AUGUST 8, 1949
FORESTERS GAIN SOME MUCH-NEEDED BREATHING ROOM
Another test passed for the Cleveland Foresters. The club, which has made an incredible run after a decade as the weak sister of the Continental Association to the top of the heap, saw their lead threatened when a mini slump struck them after the all-star break. Last week was a crucial one for the Cleveland nine to prove it could survive the pressure of a pennant race and they handled it like seasoned champions, taking two of three from the third place New York Stars as a warmup for a big weekend at Foresters Park that saw the Ohio crew claim 3 of 4 contests from the Chicago Cougars and extend their lead to 8 over the Windy City Kitties and 9 over the Celestials.
The big week on the banks of Lake Erie also slows down a Cougars club that was on a 15-6 tear since the break and gives the Foresters a 10-8 lead in the season series with Chicago and a 13-6 advantage over the Stars.
Lorenzo Samuels homered in back-to-back games as the Foresters began the week with 5-2 and 8-5 victories that sent the suddenly falling Stars to their 3rd and 4th losses in the past five games. Ex-Forester Richie Hughes stopped the bleeding Thursday in a game that saw Bill Barnett go deep twice to help New York get back on track with a 7-5 victory on getaway day.
The first task accomplished -win the series with the Stars- the Foresters then turned their attention to the other big series they needed a strong showing from. The Chicago Cougars arrived fresh off a 5-0 sinking of the Philadelphia Sailors for their 7th win in the last nine outings and were 6 games back of the front-runners. Earning at least a split of the series seemed crucial for Cleveland, which had been watching in the rear-view mirror as the Cougars - 9 and a half back at the break- kept getting bigger.
The Foresters had the right man on the job for the opener as Adam Czerwinski, the former Whitney College standout who suddenly seems to be convinced he is the second coming of Rabbit Day, improved his record to 17-5 with a 4-0 shutout of Pete Papenfus and the Cougars. Lorenzo Samuels was at it again as the Cleveland first baseman belted his third homerun of the week and 20th of the season, a 2-run shot that opened the scoring in the fourth frame, to give "Rabbit" Czerwinski all the offense he would require.
A day later came the kind of game that seemed to define the Cougars struggles for much of the decade as Chicago entered the bottom of the eighth with what felt like a comfortable 4-1 lead but when the dust settled the Foresters were up 5-4 and the game was lost, dropping Chicago 8 games back. Donnie Jones salvaged one win for the Cougars with a complete game victory in the opener of yesterday's twin bill, but Ducky Davis was terrific and outdueled Donnie's brother Johnnie Jones 4-1 in the nightcap to send the Cougars on their way trailing by 8 games.
*** Eagles Slow Chiefs in Fed Race ***
The Detroit Dynamos finished the week with a 5-game winning streak but ended it right where they started, 4 games out of first place and stuck with the fourth seat at the tight Federal Association table. The leaders are the New York Gothams, who went 4-2 on a trip through Pennsylvania and are a game and a half up on the second place Chicago Chiefs. The Chiefs began the week in fine fashion, claiming 3 of their first four games but ended up with a hard-luck weekend that saw them blanked twice by third place Washington including a 15-inning 1-0 marathon yesterday that Tom Miller mercifully ended with a rbi triple to plate the only run of the very long afternoon. The Eagles sit in third place, 3 games back of the New Yorkers. The Gothams and Chiefs highlight the week with a brief 2-game set at Gothams Stadium beginning tomorrow and they will repeat that short-series the following week with Whitney Park serving as the venue. It is a big week for Chicago as the Chiefs follow up their pair in New York with 4 games in Detroit against the fourth place Dynamos.
With their season record sitting on 47-53 and 15 games out of 1st which is held by the formerly hapless Cleveland Foresters, the axe fell in Brooklyn last Monday. But not the manager and anymore of the coaches. This time the axe fell on players, mostly veteran players.......
Gone from the club and available on waivers are the following now former Kings. 3B Dan Herrick who was claimed on waivers from Montreal at the end April was the first to receive the bad news. Herrick hit 246/324/668 with 1 home run, 6 RBI's and 4 runs scored in 44 (13 starts) and just 70 plate appearances. With rookie 3B Ken Newman adapting pretty well and the future of the club at that position, Herrick is expandable and not a huge name.
Also gone from the club and a much bigger name is LF and occasional mop-up pitcher Juan Pomales. (34). Pomales was acquired at the start of the 47 season with the thoughts he would be the everyday left fielder and a solid starting pitcher. He was a part of arguably the best OF in the FABL during the 1947 along with John Moss and Ralph Johnson, hitting 286/364/753 with 20 doubles, 11 triples, 3 home runs while driving in 47 and scoring 82 runs. A late season injury cut short his season from which he didn't return until midway through the 1948 season. By then he had lost his regular spot to rookie of the year Pat Petty. Pomales wasn't effected save for 1 great start in the 1948 season and only started 5 games over the parts of his 3 seasons with the Kings (appearing in 24 overall). He had taken the mound 10 times this season in low leverage mopup situations and had a 6.17 ERA.
The next casualty is soon to be 31 year old RP Jim Walker. Walker was a free agent signing after he was released from Pittsburgh at the end of June this year. He had appeared in just 2 games and over that 1.1 innings had given up no runs. The club just felt he wasn't a long term solution and granted Walker his quiet walking papers. It is figured Walker will end up in the GWL.
Now there were a few more names that were expected to be on the list. 3B Hank Barnett (39) was rumored to be heading out the door and is reported not happy with his role backing up rookie 3B Ken Newman. But the Kings are committed to Newman to use this season to get him the reps he needs to be a future star (the club hopes) that will team with RF Ralph Johnson for years to come. Barnett while unhappy is hitting solidly enough with a 267/345/721 and has added 2 home runs and 16 RBI's to his season totals. There is a chance he could see more action besides the occasional starts at 1B against lefty hand SP's, but they would be at the cost of 1B Chuck Collins and not Newman. Barnett is just 3 doubles away from 400 in his career and has hit 308 home runs during his 18 year career.
Also not getting his walking papers as previously thought was P Rusty Petrick (33). True the Kings put him out there and figured some team would give him a look for the small price they were asking, but no one did. Petrick who was forced out of his starters role early in the season has settled down of late. On the season he is 1-3 with a 2.62 ERA in 19 games with 7 starts. It has been his last 3 starts that likely saved him as he has gone 18.2 IP giving up just 13 hits (but has walked 17 :scream
. In a 6-3 loss to the Sailors he did surrender 6 runs but all were unearned as the Kings imploded on 3 errors that day, but his 9 walks didn't help matters. Still he has been lights out in the bullpen surrendering just 1 run in 20 IP. So Petrick will stay with the club for now.
The players coming up for the Kings right now will be P George Fitzgerald who will slot into the bullpen. Some might wonder why he is coming up after having an awful season with AAA Jersey with his 10.69 ERA. The Kings still feel that the 26 year old has some value and he is in his last option season. So this call up is likely his audition to be a part of the 1950 Kings pitching staff. If he does well, he likely will be kept in Brooklyn, but if he pitches like he has he might not last until the end of the season. For now P Paul Byler (24) will remain at AAA as he continues to work on his control.
Taking over one of the spots on the 24 man roster will be 23 son of former big league manager Joe Ward. His son Kid "Little Joe" Ward (23) has risen fairly steadily since being drafted in the 6th round in 1947 and has hit 294/371/769 with 21 doubles at AAA Jersey City. Ward can play anywhere in the infield and also spot players in the corner OF. He will likely be a future utility option for the Kings for many seasons. Ward's promotion is likely because there was some thought that Rule 5 2B Harry Patterson might have been returned from the Chiefs after they activated Bob Martin. When that move didn't happen the Kings decided to pull the trigger on a similar type player in Ward.
Finally there was some talk in the Kings front office about bringing up OF Fred Miller (21) who has done very well at AAA Jersey City hitting 315/371/786. Miller who might still get a call soon will stay in AAA for everyday appearances for at least the next 3 weeks. While some are also pushing for 20 year CF Charlie Rogers to be brought up, GM Martin says he definitely wants the youngster playing everyday and that currently there is not a place for him to get those at-bats this season. While he might get a call up in September, the Kings are under no time commitments to do so. CF Bob Schleusner (24) has been recalled to be Moss's backup.
How did the revamped Kings do in week one? 2-5 to fall to 49-58.
TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN
Wolves Show Signs of Life -- Home fans were treated to a 5-2 week as the team seemed to play a more stable brand of ball. The week started with a series between the Barrell brothers managing in opposing dugouts. It began on a down note with a 9-5 loss in the Monday opener, a game in which Jimmy Gibbs got lit up for 5 in the second on 3 two-baggers, all with two down, and a single by Kings pitcher Lou Hayden. The Wolves recovered quickly by taking the final 3 of the 4 game set, including a wild 11-5 Tuesday game where the home side erased a 5-4 deficit with 7 in their turn at bat in the 8th frame. The final two games were both pitching gems on a complete game by Garrison in a 2-1 win and eight strong innings by Hancock in 5-2 victory. Dukes coach Jack Barrell was present with his family for all four games as he prepares to take the hockey club up north to begin training in early September. Head-to-Head Fred now leads the season series against the Kings with his brother Tom Barrell at the helm but a 10-7 margin. Brett is sure that will lead to discussions during family gatherings over the winter.
A weekend series against the Montreal Saints started with the Wolves winning the opener 8-5 with Morrison picking up his 12th victory of the season. In a rare display of power, Toronto put three in the seats off Saints starter Wally Doyle with Chink Stickels, Hank Giordano and John Fast all going yard. Saturday featured another bullpen collapse a 10 inning 4-2 loss. After the Wolves had rallied to tie the game at 2 in the ninth, Maurice Carter deposited Sam Jordan's first offering after a Gordie Perkins double in the rightfield seats.
Jerry York continued his trip back to respectability bring his record to 4-8 for the season after starting 0-6 with a 6-4 win on Sunday in front of 22,482 bring the weekly attendance total to 91,997. Harry Pomeroy was impressive in his Toronto debut going 6 for 18 with 1 HR 5 RBI in 5 games.
The Wolves now sit at 52-55 in 5th place with Cleveland, Philadelphia visiting next week.
BIG HOMESTAND AHEAD FOR DYNAMOS
The Detroit Dynamos return to the friendly confines of Thompson Field on a high note as the club won its last five games including a doubleheader sweep in Pittsburgh yesterday. That completes a very successful swing that saw the club win 10 of 14 games. That is the good news. The bad news is despite the solid showing and a 16-11 mark since the all-star game, the electrics remain in fourth place, four games back of the front-running New York Gothams.
While Detroit was going 16-11 and Gothams won 17 of 25 since the midseason classic. Second place Chicago also had great success with the Chiefs claiming victory in 15 of their 25 post-break outings. The Dynamos are hanging around and certainly very much in the mix but face a stiff test in the coming nine days.
They homestand begins with 2 games at home against the St Louis Pioneers - a club that has endured a lot of struggles this season but is still the two-time defending world champions. Hopefully the Pioneers struggles continue, and the Dynamos can stretch their streak to 7 wins before the real test begins. That would consist of 4 games against the second place Chiefs followed immediately by a pair with Red Johnson and the Gothams.
The Dynamos are still waiting for Adam Mullins' bat to wake up. The costly deadline acquisition from Cincinnati is batting just .190 in 19 games with Detroit but fortunately others have stepped up recently to aid what has been one of the least productive offenses in baseball. Edwin Hackberry (.305,20,67) has been a leader all season and he had a strong week as did Tommy Griffin (.322,3,45), who is perhaps having his breakout year at the age of 24. The big issue has been finding some consistency from the corner outfield bats and those troubles continued last week with Tony Mullis, who had a terrific first half of the season, struggling mightily and Pinky Pierce, who has been platooning in left with Hal Sharp, not doing much better.
Manager Dick York plans on shaking things up slightly by giving Mullis a few days on the bench and moving Dick Estes back to the outfield so Zip Sullivan can be given a chance to deliver some offense. Pitching, as it has all season, remains a strength with Carl Potter the clear favourite for the Allen Award after another complete game victory yesterday to run his record to 17-4 with a sparkling 2.00 era. There have been some worries about Dixie Lee but the 36-year-old has looked very good in his last two outings including a 6-3 win over the Miners Saturday in which Lee allowed just 4 hits in going the distance.
*** Mustangs Complete Draft ***
The Detroit Motors are fast at work preparing for the NAHC draft while the local cage quintet took care of its selection of new additions last week. Unlike a year ago when the Mustangs were picking second and drafted a superstar in Ward Messer, there will be no big additions to the fold this time around. The Mustangs had to wait for 14 other teams to make a selection before they were able to call a name.
A guard was the priority in the draft, and the Mustangs had their hopes that Lambert College's Glenn Main would drop to them. As expected, he did not as Main was tabbed with the 8th pick by the Hartford Patriots. Plan B for the Mustangs in draft that was lacking depth at guard, was to add a big defender and the choice was Joey Rose. The 6'8" Maryland State grad fits that bill perfectly and will be a big strong body in the key. Rose might have some offensive upside and will be brought along slowly but his defense was what made him a first round selection. Second rounder Orval Crain, also a center, out of Canyon A&M is likely considered a longshot to make the roster but he does look to possess a nice scoring touch down low.
Detroit's other big pro team, the grid Maroons, are set to begin training camp this week and are looking to rebound from a dismal 2-10 season.
- John Stallings threw 10 no-hit innings in Washington, and the Chiefs lost the game 1-0 in 15 innings. The Chiefs bats were completely cold over the weekend in Washington. 8-0 on Saturday; 1-0 on Sunday. A very quiet train ride to New York followed.
- So what does a red hot Cougar team with a chance to get back in the pennant race decide to do when the pressure is high? Well, drop three of four in Cleveland in Cleveland of course! At least this time its two steps forward and just one step back.
- After starting his season 0-4 in 10 starts, Chicago's George Oddo has won each of his last six starts. He was the only Cougar who didn't face the Foresters, throwing 8 scoreless with 6 strikeouts in a 5-0 win over the Sailors
In somewhat interesting news, Johnnie Jones had almost identical starts:
8/3 @ Philadelphia: 8 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 8 BB, 2 K, 8 FB, 132 pitches, 46 GS
8/7 @ Cleveland: 8 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 8 BB, 2 K, 8 FB, 132 pitches, 46 GS
The only difference? He got 13 ground outs against the Sailors and just 10 against the Foresters
STEAMERS SURPRISE PICK IS ST BLANE FORWARD WORLEY
The Federal Basketball League's newest club tipped off the 1949 league draft with the announcement that former St Blane Fighting Saints forward Cyril Worley was their choice with the number one overall pick. It came as a moderate surprise after most experts, including Gloria Barrell - the head of the OSA's basketball department- had expected the Steamers to go with Carolina Poly point guard Major Belk.
It is not a bad selection by any stretch as Worley and Belk had been one-two in recent assessments although there was some surprise the Steamers did not choose Belk so they could build around the three-time All-American point guard. Worley was a first team All-American selection his senior season at St Blane and is coming off a campaign in which he led the Fighting Saints to the semi-finals of the AIAA tournament -the best showing in school history. The 6'3" Philadelphia native is still a bit of a work in progress and when he fully matures should be a tremendous rebounder with a decent scoring touch as well. This year might be a challenge for Worley and his new mates as the St Louis club has plenty of holes and perhaps the most glaring is the lack of a playmaking guard to run their offense.
That is where Belk excels and the Toronto Falcons, who unveiled a new logo at the draft, must have been thrilled to land the Carolina Poly star who was a second team All-American selection as a senior. Belk, who grew up in Nashville, Tn., will be counted on heavily to turn things around in Toronto for a Falcons team that stumbled through a 20-48 season a year ago. His quickness, prowess on defense and passing ability may make him one of the better guards in the league the moment the season begins in October.
With Worley and Belk considered the two elite players available in the draft the sad-sack Syracuse Titans had the tough luck of selecting third. Willy Ludwick, who enjoyed an outstanding career at Western Iowa, was their choice and at 6'9" with above average rebounding skills and a hard-nosed defender Ludwick should complement center Jamel Porter very nicely.
The New York Knights opted to select Maryland State forward Alexander Koontz with the fourth pick. Koontz averaged 9.4 ppg as a senior with the Bengals but was drafted primarily because of his quickness and ability to play defense. Rounding out the top five was Pierpont University's Ron Clemons, a 6'4" forward selected by the Pittsburgh Pilots. Clemons is the highest selection of a player from an Academia Alliance school ever made, including the old American Basketball Conference.
On the college side, several schools saw two players drafted led by St Blane which had center Joshua Samuels selected 9th by Baltimore after St Louis nabbed Cyril Worley with the first overall pick. Maryland State had Alex Koontz taken fourth by New York and center Joey Rose drafted 15th by the Detroit Mustangs while Texas Gulf Coast, which produced last year's first overall selection in Darren Fuhrman, saw Vincent Passingham go 11th to Rochester and Jess Aitken 14th to the Chicago Panthers this time around. Finally, Redwood of the West Coast Athletic Association had a first round selection in Timmy Adams, taken 13th by the Cleveland Crushers and a second rounder in the Philadelphia Phantoms pick at #29, guard Punch Perez.
Picking towards the end of the draft, it was expected the Panthers wouldn't land any of their top targets, but the team was still happy adding some depth between talented starters Richard Campbell (20.8, 13.9, 1.2) and Cory Myers (9.6, 14.2, 1.1). Neither addition may get much playing time during their rookie season, but Chicago is one of the smallest teams in the FBL, so adding size was an area of focus for the runner ups.
Taken 14th Overall was Jess Aitken, a power forward from Texas Gulf Coast who is known best for his interior abilities. One of the strongest players in the pool, Aitken is a quality inside shooter who has room for growth, and both an excellent rebounder and post defender. Texas Gulf Coast is one of the premier college basketball programs, despite their first round exit to 7th seeded Utah A&M, this spring, and Aitken played with 11th Overall pick Vincent Passingham (who was linked to the Panthers as well), and last year's #1 overall pick Darren Furham (9.3, 11.8, 1.7). Aitken himself started two seasons for the Hurricanes, and in 63 career games averaged 5.4 points and 5.4 rebounds with 1.8 blocks per game. More of a bruiser then a scorer, most of his value will come on defense, and with plenty of talent scorers around him he won't have to worry too much about putting the ball in the bucket.
With the 31st pick, the Panthers may have gotten a steal, as they added center Joshua Brand. A four year player at Eastern State, he made a few starts as a freshman, before starting 29 or more games in each of the next three seasons. The initial mock draft had Brand listed as the 18th best prospect available, but most teams passed on the 6'8'' center twice. A similar player to Aitken, both are strong kids with quality inside shooting and a propensity for blocks, but where Aitken is a poor free throw shooter, Brand hits on a majority of his shots. Each season he improved his free throw percentage, topping out at an impressive 70.5% as a senior. Brand averaged 11.8 points per game, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game as a senior, finishing his career with 9.4, 5.2, and 1.1 respectively. Brand is also able to play longer stretches on the court, but aside from the blocks, his post defense leaves a lot to be desired. He should be better in the fast-break game then Aitken, but late in games Aitken could be crucial for shutting down a team's top inside threat.
Aitken was the better prospect out of high school, ranked 38th in the nation, while Brand was ranked outside the top 100 (112th) despite being a High School All-State center in Virginia. He was named a Freshman-All Conference in 1945 and was 1st Team All-Conference in 1947 when he averaged 10.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 29 games. Still, Aitken is expected to get a little more playing time in year one, as he appears to be closer to reaching his peak. His defensive abilities are arguably better then every Panther excluding defensive star Cory Myers, who has both a First Team All-Defensive nomination and Defensive Player of the Year.
MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMP RETURNS TO FRANCE
EDOUARD DESMARAIS: A MYSTERIOUS JOURNEY BACK TO HIS ROOTS
In the quiet departure of Edouard Desmarais, the reigning middleweight boxing champion, a veil of uncertainty now shrouds the fate of his illustrious career. Last week, the 33-year-old boarded a lavish ship bound for the shores of his native France, carrying with him the symbol of pugilistic supremacy — his championship belt. The question echoing through the boxing world: Is Desmarais bidding adieu to the ring, or is this merely a brief hiatus?
Desmarais etched his name into boxing history with a technical knockout triumph over Frank Melanson in July of the preceding year, a sweet redemption after an earlier knockout by Melanson thwarted his initial bid for the title. A hiccup in a remarkable career of 36 consecutive victories before World War II disrupted the narrative. Rumors circulated during the war that Desmarais had succumbed, but he defied the speculation, emerging as a resilient force in the French Resistance against the Nazi scourge.
The charismatic pugilist swiftly clinched the European Title with a decisive victory over former World Champion Archie Rees. However, glory was ephemeral as he stumbled in the world title bout against Melanson in Boston. The tables turned in their second encounter, with Desmarais securing the coveted world crown in Philadelphia last July with a resounding 5th-round technical knockout.
Anticipation hung thick for a third showdown with Melanson, but fate played a different hand. Desmarais faced an unexpected defeat in Montreal, surrendering the title to the relatively unknown Adrian Petrie in a decision filled with controversy. Yet, he rebounded in a masterful performance against Petrie in the rematch, reclaiming the title with a convincing knockout victory on American soil.
Post-June, Desmarais lingered in Philadelphia, occasionally paying his dues at Battling Billy Baker's gym but more frequently blending into the nightlife of both Philadelphia and New York City. When questioned about his future, the champion remained enigmatic, offering only vague promises of an impending announcement.
Surprisingly, no formal proclamation echoed through the boxing circuits. Instead, Desmarais opted for a discreet departure, leaving the country without a trace of his intentions regarding the defense of his title. As the champion's ship sails across the Atlantic, the boxing world holds its breath, waiting for the return of Desmarais or a proclamation signaling the end of his career.
RECENT KEY RESULTS- Monday in Allentown, Pa. Chris Cummins (17-5-2), a Detroit middleweight, scored a split decision victory over Gerard Orr (15-4) in a 10 round bout.
- Monday in Baltimore John Howe, a 30-year-old heavyweight hailing from Springfield, Mo., outpointed Dick Martin to run his record to 33-16-1. Martin drops to 19-9-1.
- Tuesday in Los Angeles veteran welterweight River Thomas improved to 21-8 with a unanimous decision over Carl Holcomb (7-5-2).
- Friday in Omaha, NE., Nick Harris, a 33-year-old middleweight who had a title shot against Frank Melanson a couple of years ago, lost for the second outing in a row and 4th time in his last six fights after taking a unanimous decision defeat against Marshall McBride (27-6-1). The Rhode Island native Harris is on a fast downturn, seeing his record dip to 25-7-1 and just 6-4 since the loss to Melanson in the spring of 1947.
- Friday in Trenton, NJ, middleweight Joe Moore (22-5-1) claimed an unanimous decision over Davey McCusker (15-6-1).
- In Philadelphia on Friday George Gibbs, once a rising undefeated challenger in the welterweight division but then lost five of seven fights to fall out of favour, appears to be back on track with his sixth straight victory. This one was an 8th round knock out of Dave Willis -marking the second time Willis has failed to go the distance against Gibbs. It improves Gibbs mark to 24-5 and the 30-year-old Colorado born fighter is hoping it helps propel him back into the TWIFB quarterly top six rankings, a place he has not occupied since he was 16-0 and seemingly on a fast-track to a title shot, which never came, back in the summer of 1946.
- Saturday in Boston, Tim Nick - a 20-year-old Brooklyn born welterweight who has been very busy since turning pro at age 18- improved to 11-6-2 with a 6th round knockout of Larry Carter in their 8-round bout. Nick has plenty of skill and really should have had much more success in the ring but he is young so it still might happen for him.
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS- Aug 12- Buffalo, NY: HW Mark Fountain (24-6-1) vs Ken Yetman (11-2-4)
- Aug 16- San Diego, CA: MW Joe Taylor (24-2) vs JC Hendricks (18-7)
- Aug 19- Trenton, NJ: WW Willis May (21-5-2) vs John Gregory (19-6-2)
- Aug 22- Portland, OR: HW contender Roy Crawford (29-4) vs Daniel Huot (16-3-3)
- Oct 8 - Lakeside Auditorium, Chicago - World HW champion Hector Sawyer (61-3-1) defends his title against Lewis Jones (20-1-1)
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 8/07/1949
- Gen. George C. Marshall told Congress it would be "a very dangerous thing" to delay President Truman's foreign arms aid.
- The United States Joint Chiefs of Staff conferred this week with Army officers of Luxembourg and Italy in the first of a series of talks with European military leaders to discuss "problems of mutual interest."
- The Joint Chiefs of Staff also disclosed that jet planes will replace all standard-type American fighter aircraft in Germany.
- The House has passed a bill without opposition or debate to increase veterans' monthly pension and disability payments. The measure now goes to the Senate.
- As many as 2,700 are dead after an earthquake in Ecuador destroyed 70% of the homes in the city of Ambato.