APRIL 18, 1949
FABL PRESEASON PREVIEW EDITION
OPENING DAY!
The sun rises anew, and with it, the unmistakable scent of fresh-cut grass and the symphony of spikes against the dugout floor. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's that time again — the time-honored tradition, the rite of spring, the herald of dreams — it's Opening Day in the world of baseball!
As the minutes count down to the first pitch the anticipation is palpable, weaving through the city streets and bouncing off the stadium walls. The baseball faithful, their hearts tuned to the rhythmic beat of the national pastime, stand poised for the thrill of another season.
On the Federal Association front, the Washington Eagles, guardians of Opening Day since 1910, prepare to unleash the crack of the bat at Columbia Stadium. President Truman himself, a seasoned hand on the ball field, warms up his arm for his fourth ceremonial first pitch. The Eagles, with hopes as high as the Washington Monument, face off against the visiting Pittsburgh Miners. It's a dance of destiny as the new season unfurls in the nation's capital.
Over in the Continental Association, borough rivals set the stage for a duel of supremacy. The Brooklyn Kings open their gates at the venerable Kings County Stadium to welcome the New York Stars, igniting the spark of competition. The clash between bat and ball, the cheers, and the groans echo through the urban canyons as Brooklyn and New York vie for early-season bragging rights.
While the spotlight shines on these initial matchups, the grand stage awaits the grand entrants. Tomorrow, the baseball panorama will paint a fuller picture as the remaining 12 teams, each a protagonist in their own tale, step onto the diamond for their own inaugural acts.
Amid the glorious pageantry, the St Louis Pioneers, draped in the mantle of two consecutive World Championships, will raise their flag high. The illustrious ceremony, a celebration of past glories, is but a prelude to their clash against the spirited Detroit Dynamos.
And so, the tapestry of another baseball season unfolds, bringing with it the promise of heroic feats, the thrill of close contests, and the heartache of hard-fought losses. Each pitch is a lyric, every swing a stanza, composing the poetic narrative that is the timeless beauty of the grand old game.
Take your seats, ladies and gentlemen, for the stage is set, the players are ready, and the crack of the bat signals the beginning of the symphony of summer — the 1949 baseball season is underway!
LEAGUE SCOUTING SERVICE CALLING FOR A PAIR OF WILD PENNANT RACES
OSA, the official scouting service of FABL and nearly every other major sports league, is calling for plenty of excitement in both of baseball's pennant races for the upcoming season, which lifts the lid in two cities today. The scouting service, perhaps for the first time, has deemed that 154 games will not be enough to declare a champion in the Federal Association and a one game playoff will be necessary to decide whether the Detroit Dynamos or Philadelphia Keystones will move on to the World Championship Series. The forecast for the Continental Association is nearly as tight with the scouting service suggesting that today's lone CA contest may well be the deciding factor in the pennant push. It has the New York Stars, who head to Kings County Stadium to play Brooklyn today, finishing a scant one game ahead of the Kings for top spot.
Among individual performances, Dan Barrell and his scouting gurus are suggesting that Hank Koblenz will crawl out from under the imposing shadow of future Hall of Famer Bobby Barrell and wallop a FABL best 53 homers while also leading both loops in rbi's. On the mound the scouting service suggests there will be just two twenty-game winners with one coming from each association in Pete Papenfus of the Chicago Cougars and Detroit's soon to be 23-year-old 5th year veteran Carl Potter.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS FROM ACROSS BASEBLL
Despite repeated pennant failures the Chicago Cougars remain the popular choice to finally win their first Continental Association crown since 1941. Nearly always the April choice in the CA, the Cougars have been snake bit for most of the decade, but it appears many of the leading sportswriters, including Jiggs McGee's annual call for the TWIFB, suggest the Cougars are long overdue and will finally be rewarded. Of course, we have been hearing that from many of the pundits for a number of years. On paper the Cougars are the class of the CA. Now they have yet another chance to prove it on the field and 7 writers from leading papers across the country believe this time the Chicago nine will finally break through.
While seven favour the Cougars to claw their way to the CA crown, only 3 are going with the two-time defending Continental champion Philadelphia Sailors, including both of the Philadelphia daily's. Of the 12 writers who posted prognostications, the remaining two, including Dan Barrell and his group at the OSA, named the New York Stars at the top of their CA list.
In the Federal Association there is a much greater difference of opinion. In all, four different ballclubs top at least one list and the OSA is calling for a tight race that will end in a tie between the Philadelphia Keystones and Detroit Dynamos. The Keystones were named first on one other prediction -that of Jiggs McGee- while the Dynamos topped two other lists. The St Louis Pioneers, winners of not just the last two Fed flags but also two straight World Championship Series are named at the top of 3 predictions while the final five, including renowned New York Daily Mirror columnist John Brinker, are hitching their wagons to the New York Gothams.
Here is a look at how the sports editors and baseball reporters from major newspapers across the country see the 1949 campaign playing out.
OCTOBER PLANS FOR GOTHAMS AND COUGARS
Here are the 1949 predictions from John Brinker of the New York Daily Mirror.
FEDERAL ASSOCIATION
1. Gothams: New York's roster is the most complete, and I expect that this time they'll hold it together and finish first in another tight race.
2. Dynamos: The kids are growing up and the seemingly minor additions made via trade this offseason will likely loom larger than most thought.
3. Pioneers: The pitching is fantastic and that'll carry the two-time defending champs a long way. Question marks in some positions might be an issue.
4. Keystones: The fourth member of the teams that would surprise no one with a pennant, the Keystones have plenty of power and it'll come down to how the pitching triumvirate of Stevens, Brooks & Whiteley perform.
5. Eagles: Pitching might be the weak link here. Well, that and age creeping up on Mel Carrol. Still with Rats, Sig and Jesse, this is a potent lineup and if - big if - the pitching holds up, they'll be right there at the end.
6. Minutemen: Boston is technically rebuilding but there's a lot of competitive spirit here led by a seemingly more-matured version of Harry Barrell. The guys on the farm are fantastic, but not yet ready, so Boston's time is probably not right now... but soon.
7. Chiefs: Chicago is in a kind of in-between spot here. Not really rebuilding, and possessing some extremely talented players (Casstevens, Miller, Stallings to name three - and Tiny Tim if he can find his missing bat), the Chiefs could probably finish anywhere between 7th and 3rd. They're really only this low because of how loaded the top-end of the Fed really is.
8. Miners: Pittsburgh played some nice ball last season when some of the kids arrived from St. Paul. There's more on the farm and the Miners, like Boston, will make some noise down the road. Right now, they're unlikely to finish higher than maybe sixth, but they'll play spoiler to more than one contender along the way.
CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION
1. Cougars: Let me look at what I wrote last season... Yeah, just use that. They're still the most talented roster in the CA and maybe the whole of FABL. Consistency & health are the keys.
2. Sailors: Philly has quietly won a couple of pennants and they'll still be right there with their talented roster of players who get no recognition but just go out and win ballgames.
3. Stars: New York has some really talented guys. They just seem to go through various slumps. There's not a club in FABL who wouldn't take Bill Barrett (if there is, that GM should be fired), Eli Panneton is still an ace - and only 27 years old - and there's talent up and down the roster. It just seems like something always derails them (see the Cougars for the most extreme example of this phenomenon).
4. Saints: Montreal is nearly there. They have five good starting pitchers (Reif, Cupid, Doyle, Ford & Lyon). The lineup has some question marks, but Otis O'Keefe, assuming he makes the team (hint: he should), is a Kellogg AND Whitney Award winner waiting to happen. Mo Carter can bash and the complimentary guys are well, complimentary. Lots of promise in Quebec...
5. Kings: Bob Arman is my pick to win the Allen in the CA this year (and yes, I know his former teammate Deuce Barrell is still pitching in Cincy). Despite the GM's efforts to ditch him, Pat Petty is still patrolling left field, and Ralph Johnson is the best outfielder in the loop not named Bill Barrett. So why fifth? There are some holes in Brooklyn so they're just not as complete as the big three (or Montreal). But Ken Newman is likely to continue Brooklyn's streak of Kellogg-winning rookies and eventually the Kings will again be contending for the, ahem, throne.
6. Cannons: Ah, Cincinnati. The one-time powerhouse derailed by time and a singularly bad trade (see Arman, Bob, above). The Cannons do have Deuce Barrell and he's enough by himself to keep them out of the basement. But it'll be a long season for newly-minted player-manager Charley McCullough's charges.
7. Wolves: Speaking of long seasons and newly minted skippers, Fred Barrell has his work cut out for him in Toronto. He has an aging Hall of Famer in Fred McCormick and a reasonably talented pitching rotation. The weakest link is the lineup. McCormick is still very good, but he won't get a ton of help at the plate.
8. Foresters: Cleveland has been in a perennial rebuild mode for well over a decade now. The farm system is very strong, and the FABL lineup is actually pretty decent. But the pitching? That smell that's wrinkling your nose? It ain't the Cuyahoga River, it's the Foresters pitching staff. Until some decent pitching arrives, the Foresters are going to be lost in the woods.
Red Tells You Who Wins It All -- It's that time of the year. The trucks have arrived in New York and the other big league cities. Roaster are set, everyone is tied for first. Starting today that all changes. Players start hot, or cold. Reliable vets are faced with the sad realities of father time, some youngster breaks out and surprises us all. It's that summer long test of strength with the best laid plans being tossed out the window. And into that realm of mystery, we sportswriters put on paper our guarantees. No need to play the games, Red is here to tell you how it will look after 154 games.
Federal Association
1- Gothams - No reason for me to raise your ire. This team is built to compete.
2- St. Louis
3- Boston
4- Detroit
5- Washington
6- Philadelphia
7- Pittsburgh
8- Chicago
Continental Association
1- Philadelphia
2- Chicago
3- Cincinnati
4- New York
5- Montreal
6- Toronto
7- Brooklyn
8- Cleveland
TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN
Brett Looks at Wolves Starters As 1949 Baseball Begins --The Mail & Empire will give readers a quick overview of what the Wolves roster will look when the 1949 season begins for the team in Cleveland on Tuesday afternoon under new manager Fred Barrell.
Batters: (starters by position)
C- Randy Hendrix- After the end of the Clarence Howerton, the new manager in Tuscaloosa, era Hendrix has been given the starters role to begin the season, defensively sound, should not hurt the team at the plate Hendrix should benefit from Barrell's years behind the plate. Walt Loera will be the backup after failing to grab hold of the job in spring training.
1B- Fred McCormick- This almost certain first ballot HOF selection with a career .339/.426/.534 line will man the first sac "as often as he can" according to the manager. At 38 he started 135 games hitting .304. If the team can come close to same amount of starts from Fred at 39 the team may surprise the CA.
2B- Tom Frederick- Frederick took over the role at second last season when Bob Call could not find a satisfactory partner in the middle infield for Charlie Artuso in either John Fast or Harry Finney. Frederick, along with many others throughout the FABL, had a poor spring at the plate in pitcher dominant spring. His glove keeps him second although the team will probably need his glove in the OF at times in the season.
3B- Hal Wood- An All-Star in '48 after hitting .325 Wood struggled in Florida with the bat. His fielding continues to improve although at times he makes McCormick's job an adventure at 1B with erratic throws. If the tune-ups in the south were any indication fielding will be at premium in the FABL during the season.
SS- Charlie Artuso- Always a superior defender at short he appeared to lose a half step last season at 32. His .217/.299/.312 line in '48 also was a major step down at the plate. Barrell is hoping that Charlie will bounce back with both the bat and glove.
LF- Brett has learned that initial plan is for a platoon in left with Dom Tripp against righties, Frank Frady facing southpaws. Both have the ability to be an asset at the plate but their glove work, range leave much to desired in the field. Can the Wolves live with a black hole in the outfield this campaign? A position to watch with interest as the season unfolds.
CF- Chink Stickels- Like McCormick, Stickels had a fine 1948 at the plate, in the field but at 37 can he be relied upon to start 140+ games in CF?
RF- Hank Giordano- At 28 he is now in 10th season of pro ball after being drafted in the first round in 1939. He will be a dependable fixture in the Wolves everyday lineup.
The bench, to start the season. will consist of Loera, Frank Brunch as LHB relief for McCormick, versatile infielders John Fast, Harry Finney, Frank Frady who can also play some OF along with Curt Brooks in OF. A best case scenario for Barrell would be if one or two of these could move from substitute to forcing their way into the lineup on a regular basis.
Pitching
Starters- A rotation of George Garrison, Joe Hancock, Jim Morrison, Jerry York, Jimmy Gibbs can give the Wolves a chance to win every day. Only Hancock at 36 has started to show the ravages of time although he has had a strong training camp. Harry Stewart will be the first option for a struggling or injured starter.
Bullpen- Afore mentioned Stewart will join Chick Wirtz, 40, George Waller, Sam Jordan, Harry Phillips in a relief corps left wide open for roles after Lou Jayson was lost for the season with arm issues.
Overall the Wolves are a team that must at least begin a transition from their end of war immediate post war heydays. Many around the hot stove over the dark winter in Ontario believe the team waited too long to begin a youth movement. Fred Barrell and his staff will need a deft touch, good instincts to guide this roster with aging veterans through the next six months. Can the Wolves remain at least competitive in a strong CA or will 1949 be a tough season when the roster turnover must finally begin at Dominion Stadium? Fans will have a lot to comment about this summer. Brett is looking forward to a summer full of twists and turns as the Wolves welcome back the warm weather after a season after Dukes hockey.
Brett is compiling a list of names in the system that fans should be following on their trail to the FABL in the Wolves system. Will some debut in Toronto before the summer is over?
OFF-FIELD SHAKE-UP AIMS TO IGNITE CANNONS' REVIVAL IN '49
The Cincinnati Cannons undergo a near-complete overhaul in the front office, ushering in a new era after their first losing season in nearly a decade. The city that once celebrated three consecutive Continental Association pennants is hungry for a resurgence, and with fresh faces in management, fans are eager to see if the revamped Cannons can rise from the ashes of 1948.
Heading the changes is a new General Manager and a fresh face in the managerial role, none other than Clyde McCullough, who, while donning the manager's cap, will still find time to occupy his familiar spot as a backup middle infielder. A myriad of coaching changes completes the transformation off the field.
On the diamond, however, the cast remains relatively constant, with stalwarts from their title-winning days still holding key positions. Despite the aging roster, there's a sense that there's still fuel left in the tank, and with a bit of fortune, the Cannons could stay competitive through the upcoming season.
Here's a position-by-position rundown, a snapshot of what Manager McCullough will have at his disposal at Tice Memorial Stadium:
CATCHER: Adam Mullins is still very productive but is now 36 and coming off the worst offensive season of his career. Keep in mind a bad year from the 10-time all-star is still better than nearly every catcher in the league. There have to be some concerns that his career is nearing the end and a slow start from the Cannons might mean Mullins is playing elsewhere before the end of July as he could bring a much-needed influx of young talent in return. Paul Wilkerson is never the most popular player in the clubhouse, but the former Washington Eagles catcher is a more than capable backup.
FIRST BASE: Chuck Adams is 32 and his production was down each of the last two years, but he still hit 24 homers, just 4 off his career high and likely has a number of solid years left. Happy Wright is a 22-year-old prospect who played Class A last year. So far, he has not shown the power you would like to see out of a first baseman, but OSA has confidence in him, labelling Wright as the third best first baseman in its prospect pipeline. He likely needs a year or two in AAA to prove himself worthy of eventually succeeding Adams.
SECOND BASE: Charlie Rivera is now 35 but still one of the best defensive second basemen in the league. His offense, never outstanding, took a nose dive last year and perhaps it is time to start looking for a replacement. It won't be Charley McCullough, who will remain as the backup and play sporadically while putting most of his focus on his managerial duties. The hope was it might be Nick Remillard who came over in the awful deal that sent Bob Arman to Brooklyn. Remillard's stock has dropped in the eyes of OSA but he is still in the top 100 and coming off a strong showing in limited exposure at AA.
SHORTSTOP: Like his doubleplay partner Jim Hensley saw his offensive production dip last year but he is still one of the best glovemen in the Continental Association. Hensley is still just 32 so can probably man the position for another half dozen years. That is a good thing because the Cannons really do not have a replacement for him in their system. There was hope that either Clifton Smith or Cincinnati native Ted Stacy might be the answer, but both have really peaked as just good glove, backup middle infielders.
THIRD BASE: Denny Andrews is a three-time all-star who followed up a career best season two years ago with his least productive campaign since he became the club's everyday third baseman in 1945. He is young enough (33) and has plenty of talent so Andrews should be able to remain among the better third sackers in FABL for at least two or three more years. 19-year-old Ted Haggerty is raw but is perhaps the future at the hot corner for the Cannons. He was another piece acquired in the Bob Arman trade but remains far from a sure thing.
CENTER FIELD: Six-time all-star Fred Galloway is now 33 years old and coming off his worst season offensively since his rookie campaign of 1938. Cannons fans hope it was Galloway's 1948 season was simply a case of catching a slump virus that impacted much of the club and the hopes are he makes a full recovery and returns to the all-star game for the first time since 1946. 37-year-old Gail Gifford is an acceptable backup for the short-term and if he performs like he did in limited action last year Gifford likely deserves some more starts in the Cannons outfield this season.
CORNER OUTFIELDERS- Mike T Taylor has had just one season where he started more than 100 games and likely deserves full-time duty in either right or left field this season. Taylor turns 31 in May, so he is a mere pup by Cannons standards. Between the previously mentioned Gail Gifford and fellow old-timer Sam Brown the club hopefully rounds out its starting outfield and there is 35-year-old rule five pickup Reginald Westfall, but he has not played regularly in the big leagues since 1944 and not a lot should be expected out of him. 22-year-old Max Conrad and 23-year-old centerfielder Buzz McIlwain are the best of a week minor league crop and the Cannons will likely be hoping 17-year-old Dallas Berry, who they selected in the first round in January, develops quickly as there will be some holes to fill in the near future due to the ages of Brown and Gifford.
PITCHING STAFF - We have to stop thinking how good this staff could have been with Deuce Barrell and Bob Arman in their prime. Barrell is still around, of course, and looking to add to his collection of Allen Awards, which swelled to three after a dominant season a year ago, but Arman is in Brooklyn.
Still in Cincinnati are Jim Anderson, who is 33 and probably a serviceable back of the rotation arm, and Charlie Griffith, a 26-year-old spot starter/bullpen piece who looks like he will be the number five starter but probably should be in the pen.
There are a couple of older arms like Chris Clarke and Butch Smith -both of whom were around for at least some of the pennant wins- who perhaps can have some success in the rotation but the name that absolutely needs to be in Cincinnati is Tony Britten. He is just 23 and made one big league start last season but the 1947 1st rounder out of Kit Carson University likely should be the number two or three starter for the Cannons now.
What is holding Britten back is a numbers game. The Cannons have a bunch of mediocre big league arms that are out of options and management is perhaps hesitant to cut bait on any of them. They include Art Edwards, who had great promise early in his career but just never panned out, as well as Stan Kenny, Mickey Mills and rule five pickup Red More. At least one of those four should probably be replaced to give Britten a chance to show what he can do.
Overall, this club looks much better than the 7th place club that went 71-83 a year ago. A number of key players had down years last season. It will be up to Cannons new skipper Charley McCullough to determine if 1948 was an aberration or if age is starting to take its toll. All eyes are on Deuce Barrell, whose stellar performance is vital for the pitching staff's success. With some strategic moves and a few breaks, a first-division finish and perhaps a late-season pennant chase are not entirely out of reach for the Cannons in 1949.
POWER SUPPLY ONCE MORE A CONCERN FOR BOLTS
As the Detroit Dynamos gear up for the 1949 season, expectations remain as unpredictable as a knuckleball's trajectory. Forecasts from pundits span the spectrum, with some envisioning a Federal Association pennant returning to Detroit after two decades, while others predict a struggling seventh-place finish, just above the hapless Chicago Chiefs.
Reality likely resides in the middle ground. While improvement is anticipated from last year's 72-82 record and a sixth-place standing, keeping pace with the Federal Association's elite appears a formidable challenge. The league, in this writer's view, falls into three tiers: the perennial champion St. Louis Pioneers, powerhouses in Philadelphia and New York at the top; a bottom tier, occupied by the rebuilding Pittsburgh Miners and the struggling Chicago Chiefs. In this milieu lies the middle ground which includes the Dynamos, alongside Boston and Washington- the trio expected to vie for the final spot in the coveted first division.
The Achilles heel for Detroit in the preceding season was a lack of firepower at the plate, ranking dead last in the Fed with a meager 4 runs per game. On the flip side, the pitching staff stood out, surpassed only by the formidable Three H club in St. Louis.
Pitching prospects look even more promising this season, with the addition of the 22-year-old Jack Miller. Initially bound for AAA Newark, Miller's standout performance in Citrus play earned him a spot on the roster. Carl Potter, Bill Sohl, and the experienced Dixie Lee provide a dependable top three in the rotation, leaving Miller to contend with the former rookie of the year Wally Hunter for the fourth slot. Hunter, a 27-year-old, showcased promise in his debut season with a 17-9 record in 1946 but has struggled since. A solid spring raises hopes for a resurgence.
The offensive narrative centers on Edwin Hackberry and Del Johnson, stalwarts in their positions. However, the supporting cast remains a concern. The offseason acquisitions of veteran outfielder Pinky Pierce and minor league slugger Bill Parker aim to address the power deficit until the arrival of promising prospects like John Morrison and Detroit-born Dino Sharp in a few years.
While the Dynamos await the infusion of young talent, including outfielder Tommy Allenby and third baseman Jim Gaiter, scratching and clawing for runs seems inevitable. The outcome hinges on whether players like Dick Estes or Tommy Griffin make substantial strides, igniting the offense. Yet, the more likely scenario once more foresees solid pitching but a struggle to generate sufficient offense, potentially limiting their chances to finish significantly above .500.
The minor league pipeline, featuring impressive arms like Roy Schaub, Fred Washington, and Jack Halbur, promises a bright future. Keep an eye on the 18-year-old local product Sharp, earmarked as a potential star. Although still a few years away from the big leagues, his trajectory suggests he could be Detroit's next Red Johnson.
For now, the Dynamos find solace in the 35-year-old Pinky Pierce as the sole addition to their starting lineup. While this might propel them into the first division in a competitive Federal Association, clinching a Fed flag this October appears a lofty goal for the current Dynamos squad. However, in the unpredictable realm of baseball, surprises are always welcome.
Tough day for the Boston Minutemen as they are forced to say goodbye to five-time All-Star Chick Donnelly. The 37-year-old wants to continue his baseball journey, but the Minutemen simply do not have a spot on the roster for him. Last season Chick accumulated 19 plate appearances in a year where he was completely healthy. A press release issued by the Minutemen organization stated in part that "The club will always value what Mr. Donnelly brought to the Boston organization as he is the club's all-time leader in hits (2616), RBI's (1130) and is tied for top spot in homers with 122."
Donnelly declined an option to go to AAA Columbus and will either be picked up by a rival club, go west to and try his luck in the GWL (he is a California boy), or simply pass through waivers and then be faced with a second option to report to Columbus. The man he is currently even with in homers, Bob Donoghue, has also been waived by the Minutemen. Donoghue burst on the scene with 20 homers as a 24-year-old for the Minutemen back in 1937. An injury plagued '38 campaign yielded only 13 long balls but Bob came roaring back to lead the league in homers with 34 in 1939.
It was the first and unfortunately last time a Boston batter would ever hit above 30 in a season. Donoghue knocked another 24 over the fence in 1940 but then the injuries took their toll. Donoghue never hit more than six in a season again as he struggled to stay healthy and find the field. Now at 35, Donoghue has also declined a demotion and will try his luck on the open market.
It will be interesting to see if any FABL clubs will reach out to Boston in an effort to secure either player or trust that their waiver position will be good enough to secure a claim. A club spokesman indicated the organization would love to have both players in Columbus next season to provide solid veteran presence for the up and coming talent currently playing for the Titans, but it really seems like the GWL will be a landing spot for one or both of these gentlemen.
The Montreal Saints make their final roster cuts over the weekend and will welcome three players who will make their big-league debuts including a pair of OSA top 100 prospects and for just the third time in franchise history a Montreal native will suit up for the club.
The local boy is Joe Austin, a 24-year-old outfielder who headed south for college ball at Chesapeake State after his high school days which were spent in St Louis. Joe was born in Montreal while his father Alex was the Saints trainer but grew up in St Louis after his dad took a similar role with the Pioneers. An 8th round pick of the Chicago Cougars in 1946, Austin was dealt to the Saints a year later in the trade that sent Red Bond to the Windy City. He hit .305 for AAA Minneapolis last season and recently spent time in Cuba with the Winter League champion Cinefuegos Crocodiles. Saints Manager Jim Cator notes that Austin is an excellent defender and versatile enough to play both the infield and outfield while also blessed with exceptional speed. He stole 44 bases last year in AAA and a league-high 30 in Cuba last winter and will be use as pinch runner when needed.
The other Montreal born players to precede Austin in suiting up for the Saints were Hank Eason, sone of club legend Hal Eason, who has appeared in 72 games for the Saints over four years and is still in the system and assigned to AA Nashville this season, along with Dick Boyer, an infielder who played 75 games for the Saints between 1928-30.
The big attraction for Saints fans will be Otis O'Keefe, who has been named the starting left fielder by Saints skipper Jim Cator. A 1947 third round selection out of Bluegrass State where he helped lead the Mustangs to two AIAA College World Championship Series tournament appearances, O'Keefe was dominant in the minors last season and is considered a top 40 prospect by OSA.
The third newcomer will be Jess Garman, a two-time All-American catcher at Arkansas A&T who was the Saints second round selection in the 1947 draft. Ranked in the top 70 by OSA, Garman hit .291 with 11 homers in Minneapolis last season, playing alongside both O'Keefe and Allen in AAA and in the Cuban Winter League.
There had been some consideration to bring Ted Coffin to Canada as part of the 24-man roster but despite a great spring training, Saints management believes he should be throwing his regular turns in AAA to start the season rather than serving as a spot starter or bullpen piece in Montreal. OSA tabs the 24-year-old Coffin as the top lefthanded pitching prospect in the sport and ranks him 15th overall in a recent prospect pipeline report. The 23-year-old, selected 8th overall in the 1944 draft, progressed through three levels of minors last season but only made a very brief appearance at the AAA level.
- The New York Gothams say they are not worried about the spring performance, particularly from Walt Messer and George Cleaves. "Messer generally takes April to get going and we were looking at more pitchers," explains Gothams manager Bud Jameson. "We won the last three spring games with Bowman-Allen-Brown starting. Maybe our biggest surprise is Long starting in the pen. Decker and Lindsay will get first shot in the rotation."
- Percy Pringle Jr. of the Brooklyn Eagle reports from Kinga camp after the Brooklyn club finished the spring 19-17 in what was a pitching dominated Florida exhibition season. "If the Kings staff (and I noticed other putting up pretty strong numbers as well) continue into the season with anything close to those numbers then I would think a .500 or better season is in store. It will be a year with more rookies joining the big league club, with pitchers Paul Byler and Joe Potts, third baseman Ken Newman and likely catcher Dan Rogers all starting their big league careers. The Kings will continue with growing pains, but are hoping that the future looks bright as we move into the 1950's."
A CLOSER LOOK AT PACKERS-SHAMROCKS TRADE
Late yesterday the Chicago Packers announced that they had acquired veteran New York Shamrocks defensive and team captain Bert McCalley in exchange for defenseman Jerry Finch, three minor league players and Chicago's first and third round selections in the July draft. TWIFB breaks down the deal.
If you subscribe to the theory that the team who acquired the best player in a trade is the winner of the deal, then you have to give a knockout victory to the Chicago Packers for their acquisition yesterday of defensive stalwart Bert McCalley from the New York Shamrocks. It signals plans for a major rebuild from the Greenshirts, just as management had threatened to do ever since the club, which reached the Challenge Cup Finals just 12 short months ago, was eliminated from the playoff race and finished last in the NAHC.
The move might hurt New York in the short-run, certainly in the fan interest department as McCalley has been club's captain for a decade and the sometime surely 31-year-old rearguard was also well liked at Bigsby Garden and well respected around the league. However, the Shamrocks did add some pieces that certainly have the potential to make management feel a little more confident in the future of the organization.
In the short term defenseman Jerry Finch, the key player coming to Broadway in the move, will face a ton of scrutiny as he will be looked on to fill the sizeable skates of McCalley on the New York blueline. Finch is 27, four years younger than McCalley, and should be an adequate replacement. The key to winning the deal for New York will be to make the right choice with the 1st and third round draft picks they acquire from Chicago in the deal and to see at least two of the other three young players they picked up develop enough to contribute down the road.
Center Dan Russell is 24 years old and has played a handful of games for the Packers over the past two seasons but spent most of his time with the minor league Pittsburgh Rovers. Russell may be ready to see everyday duty in New York next season and if the Shamrocks follow through on talk to also move Orval Cabbell, Russell just might slot in nicely behind Laurel Albers and Adam Greenham as the third line center.
22 year old Kevin Braun is also a center although he may find his eventual home on right wing. He spent each of the past two seasons in Pittsburgh after the Packers selected him in the second round of the 1946 draft. The Calgary native may not ever develop into an offensive threat but has the potential to be a steady second or third liner. Finally there is 23-year-old defenseman Mark Theriault, who was originally drafted in the third round by the Packers in 1945. He played one game for Chicago two years ago and scored his first NAHC goal but has spent the bulk of his time in Pittsburgh with Braun and Russell. Scouting sources suggest Theriault has the potential to develop into a top four defenseman with some offensive upside but like all young players that is just projection at this point.
As for the Packers, it is clear the focus is on building a championship team around Tommy Burns while the 29-year-old is still in his prime. McCalley is a clear upgrade on Finch and Packers Coach Ed Hempenstall was quoted as saying "having a hard-nosed veteran like McCalley could have made the difference" in Chicago's slow start and playoff failings against Toronto. Chicago clearly will worry about the future later as the focus is on the present. The Packers are a much better team for 1949-50 after this deal than they were last week. The question is are they now good enough to win the 8 playoff games necessary to claim the Challenge Cup, something the organization has never accomplished.
Code:
FBL STANDINGS
EAST W L PCT GB
x-Brooklyn 51 14 .785 -
x-Washington 51 14 .785 -
x-Philadelphia 38 27 .585 13.0
Rochester 35 31 .530 16.5
Baltimore 33 32 .508 18.0
Hartford 31 34 .477 20.0
Boston 29 37 .439 22.5
New York 20 45 .308 31.0
Syracuse 9 56 .138 42.0
WEST W L PCT GB
x-Cleveland 41 25 .621 -
x-Detroit 41 25 .621 -
x-Chicago 40 26 .606 1.0
Cincinnati 35 31 .530 6.0
Pittsburgh 29 37 .439 12.0
Toronto 21 44 .323 19.5
Buffalo 20 46 .303 21.0
x-clinched playoff spot
(top 3 in each division qualify)
SUNDAY'S RESULTS
Hartford 75 Boston 71
Rochester 95 Baltimore 67
Cincinnati 104 Toronto 93
Chicago 80 Pittsburgh 62
UPCOMING GAMES
TODAY
Cincinnati at Chicago
Washington at Baltimore
Philadelphia at Hartford
Buffalo at New York
Brooklyn at Syracuse
TUESDAY APRIL 19
Brooklyn at Detroit
Philadelphia at New York
Pittsburgh at Toronto
WEDNESDAY APRIL 20
Cleveland at Buffalo
Rochester at Baltimore
Washington at Harford
Boston at Syracuse
THURSDAY APRIL 21
Syracuse at Philadelphia
Boston at Buffalo
Cincinnati at Washington
Rochester at Chicago
Brooklyn at Baltimore
Hartford at New York
Toronto at Detroit
Pittsburgh at Cleveland
END OF REGULAR SEASON
The Week That Was
Current events from today 4/18/1949
- Police estimate a crowd in excess of one and a half million people jammed the sun-drenched canyons of mid-Fifth Avenue for what was called New York's greatest Easter celebration ever.
- A 21-gun salute from Dublin's O'Connell Bridge set off the celebration as Eire officially became the independent republic of Ireland and shorn all connection with Britain. Today was selected as the official date for this historic event because it marked the 33rd anniversary of the bloody Easter week rebellion against England.
- One million Chinese red troops stepped up preparation to storm across the Yangtze River if the government fails to sign a surrender by Wednesday.
- Now that the fighting against Israel has ended, the Arab countries have begun an intensive fence mending campaign in an effort to re-establish their position as a bloc. Most noteworthy is Syria and Iraq, two countries that have long been cool towards each other but are attempting to negotiate a military alliance.
- President Truman, speaking from Columbia Stadium in Washington prior to throwing out the first pitch in the Eagles season-opener with the Pittsburgh Miners, gave hints he is considering a national radio address to the nation to back up his forthcoming request for a national health program.