FEBRUARY 23, 1948
GOULDING DEFYS CONVENTION, EVEN IN RETIREMENT
In an off-season filled with eye-popping news, word that Gus Goulding has decided to walk away from the Chicago Chiefs and the sport of baseball at the age of 34 hit like a ton of bricks in the city of Chicago and might just count as the most surprising event of the winter. The record setting contract that Woody Stone received from San Francisco played out before us for over a month. The huge deal between Pittsburgh and the Gothams that sent George Cleaves and Lefty Allen to the Big Apple also had warning as the Miners let everyone know that the two all-stars were on the block. Goulding will never be mistaken for Lefty Allen but nearly everyone involved in baseball was floored upon hearing the news that the former 2nd overall draft pick out of St Blane is hanging up his cleats to do missionary work.
The timing only adds to the shock factor, coming just over a week before clubs report for spring training, and sends the Chiefs organization reeling. It may well play a big role in the Federal Association pennant race as the Chiefs had been considered contenders, and may well still be although their flag waiving odds are certainly longer today then they were a day ago.
Goulding says he is walking away from the game to fulfill another of his lifelong dreams. "After an anguishing few months and a lot of sleepless nights, I've come to realize my heart just isn't in the game anymore," explained the 34-year-old righthander. "It's been a good run and I couldn't be more thankful to my teammates and my coaches, who have supported me every step of the way." Goulding said he has always wanted to be more involved in his church, and is intending on becoming a missionary and travelling the world to help others.
It was quite a career for 10-year FABL veteran who entered the league to great fanfare with a dominant 8-0 start for a terrible 1936 Baltimore Cannons team. He would never recapture that early success with the Cannons, leading the Continental Association in losses each of the next three seasons before being moved to the New York Gothams in a blockbuster deal in December of 1939, just after the Cannons announced a move to Cincinnati and what would be the start of a renaissance for the franchise.
The ups and downs for Goulding would continue in New York where he struggled to a 51-58 record over three and a half seasons. The biggest moment of his career came in Game Seven of the 1942 World Championship Series when, in what is clearly the most important game Goulding ever pitched, he threw a complete game 7-hitter to beat the New York 3-1 and win the WCS for the Gothams. Less than a year later, Goulding was gone. Dealt to Chicago in July of 1943 and then off to the navy in November of that year.
Amazingly that two year stint during the war would be the only time in his career to durable Goulding would ever miss a game. He struggled through a 12-16 1946 season with a Chiefs club that had its own struggles that year but in '47 he posted just the third winning season of his career and there were great expectations for both Goulding and the Chiefs in the year ahead.
Perhaps it is fitting that Goulding defied expectations in retirement and walked away while seemingly at his peak. After all he never became the top of the rotation pitcher everyone felt he would become despite showing just enough flashes of brilliance to keep FABL General Manager's hoping he would eventually find himself. It turns out he did. It just wasn't with baseball.
VOTERS FACE TOUGH CHOICES IN HALL CALL
There are really no wrong answers but members of FABL's Writers' Association face a very difficult task this week as they are being called on to select 5 candidates from a list of 17 that they deem most worthy of being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. A separate committee will also deliberate the merits of 14 early days (pre-1925) players and may elect to add one or more of them to the 1948 class.
There was much debate with writer's making a case for their particular favourites and several scribes have released their ballots publically. The consensus is there are three sure-bets for induction in 300-game winner Rabbit Day, along with infielders Dave Trowbridge and Frank Vance -each of whom finished just shy of 3,000 career hits.
Here is a list with career numbers for each of the 17 candidates eligible.
While no one would argue the inclusion of Rabbit Day, there was plenty of debate over what other pitcher(s), if any, deserved to be selected for induction in the Boone County Museum. Some writers, most notably Leland Kuenster of the Chicago Herald-Examiner, made a case for Charlie Stedman as the second best pitcher in the group. Kuenster heralded the fact that Stedman had such a steady career while acknowleding that his peak wasn't that high, but he never had a valley either. He was just Steady Charlie for a couple of decades.
Ernie Herr of the Cincinnati Post preferred Tom Barrell, noting Barrell had a career similar to Hall of Famer Jim Golden, who was out of baseball by age 31 but completely dominated the game before his exit. "Day is the only clear lock in my mind (among pitchers) and should be unanimous. But for those who bashed Aaron Wright and Jack Long as old-timers not deserving as they simply amassed wins due to longevity, I have to point to Charlie Stedman. He was a good pitcher but really never would be considered as the best pitcher any year even his 1 Allen Award winning season you could have made a case for Ken Carpenter, Russ Reel or perhaps even Rabbit Day that season."
"Stedman deserves to be in the Hall someday," continued Herr, "just as I believe Wright and Long due. But Barrell dominated the game for 3 years in much the same fashion Jim Golden did. You could easily make a case that Barrell was the best pitcher in the Continental Association for that time and possibly better than Day for some of it. I can't see anyone successfully arguing Stedman was ever the best pitcher in baseball. He was very good for a long time and very durable. But Barrell, until the injuries hit, was great and who else has won 3 straight Allen Awards?"
Doc Shaw of the Boston Globe noted that late in his career there was a debate about Stedman's potential Hall of Fame candidacy and reminded his fellow voters "that we had solid debates about being a compiler and how some would never vote him in?" In the end Shaw says he did not vote for Stedman, but also did not case a ballot for Barrell either. Shaw, who released his ballot, went with just 1 pitcher -Rabbit Day- as well as Frank Vance, Dave Trowbridge, Jack Cleaves and "the guy that I feel is seriously getting overlooked...Joe Masters."
Both Brett Bing of the Toronto Mail & Empire and Percy Pringle Sr. of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle threw their support behind Stedman but Chicago Daily News writer Archie Irwin threw a wrench into the discussions by not only naming Stedman on his ballot but also long-timer Cougars star Dick Lyons, making him the only voter to make public a decision to place three hurlers on his ballot.
It is expected final results from the Boone County selection committee will be made public next week.
KEYSTONES THRIVE ON STABILITY
It might be hard to find a team that takes a more level-headed conservative approach to running its organization that the job the Philadelphia Keystones do on a year-to-year basis. Like all teams the Keystones have had some down seasons, but they have not finished last in the Federal Association since 1924. Rarely do the Keystones make big trades, as they prefer to draft and develop talent from within their system and that approach has paid off with the Keystones claiming five pennants and three World Championship Series wins in the modern era. At 1758-1631 over that span the club has been for the most part the model of consistency and that stability stretches throughout the organization. They have had some changes in the manager's seat, but the GM has been in place since 1925, assistant GM George Mitchell has held his role since 1937 and Harry Dunn has been in charge of the Keystones scouting department since 1932.
TWIFB had the opportunity to sit done with Dunn recently and learn a little about the Keystones upcoming season as well as how Dunn and the management team have had a plan and stuck with it through thick and thin.
TWIFB Congratulations on an outstanding offensive season from the Keystones- record breaking numbers from Bobby Barrell, both on his own and in combination with Hank Koblenz and newcomer Roger Cleaves. Broad Street Park is very friendly to power bats, and this is not to say those 3 would not belt homers anywhere they played, but as a head scout in Philadelphia do you pay more attention to power potential when assessing talent because of the ballpark?
HARRY DUNN All the credit goes to the players and their hard work. I certainly cannot take any credit for Barrell as he was drafted before I joined the organization, but we work hard to scout and find talent anywhere we can. Koblenz was a trade where we gave up a solid starting pitcher (Frank Crawford) and a young player we had hopes for (Frank LeMieux). Cleaves was a diamond in the rough. We do not explicitly look for players to fit our ballpark and we try to have a balance of speed and power in our organization so we are not reliant on the home run.
TWIFB You have been with the Keystones for more than a decade and a half. The franchise has built a reputation as one that develops from within. In fact it seems both Philadelphia ballclubs are the polar opposite of what we see say in New York, where the Gothams and to a lesser extent the Stars are constantly making big moves. There has been some success with your approach -5 pennants and 3 WCS- but is there not some temptation to try and 'go all in' especially now that Barrell is getting older?
HARRY DUNN I joined the Keystones in 1932 and we had already had a good farm system, but I have tried to implement a consistent philosophy up and down the ladder. I appreciate the faith the front office has put in us to develop our youngsters and their reluctance to rush players to the majors. I take my cues from the General Manager and if he wants to go for it in the twilight of Bobby's career, I will give my best guidance on players around the league who can help get us there and which players we could give up without compromising our ability to win from within.
TWIFB Looking to this season where do you see the Keystones ending up in the Fed race? The Fed looks competitive as always and no one outside of New York can match the Keystones firepower but will your pitching be up to the task?
HARRY DUNN Where we end up is not for me to say. That's what they pay you reporters for, right? [Chuckles] I will say I feel good about this Keystones team. Speaking on the young players, I think the fact we had Nate Power spend most of the year in Philadelphia will pay dividends down the road. On the pitching side, I feel the same way about Charlie Waddell, Joe Quade, and Sid Moulton. They are our next generation of arms to help us in the 1950s. George Polk is the next pitching prospect we hope can help us at the major league level this year or next year. We have ability, pedigree, and growing experience. I know our pitching will be better.
TWIFB Who do you see as the team to beat in the Fed?
HARRY DUNN The Fed is so tight and it really could be anyone stepping to the fore. As you said, the Gothams are going for it. The Pioneers are set up to win for a while. Don't forget the Eagles, which are a year removed from a pennant. I have a lot of respect for how the Dynamos and the Chiefs run their clubs. Boston and Pittsburgh are taking a longer-term view, but anything can happen. Why not us? I like our hitting, our pitching might surprise some people, we can catch the ball. We have leadership coming out of our pores, so if we start well, I believe we could sustain it. I wouldn't pick us because I don't want to take up space on seven other teams' bulletin boards, but I believe in the Keystones.
TWIFB Perhaps the Keystones knew it was coming but I think few outside the organization anticipated just how good Roger Cleaves would be as a 23-year-old. Especially as a 7th round pick. Looking at your organization who do you think might step up and surprise some people this year? Is there another Roger Cleaves type impact player on the way?
HARRY DUNN I have a couple of guys in mind who might just help the Keystones at the major league level this year. I've already mentioned [George] Polk, who would give us a lefthander in our rotation, something we have not had in a few years. But, Johnnie Porter is on his way and could make his debut this year. He was our first pick in '43 and had a rough go of it to say the least (7-for-102 in B/C in his draft year). He missed two years for the War and found his hitting shoes in '46. Last year, he developed some power in A-ball and played a great centerfield (13 assists). I am looking forward to see him take the next step this year.
TWIFB You are approaching two decades in your role with the Keystones. You got your start in the feeder league era, have been through the various changes the draft has undergone over the years including the lottery and now the ban on trading draft picks. How has the Keystones approach to drafting changed over the years, or has it?
HARRY DUNN At the end of the day, I look for tools. I scout with my eyes and I've seen enough games over, jeez, the last 40+ years that I can project talent into future success. I see it as a winning formula, so why change it? We have a good team and great support to believe in my recommendations to go for the best available player without as much regard to position and to tilt towards athletes. I am glad to see the trading of draft picks abolished because I value those picks and our best chances to improve our organizational depth and talent through the draft system.
TWIFB You have had a few weeks to reflect on the '48 draft, which you have completed the first 10 rounds of. How do you feel about how it went for the Keystones and any surprises you did not expect to be available that you landed?
HARRY DUNN I went into the draft with a plan and we executed on that plan. We were very high on Buddy Miller and he will give us flexibility in the outfield, as he can play any of the three outfield positions. As a hitter, he is one of the best pure hitters I have scouted, so I was very happy he fell to us at number five. We targeted a collegiate shortstop early because we have a lot of talent at the very low minors with Andres Pagan, who we drafted last year. Red Ellis played at Miami State, so he plays against future pros and held his own at bat while showing me a lot in the field. Bill Del Vecchio, our fourth rounder, was an easy decision and someone I expected to be scooped up in the third round. Same with Gord Russell, who has some pop in hit bat. I think we helped ourselves at several positions around the diamond.
TWIFB Finally anything else we should know about the Keystones as they prepare for the '48 season?
HARRY DUNN Yes, our manager [Carl Ames] is going to be a good one. I have known him for a long time and he bleeds Keystones red. He knows this team. He has their respect. I know Carl will be successful, I just know it.
CHIEFS CONFIDENT ABOUT '48 CAMPAIGN
(Editors note: This interview was conducted prior to news that Gus Goulding announced his retirement)
The Chicago Chiefs gave the St Louis Pioneers a run for their money last season and club officials are quietly confident that they can contend for a pennant in the upcoming season. Like every team in the Federal Association it seems, there may be some questions about pitching depth, but the addition of Pete Casstevens and Tim Hopkins at the last two trade deadlines is cause for plenty of optimism at Whitney Park.
TWIFB recently caught up with Jim Golden, the Hall of Fame pitcher, who returned to the sport after an 8-year absence to assume the assistant General Manager job with the Chiefs last season. Golden, who held a similar role for a decade with the Brooklyn Kings during their dominant run, feels the Chiefs have as good a shot as anyone of raising the Fed flag in '48. Here are some excerpts from out conversation:
TWIFB: The Chiefs improved by 12 games last year over their 1946 finish and were still without shouting distance of the Pioneers for much of the season before settling in to fourth. Obviously every team's goal is to win the pennant but if that doesn't happen what would it take from the '48 Chiefs for you to consider it a successful season?
JIM GOLDEN: To win a pennant, there is so much that needs to happen that is really out of your control. My job is to put the best roster of players together that I can. The organization's goal each season is to finish in the first division. If you are in the first division--"hanging around", as you called it--then you are a hot streak or two away from a pennant race.
TWIFB: Who is the team you fear most right now in the Fed?
JIM GOLDEN: On paper--The Gothams. Although the Pioneers and Sailors winning their pennants last season means you can throw the paper in the trash.
TWIFB: There was a lot of turnover a year ago with four new regulars in the batting order (Casstevens, D'alessandro and Wilson plus Hopkins who came midway through the previous season). I assume Jim Rutherford will play every day somewhere. What other changes might we expect for '48?
JIM GOLDEN: We have a number of good outfielders. Dave Kreiger is a young player who is just about to get himself noticed nationally. Bill Brown came up and hit 20 home runs in just part of a season. WIth Casstevens, D'Alessandro, and Wilson now fully settled into their roles, I see our offense as being even better this season.
TWIFB: Al Miller and Pete Casstevens are the only Chiefs listed in either the top twenty pitchers or top twenty hitters by OSA. Is there anyone you feel the league scouting service overlooked on your club?
JIM GOLDEN: Tim Hopkins. I would say that Red Johnson is the only better first baseman than Hopkins in the Fed at the moment. But I don't pay too much attention to rankings anyway.
TWIFB: Any concerns about John Stallings? He led the Fed in walks last year but still had a decent first full season even though he did not have anywhere near the impact Al Miller did at the same stage of his career. OSA seems to have really tempered its opinion on the 22-year-old lefthander, calling him a spot starter who needs a little more experience to even become a "back of the rotation piece." When he was drafted Dan Barrell was comparing him to Rabbit Day? Do you think those comparison put too much pressure on Stallings and are there any concerns the revised scouting service assessment might be much closer to what Stalling becomes than the original calls for a future Hall of Fame type career?
JIM GOLDEN: There are no concerns with Stallings. Everyone is always quick to anoint a young player as the next "whomever." We thought enough about Stallings that we brought him to Chicago right away. So he's learning how to pitch while facing FABL hitters. A kid with that much talent can dominate at the high school level by just throwing the ball up there. Now he's learning how to pitch.
TWIFB: The Chiefs have moved a lot of prospects over recent seasons and the minor league system is a little light compared to many organizations. Is that a worry or do you feel the organization is well positioned for the future?
JIM GOLDEN: I like prospects as much as we all do--they represent the future. But you will always find me willing to trade the "potential" of prospects for an established player. There is every indication that Dick Steel will be an all-star someday. Pete Casstevens is a top catcher today.
TWIFB: You did not have a first round pick because of the Pete Casstevens trade but how would you assess your recent draft haul? Anyone you were surprised was still available when your turn came up?
JIM GOLDEN: I think our draft went well. The two pitchers selected--Walt Cooper and Chubby Gooch--were both highly rated by the scouting department. And when you watch first baseman Ray Nickerson hit, you are reminded of Ron Rattigan.
TWIFB: Finally, who wins the Fed this season and where do you see the Chiefs finishing?
JIM GOLDEN: (laughs) I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't say the Chiefs.
- Chiefs fans are reeling with the news of Gus Goulding's retirement. Leland Kuenster of the Chicago Herald-Examiner suggests all hope is not lostm noting that for the Chiefs "it means that Stallings' maturation becomes more critical. And some of the younger pitchers--Ralph Kendall, Angel Lopez--need to take advantage of the situation."
- Kuenster also points out the signs that something was up with Goulding have been there for a while. The Herald-Examiner speculated several weeks ago that Goulding seemed a little more reseverd during a winter club caravan tour of nearby cities.
- Kuenster added that " Goulding is a great example of misplaced expectations. He was someone you could put down for 250 innings each and every season. He was drafted 2nd and wasn't Rabbit Day, so that dogged him."
- John Brinker of the New York Daily Mirror pointed out that "Goulding was a pretty talented guy. But yeah, he could never escape or live up to the expectations that came with being a #2 overall pick. And since Deuce (Barrell) was picked first overall the year after him, he was never really "the guy" for any of the teams he pitched for either - there was always someone better than him on the roster whether it was Deuce, Day or Al Miller."
- Montreal's GM was running Washington back in Goulding's draft year and noted he had a tough choice between Goulding and his St Blane teammate Bobo White with the number one pick. "I clearly made the wrong pick at the time when you looked at both players career stats," he noted. White was 44-58 over parts of six seasons with the Eagles and Detroit and is presently playing AA ball out west.
- Mention of White's career prompted Kuenster to quip "And that should have been Goulding's rejoinder to his critics: At least I'm not Bobo White."
BURNS ON RECRD PACE FOR PACKERS
Tommy Burns continues to race towards the NAHC single season goal scoring record. The Chicago Packers 28-year-old center has 42 goals in 43 games this season and is now within 5 goals of tying Bert Gordier's 1929-30 record of 47. Only Gordier and his Boston teammate that season George Tremaine had ever reached the 40-goal mark until Burns raced by the milestone last Wednesday with his 40th against Boston.
Sure purists will point to the fact teams only played 44 games that season, compared to the 60 the Packers will eventually compete in this year, but Gordier and Tremaine also were the beneficiaries of an offensive explosion as teams scrambled to adjust to a rule change that opened up game and resulted in a record setting number of goals. Things quickly adjust the following year and no one had scored more than 34 goals in a season since. Until this year when Burns, following up on a league leading 30 goal season (tied with Boston's Tommy Hart and Quinton Pollack, then of Brooklyn), has exploded.
Despite missing his long-time winger Marty Mahoney for the past 3 games, Burns has scored 6 goals in that span and has an 8-game goal scoring streak on the go, during which time he amassed 15 goals and 19 points. As a whole the Packers offense has been dominant and averaged 3.8 goals per game. Chicago has 186 goals in 49 games with the last place Shamrocks second in that category but with 33 less than the Packers.
There are 11 games remaining in the season and the Packers, 15 points up on second place Boston, seem a lock to finish in first place for the first time in franchise history. Tommy Burns also seems to be a lock to win his third straight McDaniels Trophy as the NAHC's most valuable player and may just have a record-setting season.
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NAHC Standings
TEAM GP W L T PTS GF GA
Chicago 49 29 14 6 64 186 122
Boston 49 20 20 9 49 149 137
Toronto 49 22 23 4 48 141 154
Montreal 49 20 23 6 46 141 162
Detroit 50 19 25 6 44 132 170
New York 48 19 24 5 43 153 157
SCORING LEADERS
NAME GP G A PTS
T Burns, Chi 43 42 21 63
W Burns, Chi 47 12 39 51
Cabbell, NY 47 35 15 50
Mahoney, Chi 38 16 34 50
Albers, NY 48 16 31 47
Chandler, Bos 44 21 23 44
Pollack, Tor 42 19 20 39
Galbraith, Tor 49 17 25 42
Hart, Bos 48 22 19 41
Sauer, Tor 45 16 25 41
Skinner, Mon 49 18 21 39
Gregg, NY 42 17 22 39
McGlynn, Chi 49 20 18 38
Lanceleve, Mon 46 13 25 38
MacLean, Chi 45 12 26 38
GOALIE LEADERS
NAME GP W L T ShO GAA
Hanson, Chi 42 22 14 6 3 2.58
Brockers, Bos 32 13 12 7 2 2.72
James, Bos 17 7 8 2 1 2.89
Broadway, Tor 41 18 19 3 1 2.98
Tremblay, NY 37 16 15 4 3 3.02
Cartr, Det 15 2 7 1 0 3.18
Touhey, Mon 40 18 19 2 2 3.28
Chasse, Det 41 17 18 5 2 3.40
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 18
Boston 1 at 1 Chicago : The Packers extend their unbeaten streak to 10 games but fail to win for the first time this month after skating to a 1-1 draw against Boston. Tommy Burns, with his league leading 40th, and Tommy Hart traded second period goals in a game that saw the host Packers outshoot the visitors 33-21.
Detroit 5 at 5 New York : The two clubs trying desperately to get into playoff position had to settle for a 5-5 tie at Bigsby Garden. The visiting Motors scored three times in the third period, including a pair from Nick Tardif, to erase a 4-2 deficit byt a late goal from Paul Tetreault salvaged the tie for the Shamrocks.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 19
Toronto 3 at 1 Montreal : Montreal's struggles continue after the Valiants fell 3-1 on home ice to the Toronto Dukes. Bobbie Sauer, Herb Burdette and rookie Lou Galbraith with a late empty-netter provided the Toronto score while Leo Bernard was the lone Montrel marksmaen. The Vals are winless in their last 6 games. To make matters worse, Bernard left the game with a shoulder injury and will be sidelined at least a month.
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21
Boston 1 at 0 Montreal: Tom Brockers turned aside 22 Montreal shots for his second shutout of the season, making Craig Simpson's first period goal stand up in a 1-0 road win for the Bees at the Montreal Arena. The Vals are 0-6-1 in February and just 2-12-3 since the second week of January.
Detroit 3 at 2 Toronto : Dave Bradley's powerplay goal with 2:03 remaining in the game lifted the Motors to a 3-2 victory and pulled Detroit even with Montreal for the fourth and final playoff spot in the NAHC. The Motors are 2-0-3 in their last five games.
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 22
Toronto 4 at 3 Chicago :The Packers 10-game unbeaten streak came to an end with a 4-3 loss to Toronto. It was the first loss for the Packers since January 24 when they also were beaten by the Dukes. Quinton Pollack had 2 goals and an assist to pace the Toronto attack. Tommy Burns scored twice for the Packers and now has scored at least one goal in 8 consecutive games. It was Chicago's 3rd straight game without Marty Mahoney as the winger continues to recover from a back injury.
Montreal 1 at 0 Detroit : The Valiants regained sole possession of the final playoff spot and halted a 7-game winless streak with a 1-0 vicotry at Thompson Palladium. Adam Sandford scored the game's only goal, shorthanded, midway through the opening period despite the fact the Valiants, clearly an inspired bunch, fired 50 shots on Detroit goaltender Brad Carter. Millard Touhey only had to contend with 26 shots in the Montreal net, and he stopped them all for his second shutout of the season and 7th of his career.
Boston 1 at 3 New York : The Shamrocks remain within 3 points of fourth place with a 3-1 win at home over Boston to extend their unbeaten streak to 4 games. Laurel Albers had 2 assists while Orval Cabbell scored his 35th goal of the season to pace the Shamrocks.
UPCOMING REGULAR SEASON GAMES
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 25
Chicago at New York
Boston at Toronto
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 28
Detroit at Montreal
Chicago at Toronto
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 29
Boston at Chicago
Montreal at New York
AROUND THE LEAGUE
- Courtesy of Finn LeBec, Boston Globe : "In the old 48-game schedule, we'd be done already. Bees fans would have been happy with a second place regular season finish considering the wolves at the door. But, the final 20 or so games will determine the last three spots among five teams. The league definitely did the right thing by extending the schedule."
- Archie Irwin of the Chicago Daily News notes it was a rare winless week at home for the Packers with a tie against the Bees and a loss to the Dukes. Chicago also lost three more players to minor injuries, with star forward Marty Mahoney, veteran defender Mo Masters, and backup goalie Michael Cleghorn all expected to miss the week.
- The Detroit Motors missed a big opportunity in falling 1-0 to Montreal yesterday. A win would have put us alone in 4th place but instead we are 2 points back of the Vals and they have a game in hand.
It was a good week for the Dukes with 2 wins in 3 games. Things got started on a positive note Thursday evening in Montreal where the team put together what coach Barrell termed "One of, if not our best, overall games of the season at both ends of the ice."
Finally the Dukes were the predators not the prey early in a period when Bobbie Sauer potted his 16th before the game was 5 minutes old from Herb Burdette and Philippe Dubois. Burdette also scored on the power play in the last 5 minutes of the period putting Toronto up two at intermission. Despite being outshot 16-7 in the second Leo Bernard put the Vals back in the game with his 5th tally of the season. The third again had the home team badly outshot, but Montreal netminder Millard Touhey held the fort. Rookie Lou Galbraith's 17th into an empty cage with 2 seconds remaining secured a 3-1 win.
A huge crowd, 15,688, packed Dominion Gardens for a Saturday night encounter with the Motors who of late are making a determined playoff push. J.C. Martel put the home side up notching his 5th before Ben Witt tied the score before the end of the first period. With Arnold Singleton for the Motors and the Dukes Quinton Pollock, with his 20th, exchanging goals the second period ended knotted at 2 despite the Dukes holding a 25-18 advantage in shots on goal. The home squad continued to press for the winner in the third but Motors netminder Henri Chasse continued to shut the door. The game remained deadlocked until Dick Zimmerman took a questionable slashing call in the last 3 minutes. After a relatively lengthy delay to clean the ice debris rained down from the stands after the penalty call the Motors setup their powerplay that allowed Dave Bradley to convert on a tic-tack-toe passing play from Doug Yeadon and Witt at 17:57 causing the another delay to clear the ice of refuse. The 3-2 win by Detroit had many fans irate with the referee with the common refrain being "He called that slash late after letting it go all game? Stupid!"
After that heart breaking loss the team was faced with the daunting task of facing the league leading Packers in Chicago on a quick turnaround. The Dukes came out flying with Leo Carlson opening the scoring just 24 seconds into the game when his shot eluded Norm Hanson in the Chicago cage. The fast start had the visitors leading 3-0 at the end of one thanks to goals by Pollock and Alex Lavalliere before the game was 15 minutes old. Toronto laid siege to the Packers net firing 26 shot at Hanson.
The Packers score twice in the second on markers by Tommy Burns and David Rankin but Pollock's second of the game allowed the Dukes to maintain a 2 goal lead. Burns, his 42nd, at 11:13 of the third setup for a wild finish in which the Dukes hung on for the 4-3 victory. Coach Barrell: "We will take that victory any day, the first period was exceptional, as we caught the Packers flat footed. We cannot get into a shootout with teams like that, we tightened up enough in the third period to hang on when the players went back to our defensive system. The third was winning playoff type hockey, we have to make that style a habit as the season winds down."
Toronto has a tough upcoming week with two home dates, Bees on Wednesday, Packers Saturday, the two teams ahead of them in the standings. The Dukes are in third only 2 points ahead of the Vals, 4 up on the Motors, 5 ahead of the Shamrocks. It will be a wild finish to the season.
STATESMEN FINALLY LOSE
The Statesmen's winning streak is finally snapped at 15, a streak that started New Year's Eve 1947 and lasted through Valentine's Day. The loss finally came on Saturday in Richmond when the second place Clippers pulled out a 93-90 victory. The game prior to that - the Statesmen's 15th consecutive win- came with baseball royalty in the house as FABL homerun king Bobby Barrell and his Philadelphia Keystones teammate Roger Cleaves were in attendance to witness a game between the two highest scoring teams in professional basketball. The Statesmen and the visiting Boston Centurions did not disappoint as the high-scoring contest needed overtime for the host Washington quintet to prevail by a 130-122 count. Washingtong point guard Blake Brooks set career-highs with 35 points and 14 rebounds in the win.
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AMERICAN BASKETBALL CONFERENCE STANDINGS
EAST W L PCT GB
Brooklyn 22 14 .611 -
Boston 20 15 .571 1.5
Hartford 17 20 .459 5.5
New York 13 21 .382 8.0
WEST W L PCT GB
Washington 23 7 .767 -
Richmond 20 19 .513 7.5
Pittsburgh 13 22 .371 12.5
Rochester 12 22 .353 13.0
SCORING LEADERS PPG
Morgan Melcher, BOS 19.8
James Phillips, HAR 19.8
Charles Hooper, WAS 18.7
Stewart Hurlburt, RIC 18.7
John Rodrigez, HAR 18.5
Norm Yates, RIC 17.9
Ivory Mitchell, BKN 17.9
Gerald Carter, BOS 17.5
Terry Flowers, ROC 17.2
Ivan Sisco, WAS 17.0
PANTHERS MISS CAMPBELL
For the first time this season the Federal Basketball Association leading Chicago Panthers have lost back-to-back games. The Panthers, who lead the loop with a 22-9 record, were forced to play without their leading scorer as forward Richard Campbell is expected to miss another three weeks with an eye injury. On Wednesday night the East Division leading Philadelphia Phantoms shut down the Panthers in a 79-63 game and it became a losing streak last night in Cincinnati when James Lerma scored 23 points and added 25 rebounds to lead the Cyclones to an 85-79 victory.
It was the first back to back losses suffered by the defending league champions all season, even counting pre-season, but the club is clearly in a slump with just 2 wins in their last 6 games.
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FEDERAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE STANDINGS
EAST W L PCT GB
Philadelphia 21 9 .700 -
Baltimore 18 11 .621 2.5
Buffalo 14 16 .467 7.0
Toronto 7 22 .241 13.5
WEST W L PCT GB
Chicago 22 9 .710 -
Detroit 14 17 .452 8.0
Cleveland 12 18 .400 9.5
Cincinnati 12 18 .400 9.5
SCORING LEADERS PPG
Larry Yim, BUF 21.0
Irvin Mudd, PHI 20.7
Richard Campbell, CHI 20.4
David Reed, DET 19.5
Jamel Porter, TOR 19.4
Jack Kurtz, DET 17.9
Jack Hirst, BAL 17.3
Danny Hendon, PHI 17.2
George Kelley, CLE 16.6
Nestor Patterson, BAL 15.8
SHAKE-UP AT TOP OF POLLS
Central Ohio Is New Number One
There was a shake-up at the top of the collegiate cage rankings this week as both number one Western Iowa and number two Rainier College slid after section losses on the weekend. The biggest news was Western Iowa is no longer number one, a spot the Canaries had held for nearly the entire season. It was a rough 8-day stretch for the Great Lakes Alliance power as the Canaries fell to St Ignatius last Sunday and followed that up with a 64-52 loss in Columbus to Central Ohio.
The victory lifts the Aviators to the number one spot and also puts them in first place in the GLA, with a 9-1 section record to go with their 20-3 overall mark. Ziggy Rickard, who was a first team All-American as a junior last season and is expected to be a top prospect for one of the pro leagues in the fall, led the way in the win over the Canaries, scoring 17 points and bumping his season average above the 11 points-per-game mark. The Aviators, who reached the national semi-finals last year for the first time in school history, still have a lot of work ahead of them if they want to land the top seed in the Midwest Region for the year end tournament. Fifth ranked and defending national champion Whitney College and #18 Detroit City College remain on the Aviators section slate before the season concludes March 13.
In the coast conference Rainier College was shockingly upset on the road by Idaho A&M 44-40 Friday evening, dropping the Majestics behind Carolina Poly in third in the polls and opening the door for Redwood to claim the WCAA crown, something the Mammoths have never accomplished before. Redwood does have 5 section games remaining including home contests against Lane State and Rainier College as well as a trip to Los Angeles to face Coastal California.
Independent Liberty College finished out its regular season slate in fine fashion with wins over Commonwealth Catholic and Michigan Lutheran to finish with a 23-7 record. Ward Messer scored 21 points in the win over the Knights but was limited to just nine in the finale against Michigan Lutheran. That gives the senior a scoring average of 16.1 points per game but he will almost assuredly not lead the nation as Central Kentucky's Charles Cleary is averaging 18.5 ppg and is likely to win his second straight national scoring crown.
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AIAA COLLEGIATE CAGE RANKINS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Central Ohio (64) 20-3 1792 4 Great Lakes Alliance
2. Carolina Poly (4) 21-3 1688 3 South Atlantic Conference
3. Rainier College (4) 21-3 1677 2 West Coast Athletic Association
4. Western Iowa 19-4 1606 1 Great Lakes Alliance
5. Whitney College 19-4 1481 5 Great Lakes Alliance
6. CC Los Angeles 20-4 1403 6 West Coast Athletic Association
7. Coastal California 19-5 1344 7 West Coast Athletic Association
8. Liberty College 23-7 1296 13 Indy
9. Redwood 20-4 1221 10 West Coast Athletic Association
10. Brunswick 20-5 1162 12 Academia Alliance
11. Lambert College 21-3 1100 9 Midwestern Association
12. Noble Jones College 19-5 964 16 Deep South Conference
13. Bayou State 18-5 913 8 Deep South Conference
14. Mississippi A&M 19-5 820 14 Deep South Conference
15. Lane State 20-7 753 19 West Coast Athletic Association
16. Frankford State 24-6 746 15 Indy
17. Great Plains State 21-4 705 17 Indy
18. Detroit City College 16-7 567 11 Great Lakes Alliance
19. Central Kentucky 19-4 561 20 Deep South Conference
20. Texas Gulf Coast 17-7 489 18 Southwestern Alliance
21. Alabama Baptist 18-5 334 23 Deep South Conference
22. Indiana A&M 16-7 280 24 Great Lakes Alliance
23. Needham 20-5 164 21 Indy
24. University of New Jersey 18-5 161 NR Eastern Six
25. Perry State College 21-7 106 22 Indy
Others Receiving Votes:
Western State 18-5 25 Central Athletic Alliance
Pittsburgh State 21-8 18 Indy
Travis College 18-6 13 Southwestern Alliance
North Carolina Tech 16-8 5 South Atlantic Conference
Elyria 21-8 4 Indy
Dickson 17-9 2 Academia Alliance
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING TOP 25 TEAMS
MONDAY FEBRUARY 16
no games involving ranked schools
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 17
at #8 Liberty College 58, Conwell College 48
at St. Martin's College 52, #16 Frankford State 45
at #17 Great Plains State 65, Springfield State 55
at Queen City 58, #23 Needham 40
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 18
#10 Brunswick 52, at Henry Hudson 40
at #12 Noble Jones College 66, Western Florida 57
at #13 Bayou State 72, Cumberland 38
at #14 Mississippi A&M 60, Georgia Baptist 44
#19 Central Kentucky 51, at Baton Rouge State 42
at #21 Alabama Baptist 43, Northern Mississippi 34
Chicago Poly 69, at #25 Perry State College 63
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 19
at #1 Central Ohio 56, Minnesota Tech 41
#2 Carolina Poly 60, at Mobile Maritime 38
at #4 Western Iowa 67, Wisconsin State 50
at St. Magnus 48, #5 Whitney College 39
#11 Lambert College 61, at Payne State 52
at #22 Indiana A&M 56, #18 Detroit City College 50
at #24 University of New Jersey 56, Adirondack State 32
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 20
at Idaho A&M 44, #3 Rainier College 40
at #15 Lane State 55, #6 CC Los Angeles 51
#7 Coastal California 50, at Portland Tech 37
#9 Redwood 59, at Spokane State 48
Amarillo Methodist 56, at #20 Texas Gulf Coast 52
#25 Perry State College 51, at St Andrews College 38
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21
at #1 Central Ohio 64, #4 Western Iowa 52
at #2 Carolina Poly 54, Central Carolina 42
at #5 Whitney College 66, #22 Indiana A&M 47
at #8 Liberty College 71, Michigan Lutheran 49
#10 Brunswick 59, at Ellery 45
at #12 Noble Jones College 53, Baton Rouge State 48
at Northern Mississippi 51, #13 Bayou State 49
#19 Central Kentucky 57, at #14 Mississippi A&M 40
at #16 Frankford State 58, St. Matthew's College 37
St. Ignatius 48, at #18 Detroit City College 40
Arkansas A&T 56, at #20 Texas Gulf Coast 44
at #21 Alabama Baptist 68, Bluegrass State 63
at #24 University of New Jersey 47, Boston State 31
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 22
at #3 Rainier College 51, #7 Coastal California 42
at #6 CC Los Angeles 45, Custer College 36
at #9 Redwood 56, Portland Tech 34
#15 Lane State 62, at Spokane State 51
WELTER CHAMP STEPHENS TO FACE MAC ERICKSON
Harold Stephens, the World Welterweight champ will be back in the ring in April as his camp has confirmed the champ will take on undefeated Mac Erickson in Boston on April 24. The bout, which will be Stephens third title defense since winning the title just over one year ago, will take place at Denny Arena and feel like a "home game" for the 29-year-old Providence, R.I., native.
Stephens, 21-3-2, won the title last February 22 with a unanimous decision over Mark Westlake in what was Westlake's first attempt at a title defense. Stephens fought in Boston in August, scoring 6th round TKO win over Carl Taylor and then last month in Cleveland outpointed Ira Mitchell in his second defense.
Erickson,27, is a perfect 16-0 as a pro with 11 victories coming by knock out. A native of St. Paul, Mn., he first rose to prominence in 1944 when, while still in Navy he fought a spirited battle with Danny Rutledge before thousands of Allied soldiers and sailors in England on a star-studded card that also included Hector Sawyer and then middleweight champ Archie Rees. Erickson lost that fight to Rutledge but has not be defeated since turning pro in January 1945.
CLINE MAKES QUICK WORK OF McFARLAND
23-year-old heavyweight Tommy Cline improved to 13-0 with a 1st round knockout of Mike McFaland in Hartford on Tuesday evening. The victory is 10th by knockout for the Tennessean, who by all accounts seems to be on his way to a title shot. McFarland falls to 17-5-2 with the loss.
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS- Feb 23- Bigsby Garden, New York: MW Jack Rainey (24-4) vs Frankie Townsley (20-7-1)
- Mar 12- Hartford, Ct: rising HW Steve Case (18-1-2) vs Ron Ramsey (19-10-5)
- Mar 12- New York City: WW Ben Bishop (27-4-1) vs Martin Woodland (12-3-1)
- Mar 15- Philadelphia: HW Harvey Winter (16-1) vs Clifford Baker (29-11-3)
- Mar 19- Cincinnati: MW Nick Harris (22-3-1) vs Joe Moore (18-3)
- Mar 21- Bologna, Italy: Euro MW champ Edouard Desmarais (40-1) vs Poto Tauretto (14-8)
- Mar 30- San Francisco: HW Dan Miller (36-8-1) vs Candian HW Daniel Huot (13-1-2)
- Mar 31- San Diego, Ca: WW Willis May (18-3-2) vs Carl Taylor (22-5-2)
- Apr 24- Denny Arena, Boston: World WW champ Harold Stephens (21-3-2) defends his title against Mac Erickson (16-0)
- June TBA - Gothams Stateium: World HW champ Hector Sawyer (57-3-1) defends his title against Steve Case (19-1-2)
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 2/22/1948
- A high ranking American official says a Russian puppet government has been established in North Korea, adding it has an army, a flag and a constitution -in open defiance of international agreements.
- President Truman notified Congress that he intends to ask for more money for military aid for Greece and Turkey. Truman also plans to request $570 million to finance a Chinese aid program until June 30, 1949.
- Truman has appealed directly to some Arab leaders in an effort to prevent the spread of disorder over Palestine.
- Senator Taft, one of the leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination, announced he was in favour of supporting Palestine partition, even to the extent of sending United Nations armed forces in to maintain order.
- Commodity and stock prices have started to creep back up after a substantial drop recently, and with it the cost of everyday essential food items.
- The Commerce Department banned export of crude oil to any foreign country except Canada in an effort to combat supply shortages at home.