MARCH 1, 1948
HALL OF FAME EXPANDS BY SEVEN
Day, Vance & Trowbridge Elected
The ranks of baseball's Hall of Fame have swelled by seven names including recent stars Rabbit Day, Frank Vance and Dave Trowbridge the Boone County museum announced today. Joining those three stars, who each surpassed the minimum 75% required in balloting of baseball writers, were veteran player inductions Bill West and Freeman Rogers along with builders Rufus Barrell and Jacques Cartier.
Rabbit Day, who won 321 games and 3 Allen Awards, was an unanimous selection while Vance appeared on 92% of the ballots and Trowbridge, who narrowly missed induction a year ago, was named on 85%. Here are the complete voting results:
Code:
HALL OF FAME VOTING
Rabbit Day 100%
Frank Vance 92%
Dave Trowbridge 85%
not elected
Jack Cleaves 46%
Charlie Stedman 46%
Tom Barrell 23%
Bud Jameson 23%
Moxie Pidgeon 23%
Dick Lyons 15%
Joe Masters 15%
Charlie Barry 8%
Doug Lightbody 8%
Jim Hampton 0%
Del Lyons 0%
Mike Murphy 0%
Joe Shaffner 0%
Sam Sheppard 0%
Day, who began hos career in Batlimore with stops with the Gothams, Chiefs and finally back with the Cannons organization after their move to Cincinnati, is 8th all-time in wins with a 321-211 career record. He won at least 20 games five times in his 16-year career and led his association in strikeouts 7 times. His 2,389 career strikeouts place him 6th all-time in that category. Day won two Allen Awards early in his career with Baltimore and also won one in 1936 when he split the season between the Gothams and Chiefs, helping Chicago to its first World Championship Series win since 1917. Day would win 3 WCS titles including one at the age of 40 when he returned to the Cannons in 1944 and threw a 4-hit shutout in game two of the series. In all, he was 7-4 with a 3.20 era in 12 WCS starts.
Vance is 15th all-time in hits after delivering 2,970 of them during an 18 year career with Detroit and Brooklyn. He was a 9-time all-star and the Federal Association Whitney Award winner in 1929 when he helped lead the Dynamos to what remains their most recent Federal Association pennant. He hit .344 with 3 homers in the '29 WCS and was named its Most Valuable Player. Traded with Al Wheeler to the Brooklyn Kings in 1935, Vance would be a member of 3 more pennant-winning clubs before returning to Detroit in 1939 where he finished out his career.
Just imagine what numbers 'Father Time' could have put up in his career had he been a regular in his twenties. Dave Trowbridge did not play more than 68 games in a year until his age 29 season when the Pittsburgh Miners dealt him to the New York Stars. Once he got in the starting line-up, Trowbridge rarely left, playing an amazing 151 games as a 44 year old in 1943 and finishing with 2,923 career hits in 2,405 games. A four-time all-star who won a pair of WCS titles with the Stars, Trowbridge won a batting title in 1940 at the age of 41. He is also the career FABL leader in doubles with 601.
The two veterans committee additions each made their mark with the Washington Eagles. Freeman Rogers was one of the early stars of the game, a doubles machine who had 2,293 hits in just 1,679 gams in the 1880s 90s. Even at the age of 46, when he made a brief comeback with Detroit after 6 years away from the big leagues, Rogers could still hit -posting a .517 batting average by going 15 for 29 primarily in a pinch-hitting role. West spent his entire career, 17 years spanning from 1904-17, with the Eagles and posted a 291-215 career mark. Four times in his career he won 30 games in a season and he led the Eagles to 3 pennants and a win in the 1913 World Championship Series.
Builders Rufus Barrell and Jacques Cartier each have a long history in the game. Barrell is of course the patriarch of the most famous family in sports as well as a long-time scout and co-founder of OSA, the league scouting agency. Cartier, one of the foremost owners in the Continental Association, has owned the Montreal Saints since 1905. He was part of the commissions on baseball's role during both the First and Second World Wars and most famously known as the creator of the FABL Draft system.
WIN OR LOSE, NEVER A DULL MOMENT WITH GOTHAMS
The New York Gothams are clearly the most polarizing team in baseball. Like the Big Apple itself, it always feels like the Gothams are bigger than the rest of FABL and never do anything half way. That all or nothing approach has at times endeared them to local ballfans, while at other times frustrated not only their fanbase, but also quite often drawn the ire of FABL President Sam Belton. But whatever your opinion of the Gothams, everyone agrees they are not dull. The Gothams always are in the news, usually for blockbuster deals that just in the past nine months have seen George Cleaves, Lefty Allen, Sal Pestilli and Pete Casstevens either coming or going from Gothams Stadium.
Their management team is impatient and demanding. And alternates times of incredible success with periods of extended futility. The Gothams "all or nothing" approach that has seen them finish first in the Federal Association 6 times in the 22 years that comprise the modern era of the sport. They have also finished dead last in the loop 6 times. They have never finished second and finished 3rd just twice so if the Gothams are good odds are they are going to win the pennant. If they are not good, expect management to make moves without hesitation. Some might charactorize their approach as rash and short-sighted but it has generated results as no Fed team has won more penannts since the dawn of the modern era.
PENNANTS BY FED TEAMS (1926-47)
NY Gothams 6
Keystones 5
Chi Chiefs 3
Pittsburgh 3
Boston 2
Detroit 1
St Louis 1
Washington 1
The Gothams once again appear to be the team to beat this season in the Federal Association after they added all-star catcher Goeroge Cleaves and pitchers Lefty Allen and Buddy Long to an already very strong club over the winter. TWIFB sat down with Gothams Assistant General Manager Frank Escoe recently to talk about the big moves and the club's unique approach to building a winning team.
TWIFB : Quite an off-season for the organization. The Gothams are never afraid to make a big trade but the deal with Pittsburgh was a huge one. Do you see the Gothams as a clear favourite to win the Fed flag this season?
FRANK ESCOE : We'd have to be disappointed if we weren't considered one of the favorites. We felt we needed some big moves to put ourselves in strong contention.
TWIFB : Your GM has often been quoted as saying the season is a large disappointment if you don't win the pennant and finishing second is no better than finishing 8th. It's all about the titles. Will this season be considered a failure if the Gothams do not win the pennant or can there be varying levels of what is considered a successful season?
FRANK ESCOE : It makes for a good poster and theme, but while there's some truth to it, I think the key thing is that we're always hunting pennants, even if it means backing up and retooling. Sure, it would be disappointing not to win this year after the work we've done, but there are 154 games to be played and the other guys are trying too. The important thing is that we're in the hunt until the end.
TWIFB : The addition of Cleaves, Allen and Buddy Long is a bit of a change in philosophy for the Gothams, who seem to have avoided acquiring players over 30 and at times were quick to move them? Is this the signal of a new approach that leaves the organization more open to having players over 30 or more just a case of taking what was available at this time?
FRANK ESCOE : I don't know that it's a change in policy so much as being flexible to the realities of the time. Rules are changing, acquiring seasoned, high level vets may become difficult. We saw the opportunity to greatly enhance our core group and go for it.
TWIFB : Some have knocked the organization for being too quick to tear down a team? While there be that temptation if the club gets off to a slow start?
FRANK ESCOE : A slow start is tolerable if the team stays within reach. Falling ten back behind several teams is a different story.
TWIFB : Are you happy with your pitching staff? Do you feel it is deep enough to win or will another move or two be likely?
FRANK ESCOE : We're very happy with the rotation. There will be competition in camp for the 5th spot. We're excited.
TWIFB : Cleaves obviously shores up what was a hole behind the plate with the trading of Casstevens. Is centerfield a concern or do you feel the replacement for Sal Pestilli is someone already in the organization?
FRANK ESCOE : I think we have a few guys who will combine to give us solid production in CF. Flipper Robinson, Bunny Hufford and young Billy Moody will all see time.
TWIFB : Cleaves, Red Johnson, Messer, Bowman, Lefty Allen and Buddy Long are all among the top twenty pitchers and position players according to OSA. Entering the season how do you feel this Gothams team compares with your pennant winning clubs of the past?
FRANK ESCOE : I'll answer this one in October. Before games are played, sure, they look as good as any group we've had. Can they bring home the pennant? We'll see.
TWIFB : I assume if asked who the favourite for the Fed flag is you will answer the Gothams. So instead let me ask you which team you feel poses the biggest challenge to New York winning the pennant?
FRANK ESCOE : St. Louis wears the crown so they have to be up there. The big news about Goulding sure changes things. Maybe Washington? As for the 1948 Gothams, it should be an entertaining season.
SAILORS QUIETLY GET JOB DONE IN CA
It is an interesting contrast in that we follow up a look at the New York Gothams with the Philadelphia Sailors. Like the city they hail from the Gothams are loud and brash. The rest of the league always knows what is going on in Gothams-land. The Sailors have taken a much different approach through the years, one that can in many ways be considered very similar to the Federal Association club they share a city with.
The Sailors brass has taken a quiet methodical approach to running a franchise and been competitive year in and year out for over two decades. Rarely will you see a splashy trade made by the team but they always seem to be in the first division, both at the major league level and through a wildly successful system of minor league teams. The brash Gothams have 6 pennants. While the Sailors calm seas approach has yielded four including one last season in which the club did what it always seems to do - just sneak up on teams. Unlike the Gothams, the Sailors have never finished lower than 6th in the modern era, opting for long-term stability over headline making trades for high profile talent. Is one approach better than the other? Well, both have worked so it is hard to dispute what either organization has accomplished.
As for the Sailors, we sat down with Assistant General Managaer Steve Basile to get some insight on the organization's success.
TWIFB : I think the biggest question is where do you go from here? I expect most will once again favour the Chicago Cougars to win the Continental flag but what do you see out of your club this season?
STEVE BASILE :This Sailors team were definitely overachievers last season in our eyes. I don’t think anyone predicted us to win the flag in the Continental, unlike the vaunted Cougar squad. They’re a really solid team and we DO predict them to win this year.
That said, our franchise has a history of overachieving and being a scrappy team, without a lot of fanfare or “superstars” on the team. We always like to put out a contending team for our fanbase, and sometimes the team really gels together along with our coaching staff and the W’s start coming. We see this year as a transition year, with a lot of the “old guard” – Boismenu, Lee, Ross, Brown, etc. most likely not being here a year from now. We have some talented guys that are maturing and will soon be ready to take over. Who knows though, maybe lightning strikes twice?
TWIFB : Much was said about the contract Woody Stone and to a lesser degree Ed B White signed in the GWL but it seems clear the Sailors have zero regrets in letting them go. Is the plan for Skidmore and Boismenu to be the full-time replacements and if not who should we see in the Sailors lineup in their places?
STEVE BASILE : Woody Stone was an interesting problem for us to have. Our owner, Matilda Johnson, is a real penny-pincher and we do try to be fiscally responsible with her money. The production that Stone was providing offensively (a .250 hitter) vs. the contract he wanted just didn’t make sense for us, even though he’s good defensively and a great guy to have on the team. He would have accepted a AAA job at Richmond to stay with us. We definitely underestimated the interest for his services though, and just let him walk without attempting to trade him, which was a big mistake on our part. We wish Woody the best back in his old AAA stomping grounds of San Francisco, and hope that he does well. His contract should set him, his wife and kids up nicely for the future. From a fiscal standpoint though, we think the Hawks definitely overpaid for what they’ll get. Prove us wrong though Woody!
As for the future, we have a good offensive player in Solly Skidmore that we traded for in the stretch run last year. We’ve been disappointed in our previous 1st round draft pick Mark Smith, who just hasn’t matured like we thought he would. We picked up a really nice looking veteran defensive catcher named Charlie Gump this offseason, and we’re going to give him some playing time in the preseason to see what he can do. It will most likely be Skidmore and either Gump or Smith starting the season out in Philly.
Ed White was similar – another great guy and leader whose production just didn’t make sense for us vs. the contract demand. Ed has landed in Portland with a large $43K contract. Similar to Woody, we don’t think the ROI will be there for them, but wish Ed the best in the upcoming year. We have our favorite Canadian, Marion Boismenu, who will probably be the starter at 3B this year. We also have a young kid – “Frankie G” (Frankie Gonnella) who we also like, and will get some playing time.
TWIFB : You mention a transition year of sorts coming up. Who else might be newcomers to watch for with the Sailors this season?
STEVE BASILE : At some point, but definitely by roster expansion, we will bring up 2B Al Farmer. We anticipate moving Les Cunha back to his native SS position longer term, and having Farmer at 2B, which should give us a nice duo up the middle for quite a long time. AAA Farmhands RF Joe Scott and 1B Cliff Dilley may also make debuts this year, as well as SP Herb Bell. Another guy, although not exactly a newcomer, that we’re excited about is “RF” Eddie Heaton. We use the term “RF” loosely, as Eddie is not the greatest fielder in the world. Eddie is a bit of a freak with exceptional vision, who has a great ability to draw walks. We plan to get him in the mix as well to help get on base and to provide an offensive spark.
We picked up a few Rule 5 guys to work out like we always do, but are most excited about a young RF Mike Scott, that we obtained from the Stars. We think he may be able to stick around with us for the whole year.
TWIFB : Your pitching staffs often lack big names but somehow always seems to get strong seasons out of different players. At quick glance the rotation looks thin beyond Lewis, Wesolowski and Duster. Is Herb Bell ready to join them or do you see others contributing? And do you think your staff is deep enough to defend the title or will some moves on the mound likely be needed?
STEVE BASILE : Pitching and defense have always been a focus of building the Sailors team, with our cavernous stadium. Charlie Gordon has been overlooked due to injury history, but we think he can be our #1 if he stays healthy. The usual suspects of Lewis, Weslowski and Duster will be in the mix – and we’ve got our late inning specialist David Molina with his spot locked down. We’re going to take a look at veteran Bill Martino starting some games for us – we think he may have some untapped potential. We’re also going to bring up another former #1 pick Hoppy Johnson to see what he can do. Like catcher Mark Smith, we’ve been unhappy with his growth over the past few years. If we’re in contention, we may make some moves down the stretch to bolster the arms.
TWIFB : How do you feel about your draft that was just completed? Did you feel it went better or worse than expected? Who is a player you were surprised was still available at the spot you selected them?
STEVE BASILE : Drafting last, we weren’t terribly excited about the opportunities we would have in this draft. We thought the pitching talent was thin, and drafted only one pitcher who we thought was a good value pick down in Round 7, Ed Pardue. Other than that, we tried to really just get good role players at different positions and do some shoring up at thin spots in the pipeline, like the middle infield. We think we may get some good role players out of It going forward, but no readily apparent juggernauts.
Out of the draft, we think we got the most value in the 3rd round at pick 47, 3B Joe Jones. Looking forward to see what he can do in his senior year of high school.
TWIFB : Finally, anything else you feel deserves mentioning in a preview of the Sailors?
STEVE BASILE : The Sailors are proud to be representing and hoisting the Continental flag as champions. Although not big traders in the past, our telephone is always open for business and will always listen to potential trade offers – the focus being OBP, pitching and defense. Good luck to all of the other teams in the upcoming season!
VANCE WELL DESERVING OF PLACE IN BOONE COUNTY
Word came this week that former Dynamos legend Frank Vance has been granted membership in the exclusive club that is baseball's Hall of Fame. The third baseman becomes the fourth player who will have his likeness displayed in the Boone County baseball museum donning a Dynamos cap, following in the footsteps of Jim Golden, Jim Jones and Bill Temple.
A well deserved honour for Vance, who is the franchise leader in games played, hits and homeruns despite spending 4 years of his prime in Brooklyn. The Minnesota native made his Detroit debut in 1927 at the age of 25 and would enjoy one of the greatest seasons in Dynamos history two years later when he won both the Whitney Award and the World Championship Series MVP. He led the Fed in batting that year -the only time it happened in his career- but Vance was always a talented hitter. He finished just 30 hits shy of the magical 3,000 mark with a career .317 batting average and was selected to baseball's all-star game 9 times.
The only number the franchise has ever retired is Roy Calfee's #1 but I expect there will be a push to add Vance's #8 to the outfield wall at Thompson Field. It will be a well-deserved and long overdue recognition for the Detroit sporting legend who we can now officially call a "Hall of Famer."
*** Knights With Big Cage Win To Stop Slide ***
The Detroit City College cage squad has struggled in section play, going just 6-6 vs Great Lakes Alliance opponents including mix results last week. The losing streak reached 3 games on Thursday with a disappointing loss on campus at Knights area to Minnesota Tech. The 9-17 Lakers played persistant defense and shut down any sort of secondary scoring for the Knights in a 42-33 loss. Charlie Orland had 16 points but could not do it all himself as none of his teammates scored more than 4. It was a different story in Gary, In. Saturday afternoon as the Knights played possibly their best game of the season, dumping the 10th ranked Whitney College Engineers 66-63. That victory allowed the Knights to retain their spot in the top 20, slotting in at 18th for the second week in a row with a 17-8 mark on the season.
*** Moore Ignores Critics ***
To everyone who has been calling for Mark Moore's head, myself included for a brief spell early in the season, you also have to give the Motors coach credit for a job well done. He has turned around his club and it will be an incredible achievement if he can somehow guide to Motors to the playoffs for the second year in a row despite having his two best defenseman dealt away shortly before Christmas.
The Motors banded together after that deal and are now just a point out of the final playoff spot with 9 games remaining. They have a lot of company as just 1 point separates three teams trying to grab that final spot and the New York Shamrocks, who are in fourth at the moment, look just as determined as the Motors do. Not sure there will be a bigger week this season than the one coming up which sees Detroit play twice against the Shamrocks with a Saturday home date with Montreal sandwiched in between. A nice three-game winning streak would go a long ways towards securing a playoff spot.
BATTLE HEATING UP FOR FINAL PLAYOFF SPOT
The New York Shamrocks are suddenly the hottest team in the NAHC and have worked their way into a playoff position with 10 games remaining in their season. The Shamrocks struggled most of the year but since February 3 have gone 6-1-2 and overtaken both Detroit and Montreal for the final playoff spot. New York also has a game in hand on their two challengers and is just 3 points back of the Toronto Dukes for third place.
The news is not all good for the Shamrocks, who will be without their captain and top defenseman Bert McCalley for the next week to ten days after McCalley was injured in a 4-2 win over the first place Chicago Packers on Wednesday. The Packers are suddenly in a slump with 4 straight losses but they should have no trouble hanging on to top spot as their lead on second place Boston is still 11 points even after dropping a 5-3 decision to the Bees last night.
The big battle with three weeks remaining in the season is for the final playoff spot, or perhaps two of them. Toronto is presently in third place, but the Dukes are just 3 points up on the surging Shamrocks with a pair of games on the docket between the two next week. Detroit, which has lost just once in its last 7 games, also has a pair against the Shamrocks next week with the Motors just a point behind the Greenshirts in the standings. Montreal is also one point back as the second half of the season continues to be dreadful for a Valiants club that at Christmas still had hopes of catching the Packers for first place. The Valiants must be relieved to be done with February, after going 1-8-1 during the month.
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NAHC Standings
TEAM GP W L T PTS GF GA
Chicago 52 29 17 6 64 193 134
Boston 51 22 20 9 53 160 143
Toronto 51 23 24 4 50 147 162
New York 50 21 24 5 47 163 160
Montreal 51 20 25 6 46 145 172
Detroit 51 20 25 6 46 136 173
SCORING LEADERS
NAME GP G A PTS
T Burns, Chi 46 44 23 67
Cabbell, NY 49 37 18 55
W Burns, Chi 50 12 40 52
Mahoney, Chi 38 16 34 50
Chandler, Bos 46 25 24 49
Albers, NY 50 16 33 49
Hart, Bos 50 24 22 46
Pollack, Tor 47 23 21 44
Sauer, Tor 47 18 25 43
Galbraith, Tor 50 17 25 42
Skinner, Mon 51 20 21 41
McGlynn, Chi 52 21 19 40
Gregg, NY 44 18 22 40
Lanceleve, Mon 48 13 27 40
GOALIE LEADERS
NAME GP W L T ShO GAA
Hanson, Chi 45 22 17 6 3 2.63
Brockers, Bos 33 14 12 7 2 2.73
James, Bos 18 8 8 2 1 2.89
Tremblay, NY 39 18 15 4 3 2.93
Broadway, Tor 43 19 20 3 1 3.02
Touhey, Mon 42 18 21 2 2 3.37
Chasse, Det 42 18 18 5 2 3.39
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 25
Chicago 2 at 4 New York : The Shamrocks moved past Detroit into fifth place, just a point back of Montreal for the final playoff spot after extending their unbeaten streak to 5 games with a 4-2 win at Bigsby Garden over Chicago. It was the second straight loss for the Packers but Tommy Burns kept his goal scoring streak alive with a first period shorthanded goal. Burns has scored in each of the last 9 games. Chicago led 2-0 after 40 minutes before the Greenshirts exploded for four in the third period including a pair from Orval Cabbell.
Boston 6 at 3 Toronto : Wilbur Chandler had a hat trick as second place Boston increased its lead on third place Toronto to three points.
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 28
Detroit 4 at 3 Montreal: The Motors moved into a 4th place tie with slumping Montreal after a 4-3 road win. Detroit, which has gone 3-3-1 in its last seven games, was led by defenseman Joe Todd with a goal and two assists. The Valiants are 3-13-3 since the second week of January.
Chicago 2 at 3 Toronto : Second period goals from Herb Burdette, Les Carlson and Quinton Pollack held up as the Dukes handed the Chicago Packers their third straight loss. Toronto is back to within a point of second place Boston in the battle for home ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. Tommy Burns did pick up an assist but his streak of scoring in 9 consecutive games came to an end.
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 29
Boston 5 at 3 Chicago : Should they be worried in Chicago after the Packers lost their fourth in a row? Tommy Burns opened the scoring with his league leading 44th goal of the season but it was not enough as Tommy Hart scored twice and added an assist while Mickey Bedard had 3 assists to power the Bees to a 5-3 victory. First place is still likely out of the question for the Bees, who still trail the Packers by 11 points but this is the first time all season the Packers have dropped more than 2 in a row. The good news for Chicago is Marty Mahoney looks ready to return after being sidelined since February 11.
Montreal 1 at 6 New York : The Shamrocks moved into the final playoff spot with a dominant 6-1 victory over the sinking Montreal Valiants. New York is on a tear with 6 wins and 2 ties in their last 9 games. They broke this one open with 4 goals in just over a 7 minute span late in the second period. Paul Tetreault and Chris Broeke led the way for the Shamrocks with a goal and two helpers each while Etienne Tremblay turned aside 29 of the 30 Montreal shots he faced.
UPCOMING REGULAR SEASON GAMES
TUESDAY MARCH 2
Toronto at New York
WEDNESDAY MARCH 3
Chicago at Boston
New York at Detroit
Montreal at Toronto
THURSDAY MARCH 4
Boston at Montreal
SATURDAY MARCH 6
Montreal at Detroit
New York at Toronto
SUNDAY MARCH 7
Toronto at Boston
Montreal at Chicago
Detroit at New York
AROUND THE LEAGUE
- Sam Fincher of the New York World-Telegram notes that the "Shamrocks moving up. Two more wins and the Shamrocks have moved into the 4th playoff position. And they still have 3rd place in sight. They will have to deal with star defenseman Bert McCalley out with a wrist injury for the next week. On a positive note C Adam Greenham has begun training and may be back before the end of the season."
- Dan Urbanski of the Detroit Times points out that the Motors are 13-10-5 since they made the big trade with Montreal sending veteran defenseman Shel Herron and Bryant Williams to the Valiants. They were 7-15-1 before the deal.
- Here is how the 6 NAHC club's fared in the month of Febrauay:
Code:
W-L-T PTS
New York 6-2-2 14
Chicago 6-4-1 13
Boston 5-3-3 13
Toronto 5-5-0 10
Detroit 3-4-3 9
Montreal 1-8-1 3
The Toronto skaters managed to split the two this week against the two teams ahead of them in the NAHC standings to remain in 3rd place. That is not the big news, the big news is bad for the club. Early in the first period of the Wednesday game in the Gardens against the Bees, Dukes Rookie of the Year candidate Lou Galbraith was lost for the season to a knee injury suffered after taking a stiff check from Bees rearguard Conn Cundiff while trying to cut across the middle. Galbraith went down in a heap writhing in pain, it was evident to all 12,163 present that the injury was serious. The 20-year-old, who was selected first overall in the July draft, was third in team scoring with 17 goals and 42 points in 50 games.
As the training staff helped Galbraith to the dressing room a hushed silence fell over the crowd. Concerns about their injured teammate may have had something to do with the Dukes trailing 2-1 after the first while allowing only 2 shots. The Dukes seemed to rally early in the second on goals by Dick Zimmerman and Bobbie Sauer, his second of the game, to take a 3-2 before the game had reached the halfway mark. As has become far too common lately the walls collapsed around the Dukes when the Bees stormed back with 3 goals in the last 7 minutes of the second to take a 5-3 lead.
Alex Lavalliere tried to inject a little life back into the team by dropping the mitts at center ice to square off with Jacob Gron while the game was still tied at 3. It had the opposite effect as it was the Bees who got a jolt from the battle and cruised to an relatively easy 6-3 victory. Coach Barrell's post game remarks were "Everyone knew immediately that Lou's injury was serious, most players could not seem to get their heads back in the game after Boston tied it up in the second. Gordie (goltender Broadway) seemed to be most effected, allowing 6 on only 23 shots. I considered pulling him after the first, in hindsight I probably should have as I knew his mind wasn't in the game. We now know Lou is gone for the season, he is going to have surgery to repair his knee tomorrow at Toronto General, time to move on."
Move on is exactly what the team did on Saturday night with Chicago in town looking for revenge after the Dukes halted their winning streak the past Sunday. The Packers poured everything at the Dukes in the first trying to replicate the fast start Toronto got off to in Chicago. Broadway stood his ground making 10 saves in the first, many of the difficult variety. The Dukes withstood the Packers onslaught to put 3 by Chicago keeper Norm Hanson in the second with Herb Burdette figuring in on all three goals. The up tempo continued for the high scoring Packers in the third, after Ed Delarue broke up the shutout with the 11 minutes gone in the third the Chicago team continued to come in waves and their persistance was rewarded with a second goal by Moose Vezina with just over a minute remaining in the game. With the Packers cage vacated the Dukes managed to hang on to a 3-2 win. Barrell : "That win was important especially to Gordie after Wednesday night. Still lots of work to do before 3 games this week in NY then home to the Valiants, Shamrocks."
Galbraith was the worst but not he only injury news in Toronto. It appears that both J.C. Martel and Frank Featherstone will miss all 3 games this week with arm and back injuries leaving the D Corps scrambling yet again this season. A positive is that Chad Roy has been back on the ice for the first time time since his back injury in the preseason.
STRONG FINISH TO BEES ROAD TREK
by Finn LeBec, Boston Globe
The Boston Bees had a very 3-1-1 successful road trip, recovering from a 3-1 loss to the Shamrocks last Sunday with wins in Toronto (6-3) and Chicago (5-3). The Toronto win saw five multi-point performances by the Bees, headlined by Wilbur Chandler's hat trick. Chandler offensively took control of the game, scoring twice in a three-minute span to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead, sandwiching the Lavalliere-Gron tête-à-tête. Chandler added his hat trick goal - his 24th of the season - as the only goal in a third period where the Bees clamped down and led on the shot clock, 14-6.
The Chicago win even more impressive, handing the Packers only their fifth loss at Lakeside Auditorium. The top line accounted for another three goals, but it was Tommy Hart who was the star of this one, scoring an early goal and adding an empty-netter in the final seconds. Oscar James drew the somewhat surprising assignment, considering it was his third start in February and first in two weeks. But, James stood strong, turning away 27 of 30 Packer shots. Rookie Mickey Bedard was firing away at the net (13 shots attempted, 6 shots on goal), but earned first star honors because of his three helpers, two of them primary assists.
PATRIOTS MAKING CHARGE IN ABC
The hottest team in the ABC East Division is the Hartford Patriots as the club beat Boston twice last week to extend its winning streak to 4 games and victories in 8 of their last 9 contests. The Patriots strong stretch in February has allowed the club to close to within 3 games of first place Brooklyn and two of the Centurions in the East Division.
James Phillips led the way for the Patriots last week, just as he has all season. The ABC scoring leader had 22 points in the 116-100 win over Boston on Monday and 25 in Saturday's 89-81 triumph over the Centurions. But he saved his best game of the week for the bright lights of Bigsby Garden, where Phillips poured in 33 points and added 21 boards in Thursday's 112-87 victory over the New York Knights.
A 31-year-old California native who is in his 9th season in the league and fourth with the Patriots, Phillips was the West Coast Athletic Association player of the year in his senior season at CC Los Angeles and twice selected as an All-American.
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AMERICAN BASKETBALL CONFERENCE STANDINGS
EAST W L PCT GB
Brooklyn 22 16 .579 -
Boston 21 17 .571 1.0
Hartford 20 20 .500 3.0
New York 14 22 .389 7.0
WEST W L PCT GB
Washington 26 8 .765 -
Richmond 21 21 .500 9.0
Pittsburgh 14 23 .378 13.5
Rochester 13 24 .351 14.5
SCORING LEADERS PPG
James Phillips, HAR 20.3
Morgan Melcher, BOS 19.9
Stewart Hurlburt, RIC 19.0
Augie Schleicher, PIT 18.9
John Rodrigez, HAR 18.8
Charles Hooper, WAS 18.8
Ivory Mitchell, BKN 17.9
Norm Yates, RIC 17.7
Gerald Carter, BOS 17.5
Terry Flowers, ROC 17.5
PANTHERS BACK TO WINNING WAYS
Nothing like a game against Toronto to put an end to a losing streak as the top team in the Federal Basketball League -the Chicago Panthers- snapped their only 2-game skid of the season with an 85-74 win over Toronto Friday night at the Lakeside Auditorium. The Panthers will still missing injured star Richard Campbell, but had plenty of scoring with Ed Barahona leading the way with 23 points while center Cory Myers had 15 points and 25 rebounds. The win was the 23rd of the season against just 9 losses for the Chicago quintet, while the Titans lost for the 24th time.
Both clubs would add to those totals the next night as the Titans feel to East Division leading Philadelphia 81-63 with the Panthers, led by Joe Hampton's 21 points, dropped Cleveland 79-67 to keep their lead on second place Detroit in the West Division at 9 games. The Philadelphia Phantoms are feeling pressure from Baltimore in the East, as the Barons had won 4 in a row before falling to Buffalo last night by a 71-66 score.
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FEDERAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE STANDINGS
EAST W L PCT GB
Philadelphia 22 10 .688 -
Baltimore 20 12 .625 2.0
Buffalo 15 17 .469 7.0
Toronto 7 25 .219 15.0
WEST W L PCT GB
Chicago 24 9 .727 -
Detroit 15 18 .455 9.0
Cincinnati 14 19 .424 10.0
Cleveland 13 20 .394 11.0
SCORING LEADERS PPG
Larry Yim, BUF 20.5
Richard Campbell, CHI 20.4
Irvin Mudd, PHI 20.3
David Reed, DET 19.1
Jamel Porter, TOR 19.0
Jack Kurtz, DET 18.2
Danny Hendon, PHI 17.1
Jack Hirst, BAL 16.4
Nestor Patterson, BAL 16.3
George Kelley, CLE 16.1
REDWOOD CLOSING IN ON FIRST EVER COAST CROWN
Redwood University to a big step towards securing the schools first-ever West Coast Athletic Association championship with a 63-46 victory over Lane State yesterday. The Mammoths, led by 14 points from Punch Perez and a dozen from Timmy Adams, moved up to 6th in the polls and the school that has never won a tournament game in its history might just claim the top seed in the Western Region.
Standing in the Mammoths way will be a pair of tough games next weekend when they face 5th ranked Coastal California on Friday and 2nd ranked Rainier College on Sunday before finishing things off next Saturday against long-time rival Northern California.
Central Ohio moved a step closer to clinching the Great Lakes Alliance title and what seems certain to be a number one seed. The number one ranked Aviators are 11-1 in section play and 3 games up on Whitney College, Western Iowa and Lincoln with four games remaining on the slate.
The battle for the South Atlantic section crown became very interesting on Saturday when North Carolina Tech nipped Carolina Poly 58-57 in overtime behind a 20-point showing from sophomore guard Mike Carter. The win leaves the bitter rivals knotted at 8-3 in section play, with Alexandria and Lexington State just a half game back. The Techsters, a long-time power in the south with 3 appearances in the national semi-finals this decade, have missed the tournament each of the past two years and may just need the section title automatic berth to snap that trend this time around. North Carolina Tech is 18-8 on the year and projected to be in the field of 32, at least at the moment.
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AIAA COLLEGIATE CAGE RANKINS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Central Ohio (47) 22-3 1775 1 Great Lakes Alliance
2. Rainier College (25) 23-3 1750 3 West Coast Athletic Association
3. Western Iowa 20-5 1632 4 Great Lakes Alliance
4. Carolina Poly 22-4 1576 2 South Atlantic Conference
5. Coastal California 21-5 1535 7 West Coast Athletic Association
6. Redwood 22-4 1391 9 West Coast Athletic Association
7. Brunswick 22-5 1334 10 Academia Alliance
8. Lambert College 23-3 1276 11 Midwestern Association
9. Liberty College 23-7 1248 8 Indy
10. Whitney College 19-6 1178 5 Great Lakes Alliance
11. Mississippi A&M 21-5 1056 14 Deep South Conference
12. CC Los Angeles 20-6 1053 6 West Coast Athletic Association
13. Noble Jones College 20-6 914 12 Deep South Conference
14. Central Kentucky 20-5 763 19 Deep South Conference
15. Bayou State 19-6 737 13 Deep South Conference
16. Great Plains State 23-5 729 17 Indy
17. Frankford State 24-6 723 16 Indy
18. Detroit City College 17-8 699 18 Great Lakes Alliance
19. North Carolina Tech 18-8 436 NR South Atlantic Conference
20. University of New Jersey 20-5 368 24 Eastern Six
21. Lane State 20-9 365 15 West Coast Athletic Association
22. Perry State College 21-7 286 25 Indy
23. Travis College 19-6 184 NR Southwestern Alliance
24. Texas Gulf Coast 17-9 136 20 Southwestern Alliance
25. Needham 21-6 76 23 Indy
Others Receiving Votes:
Elyria 22-8 64 Indy
Alabama Baptist 18-7 45 Deep South Conference
Pittsburgh State 21-8 29 Indy
Holland 19-6 15 Central Athletic Alliance
Bluegrass State 18-7 14 Deep South Conference
Western State 19-6 11 Central Athletic Alliance
Oklahoma Bible College 20-7 2 Indy
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING TOP 25 TEAMS
MONDAY FEBRUARY 23
at #16 Great Plains State 64, Flagstaff State 47
at College of Omaha 62, #25 Needham 57
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 24
no games involving ranked schools
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 25
at #11 Mississippi A&M 66, Cumberland 41
at #13 Noble Jones College 44, Alabama Baptist 36
at Bluegrass State 47, #14 Central Kentucky 39
#15 Bayou State 61, at Opelika State 36
#25 Needham 59, at Harper College 44
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 26
#1 Central Ohio 66, at Wisconsin State 51
#3 Western Iowa 63, at #10 Whitney College 48
at #4 Carolina Poly 55, Charleston Tech 49
at #7 Brunswick 65, #24 Texas Gulf Coast 36
at #8 Lambert College 67, Laclede 61
Minnesota Tech 42, at #18 Detroit City College 33
at #19 North Carolina Tech 58, Central Carolina 36
at #20 University of New Jersey 49, Constitution State 41
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 27
at #2 Rainier College 51, Portland Tech 33
#5 Coastal California 49, at #21 Lane State 47
#6 Redwood 47, at Idaho A&M 27
Northern California 45, at #12 CC Los Angeles 43
#23 Travis College 50, at Amarillo Methodist 31
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 28
at #1 Central Ohio 58, St. Magnus 50
Lincoln 58, at #3 Western Iowa 48
#19 North Carolina Tech 58, at #4 Carolina Poly 57
at #7 Brunswick 52, George Fox 44
#18 Detroit City College 66, at #10 Whitney College 63
#11 Mississippi A&M 50, at Alabama Baptist 49
#14 Central Kentucky 57, at #13 Noble Jones College 50
Baton Rouge State 48, at #15 Bayou State 41
at #20 University of New Jersey 57, Tinker 49
Darnell State 64, at #24 Texas Gulf Coast 56
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 29
#2 Rainier College 53, at Custer College 43
at #5 Coastal California 55, #12 CC Los Angeles 46
at #6 Redwood 63, #21 Lane State 46
at #16 Great Plains State 56, Arkansas A&T 40
MELANSON AND DESMARAIS: A REMATCH ON INDEPENDENCE DAY
In a twist of fate that caught many in the boxing world off guard, World Middleweight Champion Frank Melanson has set his sights on a rematch with the formidable European champ, Edouard Desmarais. Come this July 4th, the electrifying showdown will unfold at the revered Sailors Memorial Stadium in Philadelphia, where fireworks of both pugilistic prowess and national celebration will light up the night sky.
The choice of this significant date might raise some eyebrows, as it was on the very same day last year that Melanson met his first career defeat at the hands of John Edmonds. But for the gritty factory worker turned champion, superstition holds no sway. Unfazed by the memory of that loss, Melanson confidently declared, "It seems as good a day as any, and I am confident we will have a packed house to witness our epic clash. I plan on setting off some fireworks of my own in the ring."
As for the selection of Desmarais as his next challenger, it was a decision that also raised eyebrows for its unpredictability. Many anticipated a third epic showdown with Edmonds, but Melanson surprised everyone by opting for a rematch with the skilled Frenchman. The champion revealed that facing Desmarais again was "something I have been looking forward to for some time."
Melanson's rise from the factory floor to the championship podium is the stuff of legends. His meteoric ascent reached its zenith when he defied all odds to dethrone the British middleweight legend, Archie Rees, and claim the world title back in 1946. The fans were instantly captivated by his tenacity, both inside and outside the ropes, and he endeared himself to them further with back-to-back thrillers against Todd Gill, resulting in a draw and then in a triumphant TKO win. Desmarais, too, has a tale of courage and resilience, overcoming adversity during the war and rising to European glory after conquering Rees. Despite the setback against Melanson, Desmarais remains a force to be reckoned with, boasting an impressive record of 40 wins and a solitary loss.
With Desmarais still slated to face Italian Poto Tauretto in two weeks before venturing across the Atlantic, the anticipation for their rematch is reaching fever pitch. Come July 4th, the stage will be set for a display of fistic fireworks, and the world will bear witness to the clash of two middleweight titans with the world title at stake
*** Townsley KO's Rainey ***
Frankie Townsley knocked out Jack Rainey in the 8th round of their middleweight tussle slated for 10-rounds at Bigsby Garden last week. The Baltimore battler improve to 22-7-1 with the victory, his fourth straight by knockout. Rainey, who was one of over a thousand draft dodgers recently pardoned by President Truman -although the pardon came after he spent a year in jail- sees his mark as a professional dip to 24-5. He has lost two of his four bouts since being released by prison but they were to top flight opponents in Townsley and John Edmonds, who briefly held the world title.
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS- 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)
- Jul 4 - Sailors Memorial: World MW champ Frank Melanson (33-1-2) defends his title against Edouard Desmarais (40-1)
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 2/29/1948
- American and United Nations policy regarding strife-torn Palestine enters a crucial week with a series of top level conferences aimed at determining whether American troops may be asked to help police the Holy Land and enforce the UN plan to split it between Jews and Arabs.
- Communists bidding for supreme power in Czechoslovakia, had put their security police before all Czech government buildings and foreign embassies. Headquarters of the Czech National Socialist Party, with withdrew Friday from the government coalition, was seized by police armed with submachine guns.
- By week's end the western Czech border was sealed off and the communist party seized power under what American sources termed a "disguised dictatorship."
- Tension suggesting a goverment crisis in Finland with the announcement that Moscow has sent Helsinki a proposal for a new treaty.
- Russian moves in Czechoslovakia and Finland should impel Congress to act on this country's foreign-aid policy for Europe as soon as possible was the warning sounded by Michigan Republican Senator Vandenberg as debate continued on the Marshall Plan.
- President Truman ordered the Justice and Commerce Departments to make a full investigation of last week's $5-a-ton-increase in steel prices.