[Tiger Fan]

SEPTEMBER 13, 1948

HALL OF FAMER RUFUS BARREL DEAD AT 75

Renowned Baseball Scout and Beloved Family Man

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Mr. Rufus Barrell, a legendary figure in the world of sports and a beloved patriarch of his family. Mr. Barrell, aged 75, peacefully departed this world in his sleep on the morning of September 9, 1948, at his family farm in Egypt, Georgia.

Born on June 13, 1873, on that same farm, Rufus Barrell's legacy is one of unwavering dedication, passion, and love. He leaves behind a trail of memories and achievements that have touched countless lives.

Rufus was a man deeply committed to the sport of baseball. His early life as a highly talented pitcher was marked by promise and potential until a fateful accident prematurely ended his playing career. However, rather than succumbing to adversity, Rufus channeled his passion into a new role as a scout.

In the annals of baseball history, Rufus Barrell's name is synonymous with excellence in scouting. He co-founded the Omni Scouting Association, a name now revered for its commitment to identifying and nurturing talent. OSA became the official scouting partner not only of professional baseball but also of football, hockey, and basketball, underscoring Rufus's profound influence in the world of sports.

Throughout his illustrious career, Rufus served as a scouting director for several esteemed teams, including the Brooklyn Kings, the Washington Eagles, and the Cincinnati Cannons. His keen eye for talent, unerring judgment, and dedication to the sport propelled these teams to success and established Rufus as a revered figure in the scouting community.

In the tightly-knit Federally Aligned Baseball Leagues (FABL) community, Rufus Barrell was more than a legend; he was a cherished icon, a symbol of unwavering commitment, and an inspiration to aspiring athletes.

Beyond his professional achievements, Rufus was a devoted family man. He shared nearly sixty years of marriage with his beloved wife, Alice Barrell. Together, they raised ten children: Joe, Rollie, Jack, Jimmy, Dan, Fred, Tom, Bobby, Harry, and Betsy. Their family's strength endured even in the face of profound tragedy, having lost two sons, Joe and Jimmy, under heartbreaking circumstances.

As Rufus Barrell peacefully departed this world, he left behind a legacy of love, dedication, and indomitable spirit. His life was a testament to the enduring power of passion, hard work, and unwavering commitment to one's craft.

Rufus's memory will forever live on in the hearts of his family, friends, and all those who had the privilege of knowing him. His impact on the world of sports and his enduring legacy as a devoted family man will continue to inspire generations to come.

A private family service will be held in honor of Rufus Barrell, commemorating a life well-lived and a legacy that will never fade.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to the Rufus Barrell Memorial Fund, dedicated to supporting aspiring athletes in achieving their dreams, just as Rufus did throughout his remarkable life.

PIONEERS AND SAILORS AT TOP OF HEAP WITH 3 WEEKS TO PLAY

The St Louis Pioneers and Philadelphia Sailors each came up with a big week to further increase the chances that the 1948 World Championship Series will be a rematch of the 1947 Fall Classic. The Pioneers, who defeated the Sailors in 6 games last October, won 7 of their 8 games last week including 3 straight on the road over both Chicago and Detroit. That extends the St Louis lead atop the Federal Association to 3.5 games over the second place Washington Eagles, who must be wondering what else they can do. The Eagles went 5-2 last week but still lost a game and a half in the race. In the Continental Association the Sailors lead is 2 games on the second place New York Stars after Philadelphia won seven of its last 9 games while the Stars are on a 4-8 slide.

There are other teams still desperately trying to stay in the mix in both associations but time is clearly running out. The New York Gothams split a pair with the Pioneers to open the week and then won five of six from Detroit and Chicago but the Gothams presently sit 4.5 games behind St Louis although they can look forward to a 3-game set at Gothams Stadium against the St Louis nine in the final week of the campaign. A four game losing streak to end the week for the Philadelphia Keystones dropped them 6.5 backs of the Fed leaders and all but ends their pennant hopes.

The bookmakers give the Pioneers an 86% chance of winning the Fed flag with New York at just under 9% and the Washington Eagles less than a 6 percent chance of finishing on top. The Continental situation is not quite as dire for the New York Stars but close as the odds give the Sailors a better than 75% chance of winning their second straight pennant while the Stars have a 19% chance and the third place Chicago Cougars are given a 5% shot at ending a pennant drought that stretches back to 1941.

The Cougars have been pretty good of late, winning six of their last 8 contests and they do have 4 more remaining head to head with the Stars and two with the Sailors. The hottest team in the Continental loop right now is the Toronto Wolves -winners of 11 of their last 12 games but it is likely a case of being just a little too late for the Canadian club, which trails the Sailors by 6.5 games. Toronto does have 3 games remaining at home against Philadelphia and the Wolves have a key week ahead of them with a pair of games in New York starting Tuesday and then two more in the Windy City on the weekend. The big series in the Federal Association to watch this week takes place Tuesday and Wednesday in New York in a 2-game set for the Gothams and Eagles. A split may spell bad news for both teams.

Gothams Notes-Walt Messer has set a personal high with his 36th and 37th homers. There doesn't seem to be enough games remaining to challenge Red Johnson's franchise record of 43 set last season.

The Gothams are on pace to set a new team attendance record. If they can draw 29-30 thousand over the final 16 games they would surpass the total from the 1943 discounted servicemen ticket season. The current total of 1,795,026 is already the second highest total in their long history.

A 5-2 week just wasn't enough as the first place Pioneers split the Labor Day doubleheader with the Gothams then swept the remaining 6 games last week. So good week or not the team finds themselves now 4 and a half behind St. Louis.

Tack Robinson picked up his first win of the season, going 5 in and 8-3 win over Detroit. The team has been trying several pitchers this season looking for a dependable 5th starter.

DYNAMOS FADING, MOTORS TURN UP HEAT ON GOALTENDING SITUATION

A brief Monday morning bounce around a busy sports scene in the Motor City. Interesting news from the Thompson Palladium with word breaking that the Motors have signed unpredictable veteran goaltender Millard Touhey to a contract. The 32-year-old has had some good seasons for the Valiants but wore out his welcome in Quebec after the Vals missed the playoffs each of the last two years. Henri Chasse has been the Detroit netminder for the past 4 years but, like Touhey, has been inconsistent and is coming off the worst year of his career. The Motors have a long way to go to compete with the class of the NAHC and new coach Badger Rigney has been pressuring Detroit management to shake things up. And a little competition in net will hopefully light a fire under at least one of the goaltenders.

The addition of Touhey leads to speculation that back-up Brad Carter will be shipped to Montreal and may well earn the number one job for the Valiants, who is need between the pipes is dire with only young Pat Beliveau under contract, a 22-year-old babe with just 2 NAHC games on his resume.

*** September Does Not Treat Dynamos Well ***

A year ago, the Detroit Dynamos were in contention for the Federal Association flag until they fell apart in September, finishing 8-15 for the month and losing their last 11 games of the season. It is shaping up to be more of the same this year as the local nine have just 6 wins in their last 21 games and are riding a 4-game losing skid. The first division is now clearly out of reach and the worry is to try and hold off Pittsburgh and Chicago to avoid dropping any lower than 6th place. Detroit has a very young team still, and the injury to Edwin Hackberry did not help things, but manager Dick York expects much more out of his charges the last 3 weeks of the season.

"We have 16 games left including some games that are key for pennant hopefuls Washington and New York," explained the long-time skipper. "We will not tolerate guys just rolling over and playing out the string. There needs to be accountability for all 154 games. I am challenging this group to go 10-6 and treat this final stretch like our own little pennant race."

*** Black Patch For Rufus Barrell ***

Fans will have noticed the Dynamos are wearing black patches over the heart on their jerseys with the letter RB written on them. They will do so for the rest of the season as a tribute to Hall of Fame scout Rufus Barrell, who passed away at the age of 75 in his Georgia home last week. Barrell's family connection runs deep in Detroit with his son Fred working as the Dynamos Scouting Director and another son, Rollie, is the princple owner of the grid Maroons and cage Mustangs. A third son, Jack Barrell, spent a number of seasons behind the Detroit Motors bench but is now in Toronto where he led the Dukes to a Challenge Cup win last spring.

*** HOWLIN HAS BIG GAME ***

All-American Bill Howlin, who helped lead the Detroit City College Knights to a perfect season a year ago that included a victory in the East-West Classic, is making his mark in pro ball with the Brooklyn Football Kings. Howlin's best game in his short pro career came Friday night in Los Angeles when he threw for 150 yards and ran for 50 more to help the Kings thump the Los Angeles Lobos 49-14 in Continental Football Conference action.

Speaking of football, the AFA season kicks off this week with Maroons travel to Washington to face the defending East Division champion Wasps. Speaking of the Maroons, word out of camp is the club is pretty happy with the showing of back Dutch Van Houten. He will be eased into the action but the former Wisconsin State star, selected 7th in the draft, will be counted on to contribute as the season progresses.

*** Messer Arrives in Motor City ***

Ward Messer, who everyone hopes will be the saviour the Detroit Mustangs need to become competitive in the new-look Federal Basketball League, arrived in town over the weekend to finalize his contract with Mustangs management and to find himself an apartment for the season. The National Collegiate Player of the Year while with Liberty College last season will have to deal with big expectations from a Mustangs fan base that has seen their heroes miss the playoffs each of their two years in the league. And it will only get harder this time around with the 8 teams from the now-defunct American Basketball Conference joining to double the size of the FBL.

It was no coincidence that Messer arrived in Detroit last Thursday as it gave him the opportunity to head out to Thompson Field and catch a pair of games between the Dynamos and Gothams involving Ward's older brother Walt Messer. Ward refused to confirm which club he was cheering for during the games.

• You have to wonder when the newspapers, this one included, will start recognizing just how good the Philadelphia Sailors are. No one picked the Sailors to win the Continental pennant prior to the '47 season and here they are in first place once more with 3 weeks left in the '48 campaign and once more no one predicted they would win the pennant. Three writers - Archie Irwin, Brett Bing and Marc T. McNeil tabbed the Sailors second but two others - Dan Barrell and Red Wedge pegged them as a second division ballclub.
• Speaking of OSA boss Dan Barrell, he is not being treated well by the Detroit Dynamos. Barrell thought this would be the Motor City club's year and picked them to win the Fed but they are a disappointng 6th at this writing. Barrell called the Cougars to win the CA, but who doesn't and as usual it appears they will once more be disappointed with the result for the Windy City Kitties.
• It looks like Ed Reyes is well positioned to win his fourth consecutive CA batting title. Since joining the Sailors and finally becoming a regular, Reyes has produced a line of: .349/.399/.457 (wRC+ 144).
• Joe Angevine will likely not return for the regular season with the New York Stars. The 33-year-old shortstop has been bothered by a back injury off and on all season and last played on August 8. The Stars had hoped he might return for the final week or two of the season but the latest news indicates that is not likely to happen. Angevine was hitting .217 this season and while his replacement 22-year-old rookie Paul Watson has struggled with the glove, the youngster is hitting .305 through his first 55 big league games.
• Brett Bing of the Toronto Mail & Empire notes that the red-hot Wolves, winners of 11 of their last 12, "put up a 10 spot in the bottom of the 6th against Cleveland, before a home crowd of almost 30K Friday. Most runs I remember in an inning. Wolves have made into the first division 6 1/2 back with 16 to play may be too much to ask."
• To which Jiggs McGee replied "Sweep the Stars and Cougars this week and get some help from Montreal and Brooklyn against the Sailors and I may start to believe, but I think it is just too high a hill to climb in 3 weeks with 3 teams ahead of you."
• Sam Brown joined the 2500 hit club last week. The 37-year-old has spent the past 5 and half seasons with the Cincinnati Cannons after nearly 10 years with the Washington Eagles. Brown won a pair of World Championship Series rings with the Cannons and is a 3-time all-star game participant with a career batting average of .317
• Word out of Detroit is that Dynamos scouting director Fred Barrell will be leaving the organization to take a managerial position with an as of yet unnamed team. The Dynamos had reportedly granted permission for a club to discuss a deal with Barrell for next season and word is an agreement has been reached. The new deal, which will not be announced until the season is concluded, will see Barrell leave the Detroit organization after the January draft. Barrell has long made it known that he wants to be in the dugout as a manager and was considered for several jobs last season but none came to fruition.
• Seems like a down crop for rookies. Who are the top Kellogg candidates? In the Fed likely a battle between Alf Keeter (11-9, 4.73) for Boston and Irv Clifford (.318,2,52) of Pittsburgh unless Jeep Erickson (.376,8,28) can get enough support for his amazing 43 games with the Miners. The CA does not seem to have much beyond Brooklyn's Pat Petty (.279,13,78).
• Not only has it been a big season in the Great Western League for the Oakland Grays, who enjoy a 12.5 game lead on second place San Francisco in pursuit of their second straight regular season title but the Grays AAA club in Waco has clinched the Lone Star Association pennant and AA Des Moines is just a game back of Pueblo with a week remaining in the Western Baseball League season.
• The Japanese League has entered the final week of its season. The Vesutan Bees have a 4-game lead on the second place Kobe Bulls with 6 games remaining for each club. It would be the first pennant for the third year club if the Bees can hang on.

LONE GAME MARKS START OF COLLEGE GRID SEASON

Another college football season is underway although it was barely noticed along the east coast. Many of the big names will not see action for two more weeks including defending national champion St Blane, which is set to open its title defense at home in Tyrone against a spirited Whitney College club on September 25. There was just a single contest over the weekend as a pair of rivals from the Southern Border Conference got together. Canyon A&M emerged the victor, as the Armadillos dumped Flagstaff State 24-7, marking the third year in a row that the Texas school emerged with a win over its Arizona rival. The Armadillos are hoping to repeat a terrific 1947 campaign that saw Canyon A&M post a 10-1 record including a perfect 7-0 in section play.

While most of the top schools in the east and midwest will not see action until September 25 there is one exception as Penn Catholic kicks off its season in Philadelphia against Darnell State. Southwestern Alliance power Travis College will debut at home in Texas against Bayou State while most of the big coast schools including both CC Los Angeles and Coastal California will also be in action.

WILD WEEK FULL OF TIGHT GAMES IN CFC

You could not ask for a pair of games much more exciting than the entertaining helping of football the Continental Conference served up yesterday. The Buffalo Bulls did everything they could to stay with the two-time defending champion Kansas City Cowboys but in the end they fell just short, dropping a 23-22 decision at Buffalo's Civic Stadium.

The Bulls gambled on getting another opportunity but lost as they opted for a 16-yard field goal on 4th down with nearly 12 minutes remaining in the game. It cut the Cowboys lead to just a single point at 23-22 but what the Bulls did not count on was they would only get one more possession as the Cowboys proved they are much more than a high-flying passing attack by chewing up the final 6:19 of clock time to preserve the one-point victory and improve to 2-0 on the season.

The issue for Buffalo, as it is for all teams in the CFC, is they had to pick their poison. Do they focus on trying to slow down the passing game of Pat Chappell or do they concentrate on stacking the line in an effort to stop bruising fullback Mason Matthews? With both starting ends Ernie Orr and Bill Tammaro out with injuries the Bulls chances looked pretty good but Chappell still shredded the Buffalo defense for 308 passing yards and when the Bulls tried to drop back in coverage it allowed Matthews to run wild, gaining 139 yards on just 11 carries. Dave Karaszewski had another big day on the ground for Buffalo, with 103 yards of his own, but it is clear that in the CFC you have the Kansas City Cowboys and then far below them, you have the rest of the league.

It was a wild finish in San Francisco, but the hometown Wings came up just short in falling 28-27 to the New York Gothams despite San Francisco tallying 3 touchdowns in the fourth quarter including a pair of Sam Metcalf scoring passes in the final four and a half minutes. Metcalf nearly completed the comeback but with 53 seconds left and a third and goal on the Gothams 3-yard line what would have been a game winning touchdown pass to Doug Murphy was picked off by Gothams back Ed Williams to preserve the New Yorkers first win of the season.

There was an exciting finish in one of the Friday games as well with Chicago's Dave Brown missing on a 34-yard field goal attempt that would have tied the game with 9 seconds remaining. Instead the Comets came up just short on their home field as New Orleans improved to 2-0 with a 24-21 victory. It was another spirited effort from rookie Crescents quarterback Vince Gallegos, who passed for 260 yards and a touchdown. His favourite target was Bill Pruitt, who hauled in 4 catches for 189 yards including a 45-yard scoring grab to get the Crescents on the scoreboard early in the second frame.

The one game that was not close illustrated perfectly just what a huge difference a week can make for the Brooklyn Kings. The Kings were thumped by San Francisco just over a week ago but they found the week of training in the California sunshine to their liking as the Kings looked like a completely different outfit in manhandling the Los Angeles Lobos 49-14 at Knights Stadium Friday evening. From the start it looked like another rough time for the Kings, who spotted the hometown Lobos a 14-0 lead before the game was 10 minutes old. But then the Brooklyn offense shifted in to high gear and it was all Kings from there on out.

Bill Howlin, the All-American back who led Detroit City College to an East-West Classic win and a perfect season last year, combined with John Mecham to be a force on the ground and through the air for Brooklyn. Splitting the passing duties, the dynamic duo combined for 272 yards through the air while Mecham ran for 80 yards and two scores while Howlin had a touchdown carry of his own to go along with 50 yards gained from scrimmage. The victory evens the Kings record after 3 games at 1-1-1 while Los Angeles falls to 1-2 and third place in the Western Division.

CAN CFC WEATHER THE STORM?

In the realm of professional football, the Continental Football Conference stands at a crucial juncture, teetering on the precarious edge of its third season. Although the league's valiant efforts have sustained it thus far, murmurs of skepticism about its long-term prospects have begun to circulate. While none within the league are willing to openly admit distress, the mounting calls from several Continental magnates to double the games played per week raise undeniable concerns, offering a forewarning of financial storms brewing on the horizon.

The crux of the CFC's dilemma lies in its facilities, or more aptly, the lack thereof. The majority of CFC teams find themselves confined to minor league stadiums, where the capacity struggles to breach the 20,000 mark. This stark contrast is exemplified by the Kansas City Cowboys, a powerhouse within the league. Their prowess on the field is unquestionable, yet they find themselves relegated to Packer Park, a modest stadium that scarcely accommodates 15,000 ardent fans. The stark reality becomes evident when juxtaposed with the AFA, whose teams grace FABL parks, boasting capacities exceeding 30,000 seats. A prime example is the AFA championship game finalists from the previous year, the Washington Wasps and Cleveland Finches, who command stadiums with double or more the capacity of Packer Park.

Economics paints a bleak picture. The astute CFC magnates acknowledge that to compete with the AFA in terms of player salaries, larger stadiums or an increase in games are essential. Currently, only a handful of CFC teams, including the Chicago Comets, New York Gothams, and Brooklyn Kings, reside in stadiums exceeding the 30,000 mark. However, prospects of this changing anytime soon are slim.

The owners are caught in a quandary. While doubling the games might bolster revenue, players are unlikely to embrace the toll on their bodies, unwilling to put themselves in harm's way without adequate compensation for the additional games. This puts the CFC in a familiar predicament: How can they vie with the AFA without a substantial revenue stream to finance their aspirations?

The CFC already faces large hill to climb in convincing incoming rookies to side with the new loop rather than play for clubs in the more established American Association. Only two athletes drafted in the opening round by AFA outfits elected to join the Continental and one of them was Vince Gallegos who elected to stay near his college stomping grounds of Bayou State and play for the New Orleans Crescents instead of joining a weak Pittsburgh Paladins AFA entry. There is talent to be found in the CFC, of that it is certain, but it is also clear as crystal that the greater level of talent lies with the established AFA.

No clear-cut solution is in sight, leaving the very survival of the Continental Conference contingent upon an elusive remedy to this financial fiasco. The clock ticks, and the stakes are higher than ever. Only time will tell if the CFC can weather this storm and carve a path to sustainable success in the fiercely competitive landscape of professional football.

TOUHEY SIGNS WITH DETROIT

The Detroit Motors have taken steps to address the inconsistency out of their goaltending last year by agreeing to a 4-year deal with former Montreal Valiants netminder Millard Touhey. The 32-year-old Touhey started 51 games for the Vals a year ago, posting a 3.18 goals against average, but was released by the club over the summer due to inconsistent play of his own.

Touhey was Montreal's goaltender for the past five seasons and had a dominant 1945-46 campaign that culminated with an opening round playoff upset of the first place Toronto Dukes. Big things were expected from the Toronto native in 1946-47 but he reported to training camp out of shape and never did get untracked causing the Valiants to miss the playoffs. They had a terrific start to the season a year ago but second half struggles, including but not limited to Touhey's work in net, saw the Valiants miss the playoffs for a second year in a row.

The Motors had their own challenges between the pipes last season as 25-year-old Henri Chasse, a Juneau Trophy winner in his sophomore season of 1945-46, endured plenty of ups and downs last season as the Motors sank to the bottom of the league after finishing third the previous season. Chasse was among the top goaltenders two years ago but saw his goals against average balloon by nearly a goal a game and his save percentage fall below .900 in a year filled with struggles.

The pair are expected to fight it out for the number one job which likely spells the end of veteran backup goaltender Brad Carter's days in the Motor City. Carter, who backstopped Seattle to a Great Western League title in 1942-43 before joining the New York Shamrocks the following year, played in an NAHC career high 19 games for Detroit last season.

Motors new head coach Badger Rigney promises it will be an open battle for the starting job and each goaltender gets a clean slate with the bench boss, who replaced the departed Mark Moore. "I have full confidence in each of them and it is a luxury to have two goaltenders that have each proven they are more than capable of carrying a team," explained Rigney. "Having two number ones is a good thing and we hope will bring out the best in both Henri and Millard."

The Motors had expressed some interest in Touhey in June but at the time his contract demand was said to be over $20,000 season. After negotiations between Touhey and the HAA's Syracuse Lancers fell apart, he lowered his demand and agreed to a 4-year deal with Detroit that will pay the netminder just over $16,000. Detroit does have a lot of money tied up between the pipes as Henri Chasse signed a long-term extension a year ago that pays him $18,000 per annum.

In other transaction news the Toronto Dukes signed a depth goaltender, inking former New York Shamrocks backup Ronnie Flanagan to a two-year deal worth $3,200 per season. The 31-year-old Parkhill, Ont. native spent a number of seasons early in the decade as a starter with both the Shamrocks and Detroit but appeared in just 1 game for the Greenshirts last season while splitting time between New York and the minor league Philadelphia Rascals. Flanagan is expected to challenge Terry Russell for the back-up job behind veteran Gordie Broadway.

ERICKSON GROUNDS GREGORY TO REMAIN WELTER CHAMP

Lakeside Arena, Chicago, Ill. - Mac Erickson, new to the championship ranks, is at the precipice of something the Welterweight Division has not seen in a good while: stability. Erickson has been on a winning streak of 17 straight fights since turning pro upon his discharge from the Navy in 1945. In three years, he has climbed the ladder, won his title shot against Harold Stephens, and seems to improve by the round. His punches carry the power you would expect from a heavier-class boxer.

The 27-year-old from Saint Paul, Minnesota, Erickson and his fans made the trip from The Land of 10,000 Lakes to Lakeside Arena in Chicago to face John Gregory, a challenger who has lost four times with a draw in 24 professional bouts. Erickson has one more knockout (11) compared to Gregory (10) in seven fewer fights, but that only tells part of the story.

In Erickson’s title-winning fight in Boston against Stephens in April, he pulverized a man as much as one can do without knocking the man out. How Stephens finished the fight standing, this reporter will never know. There were 37 Big Boppers in 15 rounds on that night, a night where Erickson did not get the knockout.

If you turned off the radio after the first two rounds of the fight (and why would you?!), you would think Gregory was going to give Erickson a run for his money. Gregory arrived on the scene with an uppercut a little less than a minute in that stunned the champion. While Erickson summoned even more power than Gregory with an uppercut of his own shortly afterwards, that was the only punch that really landed for Erickson in the first round, a round in which Gregory carried the rest of the round with shots to the body and the occasional opportunistic hook upstairs.

Gregory carried the momentum into the second round, setting Erickson up with the jab and hook before another uppercut landed Erickson on the ropes. Erickson could not corral himself to counter while Gregory was scoring with punches. Gregory held Erickson at bay until the final 30 seconds of the round, when Erickson landed his only punch of the second round.

With the notoriety Erickson gained coming into the bout, his pound-for-pound prowess and his savage punishment on Stephens on his way to the title, many in the crowd openly wondered if he was the same fighter: Which was the real Erickson? Was it Erickson the Hunted who looked like a shy kitty cat at times or was it the hidden tiger he seemed to be when he was Erickson the Hunter?

But, you see, in a power puncher, there is always the possibility of one punch changing the fight, or in this case, winning the fight.

The third round started with some bewilderment, but it ended in victory for the champion. Much like in his previous fight, Erickson starts a round deliberately, waiting for his opponent to land the first punch. Maybe he does it for sport, maybe he wants to give his opponent the false hope of an advantage, or maybe he likes to be the hunter.

Erickson must have realized he had ceded the advantage to Gregory early and came out differently. He was the aggressor and missed with the jab and Gregory fooled him with a left hook to the ribs that knocked the wind out of him.

As if awakened by alarm clock, Erickson went on the offense after the shot the midsection. Erickson drove home a hook, landed a cross, and as Gregory leaned forward, perfectly placed an uppercut that caught Gregory on his chin, dropping the challenger to the canvas. Gregory tried to stand up late in the count, but the referee counted him out as he fell again on his back.

Erickson retained the belt and stayed undefeated (18-0) while only connecting on fewer than 30 punches throughout the entire bout. But all it took was one. The murmurs among the boxing hacks ringside were that the one punch saved Erickson from a long night because Gregory (19-5-1) had started off so well. Hogwash! Gregory would have fallen victim to Erickson’s power punch sooner or later, a power punch that is Erickson’s ticket to a potentially long stay in the penthouse.

BOLOGNA’S BIG BOPPERS
Round 1: Tied, 1-1 (E: 1:14 uppercut; G: 0:54 uppercut)
Round 2: Gregory, 2-0 (G: 1:05 uppercut, 1:28 hook)
Round 3: Erickson, 3-1 (E: 0:38 hook/midsection, 0:52 cross, 1:32 uppercut/chin/knockout; G: 0:23 hook/body)
TOTAL: Erickson 4, Gregory 4

CLINE EXPOSED IN LOSS TO FOUNTAIN

Not all that long ago many observers of the sweet science had forecast a future that included Tommy Cline possibly being the man who would finally take the heavyweight title away from Hector Sawyer. That was before Cline was taught a thing or two by the Boston boxing professor Roy Crawford, who handed the young Tennessean his first taste of defeat. Four months later Cline was back in the ring on the big stage at Bigsby Garden and looking to get back on track with what was supposed to be a hard-fought win over former title contender Mark Fountain. Instead it was a second straight loss for the 23-year-old, who was outpointed narrowly by the veteran New Yorker in a close but unanimous decision.

The question now is where does Cline go from here. Far too talented to be cast out of future title talk forever, the back-to-back losses after 13 straight victories to start his pro career perhaps serve as a warning to other rising youngsters not to try and bite off a little more than they are perhaps ready to chew. Crawford and Fountain are two of the best around, both proven veterans easily ranking among the top ten heavyweights in the world the past couple of years. Cline is on the verge of joining them, or at least was until he made the mistake of facing each of them perhaps a few fights before he was truly ready.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

• Sept 18- St Louis: former WW champ Mark Westlake (24-3-1) vs Ira Mitchell (20-2)
• Sept 24- National Auditorium, Washington DC: WW Rudy Perry (26-4-1) vs Billy Boyd (26-9-2)
• Oct 1- Montreal, Quebec: World Middleweight champion Edouard Desmarais (42-1) defends his title against Canadian Adrian Petrie (17-1-1)
• Oct 22- London, Eng: World Heavyweight champion Hector Sawyer (58-3-1) defends his title against Grant Knowles (31-4-1)

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 9/12/1948

• On the campaign trail in Michigan, President Truman predicted another "boom and bust" cycle if "a reactionary Republican administration comes into power," adding "the boom is for them and the bust is for you."
• Gov. Dewey of New York, Republican presidential nominee, will make his first campaign speech September 20 in Des Moines, Ia.
• Two American news correspondents were hurt after Communist-led demonstrators once more smashed into Berlin's City Hall, using battering rams and smashing windows.
• Russians and Communist-controlled German police fired on Berlin anti-Communists after a crowd of Germans stoned a jeepload of Russian soldiers inside the Soviet sector. Soviet officials accused the Western Allies of "inciting" Berliners against Russia and Communism.
• Unrest in Poland has led the Communist Workers' Party to embark on a purge of nationalist members and prompted calls for a "class war" in farm villages throughout the nation.