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Tiger Fan · 11-30-2023, 03:13 PM

MAY 30, 1949

In the vast expanse of the post-war world, a boom has erupted across the landscapes of professional sports and the reverberations of this seismic shift are beginning to echo with the subtle tones of uncertainty. As the post-war honeymoon phase enters its zenith, the question that looms is whether the golden era of professional sports is giving way to a more complex and challenging reality.

In the years following the end of the Great War, a mere 41 professional teams graced the fields and courts of our great nation, each belonging to a singular major league. Yet, the close of the recent war brought forth a whirlwind of change, birthing three new leagues and ushering in an era of unprecedented expansion, swelling the ranks to 64 teams across baseball, football, hockey and basketball. A golden age commenced, mirroring the societal boom that enveloped the nation.

However, as the fourth anniversary of V-E Day quietly passes, a subtle shift in the wind hints at the dawn of a new era. Reality, that stern arbiter of dreams, begins to temper the grand ambitions of team owners who once envisioned endless streams of revenue. Not all ships, it seems, are destined to sail smoothly through the turbulent seas of post-war competition.

Basketball, the first to fall from grace, witnessed the American Basketball Conference crumble to dust a year ago, only to see its eight franchises seamlessly migrate to the Federal Basketball League, a post-war creation of Detroit magnate Rollie Barrell. Yet, rumors abound that the FBL, too, stands on precarious ground, with whispers of several of its sixteen teams facing an uncertain future, and at least one -the Syracuse Titans- almost certainly folding up shop prior to the dawn of the new cage campaign in October.

In the realm of the gridiron, the American Football Association, embroiled in frosty relations with the Continental Conference, tiptoes towards an uneasy peace. Preliminary attempts at détente failed but it seems just a matter of time before the CFC ceases to exit and anywhere from two to four of its eight clubs join Jack Kristich's American Association with the remainder set to simply fade from memory.
*** What Does the Future Hold For Baseball? ***

That leaves the biggest question of all. What will happen to professional baseball? Thomas Bigsby turned the AAA Great Western League into a major league on the coast and fan support has been decent in most centers. Clearly there is a demand for big league baseball but in reality perhaps only Los Angeles and San Francisco, each with shiny new stadiums that rival anything the FABL clubs to the east perform at, will survive in the long haul.

Both FABL and the coast league currently seem content to exist in an uneasy harmony with the western clubs apparently willing to continue to survive on FABL's table scraps and only sign cast-offs from the established league. The uneasy peace between FABL and the coast league belies a potential storm. Will the GWL make an abrupt about face and seek to poach stars from the established FABL clubs? Could Los Angeles and San Francisco defy convention, both with colossal new stadiums, and decide to bolt from the coast loop and align themselves with the established Eastern leagues?

One scenario sees just that happening with Bigsby's Los Angeles club and the San Francisco Wings leaving the coast league and joining either the Federal Association or the Continental Association and boost that loop to ten teams. Others suggest that Houston and either Dallas or Portland may also join FABL at that time.
*** Pioneers May Hold the Key ***

An unexpected twist in the tale arrives with Dee Rose, owner of both the St Louis Pioneers and the Los Angeles Lobos of the Continental Football Conference, being convicted of federal racketeering charges. He is expected to be forced to give up the Lobos and FABL President Sam Belton, who had previously declared that Rose will not continue to own the Pioneers, is in the process of determining just what might happen to the baseball club.

The ideal situation for Belton and the rest of FABL is to find a suitable local buyer willing to keep the team in St Louis. However, Pioneers Field is nearly forty years old and is badly in need of replacement or upgrade and that makes the challenge of finding a potential suitor willing to keep the team in the Missouri city just a little more daunting.

That leads to some speculation that perhaps Thomas Bigsby, who owns the Los Angeles stadium named after himself, might just buy the Pioneers and move them to Los Angeles. Adding fuel to that smoldering rumour is some talk that Bigsby is already working on an agreement to purchase the Los Angeles Lobos from Rose and adding the Pioneers to the deal might just make sense. Standing in the way is the fact that it seems unlikely the Federal Association would be willing to approve the sale of one team to the west coast as it would make scheduling a nightmare due to the travel complications that would surely arrive. The solution, according to supporters of the plan, is to see a second FABL club -perhaps the Philadelphia Keystones or Washington Eagles- take up residence in San Francisco.

The positives of such a plan do seem large for Federal Association. First, it most certainly would spell the end of the Great Western League as a major league circuit taking away a long-standing headache for the FABL magnates and secondly, it would open a huge new market to FABL. While they are partners in FABL, there is still some competition between the Federal Association and Continental Association to be first to claim the coast and a move from the Pioneers might just be the spark the Fed needs to get to California before the CA.

Is it likely the Pioneers will move to Los Angeles? Probably not, but it is still a possibility. Freddie Farhat, the veteran sportswriter, says he is hearing that perhaps Kansas City might be a new location for the Pioneers. It inches FABL just a little further west and perhaps makes sense if the city builds a big new park for the football powerhouse Kansas City Cowboys: a club almost certain to be included in any future plans for the American Football Association but, unless there is a new stadium, the club likely moves to a larger market.

Count Chicago Daily News and TWIFB chief baseball writer Archie Irwin as one who sees the Pioneers staying put but believes baseball should eventually add two more teams -likely the Los Angeles Knights and San Francisco Wings- to expand to 18. That, too, would mean the immediate demise of the Great West League.

The possibilities dance like shadows on the walls of uncertainty. As we stand at the crossroads of change, the future of professional sports appears shrouded in ambiguity. The post-war boom, once an unstoppable force, has yielded to the reality of competition and fiscal prudence. The next few years promise to be a riveting chapter in the annals of American sports, with challenges and uncertainties awaiting the major league franchises. The golden age may be waning, but the allure of the game endures, resilient and timeless.

KEYSTONES ON HOT STREAK

It has been a rough start to the season for both Philadelphia clubs but one of them has shown some signs of life over the past couple of weeks. That would be the Federal Association Keystones, who are riding a 7-game winning streak and have won 12 of their last 13 games. Despite the collection of victories, the Keystones remain 2 games below .500 due to a dreadful 6-19 start to the season.

The offense is certainly not a worry at Broad Street Park. Even with a slow start the Keystones are doing what they do best: hit homeruns. Hank Koblenz has 14 already and Bobby Barrell has socked 13 and has raised his batting average to .312 after entering the month with a .204 average.

Across town with the Sailors the news is still not very positive as the two-time defending Continental Association pennant winners remain last in their loop, with an 11-28 record although fans came may see some hope with the club winning five of its last 8 games.

The standings feel inverted in both associations with the Sailors sitting last in the CA while the traditional cellar-dwellers from the shores of Lake Erie are in very unfamiliar territory as the Cleveland Foresters lead the way. The Forsters have not won a CA pennant since 1935 and have not finished higher than sixth this decade. It is the same story in the Federal Association where the Chicago Chiefs, after finishing dead last a year ago, are a game and half ahead of the New York Gothams for first place while the two-time defending World Champions from St Louis are marooned at the bottom of the Fed table.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

Toronto Goes 3-3 In An Uneven Week --The Wolves remain 2 games under .500 after splitting a two-game series with Brooklyn, losing 10-9 in a wild affair featuring 31 hits total before evening what is becoming known as the Barrell Brothers Series with a 7-1 win. Hosting the rapidly improving Philadelphia Sailors for a four game weekend series the Wolves again split winning 4-2, 7-4 on Thursday, Sunday while losing 6-1, 8-5 on Friday, Sunday. The CA leading Foresters come to town for a twin bill on Monday before the Wolves head out for 13 games in 12 days in Chicago, Brooklyn, Montreal and New York. Brett will change today's column a little, instead of providing game facts he will try to give a more general overview of team with some thoughts on what the team has done along with where the Mail & Empire sees them heading as the calendar turns to June.

A record of 18-20 is not yet the end of the world for 1949. The team has only allowed one more run than they have scored just past the first quarter of the season. The team that was supposed to be led by pitching and sound defense has failed miserably in both categories. The pitching has been improving, slightly, during May although they are still subject to at least a game a week where they are surrendering double digit runs to the opponent. George Garrison has levelled his record at 4-4 after starting 0-4 cutting his ERA almost in half to 3.14. The early star of the staff has been Jim Morrison at 4-0 with a CA leading ERA of 1.75. Jimmy Gibbs has been steady at 3-3, 3.99 while fans are starting to express concern over Joe Hancock's recent mound performances leaving him at 2-2, 4.18 after a hot start in April. The jury is still out on Harry Stewart who has recently replaced Jerry York in the rotation. York has been dispatched to Buffalo (12-26) where he made one start last week against Charleston that was said to be "encouraging" by front office staff at the game. The bullpen has been no better than average although Sam Jordan has performed well enough that Brett has learned that Manager Barrell is thinking of starting him either in the second game of Monday's double header or on the upcoming road trip.

The biggest problem confronting the Wolves through the first 6 weeks of the season is the number of fielding miscues. The team has made an FABL leading 49 errors leading to 20 unearned runs in only 38 games. Cannot make close to an error and a half a game then expected to contend in a tight CA. SS Charlie Artuso lead the team with 9 miscues on 164 chances, followed closely by Chink Stickels with 8 in centerfield, then Frank McCormick's 6 at 1B. Stickels' and McCormick's bats will keep them in the lineup. Artuso's .205/.295/320 line has some of the faithful wanting to more of John Fast at SS or even a recall of the Frank Frady from Buffalo.

The surprise of the season, thus far, has been the Wolves performance at the plate. Led by McCormick (.358/.417/.515) and Stickels (.298/.397/.389) along with Hank Giordano's 24 RBI have allowed the team to remain close in most game. Contributions from Hal Wood, recent addition Wally Boyer and his platoon partner Dom Tripp, as well as John Fast have been a welcome sight for the fans. With the exception of the home run department the team is close to league average in almost every hitting stat.

If the Wolves can cut down on errors and see a little more improvement from the starters while also maintaining the solid hitting statistics, they may provide excitement at Dominion Stadium over the summer. They should not expect any help from either Buffalo, 12-26 8th in the Union or AA Chattanooga, 8-31 8th in the Dixie. Of their top 3 prospects Les Ledbetter, 1-5 10.15 at Davenport, Bill Irvin .156/.217/.266 in Vancouver, only Pat Todd .030/.368/.368 show any sign of advancing in the system during the summer. Plans are to start a major overhaul of the 14th ranked system once the draft class begin their professional careers in two weeks. Big things are hoped for from SS John Wells who is said to be destine for Davenport in A ball in June.

Balloting is now open for the July 12th all-star game. The 17th annual edition of the midseason classic will be held at Cincinnati's Tice Memorial Stadium. A year ago, the Continental stars blasted their counterparts from the Federal Association 11-3 at Chicago's Whitney Park, which was also the site of the very first all-star contest in 1933.
The Chicago Chiefs continue to be the surprise team in the Fed. Chiefs are expecting big crowds for today's holiday doubleheader with the Gothams, with the top position in the Fed is on the line. The Chiefs starting pitching has been carrying the club thus far and three Chiefs hurlers -Charie Bingham, Al Miller and Joe Stallings- are all tied for the Federal Association lead in shutouts with 2 apiece.
Center fielder Bill May sprained his ankle and will miss a few weeks. This gives the Chiefs a chance to keep Dave Kreiger's hot bat (.359/.464/.500) in the lineup.
Another week, another Gothams POW. Red Johnson took home his second POW of the season, hitting 5 homers and driving in 17 to take the FA lead in both categories. For the season Johnson is hitting .353/.470/.765 with 17 homers and 41 RBI. Johnson also leads the FA in Slg and OPS.
It is looking like the Detroit Dynamos should not have let Fred Barrell head to Canada. Word is the club may be searching for a manager soon as the squad is not responding to Dick York. Same old problem. Pitching is very good - the Dynamos have allowed the fewest runs in the Fed- but the offense is non-existent. Pinky Pierce left all of his homers, and hits, in Lakeland as he is slashing .182/.270/.212 and York does not even trust him to pinch-hit anymore. There are far more problems than Pierce. Dick might be better off inserting himself behind the plate instead of his son Rick York, who is batting .143, but York's caddy Jackie Harper is not much better with a slash line of .158/.190/.158. 1B Dick Estes hit .305 with 15 homers a year ago but is homerless and hitting .236 this time around and has lost his job to waiver pickup Zip Sullivan.
Frank McCormick, at 39 years young, has a nice little 17 game hitting streak going, longest of the 1949 season. Jim Morrison leads the CA with a miniscule 1.75 ERA. Now if the Wolves could field the ball cleanly....
Looks like King's SP Paul Byler's magic held over the Cougars this year vanished in his 3rd start. Still it's one of the better games he has pitched as he went 9 innings, giving up just 3 walks and 4 earned runs. A costly error by 2B Charlie Woodbury allowed 2 unearned runs to score in the 7th, but it was Chicago's Peter the Heater who while giving up 7 hits and 5 walks scattered them enough to not let Brooklyn's high powered offense plate more than 2 runs.
Another setback for the rarely talked about third Schneider triplet. While Buddy and Skipper have enjoyed all-star careers with Boston and Chicago Cougars, pitcher Bart has never advanced past AA. Now 28 years old, Bart suffered a major elbow injury while pitching for Cleveland's Class A affiliate in Wilmington last week and is done for the year. The only triplets to play professional baseball were selected with 3 consecutive picks in the first round of the 1939 FABL draft.

RED CAPS MITCHELL NAMED FBL MVP

The awards keep coming for Ivory Mitchell as a week after being named the most valuable player of the Federal Basketball League playoffs, the 31-year-old was also named the top performer during the league's regular season. Mitchell, who joined the Brooklyn Red Caps and the rest of the former American Basketball Conference clubs in the Federal loop this year, had previously been named top player in the ABC six times to go along with six playoff MVP awards.

He was an All-American his senior year at Liberty College so Mitchell, has won just about everything you can in basketball including 3 ABC scoring titles and a total of 8 league championships.

Mitchell was also named to the FBL All-League first team, where he was joined by Detroit Mustangs forward Ward Messer, who was named the rookie of the year after leading the FBL in rebounds and finishing fourth in scoring average during the regular season. Messer, who is the younger brother of New York Gothams slugger Walt Messer, led Detroit to the league championship series for the first time the Mustangs had reached the playoffs.

Rounding out the first team All-League selections are Washington Statesmen center Ivan Sisco, forward Norm Yates of the Pittsburgh Pilots and guard Jerry Hubbard from the Philadelphia Phantoms.

A pair of Boston Centurions and two Rochester Rockets highlight the second squad. Boston is represented by its backcourt duo of Morgan Melcher and Ted Garvin while center Marlin Patterson and forward Terry Flowers are the two Rockets selected. Rounding out the second squad is rookie forward Ziggy Rickard of the Cleveland Crushers.

TITANS, FALCONS ON THIN ICE?

Some FBL Teams May Not Return For 49-50 Campaign

A growing rumour out of the office of the Federal Basketball League is that perhaps as many as four teams may not return next season. The league, which doubled in size from 8 to 16 franchises last season after absorbing the defunct American Basketball Conference, may see its numbers shrink to as few as 12 entries for next season.

The actual numbers will not be known until the league meetings are held next month but it seems a foregone conclusion that the Syracuse Titans will not be back. The Titans won just 9 of 68 games this past season and play in one of the smallest buildings in the league. That said, they did average more fans that the Toronto Falcons drew, and their 40.1% capacity was better than all but four other FBL teams. However, most of those were season tickets sold prior to the start of the season and there has been a steep decline early in renewals.

With Syracuse almost certainly gone that likely means Toronto, with a dismal 1,776 average attendance, may not be far behind although club owner Bernie Millard has deep pockets -he also owns the Toronto Wolves baseball club- and was a driving force in the rise of the FBL, and demise of the American loop.

Toronto does not have a lot of success as the Titans preceded the newly arrived Falcons as the hometown club and Millard has stated he is committed to building a brand, noting that Toronto has a strong sports market and will support the Falcons if given enough time to become familiar with the club.

One of the strangest rumours going around is that Daniel Prescott may shut down the Brooklyn Red Caps. The club has been incredibly successful, but Prescott is said to not be turning a profit because of the costs associated with his high priced stable of stars. He is also still reported to be extremely bitter towards the entire Federal League after the way he was blindsided, and his ABC was gutted last summer. Prescott's club just won another league title -their first in the FBL to go with 6 in the ABC- but the club apparently still lost money and Prescott is said to be clos to throwing in the towel.

Here is a look at the attendance figures for the 1948-49 FBL season.

THE REMATCH OF THE YEAR: PETRIE VS. DESMARAIS II

Battle for Middleweight Supremacy at Broad Street Park

As the sun sets over Philadelphia and the echoes of baseball games past linger in the air at Broad Street Park, a different kind of showdown is set to unfold on Saturday evening. The ring is ready, the crowd eager, and the anticipation thick for what promises to be a fistic spectacle—the rematch between the reigning middleweight champion, Adrian Petrie, and the former champ seeking redemption, Edouard Desmarais.

The story leading to this moment is a tale woven with controversy, a storyline that boxing aficionados have debated fervently since Petrie secured the title from Desmarais in a split decision fraught with contention. The aftermath saw the American Boxing Federation intervening, recommending this very rematch while disciplining the Canadian judges who presided over the contentious affair.

Broad Street Park, usually the stage for the crack of bats and the roar of baseball fans, will now play host to a different drama—a pugilistic saga. The crowd, no strangers to sportsmanship and competition, will undoubtedly bring a unique energy to this spectacle.

Petrie, the Montreal mauler, has worn the crown amidst whispers of doubt. The controversial nature of his ascent to the title has cast shadows on his reign. Now, as he readies himself for this defining defense, the young champion is tasked not only with securing victory but with silencing the skeptics who question the authenticity of his championship.

On the opposite corner stands Desmarais, the Frenchman with a point to prove. His decision to uphold an earlier commitment to face another opponent, Frank Melanson, post his title loss, raised eyebrows. The subsequent victory over Melanson only fueled Desmarais' desire for redemption. Now, he steps into the ring once again with Petrie, seeking not just to regain the belt but to rewrite the narrative that unfolded in the controversial clash months ago.

As the city of Philadelphia braces for this monumental rematch, the air is thick with anticipation. The clash of fists, the roar of the crowd, and the echoes of history will converge at Broad Street Park. Petrie vs. Desmarais II—it's not just a fight; it's a quest for vindication and a battle to etch a name in the annals of boxing history.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

Jun 4- Broad Street Park, Philadelphia: World Middleweight Champ Adrian Petrie (19-1-1) vs Edouard Desmarais (43-2)
Jun 13-Buffalo, NY" MW Bill Boggs (18-2) vs John Baker (22-5-1)
Jun 25- Gothams Stadium, New York: World Heavyweight Champ Hector Sawyer (60-3-1) vs Roy Crawford (29-3)
Jun 25- Boston Denny Arena: HW Cannon Cooper (26-4-1) vs Dan Miller (38-10)
Jun 30- Thompson Arena Detroit: HW Scott Baker (19-3-3) vs Max Bradley (14-0)
Jul 30- Chesapeake Arena, Baltimore: World Welterweight Champ Mac Erickson (19-0) vs Danny Rutledge (17-0)

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 5/29/1949

President Truman gave a vote of confidence to the Atomic Energy Commission, saying it is doing a good job and there is no excuse for "getting hysterical" about atomic security.
The Big Four Council of Foreign Ministers are again meeting in Paris in a bid to attempt to settle the problem of Germany. This is the 6th such meeting of the representatives from the United States, Britain, France and Russia since the war and the fourth specifically aimed at solving the German question.
Communist controlled delegates from the Soviet zone of Germany met in Berlin Saturday to set up their own German Republic.
The Russian-controlled German railway system proposed a settlement to the 5-day old bloody Berlin railway strike by agreeing to pay the strikers in West marks but the strikers have not yet agreed to the proposal.
The Ford strike in Detroit ended after 24-days with the key issue of the strike left to arbitration.
Communists marched into Shanghai this week and a roaring battle far worse than the siege is underway.

11-30-2023, 03:13 PM	#838
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,873	May 30, 1949 MAY 30, 1949 In the vast expanse of the post-war world, a boom has erupted across the landscapes of professional sports and the reverberations of this seismic shift are beginning to echo with the subtle tones of uncertainty. As the post-war honeymoon phase enters its zenith, the question that looms is whether the golden era of professional sports is giving way to a more complex and challenging reality. In the years following the end of the Great War, a mere 41 professional teams graced the fields and courts of our great nation, each belonging to a singular major league. Yet, the close of the recent war brought forth a whirlwind of change, birthing three new leagues and ushering in an era of unprecedented expansion, swelling the ranks to 64 teams across baseball, football, hockey and basketball. A golden age commenced, mirroring the societal boom that enveloped the nation. However, as the fourth anniversary of V-E Day quietly passes, a subtle shift in the wind hints at the dawn of a new era. Reality, that stern arbiter of dreams, begins to temper the grand ambitions of team owners who once envisioned endless streams of revenue. Not all ships, it seems, are destined to sail smoothly through the turbulent seas of post-war competition. Basketball, the first to fall from grace, witnessed the American Basketball Conference crumble to dust a year ago, only to see its eight franchises seamlessly migrate to the Federal Basketball League, a post-war creation of Detroit magnate Rollie Barrell. Yet, rumors abound that the FBL, too, stands on precarious ground, with whispers of several of its sixteen teams facing an uncertain future, and at least one -the Syracuse Titans- almost certainly folding up shop prior to the dawn of the new cage campaign in October. In the realm of the gridiron, the American Football Association, embroiled in frosty relations with the Continental Conference, tiptoes towards an uneasy peace. Preliminary attempts at détente failed but it seems just a matter of time before the CFC ceases to exit and anywhere from two to four of its eight clubs join Jack Kristich's American Association with the remainder set to simply fade from memory. * What Does the Future Hold For Baseball? * That leaves the biggest question of all. What will happen to professional baseball? Thomas Bigsby turned the AAA Great Western League into a major league on the coast and fan support has been decent in most centers. Clearly there is a demand for big league baseball but in reality perhaps only Los Angeles and San Francisco, each with shiny new stadiums that rival anything the FABL clubs to the east perform at, will survive in the long haul. Both FABL and the coast league currently seem content to exist in an uneasy harmony with the western clubs apparently willing to continue to survive on FABL's table scraps and only sign cast-offs from the established league. The uneasy peace between FABL and the coast league belies a potential storm. Will the GWL make an abrupt about face and seek to poach stars from the established FABL clubs? Could Los Angeles and San Francisco defy convention, both with colossal new stadiums, and decide to bolt from the coast loop and align themselves with the established Eastern leagues? One scenario sees just that happening with Bigsby's Los Angeles club and the San Francisco Wings leaving the coast league and joining either the Federal Association or the Continental Association and boost that loop to ten teams. Others suggest that Houston and either Dallas or Portland may also join FABL at that time. * Pioneers May Hold the Key * An unexpected twist in the tale arrives with Dee Rose, owner of both the St Louis Pioneers and the Los Angeles Lobos of the Continental Football Conference, being convicted of federal racketeering charges. He is expected to be forced to give up the Lobos and FABL President Sam Belton, who had previously declared that Rose will not continue to own the Pioneers, is in the process of determining just what might happen to the baseball club. The ideal situation for Belton and the rest of FABL is to find a suitable local buyer willing to keep the team in St Louis. However, Pioneers Field is nearly forty years old and is badly in need of replacement or upgrade and that makes the challenge of finding a potential suitor willing to keep the team in the Missouri city just a little more daunting. That leads to some speculation that perhaps Thomas Bigsby, who owns the Los Angeles stadium named after himself, might just buy the Pioneers and move them to Los Angeles. Adding fuel to that smoldering rumour is some talk that Bigsby is already working on an agreement to purchase the Los Angeles Lobos from Rose and adding the Pioneers to the deal might just make sense. Standing in the way is the fact that it seems unlikely the Federal Association would be willing to approve the sale of one team to the west coast as it would make scheduling a nightmare due to the travel complications that would surely arrive. The solution, according to supporters of the plan, is to see a second FABL club -perhaps the Philadelphia Keystones or Washington Eagles- take up residence in San Francisco. The positives of such a plan do seem large for Federal Association. First, it most certainly would spell the end of the Great Western League as a major league circuit taking away a long-standing headache for the FABL magnates and secondly, it would open a huge new market to FABL. While they are partners in FABL, there is still some competition between the Federal Association and Continental Association to be first to claim the coast and a move from the Pioneers might just be the spark the Fed needs to get to California before the CA. Is it likely the Pioneers will move to Los Angeles? Probably not, but it is still a possibility. Freddie Farhat, the veteran sportswriter, says he is hearing that perhaps Kansas City might be a new location for the Pioneers. It inches FABL just a little further west and perhaps makes sense if the city builds a big new park for the football powerhouse Kansas City Cowboys: a club almost certain to be included in any future plans for the American Football Association but, unless there is a new stadium, the club likely moves to a larger market. Count Chicago Daily News and TWIFB chief baseball writer Archie Irwin as one who sees the Pioneers staying put but believes baseball should eventually add two more teams -likely the Los Angeles Knights and San Francisco Wings- to expand to 18. That, too, would mean the immediate demise of the Great West League. The possibilities dance like shadows on the walls of uncertainty. As we stand at the crossroads of change, the future of professional sports appears shrouded in ambiguity. The post-war boom, once an unstoppable force, has yielded to the reality of competition and fiscal prudence. The next few years promise to be a riveting chapter in the annals of American sports, with challenges and uncertainties awaiting the major league franchises. The golden age may be waning, but the allure of the game endures, resilient and timeless. KEYSTONES ON HOT STREAK It has been a rough start to the season for both Philadelphia clubs but one of them has shown some signs of life over the past couple of weeks. That would be the Federal Association Keystones, who are riding a 7-game winning streak and have won 12 of their last 13 games. Despite the collection of victories, the Keystones remain 2 games below .500 due to a dreadful 6-19 start to the season. The offense is certainly not a worry at Broad Street Park. Even with a slow start the Keystones are doing what they do best: hit homeruns. Hank Koblenz has 14 already and Bobby Barrell has socked 13 and has raised his batting average to .312 after entering the month with a .204 average. Across town with the Sailors the news is still not very positive as the two-time defending Continental Association pennant winners remain last in their loop, with an 11-28 record although fans came may see some hope with the club winning five of its last 8 games. The standings feel inverted in both associations with the Sailors sitting last in the CA while the traditional cellar-dwellers from the shores of Lake Erie are in very unfamiliar territory as the Cleveland Foresters lead the way. The Forsters have not won a CA pennant since 1935 and have not finished higher than sixth this decade. It is the same story in the Federal Association where the Chicago Chiefs, after finishing dead last a year ago, are a game and half ahead of the New York Gothams for first place while the two-time defending World Champions from St Louis are marooned at the bottom of the Fed table. TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN Toronto Goes 3-3 In An Uneven Week --The Wolves remain 2 games under .500 after splitting a two-game series with Brooklyn, losing 10-9 in a wild affair featuring 31 hits total before evening what is becoming known as the Barrell Brothers Series with a 7-1 win. Hosting the rapidly improving Philadelphia Sailors for a four game weekend series the Wolves again split winning 4-2, 7-4 on Thursday, Sunday while losing 6-1, 8-5 on Friday, Sunday. The CA leading Foresters come to town for a twin bill on Monday before the Wolves head out for 13 games in 12 days in Chicago, Brooklyn, Montreal and New York. Brett will change today's column a little, instead of providing game facts he will try to give a more general overview of team with some thoughts on what the team has done along with where the Mail & Empire sees them heading as the calendar turns to June. A record of 18-20 is not yet the end of the world for 1949. The team has only allowed one more run than they have scored just past the first quarter of the season. The team that was supposed to be led by pitching and sound defense has failed miserably in both categories. The pitching has been improving, slightly, during May although they are still subject to at least a game a week where they are surrendering double digit runs to the opponent. George Garrison has levelled his record at 4-4 after starting 0-4 cutting his ERA almost in half to 3.14. The early star of the staff has been Jim Morrison at 4-0 with a CA leading ERA of 1.75. Jimmy Gibbs has been steady at 3-3, 3.99 while fans are starting to express concern over Joe Hancock's recent mound performances leaving him at 2-2, 4.18 after a hot start in April. The jury is still out on Harry Stewart who has recently replaced Jerry York in the rotation. York has been dispatched to Buffalo (12-26) where he made one start last week against Charleston that was said to be "encouraging" by front office staff at the game. The bullpen has been no better than average although Sam Jordan has performed well enough that Brett has learned that Manager Barrell is thinking of starting him either in the second game of Monday's double header or on the upcoming road trip. The biggest problem confronting the Wolves through the first 6 weeks of the season is the number of fielding miscues. The team has made an FABL leading 49 errors leading to 20 unearned runs in only 38 games. Cannot make close to an error and a half a game then expected to contend in a tight CA. SS Charlie Artuso lead the team with 9 miscues on 164 chances, followed closely by Chink Stickels with 8 in centerfield, then Frank McCormick's 6 at 1B. Stickels' and McCormick's bats will keep them in the lineup. Artuso's .205/.295/320 line has some of the faithful wanting to more of John Fast at SS or even a recall of the Frank Frady from Buffalo. The surprise of the season, thus far, has been the Wolves performance at the plate. Led by McCormick (.358/.417/.515) and Stickels (.298/.397/.389) along with Hank Giordano's 24 RBI have allowed the team to remain close in most game. Contributions from Hal Wood, recent addition Wally Boyer and his platoon partner Dom Tripp, as well as John Fast have been a welcome sight for the fans. With the exception of the home run department the team is close to league average in almost every hitting stat. If the Wolves can cut down on errors and see a little more improvement from the starters while also maintaining the solid hitting statistics, they may provide excitement at Dominion Stadium over the summer. They should not expect any help from either Buffalo, 12-26 8th in the Union or AA Chattanooga, 8-31 8th in the Dixie. Of their top 3 prospects Les Ledbetter, 1-5 10.15 at Davenport, Bill Irvin .156/.217/.266 in Vancouver, only Pat Todd .030/.368/.368 show any sign of advancing in the system during the summer. Plans are to start a major overhaul of the 14th ranked system once the draft class begin their professional careers in two weeks. Big things are hoped for from SS John Wells who is said to be destine for Davenport in A ball in June. Balloting is now open for the July 12th all-star game. The 17th annual edition of the midseason classic will be held at Cincinnati's Tice Memorial Stadium. A year ago, the Continental stars blasted their counterparts from the Federal Association 11-3 at Chicago's Whitney Park, which was also the site of the very first all-star contest in 1933. The Chicago Chiefs continue to be the surprise team in the Fed. Chiefs are expecting big crowds for today's holiday doubleheader with the Gothams, with the top position in the Fed is on the line. The Chiefs starting pitching has been carrying the club thus far and three Chiefs hurlers -Charie Bingham, Al Miller and Joe Stallings- are all tied for the Federal Association lead in shutouts with 2 apiece. Center fielder Bill May sprained his ankle and will miss a few weeks. This gives the Chiefs a chance to keep Dave Kreiger's hot bat (.359/.464/.500) in the lineup. Another week, another Gothams POW. Red Johnson took home his second POW of the season, hitting 5 homers and driving in 17 to take the FA lead in both categories. For the season Johnson is hitting .353/.470/.765 with 17 homers and 41 RBI. Johnson also leads the FA in Slg and OPS. It is looking like the Detroit Dynamos should not have let Fred Barrell head to Canada. Word is the club may be searching for a manager soon as the squad is not responding to Dick York. Same old problem. Pitching is very good - the Dynamos have allowed the fewest runs in the Fed- but the offense is non-existent. Pinky Pierce left all of his homers, and hits, in Lakeland as he is slashing .182/.270/.212 and York does not even trust him to pinch-hit anymore. There are far more problems than Pierce. Dick might be better off inserting himself behind the plate instead of his son Rick York, who is batting .143, but York's caddy Jackie Harper is not much better with a slash line of .158/.190/.158. 1B Dick Estes hit .305 with 15 homers a year ago but is homerless and hitting .236 this time around and has lost his job to waiver pickup Zip Sullivan. Frank McCormick, at 39 years young, has a nice little 17 game hitting streak going, longest of the 1949 season. Jim Morrison leads the CA with a miniscule 1.75 ERA. Now if the Wolves could field the ball cleanly.... Looks like King's SP Paul Byler's magic held over the Cougars this year vanished in his 3rd start. Still it's one of the better games he has pitched as he went 9 innings, giving up just 3 walks and 4 earned runs. A costly error by 2B Charlie Woodbury allowed 2 unearned runs to score in the 7th, but it was Chicago's Peter the Heater who while giving up 7 hits and 5 walks scattered them enough to not let Brooklyn's high powered offense plate more than 2 runs. Another setback for the rarely talked about third Schneider triplet. While Buddy and Skipper have enjoyed all-star careers with Boston and Chicago Cougars, pitcher Bart has never advanced past AA. Now 28 years old, Bart suffered a major elbow injury while pitching for Cleveland's Class A affiliate in Wilmington last week and is done for the year. The only triplets to play professional baseball were selected with 3 consecutive picks in the first round of the 1939 FABL draft. RED CAPS MITCHELL NAMED FBL MVP The awards keep coming for Ivory Mitchell as a week after being named the most valuable player of the Federal Basketball League playoffs, the 31-year-old was also named the top performer during the league's regular season. Mitchell, who joined the Brooklyn Red Caps and the rest of the former American Basketball Conference clubs in the Federal loop this year, had previously been named top player in the ABC six times to go along with six playoff MVP awards. He was an All-American his senior year at Liberty College so Mitchell, has won just about everything you can in basketball including 3 ABC scoring titles and a total of 8 league championships. Mitchell was also named to the FBL All-League first team, where he was joined by Detroit Mustangs forward Ward Messer, who was named the rookie of the year after leading the FBL in rebounds and finishing fourth in scoring average during the regular season. Messer, who is the younger brother of New York Gothams slugger Walt Messer, led Detroit to the league championship series for the first time the Mustangs had reached the playoffs. Rounding out the first team All-League selections are Washington Statesmen center Ivan Sisco, forward Norm Yates of the Pittsburgh Pilots and guard Jerry Hubbard from the Philadelphia Phantoms. A pair of Boston Centurions and two Rochester Rockets highlight the second squad. Boston is represented by its backcourt duo of Morgan Melcher and Ted Garvin while center Marlin Patterson and forward Terry Flowers are the two Rockets selected. Rounding out the second squad is rookie forward Ziggy Rickard of the Cleveland Crushers. TITANS, FALCONS ON THIN ICE? Some FBL Teams May Not Return For 49-50 Campaign A growing rumour out of the office of the Federal Basketball League is that perhaps as many as four teams may not return next season. The league, which doubled in size from 8 to 16 franchises last season after absorbing the defunct American Basketball Conference, may see its numbers shrink to as few as 12 entries for next season. The actual numbers will not be known until the league meetings are held next month but it seems a foregone conclusion that the Syracuse Titans will not be back. The Titans won just 9 of 68 games this past season and play in one of the smallest buildings in the league. That said, they did average more fans that the Toronto Falcons drew, and their 40.1% capacity was better than all but four other FBL teams. However, most of those were season tickets sold prior to the start of the season and there has been a steep decline early in renewals. With Syracuse almost certainly gone that likely means Toronto, with a dismal 1,776 average attendance, may not be far behind although club owner Bernie Millard has deep pockets -he also owns the Toronto Wolves baseball club- and was a driving force in the rise of the FBL, and demise of the American loop. Toronto does not have a lot of success as the Titans preceded the newly arrived Falcons as the hometown club and Millard has stated he is committed to building a brand, noting that Toronto has a strong sports market and will support the Falcons if given enough time to become familiar with the club. One of the strangest rumours going around is that Daniel Prescott may shut down the Brooklyn Red Caps. The club has been incredibly successful, but Prescott is said to not be turning a profit because of the costs associated with his high priced stable of stars. He is also still reported to be extremely bitter towards the entire Federal League after the way he was blindsided, and his ABC was gutted last summer. Prescott's club just won another league title -their first in the FBL to go with 6 in the ABC- but the club apparently still lost money and Prescott is said to be clos to throwing in the towel. Here is a look at the attendance figures for the 1948-49 FBL season. THE REMATCH OF THE YEAR: PETRIE VS. DESMARAIS II Battle for Middleweight Supremacy at Broad Street Park As the sun sets over Philadelphia and the echoes of baseball games past linger in the air at Broad Street Park, a different kind of showdown is set to unfold on Saturday evening. The ring is ready, the crowd eager, and the anticipation thick for what promises to be a fistic spectacle—the rematch between the reigning middleweight champion, Adrian Petrie, and the former champ seeking redemption, Edouard Desmarais. The story leading to this moment is a tale woven with controversy, a storyline that boxing aficionados have debated fervently since Petrie secured the title from Desmarais in a split decision fraught with contention. The aftermath saw the American Boxing Federation intervening, recommending this very rematch while disciplining the Canadian judges who presided over the contentious affair. Broad Street Park, usually the stage for the crack of bats and the roar of baseball fans, will now play host to a different drama—a pugilistic saga. The crowd, no strangers to sportsmanship and competition, will undoubtedly bring a unique energy to this spectacle. Petrie, the Montreal mauler, has worn the crown amidst whispers of doubt. The controversial nature of his ascent to the title has cast shadows on his reign. Now, as he readies himself for this defining defense, the young champion is tasked not only with securing victory but with silencing the skeptics who question the authenticity of his championship. On the opposite corner stands Desmarais, the Frenchman with a point to prove. His decision to uphold an earlier commitment to face another opponent, Frank Melanson, post his title loss, raised eyebrows. The subsequent victory over Melanson only fueled Desmarais' desire for redemption. Now, he steps into the ring once again with Petrie, seeking not just to regain the belt but to rewrite the narrative that unfolded in the controversial clash months ago. As the city of Philadelphia braces for this monumental rematch, the air is thick with anticipation. The clash of fists, the roar of the crowd, and the echoes of history will converge at Broad Street Park. Petrie vs. Desmarais II—it's not just a fight; it's a quest for vindication and a battle to etch a name in the annals of boxing history. UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS Jun 4- Broad Street Park, Philadelphia: World Middleweight Champ Adrian Petrie (19-1-1) vs Edouard Desmarais (43-2) Jun 13-Buffalo, NY" MW Bill Boggs (18-2) vs John Baker (22-5-1) Jun 25- Gothams Stadium, New York: World Heavyweight Champ Hector Sawyer (60-3-1) vs Roy Crawford (29-3) Jun 25- Boston Denny Arena: HW Cannon Cooper (26-4-1) vs Dan Miller (38-10) Jun 30- Thompson Arena Detroit: HW Scott Baker (19-3-3) vs Max Bradley (14-0) Jul 30- Chesapeake Arena, Baltimore: World Welterweight Champ Mac Erickson (19-0) vs Danny Rutledge (17-0) The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 5/29/1949 President Truman gave a vote of confidence to the Atomic Energy Commission, saying it is doing a good job and there is no excuse for "getting hysterical" about atomic security. The Big Four Council of Foreign Ministers are again meeting in Paris in a bid to attempt to settle the problem of Germany. This is the 6th such meeting of the representatives from the United States, Britain, France and Russia since the war and the fourth specifically aimed at solving the German question. Communist controlled delegates from the Soviet zone of Germany met in Berlin Saturday to set up their own German Republic. The Russian-controlled German railway system proposed a settlement to the 5-day old bloody Berlin railway strike by agreeing to pay the strikers in West marks but the strikers have not yet agreed to the proposal. The Ford strike in Detroit ended after 24-days with the key issue of the strike left to arbitration. Communists marched into Shanghai this week and a roaring battle far worse than the siege is underway. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles Last edited by Tiger Fan; 11-30-2023 at 08:33 PM.