JANUARY 19, 1948
ART WHITE RETIRES
Art White, a 4-time All-Star in his 14-year FABL career, has announced his retirement from the sport and may consider a political career. The 36-year-old spent the past season and a half with the Boston Minutemen but struggled through a 9-14 campaign in 1947 with a 5.05 era. Overall, the Michigan native posted a career record of 174-142 and was a member of 3-pennant winning clubs including the 1937 World Championship Series winning Brooklyn Kings.
After pitching for Academia Alliance outfit George Fox University, White was a 1932 third round pick of the Brooklyn Kings. He debuted with the Kings two years later and spent the bulk of his career in their rotation, including seven consecutive seasons where he won at least 14 games during the Kings powerhouse days of the mid-to-late 1930. As the Kings began their decline in the 1940s he became their most reliable pitcher until a deadline deal in 1943 sent him to the Chicago Cougars. He would move on to Detroit in 1945 and then be dealt at the deadline for the third year in a row when the Minutemen acquired him and outfielder Rip Curry from the Dynamos in 1946.
Word is White is considering throwing his ballcap into the ring of municipal politics, with rumours circulating he is considering running for mayor -although it is not known if he plans on returning to Brooklyn, where he still has his off-season home or perhaps his native Michigan.
ROUND TWO OF FABL DRAFT CONTINUES
FABL clubs continue to work their way through the opening rounds of the 1948 amateur player draft. Among the picks recently announced were a pair of high school teammates from Illinois in Joe Kleman and Curt Brooks. Kleman, a shortstop many felt was a top five pick, fell all the way to Boston at 11th while his keystone partner Curt Brooks was selected with the final pick of the opening round by the World Champion Philadelphia Sailors.
Code:
1948 FABL AMATEUR PLAYER DRAFT: ROUND 1
# TM PLAYER POS AGE SCHOOL HOMETOWN
1- WAS Tom Miller SS 21 Coastal State Philadelphia, PA
2- CLE Stump Patterson 3B 17 Pelham Manor(NY)HS Pelham Manor, NY
3- DET Dino Sharp 1B 18 Grafton(OH) HS Detroit, MI
4- MON Pete Ireton 2B 18 Munhall(PA) HS Munhall, PA
5- PHI Buddy Miller CF 18 Lakeland(FL) HS Lakeland, FL
6- NYS Gene Curtis P 17 Furness HS, Phily Steelton, PA
7- NYG Hank Estill 3B 21 Bluegrass State Paducah, KY
8- TOR Bill Irvin LF 18 Roosevelt HS Los Angeles, CA
9- PIT Roy Snedden 3B 17 Rowlesburg(WV) HS Rowlesburg, WV
10- CIN Dave Smith P 17 Bellmore HS, NYC Brooklyn, NY
11- BOS Joe Kleman SS 17 Princeton(IL) HS Princeton, IL
12- BKN Jimmy Isgro P 18 Austin (MN) HS Austin, MN
13- PIT Ralph Hughes CF 17 Tupelo (MS) HS Tupelo, MS
14- PIT Glen Holbrook CF 17 Cleveland(OK) HS Winfield, KS
15- CLE Jim Urquhart 2B 20 Bluegrass State Memphis, TN
16- PHS Curt Brooks 2B 16 Princeton(IL) HS Chicago, IL
Code:
1948 FABL AMATEUR PLAYER DRAFT: ROUND 2
# TM PLAYER POS AGE SCHOOL HOMETOWN
17 CHI Walt Cooper P 17 Grand Rapids(MI)HS Flint, MI
18 CIN Happy Wright 1B 20 Constitution State Malden, MA
19 PHK Red Ellis SS 20 Miami State New York, NY
20 TOR Frankie Raymond P 17 Toledo Waite HS Toledo, OH
21 WAS Dutch Reeves CF 20 Gates University Syracuse, NY
22 BKN Enos Bell CF 16 Maplewood(NJ) HS New York, NY
23 DET Jack Miller P 21 Red River State Valdosta, GA
24 CLE Ted Dukes P 20 Brooklyn Catholic Pottstown, PA
25 PIT Bob Burge C 20 Macon State Ft Lauderdale, FL
26 CHC Amos Peterson 3B 17 Union City(TN) HS Union City, TN
27 BKN Roland Hawe RF 17 Normandy HS StL St Louis, MO
28 MON Al Craig RF 18 East Providence HS Providence, RI
29 BOS Joe Jones 3B 17 Hoboken(NJ) HS Hoboken, NJ
30 NYS Jimmy Morris P 17 Monroeville(OH) HS Monroeville, OH
31 STL
32 PHS
MAJORS CLOSING TO NUDGE INTO GRID SEASON
Football, collegiate and professional, which has been nudging into the baseball season more and more each year, is due for a surprise in 1948. FABL is going to nudge right back by not completing their next campaign until Sunday, October 3, with the possibility of the World Championship Series running as late as October 11.
The late ending of the majors season was not set as a direct blow at the gridiron sport, but was due to a calendar oddity, also to conform to the necessity of putting back the opening on account of the delay in starting spring training until March 1. The regular season will open on Tuesday April 20th with the Keystones and Eagles prying off the lid in Washington the previous afternoon. Last year they opened in the capital April 14.
"We run into this calendar situation about once in every eight or nine years," FABL President Sam Belton explained. "If we were to open the season on Tuesday April 13, we would wind up on September 26, and that would be much too early. October 3 is not a late date. We have gone as far as that in other years, and I think everything will work out."
College football will not be affected much by the majors' plans, although some of the campus outfits will get underway as early as September 18 and big games are scheduled for September 25, October 2 and October 9. With the pros, especially those clubs which use FABL ballparks, the situation will be different. Pro gridiron teams will be compelled to revise their schedules to avoid conflicts with the majors, who's fields they utilize.
- Now that the dust has settled on the draft picks here, courtesy of the Pittsburgh Press, is the full list of what the Miners received from the New York Gothams in exchange for Lefty Allen and George Cleaves.
Dick Steel
Dick Mills
Dick Joe Roberson
Chuck Briggs
Ernie Campbell
Harry Lorello
Lou Hooker
Roy Snedden
Glen Holbrook
- Staying with Pittsburgh, the Miners have confirmed that Speed Brown has retired, brought in due to two major arm injuries in the last 3 seasons plus he also spent a year and a half of the service on top of that. Blew out his arm just 5 innings into last season, but the year before had a career year with a 2.21 ERA in 89.2 IP split between the bullpen and rotation. Brown was 33-36 with 32 saves over 9 seasons with the Miners.
DUKES CLOSING IN ON SECOND PLACE
The Toronto Dukes are suddenly the hottest team in the NAHC after they reeled off four straight victories to close within two points of second place Montreal. The Dukes, despite allowing 9 more goals against then they have scored this season, are 17-16-3 as new head coach Jack Barrell has the club very much back in the playoff picture after a disastrous season a year ago that saw the Toronto club sink to the bottom of the league.
The Dukes have made a number of changes this season and not just behind the bench. Quinton Pollack, who was rookie of the year last season, came over from the defunct Brooklyn squad and is leading the club in scoring with 32 points, including a team best 14 goals in 34 games. Pollack is 25 and hardly a youngster after a number of years in the Great Western Hockey League including time spent under the tuteledge of Jack Barrell in Tacoma, but he is centering a young line with 24-year old Les Carlson (11-14-25) on his right and fresh-faced 20-year Lou Galbraith (12-18-30) on his left. Galbraith, a Winnipeg native selected first overall in last July's draft, has had no issues at all adjusting to the pace of the NAHC and appears to be the favourite to follow in Pollack's footsteps as the winner of the McLeod Trophy, presented annually to the loop's top newcomer. With both Pollock and Carlson hailing from Saskatchewan the Toronto papers have dubbed the trio "The Prairie Line".
That high scoring trio has eased the pressure on captain Bobbie Sauer (12-18-30) and the 33-year-old has moved to the second line, although Barrell is quick to point out he has three lines of equal value. Sauer has been spending his time recently with fellow greybeard Herb Burdette (8-13-21) and another newcomer in 21 year old Dick Zimmerman (9-15-24), who was the club's 1945 first round selection.
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NAHC Standings
TEAM GP W L T PTS GF GA
Chicago 36 21 12 3 45 128 88
Montreal 36 17 14 5 39 118 116
Toronto 36 17 16 3 37 105 114
Boston 36 16 16 4 36 111 99
New York 36 15 19 2 32 107 109
Detroit 36 12 21 3 27 87 130
SCORING LEADERS
NAME GP G A PTS
T Burns, Chi 30 24 15 40
Mahoney, Chi 31 14 26 40
W Burns, Chi 34 11 26 37
Cabbell, NY 35 24 10 34
Chandler, Bos 31 14 18 32
Pollack, Tor 34 14 18 32
Skinner, Mon 36 13 19 32
Albers, NY 36 11 21 32
Lanceleve, Mon 36 13 18 31
Sauer, Tor 32 12 18 30
Galbraith, Tor 36 12 18 30
McGlynn, Chi 36 15 13 28
Gregg, NY 31 13 15 28
Hart, Bos 35 13 15 28
Lynch, Mon 31 10 18 28
Haines, Mon 32 9 19 28
GOALIE LEADERS
NAME GP W L T ShO GAA
Hanson, Chi 30 15 12 3 2 2.51
James, Bos 13 6 6 1 1 2.62
Tremblay, NY 25 12 11 1 3 2.72
Brockers, Bos 23 10 10 3 0 2.79
Broadway, Tor 29 13 13 2 1 3.00
Touhey, Mon 27 15 10 1 1 3.23
Carter, Det 11 1 5 0 0 3.40
Sorrell, NY 13 3 8 1 2 3.52
Chasse, Det 31 11 16 3 2 3.62
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14
Detroit 0 at 5 Boston: Joe Morey scored twice and added an assist while Tom Brockers turned aside all 24 shots he faced to lead the Boston Bees to a 5-0 victory on home ice over last place Detroit. Jacob Gron, Craig Simpson and Conn Cundiff also scored for the Bees, who handed the sputtering Motors their 4th loss in the last five games.
Chicago 3 at 5 New York: Chicago's 4-game winning streak came to an end while the Shamrocks are unbeaten in four after taking a 5-3 decision at Bigsby Garden. Gil Corbeil paced the Greenshirts attack with a goal and two assists including a helper on Jim Macek's game winner with just 52 seconds remaining to snap a 3-3 tie. Orval Cabbell added an empty-net marker in the closing seconds for his league leading 24th goal of the season.
THURSDAY JANUARY 15
Toronto 2 at 1 Montreal: It is always a special night when these two hook up but the Valiants were forced to play without starting goaltender Millard Touhey, who remains sidelined with a virus. Rookie Sam Desjardins played very well as the substitute in the Montreal cage, turning aside 38 shots as Toronto dominated the contest. All the scoring came in the first period with Frank Featherstone and Les Carlson providing the Dukes offense while Shel Herron replied with a short-handed marker for the Vals.
SATURDAY JANUARY 17
Chicago 4 at 4 Montreal: A showdown between the top two teams in the NAHC was unable to produce a winner. Isaac Finnson scored the only goal of the final stanza to allow the Vals to claim a single point with rookie Sam Desjardins once more handling the Montreal goaltending duties. The Packers were short-staffed as well as Marty Mahoney missed the game with an injury. Jeremy MacLean scored twice for the visitors while Clarence Skinner had a goal and two helpers for Montreal.
Boston 1 at 3 Toronto: The Dukes, who finished dead last in the NAHC a year ago, leaped over Boston and into third place with a 3-1 victory on Dominion Gardens ice. Dick Zimmerman and Quinton Pollack scored just over a minute apart late in the third period to lift Toronto to the victory.
SUNDAY JANUARY 18
Montreal 2 at 3 Boston: The Valiants are now winless in 5 games after falling 3-2 at Denny Arena. Boston rearguard Len Bentley scored the only goal of the third period to provide the margin of victory for the Bees, who close to within 3 points of Montreal for second place.
Chicago 1 at 2 Detroit: Goals from Joe Todd and Miles Barfield along with a 31 save outing from goaltender Henri Chasse lifted the Detroit Motors to a 2-1 upset win over the first place Chicago Packers. The Packers are in what has to be considered a slump by their standards with 2 losses and a tie in their last three games.
Toronto 4 at 1 New York: The surging Dukes cooled off New York with a 4-1 victory to move Toronto to within 2 points of second place Montreal. The Dukes have now won 4 straight while the Shamrocks four game unbeaten streak is snapped. Toronto broke open a scoreless battle with 3 second period goals, all assisted by Al Cote, and only Chris Broeke's tally with less than 3 minutes away ruined Gordie Broadway's shutout bid.
UPCOMING REGULAR SEASON GAMES
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 21
Toronto at Boston
Montreal at Chicago
Detroit at New York
SATURDAY JANUARY 24
Detroit at Montreal
Chicago at Toronto
SUNDAY JANUARY 25
New York at Boston
Toronto at Chicago
Montreal at Detroit
AROUND THE LEAGUE
- Good and bad news on the injury front for the Montreal Valiants. The Vals will get goaltender Millard Touhey back for Wednesday's game in Chicago but they suffered a tough blow with news that Ian Doyle will miss at least two months with a broken bone in his hand. It marks the second straight season and third time in 4 years, counting the minors, that the 23-year-old has missed substantial time with a serious injury. Doyle had 12 goals and 24 points through 31 games with the Valiants this season after scoring 19 points in 23 games with Brooklyn last year before suffering a season ending injury.
- Montreal will likely be without depth winger Adam Sandford for the showdown in Chicago Wednesday as the 24-year-old is still recovering from a rib injury. On the Chicago side, Marty Mahoney -who shares the NAHC scoring lead with teammate Tommy Burns, is also expected to miss the game. Mahoney has been out since January 10 when he hurt his foot.
- Shamrocks defenseman Bert McCalley has a bee in his bonnet this season. After the veteran club captain lowered his penalty minute total to just 13 a year ago, he is leading the NAHC in sin-bin time with 77 minutes so far this season.
TACOMA CLASS OF THE WEST
The Tacoma Lions are tearing up the competition in the Great Western Hockey League once again this season. The Lions went 39-5-4 a year ago and won their third straight Yeadon Cup and they have not slowed down at all this season despite the fact that last year's head coach Jack Barrell moved on to Toronto and his now behind the bench of the NAHC Dukes.
The Lions did not miss a beat in replacing Barrell with another former skating star of the past. Victor Raberge is the new bench boss in Tacoma and that name should be very familiar to old time fans of the sports. Raberge got his start playing for Jack Connelly Sr.'s New Leiskard Silver Skates in the very first season of pro hockey back in 1909-10. A Montreal native, he bounced around several pro and semi-pro leagues before beginning his coaching career in British Columbia with several junior clubs. His son Victor Jr. was also a once prominent hockey prospect but was wounded in North Africa during the war which ended his playing days.
As for the Lions they are 21-4-4 on the season and 16 points ahead of second place Seattle. They have developed some solid NAHC players in the past, including last year's rookie of the year Quinton Pollack, so hockey fans in the east might want to remember the names of Ben Sabot and Johnny Canaday. The duo are tied for the GWHL scoring lead with 47 points each. Sabot, 25, is in his fourth season with the Lions after never being drafted by an NAHC club while Canaday was a 4th round selection of the New York Shamrocks in 1943. The 23-year-old's rights are still owned by the Shamrocks but the Ontario native seems quite comfortable on the west coast in the second year of a three year deal with the Lions.
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GREAT WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE STANDINGS
W L T PTS
Tacoma Lions 21 4 4 46
Seattle Emeralds 14 13 2 30
Portland Ports 10 14 4 24
Vancouver Bears 6 20 4 16
FORGET MARSHALL PLAN, TIME FOR SAWYER PLAN
In the realm of fisticuffs, New Orleans native Hector Sawyer, aptly dubbed "The Cajun Crusher," stands as the impregnable colossus reigning over the heavyweight division since 1940. After his most recent display of pugilistic prowess, a masterful 8th round TKO victory over the Oakland slugger Dan Miller, before a roaring crowd of more than 90,000 at the illustrious Santa Ana Stadium, Sawyer's claim to the world heavyweight title remains unchallenged.
Sawyer's long-time manager, Chester Conley, the astute maestro of monetary gain, has set his sights on expanding the champion's legacy across the Atlantic. With all of the American contenders falling to Sawyer's crushing blows, Conley's strategic plan now unfolds across the European landscape. Paris, London, and even Germany await Sawyer's formidable presence, as the boxing champion aims to unleash his fury on the European stage.
Yet, one might ponder the real motive behind this international boxing spectacle. Is it purely to showcase Sawyer's indomitable might, or does Conley see an opportunity to capitalize on the ongoing Congressional battle over the Marshall Plan, the heralded blueprint for European recovery after the ravages of war?
While Sawyer may find no worthy adversaries across the European waters, the financial gains from his transatlantic escapades could serve as a metaphorical Marshall Plan for the champion's coffers. Conley, the wily strategist, clearly understands that sometimes the greatest victories are won not just within the ropes but also within the economic arena.
As the boxing world awaits the unfolding drama of the Sawyer Plan, boxing aficionados and economists alike can ponder whether, in the game of champions, financial gains and pugilistic glories might just interweave on the international stage.
STEPHENS SET FOR TOUGH OPPONENT IN MITCHELL
It is amazing to think that Harold Stephens is the only fighter to successfully defend the welterweight title in nearly 8 years. Stephens accomplished that feat, ending a string of boxers winning the belt only to lose in their first defense, with a 6th round TKO victory over Carl Taylor in August. Now to be fair, for the vast majority of that stretch of time the title was vacant- the belt left to gather dust during the war years after Jimmy 'Kid' Simpson retired in 1940. Dennis O'Keefe claimed it after a 4 fighter 'play-off' ended a six year stretch without a welterweight champ but he quickly lost to Mark Westlake and Westlake did the same last February when he met Stephens. Now Stephens, a 29-year-old native of Providence, RI, with a 20-3-2 record faces what is expected to be the toughest test of his career.
Ira Mitchell is 28 and a thunder-fisted, decorated ex-Marine from Chicago who counts 17 knockouts among his 19 victories while just losing once as a professional. That was in 1945, when Steve Landry managed to go the distance and 'steal' a 12-round decision from Mitchell. The fight will take place in Cleveland at the Lake Erie Arena on Saturday and many are expecting the welterweight belt to once more change hands.
THE CHEF FINDS HIS FLAVOR AGAIN
It has been a tumultuous journey for Scott "The Chef" Baker over the past year and a half. The heavyweight hailing from the streets of Philadelphia, once tantalizingly close to a world title shot against the formidable Hector Sawyer, faced a rocky path with three consecutive defeats before finally reclaiming his stride with a convincing unanimous decision over Chris May in his hometown last Thursday.
The win offers a glimmer of hope for Baker, now sporting a 16-3-2 record, as he sets his sights on reaching the pinnacle of his profession. Fate often weaves an unpredictable tapestry in the world of boxing, and Baker can attest to the capricious hand of destiny. Reflecting on his previous setbacks, Baker humbly acknowledged being outboxed, especially in his encounter with the popular Boston heavyweight Roy Crawford at the unwelcoming Denny Arena, merely two months after an arduous 10-round triumph over Abel Kessler.
"I was young and frankly vexed that (promoter Chester) Conley declined to grant me a title shot," Baker candidly disclosed. "I truly believed I had earned it after defeating Kessler, remaining unbeaten in 17 fights. But the old man (Conley) thought I wasn't a big enough draw. All I wanted was to fight," Baker admitted, shaking his head with retrospection. "In hindsight, I realize I should have been better prepared for Crawford."
Misfortune struck when Baker suffered a broken hand in his next bout, courtesy of Chris May's sturdy jaw, prompting him to yield to a TKO defeat. It took a grueling seven months of recuperation before he was deemed fit to re-enter the ring, yet the setback lingered as he suffered a controversial split decision loss to the seasoned Dick Martin. A much-needed six-month hiatus, during which Baker took a well-deserved respite from the ring, culminated in a fighter reminiscent of the rising star he once embodied. With his dominant unanimous decision victory over Chris Sullivan, The Chef appears to have rekindled his flavor and may now be set for a savory resurgence.
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS- Jan 19- Portland, Oregon: WW contenders Mark Westlake (22-2-1) vs Carl Taylor (22-4-2)
- Jan 24 - Lake Erie Arena, Cleveland, OH: World Welterweight champion Harold Stephens (20-3-2) defends his title against Ira Mitchell (19-1)
- Jan 29 - Bigsby Garden, New York: HW contender Mark Fountain (22-4-1) vs Dave Kennedy (28-11-4) and HW contender Roy Crawford (25-3) vs Glenn Hairston (25-8-2)
- Jan 31- Detroit: rising HW Lewis Jones (14-1) vs Marvin Martin (18-10-4)
- Feb 3- Philadelphia: former WW champ Dennis O'Keefe (20-3) vs John Gregory (18-2-1)
- Feb 3- Detroit: MW Adrian Petrie (14-1-1) vs P.J. Whitaker (19-15-1)
- Feb 17- Hartford, Ct: rising HW Tommy Cline (12-0) vs Mike McFarland (17-3-2)
- Feb 23- Bigsby Garden, New York: MW Jack Rainey (24-4) vs Frankie Townsley (20-7-1)
BIG WEEK FOR BOSTON AND WASHINGTON IN ABC
The Boston Centurions and Washington Statesmen each enjoyed a 3-victory week and both are holding down top spot in their respective American Basketball Conference divisions. The Statesmen beat Pittsburgh for the third game in a row to start their week and followed that up with home wins over Rochester and second place Richmond. The week was really the Charles Hooper show as the 5th year veteran out of St. Ignatius was dominant all week. He scored 33 points and added 18 rebounds in a 96-90 win in Pittsburgh, adding 28 points and 20 boards in an 86-81 victory over the Rockets and finished the week with 20 points and 13 rebounds to pace the Statesmen past the Clipper 76-65, for their third win over Richmond since New Year's Eve.
Hooper, a second team All-American as a senior at St. Ignatius, played a key role in the Statesmen's ABC championship season a year ago. The 28-year-old native of Dwight, Il., was the Statesman first round pick, 4th overall in 1942.
In the East the Boston Centurions ran their winning streak to 9 games with three home victories this week. They started with a 82-73 triumph over Brooklyn Monday evening to take over first place and followed that up with a pair of high scoring battles. Tuesday it was a wild 120-102 win over Hartford in which Morgan Melcher led the Centurions with 30 points but John Rodrigez of the Patriots exploed for 36. The rematch Saturday at Denny Arena was much tighter as the Boston quintet hung on for a 103-102 victory despite another 31 points from Hartford forward Rodrigez.
At the other end of the spectrum we have the New York Knights, who saw their losing streak stretch to 10 games with a pair of losses to Brooklyn this week.
It was a quiet week for the East Division leaders in the Federal League with both Philadelphia and Baltimore only playing once. Both won with the Phantoms extending their winning streak to 5 games with a 9-73 victory over Cleveland while the Barons had little trouble downing Cincinnati 86-69 behind 22 points from Nestor Patterson. West leader Chicago had a 3 game week, splitting a pair with second place Detroit around a 101-92 mid-week win over Cleveland.
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AMERICAN BASKETBALL CONFERENCE STANDINGS
EAST W L PCT GB
Boston 17 8 .680 -
Brooklyn 17 9 .654 0.5
Hartford 10 16 .385 7.5
New York 5 18 .217 11.0
WEST W L PCT GB
Washington 15 6 .714 -
Richmond 16 12 .571 2.5
Pittsburgh 11 14 .440 6.0
Rochester 8 16 .333 8.5
SCORING LEADERS PPG
James Phillips, HAR 20.8
John Rodrigez, HAR 19.7
Morgan Melcher, BOS 19.2
Charles Hooper, WAS 19.2
Stewart Hurlburt, RIC 19.0
Augie Schleicher, PIT 18.9
Gerald Carter, BOS 18.4
Ivory Mitchell, BKN 17.8
Norm Yates, RIC 17.4
Ivan Sisco, WAS 17.2
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FEDERAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE STANDINGS
EAST W L PCT GB
Philadelphia 15 6 .714 -
Baltimore 13 7 .650 1.5
Buffalo 8 13 .381 7.0
Toronto 5 16 .238 10.0
WEST W L PCT GB
Chicago 16 5 .762 -
Detroit 10 12 .455 6.5
Cincinnati 9 13 .409 7.5
Cleveland 9 13 .409 7.5
SCORING LEADERS PPG
Richard Campbell, CHI 21.7
Irvin Mudd, PHI 20.4
Lary Yim, BUF 19.4
Danny Hendon, PHI 19.2
Jamel Porter, TOR 18.8
David Reed, DET 18.4
Jack Hirst, BAL 17.4
Jack Kurtz, DET 16.5
George Kelley, CLE 16.0
Nestor Patterson, BAL 15.0
SECTION PLAY GETS UNDERWAY IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL
The key stretch of games in collegiate basketball has begun for the Academia Alliance with most other sections set to follow this week. That would be the section matchups as the battle for the champion in each of the conference and the automatic berth in the AIAA tournament is about to begin.
Games against rivals did get underway on three fronts last week including the Academai Alliance where Brunswick, which held conference bragging rights two years ago, opened with back to back road wins against defending section champion Sadler and Dickson.
One school that will not have any section games but certainly bares watching closely is Liberty College. The Bells have reached the National Championship game each of the past two tournaments but had a rough start with 4 losses in their first 11 games but since then have won 7 straight including victories over George Fox and Maryland State as Ward Messer has continued to carry the club. Messer is averaging 15.8 ppg and 9.8 rebounds and has helped the Bells climb into the top ten in the latest AIAA rankings. The do have a tough test ahead tonight when they host St Blane.
Great Lakes Alliance and West Coast Athletic Association section matchups begin this week with both schools well represented at the moment in the top twenty-five. The GLA has four schools including #1 Western Iowa ranked in the top ten while the WCAA has three of the top 8. In most years, many of them begin to drop once the conference slate commences as the section foes take turns knocking each other off.
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AIAA COLLEGIATE CAGE RANKINS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Western Iowa (64) 12-1 1792 2 Great Lakes Alliance
2. Carolina Poly (7) 14-1 1731 1 South Atlantic Conference
3. Rainier College (1) 14-1 1657 3 West Coast Athletic Association
4. Mississippi A&M 14-1 1582 5 Deep South Conference
5. Detroit City College 11-2 1443 4 Great Lakes Alliance
6. CC Los Angeles 13-1 1432 7 West Coast Athletic Association
7. Central Ohio 11-2 1367 8 Great Lakes Alliance
8. Coastal California 12-2 1259 9 West Coast Athletic Association
9. Liberty College 14-4 1183 15 Indy
10. Whitney College 11-2 1155 6 Great Lakes Alliance
11. Noble Jones College 15-3 1127 12 Deep South Conference
12. Lane State 12-3 1018 17 West Coast Athletic Association
13. Lambert College 15-2 942 13 Midwestern Association
14. Bayou State 10-3 841 16 Deep South Conference
15. Pittsburgh State 15-3 777 23 Indy
16. Travis College 13-2 690 19 Southwestern Alliance
17. Redwood 11-3 676 10 West Coast Athletic Association
18. Indiana A&M 11-2 606 18 Great Lakes Alliance
19. Texas Gulf Coast 10-4 501 11 Southwestern Alliance
20. Frankford State 18-4 438 NR Indy
21. Brunswick 11-4 329 NR Academia Alliance
22. Central Kentucky 12-3 307 14 Deep South Conference
23. Great Plains State 15-4 242 22 Indy
24. St. Blane 13-6 130 NR Indy
25. University of New Jersey 10-3 80 NR Eastern Six
Others Receiving Votes:
Alabama Baptist 9-3 42 Deep South Conference
Perry State College 14-4 32 Indy
Western State 10-3 16 Central Athletic Alliance
Brooklyn Catholic 11-4 4 Liberty Conference
St. Ignatius 9-4 1 Great Lakes Alliance
MONDAY JANUARY 12
at #9 Liberty College 68, Maryland State 44
TUESDAY JANUARY 13
at #1 Western Iowa 60, #23 Great Plains State 39
at #2 Carolina Poly 71, Brooklyn State 53
at #11 Noble Jones College 75, Topeka State 47
at #12 Lane State 60, Grant (IN) 58
at #15 Pittsburgh State 57, St. Ignatius 43
Golden Gate 54, at #17 Redwood 43
at #20 Frankford State 47, Jersey City Tech 44
at Chesapeake State 41, #22 Central Kentucky 28
at #24 St. Blane 49, Eastern Virginia 30
at #25 University of New Jersey 66, Penobscot State 45
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14
at #18 Indiana A&M 49, Central Illinois 30
#21 Brunswick 64, at Sadler 34
THURSDAY JANUARY 15
at #4 Mississippi A&M 50, Mississippi Tech 40
at #8 Coastal California 68, College of San Diego 58
#10 Whitney College 64, at Mahoning Valley State 48
at #12 Lane State 68, Golden Gate 61
at #13 Lambert College 55, Rock Island 44
#16 Travis College 61, at Tempe College 44
at #23 Great Plains State 55, Topeka State 47
#24 St. Blane 66, at Garden State 47
at #25 University of New Jersey 72, Bethlehem College 58
FRIDAY JANUARY 16
at #1 Western Iowa 62, Michigan Lutheran 34
at #15 Pittsburgh State 48, #5 Detroit City College 46
at #9 Liberty College 64, Brooklyn State 46
SATURDAY JANUARY 17
at #4 Mississippi A&M 53, Oklahoma Bible College 46
at #6 CC Los Angeles 38, College of Omaha 34
at #7 Central Ohio 52, St. Patrick's 44
at Eastern Kansas 60, #10 Whitney College 54
at #12 Lane State 67, Kansas Agricultural 47
#13 Lambert College 61, at Needham 54
at #14 Bayou State 52, Maldin 37
at #16 Travis College 67, San Francisco Tech 54
at #17 Redwood 49, Quaker College (CA) 34
at #18 Indiana A&M 44, Three Rivers State 36
at #19 Texas Gulf Coast 43, Capital (MS) University 33
#21 Brunswick 55, at Dickson 44
at #24 St. Blane 55, West Corners (NY) 34
SUNDAY JANUARY 18
#3 Rainier College 49, at North Carolina Tech 47
at #11 Noble Jones College 56, Chesapeake State 51
at #20 Frankford State 63, Bliss College 57
at #23 Great Plains State 44, Eastern Oklahoma 30
PRO FOOTBALL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES IS 'DEMANDED' IN POLL
Playoff is Inevitable, Majority of U.S. Scribes Declare
A pro football league World Championship Series between the winners of the American Football Association and Continental Football Conference is inevitable, in the opinion of a vast majority of the Nation's sports editors who participated in the year-end TWIFB poll.
There were a few dissenting votes who thought the conference, which just finished its second year, was not ready for a playoff yet, but they were in the minority. A playoff, starting in 1948 if possible, was the wish of more than 90 per cent of the voters.
*** Called Necessity ***
Comments ranged from "the sooner the better" to "a pro football WCS is as necessary as a pro baseball series and is currently the number one necessity in sports."
"It is silly for the AFA to ignore the CFC" wrote pme editor, and another added "now that the Continental Football Conference appears as if it is here to stay, something must be done along the lines of economy."
The Kansas City Cowboys swept to the Conference championship in 1947, repeating its 1946 triumph, by a playoff victory over the New York Football Gothams. Cleveland's Finches climaxed a great season by downing the Washington Wasps to capture the American Association title.
*** Extending to New Year a Concern ***
There is some concern regarding the potential weather a championship game in late December or early January might encounter. That could force them to choose a warm weather neutral site, perhaps in Texas or California, if such a championship was to be arranged. The AFA, which has ignored the CFC, soon holds its annual meeting. Clubowner Homer Bentley of the Washington Wasps has proposed a common draft for the two leagues as a cost-saving measure for both and if adopted, perhaps that could eventually lead up to an interleague game.
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 1/18/1948
- President Truman has asked Congress for a record peacetime budget of just under $40 billion to run the Government in the fiscal year starting July 1. It is an increase of $1.9 billion over the current rate of expenditure.
- Republicans set out to chop $5 billion out of Truman's budget request.
- In demanding the power to curb inflation, the President warned late in the week that American was heading towards the peril of a "serious business slump."
- British and American officials are studying a reported Communist scheme -identified as "protocal M"- for smashing the Marshall Plan and crippling industrial Germany.
- New York Governor Thomas Dewey declared himself a candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination and is on the Oregon primary along with three other major declared contenders: Senator Taft of Ohio, California Gov. Warren and Harold Stassen, former Gov. of Minnesota.
- Arab sources claim as many as 49 Jews were killed in fighting with Arabs overnight in the Judean Hills between Bethlehem and Hebron.