JULY 21, 1947
TOUGH DECISIONS AHEAD
What Will Pennant Hopefuls Do At Deadline?
With two weeks to go until the August 3 FABL trading deadline there are a number of teams with some very difficult decisions to make. That will be most noticeable in the Continental Association where the Philadelphia Sailors have suddenly heated up and enjoy a 3.5 game lead atop the loop which has their fans dreaming of a trip to the World Championship Series for the first time since 1930. Do the Sailors stick with what they have and hope it is enough to hold off a myriad of contenders in the CA or will the club, which has normally been very conservative at the deadline, break from tradition and make a major move?
The Continental Association has several teams asking that very same question. The New York Stars, Cincinnati Cannons and even the Chicago Cougars -despite being just a game over .500 and 8 off the pace- are all likely taking inventory and seeing if there is a move or two that could increase their pennant odds. Brooklyn is also somewhat in the mix as the Kings have been a pleasant surprise with their .500 record as the campaign closes in on the century mark for games played, but the Kings will likely be sellers, not buyers, should they decide to make any moves.
The Federal Association is quickly threatening to become a two-horse race with both Detroit and the defending champions from Washington starting to fade. The Eagles appear to be the only one of the big four to start the season in any sort of a position to try and make a pennant charge as the Gothams pretty much waved the white flag with their deals from last month while the Philadelphia Keystones and Boston Minutemen have each had their struggles. That leaves the St Louis Pioneers, who it only feels like "Surprising" is the first word in the city name because of how often it has been used to discuss their turnaround from last place a year ago to the top of the Fed pile, and the Chicago Chiefs. Both of those clubs have pulled the trigger on big deals with the Pioneers landing 24-year-old hurler Hiram Steinberg and the Chiefs emptying the prospect cupboard to bring catcher Pete Casstevens to the Windy City. Perhaps more moves will come from one of those two but the more likely scenario in the Fed is that if any team tries to make a big splash in the loop it will be the Washington Eagles, but that may hinge on how the next week goes for the defending Federal Association champs. The Eagles are currently 10 off the pace with 3 teams in front of them. If that is still the case a week from now the focus may turn to next year but if the Eagles can gain a couple of games, perhaps they will feel confident enough about their chances to pull the trigger on a big move or two, especially considering a little over a week from now they have a string of 6 games against the Pioneers and Chiefs.
What might be in store between now and the deadline? Jiggs McGee takes a look at each club to see what could happen:
BOSTON- Boston's season was over almost from the moment in spring training that Dean Astle suffered his season -and perhaps career- ending injury. Ray Dalpman has been the Minutemens only dependable hurler and it is hard to imagine the club would part with the 30-year-old but a team like the Philadelphia Sailors or perhaps even the Washington Eagles might back up the Brinks truck and unload a lot of prospects. Vets Pete Day and Bill Moore might also draw some interest but the hunch here is both retire in Boston. Rip Curry is another depth piece that could be moved. If I am running Boston, I likely don't make any moves of note but I would certainly listen to see if someone overwhelms me with an offer for Barrell or Dalpman.
BROOKLYN- The Kings are stuck in the middle. Not really contenders but also not fully out of it and they may be hessitant to make much of a sell-off as they are trying to prove to the fan base that this club is ready to make contend again, something that has not happened in nearly a decade. They have talked about moving Buddy Long, Juan Pomales and even 25-year-old John Moss. Maybe something happens as GM Martin loves his draft picks but I am not sure if dealing one of the 3 players mentioned above would go over well in the borough.
CHIEFS- The Chiefs have spent their money (well, prospects and draft picks) on Pete Casstevens and added Red Ross, Pablo Reyes and Hank Stratton at very little expense. Will they make another move? It's possible but not likely although I would feel a lot more comfortable about their pennant hopes if say Boston's Harry Barrell was their shortstop instead of Tommy Wilson. Shortstop defense looks like the only obvious glaring hole. The pitching is very solid as long as Angel Lopez continues to prove he is the real deal on the mound.
COUGARS- What else can they do? Sometimes you just land all of the best players in the league (okay, it only feels like they are all in Chicago) but things don't quite work out. The Cougars pitching staff is amazing. The offense should be very good, but for some reason it is far less than it should be. A power bat for first base to replace Dick Walker might be an option to look at - perhaps Red Bond from Montreal as a target- and a top-flight catcher might be on the shopping list. The Cougars have the prospects to make another big deal happen and don't be surprised if they do something big. It just has to be frustrating to be so good on paper, and picked to finish first nearly every year but something always seems to prevent the Cougars from reaching the lofty expectations others have set for them. Hope about this. The Cougars send several of their top pitching prospects to the Gothams for Red Johnson and reunite Red and Sal Pestilli for a third time. Chicago has the depth in the system to make the move. They just need to catch the Gothams on a bad week.
CINCINNATI- The Cannons have a real shot at winning another pennant. They are a bit older but their pitching staff is solid. I am not sure the club is interested in making any deals but what the Cannons could use to make a real run is to hope that Chuck Adams can get back on track after what has been a very slow half a season for the first baseman. I do not expect any trades to be made by Cincinnati.
CLEVELAND- Hiram Steinberg was sent to St Louis in a major deal and Hank Stratton to the Chiefs in a minor one. There is plenty of young pitching talent left but I doubt the Foresters will part with any more of it. If they are going to move anybody perhaps it is 27-year-old outfielder Orie Martinez but the bet here is the Foresters will not be making any more moves this month and will continue to work towards a brighter future by letting the young talent learn on the job.
DETROIT- The injury to Sid Williams derailed any plans the Dynamos might have had of making a push this season. The club is talented but young and management has gone on record saying none of the key young pieces will be moved. Perhaps they make a lower level deal for an outfield bat but the thinking here is the 4-game losing streak at the beginning of last week convinced Detroit brass this is not the year, and to not make any moves that might have a negative impact on the Dynamos near future.
MONTREAL- It is a yard sale in Montreal. The manager is out and the Saints made it known that a number of veterans are available with the most attractive likely being big bat Red Bond. A few teams may have interest in Bond or possibly Bert Lass. Vic Crawford is also on the block but it is unlikely there will be any interest in te 39-year-old and rightly so as Crawford should be allowed to retire as a Saint -the only organization he has ever played for. Don't be surprised if Red Bond ends up with the Cougars.
NY STARS- The Stars made a huge move at the deadline a year ago to bring in Mack Sutton and it helped them win the World Championship Series. Do they repeat that with another big splash? If so, expect their target to be a starting pitcher this time around and maybe they make a push for Ray Dalpman in Boston (likely not moving) or even Buddy Long/Johnny Slaney as a lower priced option from Brooklyn.
NY GOTHAMS- Who knows what the Gothams are doing this week? They are selling everything one week and trying to buy an ace pitcher the next. I could see a few teams showing some interest in Harry Carter. Maybe the decision has changed on Roosevelt Brewer - I honestly can't remember if he is being shopped or not- and it sounds like Messer and Red Johnson are not going anywhere but perhaps the Cougars are desperate enough- and have enough young pitching available to make a second move with the Gothams in a month.
KEYSTONES- The conservative Keystones have lacked the pitching this year to take advantage of a monster season from Bobby Barrell. They might move some lesser parts like Frank Covarrubias but the core is not going anywhere and the Keystones will simply wait until next year to make another run. If they decide to upgrade on the mound, it likely will happen over the winter and not in the next two weeks.
SAILORS- The Sailors are scoring runs, they are pitching well and they are sitting in first place. The temptation might be there to pull the trigger on a deal, especially if one or more of their challengers do something, but this club seems to be playing so well together I am not sure it makes sense to change things up right now (23 wins in their last 31 games and an amazing 15-4 so far this month).
PITTSBURGH- Will this be the start of the rebuild in Pittsburgh? I do not expect it to happen, certainly not in the next two weeks and perhaps not ever, but will the Miners be willing to part with George Cleaves -should a team like the Cougars or Stars come calling- or Lefty Allen? They are trying to move Leon Drake but no mention of any others. Pinky Pierce is 34 and might draw some interest. At a lower cost would Bob Lopez draw some light interest from the Chiefs as a shortstop option, although his defense is only marginally better than Tommy Wilson's at short.
ST LOUIS- I don't expect the Pioneers to make another move. They played their big chip in dealing a first round pick and prize prospect Sherry Doyal to Cleveland for the arm they needed in Hiram Steinberg and the best thing is that was not a short-term win-now move. The Pioneers strengthened their long-term outlook with that move as well.
TORONTO- The pennant window has not just closed, they are boarding it shut. Toronto won a WCS in 1940 and was just a player or two away from winning two or three more of them. Fred McCormick is not going anywhere according to Wolves management, but a number of teams would likely pay a big price to add him. Charlie Artuso is 31, so a lot of years left, but is Toronto heading into a prolonged down spell and if management decides that is the case, the club could get quite a haul for Artuso. I am not sure if the Chiefs have enough left to deal but Artuso would be just what the doctor ordered for the Chicago Feds.
Is there a market for Hal Wood or Chink Stickels? What about George Garrison or Joe Hancock? Each has been inconsistent this season but there would likely be some nice offers to ponder over for either or both. The Wolves have been one of the most conservative teams at the deadline, perhaps to their detriment in costing them another pennant opportunity. I am not sure if changing that approach now -although as sellers rather than buyers- is the right thing to do. The big question in the mind of Wolves management remains: Is the club as it is composed right now still a contender just having a bad season, or is it now a second-division club starting to show some signs of its age? We all know this writer's opinion. But I am not sure Wolves management believes the window has closed just yet.
WASHINGTON- Tough spot to be in for the Eagles at 10 games out. Is it worth moving pieces to make a run or are they better just accepting this might not be their year, hang on to their prospects and picks and look ahead? If they were 5 or 6 games out I would suggest there is good reason to look at adding another top three arm or go hard after another bat to try and overwhelm teams with your offense but at 10 games back it is a very long climb to get into the race. I am not saying it can't be done, just that I am not sure it makes sense to surrender some of the future for a slight upgrade on the mound that odds are will not be quite enough to pass both the Pioneers and Chiefs. My advice - stick with what you have and hope the club gets hot.
TOP FABL PERFOMERS LAST WEEK
"Yankee Dan" C Dan Smith (Might need to change that nickname to "King Dan") had a nice debut week for AA Knoxville. Going 7-20 with 3 doubles, 6 RBI's 5 walks and 3 runs scored he slashed 350/480/980 for the week. I can't imagine his time in the minor leagues will be long and he will likely be in Brooklyn next season.
"Future HOF'er" 3B Ken Newman (18) found the sledding a bit tougher going with class A Springfield going 4-20 slashing 200/304/504 for his first 5 games. Class A is a big step up from high school but our "Super Scout" John Spears and crew feel he can handle it.
Another high schooler CF Charlie Rogers also made the leap all the way to Class A and had a similar debut week going 4-22 hitting 181/250/432. Smith and Newman are projected to be in Brooklyn next season, while Rogers has a 1949 estimate on him.
Next on the draftee front, 18-year-old SP Chick Trilman (2nd round #25 overall) hasn't pitched badly in his first 3 games with Class C Marshalltown, but he hasn't picked up his first win year. In 24 IP with a 3.00 ERA, Trilman is 0-3.
Finally, we have 1B Gilberto Ocasio who just turned 18 on July 5th. He was assigned to Class B Tampa after spending just 1 week in Marshalltown. Ocasio hit 381/381/905 in class C and last week at class B hit 364/417/871. Between the two levels he has driven in 9 RBI's and scored 7 runs. He has struck out 8 times in 43 at-bats while picking up 2 walks.
Prospect Alert :After a very slow start to the year, OF/1B Pat Petty has finally come on. Since June 1st Petty has hit 373 with 8 home runs and 34 RBI's. OSA ETA says Petty is ready now, but we want him to get consistent playing time so for now he will stay at AAA. But if the club moves any players you could see him right after the deadline.
- Milestone watch: Bobby Barrell is at 498 HR after hitting his 40th on Sunday in a 9-8 loss to the Gothams. Barrell is looking to become the third FABL player in the 500 Club and currently trails Al Wheeler by 11 round-trippers. Barrell is also 6 at-bats short of 10,000 in his career, which would make him the 10th player in FABL history with that many at-bats.
- As the Saints continue to struggle the club has made it known that veterans Vic Crawford, Red Bond and Bert Lass are available. Meanwhile, Bill Ross, now banished to the bullpen, has said he would like to be moved out of Montreal.
- Veteran catcher Clarence Howerton wants out of Toronto. The 37-year-old has demanded a trade after a decade with the Wolves. Howerton is hitting just .214 this season and lost his starting job to Walter Loera.
- Another veteran, Jim Lightbody, wants out of Brooklyn but Lightbody has fallen off a cliff this season, batting just .193 and with his glove being a liability it may be tough to find any takers for the 30-year-old.
- Baseball is being played again in Japan. In fact the Japanese League had a no-hitter last week, hurled by Heikichi Kawasaki of the Kobe Bulls in a win over Yokohama. The defending champion Tokyo Rakisuta Rams are again in first place in the 8-team JBL.
NAHC CONDUCTS EAGLES DISPERSAL DRAFT
With the Brooklyn Eagles officially no more, the six remaining teams in the North American Hockey Confederation conducted a dispersal draft to divvy up the talent from the Eagles franchise. It came as little surprise that 24-year-old center Quinton Pollack was selected by the Toronto Dukes with the first pick of the dispersal draft. Pollack tied for the league lead with 30 goals in his rookie season while adding 17 assists to lead the Eagles in scoring. Ian Doyle, another rookie last season, was selected second by the Montreal Valiants. The 23-year-old had 19 points despite missing half the season due to an injury.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was that goaltender Tom Brockers, arguably the best netminder in the league, did not get selected until the second round when the Boston Bees brought Brockers back to the organization he helped win 3 Challenge Cups while also claiming the Juneau Trophy as top goaltender on 3 occasions. The 31-year-old Brockers was traded to Brooklyn prior to the 1944-45 campaign.
HOW WILL DISPERSAL PICKS IMPACT THE 47-48 SEASON?
There were some big upgrades made quickly across the NAHC with the draft to divvy up the talent that once belonged to the now-defunct Brooklyn Eagles. Here are some thoughts from The Figment Hockey News on how the newcomers will alter their new team's make-up.
BOSTON BEES: Picking 7th did not stop the two-time defending Challenge Cup champs from landing an impact player. That would be a homecoming moment as 31-year-old Tom Brockers slipped all the way through the first round -likely due in part to his age- and thanks to the serpentine format of the process Brockers was able to return to the club he enjoyed the best seasons of his career.
It does mean the crease will be very crowded at Denny Arena and Pierre Melancon must be wondering what else he can do to earn the Bees trust. All he did was lead his club to two straight Cup wins and now he finds out that he has to fend off not only Brockers, but also 1943 first round pick Oscar James for playing time. James, who starred for the Cleveland Eries of the HAA a year ago, is said to be set to finally sign a deal with the Bees. Clearly goaltending will not be a concern in Beantown.
Center Robert Walker and winger Mark Dyck were the other two Boston dispersal selections. Each played in the minors last year. Dyck might need some seasoning but Walker, a 22-year-old who averaged nearly a point a game in Vancouver last year, may challenge for the second line center role and could provide some offensive depth.
CHICAGO PACKERS: The Packers selected 5th so they missed out on some of the big names but did land a player they hope may be able to contribute on the first line if Wes Burns has lost step. That player would be Jeremy MacLean, a 24-year-old who has spent the past six seasons playing in Cleveland.
The Packers selected another winger in Max Lavigne with their second choice. A 1945 second round pick of the Eagles, Lavigne was a teammate of MacLean's in Cleveland each of the last three seasons. He projects to have a high ceiling but may need some more time to develop before assuming a regular role with the Packers. The final choice for Chicago was depth defenseman Mark Brooks. The 25-year-old rearguard has had more than his share of injuries, including one which cost him half of last season, but Brooks has some talent and was a finalist for the McLeod Trophy (top rookie) three years ago despite originally being a 7th round draft pick.
DETROIT MOTORS: With some veteran defensemen moving on the Motors had their sights set on promising young blueliner Robert Sharpley right from the day word trickled out the Eagles were folding but the New York Shamrocks beat them to the punch. Instead, Detroit went with a steady blueliner in Alex Viens -who began his career in the Motor City- with their second round pick and focused on offense with their opening selection. That would be Nick Tardif, a 20-year-old New Brunswick native who was selected first overall by the Eagles in 1945. He spent the past two years in Vancouver and perhaps under produced with just 19 goals in 86 games over two seasons with the Bears but the Motors are confident he is poised to break out, if not this season then likely the next. The Motors were also quite pleased to land 22-year-old winger Hank Walsh, who had 25 points for Brooklyn last season, with their third round selection.
MONTREAL VALIANTS: There was some speculation the Valiants primary target would be goaltender Tom Brockers but the club is hoping that this past season was just a down year for Millard Touhey and their goalie will bounce back. That confidence shown in Touhey allowed the Valiants to grab a talented, but injury prone center in Ian Doyle. The 23-year-old British Columbia native had 19 points in his first 23 games and was a perfect second-line pivot behind Quinton Pollack in Brooklyn. It is no coincidence that the Eagles struggled and fell out of playoff contention after Doyle was knocked out of the lineup. There may be some injury risk but it is hard to pass up a player with his potential, and one who was drafted first overall by the Eagles in 1943.
The Vals used their two remaining selections on a pair of 21-year-old defenseman with some upside potential. It is unlikely that either Spencer Larocque or Billy Hader will ever be top-pairing defenders, but both could develop into solid second liners.
NEW YORK SHAMROCKS: Defense was the story of the day in New York and the Shamrocks have to be thrilled to end up with Robert Sharpley. Just 20-years-old, the left shot defenseman looks like the complete package and could one day become one of the best in the league at his position. He did not look out of place on the Eagles blueline as a rookie, and the offensive production should come as he gains experience.
Another defenseman in 24-year-old Ryan Kennedy was the Shamrocks third selection. He is nowhere near Sharpley's level and his play may have slumped a bit last season from his impressive game ratings of the previous two years, but Kennedy -who was an assistant captain in Brooklyn- should be a solid third-D pairing type of player.
Sandwiched between the defenders was 23-year-old winger Samuel Coates. He clearly benefitted from playing alongside Quinton Pollack in Brooklyn, but Coates averaged nearly a point a game until his season came to an end with a rib injury in February. With three strong centers in Orval Cabbell, Adam Greenham and Laurel Albers on the roster, Coates may just find another scorer he can complement with his move to the Greenshirts.
TORONTO DUKES: The Dukes had an awful year, going from first to worst in the NAHC, but that did give them a nice consolation prize when news broke that the Brooklyn Eagles had folded. That allowed Toronto the first pick in the dispersal draft and the right to select Quinton Pollack. It is hard to imagine a team with a better pair of centers than Toronto now possesses in veteran Bobbie Sauer and the 24-year-old newcomer. Pollack is a lock for rookie of the year after tying for the NAHC lead with 30 goals this season. The only question is will new Dukes coach Jack Barrell leave both his star pivots in the middle or will he be tempted to move one to the wing and play them together?
It was a long wait in the serpentine draft for the Dukes turn to come up again but they made the most of their final two choices in landing defenseman Chad Roy and Miles Norman. The blueline was a mess in Toronto last season so the 25-year-old Roy might even land on the top pair. Both he and Norman, 22, saw plenty of ice with the Eagles last season and one can expect both to likely duplicate that in Toronto over the coming campaign.
It is early but a guess at how the team's stack-up right now lands them like this:
1- Boston
2- Chicago
3- Toronto
4- New York
5- Detroit
6- Montreal
NAHC TO PLAY 60-GAME SLATE
With the drop to six teams the NAHC has unveiled plans for an expanded schedule starting this October. Each club will play 60 games, believed to be a high-water mark in pro hockey history. The schedule will see each team visit every other arena 6 times for a total of 12 games against each of their opponents.
The Challenge Cup playoffs will also be lengthened with word the semi-finals will now be a best-of-seven series, just as the Cup finals are. The playoff participants will remain as the top four teams in the league, leaving just two clubs on the outside looking in.
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS- 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 7/20/1947
- The income tax cut proposal will now become a campaign issues as the Senate failed to override President Truman's veto of the second attempt at the proposal as both sides expressed a willingness to let the voters decide who was right.
- The House passed a measure to unify the Amry and Navy and to co-ordinate American diplomatic-military policies after hearing that such a plan will help prevent future "Pearl Harbor" disasters, cut military costs and curtail interservice "backbiting."
- Former Price Admistrator Leon Henderson says he sees "little immediate danger of a major depression," but that prices may collapse disastrously as they did after World War I.
- An attempted invasion of Greece by guerrilla forces was repelled as Greek troops drove them back to the Albanian border. The Communit Premier of Albania declared that the border incident was "part of a general anti-democratic plan of Anglo-American reactioaries whose aim is to bring about a new war, recomended by Truman's doctrine."
- Rebel uprisings continued all week with Russia, being joined by Poland, blaming Greece for the Balkan discorders and demanding the formation of a new coalition government in Greece and the immediate withdrawl of foreign military personnel.
- At the Paris Economic Summit, Dutch sources indicated they would advocate prompt inclusion of Western Germany in the Marshall Plan for European recovery.