[Tiger Fan]

MAY 19, 1947

NO SLOWING DOWN THE PIONEERS

The St Louis Pioneers continue to be the class of the Federal Association as they attempt to rise from depths of the league's cellar a year ago to the pennant. There is still a long ways to go for that to happen but everything seems to be clicking for the Pioneers, who swept a 3-game series in Boston as part of a 5-2 week that starts a 16-game road trip for the St Louis nine.

So why is everything that went so wrong a year ago suddenly going right for the Pioneers - a team that has not won a pennant since 1921? To start with Denny Hern -who couldn't win even a single game a year ago- has been amazing. The 30-year lefthander pitched his third straight complete game in a 5-4 win over Ed Wood and the Minutemen to run his record to 7-1 with a 2.31 era. The Pioneers have also been getting plenty of offense, much of it from unlikely sources such as Gothams cast-off Bill Freeman, who is leading the Fed with a .362 batting average. 24-year-old outfielder Larry Gregory (.339,7,26) is enjoying a break out year in his third full FABL season while fellow youngsters Homer Mills (.278,2,17) and Cal Page (.285,1,12) are putting things together as well. Then there is 19-year old Roy Bates -a 5th round pick in the '46 draft out of high school- that tore up AAA in a two-month trial a year ago and is fitting in nicely with the big club despite his youthfulness. Add in dependable veterans Al Tucker (.279,2,19) and Heinie Zimmer (.328,0,16) and the Pioneers offense is something to fear with only Pittsburgh scoring more runs in the Fed so far this season.

Meanwhile the Washington Eagles, Philadelphia Keystones, Boston Minutemen and New York Gothams -the four teams expected to comprise the first division of the Fed- all continue to struggle. Only the Eagles, thanks to a 3-game winning streak over the weekend, have reached a level record and the Gothams -with 4 straight losses to end the week- now own the worst record in baseball.

The Continental Association leading Cincinnati Cannons started the week off with a four-game winning streak before losing to Montreal on Saturday and to Chicago yesterday in the start of a big few days for the front-runners. The Cannons have one more with the Cougars -who have climbed ahead of Philadelphia and into 4th place but are still a game below the break-even mark- before hosting the second place New York Stars for a pair at the new Tice Memorial Stadium.

IS JAMESON'S SEAT GETTING HOT?

This season has gotten off to the worst imaginable start for the New York Gothams. You can't write it off to injuries or some other out of control reason. Matter of fact they've added a solid starting pitcher in Harry Carter as the weeks moved along. Rookie Tom Jeffries will return in another week, but he can hardly be seen as a savior. No, this season and the current last place position is entirely on the ball club. It's the old adage, "You can't fire all the players". So naturally the next thought is the manager. Would the Gothams release team legend Bud Jameson early in his 3rd campaign? Management has show extreme loyalty in the past to Ed Ziehl will going through various rebuilds. Why is this year different?

For one, they are coming off a year where they fell just short. Something the Gothams never do. When they have had the horses, Ziehl managed to bring them home. Management knew it was on them to provide a team and Ed would ride them. Now with one shortfall behind him Jameson has his squad mired in last place. But unlike Ziehl's rebuilding teams this is supposed to be a contender. Is Jameson the man to rally the team and drive them to somewhere better?

Word around the hallways of the big ballpark in Queens is that unhappy people, those who make hiring and firing decisions, are making lists and discussing options.

Fire Jameson? That's one option, but who replaces him? A caretaker for the remainder of this season? Then maybe try to entice Ed Ziehl to move east? Someone else from the organization? Something completely new, going outside the organization?

Make moves with the roster? A tear down of a team that has not ever really jelled. Trade off the vets, some very desirable, and add youth? The team feels it had a solid draft, but those players are years away. Big trades will mean many lean years. Again.

One blockbuster? Weaken a position to strengthen the staff? Pestilli, Johnson? Messer?

Something is bound to happen. Certainly by the end of the month, if the team doesn't begin winning more than losing. Intriguing times in Queens.

In an effort to reverse a 3-9 skid to start the month of May, the Montreal Saints have made a couple of changes to their roster. The big one is news that rookie righthander Gordie Irwin is being returned to AAA after the 25 year old had struggled in his first three starts and was pushed to the pen. In his place the Saints have elected to promote 24 year old Andy Lyon, who was throwing like a bully for Minneapolis in the Century League. Lyon, a Los Angeles native selected in the 7th round of the 1944 draft, was 4-0 with a 0.63 era for the Lumberjacks -numbers impressive enough to earn him his first ticket to the big leagues.

Joining Lyon on the trek east will be veteran Bob Jennings. The second baseman, who spent much of the past five years in Montreal before being farmed out at the end of training camp, is a much more reliable defender than Ted Brown. It was hoped that Brown would help the club with his bat, but with an average below the .200 wheel a decision to send him to Minneapolis was an easy one. Both Lyon and Jennings joined the club on the road in Toronto last Tuesday.

Shortstop Gordie Perkins is back after missing two weeks with a wonky back. His return triggers a few position switches including Luke Weaver -who is showing a bit of power with 3 homers- moving from the hot corner to the outfield which will allow Jake Hughes to shift from shortstop to third base and make room for Perkins. The change of Weaver to the outfield also is hoped will address the lack of production from youngsters Bill Elkins and Ernie McCoy -as each has struggled to hit their weight in the early going.

*** Time To Bring Hickey Home ***

One has to wonder if Montreal Valiants owner Charles LeClerc was paying much attention to what went down in Toronto recently. The Dukes had an awful season in Hogtown -no denying that- and this after our beloved Vals showed them up in the playoffs last June. The problem is that is about all we can gloat about as we seldom get the better of our Ontario rivals. I do find it interesting that Dukes mogul David Welcombe parted ways with one of the league's most successful coaches because of one awful season.

Makes you question if LeClerc is asleep at the switch. Denny McLachlan has never won a title in his 7 seasons at the helm of the Valiants. He has never guided the club to a regular season finish higher than third and now our 4 year streak of playoff appearances has come to an end. In the same number of games behind the bench (336), Norb Hickey won nearly 50 more contests in Toronto than McLachlan won here in Montreal. Hickey - a Montreal native by the way- also has 2 Challenge Cups, a bauble this city has not greeted since 1937 -and that was for the old Nationals. The Vals have not had a Cup parade since 1928 and are 0-4 in the finals over that stretch, including losses under McLachlan in the the '44 Cup -to Hickey's Dukes- and to Boston a year ago. Yet Hickey -with his hand adorned with a pair of Cup rings- is now looking for work and sure to find it with his impressive resume. Meanwhile, McLachlan appears to be secure in his post and ready to guide to Vals to another year of mediocrity. Perhaps it is time for that to change. Wouldn't it be something if one of Montreal's most successful sons were to return home and lead the Vals out of the wilderness of mediocrity that they have been lost in for two decades?

FUTURE IS HERE FOR DYNAMOS INFIELD

The long-anticipated debut as a unit of what Detroit Dynamos brass hopes will be a fixture on the Thompson Field infield for the next decade will make its debut today in Philadelphia. The last piece has arrived with the news that 22-year-old third baseman Tommy Griffin has been promoted from AAA and will join fellow 22-year-old Dick Estes, 20-year-old Stan Kleminski and 24-year-old Del Johnson in the Detroit infield.

Griffin was acquired from the New York Stars at the deadline last year in the deal that sent veteran third baseman Mack Sutton to the Big Apple. Just three months prior to the trade, Griffin was starring for Mississippi A&M before the Stars selected him 12th overall in the 1946 draft. He was hitting .262 with 2 homers in 25 games at AAA Newark prior to the promotion and is ranked the #27 prospect in the game by OSA.

Griffin's arrival means Kleminski will shift from the hot corner back to shortstop. There are some concerns that the 7th overall selection of the 1944 draft may not have the skills necessary to play the key position, as he was awful in a brief trial there as a teenager last season. Kleminski is a natural shortstop and Detroit scouting director Fred Barrell feels he will develop into an above average gloveman at the position and the hope is extra work over the spring has prepared Kleminski for the task. He was playing third and batting .258 with a .349 on-base percentage for the Dynamos this season.

Johnson, taken 6th overall in the 1944 draft out of West Goshen State, proved ready for the big leagues last year with a strong rookie campaign that saw him hit .282 while providing outstanding defense at the keystone bag. Johnson finished second to teammate Wally Hunter in balloting for the Kellogg Award, a new trophy presented to the top rookie in each association. This year, Johnson's offensive numbers are down slightly in the early going but the 24-year-old is still hitting a respectable .264.

Estes was a second round selection out of Rutherford College in the 1945 draft. It is quite possible he will eventually shift to the outfield as Detroit used its first round selection on high ceiling slugging 17-year-old first baseman John Morrison and Estes had started this season in left field but was moved recently to make room for Dick Blaszak in left field. A week away from his 23rd birthday, Estes has taken the Federal Association by storm in his sophomore campaign - batting .344 with 7 homers and 23 rbi's in 28 games.

*** Mercer, Allenby Next In Line ***

There is still plenty of young talent in the Dynamos system although the four best are likely at least two or three years away from their arrival in the Motor City. They include highly touted pitching prospects Fred Washington and Roy Schaub as well as a pair of 19 year olds in outfielder Tommy Allenby and catcher Lew Mercer.

Allenby has a lot of pressure on him as he was selected with the pick that joined Dick Blaszak in the infamous deal to move the top choice of the 1946 draft and the right to draft pitcher Joe Stallings to the Chicago Chiefs. Allenby has looked overmatched in Class A but did hit his first homer of the season last week and the organization feels he is coming around. OSA feels Allenby can be a future all-star. Mercer is a 1946 second round pick who was recently moved up to join Allenby at Terre Haute. He is one of two young catchers the Dynamos are high on, with 21 year old Red Rodgers -a 1944 second rounder- being the other one. Rodgers is hitting .221 as he gets used to AAA pitching.

*** Growing Pains ***

While they will not admit it publicly, Dynamos management is shocked they are sitting in second place five weeks into the season. They expected some growing pains with the predominately young lineup and while their have been some struggles scoring runs the pitching staff has for the most part impressed. Do not expect the team to try and stock up for a pennant run this season, however. Patience is what is being preached at Thompson Field headquarters and the club is committed to sticking with the youth movement, something many felt was abandoned just a little too early nearly a decade ago when the club had a similar collection of young talent but succumbed to the temptation of making moves just a little too early in an ill-fated attempt to claim a pennant.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

A Look at Your Wolves After the First Month of '47 -With the season through its first month of the season Brett will give the readers his analysis of team. With a record of 12-14 the Wolves are currently sitting in 5th place in the CA trailing the surprising Cannons by 5 1/2 games even after dropping 3 straight to close out a 14 game road trip that showed early promise. Toronto has only had seven home dates in the first month, the least in the CA, that will soon change with a 19 game home stand which may well define the season for Call's crew in 1947. Brett figures 12-7 is the worst the Wolves can fare before heading out on the road again in early June. Anything less will leave the team in a chasing, not contending position over the summer.

Brett will now give a short synopsis on the team's performance in the three major areas of the game pitching, defense, hitting along with some opinions of possible changes that could be considered going forward by the Wolves staff.

Pitching: Long a key to any success for the team this year's staff has been far from the dominance needed to propel the team to a pennant. The starters have been adequate not stellar led by Garrison, Hancock with York showing signs that he will become a force in the rotation. Walls, after a strong start, is beginning to show cracks in his armour, Gibbs has yet to get untracked, he has struggled with control issues along with pretty much everyone on the staff, Call decided to keep 11 pitchers on the roster to avoid tired arms early in the season but only one, Garrison, has sat down more batters on strikes than batters put on base by walking the hitter. The staff has only registered 68 strikeouts, by far the worst in the FABL, while issuing 91 free passes, This cannot continue past the current date. The bullpen is an absolute disaster, one the best relievers before the war, Lou Jayson, seems to be lost, batters are hitting an even .400 against him. He has recently been relegated a lesser role in the hopes he can work out his issues. Jim Laurita's stats look good but only because he has pitched himself out of self-inflicted jams, so far, this season. How long can this continue for Laurita? It seems every time Call makes the call to the 'pen disaster is right around the corner. Franklin, Call have to get the bullpen in order, quickly, there does not seem to be a magic solution in the system ready to make an impact in the CA. Best hope is most likely a Jayson turnaround, sooner the better.

Defense: Call's other key to a successful season has been average in FABL terms. Unfortunately average is not good enough for this team. The Wolves have to be CA leaders in run limiting by fielding to have any chance in 1947. How much longer can Call afford to wait for the Frady/Fast plus Artuso to gel into a smooth DP combination? Four errors by Giordano in LF begs to reverse Call's decision of move him to left with Frederick going to right. Overall defense has to move forward quickly for the Wolves.

Hitting: This is the one facet of the game that Wolves have probably exceeded expectations so far in 1947. Led by seemingly ageless McCormick, Wood, Stickels the team has been giving the pitchers more run support than could have been reasonably expected heading into the season. If Giordano can solve both his problems both in the field, at the plate the team should score enough runs win games if the pitching can hold up their end of the bargain.

Brett sees this time at Dominion Stadium as critical for the team, fans for the balance of 1947. Pitching and defensive improvement are imperative for the balance of the season for the Wolves to have any chance in CA.

The King's schedule is giving the club a lot of days off over the next week and a half. With 3 days off this week, the King's will just use a 3-man rotation of Hayden, Long and Slaney and giving the bullpen the extra arms and reshuffled order. The King's will play just 6 games over the next 11 days before a Memorial Day double-header on Friday May 30th and then another twinbill on Sunday June 1st.

Going to the DL is IF Leon Blackridge who was diagnosed with knee tendonitis that will keep him d-t-d for 4 weeks. Coming back up from AAA is veteran SS/2B Tom Landowski.

Cleveland decided to pluck 3B/U Constantine Peters off of waivers. Rumors are the Kings were hoping Peters would slide through waivers and maybe accept an assignment to Jersey City (AAA). For all his talent unfortunately Peters has just never been able to put it together at the big league level. Maybe he will get everyday at bats with the Foresters and show what he can really do (or prove he can't do it).

GM DD Martin shot down reports that the club would be interested in trading minor league P Larry Smith (25). The King's are eyeing Smith (2-1 2 saves 1.88 ERA) as a potential key arm in their future bullpen and likely would have been called up by now if the club hadn't signed veteran Robert Curry and acquired P Karl Weiss.

NEW-LOOK DALLAS SHARES GWL LEAD

Much like the St Louis Pioneers in the Federal Association, the Dallas Centurions are bidding to go from worst to first in the Great Western League. The Centurions are off to a 20-13 start, tied with Seattle for top spot in the coast loop, and are a much different club from the one that San Diego for the worst record in the league a year ago. The Centurions were big spenders over the winter, bringing in a number of former FABL players including making former Chicago Chief third baseman Ken Mayhugh the highest paid player in the west.

Three quarters of Dallas' infield played in the east last year including Mayhugh (.278,2,8), Al Gross (.278,0,13) and new player-manager Brooks Meeks (.266,5,17) who is tied for the GWL lead in longballs. Outfielder Heinie Billings (.327,2,16) and catcher Tommy Morris (.250,1,14) are also recently released by eastern clubs and together the group has the Centurions leading the coast loop in runs scored.

• Bobby Barrell of the Keystones had a 22 game hitting streak come to an end yesterday against Detroit. The 35-year-old 4-time Whitney Award winner leads the Fed in homers with 16 while batting .350 with 25 rbi's on the season. It was the 10th time in Barrell's career he has had a hit streak of at least twenty games. Barrell also had a 3-homer game last week against St Louis, doing that for the second time in his career. The Keystones hit 6 longballs in the game with Hank Koblenz adding two and the final one coming off the bat of Davey Robicheaux.
• Barrell is just the fourth player to have more than 1 FABL game in which he homered 3 times. Surprisingly Max Morris bever had a 3 homer game. Who are the other 3 to do it twice? Answer at the bottom of Caught on the Fly.
• There has never been a player hit 4 homeruns in a FABL game but there have been 28 3-homer games. Barrell's is the first this year. Last season Red Johnson of the Gothams and Cleveland's Si Crocker each had 3-homer game.
• Last week was feast or famine for the Keystones: 11 home runs in the first three games of the week and the Keystones won two of those three games. 0 home runs in the last four games of the week and they lost all of them. Another troubling stat: those 11 home runs came in three games where the Keystones only put up 15 runs. Those 11 home runs accounted for 14 of those 15 runs.
• The Chicago Chiefs may be close to recalling 24-year-old outfielder Billy Brown, who started 148 games with the big club over the past two years. Brown is crushing it in AAA: .343/.440/.636 with 7 home runs and the Chiefs offense could use a jolt.
• The Chiefs have to be thrilled with Al Miller's month of May so far: 3-0 with a 0.35 ERA (1 earned run in 26 IP).
• After the second worst start of his career, Peter the Heater was quickly back to his old self with the Chicago Cougars, tossing a complete game win over the Sailors with 6 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and 8 strikeouts. It was the most strikeouts he's had in a start so far this season, as the fireballer hasn't been missing as many bats as he does. The annual CA leader in strikeouts has just 31, good for third in the circuit, and his 5.2 K/9 in 53.2 innings would be the first time in his career he failed to strike out more then 6 per 9.
• Reid McLaughlin, a 22 year old SS was a 3rd round pick of Pittsburgh's last season and has jumped up to #29 on the prospect list and now he’s in AAA, after terrorizing the Dixie League to the tune of .337/.417/.640 with 4 steals and excellent defense. Miners fans are dreaming about a Irv Clifford/McLaughlin middle infield carrying them into the 1950’s.
• Blowout of the week: On Saturday Brooklyn blasted Toronto by an 18-2 score. All 9 Kings in the lineup including pitcher Rusty Petrick drove in at least 1 run with young first baseman Chuck Collins leading the way with 3 hits and 4 rbi's.
• Trivia Answer - Bobby Barrell joins Cliff Moss, Lou Kelly and Tom Taylor as the only players to hit 3 homers in a FABL game twice.

NAHC TEAM RECAPS: MONTREAL VALIANTS

18-26-4 40 pts: 5th place - Missed Playoffs

Big things were expected from the Montreal Valiants this past season. Perhaps unfairly as the Valiants had barely snuck into the playoffs a year ago, qualifying for the fourth year in a row but second straight season that they barely nosed out the Detroit Motors for the fourth and final playoff berth. However, they parlayed that into a 3 game sweep of first place Toronto -a team that finished 19 points ahead of them during the regular season- and then took Boston to six games before ultimately falling short in a bid for their first Challenge Cup title since 1928.

Nevertheless, expectations were high for the Vals 46-47 season but things went wrong almost from the start. First goaltender Millard Touhey, who had an outstanding playoff run a year ago with a .950 save percentage, showed up to camp out of shape. Touhey was very inconsistent early and there were some calls to replace him with backup Andy Backlund but Touhey did just enough to keep his job despite some terrible struggles on the road all season.

All the blame does not fall on Touhey as the Valiants struggled to score all season with only Claude Skinner (18-17-35) and Glen Whitley (17-15-32) topping the 30 point plateau. The season was clearly lost by a dismal stretch that began in mid-January and had the Vals playoff hopes disappear when they lost 13 out of 15 games -dropping them from comfortably in a playoff spot nestled in third place to outside of the playoffs with old a late charge in March lifting them ahead of the Brooklyn Eagles and into fifth place.

There is some talent for the Valiants to build around, most notably pivots Skinner and Whitley as well as 23-year-old second year winger Brett Lanceleve and rookie defenseman John McDonald but the club seems to lack an identity. It does not have the offense to match with the high-flying Chicago Packers, the defensive depth of a team like Detroit or the gritty determination of the championship Boston Bees.

Valiants head coach Danny McLachlan has had 7 years to bring Montreal a Cup, and he has guided the club to the finals twice in that span, but the heat is on him to get more from the club next season. It just feels like Montreal -while not quite at the level of Boston or Chicago- did not perform as well as the pieces would indicate the club could. Finding a combination that can carry the club as a number one line -likely with Skinner and Lanceleve as two of the pieces- is one priority. The other one will be for McLachlan, and club management, to decide if they are willing to pin their playoff hopes on Millard Touhey being 100% committed to the sport.

MONTHLY RECORD
NOV: 5-3-2 12 points
DEC: 4-4-1 9 points
JAN: 3-8-0 6 points
FEB: 3-9-0 6 points
MAR: 3-2-1 7 points
OVERAL 18-26-4 40 points

Four defensemen recently agreed to contract extensions that will keep them with their respective NAHC clubs for the next couple of years. The Chicago Packers were the busiest club of late, extending one contract while also parting ways with a pair of veteran forwards.

The Packers extended the contract of defenseman Mo Masters, who was a 26-year-old rookie with the Packers this past season after spending the previous six years in the minors with Cleveland. With Chicago Masters had 4 goals and 13 points in 34 games this season but did not appear in the playoffs due to a knee strain. Meanwhile the Packers have released forwards Red Briggs and Joe Samuels. Briggs, 32, played just 1 game for Chicago this season, spending the rest of the year in Pittsburgh. The 36-year old Samuels was Brooklyn's captain for half a decade before joining the Packers prior to the 45-46 campaign. He spent last season with the Pittsburgh Rovers of the HAA, notching 26 points in 46 games to help the Rovers win the HAA championships.

The New York Shamrocks will have the services of defenseman Anthony Lehman for two more years after agreeing to a deal with the 23 year old third year player. Lehman had a career best 16 points in 34 games on the Shamrocks blueline this season. Elsewhere, yhe Boston Bees recently signed 23-year-old defenseman Connor Mikaelsen to a 3-year extension. The Toronto native recently completed his second season with the Bees, notching 2 goals and 14 points in 39 games during the regular season before adding 4 more points in the Bees run to a second consecutive Challenge Cup. Finally, the Detroit Motors re-upped 27 year old rearguard Curt Gaston inking a 2-year deal. Gaston had 6 points in 5 games with the Motors this season but spent most of his time with Buffalo.

BEES NAPIER, DETROIT D PAIR MAY BE ON MOVE

Number of NAHC Veterans With Expiring Contracts

32-year-old right winger Viv Napier, who won 4 Challenge Cups with the Boston Bees, highlights the list of players who may be free to sign with other NAHC clubs when their contracts expire on June 30. Napier missed over half the season due to an injury and scored just 2 goals along with 11 assists in 20 games -numbers that appear to have the Boston Bees convinced his usefulness to the club has been outlived. Napier had a career best 17 goals in 1943-44 and has 30 points in 57 playoff games this decade including a goal and 4 assists in the Bees Cup run last month. He was paid a reported $12,000 by the Boston club this past season and it appears the team feels that money is better spent elsewhere.

A pair of veteran Detroit defenseman have refused to resign with the Motors and are also expected to be available to the highest bidder on July 1. 36 year old Bernie Dunton had a career low 10 points this past season while 32 year old Phil Denman scored 4 times and added 8 assists but often voiced his displeasure with a lack of ice-time in his first full season in the Motor City after beginning his career in Toronto.

Others who are presently unsigned and may be availbale July 1 include 22 year old New York Shamrocks defenseman Derek Hansen and a large group of Brooklyn Eagles including defensemen Ryan Kennedy, Chad Roy and Pat Green as well as Montreal forwards Reed Hathaway and Tony Narand and veteran Toronto Dukes forwards Dick Klein, Rosie McInnis and Sam Koger.

The Toronto Mail & Empire has secured an interview with newly appointed head coach Jack Barrell. Although it is May with the Wolves taking up the majority of print the chance to give the Dukes fans something to debate over the summer was a opportunity that could not be missed by the paper.

Mail & Empire: Welcome back to Toronto in probably what was the worst kept secret in the NAHC.
Barrell: Thank you. I am glad to be back in Toronto where hockey is king although the Wolves are trying to usurp that position especially after the last hockey season. I am looking forward to the challenge of returning the Dukes to their rightful position as the most feared team in the NAHC.

Mail & Empire: What is the first thing you would like to tell the Dukes fans.
Barrell: The first thing I would ask of the fans is patience. Last year was a disaster brought about by some questionable player moves made by the previous management team. The nucleus of good team is here although it may take a few seasons to put all the pieces in place along with a new system. One thing I will guarantee is that the faithful will be seeing a team that will play hard as a unit. Seventh place with only 35 points is not what these fans deserve, it is my job to give them a better team.

Mail & Empire: What were the questionable moves of the last regime?
Barrell: That is history that cannot be changed, no sense looking back, it is time to move forward with the Dukes. My meetings with the new GM have been fruitful, we are the same page on how this team has to play to move ahead in the NAHC. I am still trying to get my feet on the ground here, my initial review of what is here, what is in the system has given me, along with the GM, the basis of a plan for 1947-48 season.

Mail & Empire: Would you care to share any of that plan?
Barrell: The plan is still in its infancy. it needs to be fleshed out over the summer. It will be built around Gordie Broadway, arguably the best goaltender in the league, last season was not normal, Gordie did not forget how to tend goal, having his goals against average jump by almost 2 per game goes to the entire team: forwards, defensemen, goaltending. The Dukes hung the goaltender out to dry many games, Broadway faced 10 more shots per game last season. The first order of business is install a new defensive system. The current Dukes do not have the personnel to play a firewagon brand of hockey, so expect to see a lot of 2-1, 3-2 games this year. The first priority will be keeping the puck out of our net. We will be a tight checking and hard nosed, but not dirty, unit smothering and frustrating other teams forcing them to give up the puck. One thing I will demand is that all players finish their checks. It is surprising that even at the NAHC level the number of players that will cough up the puck, rather than take a hit to make a play. The Dukes will be known as team that finishes every single check, also a team that will take a hit to make a play. It will be a hard-hitting entertaining brand of hockey although not high scoring.

Mail & Empire: Sounds interesting, any other nuggets to share?
Barrell: Funny you use the word nuggets. The GM and I are putting together a plan I have been discussing with the players as I contact them to discuss the future. I have told them all to be prepared to gather in Toronto before the middle of September then head north on the train for an extended training camp in the Porcupine area, a gold-mining hotbed. The McIntyre Arena, which is a scale model of Dominion Gardens, has year round ice. I plan to start camp there along with playing a few exhibition games against teams in the Porcupine Mines League - a Northern Ontario Sr. A loop. I have been told that the league plays a style I want to instill in the Dukes, fast paced, tight checking, hard hitting. Who knows we may find a few players that deserve a chance in the Dukes system? We should come out of camp in shape with our system in place for exhibition games with NAHC opponents.

Mail & Empire: Sounds like the plan is already coming together, can we contact you over the summer?
Barrell: Please do, I will keep you update with the plans, your paper should send a reporter north with the team.

BOULDER STATE LANDS IN PLAINS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

The Boulder State Grizzles will join the Plains Athletic Association next season after being a charter member of the AIAA's Rocky Mountain Conference. The cage Grizzlies finished 16-13 a year ago including 6-6 in RMC action. The Grizzlies won 5 Rocky Mountian Conference championships with their most recent one coming in 1943-44. On the grid, the Grizzlies won a conference title in 1942 after going 6-0 in section play. They also posted the top record in a war depleted conference that fielded only 3 teams in 1944.

The move to the Plains Athletic Association by the Colorado school boosts that section to a seven-team loop as they will join College of Omaha, Daniel Boone College, Eastern Kansas, Iowa A&M, Lawrence State and Oklahoma City State.

Several other moves were announced this week including the Perry State College Commodores and St Andrews College Barons both leaving conferences to play as independents. The Commodores have exited the Midwestern Association while the Barons removal from the Deep South drops that section down to 12 schools.

The Southern Border Conference will grow by two members next season with Canyon A&M moving over from the Southwestern Alliance and Abilene Baptist joining the conference for basketball as a new participant. The addition of Chapparals raises the total number of schools playing the top level of collegiate basketball to 213.

PERRY KO's OPPONENT IN UNDER TWO MINUTES

Rudy Perry, one of the myriad of welterweights believing he has a shot at a world title that no one can seem to hold on to in the division, made short work of a tune-up fight in his hometown of Philadelphia Friday evening. The 30-year-old need just one minute and 42 seconds to knockout Keith Bowman in a bout that was as one-sided as they come. Bowman did not lay a glove on Perry, who came out swinging and floored his opponent with a flurry of blows that ended with a smashing cross that had his opponent out cold before he landed on the canvas. It took close to 30 seconds for Bowman to come to and, although very groggy, he was able to walk into his dressing room and gropingly climb into his clothing. The loss is the fourth in a row for the 26-year-old New Yorker Bowman, dropping his record to 7-8-1 and hopefully convincing him to embark on a new line of work.

As for Perry, the win is his third straight, and all by knockout, since he lost a tight decision to Harold Stephens -who is now the world champ- in Pittsburgh nearly a year ago. Perry's record improves to 24-3-1 and he may not be far from a title shot, something that narrowly eluded him when he was knocked out by Dennis O'Keefe in October of 1945 in a bout that would see the winner go on to fight for the then vacant welter crown. O'Keege would win the title with a knockout of Carl Taylor but would be outpointed by Mark Westlake in his first defense. Westlake in turn would drop a unanimous decision to Stephens in February. Stephens plans to face Carl Taylor in his first defense in August with Perry angling for a shot at the winner.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

• May 23 - Portland, Or: welterweight contender Mark Westlake (20-3-1) vs Stuart White (26-9-2)
• May 23 - San Fransciso: welterweight contender Ira Mitchell (16-1) vs George Gibbs (16-3)
• May 24- Jacksonville, FL: heavyweight contender Mark Fountain (21-3-1) vs Sylvester Vaughn (20-6-2)
• Jun 4 - Brooklyn, NY: heavyweight Roy Crawford (23-3) vs Nick Brooks (13-4-1)
• Jun 15- Atlantic City, NJ: middleweight contender Brooks O'Connor (23-4-2) vs Darwin Thomas (9-1-3)
• Jun 28 - Los Angeles: rising welterweight Mac Erickson (13-0) vs Nate MacGilvray (17-7-3)
• Jun 29- Brooklyn, NY: rising middleweight Jim Ward (14-1) vs Marvin Harris (20-7-2)
• Jun 30 - Baltimore, MD: middleweight contender Todd Gill (21-3-6) vs Owen Sheppard (14-4)
• JUL 4 -Fitzpatrick Park, Pittsburgh: Frank Melanson (32-0-2) defends his world middleweight title against John Edmonds (22-2).
• Aug 2 - Cougars Park, Chicago: Hector Sawyer (55-3-1) defends his world heavyweight title against Irish Pat Harber (31-7-1)
• Aug 16- Denny Arena, Boston: Harold Stephens (19-3-2) defends his world welterweight title against Carl Taylor (22-3-2).

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 5/18/1947

• Turkey has announced that it will use all of its $100 million loan from the United States to strengthen its army and will seek a loan from the International Bank for economic development.
• The US Senate gave overwhelming approval to a labor contol bill, less drastic than the House passed, but still making far-reaching changes in existing laws.
• The United States and Russia are clashing in the United Nations over a dispute on how to handle the troubled Balkan frontier areas.
• Former Secretary of State Byrnes believes that in both Russia and the United States "there is too much talk about war and too little talk about peace."