JUNE 26, 1950
LAKERS FRESHMAN WINS CHRISTIAN TROPHY
Massachusetts Sophomore Hurler Claims Adwell Award
For just the third time since it was first presented in 1927, a freshman has been named the winner of the Christian Trophy. Dutch Wilson of the Minnesota Tech Lakers, who led the nation with a .372 batting average and leading Minnesota Tech to its first appearance in the Collegiate World Championship Series, joins 1934 winner Sal Pestilli and the inaugural honouree Sam Orr back in 1927 as the only freshman named winners of the award presented annually to the player judged to be the best in collegiate baseball.
Wilson, who will not be FABL draft eligible until 1952, easily outpointed Noble Jones College second baseman Charlie Barrell and fellow freshman Red Sheridan, a pitcher who won 11 games for Darnell State, to claim the award. Hammon College freshman outfielder Ray Cason and Texas Presbyterian University sophomore third baseman Henry Cusson were the other nominees.
The race for High School's Adwell Award was much tighter with Massachusetts sophomore pitcher Mike Fresh narrowly outing first overall FABL draft pick Earl Howe for the award. Fresh, a righthander from Whitman High School, went 9-0 with a high school best 235 strikeouts and a 0.20 earned run average. His ERA was the lowest ever record in a post-feeder era high school season and only former first overall draft pick Les Ledbetter's 245 K's in 1946 were higher than Fresh's total this season.
Howe, a product of Cardinal Hayes High School in Bronx, NY, was drafted first overall in January by his hometown New York Gothams. The centerfielder then went on to lead the nation's high schoolers in homeruns and slugging percentage this season and be named to the High School All-American team for the third consecutive season. The other finalists were Larry Knez, a freshman pitcher out of Barton High School in Brooklyn, Bob Porter a junior infielder and three time All-American from Edwardsville High in Illinois and Monrovia, Ca. High School outfielder John Samuel, a sophomore who had the fourth highest single season batting average in high school baseball history to make his second straight All-American team appearance.
ROUGH ROAD TRIP DROPS EAGLES OUT OF FED LEAD
The Washington Eagles are 24-9 at Columbia Stadium, owners of the best home record in either association, but they have been had a terrible time on the road with a 14-20 mark away from home and that caught up to them last week. The New York Gothams also caught up and passed the Eagles for top spot in the Federal Association after Washington dropped 8 straight games last week, including 3 at Gothams Stadium, before ending the skid with an extra innings victory in Detroit yesterday to close out a twin bill. The result is for the first time since May 8th the Eagles have not been at the top of the standings to start a week.
The Gothams, with a 3-game sweep of the Eagles as part of a five game winning run before they stumbled in Philadelphia over the weekend, are now at the top of the Fed, but only a slim half game up on the Stockdales. Detroit, which overcame a dreadful 5-18 start but has gone 29-14 since May 14 is in third place, four games off the pace.
The Continental Association continues to be a free-for-all, with the Cincinnati Cannons taking their turn at the top of the heap this week. The Cannons starting pitching, red hot to start the season, has only cooled slightly and the Queen City nine completed a very successful sojourn to the Big Apple last week with five wins in six games against New York and Brooklyn. The result is the Cannons displaced the Stars for top spot in the CA, but New York and Montreal are both just a game off the pace with Brooklyn 2 back and the Cougars trailing by three. Watch out for the defending champs as the Cleveland Foresters appear to have fought off the effects of their pennant hangover induced slow start and, thanks to a 16-10 June, are just 5 games back of their Ohio neighbors to the south.
FORESTERS SET SIGHTS ON THIRD CZERWINSKI BROTHER
In the world of baseball, the name Czerwinski carries weight, especially for the Cleveland Foresters. A family dynasty in the making with each son a testament to the indomitable spirit of the Polish immigrant dream, even though professional baseball may not have been what the father envisioned for his three sons.
At the forefront stands Adrian, the "Mad Professor" of the pitching mound, whose artistry with the ball has etched his name in the stars. A mere 25 years of age, yet already a legend in the making, his arm the stuff of dreams and nightmares for batters far and wide. Under Adrian's leadership, the Foresters washed away a decade of futility with a Continental Association flag and an Allan Award for their young ace.
Beside him looms Paul, the elder statesman of the trio, whose left arm may lack the fury of his brother's, yet possesses a craftiness and guile honed over years of toil in the minor leagues. A beacon of perseverance, his journey a testament to the dogged determination that courses through the veins of the Czerwinski clan.
But it is the youngest scion of this noble lineage who one day soon will command the spotlight: Stan, affectionately dubbed "Stosh" by kin and comrades alike. A mere stripling of 16, yet possessed of a talent that belies his tender years, he has emerged as the prodigy of Pittsburgh's Carrick High School, just as his brothers did before him, but in this case by wielding the tools of ignorance with a skill and finesse that leave onlookers agog.
No mere pitcher, young Stan has eschewed the mound in favor of the catcher's mask, utilizing skills gained in his youth by pestering his older siblings for inclusion in their practice time. Adrian and Paul say even then, who young Stosh was barely a teen, they recognized his prowess and potential as a catcher. With bat in hand, he weaves a tapestry of hits and home runs, his name whispered in awe across Pittsburgh high school diamonds.
As the Foresters' brass gaze toward the future, they dare to dream of a trifecta, a triumvirate of Czerwinski brothers, united under the banner of the Forest City. Yet, questions linger, hovering like specters in the ether. Will Stan follow in the footsteps of his elder kin, blazing a trail from high school diamond to professional glory? Or will he heed the siren song of academia, as Adrian before him, seeking wisdom and renown on the collegiate stage before considering a pro career?
There will be heavy family pressure on Stan to get an education as Adrian did - the middle brother starring at Whitney College and earning second team All-American recognition. The trailblazer, 29-year-old Paul admits there was plenty of backlash from the boys father when he passed on continuing his education and signed with the Foresters after being selected out of Carrick High in the 12th round of the 1939 draft.
"Oh, he was not happy," exclaimed Paul. "But I have honoured my committment to attend school during the off-season. I was just lucky dad was busy with other projects at the time."
Those "other projects" as Paul puts it where later revealed to be work towards ending the war, as the elder Czerwinski was contributing to the development of the bomb that ended World War II. A stalwart of intellect and industry, Polish-born Stanislaw Czerwinski stands as the bedrock upon which his sons' dreams are built. A physics professor at Pittsburgh State, his legacy is woven into the very fabric of scientific discovery, his contributions to the Manhattan Project a testament to his genius and resolve.
With their intellect and talent, the Czerwinski brothers are poised for success, both on and off the field. For the Foresters, the prospect of adding Stan to their roster is certainly enticing, but only time will tell which path he chooses to pursue.
- Armand Franco of the Class B C-O-W League's Salem Warriors went 0-for-4 against the Spokane Lumberjacks on Thursday, ending his hitting streak at 43-games, tied for the 9th longest in minor league history.
- The Chicago Chiefs have waived 27-year-old outfielder Billy Brown. Once considered a top fifty prospect, Brown put up some solid numbers in the minors and hit 22 homers for the Chiefs in 110 games after his promotion to Chicago in 1947. Contact was the issue as he is just a .232 career hitter (575 FABL games).
- Roughly 75% of the Detroit Dynamos draft budget has been earmarked for two players. Third overall pick Ralph Capriotti says he will sign but it will cost the Dynamos a $33,000 signing bonus to convince the High School All-American to turn pro instead of attending North Carolina Tech. Meanwhile, second rounder Beau McClellan - a pitcher out of Huntsville, Alabama has his heart set on attending Murfreesboro Tech in Tennessee and says he will not sign with Detroit. The Dynamos hope a signing bonus of $38,000, or nearly as much as they paid Edwin Hackberry and Carl Potter combined in their draft years, will be enough to convince the 18-year-old who went 12-0 last season to join the Dynamos organization.
The future looks bright for the Chicago Packers. The club, according the OSA scouting service, is in possession of the top group of prospects in the North American Hockey Confederation. The scouting service, which scouts and assesses athletes in several major sports, gives the Packers top grade in its latest list provided to the six NAHC clubs.
Leading the way for Chicago is 23-year-old defenseman Phil Stukas. Selected 5th overall by the Packers in the 1946 NAHC draft, Stukas has spent the past three seasons patrolling the blueline for the Vancouver Bears of the Great West Hockey League. The Ottawa native had 11 goals and 28 points last season, which was the last of a multi-year deal he had with the Bears. Unlike the HAA, where NAHC clubs can purchase contracts of players at any time, the coast league is not considered affiliated with the major loop so all contracts must be respected, meaning the Packers can only sign Stukas if he fails to agree to an extension with the Vancouver club.
Adding to Chicago's prospect depth is Bill LaCance, who was recently signed as a free agent after the New York Shamrocks dropped the now twenty year during the season. LaChance was pointless in 8 games with the Greenshirts after they selected him 5th overall in last year's NAHC draft.
RECENT KEY RESULTS- Joey Tierney, the young undefeated heavyweight out of Detroit had little trouble claiming his 19th victory as a professional pugilist. The 22-year-old dominated his bout with Michael Grey in Portland, OR. last week to score an easy unanimous decision in the 10 rounder. It was Tierney's second straight fight on the west coast after knocking out Maurice Woods in Los Angeles a couple of months ago.
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS- Jun 29- Glasgow, Scotland: Veteran Irish heavyweight Pat Harber (42-8-3) faces James Woolescroft (26-9-2)
- Jun 30- Flatbush Gardens, Brooklyn: young New Jersey heavyweight Max Bradley (17-1-1) faces Max Maxwell (16-6-4)
- Jul 4- Gothams Stadium, New York: World heavyweight champion Hector Sawyer (63-3-1) defends his title against Cannon Cooper (30-5-1).
- Jul 4- Lewiston, ME.: Veteran heavyweight Roy Crawford (31-6) takes on young Pennsylvania native Ethan Thomas (16-1)
- Jul 4- St Louis Arena, St Louis, Mo: Heavyweight Scott Baker (23-4-3) faces Canadian Phil Easton (29-6-2)
- Jul 17- Bigsby Garden, New York: Middleweight Jim Ward (24-3) faces Tommy Campbell (23-4-2)
- Jul 18- Youngstown, OH: former middleweight champion Adrian Petrie (19-3-2) returns to the ring after a six month absence to face Bobby "The Texas Tornado" Price (24-6)
- Jul 25- Bigsby Garden, New York: Memphis Millard Shelton (28-5) faces Rip Rogers (23-3) in a middleweight bout.
- Jul 22- Richmond, VA: John Jones (17-0-1), 21-year-old Philadelphia born heavyweight meets Barry Scott (20-6).
- Jul 30- Bigsby Garden, New York: English welterweight Danny Julian (28-1-1) makes his second North American appearances as he faces George "Mr. Sandman" Gibbs (27-5).
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 6/25/1950
- Gen. MacArthur outlined America's defense position in Red-menaced Asia for the Defense Secretary, calling it serious but not hopeless. The commander of US forces in the Far East also urged for immediate American material assistance to Formosa, the last-stand bastion of the Chinese Nationalists, and for Southeast Asia.
- On the weekend came news that Communist troops from North Korea invaded South Korea on a wide front, but American military advisors said the invasion was virtually stopped that same day. A South Korean ambassador said the attack could not have been carried out "without Soviet direction."
- John S. Service, State Department foreign services officer, denied under oath charges of Senator McCarthy that Service had sabotaged American policy in China.
- The United States charged that a "deliberate and centrally directed policy" is being carried out in Eastern Europe to interrupt this country's diplomatic relations with the Soviet satellite countries there.
- Six Western European nations opened a historic conference aimed at pooling their coal and steel production. The architect of the plan, the French Foreign Minister, says the ultimate aim was to abolish war from the continent of Europe.
- The survival of the European coal-steel plan is in doubt after the government of French Premier Bidault fell on an issue of confidence.
- Secretary of Labor Tobin says the United States is now depression-proof, thanks to its economic and social legislation made since 1933.
- Actress Judy Garland reportedly cut her own throat in a fit of anguish. MGM Studio statements say the wound suffered by the 27-year-old was not serious.