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Tiger Fan · 06-20-2023, 01:17 PM

JUNE 30, 1947

COUGARS ADD PESTILLI

Gothams Tearing Down Again It Appears

The Chicago Cougars already had the best team in baseball on paper, but have consistently come up just short time and again. With the club struggling to score runs this season, they made a huge move today in adding underperforming but extremely talented centerfielder Sal Pestilli from the New York Gothams. A former first overall pick and the 1938 Whtiney Award winner as well as a six-time Federal Association all-star, the 31-year-old Pestilli was mirred in the worst start of his career this season -hitting just .243 with only 5 homeruns in 70 games with the underachieving Gothams.

Struggling to stay at the breakeven point despite their big name heavy offense, Gothams mangement, as they are prone to do, reacted quickly -although some would term it rashly- and let word know through the league that Pestilli, as well as several other key players were available. It is believed multiple offers came in immediately for the talented centerfielder and the Gothams jumped at one of them: taking a first round pick and a pair of Class C prospects for a player once considered to be on the verge of becoming the best centerfielder in the game.

The move is the latest in a long series of moves the Cougars have made over the years in search of a Continental Association flag - a swath of fabric that has eluded the club since 1941 despite being the preseason favourite in the CA most of this decade. With an extremely talented pitching staff and a deep offense that includes the recently acquired Walt Pack -another former Whitney Award winner- and now Pestilli it is hard to imagine the Cougars, barring some unforseen injuries, not being the dominant club in the CA for the second half of the season.
*** Gothams Appear Ready To Blow Up Roster Again ***

Is the trade sending Pestilli to the Cougars just the start of yet another mass exodus of talent from Queens? The Gothams have a modus operandi that they seem very intent upon following and have used it with mixed results for well over a decade. It began in 1936 when they tore apart a team that had won back-to-back pennants but was off to a slow start that season. The sell-off paved the way for the Chicago Chiefs to win a pair of World Championship Series titles due in a very big part because they had convinced the Gothams to deal future Hall of Famer Rabbit Day to them. The result was some mostly awful baseball over the past decade from the Gothams with one magical WCS title claimed in 1942 sprinkled in. The question is "did they just gift the Chicago Cougars with a very similar present to that which they awarded the Chiefs in the late 1930s?"

And where does New York go from here this season? It seems clear they have thrown in the towel once more despite being within 11 games of the surprising St Louis Pioneers with none of the other co-favourites this spring making big waves either. Perhaps this really is the Pioneers year to end their more than two decades of mediocrity, but that still seems far from certain especially if a team like New York started to play up to its potential. With Pestilli gone, and nothing that will help in the present coming back, it certainly feels like more will follow Pestilli in the move out of the Big Apple. How long will it be before Henry Carter -their second most effective pitcher is moved? Will they move the aging Mahlon Strong, who is suddenly healthy and looking like his dominant self?

Maybe they will surprise everyone and use the draft pick they acquired from the Cougars -although very likely to be at the bottom of the first round now- and some of their own youth for an ace pitcher or dominant veteran hitter to try and jump start the team this season but history tells us that will not be the case. It instead suggests the Gothams will move another veteran or two and then likely in the near future part with the likes of Red Johnson or Walt Messer as they close in on their 30th birthdays and if that happens can Ed Bowman be far behind?

New York management has always said it is first or last for the team and they have no desire to be anywhere in between. All FABL general managers are open to second guessing from the armchair experts in the papers and in the stands but a gunslinger approach like New York takes exposes them so much more than most clubs. The aproach did win the Gothams a WCS title in '42, but it sure feels like with the amount of talent that has passed through the Big Apple there could have been a few more pennants had the club exhibited just a more conservative approach.

GRANGE COLLEGE WINS COLLEGIATE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

For the third time in four years the Grange College Mustangs are AIAA collegiate baseball champions. The Mustangs won the Collegiate World Championship Series with a 7-4 victory over Carolina Poly in game three of the tournament finals in New York City on Tuesday. Jack Armstrong pitched seven innings to earn the victory while senior Ted Carbone drove in 4 of the Grange College runs with two doubles and a single to lift the Kentucy school -who was the number two seed in the event- to victory. This is the third CWCS title for Carbone and fellow senior Ralphie Spires, who pitched a gem in the series opener, as they also won as freshman and sophomores.

The opening game saw Spires sping a 4-hit complete game victory as Don Berry's second homerun of the tournament help lift Grange College to a 4-1 victory over the Cardinals. Carolina Poly extended the series when their ace, freshman All-American Johnny Young, went the distance in a 5-2 victory Tuesday afternoon. Young was clearly labouring late in the contest as he was making his third start of the tournament but had enough left in the tank to hold off a late Grange College rally and even the series. The deciding game went 3 hours later before a crowd of nearly 25,000 at Dyckman Stadium.

For the second year in a row a freshman was named the most valuable player of the tournament. There was plenty of support to Young to get the nod but instead it went to his fellow All-American in Grange College outfielder Don Berry, who homered twice in the tournament and hit .455.
COLLEGE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES FINALS
Grange College 4 Carolina Poly 1
Carolina Poly 5 Grange College 2
Grange College 7 Carolina Poly 4
Grange College wins 2 games to one.

LEDBETTER WINS SECOND STRAIGHT ADWELL AWARD

Les Ledbetter has been named the top high school baseball player in the country for the second consecutive season. The slim leftander from Fowlerville, Michigan was a unanimous choice in results from a ballot of 5 finalists announced this week. The award, first presented in 1934 and named after former high school and big league star pitcher Red Adwell, sees Ledbetter become the fourth player to win it multiple times. He joins Hiram Steinberg, currently of the Cleveland Foresters and the only three time winner, along with New York Gothams slugger Walt Messer and Detroit pitching prospect Roy Schaub as the only players with more than one Adwell.

Ledbetter was selected first overall by the Toronto Wolves and is expected to sign a contract with the big league club in the near future, although he has made a committment to play college ball at CC Los Angeles should he be unable to come to a deal with the Wolves.

Code:

   ADWELL VOTING RESULT
NAME            1st  2nd  3rd   TOTAL
Les Ledbetter    7    0    0     21
Jerry Smith      0    6    1     13
Ray Patterson    0    1    4      6
Ralph Capriotti  0    0    2      2
Fred Leinhart    0    0    0      0

JIGGS MCGEE'S ANNUAL ALL-STAR BALLOT

We are just 8 days away from the gathering of baseball's best at Sailors Memorial Stadium in Philadelphia for the 15th annual edition of the FABL All-Star Game. That also means it is time to continue the long standing This Week in Figment Baseball tradition of reveal the details of the ballot Jiggs McGee casts for his starting lineup.

Let's start with the Federal Association, which holds an 8 games to six lead in the series.
CATCHER He is 33-years-old and has played in 8 mid-season classics already despite missing three years of his prime due to the war and Jiggs will go with the veteran leadership of Pittsburgh's George Cleaves as his starting catcher. There is some good competition including from George's half-brother Roger Cleaves, a Keystones rookie, as well as Pete Casstevens of the Gothams and Washington's Paul Wilkerson.

FIRST BASE Second year breakout star Dick Estes of Detroit and ex-Brooklyn King Tim Hopkins, now of the Chicago Chiefs, have both been terrific but no way I can pass on veteran Gothams star Red Johnson as the choice here.

SECOND BASE Artie D'Alessandro has had a big season after leaving St Louis for Chicago and Billy Woytek is steady in Philadelphia but the choice is Bill Freeman, who is one of the big reasons the Pioneers are leading the way in the Federal Association. Quite a turnaround for a 31-year-old who never could quite cut it with the Gothams and was snapped up by St Louis in the rule five draft in January. I am not sure if any rule five selection has ever made the all-star team in the year he switched teams, let alone been selected to start the game.

SHORTSTOP Harry Barrell and George Dawson used to battle for the starting spot when both were in the Continental Association. The duo are much older now but both are playing very well this season. Barrell is the pick and is one of the few bright spots in what has been a rough half-season for the Boston Minutemen.

THIRD BASE Hank Koblenz has been his usual steady self in Philadelphia but the pick here is Mel Carrol of the Washington Eagles, who is once more among the top hitters in the loop.

LEFT FIELD Some great options here including Davey Robicheaux of the Keystones, the Gothams Walt Messer and the impressive Larry Gregory of St Louis but my pick is Washington's Jesse Alvardao in a very tough call.

CENTER FIELDIt's a close call between Rats McGonigle of Washington and 20-year-old Edwin Hackberry of Detroit. Vets Whit Williams and Bill May are also in the mix but in my books this will be the first of many years that Hackberry starts in centerfield for the Fed.

RIGHT FIELD A lot of players are having great seasons in this group. Bob Coon is enjoying a great start in Washington. Rookie Billy Brown is amazing for the Chiefs. Veteran Mahlon Strong is (shockingly) healthy for the Gothams and Sid Williams and Al Tucker are doing well in Detroit and St Louis but none of that matters because Bobby Barrellis now a full-time right fielder and poised to make his record 11th appearance in the all-star game.

PITCHERThere is no better reason for why the St Louis Pioneers have gone from worst to first in the Fed than pitcher Danny Hern. Hern did not win a single big league game last year, and spent much of the season in the minors, but now the 30 year old is leading the Fed in wins and era in one of the biggest turnarounds ever witnessed. There are some other solid candidates like Al Miller of Chicago, Boston's Ray Dalpman, and Ed Bowman of the Gothams but the clear choice is Hern.

And here is Jiggs' ballot for the Continental Association all-star starting lineup.
CATCHER A tough call between Solly Skidmore of Brooklyn, the Sailors Woody Stone and veteran Adam Mullins of the Cannons but Mullins gets my vote.

FIRST BASE I will stick with the veteran Toronto star Fred McCormick as my choice with the other usual candidates like Chuck Adams and Dick Walker underperforming.

SECOND BASEIt is hard to believe but Freddie Jones has not played in an all-star game since 1939 and he did not miss any time due to the war. That changes this year as Jones is having a strong season with the New York Stars and gets my vote over Chicago's Billy Hunter and Charlie Rivera of the Cincinnati Cannons.

SHORTSTOP A position with usually a lot of competition in the CA but this year there is a new face that deserves recognition. Billy Bryant may not have the glove of his long-time predecessor in Brooklyn but he is certainly making fans at Kings County forget about Harry Barrell with his work at the plate. Rip Lee of the Sailors, Joe Angevine from New York and Skipper Schneider of the Cougars are in competition for the backup job but I would suggest that spot should belong to Jim Hensley and his incredible work in the field.

THIRD BASE The Cincinnati Cannons rejected some trade offers for Denny Andrews over the winter and with good reason. Andrews has been a huge part of their success this year and is without a doubt the top third baseman in the CA at the midway point.

LEFT FIELD Leo Mitchell is having a down year by his lofty standards but the 34 year old Chicago Cougar veteran still gets my vote. Ex-Toronto Wolves two-way player Juan Pomales of Brooklyn and the Stars Jack Welch also deserve consideration.

CENTER FIELD There is no real standout among the candidates here. Bobby Boone has impressed with the Stars. Fred Galloway has a knack of getting on base and plays solid defense for Cincinnati. Young Paul Porter has been a nice surprise in Cleveland as has John Moss with Brooklyn but afte much debate the choice is Toronto veteran Chink Stickels.

RIGHT FIELD There are a lot of great candidates here. Nearly every team has a player worthy of consideration with Sam Brown a real standout in Cincinnati but the pick is Hal Sharp of the Cougars, who at this writing was leading the CA with a .373 batting average.

PITCHER Johnny Slaney has been very impressive in Brooklyn as has Eli Panneton of the New York Stars but the starting pitcher for the Continental Association in the all-star game should be Donnie Jones of the Chicago Cougars.

TOP PERFORMERS IN FABL LAST WEEK

CHIEFS ACQUIRE REYES

On the verge of being cut by the Pittsburgh Miners, 6-time all-star outfielder Pablo Reyes may have found new life in Chicago. The Chiefs acquired the 36-year-old yesterday in exchange for a 7th round selection in the 1948 FABL draft. Reyes hit just .248 a year ago and was off to the worst start of his career this season with a .229 batting average and a .302 on-base percentage in 57 games with the Miners. Pittsburgh deemed him expendable to make room for Joe Read, a 23-year-old they picked up from the Chicago Cougars in the rule five draft.

Known as 'The Cuban Comet', Reyes made his big league debut with the Montreal Saints in 1933 after being selected third overall out of Bayou State in the 1932 FABL draft, where the Havana native was a second team All-American in 1931 and a first team selection in his draft year. After being named to the Continental Association all-star team in both 1937 and 1938 he was dealt to Pittsburgh and would make four appearances on the Fed team for the midsummer classic. Reyes led the Fed in doubles four times and in hits twice including 1940 when he finished third in voting for the Whitney Award.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

The Toronto Wolves climbed over .500 at 37-36. Granted, they are still in 5th place but only 4 games out. Manager Bob Call says he likes what he is seeing lately although the thrashing taken against the Foresters, 10-4, was ugly but his quote after the game was "that's baseball".

Fred McCormick continues his torrid pace slashing .329/.423/.593 14 HR 48 RBI 164 OPS+ and leading the team in all six categories. Pitchers George Garrison and Joe Hancock continue to switch roles - one hot, one cold. The bullpen has been removed from the endangered species list. Defense is tightening, slowly, still lead the CA in booted balls.

Les Leadbetter is about to become the largest "bonus baby" in Toronto history, his offered exceeds the total draft budget allocation by 65%. Owner Millard had to authorize the outlay, he did so after being assured that the pitcher is a generational talent. The last words out of Millard's mouth are said to be "You guys had better be right!"

(note: this was sent to print prior to the announcement of the Sal Pestilli trade to the Chicago Cougars)
Gothams General Manager Tom Ward gave his star players a month to turn the season around. True to his word, the team made no moves. And the team responded with a 14-13 mark in June. I doubt that team management is pleased. There are rumblings of a shake-up. "Not a rebuild", I'm told. "We're not shipping everyone out." But there will likely be changes. Whether smaller around the edges or a big name move, we will see.

One high-ranking Gothams official had this to say: "The Gothams are mired in mediocrity. We can go two ways with this. so we'll see what happens. Basically anyone other than Bowman, Johnson and Messer can be discussed at the moment. Of interest for contenders are pitcher Harry Carter (7-4 3.30) a steady solid starter. Sal Pestilli and Mahlon Strong who could give a boost to a lineup. Prospects, picks and players who could add some life to the team. Gothams phone lines are open for discussion. No huge rush, but 'tis the season."

It's July and the Gothams are not in first. Time for the annual everything must go fire sale in New York.
Jiggs McGee is not a big follower of the modern day stats but something called ELO lists the Gothams as the fourth best team in the Fed right now, and that is while they have many players terribly underperforming. What could have happened if Pestilli and Roosevelt Brewer started playing up to their past standards? There is no guarantee St Louis will continue to play like they have so a hot streak could certainly have created an opening for another Fed club. Now, that team almost assuredly will not be the Gothams.
A huge week for Walt Pack with the Cougars, who nearly doubled his home run count on the season. Pack was just 6-for-16, but all but one of the hits were homers as he drove in 9 runs and won Player of the Week. This could be the spark the veteran slugger needed, as he raised his triple slash from .245/.335/.432 (108 OPS+) to .257/.345/.515 (131 OPS+). He has now hit 11 homers in a Cougar uniform and drove in 37 in his first 59 games.
5 more homers for Bobby Barrell last week. On pace for 73 and now sits at 36 - six higher than his total for all of last year- and 494 for his career. Johnny Bologna of the Philadelphia Inquisitor points out that Barrell is sprinting towards 500 homers. Barrell is also fourth in the Fed in batting (.349) and second in RBI (65), six behind Tiny Hopkins. Barrell's extraordinary performance - even for him - is not rubbing off on the rest of the team. The Keystones are mired in sixth place, 14 games behind St. Louis.
Percy Sutherland mentions that Barrell has an ISO of .430, which is insane. Max Morris's .392 in 1925 is the all-time record. So Barrell is chasing both 60 home runs and a .400 ISO.
Too bad that the Keystones are 14 back even with Barrell. Keystones have a RD of -16, which isn't a disaster. A couple of hot weeks would wipe that out. They've been incredibly unlucky in 1-run games. The pitching has let them down and yes, they've been unlucky too. That lineup is really stacked (aside from Frank Davis) but Lloyd Stevens has been the only SP holding up his end of the bargain so far.
A month ago Detroit put 32 year old Frank Gordon on the trade block (here, not in game) about a month of the season ago. It woke him up as Gordon is 4-1 with a 2.29 era, and a 172 era+ in 5 June starts (plus one relief appearance). Looks like he is staying put although the Dynamos are getting Wally Hunter back from the injured list today so the right offer might land a pitching hungry club a red-hot Frank Gordon.
The erratic Kings continue to struggle at home with a 19-24 record. A 5-1 week last week to 1-6 this week. Frustration is mounting in this rebuild but while the club struggles on the field the attention turns to signing drafted players and not getting overly aggressive on the trade front.
The Pioneers are solidly in first but are many pay attention in St Louis as the club only has a fan interest of 47. Their average attendance of 14,257 is better than only Montreal.
Ralphie Spires -tied with Tom Barrell as career AIAA wins leader- has signed with St Louis and debuts at #85 in prospect pipeline.
John Brinker was poking around and noticed that Jim Lonardo needs only 88 IP to become the 9th player to hit 5000 IP for his career. The 7000 IP club has one member (Allan Allen, 7692) and the 6000 IP club has only Charlie Sis as a member (Jack Long finished 17 IP shy).

MELANSON SET FOR JULY 4 FIREWORKS

You can just sense how excited Frank Melanson is about his upcoming title defense against John Edmonds. It will be Melanson's fifth trip into the ring to defend the world middleweight belt he won just over two years ago when he upset Archie Rees in Philadelphia. The excitement, and perhaps some nervousness, comes from the fact this will be the first time as champion that Frank the Tank fights in his hometown of Pittsburgh. And never mind, just fighting in Pittsburgh. Melanson will be on center stage at the most famous sporting venue in the city as takes on Edmonds in a ring set up on the infield of Fitzpatrick Park.

Melanson spoke fondly to reporters the other day at the pre-fight press conference about his memories of the Fitz. "I was a huge fan of Frank Lightbody growing up, and later George Cleaves as well. Just loved to watch them both hit. And those pennant winners of the late thirties with Lefty Allen were great too. Just a shame we couldn't win a series."

Winning is something that has come natural of Melanson, as he has yet to lose in the ring. Frank is 32-0-2 and still has to pause for a moment to believe it is all real.

"I shake my head sometimes. I mean I am a steel worker, and was really until two years ago. Now I am fighting in Fitzpatrick Park. Every fight is a big one, but yes I have to admit this one will be a little extra special."

The 29-year-old will face a tough challenge in the 30-year-old Edmonds, a tough hard-hitting pugilist out of Muncie, In., with a 23-2 record where 18 of those wins did not need to go to the judges for a decision, including his most recent bout when Edmonds -to the delight of the Bigsby Garden crowd- knocked out convicted draft dodger Jack Rainey in the 9th round of their 10 rounder in February. This one, like all title fights, will be 15 rounds or less, and is sure to set off some Independence Day fireworks.

Mac Erickson and Jim Ward have transitioned nicely from their time as sailors and soldiers to climbing the ladder in the world of professional boxing. Each is closing in on being ready for a chance at a world title shot after both were in action over the weekend. On Saturday, Erickson, the sailor from St. Paul, Mn., who enlisted immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor and spent 4 years in the navy before beginning his quest to claim the welterweight title, improved to a perfect 14-0 with a unanimous decision over California born Nate MacGilvray in their 10 rounder at the Los Angeles Arena Saturday evening. MacGilvray is not a top-notch opponent, but he has had some success fighting on the west coast and proved a nice test for Erickson as the sailor prepares to look for more challenging dance partners.

The 26-year-old Erickson enlisted shortly after his 21st birthday so he had a late start on his pro career but did excel in a number of military matches including a thrilling 15-rounder with fellow youngster Danny Rutledge in England in 1944. That was on the undercard of an Archie Rees title fight and became the springboard for both Erickson and the 23-year-old Rutledge, who is 10-0 and also a fighter to watch in the welterweight division.

Ward, a 23-year-old middleweight, was in action in Brooklyn last night and scored a unanimous decision over ring vet Marvin Harris to improve his record to 14-1. The New York native spent three years in the army and was part of the invasion force that made its way through Italy. After his discharge in 1945, Ward resumed a ring career that had started at the tender age of 17 when he knocked out his opponent in his debut.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

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).
Jul 11- Fall River, Mass.: middleweights Nick Harris (20-3-1) vs Joe Starr (18-3).
Jul 23- Cleveland: welterweight contender Ira Mtichell (17-1) vs Ronald Head (20-7-1)
Jul 26- Rome, Italy: European middleweight champ Edouard Desmarais (37-1) vs Angelo Penso (23-11).
Jul 31 - New York: heavyweight Scott 'The Chef' Baker (15-2-2) vs Dick Martin (14-5-1)
Jul 31- Cougars Park, Chicago: former welterweight champ Mark Westlake (21-3-1) vs Willis May (17-2-2)
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 6/29/1947

The Senate ignored a last-ditch plea by President Truman and overrode his veto of the Republican labor reform bill as 20 Democrats -mostly southerners- joined 48 Republicans in overriding Truman by a 68-25 vote.
In response to the veto, more than 180,000 miners across the country walked off the job, once more shutting soft coal fields. Other industries followed with wildcat strikes, threat of a general strike, and pledges to fight the act in the courts, in Congress and at the polls.
The government reimposed wartime controls on the exports of petroleum products in a move apparently aimed at quieting congressional criticism of American oil shipments to Russia.
General Eisenhower, Army chief of staff, told a Senate group today that the United States army is "a poor second" to Russia's and that he cannot "entirely exclude" to possibility of a war in the next 12 months.
The State Department has announced the sale of munitions to the Chinese government to aid in its fight against Communist advances.
Eight of the 11 nations on the United Nations Security Council charged that Russian puppets Yugoslavia, Albania and Bulgaria with inciting fighting in Greece, and said the UN should consider such acts a "threat to peace" if they continue.
Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, who lived by the gun and died by the gun, was given a secret, quickie funeral this week. Siegal was killed last week when an unknown assailant fired at him through the window of a home in Beverly Hills.

06-20-2023, 01:17 PM	#728
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,740	June 30, 1947 JUNE 30, 1947 COUGARS ADD PESTILLI Gothams Tearing Down Again It Appears The Chicago Cougars already had the best team in baseball on paper, but have consistently come up just short time and again. With the club struggling to score runs this season, they made a huge move today in adding underperforming but extremely talented centerfielder Sal Pestilli from the New York Gothams. A former first overall pick and the 1938 Whtiney Award winner as well as a six-time Federal Association all-star, the 31-year-old Pestilli was mirred in the worst start of his career this season -hitting just .243 with only 5 homeruns in 70 games with the underachieving Gothams. Struggling to stay at the breakeven point despite their big name heavy offense, Gothams mangement, as they are prone to do, reacted quickly -although some would term it rashly- and let word know through the league that Pestilli, as well as several other key players were available. It is believed multiple offers came in immediately for the talented centerfielder and the Gothams jumped at one of them: taking a first round pick and a pair of Class C prospects for a player once considered to be on the verge of becoming the best centerfielder in the game. The move is the latest in a long series of moves the Cougars have made over the years in search of a Continental Association flag - a swath of fabric that has eluded the club since 1941 despite being the preseason favourite in the CA most of this decade. With an extremely talented pitching staff and a deep offense that includes the recently acquired Walt Pack -another former Whitney Award winner- and now Pestilli it is hard to imagine the Cougars, barring some unforseen injuries, not being the dominant club in the CA for the second half of the season. * Gothams Appear Ready To Blow Up Roster Again * Is the trade sending Pestilli to the Cougars just the start of yet another mass exodus of talent from Queens? The Gothams have a modus operandi that they seem very intent upon following and have used it with mixed results for well over a decade. It began in 1936 when they tore apart a team that had won back-to-back pennants but was off to a slow start that season. The sell-off paved the way for the Chicago Chiefs to win a pair of World Championship Series titles due in a very big part because they had convinced the Gothams to deal future Hall of Famer Rabbit Day to them. The result was some mostly awful baseball over the past decade from the Gothams with one magical WCS title claimed in 1942 sprinkled in. The question is "did they just gift the Chicago Cougars with a very similar present to that which they awarded the Chiefs in the late 1930s?" And where does New York go from here this season? It seems clear they have thrown in the towel once more despite being within 11 games of the surprising St Louis Pioneers with none of the other co-favourites this spring making big waves either. Perhaps this really is the Pioneers year to end their more than two decades of mediocrity, but that still seems far from certain especially if a team like New York started to play up to its potential. With Pestilli gone, and nothing that will help in the present coming back, it certainly feels like more will follow Pestilli in the move out of the Big Apple. How long will it be before Henry Carter -their second most effective pitcher is moved? Will they move the aging Mahlon Strong, who is suddenly healthy and looking like his dominant self? Maybe they will surprise everyone and use the draft pick they acquired from the Cougars -although very likely to be at the bottom of the first round now- and some of their own youth for an ace pitcher or dominant veteran hitter to try and jump start the team this season but history tells us that will not be the case. It instead suggests the Gothams will move another veteran or two and then likely in the near future part with the likes of Red Johnson or Walt Messer as they close in on their 30th birthdays and if that happens can Ed Bowman be far behind? New York management has always said it is first or last for the team and they have no desire to be anywhere in between. All FABL general managers are open to second guessing from the armchair experts in the papers and in the stands but a gunslinger approach like New York takes exposes them so much more than most clubs. The aproach did win the Gothams a WCS title in '42, but it sure feels like with the amount of talent that has passed through the Big Apple there could have been a few more pennants had the club exhibited just a more conservative approach. GRANGE COLLEGE WINS COLLEGIATE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES For the third time in four years the Grange College Mustangs are AIAA collegiate baseball champions. The Mustangs won the Collegiate World Championship Series with a 7-4 victory over Carolina Poly in game three of the tournament finals in New York City on Tuesday. Jack Armstrong pitched seven innings to earn the victory while senior Ted Carbone drove in 4 of the Grange College runs with two doubles and a single to lift the Kentucy school -who was the number two seed in the event- to victory. This is the third CWCS title for Carbone and fellow senior Ralphie Spires, who pitched a gem in the series opener, as they also won as freshman and sophomores. The opening game saw Spires sping a 4-hit complete game victory as Don Berry's second homerun of the tournament help lift Grange College to a 4-1 victory over the Cardinals. Carolina Poly extended the series when their ace, freshman All-American Johnny Young, went the distance in a 5-2 victory Tuesday afternoon. Young was clearly labouring late in the contest as he was making his third start of the tournament but had enough left in the tank to hold off a late Grange College rally and even the series. The deciding game went 3 hours later before a crowd of nearly 25,000 at Dyckman Stadium. For the second year in a row a freshman was named the most valuable player of the tournament. There was plenty of support to Young to get the nod but instead it went to his fellow All-American in Grange College outfielder Don Berry, who homered twice in the tournament and hit .455. COLLEGE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES FINALS Grange College 4 Carolina Poly 1 Carolina Poly 5 Grange College 2 Grange College 7 Carolina Poly 4 Grange College wins 2 games to one. LEDBETTER WINS SECOND STRAIGHT ADWELL AWARD Les Ledbetter has been named the top high school baseball player in the country for the second consecutive season. The slim leftander from Fowlerville, Michigan was a unanimous choice in results from a ballot of 5 finalists announced this week. The award, first presented in 1934 and named after former high school and big league star pitcher Red Adwell, sees Ledbetter become the fourth player to win it multiple times. He joins Hiram Steinberg, currently of the Cleveland Foresters and the only three time winner, along with New York Gothams slugger Walt Messer and Detroit pitching prospect Roy Schaub as the only players with more than one Adwell. Ledbetter was selected first overall by the Toronto Wolves and is expected to sign a contract with the big league club in the near future, although he has made a committment to play college ball at CC Los Angeles should he be unable to come to a deal with the Wolves. Code: ADWELL VOTING RESULT NAME 1st 2nd 3rd TOTAL Les Ledbetter 7 0 0 21 Jerry Smith 0 6 1 13 Ray Patterson 0 1 4 6 Ralph Capriotti 0 0 2 2 Fred Leinhart 0 0 0 0 JIGGS MCGEE'S ANNUAL ALL-STAR BALLOT We are just 8 days away from the gathering of baseball's best at Sailors Memorial Stadium in Philadelphia for the 15th annual edition of the FABL All-Star Game. That also means it is time to continue the long standing This Week in Figment Baseball tradition of reveal the details of the ballot Jiggs McGee casts for his starting lineup. Let's start with the Federal Association, which holds an 8 games to six lead in the series. CATCHER He is 33-years-old and has played in 8 mid-season classics already despite missing three years of his prime due to the war and Jiggs will go with the veteran leadership of Pittsburgh's George Cleaves as his starting catcher. There is some good competition including from George's half-brother Roger Cleaves, a Keystones rookie, as well as Pete Casstevens of the Gothams and Washington's Paul Wilkerson. FIRST BASE Second year breakout star Dick Estes of Detroit and ex-Brooklyn King Tim Hopkins, now of the Chicago Chiefs, have both been terrific but no way I can pass on veteran Gothams star Red Johnson as the choice here. SECOND BASE Artie D'Alessandro has had a big season after leaving St Louis for Chicago and Billy Woytek is steady in Philadelphia but the choice is Bill Freeman, who is one of the big reasons the Pioneers are leading the way in the Federal Association. Quite a turnaround for a 31-year-old who never could quite cut it with the Gothams and was snapped up by St Louis in the rule five draft in January. I am not sure if any rule five selection has ever made the all-star team in the year he switched teams, let alone been selected to start the game. SHORTSTOP Harry Barrell and George Dawson used to battle for the starting spot when both were in the Continental Association. The duo are much older now but both are playing very well this season. Barrell is the pick and is one of the few bright spots in what has been a rough half-season for the Boston Minutemen. THIRD BASE Hank Koblenz has been his usual steady self in Philadelphia but the pick here is Mel Carrol of the Washington Eagles, who is once more among the top hitters in the loop. LEFT FIELD Some great options here including Davey Robicheaux of the Keystones, the Gothams Walt Messer and the impressive Larry Gregory of St Louis but my pick is Washington's Jesse Alvardao in a very tough call. CENTER FIELDIt's a close call between Rats McGonigle of Washington and 20-year-old Edwin Hackberry of Detroit. Vets Whit Williams and Bill May are also in the mix but in my books this will be the first of many years that Hackberry starts in centerfield for the Fed. RIGHT FIELD A lot of players are having great seasons in this group. Bob Coon is enjoying a great start in Washington. Rookie Billy Brown is amazing for the Chiefs. Veteran Mahlon Strong is (shockingly) healthy for the Gothams and Sid Williams and Al Tucker are doing well in Detroit and St Louis but none of that matters because Bobby Barrellis now a full-time right fielder and poised to make his record 11th appearance in the all-star game. PITCHERThere is no better reason for why the St Louis Pioneers have gone from worst to first in the Fed than pitcher Danny Hern. Hern did not win a single big league game last year, and spent much of the season in the minors, but now the 30 year old is leading the Fed in wins and era in one of the biggest turnarounds ever witnessed. There are some other solid candidates like Al Miller of Chicago, Boston's Ray Dalpman, and Ed Bowman of the Gothams but the clear choice is Hern. And here is Jiggs' ballot for the Continental Association all-star starting lineup. CATCHER A tough call between Solly Skidmore of Brooklyn, the Sailors Woody Stone and veteran Adam Mullins of the Cannons but Mullins gets my vote. FIRST BASE I will stick with the veteran Toronto star Fred McCormick as my choice with the other usual candidates like Chuck Adams and Dick Walker underperforming. SECOND BASEIt is hard to believe but Freddie Jones has not played in an all-star game since 1939 and he did not miss any time due to the war. That changes this year as Jones is having a strong season with the New York Stars and gets my vote over Chicago's Billy Hunter and Charlie Rivera of the Cincinnati Cannons. SHORTSTOP A position with usually a lot of competition in the CA but this year there is a new face that deserves recognition. Billy Bryant may not have the glove of his long-time predecessor in Brooklyn but he is certainly making fans at Kings County forget about Harry Barrell with his work at the plate. Rip Lee of the Sailors, Joe Angevine from New York and Skipper Schneider of the Cougars are in competition for the backup job but I would suggest that spot should belong to Jim Hensley and his incredible work in the field. THIRD BASE The Cincinnati Cannons rejected some trade offers for Denny Andrews over the winter and with good reason. Andrews has been a huge part of their success this year and is without a doubt the top third baseman in the CA at the midway point. LEFT FIELD Leo Mitchell is having a down year by his lofty standards but the 34 year old Chicago Cougar veteran still gets my vote. Ex-Toronto Wolves two-way player Juan Pomales of Brooklyn and the Stars Jack Welch also deserve consideration. CENTER FIELD There is no real standout among the candidates here. Bobby Boone has impressed with the Stars. Fred Galloway has a knack of getting on base and plays solid defense for Cincinnati. Young Paul Porter has been a nice surprise in Cleveland as has John Moss with Brooklyn but afte much debate the choice is Toronto veteran Chink Stickels. RIGHT FIELD There are a lot of great candidates here. Nearly every team has a player worthy of consideration with Sam Brown a real standout in Cincinnati but the pick is Hal Sharp of the Cougars, who at this writing was leading the CA with a .373 batting average. PITCHER Johnny Slaney has been very impressive in Brooklyn as has Eli Panneton of the New York Stars but the starting pitcher for the Continental Association in the all-star game should be Donnie Jones of the Chicago Cougars. TOP PERFORMERS IN FABL LAST WEEK CHIEFS ACQUIRE REYES On the verge of being cut by the Pittsburgh Miners, 6-time all-star outfielder Pablo Reyes may have found new life in Chicago. The Chiefs acquired the 36-year-old yesterday in exchange for a 7th round selection in the 1948 FABL draft. Reyes hit just .248 a year ago and was off to the worst start of his career this season with a .229 batting average and a .302 on-base percentage in 57 games with the Miners. Pittsburgh deemed him expendable to make room for Joe Read, a 23-year-old they picked up from the Chicago Cougars in the rule five draft. Known as 'The Cuban Comet', Reyes made his big league debut with the Montreal Saints in 1933 after being selected third overall out of Bayou State in the 1932 FABL draft, where the Havana native was a second team All-American in 1931 and a first team selection in his draft year. After being named to the Continental Association all-star team in both 1937 and 1938 he was dealt to Pittsburgh and would make four appearances on the Fed team for the midsummer classic. Reyes led the Fed in doubles four times and in hits twice including 1940 when he finished third in voting for the Whitney Award. TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN The Toronto Wolves climbed over .500 at 37-36. Granted, they are still in 5th place but only 4 games out. Manager Bob Call says he likes what he is seeing lately although the thrashing taken against the Foresters, 10-4, was ugly but his quote after the game was "that's baseball". Fred McCormick continues his torrid pace slashing .329/.423/.593 14 HR 48 RBI 164 OPS+ and leading the team in all six categories. Pitchers George Garrison and Joe Hancock continue to switch roles - one hot, one cold. The bullpen has been removed from the endangered species list. Defense is tightening, slowly, still lead the CA in booted balls. Les Leadbetter is about to become the largest "bonus baby" in Toronto history, his offered exceeds the total draft budget allocation by 65%. Owner Millard had to authorize the outlay, he did so after being assured that the pitcher is a generational talent. The last words out of Millard's mouth are said to be "You guys had better be right!" (note: this was sent to print prior to the announcement of the Sal Pestilli trade to the Chicago Cougars) Gothams General Manager Tom Ward gave his star players a month to turn the season around. True to his word, the team made no moves. And the team responded with a 14-13 mark in June. I doubt that team management is pleased. There are rumblings of a shake-up. "Not a rebuild", I'm told. "We're not shipping everyone out." But there will likely be changes. Whether smaller around the edges or a big name move, we will see. One high-ranking Gothams official had this to say: "The Gothams are mired in mediocrity. We can go two ways with this. so we'll see what happens. Basically anyone other than Bowman, Johnson and Messer can be discussed at the moment. Of interest for contenders are pitcher Harry Carter (7-4 3.30) a steady solid starter. Sal Pestilli and Mahlon Strong who could give a boost to a lineup. Prospects, picks and players who could add some life to the team. Gothams phone lines are open for discussion. No huge rush, but 'tis the season." It's July and the Gothams are not in first. Time for the annual everything must go fire sale in New York. Jiggs McGee is not a big follower of the modern day stats but something called ELO lists the Gothams as the fourth best team in the Fed right now, and that is while they have many players terribly underperforming. What could have happened if Pestilli and Roosevelt Brewer started playing up to their past standards? There is no guarantee St Louis will continue to play like they have so a hot streak could certainly have created an opening for another Fed club. Now, that team almost assuredly will not be the Gothams. A huge week for Walt Pack with the Cougars, who nearly doubled his home run count on the season. Pack was just 6-for-16, but all but one of the hits were homers as he drove in 9 runs and won Player of the Week. This could be the spark the veteran slugger needed, as he raised his triple slash from .245/.335/.432 (108 OPS+) to .257/.345/.515 (131 OPS+). He has now hit 11 homers in a Cougar uniform and drove in 37 in his first 59 games. 5 more homers for Bobby Barrell last week. On pace for 73 and now sits at 36 - six higher than his total for all of last year- and 494 for his career. Johnny Bologna of the Philadelphia Inquisitor points out that Barrell is sprinting towards 500 homers. Barrell is also fourth in the Fed in batting (.349) and second in RBI (65), six behind Tiny Hopkins. Barrell's extraordinary performance - even for him - is not rubbing off on the rest of the team. The Keystones are mired in sixth place, 14 games behind St. Louis. Percy Sutherland mentions that Barrell has an ISO of .430, which is insane. Max Morris's .392 in 1925 is the all-time record. So Barrell is chasing both 60 home runs and a .400 ISO. Too bad that the Keystones are 14 back even with Barrell. Keystones have a RD of -16, which isn't a disaster. A couple of hot weeks would wipe that out. They've been incredibly unlucky in 1-run games. The pitching has let them down and yes, they've been unlucky too. That lineup is really stacked (aside from Frank Davis) but Lloyd Stevens has been the only SP holding up his end of the bargain so far. A month ago Detroit put 32 year old Frank Gordon on the trade block (here, not in game) about a month of the season ago. It woke him up as Gordon is 4-1 with a 2.29 era, and a 172 era+ in 5 June starts (plus one relief appearance). Looks like he is staying put although the Dynamos are getting Wally Hunter back from the injured list today so the right offer might land a pitching hungry club a red-hot Frank Gordon. The erratic Kings continue to struggle at home with a 19-24 record. A 5-1 week last week to 1-6 this week. Frustration is mounting in this rebuild but while the club struggles on the field the attention turns to signing drafted players and not getting overly aggressive on the trade front. The Pioneers are solidly in first but are many pay attention in St Louis as the club only has a fan interest of 47. Their average attendance of 14,257 is better than only Montreal. Ralphie Spires -tied with Tom Barrell as career AIAA wins leader- has signed with St Louis and debuts at #85 in prospect pipeline. John Brinker was poking around and noticed that Jim Lonardo needs only 88 IP to become the 9th player to hit 5000 IP for his career. The 7000 IP club has one member (Allan Allen, 7692) and the 6000 IP club has only Charlie Sis as a member (Jack Long finished 17 IP shy). MELANSON SET FOR JULY 4 FIREWORKS You can just sense how excited Frank Melanson is about his upcoming title defense against John Edmonds. It will be Melanson's fifth trip into the ring to defend the world middleweight belt he won just over two years ago when he upset Archie Rees in Philadelphia. The excitement, and perhaps some nervousness, comes from the fact this will be the first time as champion that Frank the Tank fights in his hometown of Pittsburgh. And never mind, just fighting in Pittsburgh. Melanson will be on center stage at the most famous sporting venue in the city as takes on Edmonds in a ring set up on the infield of Fitzpatrick Park. Melanson spoke fondly to reporters the other day at the pre-fight press conference about his memories of the Fitz. "I was a huge fan of Frank Lightbody growing up, and later George Cleaves as well. Just loved to watch them both hit. And those pennant winners of the late thirties with Lefty Allen were great too. Just a shame we couldn't win a series." Winning is something that has come natural of Melanson, as he has yet to lose in the ring. Frank is 32-0-2 and still has to pause for a moment to believe it is all real. "I shake my head sometimes. I mean I am a steel worker, and was really until two years ago. Now I am fighting in Fitzpatrick Park. Every fight is a big one, but yes I have to admit this one will be a little extra special." The 29-year-old will face a tough challenge in the 30-year-old Edmonds, a tough hard-hitting pugilist out of Muncie, In., with a 23-2 record where 18 of those wins did not need to go to the judges for a decision, including his most recent bout when Edmonds -to the delight of the Bigsby Garden crowd- knocked out convicted draft dodger Jack Rainey in the 9th round of their 10 rounder in February. This one, like all title fights, will be 15 rounds or less, and is sure to set off some Independence Day fireworks. Mac Erickson and Jim Ward have transitioned nicely from their time as sailors and soldiers to climbing the ladder in the world of professional boxing. Each is closing in on being ready for a chance at a world title shot after both were in action over the weekend. On Saturday, Erickson, the sailor from St. Paul, Mn., who enlisted immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor and spent 4 years in the navy before beginning his quest to claim the welterweight title, improved to a perfect 14-0 with a unanimous decision over California born Nate MacGilvray in their 10 rounder at the Los Angeles Arena Saturday evening. MacGilvray is not a top-notch opponent, but he has had some success fighting on the west coast and proved a nice test for Erickson as the sailor prepares to look for more challenging dance partners. The 26-year-old Erickson enlisted shortly after his 21st birthday so he had a late start on his pro career but did excel in a number of military matches including a thrilling 15-rounder with fellow youngster Danny Rutledge in England in 1944. That was on the undercard of an Archie Rees title fight and became the springboard for both Erickson and the 23-year-old Rutledge, who is 10-0 and also a fighter to watch in the welterweight division. Ward, a 23-year-old middleweight, was in action in Brooklyn last night and scored a unanimous decision over ring vet Marvin Harris to improve his record to 14-1. The New York native spent three years in the army and was part of the invasion force that made its way through Italy. After his discharge in 1945, Ward resumed a ring career that had started at the tender age of 17 when he knocked out his opponent in his debut. UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS 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). Jul 11- Fall River, Mass.: middleweights Nick Harris (20-3-1) vs Joe Starr (18-3). Jul 23- Cleveland: welterweight contender Ira Mtichell (17-1) vs Ronald Head (20-7-1) Jul 26- Rome, Italy: European middleweight champ Edouard Desmarais (37-1) vs Angelo Penso (23-11). Jul 31 - New York: heavyweight Scott 'The Chef' Baker (15-2-2) vs Dick Martin (14-5-1) Jul 31- Cougars Park, Chicago: former welterweight champ Mark Westlake (21-3-1) vs Willis May (17-2-2) 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 6/29/1947 The Senate ignored a last-ditch plea by President Truman and overrode his veto of the Republican labor reform bill as 20 Democrats -mostly southerners- joined 48 Republicans in overriding Truman by a 68-25 vote. In response to the veto, more than 180,000 miners across the country walked off the job, once more shutting soft coal fields. Other industries followed with wildcat strikes, threat of a general strike, and pledges to fight the act in the courts, in Congress and at the polls. The government reimposed wartime controls on the exports of petroleum products in a move apparently aimed at quieting congressional criticism of American oil shipments to Russia. General Eisenhower, Army chief of staff, told a Senate group today that the United States army is "a poor second" to Russia's and that he cannot "entirely exclude" to possibility of a war in the next 12 months. The State Department has announced the sale of munitions to the Chinese government to aid in its fight against Communist advances. Eight of the 11 nations on the United Nations Security Council charged that Russian puppets Yugoslavia, Albania and Bulgaria with inciting fighting in Greece, and said the UN should consider such acts a "threat to peace" if they continue. Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, who lived by the gun and died by the gun, was given a secret, quickie funeral this week. Siegal was killed last week when an unknown assailant fired at him through the window of a home in Beverly Hills. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles