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Tiger Fan · 11-14-2023, 10:29 AM

MARCH 28, 1949

COUGARS AGAIN SHOULD BE CLASS OF CONTINENTAL

As the ink dries on our parchment, proclaiming the predictions for the imminent Continental Association pennant race, we find ourselves grappling anew with the perennial question of what to make of the Chicago Cougars. The Cougars, yet again, stand as the behemoths of talent in the Continental Association, if not the entire baseball landscape. A truth that has resonated virtually unaltered for the better part of this decade.

The Cougars lineup boasts a list of luminaries that reads like a who's who of the games elite. Red Bond, Walt Pack, Skipper Schneider and Sal Pestilli are the centerpieces of a starting eight that also features a pretty solid supporting cast to go along with the best pitching staff this side of St Louis, anchored by three aces in Pete Papenfus, Donnie Jones and Duke Bybee. The majors' crème de la crème seems perennially housed in the Cougar ranks, and the farm system, a veritable talent forge, consistently stamps its mark as one of baseball's finest. On paper, the Cougars appear equipped with everything necessary for dynastic triumphs. Everything, that is, except for pennants.

The last time Chicago clinched the Continental Association crown was in 1941, and the elusive World Championship Series banner has eluded them for an additional decade. Judging by talent alone, one would envision a dynasty—Cougars teams decked with a bounty of pennants over the past ten years. Yet, instead of a gallery of championship flags fluttering high over Cougars Stadium, an onlooker discerns a cascade of shattered dreams and squandered opportunities.

The post-war iteration of the Cougars may etch their legacy as the most star-studded ensemble to remain pennant-less. The missed opportunities range from heart-breaking finishes like the 1946 playoff tie-breaking loss to the New York Stars, dreadful disappointments like the 7th place finish a year later and all the second and third place finishes along the way makes many feel fate just seems to take joy in conspiring against this marvelously gifted team, preventing them from hoisting the coveted WCS title.

Given this litany of setbacks, there's little rationale for pegging the Chicago Cougars as the ones to beat in the Continental Association. However, the sheer abundance of talent compellingly compels us, once more, to anoint the Cougars as the preseason favorites to capture the CA crown. Surely, the spell of heartache that has befallen the Cougars and their faithful must meet its end at some point. Could 1949 finally be the year the CA's finest finish with the finest record and claim the long-sought championship? Only time will unveil this perennial mystery but if pennant's were handed out in March the Cougars would have perhaps the most impressive collection in baseball history. And we are compelled to add another to that list of preseason baubles.

While the Continental spotlight consistently bathes the Chicago Cougars in its glow, the Philadelphia Sailors, despite securing consecutive pennants, continue to dwell in relative obscurity. A profound triumph often obscured not just by the glitzier glow emanating from the Windy City but also from their cross-town rivals from the Federal Association. The Sailors wield a formidable arsenal of bats, and, sans the marquee names adorning Chicago's lineup, they might boast a batting order as potent as the revered Cougars. Rip Lee and Billy Forbes are considered among the best in the game but they are overshadowed even in their own city by the big Broad Street bats of Bobby Barrell, Hank Koblenz and Roger Cleaves. This theme extends to the pitching mound, where Lloyd Stevens, a veteran of the Keystones, commands attention, obscuring the talents of Win Lewis and Al Duster. Unlike the high profile Keystones, or the underachieving Cougars, the Sailors eschew the headlines, just wait in the weeds for the popular choices like the Cougars or the perennially strong New York Stars, to falter. Two consecutive pennants attest to their savvy strategy, and if the Cougars collapse once again, the Sailors may well be primed for a third straight flag.

Meanwhile, the New York Stars, led by the illustrious Bill Barrett patrolling the outfield and the prodigious Eli Panneton on the mound, find themselves in the considerable shadow of their continental counterparts. Barrett, a four-time Whitney Award winner, commands attention, but the supporting ensemble may once more fall short of the requirements for Dyckman Stadium's next pennant. In the hierarchy of Continental supremacy, the Cougars, Sailors, and Stars emerge as the leading triumvirate. However, New York appears poised to once more secure a firm foothold as the clear number three within this elite trio. As the stars align for another season of baseball drama, it remains to be seen whether the Continental constellation will rearrange its celestial order.

The final berth in the first division is up for grabs with three teams perhaps having the ability to call fourth place their own. The Toronto Wolves are aging and this might be Fred McCormick's last hurrah with Joe Hancock following closely behind. Wolves magnate Bernie Millard hopes signing a piece of baseball royalty, in the form of rookie manager Fred Barrell, can lead the Toronto nine in its upcoming transition from aging talent to the next wave of stars. Fred's brother Tom Barrell is poised for his third season of trying to do the same in Brooklyn but after a very impressive debut campaign, Tom's Kings were far from reigning monarchs last year with a 10-game turnaround dropping them to sixth place. The wildcard in this trio may well be the Montreal Saints, a team laden with latent potential waiting to blossom. The dynamic pitching duo of Pat Weakley and Bert Cupid, if unleashed to their full capabilities, could rival the best in the game. Shortstop Gordie Perkins, often overshadowed, emerges as a potential luminary after leading the CA in hits during his age-26 campaign. In the wings is the 22-year-old outfielder Otis O'Keefe, a strong contender for Rookie of the Year, having dominated at the AA and AAA levels the previous season.

This brings us to the Ohio duo of Cincinnati and Cleveland. The Cannons, once the luminaries with three consecutive Continental crowns, now grapple with the consequences of aging talent and questionable trades. Wholesale changes have been made in the front office include infielder Charley McCullough becoming a player-manager, a first for the CA since Powell Slocum in the early 1920s. They still have three-time Whitney Award winner Deuce Barrell and talented infielders Jim Hensley and Denny Andrews but a substantial overhaul is imperative for the Cannons to regain their former glory.

Conversely, the Cleveland Foresters, undeniably the weakest link in baseball this decade, show no sign of escaping their prolonged slump. The foregone conclusion seems to be their seventh finish this decade at the very bottom of the Continental Association standings. Despite harboring some young talent, both in the big leagues and on the horizon, the road to redemption appears lengthy for the Foresters, as they strive to recapture the halcyon days of their back-to-back pennants in the mid-1930s.

TWIFB CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
1- Chicago Cougars
2- Philadelphia Sailors
3- New York Stars
4- Montreal Saints
5- Toronto Wolves
6- Brooklyn Kings
7- Cincinnati Cannons
8- Cleveland Foresters

CAGE SEMIS SET

Rainier College Only Top Seed Heading to Garden

The collegiate cage season is down to four teams standing as the semi-final field is set for the 40th annual AIAA basketball championships. It was a rough weekend for number one seeds as three of the four regions saw their top seed knocked out of the tournament in quarterfinal play Saturday and Sunday.

The lone exception was the Rainier College Majestics as they emerged as the class of the East Region after holding Luther Gordon in check and beating the Liberty College Bells 59-51. It took a second half charge for the Rainiers to punch their ticket to New York for next Saturday's semi-finals as the Majestics trailed by 7 points at the break before dominating the final twenty minutes. Orlando Zanier had 18 points for the winners with Don Higgins adding 12. Thomas Abbott, their dominant senior center who normally handles much of the heavy lifting on offense for the Majestics, spent most of his focus on keeping Luther Gordon in check, and held the Bells junior sensation to just 10 points after Gordon had scored 51 in the two previous tournament games. The 10 points were enough to push Gordon over the 600 mark on the season as his 602 points become the new single-season standard for collegiate cagers.

This will mark Rainier College's 6th trip to the AIAA semi-finals and they have won the tournament three times, all in the past decade including back to back titles in the spring of 1943 and 1944.

The Majestics will face Noble Jones College on Saturday after the Colonels qualified for the semi-finals for just the second time in school history. Noble Jones College did so in dramatic fashion with a 75-74 victory in double-overtime over Midwest Region top seed and number one ranked Western Iowa. The Canaries needed two successful free throws from George Summer with 18 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game at 57. Noble Jones College could have won it in the first overtime but Joseph Bosco could not get his last second shot from the right corner to drop as time expired. Bosco redeemed himself in the second extra-period, scoring with 35 seconds left to put the Colonels up 74-72 and they hung on for the one point win and their second trip to Bigsby Garden for the semi-finals in four years. Bosco and Ken Avelar each scored 18 points to lead the Colonels while Willy Ludwick, a possible number one overall candidate for the FBL draft, had 24 in his final college game.
*** Fighting Saints Seek First Title ***

St Blane may know an awful lot about winning football titles as the Fighting Saints have been the top team in the nation two of the past three years, but AIAA cage crowns are uncharted territory for the Pennsylvania school. Prior to this season the school had never reached even the quarterfinals and was 1-5 all-time in tournament play but that changed with wins over Mahoning Valley State, Mississippi A&M and on Sunday top seeded Carolina Poly to win the South Region. The Saints have a deep and talented roster by senior forward Cy Worley has stepped up with back-to-back 20 point efforts in the wins over the Generals and Cardinals.

The next test for St Blane will come from Lexington State as the Colonials were the surprise winner in the West Region after knocking off top seed Coastal California Sunday. They used a balanced attack that saw four players record at least 9 points led by ten each from senior center Granville Steen and junior guard Dummy Jeffery. This marks the first appearance in the Semi-Finals for the Colonials, who qualified for the AIAA championship field each of the past two seasons but exited in the second round both times.

Complete AIAA standings, rosters and box scores are available here

BARRELL MAY GET SHOT FOR NOBLE JONES COLLEGE

With junior guard Carrol Lakin expected to miss a third straight game with an injury and his status for the National Title game, should Noble Jones College qualify, still in doubt it is giving freshman third string guard Charlie Barrell a taste of tournament play much earlier than expected.

Barrell, the half-brother of FABL stars Deuce Barrell and Roger Cleaves and son of former football star Joe Barrell and Hollywood starlet Dorothy Bates, is a three-sport athlete who would have been a first round selection in the 1948 FABL draft had he not opted to attend Noble Jones College and compete in three sports. Freshman are prohibited from collegiate football so he will make his debut in that sport next September and will join the Colonels baseball team as soon as his basketball season comes to an end.

The 19 year old out of Washington DC's Capital Academy saw very limited action this season but OSA basketball scouts feel he could be a first round selection in that sport after his college days are done. Charlie is still not getting anywhere near starters minutes but he did play 6 minutes in each of the two games after Lakin was injured and scored his first tournament points with a successful field goal in the Colonels 68-48 victory over Lane State on Friday. He is only expected to play a very small role at Bigsby Garden this weekend but Charlie will become the first Barrell to play in the AIAA semi-finals, adding another chapter to the rich history of the first family of sports.

BEES WIN MARATHON OPENER AGAINST DETROIT

Dukes Rally Stuns Packers

The North American Hockey Confederation playoffs got underway Saturday evening with the opening games in the two best-of-five semi-final series. In Boston, the hometown Bees needed double overtime to draw first blood in their series with Detroit as Jacob Gron's goal 24:52 in to extra time gave the Bees a 2-1 win. Pierre Melancon was outstanding in the Boston net, stopping 41 of the 42 Detroit shots he faced and set aside, for one night at least, any concerns Bees fans had in goal after Oscar James went down with an injury late in the regular season. Detroit's Milard Touhey also had a strong night, facing 54 Boston shots.

After a scoreless first period, it took just 37 seconds of for Wilbur Chandler to open the scoring in the second frame. The veteran center teamed up with long-time linemate Tommy Hart for the first goal of the series but Detroit's Adam Vanderbilt evened things up when he beat Melancon just over 10 minutes later. Neither team would score again in regulation despite the fact the Bees threw 17 shots at Touhey in the third period.

Detroit got the better of play in the first overtime, outshooting their hosts 14-9 but both goaltenders held strong. The second overtime was all Boston as the Bees did not allow a Detroit shot while buzzing around the Detroit cage. Finally Boston's 5th shot, a rebound by Gron after a Tommy Hart shot ended the evening and sent the more than 16,000 fans packed into Denny Arena home happy. Game Two will be tonight in Boston.
*** Dukes Score 7 in 14 Minutes ***

The Chicago Packers battled so hard the final month of the season to earn home-ice advantage for the semi-final series but it took a 20-minute letdown to give it all away. A wild night in the Windy City turned into a nightmare for the Packers as defense went out the window at Lakeside Auditorium when the Toronto Dukes scored 7 times in the third period to beat Chicago 7-4 in their series opener.

It looked like it would be an easy night for the Packers, who entered the postseason on a hot streak and were facing a slumping Toronto squad. Jerry Finch and Leon Seguin scored in the first period and Wes Burns added a power play marker in the middle frame to give Chicago a 3-0 lead after forty minutes. The Packers had outshot the Dukes, who were forced to use backup Terry Russell in place of Gordie Broadway, 32-23 over two periods and when Dan Russell- no relation to Terry- scored less than 4 minutes into the third period it was turning into a rout.

It became a rout, but nothing like what was expected as the Dukes suddenly came to life and scored 7 straight goals in the final thrirteen and a half minutes. League scoring leader Quinton Pollack gave Toronto just a little life when he broke Norm Hanson's shutout and the Maurice Charette scored twice in a three minute span and suddenly the Dukes were within a goal. It took just 8 more seconds for Pollack to score his second of the game, splitting a shocked Chicago defense and beating a surprised Hanson to even the contest with just under 6 minutes remaining.

Toronto was not done as Les Carlson, set up by Pollack and Charette, gave the Dukes their first lead of the game at 16:23. Chicago would pull Hanson for an extra attacker searching for the equalizer in the final minute but instead Toronto added two more goals - both into an empty net- and completed the dramatic turnaround with a 7-4 road victory. The Dukes outshot the Packers 20-6 in the final period and now have the momentum heading into tonight's second game of the series.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

FINALIST ANNOUNCED FOR NAHC AWARDS

The NAHC released the names of the three finalists for each of its season ending awards. The McDaniels Trophy, presented to the league's Most Valuable Player has gone to Tommy Burns each of the past three seasons but Burns was surprisingly omitted from this year's list despite the fact the Chicago Packers star led the NAHC in goals and was second in scoring even though he missed 11 games with an injury.

The McDaniels nominees are Quinton Pollack of the Toronto Dukes, who was the NAHC scoring leader this season, along with his Toronto teamamte Bobbie Sauer and Wilbur Chandler of the Boston Bees. Chandler has previously won the trophy three times while Sauer owns two McDaniels Trophies already. The 26-year-old Pollack had 64 points, which is the sixth highest single season total ever record in the NAHC but it should be noted the league just expanded to a 60-game schedule a year ago. Chandler had 60 points including 23 goals while Sauer had 28 goals and 28 assists for 56 points. The 30-year-old Chandler previously won the McDaniels Trophy in 1940, 1943 and 1945 while Sauer was the winner in 1942 and again two years later.

Norm Hanson of the Chicago Packers won the Juneau Trophy last season as top goaltender and he is nominated once more along with Oscar James of Boston and Montreal's Tom Brockers. James led all goaltenders with a 2.45 goals against average and 29 victories. Hanson was 22-19-4 with a 2.73 GAA while Brockers, who was dealt from Boston to Montreal early in the season, finished with a 2.92 GAA and a 16-25-3 record.

The top rookie award, the Harvey McLeod Trophy, will go to either Simon Savard of the New York Shamrocks or one of two Detroit Motors in Louis Rocheleau or Francis McKenzie. Rocheleau, whose teammate Nick Tardif won the McLeod a year ago, led the NAHC with 39 assists while also scoring 6 goals. McKenzie had 14 goals and 39 points while Savard had 32 points despite missing 15 games with an injury.

Dukes Win in Chicago With A Wild Third -- In the opening game of the Challenge Cup semifinal at Lakeside Aud the fans saw the most improbable of comebacks, although not one they enjoyed if a Packer supporter. The game started and ended in nothing like typical playoff hockey. A wide open affair, up and down the ice for both teams in stark contract to the offense-stifling close checking that is the general fare for playoff hockey.

The first period saw a total of 24 shots on goal with the Packers holding a 16-8 advantage. Coach Barrell surprised almost everyone by starting last year's playoff hero Terry Russell between the pipes. He stood up to almost relentless pressure in the first although he did let two behind him, Jerry Finch opening the scoring at 6:16 on a shot from the right hand faceoff circle and that goal only further energized the Packers, as they continued to pepper the Dukes' goaltender, who made a number of saves that could be classified as robbery. Leon Seguin made it 2-0 just past the 12 minute mark on a seemingly innocent shot from the down the right hand boards.

If the coaches told the teams to tighten up defensively between periods the message fell on deaf ears. in the second frame there were a total of thirty-one shots, which is is sometimes a game total for both teams in the post season. Russell faced another 16 with only one blemish when Wes Burns converted from in tight on the power on passes from Jeremy MacLean along with Burns' brother Tommy. The Dukes retreated to their room down 3-0 after forty minutes.

Things were looking really dark when Dan Russell made it 4-0 for Chicago before the third was 4 minutes old. Then something inexplicable happen: the Dukes found their legs and scoring touch. Quinton Pollack made it 4-1 at 6:39 then before 10 more minutes ticked off the clock Toronto beat Chicago netminder Norm Hanson 4 more times. Maurice Charette at 9:46 and again at 12:57 quieted the crowd then Pollack's second of the game 8 seconds later tied the game. When Les Carlson put the visitors ahead 5-4 at 16:23 you could hear a pin drop in the rink, with the only sounds being the celebration on the Toronto bench. The Packers, who were in shock, made an attempt to send the game to overtime after they pulled Hanson for an extra attacker but they were thwarted when both Clyde Lumsen and Carlson added empty netters making the final 7-4 in a comeback that will go down in NAHC playoff annals.

Coach Barrell "I have no words. I am still trying to figure out what happened out there in the third. I have never seen anything like it in all the playoff games I have seen or been involved in over my career. All credit to the team for not giving up, my first question was postgame "How did we give up 4? We should all thank Terry (goaltender Russell) as it could have been much, much worse." Time to work on some things in practice tomorrow before Game Two on Monday."

When ask which goaltender would be starting Monday he said "You will know when you see the game sheet just before the game in the press box."

The Panthers were on the top of the West a week ago, but an awful week has now put them one-and-a-half games back of Detroit. Chicago has lost the first three games of a four-game road trip, losing by 24 to Cleveland, 13 to Philadelphia, and 11 to Cleveland again. But, that is only part of the story. Star point guard Joe Hampton, who missed a month earlier this year with a dislocated shoulder, will miss six weeks with a broken arm. Hampton was hurt in the second quarter of Sunday's 98-87 loss in Cleveland. Richard Campbell sprained his ankle this week and he is day-to-day, but the Hampton injury looms large for Chicago. If he can return early, he might be able to play in the Finals if the Panthers can get there without Hampton. But those are two big "ifs".
Washington and Brooklyn are on a collision course. The Statesmen have won 10 in a row and Brooklyn are winners of nine straight. Both teams are in a flat-footed tie at 44-12, 7.5 games in front Detroit, the top team in the West. They meet in Brooklyn today. Brooklyn is 4-1 against Washington this season after defeating them in the swan song of the ABC last Spring, three games to one.
Back to Hampton's injury: has the West become Detroit's to lose? Maybe, but don't forget about those Crushers from Cleveland. They defeated Chicago twice this past week and if the season were to end today, that would be a Western semifinal matchup. Cleveland is not quite elite, but they are with the elite teams in home record (23-5) and they have the irrepressible ZIggy Rickard, who is averaging 18 points and 11.7 rebounds a game, as well as 4.9 assists for a small forward! Rickard is 6'6", but he is versatile.

Code:


FBL STANDINGS
EAST           W  L   PCT   GB
Brooklyn      44 12  .786    -
Washington    44 12  .786    -
Philadelphia  35 20  .636   8.5
Baltimore     28 27  .509  15.5
Rochester     28 28  .500  16.0
Boston        26 30  .464  18.0
Hartford      26 30  .464  18.0
New York      17 39  .304  27.0
Syracuse       9 48  .158  35.5

WEST         W  L   PCT   GB
Detroit     37 20  .649    -
Chicago     35 21  .625   1.5
Cleveland   32 24  .571   4.5
Cincinnati  30 27  .526   7.0
Pittsburgh  25 31  .446  11.5
Buffalo     17 40  .298  20.0
Toronto     16 40  .286  20.5

TREMENDOUS FINAL ROUND SALVAGES DRAW FOR BAKER

Scott 'The Chef' Baker summoned all of his esperience and may well have reignited a career that seemed to be all but over with a dramatic 10th round in New York City Friday evening to escape Bigsby Garden with a draw against Lewis Jones, widely considered to be the top contender in the heavyweight division.

The bout, like many of Baker's outings over the past couple of years, was not going well for the Philadelphia heavyweight. He was knocked down in the fourth round by Jones, the 23-year-old rising star from Kentucky, and appeared to be clearly behind on points entering the 10th and final round.

That changed in an instance, as Jones stepped right into the receiving end of a crushing cross and was suddenly in big trouble. Sensing only a knockout could save him, Baker threw everything he had at Jones and floored the youngster with 14 seconds remaining in the round. Jones, eyes glazed, barely beat the count to his feet moments before the final bell sounded, saving him a certain knockout defeat if the bout had continued any further.

Instead it went to the cards and one judge scored it dead even after Baker claimed the final round by a 10-8 count while the other two each had conflicting views with one award Baker a 2 point victory and the other seeing it as a 95-93 win for Jones. At 19-1-1 this result may slightly slow the pace Jones appeared to be on for a date with Hector Sawyer while for Baker, even a tie turned out as a positive result in the toughest test he has faced since the loss to Roy Crawford two and a half years ago began a string of three consecutive losses for The Chef.

Elsewhere 31-year-old middleweight Millard Shelton knocked out Joe Moore in the final round of their 10 rounder in St Louis. It marks the 14th consecutive win for Shelton, 10 by KO, since he lost to current middleweight champion Adrian Petrie four years ago.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

Apr 11- Bigsby Garden, New York: HW contender Dan Miller (38-9-1) vs John Howe (31-15-1)
Apr 16- Memphis: HW Cannon Cooper (25-4-1) vs Mike McFarland (19-6-2)
Apr 20 - National Auditorium, Washington DC- WW contender Mark Westlake (26-3-1) vs Scott Sorensen (24-11-2)
Apr 23- Atlanta: MW contender John Edmonds (27-3) vs Gerald MacIntosh (18-7-2)
Apr 24: Paris, France: rising French MW Yohan Revel (19-1) vs Leone Pierotti (26-6)
Apr 27- Flatbush Gardens, Brooklyn: rising MW Tommy Campbell (21-1-1) vs Richie Phillips (10-2)
Apr 27- Flatbush Gardens, Brooklyn: Italian MW Hugo Canio (13-0-2) vs Brenton Garner (9-2-2)
Apr 29- Lake Erie Arena, Cleveland: WW contender Carl Taylor (25-6-2) vs Stuart White (32-12-2)
Jun 4- Broad Street Park, Philadelphia: World Middleweight Champ Adrian Petrie (19-1-1) vs Edouard Desmarais (43-2)
Jun 25- Gothams Stadium, New York: World Heavyweight Champ Hector Sawyer (60-3-1) vs Roy Crawford (29-3)

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 3/27/1949

President Truman is expected to ask Congress for a free hand in allocating arms to Western Europe under the proposed billion-dollar military aid program, which is slated to go to the Capitol about the same time as the North Atlantic security treaty. It is expected 12 nations will join the new security partnership.
Senator Vandenberg, Republican from Michigan, says the Atlantic Pact is the "best bet to keep the present cold war from getting hot."
The final objective of the American Communist Party is to establish "a Soviet Socialist Republic in the United States" said a party manual introduced by the Government in the Communist conspiracy trial.
The House Labor Committee gave quick approval to Truman's labor bill substitute for the Taft-Hartley Act after beating down a largely Republican effort to push through a tougher measure.
A drop in the cost of living for the fifth straight month has wiped out virtually all of the 1948 increases. The 1.1% decline between January 15 and February 15 was one of the sharpest drops in monthly cost-of-living figures since the index was started 9 years ago.

11-14-2023, 10:29 AM	#828
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,862	March 28, 1949 MARCH 28, 1949 COUGARS AGAIN SHOULD BE CLASS OF CONTINENTAL As the ink dries on our parchment, proclaiming the predictions for the imminent Continental Association pennant race, we find ourselves grappling anew with the perennial question of what to make of the Chicago Cougars. The Cougars, yet again, stand as the behemoths of talent in the Continental Association, if not the entire baseball landscape. A truth that has resonated virtually unaltered for the better part of this decade. The Cougars lineup boasts a list of luminaries that reads like a who's who of the games elite. Red Bond, Walt Pack, Skipper Schneider and Sal Pestilli are the centerpieces of a starting eight that also features a pretty solid supporting cast to go along with the best pitching staff this side of St Louis, anchored by three aces in Pete Papenfus, Donnie Jones and Duke Bybee. The majors' crème de la crème seems perennially housed in the Cougar ranks, and the farm system, a veritable talent forge, consistently stamps its mark as one of baseball's finest. On paper, the Cougars appear equipped with everything necessary for dynastic triumphs. Everything, that is, except for pennants. The last time Chicago clinched the Continental Association crown was in 1941, and the elusive World Championship Series banner has eluded them for an additional decade. Judging by talent alone, one would envision a dynasty—Cougars teams decked with a bounty of pennants over the past ten years. Yet, instead of a gallery of championship flags fluttering high over Cougars Stadium, an onlooker discerns a cascade of shattered dreams and squandered opportunities. The post-war iteration of the Cougars may etch their legacy as the most star-studded ensemble to remain pennant-less. The missed opportunities range from heart-breaking finishes like the 1946 playoff tie-breaking loss to the New York Stars, dreadful disappointments like the 7th place finish a year later and all the second and third place finishes along the way makes many feel fate just seems to take joy in conspiring against this marvelously gifted team, preventing them from hoisting the coveted WCS title. Given this litany of setbacks, there's little rationale for pegging the Chicago Cougars as the ones to beat in the Continental Association. However, the sheer abundance of talent compellingly compels us, once more, to anoint the Cougars as the preseason favorites to capture the CA crown. Surely, the spell of heartache that has befallen the Cougars and their faithful must meet its end at some point. Could 1949 finally be the year the CA's finest finish with the finest record and claim the long-sought championship? Only time will unveil this perennial mystery but if pennant's were handed out in March the Cougars would have perhaps the most impressive collection in baseball history. And we are compelled to add another to that list of preseason baubles. While the Continental spotlight consistently bathes the Chicago Cougars in its glow, the Philadelphia Sailors, despite securing consecutive pennants, continue to dwell in relative obscurity. A profound triumph often obscured not just by the glitzier glow emanating from the Windy City but also from their cross-town rivals from the Federal Association. The Sailors wield a formidable arsenal of bats, and, sans the marquee names adorning Chicago's lineup, they might boast a batting order as potent as the revered Cougars. Rip Lee and Billy Forbes are considered among the best in the game but they are overshadowed even in their own city by the big Broad Street bats of Bobby Barrell, Hank Koblenz and Roger Cleaves. This theme extends to the pitching mound, where Lloyd Stevens, a veteran of the Keystones, commands attention, obscuring the talents of Win Lewis and Al Duster. Unlike the high profile Keystones, or the underachieving Cougars, the Sailors eschew the headlines, just wait in the weeds for the popular choices like the Cougars or the perennially strong New York Stars, to falter. Two consecutive pennants attest to their savvy strategy, and if the Cougars collapse once again, the Sailors may well be primed for a third straight flag. Meanwhile, the New York Stars, led by the illustrious Bill Barrett patrolling the outfield and the prodigious Eli Panneton on the mound, find themselves in the considerable shadow of their continental counterparts. Barrett, a four-time Whitney Award winner, commands attention, but the supporting ensemble may once more fall short of the requirements for Dyckman Stadium's next pennant. In the hierarchy of Continental supremacy, the Cougars, Sailors, and Stars emerge as the leading triumvirate. However, New York appears poised to once more secure a firm foothold as the clear number three within this elite trio. As the stars align for another season of baseball drama, it remains to be seen whether the Continental constellation will rearrange its celestial order. The final berth in the first division is up for grabs with three teams perhaps having the ability to call fourth place their own. The Toronto Wolves are aging and this might be Fred McCormick's last hurrah with Joe Hancock following closely behind. Wolves magnate Bernie Millard hopes signing a piece of baseball royalty, in the form of rookie manager Fred Barrell, can lead the Toronto nine in its upcoming transition from aging talent to the next wave of stars. Fred's brother Tom Barrell is poised for his third season of trying to do the same in Brooklyn but after a very impressive debut campaign, Tom's Kings were far from reigning monarchs last year with a 10-game turnaround dropping them to sixth place. The wildcard in this trio may well be the Montreal Saints, a team laden with latent potential waiting to blossom. The dynamic pitching duo of Pat Weakley and Bert Cupid, if unleashed to their full capabilities, could rival the best in the game. Shortstop Gordie Perkins, often overshadowed, emerges as a potential luminary after leading the CA in hits during his age-26 campaign. In the wings is the 22-year-old outfielder Otis O'Keefe, a strong contender for Rookie of the Year, having dominated at the AA and AAA levels the previous season. This brings us to the Ohio duo of Cincinnati and Cleveland. The Cannons, once the luminaries with three consecutive Continental crowns, now grapple with the consequences of aging talent and questionable trades. Wholesale changes have been made in the front office include infielder Charley McCullough becoming a player-manager, a first for the CA since Powell Slocum in the early 1920s. They still have three-time Whitney Award winner Deuce Barrell and talented infielders Jim Hensley and Denny Andrews but a substantial overhaul is imperative for the Cannons to regain their former glory. Conversely, the Cleveland Foresters, undeniably the weakest link in baseball this decade, show no sign of escaping their prolonged slump. The foregone conclusion seems to be their seventh finish this decade at the very bottom of the Continental Association standings. Despite harboring some young talent, both in the big leagues and on the horizon, the road to redemption appears lengthy for the Foresters, as they strive to recapture the halcyon days of their back-to-back pennants in the mid-1930s. TWIFB CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH 1- Chicago Cougars 2- Philadelphia Sailors 3- New York Stars 4- Montreal Saints 5- Toronto Wolves 6- Brooklyn Kings 7- Cincinnati Cannons 8- Cleveland Foresters CAGE SEMIS SET Rainier College Only Top Seed Heading to Garden The collegiate cage season is down to four teams standing as the semi-final field is set for the 40th annual AIAA basketball championships. It was a rough weekend for number one seeds as three of the four regions saw their top seed knocked out of the tournament in quarterfinal play Saturday and Sunday. The lone exception was the Rainier College Majestics as they emerged as the class of the East Region after holding Luther Gordon in check and beating the Liberty College Bells 59-51. It took a second half charge for the Rainiers to punch their ticket to New York for next Saturday's semi-finals as the Majestics trailed by 7 points at the break before dominating the final twenty minutes. Orlando Zanier had 18 points for the winners with Don Higgins adding 12. Thomas Abbott, their dominant senior center who normally handles much of the heavy lifting on offense for the Majestics, spent most of his focus on keeping Luther Gordon in check, and held the Bells junior sensation to just 10 points after Gordon had scored 51 in the two previous tournament games. The 10 points were enough to push Gordon over the 600 mark on the season as his 602 points become the new single-season standard for collegiate cagers. This will mark Rainier College's 6th trip to the AIAA semi-finals and they have won the tournament three times, all in the past decade including back to back titles in the spring of 1943 and 1944. The Majestics will face Noble Jones College on Saturday after the Colonels qualified for the semi-finals for just the second time in school history. Noble Jones College did so in dramatic fashion with a 75-74 victory in double-overtime over Midwest Region top seed and number one ranked Western Iowa. The Canaries needed two successful free throws from George Summer with 18 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game at 57. Noble Jones College could have won it in the first overtime but Joseph Bosco could not get his last second shot from the right corner to drop as time expired. Bosco redeemed himself in the second extra-period, scoring with 35 seconds left to put the Colonels up 74-72 and they hung on for the one point win and their second trip to Bigsby Garden for the semi-finals in four years. Bosco and Ken Avelar each scored 18 points to lead the Colonels while Willy Ludwick, a possible number one overall candidate for the FBL draft, had 24 in his final college game. * Fighting Saints Seek First Title * St Blane may know an awful lot about winning football titles as the Fighting Saints have been the top team in the nation two of the past three years, but AIAA cage crowns are uncharted territory for the Pennsylvania school. Prior to this season the school had never reached even the quarterfinals and was 1-5 all-time in tournament play but that changed with wins over Mahoning Valley State, Mississippi A&M and on Sunday top seeded Carolina Poly to win the South Region. The Saints have a deep and talented roster by senior forward Cy Worley has stepped up with back-to-back 20 point efforts in the wins over the Generals and Cardinals. The next test for St Blane will come from Lexington State as the Colonials were the surprise winner in the West Region after knocking off top seed Coastal California Sunday. They used a balanced attack that saw four players record at least 9 points led by ten each from senior center Granville Steen and junior guard Dummy Jeffery. This marks the first appearance in the Semi-Finals for the Colonials, who qualified for the AIAA championship field each of the past two seasons but exited in the second round both times. Complete AIAA standings, rosters and box scores are available here BARRELL MAY GET SHOT FOR NOBLE JONES COLLEGE With junior guard Carrol Lakin expected to miss a third straight game with an injury and his status for the National Title game, should Noble Jones College qualify, still in doubt it is giving freshman third string guard Charlie Barrell a taste of tournament play much earlier than expected. Barrell, the half-brother of FABL stars Deuce Barrell and Roger Cleaves and son of former football star Joe Barrell and Hollywood starlet Dorothy Bates, is a three-sport athlete who would have been a first round selection in the 1948 FABL draft had he not opted to attend Noble Jones College and compete in three sports. Freshman are prohibited from collegiate football so he will make his debut in that sport next September and will join the Colonels baseball team as soon as his basketball season comes to an end. The 19 year old out of Washington DC's Capital Academy saw very limited action this season but OSA basketball scouts feel he could be a first round selection in that sport after his college days are done. Charlie is still not getting anywhere near starters minutes but he did play 6 minutes in each of the two games after Lakin was injured and scored his first tournament points with a successful field goal in the Colonels 68-48 victory over Lane State on Friday. He is only expected to play a very small role at Bigsby Garden this weekend but Charlie will become the first Barrell to play in the AIAA semi-finals, adding another chapter to the rich history of the first family of sports. BEES WIN MARATHON OPENER AGAINST DETROIT Dukes Rally Stuns Packers The North American Hockey Confederation playoffs got underway Saturday evening with the opening games in the two best-of-five semi-final series. In Boston, the hometown Bees needed double overtime to draw first blood in their series with Detroit as Jacob Gron's goal 24:52 in to extra time gave the Bees a 2-1 win. Pierre Melancon was outstanding in the Boston net, stopping 41 of the 42 Detroit shots he faced and set aside, for one night at least, any concerns Bees fans had in goal after Oscar James went down with an injury late in the regular season. Detroit's Milard Touhey also had a strong night, facing 54 Boston shots. After a scoreless first period, it took just 37 seconds of for Wilbur Chandler to open the scoring in the second frame. The veteran center teamed up with long-time linemate Tommy Hart for the first goal of the series but Detroit's Adam Vanderbilt evened things up when he beat Melancon just over 10 minutes later. Neither team would score again in regulation despite the fact the Bees threw 17 shots at Touhey in the third period. Detroit got the better of play in the first overtime, outshooting their hosts 14-9 but both goaltenders held strong. The second overtime was all Boston as the Bees did not allow a Detroit shot while buzzing around the Detroit cage. Finally Boston's 5th shot, a rebound by Gron after a Tommy Hart shot ended the evening and sent the more than 16,000 fans packed into Denny Arena home happy. Game Two will be tonight in Boston. * Dukes Score 7 in 14 Minutes * The Chicago Packers battled so hard the final month of the season to earn home-ice advantage for the semi-final series but it took a 20-minute letdown to give it all away. A wild night in the Windy City turned into a nightmare for the Packers as defense went out the window at Lakeside Auditorium when the Toronto Dukes scored 7 times in the third period to beat Chicago 7-4 in their series opener. It looked like it would be an easy night for the Packers, who entered the postseason on a hot streak and were facing a slumping Toronto squad. Jerry Finch and Leon Seguin scored in the first period and Wes Burns added a power play marker in the middle frame to give Chicago a 3-0 lead after forty minutes. The Packers had outshot the Dukes, who were forced to use backup Terry Russell in place of Gordie Broadway, 32-23 over two periods and when Dan Russell- no relation to Terry- scored less than 4 minutes into the third period it was turning into a rout. It became a rout, but nothing like what was expected as the Dukes suddenly came to life and scored 7 straight goals in the final thrirteen and a half minutes. League scoring leader Quinton Pollack gave Toronto just a little life when he broke Norm Hanson's shutout and the Maurice Charette scored twice in a three minute span and suddenly the Dukes were within a goal. It took just 8 more seconds for Pollack to score his second of the game, splitting a shocked Chicago defense and beating a surprised Hanson to even the contest with just under 6 minutes remaining. Toronto was not done as Les Carlson, set up by Pollack and Charette, gave the Dukes their first lead of the game at 16:23. Chicago would pull Hanson for an extra attacker searching for the equalizer in the final minute but instead Toronto added two more goals - both into an empty net- and completed the dramatic turnaround with a 7-4 road victory. The Dukes outshot the Packers 20-6 in the final period and now have the momentum heading into tonight's second game of the series. AROUND THE LEAGUE FINALIST ANNOUNCED FOR NAHC AWARDS The NAHC released the names of the three finalists for each of its season ending awards. The McDaniels Trophy, presented to the league's Most Valuable Player has gone to Tommy Burns each of the past three seasons but Burns was surprisingly omitted from this year's list despite the fact the Chicago Packers star led the NAHC in goals and was second in scoring even though he missed 11 games with an injury. The McDaniels nominees are Quinton Pollack of the Toronto Dukes, who was the NAHC scoring leader this season, along with his Toronto teamamte Bobbie Sauer and Wilbur Chandler of the Boston Bees. Chandler has previously won the trophy three times while Sauer owns two McDaniels Trophies already. The 26-year-old Pollack had 64 points, which is the sixth highest single season total ever record in the NAHC but it should be noted the league just expanded to a 60-game schedule a year ago. Chandler had 60 points including 23 goals while Sauer had 28 goals and 28 assists for 56 points. The 30-year-old Chandler previously won the McDaniels Trophy in 1940, 1943 and 1945 while Sauer was the winner in 1942 and again two years later. Norm Hanson of the Chicago Packers won the Juneau Trophy last season as top goaltender and he is nominated once more along with Oscar James of Boston and Montreal's Tom Brockers. James led all goaltenders with a 2.45 goals against average and 29 victories. Hanson was 22-19-4 with a 2.73 GAA while Brockers, who was dealt from Boston to Montreal early in the season, finished with a 2.92 GAA and a 16-25-3 record. The top rookie award, the Harvey McLeod Trophy, will go to either Simon Savard of the New York Shamrocks or one of two Detroit Motors in Louis Rocheleau or Francis McKenzie. Rocheleau, whose teammate Nick Tardif won the McLeod a year ago, led the NAHC with 39 assists while also scoring 6 goals. McKenzie had 14 goals and 39 points while Savard had 32 points despite missing 15 games with an injury. Dukes Win in Chicago With A Wild Third -- In the opening game of the Challenge Cup semifinal at Lakeside Aud the fans saw the most improbable of comebacks, although not one they enjoyed if a Packer supporter. The game started and ended in nothing like typical playoff hockey. A wide open affair, up and down the ice for both teams in stark contract to the offense-stifling close checking that is the general fare for playoff hockey. The first period saw a total of 24 shots on goal with the Packers holding a 16-8 advantage. Coach Barrell surprised almost everyone by starting last year's playoff hero Terry Russell between the pipes. He stood up to almost relentless pressure in the first although he did let two behind him, Jerry Finch opening the scoring at 6:16 on a shot from the right hand faceoff circle and that goal only further energized the Packers, as they continued to pepper the Dukes' goaltender, who made a number of saves that could be classified as robbery. Leon Seguin made it 2-0 just past the 12 minute mark on a seemingly innocent shot from the down the right hand boards. If the coaches told the teams to tighten up defensively between periods the message fell on deaf ears. in the second frame there were a total of thirty-one shots, which is is sometimes a game total for both teams in the post season. Russell faced another 16 with only one blemish when Wes Burns converted from in tight on the power on passes from Jeremy MacLean along with Burns' brother Tommy. The Dukes retreated to their room down 3-0 after forty minutes. Things were looking really dark when Dan Russell made it 4-0 for Chicago before the third was 4 minutes old. Then something inexplicable happen: the Dukes found their legs and scoring touch. Quinton Pollack made it 4-1 at 6:39 then before 10 more minutes ticked off the clock Toronto beat Chicago netminder Norm Hanson 4 more times. Maurice Charette at 9:46 and again at 12:57 quieted the crowd then Pollack's second of the game 8 seconds later tied the game. When Les Carlson put the visitors ahead 5-4 at 16:23 you could hear a pin drop in the rink, with the only sounds being the celebration on the Toronto bench. The Packers, who were in shock, made an attempt to send the game to overtime after they pulled Hanson for an extra attacker but they were thwarted when both Clyde Lumsen and Carlson added empty netters making the final 7-4 in a comeback that will go down in NAHC playoff annals. Coach Barrell "I have no words. I am still trying to figure out what happened out there in the third. I have never seen anything like it in all the playoff games I have seen or been involved in over my career. All credit to the team for not giving up, my first question was postgame "How did we give up 4? We should all thank Terry (goaltender Russell) as it could have been much, much worse." Time to work on some things in practice tomorrow before Game Two on Monday." When ask which goaltender would be starting Monday he said "You will know when you see the game sheet just before the game in the press box." The Panthers were on the top of the West a week ago, but an awful week has now put them one-and-a-half games back of Detroit. Chicago has lost the first three games of a four-game road trip, losing by 24 to Cleveland, 13 to Philadelphia, and 11 to Cleveland again. But, that is only part of the story. Star point guard Joe Hampton, who missed a month earlier this year with a dislocated shoulder, will miss six weeks with a broken arm. Hampton was hurt in the second quarter of Sunday's 98-87 loss in Cleveland. Richard Campbell sprained his ankle this week and he is day-to-day, but the Hampton injury looms large for Chicago. If he can return early, he might be able to play in the Finals if the Panthers can get there without Hampton. But those are two big "ifs". Washington and Brooklyn are on a collision course. The Statesmen have won 10 in a row and Brooklyn are winners of nine straight. Both teams are in a flat-footed tie at 44-12, 7.5 games in front Detroit, the top team in the West. They meet in Brooklyn today. Brooklyn is 4-1 against Washington this season after defeating them in the swan song of the ABC last Spring, three games to one. Back to Hampton's injury: has the West become Detroit's to lose? Maybe, but don't forget about those Crushers from Cleveland. They defeated Chicago twice this past week and if the season were to end today, that would be a Western semifinal matchup. Cleveland is not quite elite, but they are with the elite teams in home record (23-5) and they have the irrepressible ZIggy Rickard, who is averaging 18 points and 11.7 rebounds a game, as well as 4.9 assists for a small forward! Rickard is 6'6", but he is versatile. Code: FBL STANDINGS EAST W L PCT GB Brooklyn 44 12 .786 - Washington 44 12 .786 - Philadelphia 35 20 .636 8.5 Baltimore 28 27 .509 15.5 Rochester 28 28 .500 16.0 Boston 26 30 .464 18.0 Hartford 26 30 .464 18.0 New York 17 39 .304 27.0 Syracuse 9 48 .158 35.5 WEST W L PCT GB Detroit 37 20 .649 - Chicago 35 21 .625 1.5 Cleveland 32 24 .571 4.5 Cincinnati 30 27 .526 7.0 Pittsburgh 25 31 .446 11.5 Buffalo 17 40 .298 20.0 Toronto 16 40 .286 20.5 TREMENDOUS FINAL ROUND SALVAGES DRAW FOR BAKER Scott 'The Chef' Baker summoned all of his esperience and may well have reignited a career that seemed to be all but over with a dramatic 10th round in New York City Friday evening to escape Bigsby Garden with a draw against Lewis Jones, widely considered to be the top contender in the heavyweight division. The bout, like many of Baker's outings over the past couple of years, was not going well for the Philadelphia heavyweight. He was knocked down in the fourth round by Jones, the 23-year-old rising star from Kentucky, and appeared to be clearly behind on points entering the 10th and final round. That changed in an instance, as Jones stepped right into the receiving end of a crushing cross and was suddenly in big trouble. Sensing only a knockout could save him, Baker threw everything he had at Jones and floored the youngster with 14 seconds remaining in the round. Jones, eyes glazed, barely beat the count to his feet moments before the final bell sounded, saving him a certain knockout defeat if the bout had continued any further. Instead it went to the cards and one judge scored it dead even after Baker claimed the final round by a 10-8 count while the other two each had conflicting views with one award Baker a 2 point victory and the other seeing it as a 95-93 win for Jones. At 19-1-1 this result may slightly slow the pace Jones appeared to be on for a date with Hector Sawyer while for Baker, even a tie turned out as a positive result in the toughest test he has faced since the loss to Roy Crawford two and a half years ago began a string of three consecutive losses for The Chef. Elsewhere 31-year-old middleweight Millard Shelton knocked out Joe Moore in the final round of their 10 rounder in St Louis. It marks the 14th consecutive win for Shelton, 10 by KO, since he lost to current middleweight champion Adrian Petrie four years ago. UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS Apr 11- Bigsby Garden, New York: HW contender Dan Miller (38-9-1) vs John Howe (31-15-1) Apr 16- Memphis: HW Cannon Cooper (25-4-1) vs Mike McFarland (19-6-2) Apr 20 - National Auditorium, Washington DC- WW contender Mark Westlake (26-3-1) vs Scott Sorensen (24-11-2) Apr 23- Atlanta: MW contender John Edmonds (27-3) vs Gerald MacIntosh (18-7-2) Apr 24: Paris, France: rising French MW Yohan Revel (19-1) vs Leone Pierotti (26-6) Apr 27- Flatbush Gardens, Brooklyn: rising MW Tommy Campbell (21-1-1) vs Richie Phillips (10-2) Apr 27- Flatbush Gardens, Brooklyn: Italian MW Hugo Canio (13-0-2) vs Brenton Garner (9-2-2) Apr 29- Lake Erie Arena, Cleveland: WW contender Carl Taylor (25-6-2) vs Stuart White (32-12-2) Jun 4- Broad Street Park, Philadelphia: World Middleweight Champ Adrian Petrie (19-1-1) vs Edouard Desmarais (43-2) Jun 25- Gothams Stadium, New York: World Heavyweight Champ Hector Sawyer (60-3-1) vs Roy Crawford (29-3) The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 3/27/1949 President Truman is expected to ask Congress for a free hand in allocating arms to Western Europe under the proposed billion-dollar military aid program, which is slated to go to the Capitol about the same time as the North Atlantic security treaty. It is expected 12 nations will join the new security partnership. Senator Vandenberg, Republican from Michigan, says the Atlantic Pact is the "best bet to keep the present cold war from getting hot." The final objective of the American Communist Party is to establish "a Soviet Socialist Republic in the United States" said a party manual introduced by the Government in the Communist conspiracy trial. The House Labor Committee gave quick approval to Truman's labor bill substitute for the Taft-Hartley Act after beating down a largely Republican effort to push through a tougher measure. A drop in the cost of living for the fifth straight month has wiped out virtually all of the 1948 increases. The 1.1% decline between January 15 and February 15 was one of the sharpest drops in monthly cost-of-living figures since the index was started 9 years ago. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles Last edited by Tiger Fan; 11-14-2023 at 09:03 PM.