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Tiger Fan · 04-23-2024, 12:13 PM

OCTOBER 13, 1950 - SPECIAL WCS EDITION

FORESTERS WIN GAME SEVEN TO TAKE SERIES

Czerwinski, Doyal Lead Cleveland Past Mighty Gothams

It took them six tries but the Cleveland Foresters finally won a World Championship Series clinching game, downing the New York Gothams 5-3 in game seven to win their first WCS title since 1934, when they also defeated the Gothams. It ends a five game losing streak in games the Foresters could have celebrated a title after they surrendered a 3-0 series lead and lost four straight games to the Chicago Chiefs a year ago and missed out on a chance to clinch this year's series with a game six loss at home.

Foresters outfielder Sherry Doyal had a tremendous series and was named its Most Valuable Player. Doyal hit .346 during the series with 6 rbi's but support for him was certainly divided as Czerwinski, with 3 complete game victories, was the choice of many seated in press row.

The Series capped just an incredible month and a half for the 25-year-old Pittsburgh native. In 11 starts since losing 5-2 to the Chicago Cougars on August 25, Czerwinski went 10-0 and pitched a complete game in each of those ten victories. The lone no-decision was a 14 inning 4-3 loss to Toronto in which he went the first 10 innings. He had a 1.82 era during those 11 starts and really is the primary reason the Foresters went from 7th place and 8.5 games out on the morning of August 30 to clinching the pennant on the final day of the regular season.
*** Another Master Class in Pitching Taught by The Professor ***

Pitching on short rest after throwing complete game victories in games two and five, 'The Professor' Adrian Czerwinski was back on the mound for the seventh game but he had his struggles early. Cecil LaBonte, who tied for the Gothams lead in hits in the series with Roosevelt Brewer, led off the first inning with a single and Red Johnson, who had his problems in the series, delivered a two out base hit but Czerwinski escaped without damaging catching George Cleaves looking on a full count pitch.

Ed Bowman, who won games one and four for the Gothams, also had troubles in the opening frame but his became much more acute as the Foresters strung together four hits to take a quick 2-0 lead. Doyal and rookie catcher Larry McClure, who is gaining plenty of support for the Kellogg Award, each singled in a run.

Czerwinski, clearly not working with his best stuff, allowed base runners each of the next two innings but kept the Gothams off the scoresheet. That changed in the fourth when Cleaves worked the Foresters ace for a one-out walk and raced home on a triple off the bat of Flipper Robinson to cut the Foresters lead to 2-1. Czerwinski then uncorked a wild pitch to Tom Jeffries allowing Robinson to score the tying run.

Czerwinski would settle down and allow just one New York hit over the next 4 innings. Bowman, on the other hand, would run into more trouble in the fifth when a Jim Urquhart single followed by an error put two men on base for Doyal. The young outfielder delivered a 2-run triple and then would score the third Cleveland run of the inning when Lorenzo Samuels singled to put the Foresters back in front, by a 5-2 count.

Lou Eaker took over in relief of Bowman in the seventh inning after the Gothams ace was lifted for a pinch-hitter. It was near disaster as Eaker quickly walked the bases with one out. Lloyd Coulter hit a fly ball to leftfielder Ward Messer, and the outfielder gunned down the tagging Doyal at the plate to end the inning without any serious damage.

The Gothams had one last gasp in the top of the ninth when Red Johnson tripled off a clearly laboring Czerwinski. The Professor regrouped quickly in fanning Cleaves on three pitches and then getting an infield fly out from Robinson. Johnson did score to make it 5-3 when Tom Jeffries grounder was misplayed by Cleveland third baseman Lloyd Coulter but that would be as close as the Gothams would get after Chet Lewis flew out to centerfielder Doyal to end the series and set off a wild celebration for a long-suffering Foresters Stadium crowd.

GAME 1: New York 4 Cleveland 2
GAME 2: Cleveland 5 New York 4
GAME 3: Cleveland 4 New York 1
GAME 4: New York 18 Cleveland 3
GAME 5: Cleveland 8 New York 3
GAME 6: New York 5 Cleveland 3
GAME 7: Cleveland 5 New York 3
SERIES MVP: Sherry Doyal, Cleveland

A LOOK AT CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION 1951 HOPES

Following up on yesterday's look at the Federal Association clubs that fell short of the pennant, here are some things the Continental Association non-winners can use to build on going forward.

Brooklyn Kings (81-73, t-3rd, .526, 4 GB)
Everyone was wrong about the John Moss trade: There were a lot of pundits that didn't quite understand what the Brooklyn Kings were doing by shipping John Moss to the rival Chicago Cougars. Turns out, the move might have been perfectly timed. Moss had his worst season to date, hitting just .219/.317/.298 (66 OPS+) with and 11.4 zone rating and 1.034 efficiency, all worsts since he became Brooklyn's everyday center fielder in 1947. His replacement, Charlie Rogers, was way better at 21, leading the CA in PAs (689), hits (213), and triples (16) while slashing .309/.343/.549 (107 OPS+) with 47 doubles, 8 homers, 64 RBIs, 106 runs, and 18 steals. The real kicker, however, was the centerpiece of the Moss trade: Ron Berry. The Kings found their new ace, as the potential Kellogg Winner led the Continental with a 20-win season as a 24-year-old rookie, finishing with a 3.12 ERA (130 ERA+) and 149 strikeouts in 271.1 innings. Sure, he'll walk more then his share of guys (120 and 10.6 BB%), but the stuff is elite, he keeps the ball on the ground, and threw triple digit pitches in all but one of his 33 starts, going 140 or more on six separate occasions. With Ralph Johnson leading the lineup, and Berry anchoring the rotation, the Kings have positioned themself as a legit contender for 1951.

Chicago Cougars (80-74, t-5th, .519, 5 GB)
There's always next year: Now if you said those four words to a Cougar fan, they might chomp your hand off, but the old adage still rings true for the Windy City Kitties today. There's always next year. The Cougars seem allergic to both titles and losing seasons, as since the 1930 season, they have the same amount as pennants (3) as losing seasons (3), though they've managed to be victorious just once as they are also allergic to playoff game sevens (0-4). But here's the thing: if you're winning all these games and have one of the most talented rosters year in and year out, eventually you're going to come out on top. The roster boasts 33 All-Star selections in the projected lineup, with just George Sutterfield (.275, 7, 54, 13) lacking a selection, though the bench has eight more selections, including second basemen like Sutterfield in Charlie Woodbury (2; .320, 6, 32) and Billy Hunter (1; .268, 1, 17). The rotation is even better, led by a pair of Allen Winners, and despite a much smaller pool of All-Star spots, the five members of the rotation that finished the season have all been selected. If that's not enough, the Cougars also have the 2nd best farm system, headlined by three top 20 prospects and nine of the top 100. Titles are elusive, but the Cougars organization has and should continue to develop quality FABL players for the rest of the league to take advantage of.

But the best part? The Cougars shouldn't be the favorite for 1951. Honestly, maybe not even top three. Give me a healthy Saints squad, the Foresters, and the Kings. Maybe even the Stars. Perhaps a step back in expectations could make the difference for a team that can't get over the hump? Wouldn't that be fun!

Cincinnati Cannons (81-73, t-3rd, .526, 4 GB0
Anyone can pitch in the Queen City: I want to clarify that this is not a knock on Mickey Mills (16-8, 3.15, 116). I'm one of his biggest supporters. But it has to be comforting to Cannons fans to know that the organization has excelled at getting quality starts from undervalued and overlooked pitchers. In terms of ERA, their "worst" pitcher was Tony Britten (11-15, 3.95, 87), and his ERA+ was still two percent better than average. And he's a former top ten prospect that has been lauded by many as a future ace. They've gotten success from lesser ranked prospects like former 11th Rounder Jim Anderson (16-8, 3.31, 107) and former 10th Rounder Charlie Griffith (17-14, 3.80, 91). Not everyone has to be a Rufus Barrell (15-14, 3.02, 117) who's had a FIP- above 80 just once in the eight seasons, which spoiler alert, is beyond elite. He was one of just five pitchers this season to have a FIP- below 80, so the frequency he can do it puts him in truly elite company. With a guy like that atop the rotation, you can worry a lot less about the rest of the staff, so if Cincinnati can find some bats to support their top rotation in the offseason, ideally someone else who can hit double digit homers, the CA might have to get used to looking up at the Cannons once (or twice or three times) more.

Montreal Saints (80-74, t-5th, .519, 5 GB)
Just stay healthy: It's as simple as that. If the Montreal Saints can stay healthy, they're going to win the Continental. This was supposed to be the season the painstaking 28 year pennant drought was snapped, but now they'll have to win next season to prevent it from growing to 30. Montreal was well on their way, but then Joe Austin (.234, 6, 44, 29) got hurt. And then Luke Weaver (.290, 8, 48). Then Maurice Carter (.267, 24, 86). And finally, Wally Doyle (10-13, 3.98, 135). Plus Gordie Perkins (.284, 8, 56) made his yearly IL trip in June and wasn't nearly the same after. Montreal is the most complete team, they can hit and pitch, but the completeness ends on their active roster. Their lack of minor league depth was exposed, as their replacements were not up to snuff. They stopped scoring runs in September, so if there is an area of improvement, it's to add a starting quality hitter to their bench. They have versatility with SS/OF Bill Elkins (.251, 2, 55), while the speedy Austin can line up anywhere, so Montreal doesn't need to focus on a specific position, allowing them to peruse all the veterans that will surely be available at a discount in the offseason.

New York Stars (84-70, 2nd, .545, 1 GB)
Bill Barrett wasn't his best and they still finished second: The Stars, who were so close to pulling away with the 1950 pennant, fell just a single game short, and a merely average June from superstar slugger Bill Barrett (.259, 3, 14; .316, 20, 94) (and even worse June from Vern Hubbard; 1-5, 11.45, 9; 12-12, 4.62, 73)) ended up being the difference in a razor thin pennant race. June was the only month New York finished below .500 (13-16), and that level of consistency bodes well for 1951. They can outslug anyone, as along with Barrett, they had three 25+ home run sluggers in Bill Barnett (.281, 33, 93), Mack Sutton (.251, 30, 106), and Jack Welch (.267, 29, 85). The pitching is solid too, so if Hubbard's luck shifts (he had matching ERA+ and FIP- of 87), Ed Cornett's (11-10, 3.62, 75) emergence is legit, and perhaps a breakout from former #1 prospect Ralph Hanson (.331, 16, 4), and the Stars can soar atop the association next season as they continue to be a regular entrant in the first division.

Philadelphia Sailors (71-83, 7th, .461, 14 GB)
Billy Forbes is back!: After a miserable 1950 where he hit just .246/.304/.338 (78 OPS+) and his season ended with a torn UCL in early June after just 48 games. There were some concerns that a serious arm injury would hamper his offense or defense, but the now 25-year-old quickly alleviated those concerns with a near 7 WAR (6.9) season. Forbes led all players with 50 doubles, slashing .304/.374/.468 (117 OPS+) with 8 triples, 12 homers, 23 steals, 70 walks, 81 RBIs, and 107 runs scored. Not only is he an impressive hitter, producing a 133 WRC+ in 701 trips to the plate, but his 10.0 zone rating and 1.030 efficiency trailed just defensive superstars Edwin Hackberry (14.1, 1.044) and John Moss (11.4, 1.034) among center fielders. Having a quality player like that is something most teams can only dream about, and for Sailors fans, it's something they might have to get used to. OSA ranks him among the league's top twenty hitters, so if they can surround him with talent, they can be a contender next season.

One guy in line for a season could be George Rutter (.292, 9, 46), a rookie outfielder who graduated as the 18th ranked prospect in FABL. A natural center fielder, having him in left is a huge boost to Al Duster (17-10, 3.20, 115) and Win Lewis (7-14, 3.37, 120). Always a contender, this is just the second time in the past twenty five years the Sailors have suffered back-to-back losing seasons. Even with 8th and 7th place finishes, it's hard to bet on them being down in the basement for long.

Toronto Wolves (54-100, 8th, .351, 31 GB)
John Wells and Les Ledbetter: Don't feel too bad for the Toronto Wolves. Sure, they lost a lot of games. 100 to be exact. But there was a time that Wolves fans were worried they might do that every season, so they can probably stomach a season like this. It's even easier knowing that they're the only team that gets to employ John Wells and Les Ledbetter. A pair of first overall picks, this could be the most talented duo FABL has ever seen, as there's a chance that these two could win a Whitney and Allen in the same season.

Wolves fans got to see a little of Wells this season, as the then 19-year-old appeared in 54 games. He looked his age, hitting . 269/.302/.339 (66 OPS+) in his first 183 plate appearances, but if they can be patient he could develop into one of the best players in the game. His athleticism is off the charts and his amateur numbers were off the charts. If there is a knock, it's defense, as he hasn't been the greatest shortstop, but when the bat comes around it will be good enough for wherever the glove puts him. Then with Ledbetter, a month away from 22-year-old southpaw, they have the topped ranked pitching prospect waiting in AAA. He's probably not ready for the Wolves rotation by Opening Day, but if he starts off hot he could join what profiles to be a wide open rotation. More spots could open if Toronto decides to move on from one of George Garrison (12-19, 3.80, 102) and Joe Hancock (13-9, 3.04, 114), who would fetch quite the haul in an offseason or deadline trade, improving the core that will be built on these two future stars.

THE FARHAT AWARDS BALLOT: PART TWO - THE CA

Let's begin our look at the Continental Association Awards with the Kellogg Trophy, presented to the rookie of the year.

For the most part this is really a two horse race between Brooklyn hurler Ron Berry (24) and Cleveland catcher Larry McClure (23). But we will give proper kudos to some other guys on some very fine rookie seasons.

Kirby Copeland RF Toronto 334/388/843 10HR 69RBI 55RS 24D
Jim Urquhart 2B Cleveland 288/339/710 1HR 60RBI 86RS 33D 6T
Charlie Rogers CF Brooklyn 309/343/802 8HR 64RBI 106RS 47D 16T 24 18SB (CS 21)

These 3 guys could all be argued to be anywhere from the #3-#5 rookies in the CA this season. Copeland is 24, Urquhart is 23 and Rogers is just 21, they will all be big players in this league for many years to come.
[center]
Here are the front runners for the award
Ron Berry LHSP Brooklyn (24) 20-11 3.12 ERA 271.1 232HA 149K BAVG 233 WHIP 1.30
Larry McClure C Cleveland (23) 337/394/944 13HR 83RBI 58R 42D 3T[/cemter]

The CA Kellogg comes down to these two guys. One a left handed pitcher and the other a catcher. Both had great seasons and both played well down the stretch for their teams as they battled for the CA crown. Hard to argue with either of them except for this. One of these guys will be in the top 3 in his respective award category for all players and one will not likely be in the top 5. Berry will be the guy that is in the mix for the Allen and despite a great season, McClure is not in that same argument for the Whitney. Its close, but I got to go with the pitcher here.

THE CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION WHITNEY AWARD

The first thing you will notice is that the stats are not as inflated in the CA as they are in the Federal Association. Some of this is because the biggest sluggers are in the FA and some of it is because the CA has much larger ballparks and probably more quality starting pitching depth. To show that point one doesn’t have to look any farther than the RBI's leaders of the FA vs the CA. The FA had 10 players with over 100 RBI’s and the CA had 3. The FA had 7 players with 30+ home runs, and the CA had 3. The FA had 15 players with over a 300+ batting average (with 500 PA’s) and the CA only had 11.

Here are the candidates for the CA Whitney
Chuck Adams 1B Cincinnati 287/349/864 33HR 118RBI 80RS 30D 3T
Sherry Doyal CF Cleveland 312/388/907 27HR 111RBI 100RS 31D 6T
Mack Sutton 3B New York 251/351/831 30HR 106RBI 95RS 30D 4T
Bill Barrett RF New York 316/392/880 28HR 94RBI 84RS 28D 5T
Ralph Johnson RF Brooklyn 320/410/910 19HR 89RB 92RS 36D 6T
Billy Forbes CF Philadelphia 305/374/842 12HR 81RBI 107RS 50D 8T 23SB

Brooklyn’s Ralph Johnson has won this award twice, winning in 1947 and 1949. He leads the Association in most of the major “future stats” but he is hurt by his teams offense that spread out the run production. The Kings had 6 players place in the top 18 in RBI’s (Stars had 3 in the top 5). Some will vote for him since he is arguably the best hitter in the CA for the last 4 seasons, but I think he keeps his odd year streak going in winning the award.

So who gets Farhat’s vote for the top spot? Well that is going to fall on to 2nd year player Cleveland OF Sherry Doyal. Doyal had some help from the 2 rookies, but is clearly the top hitter on the Cleveland team, the one opposing pitchers most fear. I just think with his numbers nad balance this season, he gets my vote over Johnson. Adams, Barnett, and Barrett will fill in the top 5 (in no particular order).

THE CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION ALLEN AWARD

Honestly this might be the toughest vote of them all. There are a lot of good pitchers in the CA who had solid seasons based on ERA and other metrics. One can never count out Cincinnati’s Rufus Barrell II but he was only 15-14. Toronto’s Joe Hancock had a great season considering the club he was playing on struggled so badly. Going 13-9 with a 3.04 ERA is probably a miracle. The Jones boys in Chicago went 1-2 in ERA with both logging under 3.00 (Johnnie 16-8 2.95 and Donnie 16-12 2.97). They were the only qualified starters that were under 3.00. Philadelphia’s Al Duster was a bright spot in the rotation for the Sailors going 17-10 with a 3.20 ERA. Cincinnati’s Mickey Mills 16-8 3.15 ERA came out of nowhere with his season that has Cannon fans looking forward to next year. New York Stars SP Jack Wood (37) 17-7 3.28 ERA showed he had a little more left in the tank and if he had gotten a little more help, the Stars might be in a crosstown World Series with the Gothams. Finally Montreal’s Wally Reif put together a very good a year after going 5-15 with over a 7+ ERA. Reif (31) remembered how to pitch and pitched well going 16-14 3.12 ERA.

One more pitcher deserves a nod but missed my cut because of a Farhat self imposed rule. Montreal’s Pat Weakley led the CA in ERA with a 2.81 season, but only threw 198 innings due to 2 injuries that kept him out around 6 weeks.

So who does Farhat like in this race? Well it is for me down to 2 guys at the top. My rookie of the year out of Brooklyn Ron Berry won 20 games going 20-11 with a 3.12 ERA in 271 innings. That is a hell of a season for a rookie and the Kings have to be hoping that he doesn’t run into the sophomore (and maybe career mid-level slump) that former rookie of the year King’s P Leo Hayden has run into. Berry has great numbers including 21 quality starts, 4 shutouts (only Reif had more with 7) and he was near the top in strikeouts (2nd to teammate Bob Arman who had 155 compared to Berry’s 149).

Last year’s winner came back to earth a bit from his outstanding season last year. Cleveland’s Mad Professor Adrian Czerwinski went 19-13 with a 3.31 ERA over 304 innings pitched. He lead the league with that innings pitched number and while he started a league leading 36 games, he also completed a league leading 24. He had a great end of season run after a middling first 5 months of the season. Czerwinski was 5-0 with a 1.12 ERA in September while Berry was 5-1 1.54 ERA for the Kings. Before September Czerwinksi was 13-13 with a 3.80 ERA April through August. Czerwinski was definitely pitcher of the month in September and while he is 2-0 in the World Series those games shouldn’t factor into the debate. Honestly it is a very tough call for me as they certainly both take some of the futuristic stats.

Who would you pick? My top 6 has Duster at #6, followed by the Rufus Barrell II and then probably Donnie and Jonnie Jones. Honestly some of the other names could fit in their but one stat that I don’t pay any attention to for a pitcher is that WAR stat. Overvalues certain stats way too much in my opinion.

So who do you pick? My vote will be revealed tomorrow.

CZERWINSKI, FORESTERS MAY BE CA FORCE FOR YEARS

This will be an interesting Allen vote in the Continental Association. Every potential contending pitcher has something on which you can ding them this season and there's no clear-cut candidate. Then you have the candidate who clearly put his team on his back and carried them to the pennant.

As for World Championship Series MVP, yes, it should have been Adrian Czerwinski. Could also have been Larry McClure too. In fact, the young Foresters all put on a pretty solid show: McClure (23 y/o) slashed 417/500/542; Eddie Morris (25): 348/375/522; Doyal (22) who won MVP: 346/414/577; Sonntag (21): 333/355/400; Coulter (22): 320/320/440; and Urquhart (23): 281/294/500. Pretty solid for a team missing leader Jim Adams Jr. and suffering through a middling performance from Lorenzo Samuels. Oh, and Czerwinski? He's only 25. The Foresters could be a factor for long time.

Now that the season is over for the Brooklyn Kings, a season where they finished just 4 games out of 1st place. One tends to look back on games that maybe got away from the team or even more so the deal that got away.

In the spring Brooklyn GM DD Martin was feeling pretty good about his team, but felt there was 1 key piece missing. It ended up being 2 key pieces with one being the continued slump of first baseman Chuck Collins, but the other was the deal that was never made. It was heavily rumored that the Kings were in contact with the Philadlephia Sailors and the target was primarily starting pitcher Al Duster, but the Kings also inquired about veteran shortstop Rip Lee. Going into the season the Kings GM was not confident that he had 5 quality starters who were all ready for the big league season. Sure there was excitement about rookie hurler Ron Berry, but he had never thrown a regular season pitch in the big leagues. There was also Paul Byler who has battled control issues throughout his career. Martin was looking to secure the veteran Duster as the key piece that might have been missing in the puzzle and looking out how the season played out, he might have been right.

Duster went 17-10 with a 3.20 ERA for the 7th place Sailors and his addition to the Kings to be a mid-rotation pitcher might have been enough to propel the Kings to the top of the very wide open Continental Association. But the Kings didn’t appear to have the pieces for the just turned 31-year-old (start of season age) so talks broke off. The Kings were willing to likely part with young former rookie of the year OF/1B Pat Petty and some other prospects, but they were not able to put together enough for the Sailors to make the deal. The Sailors were under the impression that the '49 season was just a bump in the road and that they would be back in the thick of things, which of course that didn’t happen.

If the Kings have been able to make the deal happen, would we now be in a World Series here in Brooklyn? Hard to say but Duster and his consistent pitching would have fit into a playoff contender a lot better than Byler’s very sub-par 6-6 5.49 ERA in 17 starts. The young pitchers that are in the Brooklyn system seem to be at least another year if not two away. Do the Kings continue to bank on Blyer finding his control and being able to harness the talent that many pegged him with when he was brought over in the trade from the Chiefs in the summer of 46? My guess is Brooklyn will be again looking for that established veteran pitcher and while some say pitching is not scarce in the FABL, there sure doesn’t seem to be many who want to deal it for eligible prospects.

ROY TO DEFEND WELTER CROWN NEXT MONTH

World Welterweight champion Dale Roy will return to the ring Friday November 24 to make his first title defense since upsetting Mark Westlake to win the belt in June. The 33-year-old Binghamton, NY native will defend his title against Ira Mitchell in what will be Roy's first fight in the boxing mecca that is the Bigsby Garden in more than a year and a half.

Roy, who turned pro in 1936, is 37-7-1 with 22 stoppages as a pro and pulled off a mild upset in defeating Westlake in Detroit in June to claim the crown. It marked the second time in his career that Westlake had held the title only to fall in his first defense. Roy has only lost twice since 1943, when he fell to Westlake. Since then, he has gone 22-2-1 with the losses coming to Artie Neal and Mac Erickson.

Mitchell, a Chicago born fighter who will turn 31 next week, is a mild surprise to be getting his second shot at the title -he lost to Harold Stephens in 1948- and is only facing Roy because he scored an upset knockout of Danny Julian at Bigsby Garden early last month. Julian, the British star who had been unbeaten entering the bout including wins in his first two fights on American soil, was set to face Roy but plans changed quickly when Mitchell knocked out the Englishman in a dominating performance on September 2.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

Oct 18 - San Francisco, CA- Heavyweight contenders Cannon Cooper (31-6-1) and Tommy Cline (17-3) meet
Oct 19- Denny Arena, Boston- Boston heavyweight Roy Crawford (32-6) faces Canadian Phil Easton (30-6-2)
Oct 22 - Lewiston, ME.- Heavyweight Bill Sloan (19-3) meets Harvey Winter (22-6-1)
Oct 26- Cincinnati, OH- Unbeaten heavyweight contender Joey Tierney (20-0) faces Mike McFarland (21-11-2)
Oct 27- San Francisco, CA- middleweight contender Millard Shelton (29-5) faces Dan Atkin (28-11-2)
Oct 28- Thompson Palladium, Detroit - welterweight veteran George Gibbs (27-6) meets William Stevens (10-3-1)
Oct 31- Atlanta, GA.- former welterweight champion Mac Erickson (22-2) faces Brian Pierce (17-3)
Oct 31- St.Paul, MN - middleweight contender Davis Owens (23-1) meets Henry Alder (36-24-5)
Oct 31 - Lakeside Auditorium, Chicago: Middleweight contender Bill Boggs (21-3-1) faces Jack Rainey (29-10-1)
Nov 24- Bigsby Garden, New York: World Welterweight Champion Dale Roy (37-7-1) defends his title against Ira Mitchell (26-5)
Dec 9 - Lake Erie Arena, Cleveland: World Heavyweight Champion Hector Sawyer 64-3-1 defends his title against Brad Harris (19-0-1)

The Week That Was
Current events from October 12, 1950

The position of the top aide to the United Nations is thrust into uncertainty after the Soviet Union casted a veto to kill a UN Security Council recommendation that Trygve Lie serve as Secretary General of the organization for another five years. The Norwegian's current term expires in February.
President Truman left California to fly across the Pacific en route to his rendezvous with Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
In Korea, US troops in a twelve-mile advance, struck deep behind the Communist front on the 38th Parallel, cutting the main escape route for enemy forces dug in deeply south of Kumchon. On the east coast, a large United Nations naval task force struck far to the north, pouring shells on Chongjin, an important industrial and railroad center just below the forty-second parallel.
The director of the Selective Service is "seriously considering" asking Congress to lower the draft age from 19 to 18.
Nearly half the voters in Berlin's Soviet sector have voiced opposition to Sunday's single-list election.

04-23-2024, 12:13 PM	#925
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,861	October 13, 1950: Game Seven of the World Championship Series OCTOBER 13, 1950 - SPECIAL WCS EDITION FORESTERS WIN GAME SEVEN TO TAKE SERIES Czerwinski, Doyal Lead Cleveland Past Mighty Gothams It took them six tries but the Cleveland Foresters finally won a World Championship Series clinching game, downing the New York Gothams 5-3 in game seven to win their first WCS title since 1934, when they also defeated the Gothams. It ends a five game losing streak in games the Foresters could have celebrated a title after they surrendered a 3-0 series lead and lost four straight games to the Chicago Chiefs a year ago and missed out on a chance to clinch this year's series with a game six loss at home. Foresters outfielder Sherry Doyal had a tremendous series and was named its Most Valuable Player. Doyal hit .346 during the series with 6 rbi's but support for him was certainly divided as Czerwinski, with 3 complete game victories, was the choice of many seated in press row. The Series capped just an incredible month and a half for the 25-year-old Pittsburgh native. In 11 starts since losing 5-2 to the Chicago Cougars on August 25, Czerwinski went 10-0 and pitched a complete game in each of those ten victories. The lone no-decision was a 14 inning 4-3 loss to Toronto in which he went the first 10 innings. He had a 1.82 era during those 11 starts and really is the primary reason the Foresters went from 7th place and 8.5 games out on the morning of August 30 to clinching the pennant on the final day of the regular season. * Another Master Class in Pitching Taught by The Professor * Pitching on short rest after throwing complete game victories in games two and five, 'The Professor' Adrian Czerwinski was back on the mound for the seventh game but he had his struggles early. Cecil LaBonte, who tied for the Gothams lead in hits in the series with Roosevelt Brewer, led off the first inning with a single and Red Johnson, who had his problems in the series, delivered a two out base hit but Czerwinski escaped without damaging catching George Cleaves looking on a full count pitch. Ed Bowman, who won games one and four for the Gothams, also had troubles in the opening frame but his became much more acute as the Foresters strung together four hits to take a quick 2-0 lead. Doyal and rookie catcher Larry McClure, who is gaining plenty of support for the Kellogg Award, each singled in a run. Czerwinski, clearly not working with his best stuff, allowed base runners each of the next two innings but kept the Gothams off the scoresheet. That changed in the fourth when Cleaves worked the Foresters ace for a one-out walk and raced home on a triple off the bat of Flipper Robinson to cut the Foresters lead to 2-1. Czerwinski then uncorked a wild pitch to Tom Jeffries allowing Robinson to score the tying run. Czerwinski would settle down and allow just one New York hit over the next 4 innings. Bowman, on the other hand, would run into more trouble in the fifth when a Jim Urquhart single followed by an error put two men on base for Doyal. The young outfielder delivered a 2-run triple and then would score the third Cleveland run of the inning when Lorenzo Samuels singled to put the Foresters back in front, by a 5-2 count. Lou Eaker took over in relief of Bowman in the seventh inning after the Gothams ace was lifted for a pinch-hitter. It was near disaster as Eaker quickly walked the bases with one out. Lloyd Coulter hit a fly ball to leftfielder Ward Messer, and the outfielder gunned down the tagging Doyal at the plate to end the inning without any serious damage. The Gothams had one last gasp in the top of the ninth when Red Johnson tripled off a clearly laboring Czerwinski. The Professor regrouped quickly in fanning Cleaves on three pitches and then getting an infield fly out from Robinson. Johnson did score to make it 5-3 when Tom Jeffries grounder was misplayed by Cleveland third baseman Lloyd Coulter but that would be as close as the Gothams would get after Chet Lewis flew out to centerfielder Doyal to end the series and set off a wild celebration for a long-suffering Foresters Stadium crowd. GAME 1: New York 4 Cleveland 2 GAME 2: Cleveland 5 New York 4 GAME 3: Cleveland 4 New York 1 GAME 4: New York 18 Cleveland 3 GAME 5: Cleveland 8 New York 3 GAME 6: New York 5 Cleveland 3 GAME 7: Cleveland 5 New York 3 SERIES MVP: Sherry Doyal, Cleveland A LOOK AT CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION 1951 HOPES Following up on yesterday's look at the Federal Association clubs that fell short of the pennant, here are some things the Continental Association non-winners can use to build on going forward. Brooklyn Kings (81-73, t-3rd, .526, 4 GB) Everyone was wrong about the John Moss trade: There were a lot of pundits that didn't quite understand what the Brooklyn Kings were doing by shipping John Moss to the rival Chicago Cougars. Turns out, the move might have been perfectly timed. Moss had his worst season to date, hitting just .219/.317/.298 (66 OPS+) with and 11.4 zone rating and 1.034 efficiency, all worsts since he became Brooklyn's everyday center fielder in 1947. His replacement, Charlie Rogers, was way better at 21, leading the CA in PAs (689), hits (213), and triples (16) while slashing .309/.343/.549 (107 OPS+) with 47 doubles, 8 homers, 64 RBIs, 106 runs, and 18 steals. The real kicker, however, was the centerpiece of the Moss trade: Ron Berry. The Kings found their new ace, as the potential Kellogg Winner led the Continental with a 20-win season as a 24-year-old rookie, finishing with a 3.12 ERA (130 ERA+) and 149 strikeouts in 271.1 innings. Sure, he'll walk more then his share of guys (120 and 10.6 BB%), but the stuff is elite, he keeps the ball on the ground, and threw triple digit pitches in all but one of his 33 starts, going 140 or more on six separate occasions. With Ralph Johnson leading the lineup, and Berry anchoring the rotation, the Kings have positioned themself as a legit contender for 1951. Chicago Cougars (80-74, t-5th, .519, 5 GB) There's always next year: Now if you said those four words to a Cougar fan, they might chomp your hand off, but the old adage still rings true for the Windy City Kitties today. There's always next year. The Cougars seem allergic to both titles and losing seasons, as since the 1930 season, they have the same amount as pennants (3) as losing seasons (3), though they've managed to be victorious just once as they are also allergic to playoff game sevens (0-4). But here's the thing: if you're winning all these games and have one of the most talented rosters year in and year out, eventually you're going to come out on top. The roster boasts 33 All-Star selections in the projected lineup, with just George Sutterfield (.275, 7, 54, 13) lacking a selection, though the bench has eight more selections, including second basemen like Sutterfield in Charlie Woodbury (2; .320, 6, 32) and Billy Hunter (1; .268, 1, 17). The rotation is even better, led by a pair of Allen Winners, and despite a much smaller pool of All-Star spots, the five members of the rotation that finished the season have all been selected. If that's not enough, the Cougars also have the 2nd best farm system, headlined by three top 20 prospects and nine of the top 100. Titles are elusive, but the Cougars organization has and should continue to develop quality FABL players for the rest of the league to take advantage of. But the best part? The Cougars shouldn't be the favorite for 1951. Honestly, maybe not even top three. Give me a healthy Saints squad, the Foresters, and the Kings. Maybe even the Stars. Perhaps a step back in expectations could make the difference for a team that can't get over the hump? Wouldn't that be fun! Cincinnati Cannons (81-73, t-3rd, .526, 4 GB0 Anyone can pitch in the Queen City: I want to clarify that this is not a knock on Mickey Mills (16-8, 3.15, 116). I'm one of his biggest supporters. But it has to be comforting to Cannons fans to know that the organization has excelled at getting quality starts from undervalued and overlooked pitchers. In terms of ERA, their "worst" pitcher was Tony Britten (11-15, 3.95, 87), and his ERA+ was still two percent better than average. And he's a former top ten prospect that has been lauded by many as a future ace. They've gotten success from lesser ranked prospects like former 11th Rounder Jim Anderson (16-8, 3.31, 107) and former 10th Rounder Charlie Griffith (17-14, 3.80, 91). Not everyone has to be a Rufus Barrell (15-14, 3.02, 117) who's had a FIP- above 80 just once in the eight seasons, which spoiler alert, is beyond elite. He was one of just five pitchers this season to have a FIP- below 80, so the frequency he can do it puts him in truly elite company. With a guy like that atop the rotation, you can worry a lot less about the rest of the staff, so if Cincinnati can find some bats to support their top rotation in the offseason, ideally someone else who can hit double digit homers, the CA might have to get used to looking up at the Cannons once (or twice or three times) more. Montreal Saints (80-74, t-5th, .519, 5 GB) Just stay healthy: It's as simple as that. If the Montreal Saints can stay healthy, they're going to win the Continental. This was supposed to be the season the painstaking 28 year pennant drought was snapped, but now they'll have to win next season to prevent it from growing to 30. Montreal was well on their way, but then Joe Austin (.234, 6, 44, 29) got hurt. And then Luke Weaver (.290, 8, 48). Then Maurice Carter (.267, 24, 86). And finally, Wally Doyle (10-13, 3.98, 135). Plus Gordie Perkins (.284, 8, 56) made his yearly IL trip in June and wasn't nearly the same after. Montreal is the most complete team, they can hit and pitch, but the completeness ends on their active roster. Their lack of minor league depth was exposed, as their replacements were not up to snuff. They stopped scoring runs in September, so if there is an area of improvement, it's to add a starting quality hitter to their bench. They have versatility with SS/OF Bill Elkins (.251, 2, 55), while the speedy Austin can line up anywhere, so Montreal doesn't need to focus on a specific position, allowing them to peruse all the veterans that will surely be available at a discount in the offseason. New York Stars (84-70, 2nd, .545, 1 GB) Bill Barrett wasn't his best and they still finished second: The Stars, who were so close to pulling away with the 1950 pennant, fell just a single game short, and a merely average June from superstar slugger Bill Barrett (.259, 3, 14; .316, 20, 94) (and even worse June from Vern Hubbard; 1-5, 11.45, 9; 12-12, 4.62, 73)) ended up being the difference in a razor thin pennant race. June was the only month New York finished below .500 (13-16), and that level of consistency bodes well for 1951. They can outslug anyone, as along with Barrett, they had three 25+ home run sluggers in Bill Barnett (.281, 33, 93), Mack Sutton (.251, 30, 106), and Jack Welch (.267, 29, 85). The pitching is solid too, so if Hubbard's luck shifts (he had matching ERA+ and FIP- of 87), Ed Cornett's (11-10, 3.62, 75) emergence is legit, and perhaps a breakout from former #1 prospect Ralph Hanson (.331, 16, 4), and the Stars can soar atop the association next season as they continue to be a regular entrant in the first division. Philadelphia Sailors (71-83, 7th, .461, 14 GB) Billy Forbes is back!: After a miserable 1950 where he hit just .246/.304/.338 (78 OPS+) and his season ended with a torn UCL in early June after just 48 games. There were some concerns that a serious arm injury would hamper his offense or defense, but the now 25-year-old quickly alleviated those concerns with a near 7 WAR (6.9) season. Forbes led all players with 50 doubles, slashing .304/.374/.468 (117 OPS+) with 8 triples, 12 homers, 23 steals, 70 walks, 81 RBIs, and 107 runs scored. Not only is he an impressive hitter, producing a 133 WRC+ in 701 trips to the plate, but his 10.0 zone rating and 1.030 efficiency trailed just defensive superstars Edwin Hackberry (14.1, 1.044) and John Moss (11.4, 1.034) among center fielders. Having a quality player like that is something most teams can only dream about, and for Sailors fans, it's something they might have to get used to. OSA ranks him among the league's top twenty hitters, so if they can surround him with talent, they can be a contender next season. One guy in line for a season could be George Rutter (.292, 9, 46), a rookie outfielder who graduated as the 18th ranked prospect in FABL. A natural center fielder, having him in left is a huge boost to Al Duster (17-10, 3.20, 115) and Win Lewis (7-14, 3.37, 120). Always a contender, this is just the second time in the past twenty five years the Sailors have suffered back-to-back losing seasons. Even with 8th and 7th place finishes, it's hard to bet on them being down in the basement for long. Toronto Wolves (54-100, 8th, .351, 31 GB) John Wells and Les Ledbetter: Don't feel too bad for the Toronto Wolves. Sure, they lost a lot of games. 100 to be exact. But there was a time that Wolves fans were worried they might do that every season, so they can probably stomach a season like this. It's even easier knowing that they're the only team that gets to employ John Wells and Les Ledbetter. A pair of first overall picks, this could be the most talented duo FABL has ever seen, as there's a chance that these two could win a Whitney and Allen in the same season. Wolves fans got to see a little of Wells this season, as the then 19-year-old appeared in 54 games. He looked his age, hitting . 269/.302/.339 (66 OPS+) in his first 183 plate appearances, but if they can be patient he could develop into one of the best players in the game. His athleticism is off the charts and his amateur numbers were off the charts. If there is a knock, it's defense, as he hasn't been the greatest shortstop, but when the bat comes around it will be good enough for wherever the glove puts him. Then with Ledbetter, a month away from 22-year-old southpaw, they have the topped ranked pitching prospect waiting in AAA. He's probably not ready for the Wolves rotation by Opening Day, but if he starts off hot he could join what profiles to be a wide open rotation. More spots could open if Toronto decides to move on from one of George Garrison (12-19, 3.80, 102) and Joe Hancock (13-9, 3.04, 114), who would fetch quite the haul in an offseason or deadline trade, improving the core that will be built on these two future stars. THE FARHAT AWARDS BALLOT: PART TWO - THE CA Let's begin our look at the Continental Association Awards with the Kellogg Trophy, presented to the rookie of the year. For the most part this is really a two horse race between Brooklyn hurler Ron Berry (24) and Cleveland catcher Larry McClure (23). But we will give proper kudos to some other guys on some very fine rookie seasons. Kirby Copeland RF Toronto 334/388/843 10HR 69RBI 55RS 24D Jim Urquhart 2B Cleveland 288/339/710 1HR 60RBI 86RS 33D 6T Charlie Rogers CF Brooklyn 309/343/802 8HR 64RBI 106RS 47D 16T 24 18SB (CS 21) These 3 guys could all be argued to be anywhere from the #3-#5 rookies in the CA this season. Copeland is 24, Urquhart is 23 and Rogers is just 21, they will all be big players in this league for many years to come. [center] Here are the front runners for the award Ron Berry LHSP Brooklyn (24) 20-11 3.12 ERA 271.1 232HA 149K BAVG 233 WHIP 1.30 Larry McClure C Cleveland (23) 337/394/944 13HR 83RBI 58R 42D 3T[/cemter] The CA Kellogg comes down to these two guys. One a left handed pitcher and the other a catcher. Both had great seasons and both played well down the stretch for their teams as they battled for the CA crown. Hard to argue with either of them except for this. One of these guys will be in the top 3 in his respective award category for all players and one will not likely be in the top 5. Berry will be the guy that is in the mix for the Allen and despite a great season, McClure is not in that same argument for the Whitney. Its close, but I got to go with the pitcher here. THE CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION WHITNEY AWARD The first thing you will notice is that the stats are not as inflated in the CA as they are in the Federal Association. Some of this is because the biggest sluggers are in the FA and some of it is because the CA has much larger ballparks and probably more quality starting pitching depth. To show that point one doesn’t have to look any farther than the RBI's leaders of the FA vs the CA. The FA had 10 players with over 100 RBI’s and the CA had 3. The FA had 7 players with 30+ home runs, and the CA had 3. The FA had 15 players with over a 300+ batting average (with 500 PA’s) and the CA only had 11. Here are the candidates for the CA Whitney Chuck Adams 1B Cincinnati 287/349/864 33HR 118RBI 80RS 30D 3T Sherry Doyal CF Cleveland 312/388/907 27HR 111RBI 100RS 31D 6T Mack Sutton 3B New York 251/351/831 30HR 106RBI 95RS 30D 4T Bill Barrett RF New York 316/392/880 28HR 94RBI 84RS 28D 5T Ralph Johnson RF Brooklyn 320/410/910 19HR 89RB 92RS 36D 6T Billy Forbes CF Philadelphia 305/374/842 12HR 81RBI 107RS 50D 8T 23SB Brooklyn’s Ralph Johnson has won this award twice, winning in 1947 and 1949. He leads the Association in most of the major “future stats” but he is hurt by his teams offense that spread out the run production. The Kings had 6 players place in the top 18 in RBI’s (Stars had 3 in the top 5). Some will vote for him since he is arguably the best hitter in the CA for the last 4 seasons, but I think he keeps his odd year streak going in winning the award. So who gets Farhat’s vote for the top spot? Well that is going to fall on to 2nd year player Cleveland OF Sherry Doyal. Doyal had some help from the 2 rookies, but is clearly the top hitter on the Cleveland team, the one opposing pitchers most fear. I just think with his numbers nad balance this season, he gets my vote over Johnson. Adams, Barnett, and Barrett will fill in the top 5 (in no particular order). THE CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION ALLEN AWARD Honestly this might be the toughest vote of them all. There are a lot of good pitchers in the CA who had solid seasons based on ERA and other metrics. One can never count out Cincinnati’s Rufus Barrell II but he was only 15-14. Toronto’s Joe Hancock had a great season considering the club he was playing on struggled so badly. Going 13-9 with a 3.04 ERA is probably a miracle. The Jones boys in Chicago went 1-2 in ERA with both logging under 3.00 (Johnnie 16-8 2.95 and Donnie 16-12 2.97). They were the only qualified starters that were under 3.00. Philadelphia’s Al Duster was a bright spot in the rotation for the Sailors going 17-10 with a 3.20 ERA. Cincinnati’s Mickey Mills 16-8 3.15 ERA came out of nowhere with his season that has Cannon fans looking forward to next year. New York Stars SP Jack Wood (37) 17-7 3.28 ERA showed he had a little more left in the tank and if he had gotten a little more help, the Stars might be in a crosstown World Series with the Gothams. Finally Montreal’s Wally Reif put together a very good a year after going 5-15 with over a 7+ ERA. Reif (31) remembered how to pitch and pitched well going 16-14 3.12 ERA. One more pitcher deserves a nod but missed my cut because of a Farhat self imposed rule. Montreal’s Pat Weakley led the CA in ERA with a 2.81 season, but only threw 198 innings due to 2 injuries that kept him out around 6 weeks. So who does Farhat like in this race? Well it is for me down to 2 guys at the top. My rookie of the year out of Brooklyn Ron Berry won 20 games going 20-11 with a 3.12 ERA in 271 innings. That is a hell of a season for a rookie and the Kings have to be hoping that he doesn’t run into the sophomore (and maybe career mid-level slump) that former rookie of the year King’s P Leo Hayden has run into. Berry has great numbers including 21 quality starts, 4 shutouts (only Reif had more with 7) and he was near the top in strikeouts (2nd to teammate Bob Arman who had 155 compared to Berry’s 149). Last year’s winner came back to earth a bit from his outstanding season last year. Cleveland’s Mad Professor Adrian Czerwinski went 19-13 with a 3.31 ERA over 304 innings pitched. He lead the league with that innings pitched number and while he started a league leading 36 games, he also completed a league leading 24. He had a great end of season run after a middling first 5 months of the season. Czerwinski was 5-0 with a 1.12 ERA in September while Berry was 5-1 1.54 ERA for the Kings. Before September Czerwinksi was 13-13 with a 3.80 ERA April through August. Czerwinski was definitely pitcher of the month in September and while he is 2-0 in the World Series those games shouldn’t factor into the debate. Honestly it is a very tough call for me as they certainly both take some of the futuristic stats. Who would you pick? My top 6 has Duster at #6, followed by the Rufus Barrell II and then probably Donnie and Jonnie Jones. Honestly some of the other names could fit in their but one stat that I don’t pay any attention to for a pitcher is that WAR stat. Overvalues certain stats way too much in my opinion. So who do you pick? My vote will be revealed tomorrow. CZERWINSKI, FORESTERS MAY BE CA FORCE FOR YEARS This will be an interesting Allen vote in the Continental Association. Every potential contending pitcher has something on which you can ding them this season and there's no clear-cut candidate. Then you have the candidate who clearly put his team on his back and carried them to the pennant. As for World Championship Series MVP, yes, it should have been Adrian Czerwinski. Could also have been Larry McClure too. In fact, the young Foresters all put on a pretty solid show: McClure (23 y/o) slashed 417/500/542; Eddie Morris (25): 348/375/522; Doyal (22) who won MVP: 346/414/577; Sonntag (21): 333/355/400; Coulter (22): 320/320/440; and Urquhart (23): 281/294/500. Pretty solid for a team missing leader Jim Adams Jr. and suffering through a middling performance from Lorenzo Samuels. Oh, and Czerwinski? He's only 25. The Foresters could be a factor for long time. Now that the season is over for the Brooklyn Kings, a season where they finished just 4 games out of 1st place. One tends to look back on games that maybe got away from the team or even more so the deal that got away. In the spring Brooklyn GM DD Martin was feeling pretty good about his team, but felt there was 1 key piece missing. It ended up being 2 key pieces with one being the continued slump of first baseman Chuck Collins, but the other was the deal that was never made. It was heavily rumored that the Kings were in contact with the Philadlephia Sailors and the target was primarily starting pitcher Al Duster, but the Kings also inquired about veteran shortstop Rip Lee. Going into the season the Kings GM was not confident that he had 5 quality starters who were all ready for the big league season. Sure there was excitement about rookie hurler Ron Berry, but he had never thrown a regular season pitch in the big leagues. There was also Paul Byler who has battled control issues throughout his career. Martin was looking to secure the veteran Duster as the key piece that might have been missing in the puzzle and looking out how the season played out, he might have been right. Duster went 17-10 with a 3.20 ERA for the 7th place Sailors and his addition to the Kings to be a mid-rotation pitcher might have been enough to propel the Kings to the top of the very wide open Continental Association. But the Kings didn’t appear to have the pieces for the just turned 31-year-old (start of season age) so talks broke off. The Kings were willing to likely part with young former rookie of the year OF/1B Pat Petty and some other prospects, but they were not able to put together enough for the Sailors to make the deal. The Sailors were under the impression that the '49 season was just a bump in the road and that they would be back in the thick of things, which of course that didn’t happen. If the Kings have been able to make the deal happen, would we now be in a World Series here in Brooklyn? Hard to say but Duster and his consistent pitching would have fit into a playoff contender a lot better than Byler’s very sub-par 6-6 5.49 ERA in 17 starts. The young pitchers that are in the Brooklyn system seem to be at least another year if not two away. Do the Kings continue to bank on Blyer finding his control and being able to harness the talent that many pegged him with when he was brought over in the trade from the Chiefs in the summer of 46? My guess is Brooklyn will be again looking for that established veteran pitcher and while some say pitching is not scarce in the FABL, there sure doesn’t seem to be many who want to deal it for eligible prospects. ROY TO DEFEND WELTER CROWN NEXT MONTH World Welterweight champion Dale Roy will return to the ring Friday November 24 to make his first title defense since upsetting Mark Westlake to win the belt in June. The 33-year-old Binghamton, NY native will defend his title against Ira Mitchell in what will be Roy's first fight in the boxing mecca that is the Bigsby Garden in more than a year and a half. Roy, who turned pro in 1936, is 37-7-1 with 22 stoppages as a pro and pulled off a mild upset in defeating Westlake in Detroit in June to claim the crown. It marked the second time in his career that Westlake had held the title only to fall in his first defense. Roy has only lost twice since 1943, when he fell to Westlake. Since then, he has gone 22-2-1 with the losses coming to Artie Neal and Mac Erickson. Mitchell, a Chicago born fighter who will turn 31 next week, is a mild surprise to be getting his second shot at the title -he lost to Harold Stephens in 1948- and is only facing Roy because he scored an upset knockout of Danny Julian at Bigsby Garden early last month. Julian, the British star who had been unbeaten entering the bout including wins in his first two fights on American soil, was set to face Roy but plans changed quickly when Mitchell knocked out the Englishman in a dominating performance on September 2. UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS Oct 18 - San Francisco, CA- Heavyweight contenders Cannon Cooper (31-6-1) and Tommy Cline (17-3) meet Oct 19- Denny Arena, Boston- Boston heavyweight Roy Crawford (32-6) faces Canadian Phil Easton (30-6-2) Oct 22 - Lewiston, ME.- Heavyweight Bill Sloan (19-3) meets Harvey Winter (22-6-1) Oct 26- Cincinnati, OH- Unbeaten heavyweight contender Joey Tierney (20-0) faces Mike McFarland (21-11-2) Oct 27- San Francisco, CA- middleweight contender Millard Shelton (29-5) faces Dan Atkin (28-11-2) Oct 28- Thompson Palladium, Detroit - welterweight veteran George Gibbs (27-6) meets William Stevens (10-3-1) Oct 31- Atlanta, GA.- former welterweight champion Mac Erickson (22-2) faces Brian Pierce (17-3) Oct 31- St.Paul, MN - middleweight contender Davis Owens (23-1) meets Henry Alder (36-24-5) Oct 31 - Lakeside Auditorium, Chicago: Middleweight contender Bill Boggs (21-3-1) faces Jack Rainey (29-10-1) Nov 24- Bigsby Garden, New York: World Welterweight Champion Dale Roy (37-7-1) defends his title against Ira Mitchell (26-5) Dec 9 - Lake Erie Arena, Cleveland: World Heavyweight Champion Hector Sawyer 64-3-1 defends his title against Brad Harris (19-0-1) The Week That Was Current events from October 12, 1950 The position of the top aide to the United Nations is thrust into uncertainty after the Soviet Union casted a veto to kill a UN Security Council recommendation that Trygve Lie serve as Secretary General of the organization for another five years. The Norwegian's current term expires in February. President Truman left California to fly across the Pacific en route to his rendezvous with Gen. Douglas MacArthur. In Korea, US troops in a twelve-mile advance, struck deep behind the Communist front on the 38th Parallel, cutting the main escape route for enemy forces dug in deeply south of Kumchon. On the east coast, a large United Nations naval task force struck far to the north, pouring shells on Chongjin, an important industrial and railroad center just below the forty-second parallel. The director of the Selective Service is "seriously considering" asking Congress to lower the draft age from 19 to 18. Nearly half the voters in Berlin's Soviet sector have voiced opposition to Sunday's single-list election. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles