[Tiger Fan]

SEPTEMBER 22, 1947

Baseball has new standard for sports' most famous number. No longer will 60 represent the greatest homerun total ever hit in a single FABL season. Max Morris held that mark for just days shy of 24 years but now the number will be 62 -or perhaps even higher- as Bobby Barrell successfully completed his chase of the record by belting three long balls last week.

The Georgia Jolter has done things never before seen on the ballfield. Three homerun games are suddenly no longer the novelty they once were but Barrell has hit 3 in a game an amazing 3-times this season. Entering the year nobody had ever had three 3-homer games in their career. He hit 6 homeruns in 13 April games and then launched 15 in both May and June. July was a slump of sorts, with Barrell bashing only 8 -although he did add 2 more in the all-star game- before hitting 12 last month. Now, with 5 September games still on the docket, Barrell has 6 this month giving him the new record at 62.

The bomb to tie Max Morris at 60 could not have been much more impressive. It was a grand slam, off St Louis pitcher Hal Hackney in the third inning of a game the Keystones would win by a 4-0 score. So Barrell accounted for all the scoring and tied the record against the team Max Morris had set it with 24 years ago. Two days later with the Chicago Chiefs providing the opposition at Broad Street Park, Barrell made history. Number 61 came on a 2-1 offering by Chiefs veteran righthander Charlie Bingham and was a solo shot to lead off the fourth inning. The celebration lasted nearly twenty minutes and was punctuated by Hank Koblenz following Barrell with a homerun of his own -his 46th of the season as the duo attempt to become the first teammates to hit 50 homers in a campaign. Koblenz would add one more before the week ended and now sits at 47. Philadelphia lost that game 4-2 to the Chiefs but few in the stadium seemed to care, as Barrell's history making blast was all that anyone could talk about.

Barrell would also hit another one as #62 came on Saturday in the 11th inning of a 4-1 win over the Miners in Pittsburgh. It was a good thing the record had been reached as Barrell suffered a mild knee sprain yesterday running the bases against the Miners and it is not known if he will play at all this week.

There is some unfinished business in the little matter of winning a second triple crown. Barrell, who led the league in batting average, homers and rbi's in 1944, is on the verge of doing the same this time around. His lead in the homerun and rbi department is secure but Barrell enters the final week with a .360 batting average, .001 ahead of Washington's Mel Carrol.

Some notes on the 60th, 61st, and 62nd home runs:

• A day after being removed for a sore hand after his RBI triple on Monday, he was in the lineup the next day. Barrell's record-tying 60th homer was a grand slam in the third off Hal Hackney that was deposited into the right field stands for the only runs in a 4-0 win against the Pioneers.
• The home run Barrell hit on Thursday to set the record was off Charlie Bingham and it just escaped down the right field line, 348 feet away from home plate. It was a solo shot to lead off the home 4th and tie the game at 1-1. Hank Koblenz went yard two pitches later for his 46th to give Philadelphia a short-lived 2-1 lead that Joe Quade would cough up the next half inning. It was the last game of the homestand.
• Barrell added a homer to put him two up on the previous record in extra innings on Saturday. His solo blast leading off the top of the 11th stood as the winning run in a 4-1 win. Two batters later, Nate Power hit his 8th homer of the season to establish the winning margin. Barrell's homer was the hardest of the three, traveling 417 feet and was also hit the opposite way.
• one more...yesterday's Figment Stat of the Day had a list of players with more home runs than strikeouts in a season. Only one player from this season on the list -- you guessed it, Bobby Barrell -- with his fifth entry on the list among the 20 times this has happened (minimum 100 plate appearances). Barrell ties Sal Pestilli with five seasons of having this distinction.
  
  Barrell (62 HR, 45 K) has the second highest strikeout total on the list, next to Joe Masters's 1928 season of 56 homers and 51 punch-outs. Pestilli's 1938 season had the highest differential (34, 46 HR and only 12 K). You do not have to be a big home-run hitter to make the list, by the way. Ken Mayhugh accomplished the feat for Boston in 1937 (17 HR, only 4 K) and Bill Moore turned the trick for Cleveland in 1938 (17, 9).
  
  

CONTINENTAL FLAG CHASE GOING DOWN TO THE WIRE

While the outcome of the Federal Association pennant race has long been known, the opponent for the St Louis Pioneers in the World Championship Series may not be determined even when the season comes to an end Sunday. That is because there is just a half game separating the Philadelphia Sailors and Cincinnati Cannons and it is quite possible an extra game may be needed Monday before a winner can be crowned in the Continental Association.

As you can see on the chart below, the Sailors have four games remaining while the Cannons -who are riding a 4-game winning streak- have five left to play.

Philadelphia had a quiet time with just 4 games on their schedule last week, just as they do for the final seven days of the season. The Sailors ended up splitting those 4 games, winning Wednesday 5-1 over the Chicago Cougars before falling to the Cougars 5-2 the next day. With two days off the Sailors were not back in action until yesterday when they split a twin bill with the visiting Cleveland Foresters. Cleveland youngster Ivey Henley dealt the Sailors a real blow in the nightcap, blasting a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 7th inning to provide the margin of victory in a 5-2 Foresters victory after the Sailors had taken the opener 7-5.

Meanwhile in Cincinnati the Cannons got off to a slow start to a busy week, dropping two of their first three games before getting back on track with a 5-0 win over Montreal Wednesday behind Les Bradshaw's 3-hit complete game shutout and Al Wheeler's 516th homerun of his career, a three-run shot. Then it was north to Toronto for three crucial games and the Cannons, who have had their share of September ups and downs against the Wolves this decade, came up big with a 3-game sweep. On Friday, Charley McCullough delivered a key 2-run triple to key a five-run 8th inning as the Cannons took the series opener 6-2. A day later it was a 7-4 win as Deuce Barrell, who has had his struggles this season, did enough to even his record at 13-13 with a complete game victory. Yesterday was a rout as the Cannons plated 5 in the third inning to break open a game they ultimately won by a 12-1 score.

So here we are faced with the possibility of a tie-breaker being needed to determine the Continental champ for the second year in a row. A year ago it was the New York Stars stumbling their way down the stretch before righting things with a 9-5 victory over the Chicago Cougars. The Sailors organization has experience with tie-breakers as well. In 1937, they lost a 1-game playoff to the Brooklyn Kings after entering the final week with a half game lead.

There is actually a scenario where we could have a 3-way tie as the Brooklyn Kings are not officially eliminated. Should the Kings win all 3 of their remaining games, Philadelphia lose each of it's final four and the Cannons go 1-4 all three teams would finish with identical 84-70 records, creating the first 3-way tie in FABL history. Unlikely of course, but this has certainly been a season filled with unlikely happenings.

TOP FABL PERFORMERS LAST WEEK

Here are some thoughts from Tom Johnson, the interim General Manager who led the St Louis Pioneers to their first pennant since 1921. "I felt St. Louis had a good team that underachieved, especially last season. One big boo-boo a year ago I would say was shipping Danny Hern to AAA after a bad (well, terrible really) start. His performance this season is 180 degrees from that and in reality, he's probably closest to the 1945 version of himself: a good, but not outstanding pitcher. If he had been able to pitch in FABL last season, I suspect St. Louis would have been mid-pack.

And though I vetoed many potential AI-approved trades for both clubs, it was one I did approve: sending Buddy Long to Brooklyn that I think was a mistake. Obviously the team did just fine without him, but having a proven third arm would have made the acquisition of Hiram Steinberg less urgent and saved both the first round pick and a very, very good prospect in Sherry Doyal. Broke my own rule there, and I regret it. But the Pioneers will be fine, or better than fine in the short term and the new full-time General Manager, who will be revealed in the near future, should be a great addition."

***Foresters Also Happy With Results ***

The Cleveland Foresters were also under interim management this season and while they did not achieve anywhere near the success the Pioneers accomplished, it was still a positive season for the Continental side which, after the Hiram Steinberg trade, will be linked with the Pioneers once again. Of course, that will likely never replace the blockbuster Max Morris deal the St Louis and Cleveland clubs agreed upon in October of 1919.

Cleveland's cupboard was pretty bare, but there's some good talent on the farm, noted Pioneers temporary boss Johnson. "Dealing both Steinberg and Richie Hughes were obviously future-oriented moves. The return for both were, in my opinion, more than fair. The aforementioned Doyal is going to be great and I know we will miss not having him in St Louis."

The pick the Pioneers sent to Cleveland with Doyal in that Steinberg deal will be 15th, but still valuable. The haul for Hughes from the deep Stars system was also a good one. Johnson believes when the new Cleveland GM takes over, he'll have a good system with which to work.

MINUTEMEN SEASON RECAP

As our beloved Minutemen finish out their final week of the campaign they still have an opportunity to finish as high as fifth position or as low as they currently stand in seventh. It will be the second time the Minutemen have finished in the second division since they last won the FA in 1943. Ol’ Doc wanted to take a closer look at what went right (very little) and what went wrong (a bunch more) during the 1947 season.

The first area Ol’ Doc will examine is the pitching staff:
The Good:
A return to form: Ray Dalpman. Ray is the heart and soul of the rotation. After suffering a torn rotator cuff that shut down his 1946 season Ray came roaring back this season to pitch over 200 innings and to rank in several FA pitching categories. At 30 years old the Minutemen are hoping for another half decade of solid service from the righty.

The Eh:
Not as bad as you think: John Edwards. At one point this season “Big John” was 1-10 which was more a product of what was going on around him. In five of those losses John surrendered two runs or less which gives you an idea of how unfair win/loss records can be as an indicator of pitcher performance. Ol’ Doc is not going to sit here and throw shine and say the trade for Edwards has been a success overall, just that he is a serviceable guy toward the middle to back of a rotation.
The innings eater: Duke Hendricks. This will be the fifth season in a row that Duke has logged over 200 innings for the club. Some of those years are better than others but Duke doesn’t do enough to impress or discourage. He reminds Ol’ Doc a bit of Verdo Burt if your memory stretches that far back. One thing that could really help Hendricks would be if he could command the ball better and give up less free passes.

The Bad:
A career in the balance: Dean Astle. Losing a six-time all-star to a ruptured ligament definitely hurt Boston’s chances for the season. The bigger question however is if this will be a career for the 38-year-old that Boston picked up from Cleveland back in 1941. Astle has been nothing but stellar for the Minutemen and has been one of Ol’ Doc’s favorites over the years. Dean is still looking to be fully healed for opening day next season if he decides to make an attempt to go out on his own terms.

Hats off to a competitor: Ed Wood. It is with a heavy heart that Ol’ Doc writes that Ed is no longer the pitcher he once was. In his career Wood was the 1943 Allen award winner, a five time all-star and two time world championship MVP. In addition to those accolades Wood has 242 games and sits second behind George Johnson in club wins at 225. (Johnson has 258) However, pitching in his age 39 season it looks as though age has caught up to Wood. This has been Ed’s worst year in professional baseball and if he does return for his 18th FABL season it will probably be in a limited role. Ol’ Doc hates to see it happen but in the end, age is undefeated.

Best years in the rearview: Walt Wells and Art White. Whether it be age with Wells or ability with White these two former contributors have taken a significant step backwards performance wise. Every successful club needs a couple of 6th man/swingman type arms that can hold their own in a pinch. Between White and Wells they have 11 all star appearances and an Allen Award. At one time both men were dependable stars in the FABL. Sadly though, those years are behind both pitchers now.

The Help:
Alf Keeter (#24 OSA) is the best pitching prospect in the organization. Keeter was acquired in the Mack Sutton deal and has looked good in B and A ball but has found his level in AA. The bright spot being his 49K/19BB ratio that is giving the club hope. OSA calls Alf a front of the rotation type of player. He is 23 years old and it does not look like he will be an immediate help next season.

Ernie Martin (#92 OSA). The 19 year old was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1946 draft and has looked excellent this season in C ball posting a 149 ERA+ and 6.6 K/9 ratio. There has been some internal pressure to move Martin to the B level but the organization wanted to make sure it wasn’t a rush job. He will assuredly be playing up as a 20 year old next season.
Virgil Harris (#140 OSA) is a fifth round pick from the ‘44 draft and has quietly found a way to be productive now as a 21 year old in B ball. Harris is a long shot to make the big club anytime soon but he will continue to get opportunities to prove people wrong.

Now Ol’ Doc will take apart the hitters.
The Good:
Age is just a number: Pete Day, Joe watson, Rip Curry. The best of the bunch is Pete Day. The 36 year old seven time all-star just finds a way to get things done. Day owns a tremendous eye and just eclipsed the 100 walk mark for the first time in his career while keeping his strikeout total at 43. He has above average range defensively and will be closing in on 2500 hits next season all in a Boston uniform. Teammate Joe Watson may not have the defensive capabilities he once possessed but the man can surely find a gap with his FA best 16 triples on the year. Watson posted a 3.1 WAR which puts him even with Pittsburgh’s Leon Drake for most WAR with players 38 and over. The final member of the group would be part time Rip Curry who in 185 AB’s posted a .346 average and a 141 wRC+.

Still in their prime: Billy Dalton, Harry Barrell. Both players are 33 years old and are enjoying really solid seasons. Buster, as he is known at home, took a sip from the fountain of youth this season and had his best offensive year since arriving in Boston. The offense coupled with Harry’s exceptional defense at SS puts him seventh in WAR in the FA at 6.3 with a few more games to go. Harry’s partner on the left side of the infield is switch hitting Billy Dalton who is arguably the best hitter in the Boston lineup. If Dalton can go deep one more time it would match his personal best of 20 homers that he hit as a Gotham back in ‘39.

The kid may be going places: Ben McCarty deserved to make the team out of spring training. The problem was the club wanted to honor some of its long-time vets and give them plenty of opportunities to in some cases regain their stroke. Ben took it in stride and went down to AAA and hit to the point that it became impossible for the club to ignore his potential. In 236 at-bats McCarty provided 8 home runs, 144 wRC+, and a 1.9 WAR. Ol’ Doc feels he will need to move off the CF spot to a corner but other than that the boy is on the rise.

The Eh:
The Bill’s have it: Bill Moore, Bill Van Ness. With Bill Moore this is just a case of age. Moore was a key part of some really good Boston teams when he was acquired from Cleveland as a 29 year old in 1941. Now at 36 the old dog is starting to slow down. At this point Bill is an average offensive performer that Ol’ Doc feels the team will have a decision to make with him going forward. Then you have Bill Van Ness. OL’ Doc has spent a many a word on the subject of Van Ness so he will just get right to the point here. Bill is an average ballplayer. At catcher, average will be good enough but if the team ever had a chance to upgrade at the position they may want to investigate that option.

The Bad:
There is a cliff ahead…oh wait, too late, nevermind: Art Spencer, Bill Burkett, Bob Donoghue, Lew McClendon, Chick Donnelly. Where does ol’ Doc begin with this group? Maybe keeping it brief is for the best. Burkett went to war as a 25 year old and was never the same again. Now at 30 he looks to be a backup at best. McClendon was great from 1940-1943 but crashed hard at age 27 and was never able to reclaim his skills. At 30 years of age there is still hope of a resurgence but Ol’ Doc does not like the chances. Bob Donoghue was meant to be the most prolific home run hitter in Boston history. He hit 34 in 39 and then injuries just crippled the man. Even still he ranks second all-time in Boston history in home runs. The problem is that number is a laughable 121. You know the player that has more than him? That would be Chick Donnelly with 122 who will always have a piece of Ol’ Doc’s heart so it kills him to say that at 35 years of age it looks like the best player to ever wear a Boston uniform is done. The club gave Chick every opportunity to produce but it just wasn’t to be. Ol’ Doc even refuses to share any stats from this season out of his deep respect for what Chick has brought to our beloved Minutemen. The last man on the list would be Art Spencer. Art was the ultimate plug and play ballplayer. Have an injury anywhere on the infield, Art could move right in and the team would not miss a beat. This year though, Spencer was a liability in the lineup surrounded by others that were going through the same struggles.

Bonus:
We are all pulling for you kid: Buddy Schneider. Buddy, one of the Schneider triplets, was a budding star for Minutemen when the world was plunged into global conflict. Buddy and his brother Bart answered the call as true patriots. Their brother Skipper, true to his name, found a way to skip out on his duties and continue playing for the Cougars in Chicago. Each boy's trajectory has been affected by the decision. Bart has yet to crack the big leagues, Skipper is a star, and Buddy has struggled since his return. Ol’ Doc wonders what the dinner table conversation must be like at holidays in the Schneider home. His guess is tense to say the least. Well speaking for all of Boston Buddy, we are pulling for you!!

The Help:
Boston has the 7th ranked minor league system which is a lot better than where it had been just a few seasons ago. The bell-ringer of the group is 19 year old 2B Marshall Thomas who is the 11th ranked prospect in the FABL. Marshall started off extremely hot earning a quick promotion to B level Arlington where injuries and competition slowed his production. OSA still says multiple all-star games in his future. Boston cannot wait. The next three prospects are all outfielders in Dick Helfand (#30) and Yank (#32) and Danny Taylor (#56). Helfand is 22 years old and the furthest along just finishing a successful season in AA looking to either play next year in AAA or crack the Boston roster all together. Yank has tremendous power and can also hit for average. Once the power fully develops expect the 19 year old to race through the system. Finally we have Danny who can also hit for average and power, but has some defensive shortcomings. Look for the club to move him to 1B in the coming season to help his rise through the system. There is an outside chance Helfand makes his debut next year in Boston but the truth of the matter is that it will be a few more seasons before the next big crop of Boston prospects are ready to hit the league together as a solid core. If it pans out though, the 1950’s could be a great decade for the boys from Boston.

A DAY FOR CELEBRATION

Under cloudy skies a crowd of nearly 20,000 were on hand yesterday to celebrate the Gothams career of Jim Lonardo. The wily 43 year old had previously announced that this would be his final season and the team and fans were here to send him off in style. Former teammates made the trip to New York, there were messages from those who could not be in attendance and a very special phone call for the highlight of the event.

Gothams public address announcer Woody Hart was master of ceremonies. After listing the many accomplishments of Jim's long career he introduced the first guests, members of the Gothams 1928 squad, Lonardo's first. Steve Castellini the ace of the '28 squad who mentored the young pitcher and Carlos Cano one of the offensive threats who supported the staff.

Also on hand were some of the catchers who worked with Lonardo in his Gothams years. Johnny Simpson, his first catcher, Red Jackson, who was behind the plate in all three of Lonardo's Allen winning seasons for New York and John Wicklund from the 1935 Championship team.

Mose Chritopher represented the early 1930's teams when Lonardo was a regular Allen contender, winning the award and leading the FA in wins each of those seasons - 1930-1931-1933.

There was more representation from the Champs of 1935. A small reunion of sorts, with Moxie Pidgeon, Hardin Bates, Lou Ellerton and current Gothams Mahlon Strong and Bud Jameson. The biggest round of applause was for fellow 300 game winner Rabbit Day.

With the player introductions done it was time for the gifts. Red Johnson and Walt Messer unveiled a new bass fishing boat and custom fishing gear from the team and his teammates. Then the big moment of the afternoon. Let me go to Woody Hart for this one:

"Jim to finish this day we have one more special guest. He's currently in San Francisco ready to manage a ball game later today, but he wanted to be sure to talk you you on this special day. Your first manager Ed Zeihl." Let me say, the rousing ovation showed how the Gothams faithful feel about their biggest star. Now over the PA system came that familiar
gruff voice:

"Jim. Congratulations. Well deserved. In 1928 I was beginning my first year as manager. I knew about this kid who had worked his way up through the system. He was a 10th round pick but he'd won 22 games between AA and AAA the previous year. We needed some pitching, so I took a chance on a 23 year old. I'm not going to claim I was smart enough to foresee 300 wins, but from the start Jim had something about him. He knew how to pitch, not just throw, right from the beginning. And now here we are. I wish I could be there but perhaps Bud Jameson could give me a hand here. Bud please go to the stand next to Jim and reveal what's underneath."

A roar went up from the crowd as Jameson revealed a framed #34 Gothams jersey.

"There you go Jim. From now on no Gothams player will wear 34. I'm honored to have you join me."

And there you have it. Jim Lonardo joins Ed Zeihl in having his number retired. The normally staid Lonardo was emotional, then quickly gathered himself. He thanked everyone, especially the fans, then excused us as he needed to prepare for the game.

And once again Jim Lonardo came through. Despite the emotions of the day, #34 was on the mound for possibly the last time. It was a game so typical of Lonardo in his last years. Spreading out hits, pitching to contact, relying on his teammates. Pitching the full 9 innings, allowing 7 hits, walking 3, with no strike outs and just 2 runs allowed, Lonardo won for the 312th time. If all goes according to plans the final line reads 312-233 3.56 ERA in 5031 innings. Lonardo finishes second on most Gothams pitching lists and 202 wins for the ball club. We're not likely to see one like him again.

The Oakland Grays have clinched a spot in the Bigsby Cup after a big week that saw them take three of four games from second place Dallas in Texas. Oakland is two game up on the second palce Centurions and 7.5 ahead of third place Portland. The Grays narrowly missed out on a Cup appearance last year as they finished tied for second with the Los Angeles Knights but lost out on the head-to-head tiebreaker. Going back to its AAA days, the Grays have not finished first in the Great Western League since 1923.

Portland still has a slim chance of catching Dallas for the second playoff spot but the Green Sox will need to make up 5.5 games with just 7 left to play. San Francisco, which sits in last place this year, won the inaugural Bigsby Cup last season.

• Bobby Barrell sprained his knee yesterday. Only day to day so he might play this week but regardless it is a good thing he got his homers out of the way before the injury.
• The last time the Sailors were in first place in the final week was 1937, when they entered with a half game lead on Brooklyn. The Sailors went 4-2 -ironically enough against Cleveland and Toronto, the two teams they face this week- while the Kings went 5-2 to force a playoff. Mike Murphy tossed a 4-hit shutout and Bill May homered and drove in 5 as the Kings waltzed to an 8-0 victory in the tiebreaker before going on to beat Pittsburgh and win the WCS.
• The Fed batting title - and the Triple Crown - will come down to the wire. Washington's Mel Carrol went 13-for-28 (.464) last week to pull within a single point of Bobby Barrell for the batting lead. Actually, it is less than a point - 9/10ths of a point: .3601 for Barrell, .3592 for Carroll.
• Barrell is banged up though. First he hurt his hand sliding into third on a 1st inning RBI triple in Monday's game. The ball was driven deep to right-center, but not quite enough to clear the fence. After a small delay, he was removed from the game as the crowd at Broad Street Park collectively gasped and doubly upset they would not be able to watch Barrell try to tie the home run record later in the game. He did not miss a game due to the injury during the week as he tied and broke the single-season home run mark, but banged up his knee yesterday scoring on Roger Cleaves's RBI single to knot the game at 2-2 with one out in the 9th.
• In non Keystones HR news, the New York Stars Mack Sutton hits HR #41 while knocking in his 120th RBI. Fantastic numbers basically any other season, but we have Bobby and Hank over there stealing the spotlight.
• Little to cheer about for the Chicago Cougars, who presently sit in 7th place after a 3-17 run, but Leo Mitchell did get his 2,000 career hit yesterday. Mitchell joins Leon Drake and Mahlon Strong in reaching that milestone this season.
• Brooklyn has had a great season not just at the major league level but also with their top affiliates with both AAA Jersey City and AA Knoxville coming out on top. For AAA Jersey City this is there first ever Union League pennant and their first pennant of any kind since they won the Eastern Association flag in 1914. For the Knoxville Knights this is their 10th Dixie title but first since 1934.
• Archie Irwin reports from Cougars Park that Otto Christian hit his first of hopefully many home runs in the first inning of a 3-2 win over the Kings. The former 1st Rounder took a screwball from Kings' starter Harry Carter over the fence in the first inning, giving fellow rookie Duke Bybee the runs he needed for the victory. Bybee threw his 18th complete game of the season, finishing 14-11 with a 2.91 ERA (132 ERA+) and 1.09 WHIP in 28 starts

AROUND THE LEAGUE

With most minor league seasons finishing up, let's take a look at how each of the first round picks fared in their initial exposure to pro ball.

BOSTON- The Minutemen selected Georgia high school second baseman Marshall Thomas with the 6th pick in the draft. OSA rates him #2 among all second base prospects behind only fellow 1947 draftee Al Farmer of the Sailors. At #12 overall on the OSA list, the Minutemen have high hopes for the 19-year-old. Thomas played outstanding defense at the keystone bag and after a week in Class C, was moved up to the B level. He struggled with a .214 batting average in 46 games so might have been a little overmatched but just dominated the class C level in a short stint there.

BROOKLYN- 3rd overall pick Ken Newman had a very nice year as an 18 year old playing at Class A. The Kings challenged him with a ticket to Springfield and Newman responded nicely, slashing .309/.356/.438 over 57 games and playing acceptable defense at the hot corner. He slots in at #4 overall on the OSA pipeline and looks to have a very bright future.

The Kings had two other first round picks. Charlie Rogers was the 10th selection and the 18 year old Illinois native was challenged just like Newman and responded just as well. Rogers spent most of his time in Springfield, slashing .286/.323/.395 while also displaying enough defensive skills to perhaps stick long-term as a centerfielder. OSA has hit at #26 on it's pipeline.

The third Brooklyn first rounder was 21 year old catcher Dan Smith out of Garden State. Smith spent the season at AA and was slashing .275/.316/.370 after 54 games in Knoxville. OSA ranks him 44th overall and 4th among catchers.

CHIEFS- Did not own a first round pick

COUGARS- Not a lot has gone right for the Cougars this season but the decision to select Jerry Smith fifth overall has to be one thing for the organization to feel good about. Smith had a solid pro debut in Class C, slashing .284/.329/.413 with 5 homers in 51 games. OSA likes Smith, ranking him #2 among centerfield prospects behind only Cleveland's Sherry Doyal, and 11th overall.

CINCINNATI- With the 11th pick the Cincinnati Cannons selected Tony Britten, a college pitcher out of Kit Carson. Britten worked out of the bullpen, tossing 46 innings for AA Erie at press time. He was 5-4 with 10 saves. We at TWIFB are not big fans of using high end pitching prospects as relievers in the minors but it hasn't seemed to hurt Britten as OSA feels he will be ready for the big leagues next season and place him 13th overall and 4th among pitchers.

CLEVELAND- The first outfielder selected in the draft this year was Frenchy Sonntag, a New Jersey high schooler drafted by the Foresters with the 7th pick. Sonntag split his first pro season between Class C and B and looked very comfortable at the higher level. He hit .310 in 30 games at Class Be Savannah and showed a bit of power as well. He is only the 7th best prospect in a deep Foresters system according to OSA but #52 overall

DETROIT- Power-hitting high school first baseman John Morrison was chosen fourth overall by the Dynamos. He spent the last couple of months at Class C Biloxi, slashing .265/.337/.437 with 9 homers in 56 games. The Dynamos see him as a Red Johnson type but that might be a little ambitious according to OSA, which slots Morrison in as the third best first base prospect and #37 overall.

MONTREAL- Bill Duckworth, an 18-year-old from Los Angeles, was the Saints first rounder. Selected 13th overall,the first baseman had a bit of an adjustment to pro ball, slashing .247/.317/.272 in 48 games at Class C. OSA places him 60th on its prospect ranking list so bigger things are still very much expected from Duckworth.

NY STARS- Shortstop Paul Watson, a 21-year-old out of Opelika State, was the Stars pick in the first round at #15. He played at AA Harrisburgh, splitting his time between third base and shortstop while looking very good at either position. He did not overwhelm at the plate but certainly held his own slashing .268/.319/.381. With top prospect Ralph Hanson ahead of him, although OSA feels Watson will be ready for the big leagues next season -two years ahead of Hanson- it is likely Watson will be moved from shortstop but right now he sits at #4 among shortstops on the pipeline (trailing Hason, Pittsburgh's Irv Clifford and Cecil LaBonte of the Gothams) and #25 overall.

NY GOTHAMS- Selected 8th overall, 21-year-old Cecil LaBonte became the first member of the 1948 draft class to make it to the big leagues. The shortstop from Constitution State tore up AAA with a .326 batting average in 22 games at Toledo, prompting the promotion to New York. He was hitting .275 after 35 games with the Gothams but his work in the field does need some improvement.

KEYSTONES- The Keystones drafted Georgia born high school centerfielder Herm Kocher 12th overall and let him settle in to pro ball with some time at Class C Beaumont. Kocher struggled early but had a good August and for the season slashed .254/.281/.330. OSA ranks him #19 on its pipeline. Kocher's defense was strong and he had 6 outfield assists in just 54 games.

SAILORS-Al Farmer, selected 9th overall out of Amarillo Methodist, is ready for the majors now according to OSA. The 21-year-old second baseman had a quick stop in AA before the Sailors bumped him up to AAA Richmond. He has not looked out of place in the Rebels lineup, slashing .269/.339/.376 in 52 AAA games while doing a terrific job in the field. OSA lists Farmer number 3 on it's pipelne, trailing only 2nd overall pick Irv Clifford and New York Stars prospect Ralph Hanson -both shortstops.

PITTSBURGH- Irv Clifford, a college shortstop out of Charleston Tech, was selected second overall by the Miners. The 21-year-old spent two weeks in AA before a promotion to AAA St Paul. His defense was very good with the Disciples but the offense still needs to come, with Clifford slashing .200/.271/.335 after 42 games of AAA ball. He has a very high ceiling and OSA, which feels he will be ready for the big leagues next season, ranks him #2 overall on it's prospect pipeline.

ST LOUIS- 18 year old Brooklyn born righthander Bill Kiley was drafted 14th overall by the Pioneers. He was just 4-6 in 13 starts at Class C Moline but the record was not fair to him. A 2.62 era, a 1.18 WHIP and 80 strikeouts in 96 innings while walking just 27 gives the Pioneers plenty to be excited about. OSA slots him in at #18 on it's prospect pipeline.

TORONTO- First overall selection Les Ledbetter made two starts at Class C before a quick promotion to Class B Vancouver, for whom he went 5-4 with a 4.52 era in 11 starts. He walked just 1 and fanned 19 in 13 innings at the lower level but had a little tougher go with the Mounties, walking 46 in just under 70 innings. Not a dominant performance by any stretch but a good first taste of pro ball. OSA has Ledbetter as the top pitcher and 5th overall on its prospect pipeline so, at least at this point the Wolves scouting staff can rest easy as owner Bernie Millard is likely fine with the big signing bonus paid out for the Michigan native.

WASHINGTON- Did not own a first round pick.

PALADINS END 12 GAME SKID IN AFA OPENER

The Pittsburgh Paladins wasted little time putting one up in the victory column this time around as the American Football Association began its 28th season yesterday. Entering play the Paladins had not won a game since December 2, 1945 - a stretch of 12 games that included all of last season when the Pittsburgh club suffered through an 0-10-1 campaign. Playing in the only game on the opening weekend the Palladins rallied to beat the Cincinnati Tigers 21-17.

Pittsburgh grid fans in attendance must have been thinking "here we go again" after Cincinnati's Andy Bell intercepted a Ken Marston pass on the Paladins second possession and galloped untouched into the endzone to give the visitors a 7-0 lead before the game was 3 minutes old. However, the Paladins quickly bounced back when Marston, the rookie from Payne State engineered a 72 yard drive that culminated with a 1-yard rushing touchdown plunge by Dennis Prasser, evening the score at 7-7.

Another Marston interception led to a 33-yard Bob Chick field goal early in the second quarter, putting the Tigers ahead once again at 10-7. The third quarter saw Cincinnati extend their lead with a 7-yard rushing touchdown by Charlie Morrison, making it 17-7 in favor of the Tigers. But the resilient Paladins refused to back down, responding with a 4-yard rushing touchdown by Kenny Hulett, narrowing the gap to 17-14 as the third quarter came to a close.

The final quarter proved to be a nail-biter, but it was the Paladins who spent much of it with the lead after Marston guided the club on a 12-play, 88-yard drive that culminated in a 6-yard touchdown pass to Prasser with 6:51 remaining in the game, giving the Paladins a slim 21-17 lead, one which they nursed to the finish. Much of the heavy lifting on the drive was done by back Jerry Doucet, who had a 36 yard catch and run to go along with 5 carries. Doucet nearly was the goat, as he coughed up the ball on the Tigers 8-yard line just two plays before the winning score, but an alert Bill Langan fell on the ball to preserve possession for the Paladins.

Despite their best efforts, the Tigers were unable to mount a comeback, and the Paladins' defense held on to secure their first victory in nearly two years. The win was not without tension as Marston, who made some costly mistakes with interception tosses, also came up with a interception of his own, picking off a Charlie Morrison pass on his own 4-yard line with 1:30 remaining just as it appeared the Tigers would rally for the winning score.

Dennis Prasser was the standout player of the game, earning the title of Most Valuable Player. Prasser contributed a crucial rushing touchdown and displayed his versatility with 3 catches for 26 yards, including the winning 6-yard touchdown reception.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION STANDINGS
East Division W  L  T   PCT
Pittsburgh    1  0  0   .000
Boston        0  0  0   .000
NY Stars      0  0  0   .000
Washington    0  0  0   .000
Philadelphia  0  0  0   .000

West Division W  L  T   PCT
Cleveland     0  0  0  .000
St Louis      0  0  0  .000
Chicago       0  0  0  .000
Detroit       0  0  0  .000
Cincinnati    0  1  0  .000

WEEKEND RESULTS
Pittsburgh 21 Cincinnati 17

UPCOMING GAMES
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28
Boston at Philadelphia
Cincinnati at Cleveland
Chicago at Detroit
New York at Washington
St Louis at Pittsburgh

WEST DIVISION DOMINATES CFC

Even just a month into the season it is very evident where the power lies in the Continental Football Conference. West Division teams are 9-2 so far against their eastern rivals including sweeping all four games in the loop this weekend. As a result each of the four West Division clubs are at least .500 and the two powerhouses in the defending champion Kansas City Cowboys and San Francisco Wings are a combined 7-0 on the season. In contrast, the only East Division team that can boast of even a .500 mark is the 2-2 New York Gothams.

The Gothams spent the week on the coast rather than travelling back and forth after playing in Los Angeles nine days ago. They were in a positive mindset all week after beating the Lobos that day, but yesterday was a different story as the San Francisco Wings scored a pair of second half touchdowns to ground the Gothams 24-14.

Down the coast in Los Angeles, the Lobos made up for last week's stumbles against New York with a 27-0 blanking of the Brooklyn Kings. Quarterback John Fuchs threw for 221 yards while Elton Raymond carried the ball for 66 yards and a pair of scores to lead the Lobos to a victory that evened their record at 2-2.

In Kansas City it was just another day at the office for Pat Chappell. Big-time passing days are becoming the norm for the former St Blane 3-sport star, who led the Cowboys to a 42-7 victory over the New Orleans Crescents by throwing for 244 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Cowboys defense also contributed to the offense with a pair of scores. The first came in the opening minutes of the game on a blocked punt that Pete Engle carried 45 yards into the endzone and the other one on a 33-yard interception return by John Backus late in the second quarter.

It was close but no cigar once more for the Buffalo Bulls, who dropped to 1-3 with a 34-28 loss to the Comets in Chicago. Dave Karaszewski was Mr. Everything for the winners with 98 yards and two touchdowns rushing, 54 yards receiving, and on defense he had 10 tackles and forced a fumble. As if that was not enough, Karaszewski also returned a kickoff 86 yards for a score. For the hard-luck Bulls it was their third loss on the season and the three defeats have been by a combined total of 10 points including two last minute defeats to begin the season.

CONTINTENTAL CONFERENCE STANDINGS
EAST           W  L  T   PCT[/b]
NY Gothams     2  2  0   .500
Brooklyn       1  3  0   .250
Buffalo        1  3  0   .250
New Orleans    0  3  0   .000

WEST           W  L  T   PCT
San Francisco  4  0  0  1.000
Kansas City    3  0  0  1.000
Los Angeles    2  2  0   .500
Chicago        2  2  0   .500

WEEKEND RESULTS
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 19
Chicago 34 Buffalo 28
Los Angeles 27 Brooklyn 0
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 21
Kansas City 42 New Orleans 7
San Francisco 24 New York 14

UPCOMING GAMES
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 26
Kansas City at Chicago
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 28
New York at New Orleans
San Francisco at Buffalo

CFC LEADERS
SCORING            PTS
Karaszewski, Buf    36
Higman, Buf         33
Penna, LA           32
Abbott, SF          30
Hale, NYG           30
Mula, SF            30

PASSING        COMP-ATT  YDS  TD  INT
Fuchs, LA       39-84    801   3   4
Chappell, KC    37-67    694   7   3
Hale, NYG       27-56    630   4   4
Monday, Buf     50-108   615   8   7
Metcalf, SF     44-83    479   7   2

RUSHING           YDS  TD
Hale, NYG         410   4
Garner, SF        345   1
Stone, SF         334   1
Rose, NYG         264   3
Karaszewski, Buf  225   5

RECEIVING        CAT  YDS  TD
Mula, SF          20  214   5
Breig,Chi         18  268   1
Swanagan, Buf     12  134   1
Orr, KC           11  173   1
Pruitt, NO        11   83   0

INERCEPTIONS       #
Carroll, SF        2
Layton, Buf        2
Yardley, Bkn       2
Chappell, KC       2
Reid, KC           2
J. Smith, Chi      2
Backus, KC         2

BELLS RING LOUD IN ROUT OVER SPOKANE STATE

Liberty College's football team, with a raft of speedy backs operating behind a big, well-drilled line, smothered Spokane State 30-6 in weekend collegiate grid action. A crowd of about 14,000 braved a drizzle to see the first big intersectional game of the season. While no one player stood out for a Bells squad that is much improved from a year ago when they posted a 5-3 record, the Bells sent a formidable array of fast, smooth-working backs into action, and they executed plays that had Spokane State completely bewildered. The first touchdown did not come until early in the second period but it opened a floodgate that led to three quick majors by the host side. Spokane State only avoided a whitewashing with a 10 yard run to culminate a late drive in the closing minutes, which was the only sustained ball movement the Indians exhibited all day.

In other action, Deep South Conference play kicked off early with Mississippi A&M having little difficulty topping Central Kentucky 26-3 in what was the only game between section rivals on the opening week docket. Meanwhile, Lawrence State proved its preseason billing as one to watch in the Plains Athletic Conference is on the mark, after the Chippewa knocked off Amarillo Methodist 17-7. The complete scoreboard is listed below.

WEEKEND RESULTS
EAST
Strub College 23 Three Rivers State 7
Liberty College 30 Spokane State 6
Petersburg 28 Northern Pennsylvania 14
Penn Catholic 27 New York Maritime 0
Lexington State 24 Quantico Marines 14

SOUTH
Mississippi A&M 26 Central Kentucky 3
Alabama Baptist 38 Mississippi Tech 0
Noble Jones College 37 Bulein 0
Coastal State 58 Charleston (IL) 6
Central Carolina 24 Burlington 3
Columbia Military Academy 30 Edgemoor 0

MIDWEST
Western Iowa 24 Great Plains State 3
Iowa A&M 39 Iowa Northern 6
Daniel Boone College 26 Laclede 7
Lawrence State 17 Amarillo Methodist 7
Payne State 20 Canyon A&M 3
Topeka State 26 Marles 14
Northern Minnesota 34 Mount Pleasant State 7

SOUTHWEST
Travis College 27 College of Waco 0
Darnell State 35 Killeen State 0
Arkansas A&T 41 Central Louisiana 3
Lubbock State 55 Nacogdoches State 0
Utah A&M 41 Gunnison State 14
El Paso Methodist 31 Everman State (TX) 14
Lambert College 13 Texas Panhandle 13
Kit Carson University 39 Flagstaff State 0
Eastern Oklahoma 30 Eastern Kansas 6

FAR WEST
Northern California 22 Sunnyvale 6
Portland Tech 47 Western Montana 3
San Francisco Tech 21 Minns College 10
Tempe College 40 CC Anaheim 14
Colorado Poly 24 Miners College 21
Idaho A&M 24 Cascade Methodist 22
Custer College 48 Cheney State 21
Golden Gate University 34 Stratton 20
Cache Valley 50 California Missionary 7

FIELD SET ALL FOR MAJOR PRESEASON TOURNAMENTS

Here the teams that will compete in the four major collegiate basketball preseason tournaments. The events tip-off with the Tournament of Champions at Bigsby Garden in New York. Carolina Poly, led by high scoring guards Major Belk and James Halle and featuring the debut of Mel Turcotte -a New York City native who was ranked the number one prospect in his recruiting class- should be the team to beat but watch out for the Texas Gulf Coast Hurricanes, who have been a rising program.

The toughest field will be gathered at Lakeside Auditorium in Chicago beginning on Halloween with Western Iowa, North Carolina Tech and St Blane all possible national title contenders this season.

The following weekend the action shifts to Boston and the west coast. The Jack Easton Tip-Off Classic is the oldest preseason tournament in existance and even predates the AIAA itself. It is not a deep field but there are some solid programs among the 8 entrants including Noble Jones College, Richmond State, Lambert College and Commonwealth Catholic, which will act as the host school in the Denny Arena event for the first in over twenty years. The final event takes place in Portland, Oregon with Liberty College, led by All-American senior Ward Messer, likely the team to beat.

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS (Bigsby Garden, Oct 30-Oct 31)
Carolina Poly Cardinals
Texas Gulf Coast Hurricanes
Sadler Bluecoats
Brooklyn State Bears

PRESEASON AIAA SHOWCASE (Chicago, Oct 31-Nov 1)
Western Iowa Canaries
North Carolina Tech Techsters
St Blane Fighting Saints
Dickson Maroons

JACK EASTON TIP-OFF CLASSIC (Denny Arena, Boston Nov 6-8)
Commonwealth Catholic Knights
Noble Jones College Colonels
Lambert College Stags
Richmond State Colonials
Brooklyn Catholic Bulldogs
Elyria Pioneers
Cache Valley Cowboys
Kansas Agricultural Hawks

WEST COAST CLASSIC (Portland, Ore Nov 6-9)
Lane State Emeralds
Liberty College Bells
Bronx Tech Flying Dutchmen
Quaker College (CA) Bulldogs
West Corners (NY) Athletics
Mississippi Tech Cougars
North Central(NE) Wolves
Flagstaff State Firebirds

MILLER IN PEAK FORM WITH TUNE-UP WIN

Dan Miller, the looking glove action, brawled his way to a unanimous slam-bang 10-round decision over Fraser Witt in what will be his final tune-up before the biggest fight of the Oakland native's career. The 30-year-old is slated to next step into the ring against world heavyweight champion Hector Sawyer at Santa Ana Stadium in what is expected to be the largest crowd to ever witness a title fight.

Last night at the Knights Stadium in Los Angeles it was a much more intimate crowd, number barely 4500 shirt-sleeved faithfuls, watching Miller fight what really just amounted to a sparring session. Witt, a 25-year-old San Francisco fighter, had an impressive 13-3 record entering the ring but was quickly exposed by the far more polished Miller. Four times in the fight Witt was floored but does deserve some credit for regaining his feet each time and surviving the 10 rounds, although he was as badly battered by the scorecards as he was by Miller, coming up on top in just 1 round in the minds of the two judges and referee Vic Green.

Other bouts of note last week saw rising heavyweight Tommy Cline improve to 12-0 with a unanimous decision over Fred Vaughn while former welterweight champ Dennis O'Keefe snapped a two-fight losing streak with a 7th round knockout of Derek Clark in Scranton.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

• Sep 29 -Paris, Fr: middleweight Yohan Revel (12-0) vs Kai Wacher (9-7-1)
• Oct 31 -London, Eng: former world middleweight champ Archie Rees (38-7-1) vs Glenn Root (13-19)
• Dec 12 - Lakeside Auditorium, Chicago: World Middleweight Champ John Edmonds (23-2) rematch with Frank Melanson (32-1-2)
• Jan 10 - Santa Ana Stadium, Los Angeles: World Heavyweight Champ Hector Sawyer vs Dan Miller

PACKERS IN MARKET FOR DEFENSEMAN

The Chicago Packers have what many NAHC observers feel is the deepest collection of talent in the league but that has not stopped rumours flowing that the Packers are looking to upgrade their defense. The club, which reached the Challenge Cup finals last season before bowing out to Boston in 6 games, is the only NAHC team never to hoist the famous chalice.

The Packers have specifically targeted the acquistion of a right defenseman which perhaps leads to speculation the club feels rookie Mike Van Tol -their first round draft pick- may need another year of seasoning before he is ready to step in on the Packers blueline. Pete Moreau, Mark Brooks and Matt Jewitt are the holdovers but with the Packers hoping this will be the year they finally win that first Cup, the club is said to be willing to part with a veteran forward such as Ed Delarue, who finished third on the team with 42 points last season, or Marsh Mansfield -a 34 point producer last season- for the missing piece they feel they need on the blueline.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 9/21/1947

• Cabinet officials are recommending voluntary food rationing in this country to help meet the world crisis amidst another week of rising food prices with no relief in sight.
• A Congressional subcommittee on the rising costs of goods heard charges that high corporate profits rather than high wages were responsible for sky-rocketing prices.
• Formal peace has come for five defeated satellites of Nazi Germany as treaty's go into effect with Italy, Finland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania.
• The United States challenged Russia to co-operate with the United Nations or face a world judgement that none can veto. Secretary of State Marshall addressed the delegates, calling for the end of vetoes in the matters of the world's "deepening political and economic crisis" and to save Greece from the "attacks" of its Balkan Communist neighbors.
• Soviet newspapers responded by suggesting that "domination or the end of the U.N." is the aim of the United States.
• The growing conflict between the United States and Russia has reached such a critical state that further efforts to reconcile the two view points seem hopeless. That is the conclusion of the French Foreign Minister following a week long gathering of key officials from around the world at the United Nations.
• 2,280 are feared dead of missing after a typhoon struck Japan north of Tokyo.
• The worst hurricane in 19 years roared out of the Atlantic Ocean and struck the lower Florida East Coast, hitting hardest between Miami and West Palm Beach and then veered west across the Gulf coast before again hitting shore in Louisianna, where it blasted New Orleans, flooding waters over the great seawall.
• Fiorello La Guardia, three time Mayor of New York, died this week at the age of 64 after collapsing in his home.