 38
#6 Noble Jones College 56, at Baton Rouge State 25
#17 Whitney College 41, at Indiana A&M 25
at St. Ignatius 41, #12 Western Iowa 39
at #3 Central Ohio 46, Wisconsin State 35
#18 Detroit City College 37, at Lincoln 18
#25 Texas Gulf Coast 49, at #22 Lubbock State 32
at #11 Mobile Maritime 48, #14 North Carolina Tech 42
#2 Carolina Poly 59, at Alexandria 36
at #7 St. Blane 49, #23 Lambert College 45
at #21 Piedmont University 58, Texas Panhandle 52
SUNDAY MARCH 2
at #16 Redwood 45, #13 Coastal California 40
#5 Rainier College 37, at Northern California 29
at #10 CC Los Angeles 59, Idaho A&M 24
#4 Lane State 46, at Portland Tech 38
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS- March 15- Bigsby Garden, New York City - Middleweight champion Frank Melanson (31-0-2) vs Nick Harris (19-2-1)
- March 18- Denny Arena, Boston - Roy Crawford (22-3) Heavyweight contender vs Lewis Jones (11-0)
- March 18- Waterbury, Ct - rising middleweight Bill Boggs (9-0) vs Vic Woodley (21-10)
- March 20 -Louisville, Ky - heavyweight Cannon Cooper (20-2-1) vs Matt Headley (19-7-2)
- March 21 -Brooklyn, NY- welterweight Wayne Dunn (28-7) vs Stuart White (26-8-2)
- March 25- Hartford, Ct- rising welterweight Danny Rutledge (8-0) vs Mel Gardner (5-5)
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 3/02/1947
- President Truman directed Federal departments and agencies to fire or demote all incompetent employees as he issued an executive order placing the Federal civil service system back on a peacetime basis.
- 2,500 Buffalo teachers walked out in the largest teachers' strike in United States history.
- Lt. Gen. John Hodge sad there appears to be "something to" reports that the Russians are organizing and training Korean troops.
- Britain, her domestic economy near the breaking point, has reportedly proposed that the United States take over her commitments to Greece on a large scale, something the Americans are considering.