1954 IN FIGMENT SPORTS1954 was a landmark year in sports. Baseball changed in a way that just a couple of decades ago few would have ever believed was possible, and the world suddenly became a whole lot smaller. Baseball truly was a national game as the league's footprint stretched coast to coast with news the New York Stars and Philadelphia Sailors had abandoned the east coast for California. They would now be known as the Los Angeles Stars and San Francisco Sailors.
Sure, football got there first with the movement of the Cincinnati Tigers franchise to Los Angeles several years back and the establishment of the San Francisco Wings as part of the short-lived Continental Football Conference but football was a sport that played just a dozen games and rarely more than one contest a week. Baseball, with its 154 game slate, would see every team in the Continental Association now make numerous cross-country treks, a feat made possible by advances during and after the war in air travel.
The Continental Association's reach stretched across the country after testing western expansion with the Brooklyn Kings shift to Kansas City prior to the 1952 season. The Federal Association, meanwhile, remained a cozy little loop with no team west of the Mississippi, unless you count the St. Louis Pioneers ballpark which was minutes from the western shore of the great river. One has to think that will change and likely soon as, with the Fed and CA are partners in many ways, they are also competitors in some aspects and you have to think the Federal magnates will want a presence in the untapped markets to the west. It seems unlikely a Federal club will move in the near future so that apparently indicates an even greater change for the loop is on the horizon. That would be expansion and the end of the 16 team format that FABL has embraced since its inception in 1892. For the moment at least, no expansion plans have been announced by baseball, now headed by new FABL President John Decker.
Much is changing in baseball, just as in the rest of the world, but there was at least a little bit of familiarity for ball fans as the Detroit Dynamos represented the Federal Association in the World Championship Series for the third consecutive year. The Dynamos thus became the first Federal loop team to win three straight pennants since the 1902-06 Boston Minutemen won five in a row. Detroit made it two WCS wins in three years as they downed the Kansas City Kings in six games to take the series. The Kings were back in the WCS for the first time since winning three consecutive Continental flags between 1936-38. The series loss drops the Kings WCS record to just 1 title (1937) in seven trips.
For the second time in three years the city of Detroit celebrated two titles as the hockey Motors were crowned Challenge Cup champions for the first time in fifteen years. Football belonged to the Philadelphia Frigates this season while the New York Knights won their first Federal Basketball League title. One team that is no stranger to winning is the Rainier College basketball team with the Majestics beating Western Iowa in the AIAA cage title game for the second year in a row. It also makes Rainier College the first team to claim five AIAA basketball titles and with wins in 1943 and 1944, the only school to go back-to-back twice. Cumberland was the class of collegiate football while Brunswick won its first AIAA baseball title in thirty years.
January was one of the busiest months on the 1954 transaction front in FABL, as after taking the holiday's off, the 16 GM got busy and started working the phones. The Minutemen kicked things off with an addition to the rotation, and they made many moves in a short period of time. Picking up Jim Whiteley from the Keystones was the first of eight moves, as they decided to take a chance on a 38-year-old 3-Time All-Star, who hadn't been himself in year fifteen (11-21, 4.52, 72) and sixteen (8-17, 5.27, 72). With a tiny cost in terms of prospects they'll hope to get closer to the guy who went 15-4 with a 3.33 ERA (122 ERA+) in 1948. He was Boston's Charlie Todd (11-9, 4.55, 87) replacement, as they sent him to Pittsburgh for highly regarded first base prospect Eddie Black. It's a position they could use a long-term answer at, and once of many deals that reshaped the organization. Next Boston picked up longtime Saint Wally Doyle (10-17, 6.11, 67) in a two-for-two deal, sent two prospects to Toronto for Doyle's former teammate Wally Reif (4-17, 5.09, 63), and added outfield depth in the shape of Rudy Ellison (.289, 4, 38), who's been a relatively average hitter (102 OPS+, 101 WRC+) since his debut in 1947. The Minutemen have had trouble getting much around their young core, but they haven't won 80 games since 86 in 1946, and their 78 last season ties their high in the seasons after.
Most of the other deals were minor, but two contenders made a swap in February. Attempting to fill each other's needs, the defending champion Foresters sent righty Dick Lamb (13-11, 4.19, 85) to the Gothams for second basemen Tom Jeffries (.281, 6, 51). Both players had only spent time in the organizations that drafted them, as Lamb was a 3rd Round pick of Cleveland's and the Gothams got Jeffries two rounds later, in what has been one of the best value picks of the 1942 draft. Among all position players, just Roger Cleaves (33.6) has produced more WAR then the 20.3 from Jeffries. A few weeks later the Chiefs added another almost 40-year-old pitcher in longtime Minutemen righty Duke Hendricks (7-11, 4.66, 88) to compliment elders Charlie Bingham (11-10, 3.31, 89) and Al Miller (14-9, 4.56, 65) on a veteran Chiefs pitching staff.
When Opening Day rolled around, it seemed like we would be in line for another Dynamos vs Foresters World Championship Series. Plenty of other teams could disrupt that, but an interesting story to follow is the fate of the evolving Continental Association. It's already been getting used to the "Kansas City" in front of the Kings, but now the Sailors play in San Francisco and the Stars in Los Angeles. The Westward shift in the younger association has led to longer travel times for teams used to short road trips. This new dynamic can impact the pennant races, as for the first times players can play one series in the eastern time zone, followed by a pacific game right after.
The trade market cooled once the regular season started, but through July no one could quite take command of either association. The experts say whoever leads the way at the midpoint has the best chance of taking home the pennant, which would look good for the Dynamos (50-36) and Foresters (52-35), who have both lived up to expectations. The only issue is both teams have leads of just a half game. The Miners (50-37) were breathing down Detroit's neck, as was Kansas City (51-35) to Cleveland, with both the Chiefs (47-37) and newly located Sailors (52-38) within two of the lead.
You would think that would mean action on the trade front as the deadline neared, but all sixteen teams preferred rest and relaxation instead of working the trade phones the executives took advantage of the extra days off. In fact, the deadline came and went without a single deal between the FABL teams. You can blame the Dynamos (63-40) for part of it, by the end of July they pulled away from everyone except the Miners (60-44), who at three and a half back were the only team within eight of the dynasty building Dynamos. The Conti was a mess too, just three teams above .500, but those three were all within a game of first place. The Sailors (59-49) at four out were falling fast, but with a big move in their inaugural season out west they could have leapfrogged the Kings (59-43) and Foresters (61-43) who held the same number of losses. Despite the neck-and-neck fight, both teams were confident with what they had, and decided to stay put.
It worked for them, both teams remained within a game when rosters expanded at the beginning of September, but I'm sure the Miners wish they pushed the chips in, as after a 13-13 August they could not keep pace with Detroit, who added a 19-win month to their previous 20-win months in May (20-9) and July (21-8).
Not that the Miners had much of a chance to erase their eight game deficit, the last thing they needed was saving their worst month for last, as they won just 10 of their last 24 games, even falling out of second to third, the same spot they finished last year. Paul Williams wasn't the problem, as he had a WRC+ above 130 in each month of the season, and he raised it to 196 and 172 in August and September when the rest of the roster crumbled. In the aggregate, the now 4-Time All-Star hit .321/.438/.577 (159 OPS+), pounding 36 doubles and 33 homers with 110 runs, 113 RBIs, and 119 walks in what could have been a Whitney Winning campaign. He still needs some help, as not only did the Miners lineup finish just 4th in runs (728), the staff allowed the most (736), leading to a stunning -6 run differential. Ted Coffin (6-3, 3.34, 59) was brilliant atop the rotation, but the surprising decision to give him 13 Century League starts (4-6, 3.51, 43) first cost them wins early in the season they could have used. Les Bradshaw (16-12, 3.98, 86) was the only other starter to have an ERA+ above 100, and his 108 in 224 innings was not what you want from a number two, let alone the defacto ace in terms of starts and production. The lineup has nice pieces with Irv Clifford (.313, 42, 17), Ernie Campbell (.286, 62, 9), and Bill Newhall (.310, 11, 71), but Newhall owns all 11 of the trios homers in almost 2,000 PAs (1,922). They'll need a big thumper and some arms to surpass the Dynamos, and even the Gothams surpassed them because New York has both a lineup and a rotation.
New York may have finished 11 behind Detroit, but at 86-68 they still had a really strong season. Along with scoring the most runs (814), they allowed the third fewest (727), but they were just stuck behind a dominant Dynamos team that was built to win. Despite another runner up finish, Gothams fans have to be thrilled with the arrival of Earl Howe, who as a rookie that turned 22 in June hit an elite .333/.432/.581 (162 OPS+) with 37 doubles, 120 runs, and 124 RBIs. He drew 96 walks and was worth 9.8 wins above replacement, easily securing an All-Star selection and Kellogg Award in his first big league season. He now bats ahead of Walt Messer (.309, 35, 129) and Red Johnson (.289, 25, 106), who at 36 can still mash. Hank Estill (.259, 28, 85) isn't quite the breakout superstar from 1952 (.278, 41, 109), but he's the most overqualified sixth hitter in baseball. Chief Lewis (.285, 8, 50, 21) has emerged as a legitimate center fielder, Billy Woytek (.290, 9, 51, 7) continued to excel in his new home, and Cecil LaBonte (.275, 10, 58, 13) remains one of the most consistent shortstops in the league. If Hal Hackney (9-11, 3, 5.15, 95) can rebound or once top prospect Jorge Arellano (11-10, 4.03, 87) can take a step forward in year two, the Gothams should be the Dynamos biggest threat next season. A rotation of Ed Bowman (21-12, 3.17, 127), George Garrison (15-10, 3.63, 99), and Ed Cornett (10-3, 3, 3.42, 39) is already expected to keep runs off the board, and with one of Hackney or Arellano performing to expectations they could dethrone Detroit as the Fed's top staff.
That will be a tough ask, as even at 41 Joe Hancock (15-5, 3.67, 81) was amazing, and the former Allen Winner may actually be the fourth or best pitcher on the Dynamos staff. Jack Miller (21-13, 3.69, 154) had yet another excellent season atop the rotation, leading the Fed in both wins and strikeotus in his fourth consecutive season with over 285 innings pitched. Bob Arman (15-12, 3.43, 99) was excellent once again, but the star of the staff was second year starter Jim Norris, who took home the Allen award in his first year as a full-time starter. This writer thinks there was a more deserving candidate, but Norris was truly spectacular, going 20-10 with a 2.80 ERA (151 ERA+) and 1.19 WHIP in 33 starts. He struck out 134 in 283 innings, walking just 96 after surrendering more walks (77) then strikeouts (66) in his first 155.2 innings of his career. Part of the reason Norris and Miller were able to win so many games, is the lineup continued to be potent, with the Dynamos trailing only the Gothams in runs scored. The Dynamos have an enviable amount of talent, with Dan Smith (.260, 14, 76), Edwin Hackberry (.289, 22, 91, 10), Pat Petty (.305, 20, 77), Bill Morrison (.344, 9, 56), Ralph Johnson (.321, 16, 74, 13), Stan Kleminski (.295, 7, 72, 9), and Del Johnson (.259, 2, 55, 15) all performing in their individual roles. They have so many guys who can hurt you, even on their bench, and if they aren't satisfied with their postseason they can tap into that depth to win another title.
Detroit's World Championship Series opponent was unknown until the final day of the regular season. For what seemed like forever, the Kings, Sailors, and Foresters were all on top of each other, in an epic all-out-brawl for the crown. The Foresters, after sweeping three games in Kansas City entered the final weekend in the lead. The only issue is Cleveland ran into the rival Cannons (69-85) in the Queen City, and couldn't win either of the two road games they needed to secure the crown. The Sailors on the other hand, had no trouble with the Cougars (73-81), scoring 31 runs in the sweep to finish even with Cleveland at 87-67. All eyes were on the Kings, who were 87-66 and won the first two against the Wolves. The definition of a must-win game, the Kings went to last offseason's blockbuster acquisition Tony Britten (18-7, 3.66, 111), who had to take on former #1 pick Les Ledbetter (13-14, 4.26, 134), who in his last start beat the Kings to improve to 13-14.
KC seemed ready for Ledbetter this time, as after holding them scoreless until the 9th last time they pounced on him for one in the first and three more in the second. The killshot may have came in the sixth, however, when Ken Newman (.310, 23, 99) took Ledbetter deep with two outs, and eventual Kellogg winner Dutch Miller (.289, 26, 113) followed it up with a solo shot of his own. That made it 7-1, putting any hopes of a comeback to rest. Britten was dominant, just 6 hits and 3 runs with 5 strikeouts in a complete game win, as his Kings cruised to a 9-1 win to claim their first pennant representing Kansas City. Their last came in 1938, which was the last of three straight including a championship in 1937. That team could hit just like the current one, as they featured Hall-of-Famers in Al Wheeler (.303, 30, 122) and Frank Vance (.315, 21, 86, 8), as well as eventual FABL commissioner Dan Barrell (.305, 11, 71) and his future Hall-of-Fame brother Harry Barrell (.288, 2, 52). Harry, who at 40 retired this season, was just 23 at the time. Tom (12-6, 3.42, 95) and Fred (.211, 4, 50) were there too, and with how much talent there was on this team you could spend paragraphs diving into the dominant '37 squad.
This set up what has to be considered the Ralph Johnson series, as the postseason rosters contained six of the players involved in that blockbuster deal. Along with Johnson, Dan Smith and Bob Arman are still playing together in Detroit, while Fred Washington (28-8, 3.13, 182) and Walt Staton (9-11, 3.98, 112) have developed into key members of the rotation. Washington also proved that in the CA you can't win the Allen just once, as after dethroning Adrian Czerwinski (14-16, 3.36, 182) last year he defended his title with another spectacular season. His 28 wins were the most since former King Tom Barrell won 29 in 1934 (29-3, 2.96, 189). Washington led his association with a 3.13 ERA (135 ERA+) and 1.15 WHIP, all while making a FABL high 37 starts with 319.1 innings. The last member of the trade, Beau McClellan (7-16, 5, 5.02, 93), is a 22-year-old lefty with upside who has a tendency to have an ERA+ (84) that does not match his FIP- (94). Along with this season, he did it in all three of his Kansas City seasons, and his 3.68 FIP (87 FIP-) in 447.1 innings would argue that the 4.55 ERA (87 ERA+) is higher then it should be. He won't start in the WCS, as #2 Tony Britten is the only pitcher expected to start for the Kings in the series that didn't come from the Johnson deal.
The Kings offense is all homegrown, as no one is missing catcher Smith with Dutch Miller's breakout campaign. When he was selected int he 8th Round, some assume it was because of the Kings connection to catchers from Georgia Baptist, but Miller seems likely to supersede the former champ in production. The 25-year-old slashed an excellent .289/.381/.527 (135 OPS+) in 538 trips to the plate, producing a 147 WRC+ with 26 doubles, 26 homers, and 113 RBIs in a 5.6 WAR season. He's one of many Kings to win a Kellogg, and they have plenty of young talent in 25-year-old Charlie Rogers (.312, 14, 84, 16), the previously mentioned Ken Newman, who doesn't turn 26 until November, and the "veteran" of the lineup Red Hinton (.295, 14, 61, 10) had a 5 WAR breakout at 28. The Dynamos may be the better team, but the Kings have so much upside, and the young stars will get a perfect chance to test just how good they are now. And how good they can be.
The Foresters have already proven themselves, but after coming up short on a repeat attempt they may have to look outside the organization to make the jump. Their once elite outfield has taking some serious hits, as an underperforming Joe Wood (.257, 2, 16) was moved to the bench, Frenchy Sonntag (.279, 36, 116) was brutal in center (-14.6 ZR, .940 EFF), and Sherry Doyal (.292, 17, 90) was more All-Star then superstar. Aside from dependable shortstop John Low (.280, 7, 52), only Lloyd Coulter (.246, 28, 85) stepped up, as the surprising leader in runs allowed (617) excelled the one season the offense wasn't crushing the ball. They scored just 681 runs, more then just the Stars (647) and Cannons (613), as Cleveland boasted a rotation with five members with above average ERA+. The Mad Professor himself took a step back, 14-16 with a 3.36 ERA (128 ERA+), but those of us who can look beyond the sub .500 record to the 3.12 FIP and CA leading 72 FIP-, they can truly appreciate yet another dominant season for the surefire Hall-of-Famer. 30 in January, he added a career high 8.8 WAR to his 230 game totals, worth an outstanding 46 wins above replacement that's already 4th in team history. He'll pass teammate Ducky Davis (48.0) in no time, though his 1954 season (9-11, 3.15, 109) was good enough for his third 5 WAR season in a row. Those two have turned into a strong 1-2 punch, with Larry Beebe (17-6, 3.59, 111), Rufus Barrell (16-6, 3.96, 75), and Hugh Blumenthal (11-14, 1, 3.89, 122) all pitching good enough to win. Especially for the Forester offenses we grew accustom to.
It was nice seeing the inconsistent Sailors fly high in their first year in San Francisco, a stark contrast to their new rivals down in LA. Former 4th Rounder Bill Harbin (.295, 26, 98) has surpassed both Billy Forbes (.294, 9, 97, 22) and Al Farmer (.297, 15, 103), creating a lethal 1-2-3 that led to a CA high 859 runs scored. There may be a fourth member of this group, as Bill Guthrie (.335, 12, 50) became a starter in August and erupted in September. The 25-year-old hit an insane .400/.531/.580 (187 OPS+) in 64 trips to the plate, something no one would have expected when he lasted all the way until the 386th pick of the 1950 draft. That came in the 25th Round, one that no longer exists, but after two seasons as a Sailor he owns a .296/.396/.558 (151 OPS+) line in 384 PAs. A more expected entrant to the mix was 25-year-old outfielder Jim Johnston, who graduated as the 26th ranked prospect and hit .281/.417/.489 (133 OPS+) with a 146 WRC+ as a rookie. An extra base machine, he gathered 28 doubles, 11 triples, and 22 homers, but the most impressive metrics he brought were the 139 runs and 125 walks.
In fact, even the 6-7-8 hitters had WRC+ and OPS+ above 100, giving the Sailors a historically good lineup that should have won 96 games based on run differential. As good as the Kings and Foresters were, it was the Sailors who should have faced the Dynamos in the WCS. Led by 26-year-old ace George Reynolds (20-9, 3.44, 155), they finished second to the Foresters in runs allowed. The rotation is so good now that Win Lewis (12-11, 3.75, 94) is in the five spot, and if it wasn't for a CA high 28 homers he probably would have had a much lower ERA. He was 4th among the five rotation members with ERA+ above 100, joined by offseason pickup Dan Atwater (18-11, 10, 3.34, 82), Davey Chamberlain (9-3, 4, 3.16, 74), and Jackie James (14-8, 3.77, 104). Atwater and Chamberlain spent some time in the pen, replacing vets Danny Hern (2-12, 4, 5.28, 45) and Lloyd Stevens (8-5, 5.17, 36) once the calendar turned to June. One can only wonder what would have happened had they started the season with the same five they finished with, but the now San Francisco Sailors will be on a shortlist for the 1955 pennant.
As mentioned, the now Los Angeles Stars were not nearly as lucky, as their 68-86 record was a game behind the two way tie between Toronto (69-85) and Cincinnati (69-85). A lot can be blamed on Charlie Barrell (.384, 8, 30), as their potential star was limited to just 36 games due to a playoff run with the Chicago Panthers and a bicep strain with the Stars that cost him almost two months. His lengthy absence left the lineup greatly shorthanded, scoring fewer runs (647) then all but the Cannons (613). There's talent there, as along with Barrell they boast Moe Holt (.283, 14, 63), Jack Welch (.284, 18, 50), Paul Watson (.286, 8, 65), and Gene Curtis (.306, 4, 69, 6), but none of them can come close to providing the offense Charlie does. An acquisition of a big bat may have to come outside the organization, and they'll hope to acquire it without weakening the pitching. Paul Anderson (15-13, 3.30, 196) continues to be one of the top pitchers in the Conti, as well as the leader in walks and strikeouts, and even if the 4.13 ERA next to Juan Tostado's (10-18, 4.13, 105) name looks bad, it came with a 102 ERA+ and excellent 3.66 FIP (86 FIP-). Unfortunately, Hub Armstrong (15-9, 4.54, 127) hasn't regained the form he showed in a limited sample in 1951 and his rookie season in 1952, leaving LA without a reliable #3. They have a pair of impressive young pitchers in Pepper Swanson (26th) and Hal Miller (29th), both of which could contribute as early as next year. It's easy to forget this team just won it all in 1952, and with a few more bounces going their way they could be right back in the race.
Despite Barrell not playing for the Stars, the Cannons didn't get much from Ralph Hanson (.273, 6, 61, 15), and Bill Barrett (.278, 267, 69) doesn't walk or hit homers like he used to. They do have a young building block in 23-year-old Dallas Berry (.258, 27, 89, 10), though him, Barrett, and Buzz McIlwain (.297, 15, 51, 19) had to provide most of the offense. Hope could be on the horizon soon with 32nd ranked prospect Fred Lainhart, who was added to the 40-man roster and could secure an outfield spot for 1955. The rotation needs some work too, but 23-year-old lefty Jake Pearson (13-12, 3.73, 113) was excellent in his first season as a starter, and Paul Williams (7-8, 9, 3.30, 76) was effective as a starter and stopper. 25-year-old Rule-5 pick Chuck Murphy (6-4, 3, 3.82, 52) earned the roster spot he was given, and there are rumblings that former top 50 prospect Simon Terry (2-4, 5, 2.72, 12) will move from the pen to the rotation. The roster needs a lot of work, but they still have a top-5 farm system, and have a good job bringing young talent to the big league team.
That doesn't describe the Chicago Cougars, who have finished with a losing record in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1935 and 1936. In the time between 1937 and 1952, the Cougars had just one losing season, as the perennial favorites are now a has been with nothing but a single pennant to show for. Not a lot went right for the Cougars, including Jerry Smith's (.266, 29, 80, 12) return to earth, but Chicago did get excellent showings from two of their pitchers. No, I'm not talking Donnie Jones (9-14, 1, 4.20, 113), who did three things he has never done since returning from the war: pitch games out of the pen (6 of 31), post an ERA+ below 100 (99), and post a FIP- above 100 (106). The two bright spots were instead likely Hall-of-Fame stopper David Molina (5-6, 23, 2.32, 61), who for the seventh time led the CA in games (72) and saves, and last year's deadline pickup Tom Buchanan, who went 8-4 with a 2.72 ERA (153 ERA+) in 112.1 innings between the pen and rotation. Despite throwing a no-hitter in April, Bob Allen (10-7, 4.17, 62) still can't hold down a rotation spot, and their other highly rated former prospect Pug White (3-3, 3.22, 53) was limited to just 13 starts due to injury. Despite the poor results now, they still have a lot of talented young pitchers on hand, while Smith is joined in the lineup with the once 10th ranked prospect Buddy Byrd (.279, 2, 46, 23), center fielder Frank Reece (.272, 13, 81, 9), and the always talented defender Skipper Schneider (.244, 2, 59, 20). Even Leo Mitchell (.295, 15, 68, 7) will be back for year twenty, looking to add to his team high 205 homers in what will be his aged 42 season.
Both of the Canadian teams finished below .500, but Montreal was 4th and the closest to .500. Still, at 75-79 they were closer to last (7 GA) then first (13 GB), as they usher in a new era of Saints baseball. Gone are a lot of regular figures, with players like John Fast (.289, 15, 80), Tom Fisher (17-12, 3.41, 146), and George Scott (.291, 11, 83) playing key roles throughout the season. Though one old friend did return to form, as a 31-year-old Big Moe Carter slashed .249/.359/.483 (121 OPS+) with 35 homers and 128 RBIs. Those 35 longballs are now a Saints high, as Carter currently owns the first, third (28th, 1949), and two of the three sixth (24, 1948 and 1950) place finishes for homers in a season as a Saint. His old teammate Gordie Perkins (.268, 2, 53) was again solid in year two with the Wolves, as former 2nd Rounder Larry Curtis (.340, 15, 70) emerged as a middle-of-the-order option for Toronto. Curtis vastly outperformed Jim Allen (.298, 6, 33), who along with rookie Ed Hester (.317, 7, 79) offered the only other production in the lineup. Hester has an interesting connection to Montreal as well, as he was actually a member of their organization prior to the Rule-5 draft before the season. A 4th Round selection by the Saints in 1948, his .317 batting average was good enough for the batting title, and he finished 3rd in the Kellogg race after starting 141 of his 145 games at third. The rotation is still a mess, but Les Ledbetter (13-14, 4.39, 138) is starting to figure things out and second year righty Lynn Horn (17-13, 4.01, 138) was a sturdy #2 behind 38-year-old Jimmy Gibbs (10-13, 4.00, 99). It's been rough lately for Canadian baseball, but both of these teams could use their offseason to bring competition back to the great north.
It's hard to think anyone in the Fed can dethrone the Dynamos, but the winds of fortune shift often in baseball. The Gothams and the Miners seem like the two best candidates, but if the Chicago Chiefs keep getting results from guys who belong in a retirement home, we could see the somehow still not a Whitney Winner Rod Shearer (.325, 46, 133, 6) will the franchise to their 6th Federal pennant. Charlie Bingham (15-13, 4.33, 75) continued to win games, now 225 in 673 FABL games (424 starts), and yes, he's back for his aged 45 season, but just like the good ol' days Al Miller is back to being an ace. I alluded to it earlier, but there was a pitcher robbed of the Federal Association Allen, and that pitcher is "The California Kid" who might have been reinvigorated by the influx in west coast viewers the moves of the Sailors and Stars brought along. Sure, he didn't play either team, but Miller looked like the 1941 Allen or 21-game winner at age 20, going 18-9 with a CA low 2.59 ERA (163 ERA+). Most impressive, however, was his 2.89 FIP (68 FIP-), but because he didn't win 20 games for the Dynamos, he was overlooked. Along with the beautiful run prevention numbers, his 1.09 WHIP was best in the game, and his 0.3 HR/9 was the lowest in the association. He struck out 116 and walked just 65, leading to a 1.8 K/BB that was the second best mark of his career. Miller was a big reason why the Chiefs were 2nd in runs allowed (685), as aside from relievers Mel Haynes (3-4, 3, 3.34, 21) and Ernie Espanoza (13-9, 17, 3.67, 36), most guys had ERAs above 4. That's not all bad, as Jim Carter (9-12, 4.16, 101) was quite effective despite 112 walks, he had a solid 101 ERA and 94 FIP- (3.96 FIP-) in 240.1 innings pitched. They could use another solid starter, but with the lineup they have it doesn't have to be an ace. Earl Leckie (.294, 18, 108) corrected his sophomore slump while veterans Ed Bloom (.283, 8, 58, 14), Pete Casstevens (.255, 23, 84), and John Moss (.263, 12, 69) were valuable supplemental pieces for the Hot Rod. As long as Shearer stays on the team, they could compete, and I would not count this team out now that they have a top-5 farm with a nice collection of top-50 prospects.
I'd say no team has it worse then the St. Louis Pioneers, though they seem quite comfortable flipping the standings. At 62-92, they were 7 games out of seventh and 35 shy of first, never really in consideration for the postseason at any point. Once known for their pitching, they now have one of the worst staffs in the league, as Joe Potts (15-11, 4.19, 109) was the only starter who made significant starts and posted an above average ERA+, and his 103 was a bit below his 116 last year and his 112 for his career. Even worse, Hiram Steinberg (9-15, 4.99, 122) decided that his dreadful 1953 (4-18, 5.81, 74) wasn't that much of a fluke. Him, Potts, and Bill Kline (8-19, 4.72, 116) each started 33 or more games, and the three guys who started double digits all had ERA's that matched or were higher then Kline's 4.72. They cycled between Coaker Vecchio (5-9, 4.72, 80), former Forester Ollie White (6-10, 1, 4.94, 60), and former King Clarence Barton (2-11, 5.52, 43) once John Thomas Johnson (3-2, 2.55, 20) underwent elbow surgery in May. That cast of misfits couldn't keep runs off the board, and since Red Pilcher (.313, 25, 104) had little support in the lineup, they lost a lot more often then they won. Pilcher was the only guy with more then 15 homers, and just Otis Ballard (.290, 13, 82, 6) and Claude Kate (.272, 14, 50) even had double digits. It was tough for Pioneers fans seeing Ballard's OPS+ plummet from 150 to 109, but I think he's the key to the teams success. Even a return to his career marks of 138 and 139 for OPS+ and WRC+ respectively, there's a path for another worst-to-first. Without outside help, expect a second division finish. That is, unless Pilcher puts together a Whitney worthy campaign. He doesn't turn 25 until March.
A team that has everything to look forward to is the Philadelphia Keystones (69-85), who may be required to have an elite right fielder, as Buddy Miller has somehow managed to fill Bobby Barrell's shoes. A controversial back-to-back Whitney Winner, there is a contingent that believes this award was stolen as well, and I'm inclined to agree with it. Don't get me wrong, the 24-year-old superstar is more then worthy, but it seems the voters just saw his .351 batting title and decided that was enough to overcome all the leads the Chief's Rod Shearer had. The obvious choice last year (.397, 46, 130), this year Miller hit "just" .351/.408/.608 (167 OPS+), which lowered his FABL career line to .365/.415/.634 (180 OPS+). The former 5th pick hit 35 doubles, 7 triples, and 36 homers, with 110 runs and 95 RBIs. The issue is, Miller didn't lead in anything but average and hits (214), so it's hard to see him taking it over the guy that led the Fed in runs (129), homers (46), RBIs (133), slugging (.663), OPS (1.072), WRC+ (186), wOBA (.466), and WAR (10.2).
Even moreso that Miller didn't lead his team anywhere, as the potential first ballot Hall-of-Famer does not have a worthy supporting cast. The only thing he does have is a top catcher in Roger Cleaves (.254, 27, 94), but he just tore his hamstring a game of hide-and-seek, and the almost 31-year-old is hoping that his birthday gift is a bill of clean health. Cleaves also missed the last three weeks of the season with a sprained knee, and injuries to catchers are scary. The lineup is sparse as is, and any decline from Cleaves would be crippling. Right now the Keystones have to hope Al Coulter's (.330, 5, 36) 53 game audition was legit and that 21st ranked prospect Armando Estrada can form a dangerous outfield with Miller and left fielder Bill Heim (.259, 11, 35). On top of that, the pitching saw young arms Sam Ivey (12-16, 4.58, 95) and Nelson Galletta (8-18, 4.70, 136) stall out. Still, the result of poor finishes and teardown trades have netted them a top ranked system, and they have the luxury of patience with a talented core ready tow be expanded.
After back-to-back sub-70 win seasons for the first time since a rough five year stretch from 1938 to 1942, it was a relief for the Eagles to win 70 this season, as they also snapped consecutive 7th place finishes with one in 6th. Tom Perkins (.254, 2, 24, 4) and Tom Miller (.226, 7, 30) not panning out caught everyone by surprise, as the supposedly star-studded middle infield duo have yet to solve FABL pitching. They couldn't keep up what the 1945 to 1950 Eagles core built, winning 82 or more games with a pennant in 1946. Rats McGonigle (.277, 10, 55) and Jesse Alvarado (.266, 22, 101, 10) are still around, but both are on the wrong side of 30 and could be used to refuel the system. In the meantime, Bill Wise (.307, 4, 62, 7) has attempted to get on base for the vets, and his 121 WRC+ is a career best in seasons with more then 450 PAs. Ike Perry (.290, 12, 69) continues to be a solid and reliable catcher, working well with the pieced together rotation that is now led by John "Montezuma's Revenge" Herron, who was 10-13 with a 3.61 ERA (117 ERA+) and 1.36 WHIP in 231.2 innings across his 33 starts. Herron was the best among fulltime starters, but stopper and starter Jose Waggoner (10-9, 15, 3.05, 79) was outstanding late in games, going 4-0 with 15 saves and a 0.38 ERA (1,115 ERA+) and 0.80 WHIP in relief. He owes his success to his groundball tendencies and the infield defense, as his 53 GB% and .235 BABIP were best in the Fed. Beyond that, maybe another stopper and starter Jim Heitzman (16-11, 10, 3.64, 129) is solid, but he walked 127 batters in 192.2 innings and had a 4.60 ERA (91 ERA+) as a starter. The staff needs a lot of redoing, but with this year's second overall Pick Jack Thompson now being ranked as the second overall prospect, they can plan to have a core ready for the 18-year-old "Cool Daddy" that may rock the nation's capital.
It was a disappointing season for Boston, who after years of rebuilding finally seemed to be turning the corner with a 78-76 finish last season. Despite an offense led by a talented young 2-3-4 of Joe Kleman (.324, 12, 73), Marshall Thomas (.336, 13, 75), and Rick Masters (.280, 20, 86), the Boston Minutemen couldn't score many runs. With expected top prospects Danny (.263, 1, 5) and Yank Taylor (.275, 1, 11) not quite turning out, the lineup has a lot of holes, and those two could still actually earn spots themselves. Aside from the 2-3-4, I see just All-Star catcher Sam Walker (.291, 16, 79) safe, as effective outfielders Ray Rogan (.279, 7, 62) and Joe Burns (.297, 5, 57, 8) could be a slow start to the season away from the bench. It's a similar story in the rotation, though the Minutemen are hoping they found their ace in former Chiefs 10th Rounder Johnny Duncan. Acquired from Chicago two seasons ago for former 1st Rounder and the Chiefs current 11th ranked prospect (161st overall) Ed Wise, Duncan was brilliant in 30 starts at 29. So long as you could look past the 12-11 record. His 2.80 ERA (151 ERA+), 12 wins, and 104 strikeouts won him a team triple crown, and his 1.25 WHIP is best among anyone who threw an inning in a Minutemen uniform this year. A lot of their offseason pickups didn't work out, as Wally Reif (8-15, 5.65, 95) and Jim Whitely (8-7, 8, 4.13, 49) didn't provide the stability they were hoping for. Worst of all, last year's Johnny Douglas (14-13, 3.19, 107) Max Edwards (12-14, 5.10, 92) saw his ERA jump nearly two points, going from walking (73) fewer guys then he struck out (107) to the reverse (108, 92). On the plus side, Ben McCarty (.280, 16, 69) regained a regular job, and while his 123 WRC+ isn't quite what he did in 1949 (169), 1950 (130), and 1951 (145). With production from him, the core trio, and a Rick Masters that resembles the longtime top ranked prospect, they could score their way to a surprise pennant.
That's the best part about the end of a season, as each runner up as the chance to plot out their return to relevance. After frantically trading in 1952 and 1953, the action has decreased in recent years, which I'm hoping leads to a spike next summer. Instead of flashy trades, however, waiver claims and free agent signings have become more common, as teams are holding their prospects tight. All sixteen teams have a top 50 prospect and at least one more top 100 prospect, and with teams holding tighter to their top players, most of focus has been shifted to developing the young talent you scout in the draft.
1954 World Championship SeriesDYNAMOS WIN SECOND WCS IN THREE YEARS
The Detroit Dynamos cruised to their third straight Federal Association title, finishing a whooping 11 games ahead of the second place New York Gothams and then went on to defeat the Kansas City Kings for their second World Championship Series title in three years. The Kings just snuck into the playoffs, needing a win at home over Toronto and a Cleveland loss in Cincinnati to dethrone the defending champion Foresters. Both happened as the Kings blasted the Wolves 9-1 while the Cannons scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to nip Cleveland 5-4 and send the Kings to the WCS for the first time since 1938.
Despite having never faced each other before, the two organizations do share a link. The connection is the blockbuster 1951 trade that clearly helped both teams advance to this series meeting. The Kings, based in Brooklyn at the time, sent Whitney Award winning outfielder Ralph Johnson, catcher Dan Smith and pitcher Bob Arman to the Motor City in exchange for a boatload of prospects. Johnson, Smith and Arman would all play a role in the Detroit series win but so did Fred Washington, Walt Staton and Beau McClellan -three of the prospects the Kings received in return. Washington has won back to back Allen Awards and may well end up being the best player in this deal, which is quite an accomplishment when you consider Ralph Johnson owns 4 Whitney Awards and was the Most Valuable Player of Detroit's WCS win over the New York (now Los Angeles) Stars two years ago.
GAME ONE: Kansas City 5 Detroit 3
The series opened at Prairie Park and Detroit opted to go with young Jim Norris on the mound against Staton. Norris would win the Federal Association Allen Award a week after the series concluded, making him the third different Detroit hurler to capture the honour in the past three years, but on this night he had his struggles.
Norris needed just three pitches to retire the Kings in order in the opening frame but the second inning became a nightmare for the 24-year-old. He issued four straight walks to load the bases and plate the opening run. Chuck Lewis decided he did not want a walk and took a swing at the first pitch. Fortunately for him the move paid off with a single to plate two more runs. When the dust settled the Kings scored five times on just 2 hits. Dick York, the 4-time Federal Association manager of the year elected to leave Norris on the mound and the confidence paid off as the hurler did not allow another run.
The problem for Detroit is they could not solve Staton, who allowed just 2 hits through the opening seven innings. The Dynamos finally got to him in the top of the eighth when they managed 4 hits and a walk, with the big blow being a 2-run double off the bat of Edwin Hackberry, to cut the Kansas City lead to 5-3.
Mike Thorpe pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to close out the win and Kansas City led the series 1-0.
GAME TWO: Detroit 5 Kansas City 2
Jack Miller had started the opening game of each of the past two WCS for Detroit and took the loss in each. This time around Dick York elected to hold Miller for the second game and it seemed to work as the Detroit hurler went the distance, scatting six hits in 5-2 Detroit victory to even the series. Fred Washington, the former Detroit prospect, was solid for the Kings but a Kansas City error would prove costly.
Ralph Johnson welcomed Washington to the postseason with a lead-off double in the top of the first inning and would score on Hackberry's rbi single. The damage could have been much worse than a single run as Detroit had 2-men on and just one out before Washington fanned Mack Sutton and induced an inning ending infield pop-up from Del Johnson to get out of the jam.
A Red Hinton error in the top f the third led to a pair of unearned runs as the Dynamos score three times in that inning to increase their lead to 4-0. Hackberry continued his solid play with another rbi single in the frame.
The Kings would get one back in the bottom of the third after Al Clement, who had led off with a triple, was plated on a Chuck Lewis groundout. In the bottom of the eighth the lead was cut to 4-2 when Bob Schmelz singled in Lewis, who had hit a 1-out double but that was as close as the Kings would get. Tommy Griffin's sacrifice fly in the 8th inning accounted for the final run of the game, sending the series to Detroit knotted at one win apiece.
GAME THREE: Detroit 4 Kansas City -
Joe Hancock was 38 years old when the Dynamos acquired him from Toronto for the stretch run of the 1951 pennant race. Detroit would fall just short, dropping a tie-breaker playoff game to St Louis that year, but few expected Hancock would still be pitching effectively (he was 15-5 this year) as he neared his 42nd birthday. The 8-time all-star improved his WCS record to 5-1 with a gem against the Kings in game three. Hancock tossed a complete game 3-hit shutout in a 4-0 Dynamos win at Thompson Field.
Del Johnson led the offense with 3 hits and two-rbi's while Pat Petty, another former King, had two hits for the winners.
GAME FOUR: Detroit 4 Kansas City 3
Two pitchers who were a part of the big Ralph Johnson trade faced each other in the fourth game. Bob Arman allowed a 2-out double to Charlie Rogers in the first inning but the Dynamos starter retired Ken Newman - a week prior to winning his second straight Whitney Award- to survive the inning unscathed. The same could not be said for young Beau McClellan as the 22-year-old Kansas City pitcher allowed two runs. Stan Kleminski started things with a 1-out single and then, with two out, moved to third on Hackberry's base hit. Hackberry alertly scampered to second when the Kings tried to make a play on Kleminski and it paid off as Mack Sutton delivered a single to score both of them.
The Kings answered quickly, and evened things up with 2 runs of their own in the top of the second. Dutch Miller drew a lead-off walk and Al Clement plated him with a 1-out triple. A Chuck Lewis ground out brought Clement home with the tying run.
The score would remain knotted at two until the bottom of the 7th when Tommy Griffin led off the a single, moved to second on a sacrifice and scored on Ralph Johnson's double. The next hitter, Kleminski, also ripped a double to make it 4-2 Detroit. The Kings got one back in the top of the 8th when Dutch Miller singled in Newman, who had doubled, but that would be as close as Kansas City could come. Jack Halbur took over for Arman and pitched an uneventful ninth to close out the win and put the Dynamos up 3 games to one.
GAME FIVE: Kansas City 7 Detroit 5
The Kings would not go quietly and raced out to a 4-0 lead after four innings in their bid to deny Detroit a chance to celebrate at home. Jim Norris was back on the mound for Detroit and he allowed Charlie Rogers to single in Elmer Grace, who had hit the first pitch of the game for a double, and give the visitors a quick 1-0 lead. Rogers smacked a 2-run homer in the third to make it 3-0 and an inning later Red Hinton would lead off with a triple and score on Al Clement's ground out.
Meanwhile Walt Staton was doing marvelous work on the hill for the Kings, keeping Detroit off the scoresheet until the sixth inning when a throwing error by Red Hinton, his second of the series, led to an unearned run to cut the Kings lead to 4-1.
The roof caved in on Kansas City in the bottom of the 8th when Mike Thorpe, who had just taken over for Staton, was shelled for four runs on four hits and another Kings miscue. Suddenly the Dynamos were up 5-4, and the crowd at Thompson Field, silenced by Staton most of the game, was electric sensing another title was about to be theirs. Until it wasn't.
Kansas City got a lead-off single from Elmer Grace, who was sacrificed to second as the tying run. Charlie Rogers, who had a whale of a game with 3 hits and 4-rbis's double in Grace to tie the game and silence the crowd. Ken Newman was intentionally walked but pinch-hitter Bob Burge would deliver a 2-run double, ending Norris' night and putting the Kings up 7-5. Alex Vaughan retired the Dynamos in order to send the series back to Kansas City.
GAME SIX: Detroit 9 Kansas City 4
Kansas City fans knew all about close calls at Prairie Park as the American Football Association Cowboys had come up short in each of the previous three AFA title games. The Kings had their work cut out for them but after the drama of game five there was hope. That hope was further stoked when the Kings jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning courtesy of a 2-run homer from Red Hinton.
Fred Washington was pitching well but the Kings ace ran into trouble in the sixth inning when Ralph Johnson hit a one-out double and scored on a Stan Kleminski single to cut the Kansas City lead to 2-1. Before the inning was over the Kings were trailing as Washington walked Pat Petty and then could only watch in despair when Edwin Hackberry ripped a 389 foot homerun to put Detroit up 4-2.
Resilience had been the Kings theme all year and game six was no different as they tied the game in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a out out single by Washington, followed by an Elmer Grace rbi triple and with two out an rbi double off the bat of who else but Charlie Rogers.
Detroit had no plans of surrendering and the Dynamos broke the tie with two more runs in the eighth inning coming on a pinch-hit single off the bat of Andy Conklin with the bases loaded. Three more Detroit runs in the top of the ninth proved too much for the Kings and the Dynamos would take the series with a 9-4 victory.
Stan Kleminski, with 10 hits and flawless defense at shortstop, was named the series MVP.
BIG INNING LIFTS FED TO WIN IN ALL STAR GAME Federal Association bats exploded for five runs in the eighth inning to blow open what was up to that point a tight game and lift the Feds to their second straight victory in the annual All-Star Game. The 9-2 win knots the 22-year-old series at eleven wins for each league.
The Federal Association had runners on base in each of the first two innings but did not open the scoring until the top of the third when Hank Estill of the New York Gothams delivered a bases loaded single with two out to score a pair of runs. The Continental stars quickly got one of those runs back in the home half when John Low of Cleveland doubled in Kansas City's Charlie Rogers.
The score would stay 2-1 until the top of the sixth when Gothams rookie Earl Howe led off with a double and scored on a single by Boston's Joe Kleman. The Continental stars loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth but failed to score a run. They would load the bases again in the bottom of the seventh and this time would get one run, when the Chiefs Al Miller walked Kirby Copeland of Toronto to allow Montreal's John Fast to trot home. Miller settled down and retired the next two batters to keep the Fed stars in the lead, but now by only a 3-2 count.
The Fed broke the game open with a wild eighth inning. Joe Kleman started the hit parade with a 1-out double and after Bill Wise was issued an intentional walk, Detroit's Stan Kleminski worked Cougars reliever David Molina for a free pass to load the bases. Next up was the Chiefs Rod Shearer and he smacked a bases clearing double to make the score 6-2. Before the frame was over the lead was up to 8-2 and the Feds would add an insurance run in the ninth inning when Gothams veteran Red Johnson, playing in his 12th all-star game, drew a bases loaded walk from Molina to make the final score 9-2.
BASEBALL OFF-SEASON
All eyes were on the Detroit Dynamos after capturing their second title in their third straight pennant, leaving just one question: "can anyone stop them?"
My guess is no, at least not during a 154-game season, but the Pittsburgh Miners are confident that they can learn from their mistakes this year. They kicked off the offseason by adding some catching depth, acquiring 32-year-old Bob Newcomer from the Eagles for the then 226th ranked prospect Ralph Hughes (.287, 3, 11), who's nickname "The Rose of Tulepo" works quite well with "The Ringer from Stringer" (.277, 10, 55) and "The Hidalgo Kid" (.266, 22, 101, 10). In a potential win-win, Newcomer was stuck behind Ike Perry (.290, 12, 69) and the former 2nd Overall pick earned a starting spot after the best offensive season of his career. It may have came in a career low 138 trips to the plate, but the veteran catcher hit a robust .348/.449/.609 (174 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 4 triples, 5 homers, and 23 RBIs, all while maintaining an impressive 21-to-8 walk-to-strikeout ratio. Since debuting in 1946, Newcomer has made 250 trips to the plates just twice, coming in 1948 and 1949. Those were the only two seasons he was a full-time starter, and he'll now battle with incumbent starter Joe Loyd (.270, 1, 53) and the optionable Bob Gaines (.333, 4) for the two catching jobs. Newcomer may have the best resume, as the Maine native has hit .251/.353/.363 (96 OPS+) with a 101 WRC+ in 667 FABL games. All came with the Eagles, and his next walk will give him 300. Through 2,249 plate appearances, he has just 204 strikeouts, as he always gives tough at bats at the bottom of the order.
Pittsburgh's other move was picking up Tony Dixon (20-9, 14, 3.79, 47), winning 20 games for the Keystones despite not making a single start. The Miners are hoping Dixon can replicate that at the back of their pen, as they acquired a guy who led the Fed with 51 games finished last season and 61 this season. Dixon won exactly 1/4th of his Fed high 80 appearances, but I can't imagine that he would have gotten any down ballot Allen votes,. Regardless, he held a respectable 3.79 ERA (110 ERA+) and 1.46 WHIP in 114 innings pitched, and always had an impact in the results of the game. Despite the 61 games finished, he was just 14-for-25 in save opportunities. That accounts for some of his wins, as seven of his eleven blown saves ended with wins. On the other hand, six of his blown saves saw him finish the appearance with an ERA of 3.00 or lower, as there were times he tried to bail out another pitcher who couldn't get it to the finish line.
Whether the 20-win campaign was a fluke or not, Dixon could solidify a bullpen that went through Rex Dziuk (15-8, 10, 4.14, 67) and Joe Quade (9-8, 13, 4.52, 77) in high leverage innings in games they didn't start. Jim Baker (4-5, 5, 4.21, 34) pitched strictly out of the pen, including some ninth inning work, but this group has plenty of room for improvement. Especially at the cost of two Class B bats, who reside outside the Keystones top 40 prospects. I can't imagine Dixon winning 15 games, let alone 20, ever again, but with a rotation that lacks top arms, he's exactly the type who can secure close games. The Miners seem confident in their chances for 1955, putting faith in Bryan Jeffress (.289, 3, 22) and Roy Schaub (2-2, 4.55, 15) instead of looking for replacements in the outfield or rotation. They still have a few months before Opening Day, but any team led by Paul Williams (.321, 33, 113) is one to be taken seriously.
The Chiefs made a few additions to their lineup as well, as they look to provide their star Rod Shearer (.325, 46, 133, 6) with some additional help. Neither are exactly game changers, but they added a solid defensive shortstop in Elmer Walters (.226, 5, 23, 3) and a useful lefty bat in Bob Coon (.254, 2, 21) to give them a capable replacement outfielder in case someone gets hurt. Coon might have cost more to acquire when you consider the names going to Washington in return include former 12th overall pick and top 25 prospect Hugh Ferebee. Ferebee has had a huge decline since his blue chip prospect status, as he leaves outside the top 250 but Walters netted the Cannons a pair of ranked prospects. At the time of the trade, Jim Upchurch ranked 194th and Charlie Craighead 206th, while Chicago also gave up 1951 4th Rounder Jimmie Burrell to land their new shortstop. The trio currently ranks 17th, 20th, and 31st in the Cannons system, while Crotzer would rank 30th and Ferebee is no longer considered one of the game's top 500 prospects.
On the Continental side, the Saints were the most active, adding three regulars to the roster as they look to finish above .500 for the first time since 1951. The major move was adding former Minutemen starter Max Edwards (12-14, 5.10, 92), who saw his production do a complete 180 in 1954. He followed up his breakout 1953 (14-13, 3.19, 107) with a 5.10 ERA (83 ERA+) and 1.48 WHIP in 35 starts. The durability was a plus considering the injury troubles the Saints have had with their rotation, and a 30-year-old with a career 4.01 ERA (104 ERA+) and 3.96 FIP (96 FIP-) in 614.1 innings in the Fed is a useful add. He'll now lead a rotation with George Polk (10-11, 4.22, 78), Tom Fisher (17-12, 3.41, 146), and Skinny Green (13-19, 4.46, 112). Edwards wasn't the only pitcher they picked up either, as they got a veteran depth arm Bill Sohl (4-13, 5.96, 53) from the Philadelphia Keystones in exchange for 20-year-old righty William Davis. Sohl struggled in a starting role for Philly, but he's another durable arm who can give them innings out of the rotation or the pen.
Montreal's last major addition also came from the Minutemen, as they acquired former Minutemen and Dynamo Steve Dunagan to function as their starting right fielder. Dunagan started over 110 games in 1952 and 1953, but the 33-year-old started just 83 this year, making 395 trips to the plate. 34 next July, he's more of a short-term replacement, but he's coming off seasons with WRC+ of 93 and 94. While not flashy, he's a solid option to start at any three outfield spots, and the team may hope his work ethic rubs off on the rest.
It was a surprise to see Kansas City, Cleveland, and San Francisco all stay put, but neither of the three teams that were still alive prior to the last day of the season decided to make that big move. There's still time for plenty to change, as the Kings could use a right fielder, the Foresters could use an infield bat, and the Sailors may want a stopper to compliment starter turned reliever Duke Bybee (3-3, 1, 2.96, 24) in the back of their bullpen. For now, the association seems wide open, and a shrewd GM still has a chance to tip the scales in their favor.
- Detroit won its third consecutive pennant, something no Federal Association team has done since 1906. Dynamos manager Dick York was named the Theobald Award winner as top skipper in the Fed for the fourth year in a row. Kansas City's second year skipper Glenn Carney was the CA winner. The Kings swept the CA awards with Fred Washington, who had an amazing 28-8 season, earning his second straight Allen Award while 3B Ken Newman repeated as the CA Whitney winner. The top rookie was also from Kansas City as Dutch Miller was a unanimous choice for the Kellogg. In the Fed, Buddy Miller of the Keystones narrowly outpointed the Chiefs Rod Shearer for his second straight Whitney while Jim Norris became the third different Detroit hurler to win the Allen Award in the last three seasons, following Jack Miller and Joe Hancock. Earl Howe of the New York Gothams won the Fed Kellogg Award.
- Buddy Miller of the Philadelphia Keystones, who won his second consecutive Federal Association batting title, had a big game against St Louis in June. Miller had 5 hits including 3 homeruns in an 8-0 rout at Broad Street Park. The same day Ralph Hanson of Cincinnati also enjoyed a 5-hit game. Toronto's 25-year-old rookie Ed Hester led the CA in batting average but only hit .317. Surprisingly he was overlooked for CA rookie of the year. Hester was acquired by the Wolves when Montreal left him exposed in the rule five draft.
- Milestones this season included 37-year-old Red Johnson collecting his 2500th hit. Johnson's New York Gothams teammate George Garrison won his 200th game, as did veteran San Francisco Sailors pitcher Lloyd Stevens. Al Miller of the Chicago Chiefs, 39, who his 250th career games. Bill Barrett of the Cincinnati Cannons reached the 2,000 hit mark in July. Mack Sutton of Detroit and Tim Hopkins of the Chiefs each reached the 300 homerun plateau.
- Red Johnson was also named to the all-star team for the 12th time. Only George Cleaves of the Gothams and retired Keystones star Bobby Barrell, with 13 selections each, have played in more.
- No one qualified for induction into the baseball hall of Fame in Boone County, IL. The top vote getter was former Boston Minutemen pitcher Ed Wood, but he appeared on just 63.9% of the ballots and the minimum required for induction is 80%. Below are the results of the voting conducted in January, 1954.
- In April Bob Allen of the Chicago Cougars tossed a no-hitter, blanking San Francisco 2-0. It would be the first of two no-hitters this season. John Stallings of the New York Gothams threw the second one, against the Philadelphia Keystones in September.
- Three players hit for the cycle in 1954, the same number as accomplished it a year ago. The three this year were Charlie Rogers of Kansas City, Boston's Don Richmond and Jack Welch of the Los Angeles Stars.
- At year end four of the top five prospects according to OSA are outfielders and both the San Francisco Sailors and Toronto Wolves claimed two of the five slots. The Sailors have number one ranked Ray Waggoner, their 1953 first round selection out of a Colorado high school as well as #3 on the list in Ron Turner. The 19-year old was taken in the second round the same year the Sailors selected Waggoner. Sandwiched between the two Sailors outfielders on the OSA list is another outfielder selected in the 1953 draft. That would be Washington Eagles prospect Ron Turner. Fourth and fifth on the list are pair of Toronto Wolves in 23-year-old righthander Whitey Stewart, a pitcher drafted out of Constitution State first overall in 1953, followed by outfielder Tom Reed, another 23-year-old who was selected in the third round of the 1952 draft out of college.
- The first pick in the 1954 draft belonged to the St Louis Pioneers and they selected Croydon (PA) High School righthander Carl Bristol. The 18-year-old is 8th on the year end OSA prospect pipeline.
- The Adwell Award for the top high school ballplayer went to a freshman pitcher from Jackson High in Michigan. That would be Grover Porter, a 15-year-old who went 12-0 with a 0.68 era and 218 k's in 120 innings.
- The Christian Trophy for the top college player went to Portland Tech sophomore outfielder John Hale. The Spokane, WA. native hit 21 homers while batting .290 in 69 games for the Magpies. He was undrafted out of high school before enrolling at the WCAA college.
COWBOYS RAPID DEMISE BIG STORY IN AFA
Led by a rapidly maturing young quarterback the Philadelphia Frigates finally got over the hump and won their first American Football Association title in a decade but the big story in the AFA this season was the swift collapse of the Kansas City Cowboys.
The Cowboys, who had played in 8 straight championship games going back to the old Continental Football Conference, crashed hard as their defense fell apart, surrendering 403 points on the season, more than any other team in the past decade with the exception of the one and down New Orleans Crescents in 1950. The Cowboys won just 2 games this season and hit rock bottom in mid November when the Chicago Wildcats mauled them by a 51-3 score. Quarterback Pat Chappell was still around, and still lead the AFA in passing yardage, although by the end of the season he had probably been wishing he stuck with his plans to retire before finally deciding to return for the 1954 season.
The San Francisco Wings finished first in the West Division for the second time in three years, led by their high-flying offense guided by veteran signal caller Vince Gallegos who threw 22 touchdown strikes and meshed well with a pair of second year ends in Bob Bosco and Will Mains.
For the first time in franchise history the St Louis Ramblers reached the playoffs, sneaking into second place over the Detroit Maroons with a 7-5 record thanks to a late four game winning streak that included a 24-3 win in the Motor City. The Ramblers had the stingiest defense in the West led by ballhawking defensive back Tom McMaster, who led the loop with seven interceptions. The Ramblers offense revolved around AFA rushing leader Jim Kellogg, who would be named both the league's top offensive player and its MVP.
The Philadelphia Frigates won each of their first seven games to start the season and for the second year in a row finished atop the East Division with a 10-2 record. Pete Capizzi, who just four seasons ago led Cumberland to an unbeaten season and a National Collegiate Championship, found his stride as an AFA quarterback. Capizzi relied heavily on the best running game in the AFA, led by Sam Reiter and Dixie Mask, but also mixed in a perfect assortment of passes to keeping opposing defenses on their heels.
The New York Stars finished second in the East, making the playoffs for the third straight year and a late season 31-10 victory at Gothams Stadium over the Frigates offered some indications the Stars may well have a chance to win a third straight AFA title.
1954 AFA PLAYOFFS
For the second year in a row the Philadelphia Frigates would host the New York Stars in the East Division playoff game. A year ago the Stars held off the their hosts to claim a 16-10 victory before beating Kansas City the following week for their second straight AFA title. This time around the Frigates were seeking revenge but, much like last season, the game proved to be a defensive struggle. For 55 minutes the contest was just that and a battle of the kickers as the Frigates Ken Fryar and New York's Benny Molitor had taken care of all the scoring in a 6-6 tie.
That changed with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when the Frigates got a big play in the form or a 47 yard punt return from Randy Hicks. Hicks was brought down at the Stars 1-yard line and two plays later Dave Prather went over the pile and into the end zone for the game's first major. The 13-6 lead did not last as the Stars responded with their best drive of the game, one that was capped with a 10 yard touchdown pass from New York quarterback Ricky Benson to Bert Panos and the game was tied with a minute and a half remaining.
For the first time in its history, the American Football Association would see a postseason game go into overtime. Fans certainly got their money's worth as the game needed 23 minutes of extra play before a winner could be declared. The Frigates had a chance to end it after 14 minutes but Fryar missed on a 31-yard field goal attempt. He would get a second chance 9 minutes later and made no mistake, splitting the uprights from 33 yards out to secure the Frigates return to the championship game after a five year absence with a 16-13 victory.
The West playoff game was not as close as the 15-0 score would indicate. The San Francisco Wings dominated the play but could not get into the end zone and were forced to settle for 5 field goals from Earl Neese, which proved more than enough for the Wings to reach the AFA title game for the first time, although they had gone 1-1 in two trips to the Continental Conference championship game in the late 1940s.
*** Capizzi Pilots Frigates to Title Win ***
The AFA championship game was a quarterbacking showcase as veteran Vince Gallegos of the San Francisco Wings and young Pete Capizzi of the Philadelphia Frigates each threw for well over 200 yards on the afternoon. The Frigates would prevail, holding off a late San Francisco charge to claim a 24-22 victory and their first AFA title in a decade.
Capizzi had mixed results on his first series as two plays after a nice completion to end Frank Longacre he threw an interception stalling what had looked like a promising opening drive by the Frigates. San Francisco also made an early mistake as back Sam Gerst fumbled away the ball on the Philadelphia four yard line as the Wings appeared poised to score the opening points. The only score of the first quarter was a 21-yard chip shot field goal from Ken Fryar to give Philadelphia the early lead.
On the opening play of the second period the Frigates lead was increased to 10-0 when Capizzi completed a pair of passes to Bill Casteel including an 8-yard scoring strike that capped an 8-play, 61-yard drive. San Francisco quickly answered as Gallegos threw a 38-yard pass to Bob Bosco and two plays later Gerst, securing the ball with both hands this time, plunged from two yards out into the endzone to cut the Frigates lead to 10-7. A 45-yard Earl Neese field goal would leave the two clubs deadlocked 10-10 at the half.
After a three and out by the Wings to start the second half, Capizzi went to work. The Frigates quarterback found Randy Hicks for 12 yards, Dave Prather for 13 and then a 33-yard scoring pass to Casteel had put Philadelphia ahead 17-10.
San Francisco would cut the lead to 17-13 when Neese was successful on his second field goal attempt of the game and he would make a third one as the third quarter came to an end to cut the Frigates lead to a single point at 17-16. A big break came the Wings way when Capizzi was intercepted on the Wings 13 yard line prior to the second Neese field goal, denying the Frigates another score.
Philadelphia would get that additional touchdown early in the fourth period on a drive that at one point had the Frigates facing a second and twenty on their own 1-yard line. Aided by a pair of costly Wings penalties, Capizzi completed two passes to Hicks for big gains and finally handed the ball to Dave Prather for a 3-yard touchdown run that put the Frigates ahead 24-16 with just over 11 minutes remaining.
Gallegos, using all of the veteran savvy he has accumulated in nearly a decade of pro ball, guided the Wings 75 yards culminating in an 18-yard touchdown pass to Bob Bosco to make the score 24-22 with 4:37 remaining in the game. The Wings elected to give the ball to fullback Howie Roberts to try and bull his way through the Frigates line for a game tying 2-point conversion but Roberts was stopped cold and the Frigates were still ahead by two points. The Wings had two more possessions but one was stopped cold by an interception near midfield and the other simply ran out time with Wings unable to get into field goal range and the game ended 24-22 for Philadelphia.
PERFECT SEASON GIVES CUMBERLAND NATIONAL TITLE
A second perfect season in four years has given the Cumberland Explorers their second national collegiate football title in that same time frame. The 11-0 Explorers followed up their Deep South Conference title with a 16-3 victory over Red River State in the Oilman Classic on New Years Day. Cumberland had some close calls on its way to a perfect season. The Explorers narrowly survived an early non-conference game at Carolina Poly, holding on for a 7-6 victory and in section play they needed a last second field goal to nip Georgia Baptist 16-13.
One loss Northern California finished second in the final polls. The Miners were denied a trip to the East-West Classic because of a section loss to CC Los Angeles, but won each of their other ten games including a 24-13 victory over Midwestern Alliance champion Eastern Kansas in the Sunshine Classic. They struggled early against the 6-5 Warriors on New Years Day but rallied with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns for a 24-13 victory.
The Great Lakes Alliance champion Lincoln Presidents finished third in the rankings after rolling over CC Los Angeles 37-16 in the East-West Classic. Sophomore Lincoln back Bart Clear had the game of his career in the win at Santa Ana as the Attica, IN., native ran for 170 yards in the victory. It marked the fourth year in a row the midwestern representative has prevailed over the West Coast Athletic Association champ on New Years Day. The Presidents claimed a section title despite starting the season with two losses in their first three games.
St Blane was upset by Texas Gulf Coast 13-6 in their season opener but the Fighting Saints never lost again and finished fourth in the polls at 10-1. They ended their season in New Orleans on New Years Day with a 36-13 win over Noble Jones College, which finished at 9-2 and ranked sixth with Detroit City College sandwiched between the two at #5 in the final rankings. The Knights watched their East-West Classic hopes go up in smoke early with section losses to Minnesota Tech and Lincoln College, but they rallied with wins over Rome State, Central Ohio and finally Liberty College in the Volunteer Classic. The victory over arch-rival Central Ohio was one for the ages as the Knights tied the game with a late field goal and then won it in the third overtime on a 4-yard touchdown run by sophomore halfback Jack Moffit.
RAINIER COLLEGE WINS 2ND STRAIGHT AIAA CAGE TITLE
In what felt like a carbon copy of the previous year the Rainier College Majestics easily defeated the Western Iowa Canaries in the 1954 AIAA tournament championship game to win their second straight title. The final score this time around was 66-36, an even bigger rout than the 67-47 win the Majestics claimed a year ago over the Canaries. The title makes Rainier College the first school to win back-to-back titles twice and the first school to win the AIAA tournament five times. For Western Iowa, still in search of the schools first-ever AIA title, it marks the third time the school has reached the championship game and they join the 1913-14 Brunswick Knights and 1946-47 Liberty College Bells as the only schools to be on the losing end of the title game score in back to back years.
This was not supposed to be the year the Majestics made history but the school, which also won back-to-back AIAA titles a decade ago, got hot at the right time. The Majestics graduated four starters from their 1953 title club including guards Ed Kosanovich and T.J. Grimm, who were both first round Federal Basketball League draft picks and center Lee Maroney who was selected in the second round. With the exodus of all that talent it came as little surprise that the Majestics lost 9 games during the regular season and finished third in the highly competitive West Coast Athletic Association.
The Majestics were inexperienced but far from young as they once more started four seniors with long-time backups Snuffy Chandler, Hap Collins and Dick Raley finally earning their chance to start alongside the only returning stater in forward Harry Wall.
Earning as a third seed in the West Region, Rainier College needed a strong second half to outlast Southwestern Alliance entry Texas Gulf Coast 50-41 in the opening round. The only non-senior starter, sophomore guard Sam Petrucci led the way with 14 points while Collins and Raley also reach double figures in scoring. Next up was the 7th seeded Wyoming A&I, the Rocky Mountain Alliance champs who had surprised #2 Mississippi A&M in the opening round. This one was not even close as the Majestics, led by Wall's 15 points and 12 from Collins, built a 15 point lead at the half and won 61-36.
That brought the Majestics their toughest challenge of the tournament - a rematch with the Detroit City College Knights team that the Majestics beat in the national semi-finals a year ago. The top seeded Knights had finished second in the Great Lakes Alliance, just a game back of the Western Iowa Canaries and were ranked third in the nation entering the tournament, trailing only the top seeded Carolina Poly Cardinals and the Canaries.
The West Region final was a thriller and really two different games. The first half was all Detroit City College as the Knights, seeking revenge for last year's elimination at Bigsby Garden in the national semi-finals, dominated and built a 23-13 lead at the break. Rainier College was a different team to start the second half and battled back to tie the contest with a little over seven minutes remaining. Those closing minutes were nail biters, with the two schools trading the lead several times. It would be Rainier College which would once again prevail as Harry Wall, calmly sank at 12-foot shot from the right wing with 4 seconds on the clock to give the Majestics a 47-46 victory and their ninth appearance in the Final Four.
The semi-final game for the Majestics was against top ranked Carolina Poly, a school that entered the contest with a 30-2 record and was the champions of the revamped South Atlantic Conference. The SAC, a prominent but large conference since the dawn of the sport, lost a number of teams in the early 1920s when many jumped to the newly formed Deep South Conference. It would have a similar splinter this time around as the eight top schools in the SAC decided to go it alone and follow the change the conference had made in football just two years prior. The result was much improved competition in the SAC and that only made the Cardinals, who were 3-time winners of the AIAA tournament, 30-2 showing all the more impressive.
Bigsby Garden, the sporting mecca in New York, is as always the host of the semi-final games on a Saturday night. It was the hottest ticket in town that evening as three of the top four college basketball teams in the country would be on display as well as the defending national champions. The Majestics put on a show, building a 9 point lead at the half and winning 56-50 despite an 18-point game from Cardinals All-American guard Charlie Glidewell. Western Iowa would prove to be too much for Noble Jones College in the other semi-final as highly touted FBL prospect Leo Beck led the way with 11 points in a 56-42 win for the Canaries.
The finals were a rematch of the previous season and ended up being the Harry Wall show. The senior forward scored 22 points as the Majestics, who led by 18 at the half, cruised to a 66-36 victory and became the first five-time AIAA champion and the first school to win back-to-back national titles twice.
BRUNSWICK WINS COLLEGIATE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
The Brunswick Knights qualified for the 16-team tournament Collegiate World Championship Series for the first time and ended up going all the way to the National Title. The Knights had not made the tournament since the new format was established in 1946 but did win an AIAA baseball title back in 1924 under the old feeder league system and this victory allows them to join Henry Hudson (1931, 1932) and Dickson (1916, 1918) as the only Academia Alliance schools to win two college baseball titles.
The 1924 title team was led by future major leaguers in Bobby Allen, Henry McFall, Bennie Rendon and Bill Scott along with pitcher Jim Morales, who made two big league starts for Washington in 1933 and was the winningest pitcher in college ball that season with a 10-1 record. This seasons edition of the Knights likely does not contain a player who will ever be drafted by a FABL club but they certainly came together at the right time.
The Knights went 47-15 in the regular season and finished with the best record in the Academia Alliance. A ten seed in the 16 team tournament field, they upset 7th ranked Eastern State in the opener 3-2 before blasting second ranked Charleston Tech 7-1 in the second round with outfielder Jamie Passano leading the way with a pair of homeruns.
Next up was a 2-0 shutout victory over Southwestern Alliance champ Texas Gulf Coast to propel the Knights into the finals against Southern Border Conference winners College of Waco. Both schools were considered underdogs to reach the finals as the Cowboys had knocked off mighty Central Kentucky in the opening round and defeated defending champion Baton Rouge State in the semi-finals.
The first three rounds were single game elimination while the championship series was a best of three affair. In the opener College of Waco scored all four of its runs in the top of the sixth, three of them courtesy of a Bill Krause homerun while Cowboys senior pitcher Casey Good went the distance, scattering 7 hits for the 4-3 win. Brunswick evened the series the next day, taking game two in a rout by a 9-1 score. Jimmie Passano, who had homered twice in a game earlier in the tournament, did it again as the senior outfielder from New York City drove in five runs with his two longballs. In all, Brunswick would hit 4 homeruns in that game.
The deciding game saw each team score twice in the opening inning and it would stay that way until the Cowboys scratched out a run in the top of the 7th. Brunswick was still trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the ninth inning but they rallied for a 4-3 victory. The Knights rapped out three singles including Jimmy Passano's game-tying rbi hit. Then with two out College of Waco shortstop Chris Coombs misplayed what looked like a routing groundball that could have prolonged the game but instead allowed freshman Brunswick catcher Ben Thrall to score the walk-off series ending run. Passano, who batted .440 with 4 homers and 11 rbi's in the tournament, was named the Most Valuable Player
LONG TIME COMING
The Detroit Motors entered the season with fairly low expectations after another early exit from the playoffs in the semi-finals last year. The Motors had not won a playoff series since the spring of 1942 and had only lifted the Challenge Cup once before - back in 1939- but that was about to change as Detroit was a surprise winner of the 1953-54 Challenge Cup.
The Motors usually had to struggle just to earn a playoff spot and had not finished higher than third in over a decade. That did not change this year as while the Motors easily claimed third place, finishing 13 points ahead of the fourth place New York Shamrocks, they still had to settle for third falling in line behind Toronto and Chicago -winners of each of the past two Challenge Cups.
The first place Dukes were, as usual, led by the big line of Quinton Pollack (35-43-78), Les Carlson (36-35-71) and Lou Galbraith although the 26-year-old Galbraith (11-32-43) struggled through the least productive season of his seven-year career. Trevor Parker (15-32-47) and a rising star in Ken Jamieson (19-29-48) helped the Dukes score 201 goals this season, trailing only the 208 recorded by the second place Chicago Packers. Pollack had a drop off from his record 99 point season a year ago but still led the NAHC in scoring and won his third McDaniels Trophy as league MVP. Neither Scott Renes nor Charlie Dell established himself as the Dukes new number one but both were solid as the club continues to adjust to life without Gordie Broadway. The solid Toronto defense, led by Clyde Lumsen and Tim Brooks, made that transistion easier as the Dukes allowed the fewest goals against in the league.
Chicago goes as far as Tommy Burns (27-45-72) can carry the team and despite missing 11 games with injuries, Burns still trailed only Toronto's Pollack in the scoring race. The Packers battled Toronto all season but in the end fell just short, despite a second straight Juneau Trophy winning season from goaltender Michael Cleghorn.
A starter in Detroit while in his early twenties Henri Chasse then spent a number of years serving as Millard Touhey's caddy before regaining the starting job a year ago. Chasse had the best season of his career this time around and beat out Cleghorn for first time all-star status but narrowly lost out on the Juneau Trophy. Nick Tardif (29-32-61) and a rising start in sophomore Alex Monette (23-36-59) gave Detroit two of the top five point producers in the league, something that had not been seen at Thompson Palladium in over a decade. Monette, a 21-year-old who was named the top rookie a year ago, was the second overall pick by the Motors in the 1952 draft after leading the CAHA in scoring his final year of junior hockey and is showing signs of perhaps becoming the elite star the franchise has lacked since Miles Barfield's early days.
The New York Shamrocks finished fourth and returned to the playoffs after missing them a year ago. Simon Savard (20-34-54) and Orval Cabbell (19-32-51) continue to lead the offense and the goalending of Alex Sorrell - a two-time Juneau Trophy winner- seems solid but New York just could not score enough to challenge for the top spot.
Boston missed the playoffs for the first time in four years while the last place Montreal Valiants have not returned to the postseason since winning their second of back-to-back Challenge Cups in 1951.
The Toronto Dukes had not faced the New York Shamrocks in a playoff series since the Dukes beat New York to win the 1948 Challenge Cup. Toronto had finished 19 points ahead of fourth place New York this time around and was a clear favourite to win their semi-final series. The Dukes took the opener thanks to a third period Rob Painchaud goal to claim a 4-3 victory but New York, with 3 first period goals, stole the second game by the same 4-3 score thanks to Robert Sharpley's game winner fifteen minutes into overtime. Toronto then took command of the series with a pair of road wins: 4-1 keyed by a goal and an assist from both Quinton Pollack and Lou Galbraith in the third game and 6-5 in game four when young defenseman Bobby Fuhrman notched the game winner with less than three minutes remaining in the third period. New York stayed alive with their second overtime win of the series, and once more Sharpley was the hero in a 2-1 win but the Dukes closed things out with a 3-2 victory in game six keyed by a pair of Les Carlson second period goals.
The other series also saw the first two games split as Chicago scored three times in the opening period and went on to double Detroit 4-2 in game one but the Motors evened things with a 4-1 victory in game two despite being outshot. Lou Barber had four points and Nick Tardif three as the Motors waltzed to a 5-2 victory in game three and then took a commanding series lead with a 4-3 win in the fourth game despite Tommy Burns assisting on all three Chicago goals. The game winner came with just 1:42 remaining in regulation courtesy of rising Detroit star Alex Monette, who had missed the previous three games with an injury. Two nights later the Motors would wrap up the series with a 3-2 road win, coming back from a 2-1 deficit thanks to third period goals from Tardif and veteran forward Graham Comeau.
That set up a Toronto-Detroit final and a rematch of the 1938 Challenge Cup finals, which was the only year the Motors had ever won the chalice. The series opened in Toronto and the hosts claimed a 3-1 victory but like both semi-final series the visiting team was level after two games. In this case it was a three goal outburst from the Motors in the final 13 minutes to claim a 3-1 victory. Adam Vanderbilt score twice and Ben Witt added an empty net marker in the dying seconds of game two.
The series shifted to Detroit for the first Cup final game at Thompson Palladium since 1942 when the Motors lost to Boston for the second consecutive season. It was not a happy ending for the hosts, who led 1-0 on a Tyson Beddoes first period goal but Dan Russell tied it for Toronto in the middle stanza and Lou Galbraith, with his fourth of the playoffs, scored the game winner on the power play early in the third period. Game four was all Detroit, or at least all Henri Chasse as the Motors netminder made 38 saves for the shutout. Detroit lead 2-0 after forty minutes and added three more in the third as Toronto, desperate to put a puck past Chasse, opened things up and were exposed.
The series was tied at two and the Dukes looked like they were going to win the pivotal fifth game when Kenny Wooley put Toronto up 3-2 just under seven minutes into the third period. Detroit pressed and were rewarded with the equalizer from Lou Barber with less than four minutes to play. Overtime was not in the cards as Quinton Pollack took a roughing penalty late in the game and Graham Comeau made Toronto pay, scoring the winner with just over 2 minutes showing on the clock.
*** Monette's Coming Our Party ***
Game Six will long be remembered in Detroit as the day Alex Monette stole the show. The second year Motors forward had the game of his life on the biggest stage imaginable. Monette score all four goals for Detroit including the series winner in the third period to give the hosts a 4-3 victory and their first Challenge Cup title in fifteen years.
Monette will likely never have to pay for a drink in Detroit again after the 21-year-old Montreal native's heroics in the deciding game. He had plenty of success throughout the post-season, collecting 11 points despite playing just 7 games due to a wrist injury sustained in the Chicago series. Only teammate Nick Tardif, with 12, had more points this playoff. A natural leader who was captain of his junior team in Halifax for three years and twice scored over 100 points in a CAHA season, this may be just the first of many great moments for the center iceman with Detroit.
NAHC ALL-STAR GAME
The Toronto Dukes became the first Challenge Cup winner to beat the best players in the league in the fourth annual NAHC all-star game. The Dukes rallied with three goals in the final 16 minutes of the game to down the All-Stars 5-4.
The Stars led the Dukes 2-0 after one period after goals by a pair of defensemen in Detroit's Tyson Beddoes and Phil Stukas of the Chicago Packers. Toronto, which outshot the all-stars 48-35 on the night, rallied with a pair of early second period goals by Frank Featherstone and Lou Galbraith but before the middle period ended the stars were once more ahead by two goals. A pair of Chicago Packers were the marksman in Pete Moreau and Max Ducharme.
The third period was all Toronto as the hosts turned up the heat by firing 26 shots at Detroit's Henri Chasse in the period and beat him three times. Paul Coulter, Lou Galbraith with his second of the game, and finally Les Carlson with the game winner coming with less than 4 minutes remaining in the contest. Toronto blueliner Clyde Lumsen, who had four assists, was named the player of the game.
1953-54 Season in Review -Coming off their first FBL Championship, the Philadelphia Phantoms were at the top of the world, but another big Eastern city was feeling the effect of what it was like to be at the bottom of the pile.
The Baltimore Barons had to close operations, which is a sad chapter in professional basketball. The Barons were a championship-caliber team in the mid-1940s, culminating in a championship in 1947-48. Since that season, though, the team did not finish better than fourth place in a five- or six-team division. A five-year string of missing the playoffs was too much to take and while the team improved from 17 wins to 23 to 30 last season, there was not enough interest and possibility of profit to keep the team afloat.
The Eastern Division only consisted of four teams: Philadelphia, Washington, New York, and Boston. The Western Division was unchanged, as teams in smaller cities (Rochester, Cleveland) and an international city in Toronto, had committed ownership and interested fan bases. Ironically, Rochester and Cleveland both finished with the same record as Baltimore (30-40) last season.
The Phantoms found a different life as the hunted. Teams saved their best for Philadelphia and while Mel Turcotte continued to be a force (19.0 ppg, 12.5 rpg), the Phantoms could not get over the hump and get to .500. Philadelphia was within a couple of games of the break-even mark late in the season and finished in a tie for third place at 33-39, nine games out of first place. Boston tied Philadelphia for third place and the tiebreaker was effectively won by Boston in their last regular season meeting.
The two teams met 21 times in 1953-54 with each team winning 10 leading into their April 16th meeting in Philadelphia. In fact, through three quarters, the game was deadlocked at 58 points apiece. Boston opened the fourth quarter on an 8-0 run and carried that lead to an 84-74 victory. Morgan Melcher led the way with 20 points and Brian Threadgill posted 20 rebounds.
The teams spun off in different directions after the game. With the win, Boston went on to beat New York and sweep a home-and-home with Washington to end its season on a four-game winning streak. Meanwhile, Philadelphia did not win again, losing to Chicago and two road contests in New York to finish the year on a four-game losing streak. This made the April 16th game matter even more, with Boston earning a playoff berth because of the win.
The New York Knights had a run of four playoff appearances in five years, but had not qualified since the 1951 postseason and even then, New York never made it out of the divisional playoff.
New York was able to sign former Buffalo great Larry Yim last season, which formed a great front court with Scott Lagasse heading into this year, but the new wrinkle was the addition of point guard Rod Bookman, which came over from Baltimore in the dispersal draft. Bookman was third in the league in assists (8.2 apg), feeding the ball down low to Yim (18.6 ppg, 16.8 rpg) and Lagasse (18.2 ppg, 15.2 rpg), who both finished in the top ten in scoring and rebounding. This trio helped New York (42-30) to win its first division since winning the Northern Division in the ABC in 1939-40.
New York won the division by eight games over second place Washington (34-38), as the Statesmen narrowly avoided missing the playoffs altogether as they were only one game ahead of Boston and Philadelphia. Washington lost its last two games against Boston to help elevate Boston and both teams met in the Eastern Division Semifinal.
The Western Division race was a spirited one between a resurgent Rochester Rockets team and last year’s class of the division, the Chicago Panthers. Rochester won the season series between the two squads, 10 games to 6, which was more than enough to give the Rockets (50-22) the division. Rochester finished two games ahead of Chicago (48-24), with an unbelievable start. The Rockets were blazing hot and left last season’s poor showing behind with a six-game winning streak to start the year that became a 13-1 run. On the morning of December 11th, Chicago was at its low point at 5-9 and already eight games behind the Rockets.
Chicago caught fire in January, embarking on a 15-game winning streak to propel the Panthers into contention. At that point, the Panthers were 29-13, only a game and a half behind the Rockets, and Chicago crawled to within a half-game a week later. Rochester put on its rockets into orbit, setting off a 12-game winning streak that left the Panthers in the dust.
Billy Bob McCright (21.0 ppg, 16.8 rpg) had a career year for Rochester, surpassing 20 points per game for the first time in his six-year career to win Most Valuable Player honors. Marlin Patterson, usually the top man on the totem pole, was a virtuoso as a second fiddle, averaging 19.3 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 4.4 blocks per contest.
The big-town Panthers challenged the small-town Rockets on the court, but both on the court and off the court, the Panthers had a lot of star power. Rochester may have had the MVP, but Chicago had the league’s leading scorer, Luther Gordon, who averaged 23.9 points a game and won his third scoring title. Charlie Barrell landed in Chicago last season and impressed as a rookie on the 47-win Panthers team a year ago. This year, Barrell did not suffer a sophomore jinx, ticking his scoring from 14.2 to 14.6 points per game, but his abilities on the defensive end won plaudits. Barrell was first time All-League at the shooting guard position, but also made All-Defensive first team as well, thanks to his 2.3 steals per game, which was third in the league.
While the rest of the Western Division was well off the pace with Toronto (38-34) earning the final berth in the divisional playoffs over Cleveland (31-41) and Detroit (15-57). Detroit was a league champion just two seasons ago and had its worst season in its eight-year franchise history. Toronto was led by its accidental star from last season, Kenny Roberts (15.7 ppg, 16.6 rpg), who led the team in scoring and rebounding.
Toronto gave Chicago everything the Panthers could handle in the Western Division Semifinal, losing in five games. The home team won each game in the series with the only game decided by more than 10 points being Game Five. Cinderella turned into a pumpkin, as the Falcons shot 25% from the field. In Game Two’s 85-75 win, Chicago received 27 points from Gordon and 26 from Barrell to stand one game away from the Divisional Finals. Roberts saved the season, twice.
In Game Three, Roberts had 32 points and 26 rebounds to get the game to overtime and Major Belk had four of the Falcons eight points in the extra period for the 94-91 win. In Game Four, Roberts upped the ante with 36 points and 28 rebounds and Toronto survived, 85-80. Game Five was not much of a match, as the star power won out, with Gordon scoring 27 points and Barrell chipping in 14 points with four steals to help Chicago advance to face Rochester in the series that felt like the league final.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Division, New York awaited the winner of the Washington-Boston series. The home court was reversed from a year ago, when Boston put its stamp on a budding rivalry by winning the best-of-five series in the last game. This time, it was Washington’s turn to return the favor.
Boston won the opener in Washington, but Game Two was a classic, with Washington winning in triple overtime, 104-93. Washington had the chance to win the game in regulation, but two jumpers in the final seconds by Hank Adkins missed the mark. Washington’s Willie Wright scored with a layup with seconds left, but Boston had the chance to win it, with Larry Carter missing a jumpshot. Washington almost won it in double overtime, but the Centurions executed a set play with five seconds left that freed Brian Threadgill for a baseline jumper to tie the game at 89. Washington pulled away in the third overtime period, but Boston earned the split on the road.
Washington used the momentum to win home-court back with another overtime win in Game Three, 86-83, though it was only one overtime this time. Boston extended the series, forcing a Game Five in Washington. The Statesmen held Boston to 23% shooting, but Boston beat themselves with their shot selection. Brian Threadgill, who scored 30 points in the triple-overtime Game Two, only managed five points on 2-for-10 shooting. Gerald Carter, who led Boston with 22 points in Game Three, was 7-for-32 from the floor. Washington had a balanced scoring attack, as Ernie Fischer led four starters in double figures with his 19 points.
The Eastern Final showed how superior the New York Knights were inside the division. Game One set the tone, as Rod Bookman scored 29 points with 15 assists, and Larry Yim added 18 points, 19 rebounds, and nine blocks. New York only allowed 62 points in Game Two and 57 in Game Three. Washington’s poor shooting was paused in Game Four for the Statesmen’s lone win of the series, winning 82-66 at home to push the series to a fifth game, but New York earned a trip to the Finals with a 96-84 victory behind 30 points and 22 rebounds from Yim.
While the Western Final had more anticipation and fanfare, the play was just as lopsided as the Eastern Final. After a season where Rochester played from ahead and Chicago was just a step behind, Rochester only let Chicago win a single game in the best-of-seven. Billy Bob McCright scored 41 points in Game One’s 86-66 Rocket victory. McCright and Marlin Patterson had eight blocks apiece in Game Two’s 89-79 win to give Rochester a 2-0 series lead.
Despite 29 more points from McCright, Chicago was able to hit its free throws to survive, 67-64, and hold serve at home. But the series was won in the second half of Game Four, where Rochester came back from a ten-point halftime deficit to pull even after three quarters and edging Chicago the rest of the way for a 77-74 win.
Chicago was not ready for Game Five, only mustering a single point in the first quarter and shooting an anemic 22% from the floor in a 68-50 loss that kept Luther Gordon to 15 points. For the series, Gordon underperformed, averaging only 16.8 points in the five games, more than seven points below his season average.
Rochester had a head of steam and had another big-city team in its sights. New York had an easier time of it during the season and the playoffs up to that point, so the Knights were ready for the challenge. Rochester was trying to be a first-time champion, just like Philadelphia was last year, while New York had not won in 14 years.
New York drew first blood in the closest game of the series, winning Game One in Rochester, 67-65, in front of 6,000 hostile screaming fans in Western New York. Larry Yim, who had more than his share of supporters from his days in Buffalo, led New York with 17 points, 26 rebounds, and an amazing 12 blocked shots. New York trailed 20-10 after one quarter but clawed its way back in the defensive battle. While New York wrestled home court from Rochester, the Rockets wrestled it back in Game Three in a 73-60 win. Yim was 5-for-23 and only blocked one shot, which allowed the talented Rochester to take over. Marlin Patterson had a triple-double with 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 blocks, while Solly Morris came off the bench with 16 points.
With the series tied at two, Rochester took another game on the road as the Rockets were one game away from its first title behind Patterson’s 31 points as he was threatening to take over the series from Yim and the Knights. The Knights were down, 3-2, with the series going back to Rochester having to win both games to win the trophy. Rochester’s hot front court won their head-to-head matchups, but the difference was New York’s Rod Bookman, who was the star in Game Six with 23 points and 16 rebounds. Bookman continued his championship play in Game Seven, which went to overtime. The point guard easily outplayed his opposite number with Rochester, young second-year player Verle Schoonmaker, in scoring 21 points, bringing down 14 board, distributing eight assists, and forcing three steals in 49 minutes.
Rochester had its chances in Game Seven but could not close the deal. The Rockets led 28-21 after one quarter and 43-34 at the half. The Knights trailed 56-51 entering the fourth and the Rockets went ice cold in the fourth quarter, only scoring six points and allowing the Knights to force the extra session. Rochester had major foul trouble, with McCright, Patterson, and Danny Rachor all fouling out in overtime. The Knights won the overtime, 12-2, the game, 74-64, and their first championship since the Great Depression.
Larry Yim had a low-scoring Finals with his lowest score of the playoffs in Game Seven (9 points). However, for Yim, scoring is a very small part of the story. Yim had 24 rebounds and nine blocks. For the series, Yim averaged 16.3 rebounds and 5.9 blocks per game and was named the Playoff MVP.
MUSTANGS AGAIN LEAD OFF FBL DRAFT
For the second year in a row the Detroit Mustangs had the first pick in the 1954 Federal Basketball League draft as the Mustangs finished dead last in the loop for the second year in a row. It is a long tumble down for the 1951-52 FBL Champions led by Coach Haywood St. Clair, who also won their American Basketball Conference titles while with Brooklyn, and an MVP season out of Ward Messer. Both St. Clair and Messer remain, as does most of the supporting cast, but the Mustangs bottomed out with a dismal 15-57 record this season.
A year ago Detroit selected forward Ed Kosanovich from the AIAA champion Rainier College Majestics and the Kansas native had his ups and downs as a rookie. This time they went with Erv Corwin, a guard out of Bayou State who was the top ranked senior according to OSA despite missing half of the season with an injury. The Valdosta, GA., native will be counted on to give the Mustangs some offensive punch - they were last in points scored in the FBL this year. Corwin's 15.3 ppg in half a season nearly duplicated his output a year ago as a junior when he was named the Deep South Conference Player of the year.
It was a draft that focused heavily on the backcourt with four of the top five selections being guards. The lone exception was Harry Wall, a forward who starred for the back to back AIAA champions from Rainier College. Wall was selected fourth by the Boston Centurions, a team that may well have had the best draft when you also consider the Centurions landed center Lee Crisp in round two. The Annapolis Maritime star was the Barrette Trophy winner as College Player of the Year and was ranked 7th overall on the OSA pre-draft list.
TITLES BACK TO CHANGING HANDS
After a couple of years of stability, 1954 provided more of what boxing fans were used to as far as titles changing hands. The middleweight division saw three different main lay claim to the title of ABF World Champion over the course of the year while at the welterweight level Danny Rutledge lost the belt early in the year due to his temper but regained it in December.
Rutledge was disqualified for a variety of fouls he seemed intent on committing at every opportunity. His opponent, the talkative Lonnie Griffin, a Newark youngster who likes to lead with his mouth in the ring, got under Rutledge's skin early and barked at the champ at every opportunity. Referee Zeb Barley, a newcomer to title fights, gave Rutledge the benefit of the doubt as much as he could before finally calling a halt to the proceedings and ending Rutledge's string of 8 successful title defenses after the champ earned his fifth warning of the night.
Immediately following the bout, Rutledge was quick to admit he messed up, a lesson was learned and he vowed to get his title back. It would take some time, and Rutledge passed it with a rematch against his old military foe Mac Erickson, who he knocked out in the 10th and final round, and also scoring a decision over highly regarded Al Sullivan, another name Rutledge knew quite well as Sullivan was one of Rutledge's earlier victims while he was champ.
The opportunity finally came when Griffin, after earning a nice payday with a unanimous decision win over Cal Kotterman in a July title defense, gave Rutledge his rematch in December. Rutledge was a man on a mission that night in Baltimore, and gave Griffin no time to start throwing verbal barbs in the ring. It took less than two minutes of the opening round for Rutledge to send Griffin sprawling to the canvas. The bout would last 12 of the scheduled fifteen rounds before Griffin was knocked out by a wicked cross to the head that returned the championship belt to Danny Rutledge.
The middleweight division also saw plenty of change as Mark McCoy, the young Kansas City fighter who had held the title since the summer of 1951, lost the title to a lightly tested 35-year-old from the west coast by the name of Joe Moore in a surprising upset in July. Moore's reign at the top would be short as he would lose to ring veteran Jim Ward in his first defense. It was a majority decision that in all fairness could have gone either way but the New York native Ward, with a partisan Bigsby Gardens crowd cheering his every move, did just enough to sway the judges. It is expected that Ward, who came up short in a title shot against McCoy when the latter was champ, will likely face McCoy -who is listed as the top contender in the middleweight division- sometime this spring.
Only the heavyweight division remained consistent as Joey Tierney continues his impressive run. At the tail end of 1953 you might recall Tierney was caught off guard by the late addition of Brit Ben Shotton after the English fighter the champ was preparing for - Joe Brinkworth- suffered a training injury. Tierney was surprised by Shotton and was lucky to escape that fight with a draw, persevering his title. A rematch with Shotton was granted in February and the champ was back to his old self, scoring a TKO win over Shotton in the 8th round.
Tierney would add two more victories before the year was over, a unanimous decision in his second meeting with Tommy Cline followed by a third round knockout of John Jones in October. Tierney is running into the same issue that plagued the great Hector Sawyer in his prime - there are simply no top level fighters in the division that Tierney, who is 33-1-1 overall, has not defeated. Next up for the champ, who will make his 10th appearance with the belt up for grabs in February, is a meeting with 35-year-old Gil Hilliard. They have never fought but Hilliard, who was never a serious contender in his younger days, looks to be on his last legs and it may be a very short night for Tierney. Beyond that he may look to face British champion Brinkworth, but the gods seem to be conspiring against that happening as Brinkworth was injured the first time they planned to meet and a second bout had been close to be finalized until Brinkworth lost to Tommy Cline in September and Tierney's manager Chester Conley turned to Hilliard as perhaps a better draw for a February bout in New York City.
Mark McCoy knew he was in trouble early in the July bout against Joe Moore. Just 23 seconds in, McCoy absorbed a body blow that took the wind out of him. Moore did not relent on his attack. By the time McCoy fought back, it was the fifth round. For a champion such as McCoy with his seven successful defenses of his middleweight title, he never started a fight like this.
McCoy tried to make up for lost time, landing a right cross that caused a gash to open under Moore’s right eye. But McCoy could not capitalize on that punch. Instead, Moore went back to work. In the middle rounds, both fighters looked the worse for wear, with swelling turning into significant puffiness late in the bout.
Any hope of McCoy retaining his belt was lost when McCoy fell to the canvas three times in the final few rounds. A knockdown on a Moore combination in the 12th round was only outdone by a pair of knockdowns in the 14th round. Moore earned an eight-count on McCoy after landing a hard right hand flush on McCoy’s chin, followed by another right at the closing bell of the round that knocked McCoy down again.
Joe Moore became the first new Middleweight Champion in three years, but could he retain the belt? Moore took on Jim Ward in November and Moore tried too hard to look the part in the early rounds. Just as McCoy did in July, Ward left his game in the champion’s corner until the middle rounds. Ward almost knocked Moore out in the fifth round, but a glazed-eyed Moore managed to get to his feet. Moore recovered to nearly score a knockout of his own on a body shot in the seventh and floored Ward in the ninth on a combination.
While Moore came on in the second half of the bout, Ward managed to hang on for the upset on a majority decision, as one judge scored the fight a draw. The year ended with Joe Ward (39-4-1) as the holder of a belt that was a hot potato in the second half of 1954.
Speaking of a belt changing hands, the welterweight division also had a new champion, but only for a while. Danny Rutledge, like Mark McCoy, earned his title in 1951 and kept defending his belt over the next two years, entering 1954 as the champion. Rutledge had eight title defenses where he kept the belt. Rutledge’s opponent was a brash, up-and-coming fighter from New Jersey, Lonnie Griffin. Griffin was 18-1-1 coming into the fight while Rutledge had lost one and had one draw in 33 fights prior to this bout.
Rutledge was clearly affected by Griffin in the days leading up to the fight. Griffin was quoted as saying he was going to show the people what a real champion was. Griffin was seen as being disrespectful to a long-time champion and a fine veteran of World War II. Rutledge was not about to be upstaged. Almost from the opening bell, Rutledge was intent on fighting dirty. In the first round, Rutledge leaned on Griffin’s neck and hit Griffin on a low blow and had a point deducted for a 9-9 round despite Rutledge’s dominance in the round.
In all, there were five fouls called against Rutledge and while each fighter scored a knockdown, Rutledge in the second and Griffin in the ninth, Rutledge was carrying the play. Rutledge managed to get up after a nine-count from veteran official Zeb Barley. Barley held Rutledge to account all night long and, remember, Barley was the referee in the Rutledge-May fight last year that was stopped in the 12th and went to the cards due to an accidental head-butt.
This time, also in the 12th round, Rutledge leaned on Griffin’s neck again after Griffin continued to chirp at him and held Rutledge around the waist, trying to restrict the champion’s movement. Barley ruled the leaning on Griffin’s neck was blatant and disqualified Rutledge, which made Lonnie Griffin the Welterweight Champion.
After a unanimous decision in July, where Griffin dispatched journeyman Cal Kotterman, Griffin granted a rematch to Rutledge in December. Named the “Brawl in Baltimore”, boxing fans were expecting a knock-down, drag-out affair with no holds barred. Rutledge was relatively reserved, only being called for two fouls – leading with his head in the fifth and holding and hitting in the tenth – but Rutledge also scored the only knockdowns of the fight and there were three of them.
In another fateful 12th round, a dominant Rutledge was trying to end it, going all out for a win. A swollen left eye for Griffin was hampering his ability to see the punches coming by this time in the fight. After a hook tenderized Griffin, a combination dropped him for a quick knockdown. However, that was the appetizer for the main course to come. Rutledge geared up for a big right cross to Griffin’s head and he felt to the canvas with a thud. Referee Denny Nelson counted Griffin out and Rutledge (34-2-1) was once again the Welterweight Champion. Following the fight, Griffin said he did not see the last punch from Rutledge. It was most entertaining story of the year and boxing fans are looking forward to a rubber match.
The quietest division was once again the heavyweight division, where Joey Tierney handled his business. Tierney started the year trying to fight off the result of his last fight of 1953, where Tierney had to settle for a draw against Ben Shotton. In this edition of Tierney-Shotton, Shotton proved he was not a flash in the pan, dishing out the punishment as well as he took Tierney’s punches. Tierney experienced some swelling under his right eye in the third round and Shotton landed a big cross that knocked Tierney to the ground in the seventh round.
The eighth round might have saved Tierney’s career. For two minutes, Tierney put on a clinic. He was a monster and Shotton could not mount any kind of defense. A knockdown or worse was seconds away when referee Jay Nady decided to end the fight 2:04 into the round. Some felt the fight was called too quickly, but Tierney was very close to causing Shotton significant injury. Shotton was starting to go limp and his hands started to rest at his side as Tierney was continuing his onslaught. It was the right move.
Tierney got stronger as the year went on. He won a unanimous decision against Tommy Cline before cruising in a third-round TKO against John Jones. Tierney (33-1-1) started the year on uncertain footing but ended it as the undisputed Heavyweight Champion. His 3-0 record earned him the Bologna Boxer of the Year.
FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS
Was 1954 A Year of Transition? -Toronto Wolves fans, although the diehards may be all that are left, may have witnessed a year in 1954 that started the transition from bottom dwellers to factors in the Continental Association after far too many years of poor baseball. The team finished with a record of 69-85 technically in 6th place in what was a highly competitive CA at the top of the standings. Kansas City Kings who recently migrated from Brooklyn won the CA by a single game over both Cleveland, the defending champions, and the new situated, from Philadelphia, San Francisco Sailors.
A third team relocated in 1954, The former New York Stars became the Los Angeles Stars giving a whole new meaning to a western swing in the CA. Travel became much more arduous in the loop. Instead of an easy trip to play the Kings, Stars, Sailors which meant going to NYC for a week then a short trip to Philadelphia now involved 3 time zones with long flights to Kansas City, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Welcome to the jet age in the FABL.
The Wolves improved substantially at the plate during the season. The lineup included the leading hitter in the CA. Ed Hester lead all CA batters with a .317 average. Not bad for a rookie who the Wolves plucked from the Saints roster in December during the Rule 5 draft. In most hitting categories the Wolves were middle of the CA pack with the exception of HR where they were dead last with 75 long balls in 154 games. Larry Curtis had a fine year posting .340/.441/571 15HR 70 RBI with not enough plate appearances to qualify for the league batting title.
The offensive stats were middle of the road but the problems were on the mound and in the field. While the starting rotation led by Lynn Horn's 17-13, 4.01 was nothing to write home about the relief corps was again an absolute disaster with an overall ERA of 6.77. In an interesting move Les Ledbetter was put back in the rotation after being groomed for bullpen last season. Ledbetter responded with a record of 13-15, 4.39 with 24 of the 139 runs he allowed being unearned. The five regular starters allowed 601 runs, 79 of them being unearned due to the leaky defense behind them in the field. Oddly enough the 150 errors charged to the Wolves were not the most in the CA, Montreal made 163. Overall the team was the worst fielding team in the CA by a large margin. If the team is to move forward they must get help on the mound, in the field to convert batted balls into outs. Gordie Perkins did supply some defense at short, Boyer was good in the LF the rest of the play in the field was a mess.
There might be help on the way. For the first time in anyone's memory every team in the system was .500 or better so the future in Toronto will be with players used to winning. Toronto now has the top rank minor league system just inches ahead of San Francisco and the Wolves have four of the top twenty prospects in the FABL.
Top is P Whitey Stewart at #4 who went 17-8, 3.47 at AAA Buffalo despite walking 136, the same number that retired on strikes. He appears to be ready for the big time next season if his control improves. Second is #5 overall CF Tom Reed who spent the year in Vancouver, Davenport showing power with 48 HR 117 RBI 587 PA between the two levels while displaying above average OF defense. Reed probably needs at least one more year in the system against better pitching. The third is P Jim Montgomery at #11 who in two seasons at AA is 26-10, 3.09 leaving fans wondering why he was not in Buffalo this summer to partner with Stewart. At #18 is P Phil Colantuono who was the Wolves first selection this summer. The 18 year old went 7-2. 2.78 in rookie ball, he is still a few years away.
Tales From The Manor- Dukes 1954 Recap - The men of the ice in Toronto came tantalizingly close to repeating as NAHC champions. The team finished the 70 game regular season atop the standings dethroning the Chicago Packers who had finished in first the two previous seasons. During the regular season the Dukes got off to a uneven start until they went on an eight game undefeated streak, 7-0-1, from November 28th to December 17th. Fans may have been a little wary as the team followed that streak with their longest losing streak in two seasons of 3 games. Beginning with a Boxing Day 4-2 win at home over the Detroit Motors the team settled into winning ways going 21-11-6 for the balance of the season to finish 35-22-13 for 83 points 4 more than Chicago.
The team was again led by the triumvirate of Pollack, Carlson and Galbraith although Coach Jack Barrell did split the line up from time to time to balance the attack. Carlson led the league in goals with 36, half of which came on the power play, with Pollack one behind him. The Dukes had the only two thirty goal scorers in the league during a lower scoring 1953-54 season. Pollack added 43 assists to capture the scoring title with 78 points six more than the Packers Tommy Burns who missed twelve games due to injury. Pollack also took 68 shots more, 345 in total, than anyone else in the NAHC.
Barrell continued his new innovation of rotating Scott Renes and Charlie Dell in net with both seemingly responding well to the rotation. Renes started 39 games going 18-13-8, 2.28 while Dell began the other 31 posting a record of 17-9-5, 2.42. The Dukes gave up the least goals against with 166 while finishing second in goals scored at 201, seven less than Chicago.
Onto the playoffs in which the Dukes took on the New York Shamrocks who finished fourth with a 24-30-16, 64 points record. New York split the first two at the Gardens thanks to a 4-3 OT winner by Robert Sharpley at 15:37 in Game Two. Toronto seemed to have the series in hand by taking both games at Bigsby Gardens before the Shamrocks staved off elimination with another OT win less than a minute into extra time, 2-1 in Toronto. Duke finished off the Shamrocks with a third victory in Bigsby Gardens 3-2 in Game Six. The big news in the series was an injury to Quinton Pollack that would have him missed the last game of this series plus the first three of the final.
If fans and sportswriters took for granted another Toronto versus Chicago final the Detroit Motors showed they had other plans. The Motors had snuck into the playoffs last season only to eliminated by the Packers proved they were not to be denied in the semis this year. Led by netminder Henri Chasse and winger Nick Tardif they lost the first game at Lakeside Aud 4-2 before reeling off 4 straight to take the series in five games.
In the final Toronto, backed by Scott Renes' fine effort, took the first game 3-1 before a strong Motors third period in which they tallied three times including two by Adam Vanderbilt to even the series at one by the same 3-1 score. The Dukes seemed to take control of the series with a tight 2-1 win at Thompson Palladium when Galbraith beat Chasse in the third with Arsenault in the penalty box. Chasse shutout the Dukes making 38 saves in 5-0 whitewash before 16148 screaming supporters. Pollack returned for the fourth game but was noticeably not at full strength. Detroit was down 3-2 with less than four minutes to play when Barber beat Renes to tie the game at 16:47. After the ensuing face-off Pollack was sent off for roughing. Comeau scored 51 seconds into the penalty to give the Motors a 4-3 win along with 3-2 series lead.
Pollack looked a little better in the sixth game, opening the scoring seven minutes into the first before Detroit took a 3-1 lead just past the ten minute mark of the second on a natural hattrick by Alex Monette. Dukes tied the game with two goals in the last five minutes of the second. Monette was not to be stopped as he scored his fourth of the game at 5:01 of the third. This proved to the game, series, Challenge Cup winner as Toronto could not beat Chasse to tie the game. Detroit paraded the Cup around the ice to the joy of the fans while the Dukes exited the ice quickly after the traditional handshakes.
Coach Barrell- "Close but not close enough, give Detroit credit they shut us down after the third game. Quinton's injury in the New York series did not help, he suited up in the last two games even though he was a long way from 100%. Had it not be the final he would not have been dressed, he wanted to try, I probably should have kept him out. His penalty in the fifth game after taking a slash to the injured foot turned that game.
Overall it was a good season when we finally got rolling in November. My unorthodox goaltender usage seems to working, we have another keeper in Cleveland, Mike Connelly, that might give these two a run for their money in camp during the fall. I want to get a good at couple of others up north, we have to keep moving forward. There is no resting on your laurels in the NAHC."
Tales From The Nest- Falcons 1954 Summary - The Falcons made it to an expanded playoffs with 38-34 record good enough for a third place finish in a strong Western Division of the Federal Basketball League. The Falcons were 10 games above even though they surrendered more points than they scored in the season. In division semi the Falcons met the Chicago Panthers, 48-24, led by Luther Gordon and Charlie Barrell for the right to take on the Rochester Rockets in the Western Final. After losing the opening two games in Chicago the Falcons won two at home to force a deciding fifth game in Chicago. Luther Gordon proved to be far too much for the Falcons in that contest. His 27 points led the Panthers to an easy 81-59 win, Kenny Roberts, Major Belk had no answer this night as the season ended for Toronto.
PF Jumbo Hinman was 1st Team All-Defense along with being Defender of the Year, C George Laliberte was 1st Team All- Rookie, F Terry Delgarno made the All-Rookie 2nd Team.
TWO MORE TITLES FOR MOTOR CITY
Well, we certainly could get used to this!
The city of Detroit, one that suffered through the entire 1940s and many years before with no chance to hold a parade, celebrated two more in 1954 as the Dynamos dynasty continued to roll and the Motors ended a 15 year Challenge Cup drought. That makes 3 Federal Association pennants, 2 World Championship Series wins, a Challenge Cup and a Federal Basketball League title in the last three years for Detroit. Add in some nice runs from the Detroit City College basketball team and things get even better.
The Dynamos made history in 1954 becoming the first team in the Federal Association since the 1906 Boston Minutemen to win three consecutive flags. With the best pitching staff in baseball anchored by 28-year-old Jack Miller and 24-year-old Jim Norris -winners of the past two Allen Awards- and a two-time Allen winner in Joe Hancock who says he is returning for his age 42 season after a 15-5, 3.67 campaign this time around there is plenty of optimism the Dynamos may just make it four in a row.
The team is still very much in its prime and there are options in place to take over for Hancock, who is the only key contributor on the mound over 35. Those options include Jack Halbur, who looked very good in a brief stint with the club last year and 22-year-old Heinie Massey, a 1954 second round pick out of Lane State who may just be the next Jim Norris. Stan Kleminski, Edwin Hackberry, Ralph Johnson, Del Johnson, Tommy Griffin, Dan Smith and Bill Morrison are all between 27 and 31 and should be productive for many more seasons. Only first baseman Mack Sutton, 37, is approaching the end of the line and Sutton rebounded with 31 homers last season after two years spent mostly on the bench.
Yes, there is plenty to celebrate at Thompson Field but also plenty of reason to believe more victory parades may be on the way.
*** Motors Major Surprise ***
You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who would have suggested the Detroit Motors would hoist the Challenge Cup in 1954. The Motors who their only Cup back in 1939 and have rarely been competitive since. Detroit has not won a playoff series in well over a decade but the 1954 edition surprised Chicago and then knocked off Toronto to claim the title. We also may have witnessed the early stages of development for the next star player in the NAHC as Alex Monette almost singlehandedly was responsible for the victory in the deciding game when he scored all four Detroit goals in a 4-3 Cup clinching win over the Dukes. Monette was the rookie of the year the previous season and finished fifth in league scoring during his sophomore season, combining with Nick Tardif to give the Motors a pair of elite offensive performers.
The news was not all good as both of Rollie Barrell's clubs struggled. The Detroit Mustangs, champions of the FBL just two years ago, were dreadful and won just 15 of 72 games to finish last in the West Division for the second straight season. Jack Kurtz and David Reed, long-time leaders, both struggled and appear near the end of the road but draft picks selected the past few years have not stepped up and the Mustangs look to be in a world of trouble. Fortunately, in basketball one good draft pick can turn a team around as Ward Messer did for Detroit when he arrived in 1948. Messer needs a supporting cast and Detroit will pick first again in the FBL draft so the opportunity to add a key piece is there.
Rollie's other club, the grid Maroons, have not had the success that was hoped for when his brother-in-law Tom Bowens was named head coach several years. The former star pass catcher for the Boston Americans has worked wonders with second year quarterback Sam Burson and the Maroons offense is rapidly improving, a major change from the last days of Frank Yurik.
The Maroons did post their second straight 6-6 season but the weak spot for a club that has not won the AFA title since 1936 and has made the playoffs just once in the post-war era is now its defense. There are some pieces to build on such as All-Pros linebacker Scott Cross and back Pete Schinkle but while the team gave us some hope with a playoff game in 1951, contention for a title still seems a little ways away as the Maroons look to join the other three local entries as league champions in the 1950s.
The Year That Was
Current events from 1954
- Jan 20- Rogers Pass, Montana records the coldest temperature in the contiguous United States at -70 F
- Jan 25- The foreign ministers of the United States, Britain, France and Russia meet at the Berlin Conference.
- Feb 10- After authorizing $385 million over the $400 million already budgeted for military aid to Vietnam, President Eisenhower warns against American intervention in Vietnam.
- Mar 1- Four Puerto Rican nationalists open fire in the United States House of Representatives, wounding five people before they apprehended.
- Mar 16- The Army-McCarthy hearings begin delving into conflicting accusations between the United States Army and Senator Joseph McCarthy around allegations of a request for preferential treatment for a former McCarthy aide.
- Apr 1- President Eisenhower authorizes the creation of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado
- Apr 16- Vice President Nixon announces that the United States may be "putting our own boys in Indochina regardless of Allied support."
- Jul 19- Elvis Presley releases his first single, a cover of "That's All Right"
- Sep 16- Lewis Strauss, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, in a speech to science writers claims "It is not too much to expect that our children will enjoy in their homes electrical energy too cheap to meter."
- Oct 15- Hurricane Hazel makes US landfall and becomes the only recorded Category 4 hurricane to strike as far north as North Carolina.
- Nov 23- The Dow Jones Industrial Average rises just under 1% to close at an all-time high of 382.74
- Dec 2- The US Senate votes to 67-22 to condemn Joseph McCarthy for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute."