[Tiger Fan]

1958 IN FIGMENT SPORTS
DECADE OF DOMINANCE PEAKS IN 1958 FOR DETROIT

It can easily be argued that the 1950s have given us the greatest sports decade one city could ever dream of. The decade has been magic ride for the Motor City highlighted by four World Championship Series wins and six pennants in the past seven years for a Detroit Dynamos club that had so often fallen just short in the 1940s and early fifties. Six titles might be plenty for any city but Detroiters also have celebrated three Challenge Cup wins, a Federal Basketball League title and two college national titles since 1952.

As if the start of the decade wasn't enough, the year just completed may well have been the greatest in terms of success any one city could ever hope for. The Dynamos won 95 games during the regular season to claim the Federal Association pennant and then continued their mastery of the Kansas City Kings with another World Championship victory- their third over the Kings and fourth overall in the past seven years. The ice Motors won the Challenge Cup in the spring, their third in five years, with a budding superstar in a Alex Monette and a record-setting performance by goaltender Henri Chasse, who had three shutouts in a six game triumph over the resurgent Montreal Valiants in the Cup finals. A few weeks before the Motors hoisted the Cup, Detroit City College cut down the nets at Bigsby Garden as the cage Knights won their first national collegiate basketball title. A few days after the Motors Cup win, the pro cage Detroit Mustangs advanced to the finals of the Federal Basketball League. The Mustangs, who won it all in 1952, tempered the excitement in Detroit just a little as they fell short as they ran into a red-hot Howie Farrell and fell to the New York Knights in five games in the finals.

In the fall, while the celebration of another Dynamos title was still going strong in some local watering holes, the Detroit Maroons football club won the AFA West Division for the first time since 1945. Unfortunately the Maroons came up short in their playoff game with Los Angeles, and Detroit has still not won a postseason grid contest since 1936 but there was suddenly hope that the Maroons may just finally join on the other three pro sports teams and win a title next year, before the decade, dominated by Detroit, comes to an end.

The Detroit City College football team, just three years removed from a national title of its own, had a very forgettable season after the Knights stumbled through a 5-5 campaign, but even that had a silver lining for the locals as the Knights finished their season off with a 31-16 pounding of their arch-rivals from Columbus, derailing any hopes Central Ohio might have had for its own grid glory.

Now before you go and think 1958 success was the exclusive domain of the Motor City, let's not forget the good old boys in Georgia as Noble Jones College won its second consecutive national collegiate football tittle and is now rivaling the great Rome State teams of the war years with the Colonels riding a 24 game winning streak. Washington also has a mini-dynasty going as the pro grid Wasps beat Los Angeles in the AFA finals for their second straight league title. And even New York, a city that lives and dies with the Gothams and was forced to suffer through the teams first losing season since 1945, still had something to cheer about. The Big Apple could not get its revenge on Detroit on the diamond, but the cage Knights did down the Mustangs to win their second Federal Basketball League title in five years.

Detroit may own the decade but New York still owns the most pro titles as the Knights cage win was the 27th professional sports championship won by a New York City team. Detroit, with two more this year, is climbing fast as the Motor City is tied with Chicago for second with 19 titles, two more than fourth place Boston.

It didn't take long in January for a FABL team to make a trade, as the Pioneers traded a J. Smith to the Sailors with Carl Matthews for outfielder Dixie Hutchings. Now Pioneer fans, fear not, your squad did not part with Jerry Smith, as instead dealing 6'7" slugging first basemen James Smith, who was more of a backup then starter with the Pioneers' farm clubs. Matthews is the big leaguer, and the 29-year-old third basemen was a useful bench piece for St. Louis in '57, slashing .260/.342/.521 (134 OPS+) in 111 trips to the plate. He started just 8 of his 81 appearances, adding 4 doubles, 7 homers, 19 RBIs, 20 runs, and 12 walks, and is set to fill a similar bench role with the Sailors. Hutchings, also 29, broke into the league with the then Philly Sailors, appearing in 118 games in their last season out east. The then 24-year-old hit a respectable .266/.350/.391 (107 OPS+), but in the four seasons to follow he hasn't surpassed the 104 starts he made as a rookie. Combined. Dixie did make 296 PAs for the Sailors last season, hitting an average .250/.348/.332 (98 OPS+). It was a minor deal, but quickly signaled that FABL squads weren't quite ready for the games to begin.

About a week later, the Keystones made an attempt to surround Buddy Miller (.366, 29, 105), as they added longtime Eagle starter Jim Heitzman for a two prospect package. A former 2nd Round Pick, Heitzman debuted in 1952, going 5-7 with a 3.31 ERA (107 ERA+) and 1.55 WHIP in 29 appearances (12 starts). Solid as it was, he did walk 89 with just 57 strikeouts in 119.2 innings, but it was a decent way to establish himself. From that season on, he surpassed the 120 inning mark, and was very valuable from 1954 to 1956. 29 in May, Heitzman is coming off the worst season of his career, leading the Fed in losses for the second time. Finishing 12-18, he had a rough 4.76 ERA (86 ERA+) with a 1.52 WHIP and 119 strikeouts. His 144 walks were also a Fed high, as Heitzman led two categories you'd prefer not to, but in 242 innings he did eat a lot of innings for a really bad team. Walks are always a concern for him, but he has a really good splitter and can be a durable, back-end starter. Philly can hope for a change of scenery bump, but even if it doesn't happen, the cost to acquire Heitzman won't break the bank.

Ted Cummings was the more promising prospect parted with, ranked as the league's 156th best prospect at the time of the trade. Taken 3rd in 1953, his prospect value has plummeted in recent years, as he was ranked as high as 16th and remained in the top 100 as recently as last year. A second basemen who was already on the 40 in order to protect him from the Rule-5 Draft, Cummings is a near big league ready hitter with a nice swing and high contact tool. He spent his '57 season between Class A and B, with almost equal time between both. Much better in A ball, he hit an outstanding .336/.352/.502 (148 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homers, and 23 RBIs, though his .288/.341/.411 (105 OPS+) line in A ball is pretty solid too. He's probably at least a year out of Washington, but their once promising middle infield of Tom Perkins (.234, 2, 29, 7) and Miller (.210, 9, 41) is getting old, and has yet to live up to their potential. Anything they can get from Joe Flanagan is then gravy, as the 24-year-old third basemen doesn't provide much more then a decently versatile bench piece.

LA and Detroit followed that up with a minor deal, as for some reason the Dynamos were willing to part with an intriguing young switch hitting shortstop in Mike Frost for a 28-year-old journeyman reliever in Bill Mason, but the big shot came a week and a half into February. Never one to shy from a big deal, the New York Gothams looked to add to their veteran rotation, picking up longtime Keystone ace Sam Ivey for 18-year-old first basemen Johnny Nelson. Ivey, who just turned 30, is coming off arguably the worst year of his career, going 11-12 with a 4.69 ERA (86 ERA+), 1.48 WHIP, and 114 walks, but he did strike out a career high 142 hitters in 240 innings pitched. A two-time All-Star, Ivey had a great debut season in 1951, where he went 13-5 with a 3.47 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.31 WHIP, and 96 strikeouts in 24 starts. He then made 34 or more starts in each of the next six seasons, and is just a year removed from his best season. He wasn't an All-Star, those nods came as a rookie and in 1953 (15-14, 4.37, 116), but he led the Fed with wins, an impressive 20-10 with a 3.41 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 120 walks, and 135 strikeouts. Walks have been what's stopped him from becoming the ace he was meant to be, but Ivey was a solid 99-80 with a 4.14 ERA (98 ERA+), 1.46 WHIP, and 793 strikeouts in 228 starts and 1,603.2 innings in a Keystone uniform.

Trading Ivey made it seem like the Heitzman trade was less supporting Miller and more finding a replacement for Ivey, as the Keystones pitching staff now is back to being a bottom three rotation in the association. The return is somewhat puzzling too, as they're taking a chance on an 18-year-old catcher/first basemen who may not catch much more as he ruptured his Achilles last summer. Just 17 games after being a 2nd Round selection, Nelson at least had a beautiful .370/.431/.674 (173 OPS+) batting line, but he's not much of a prospect. He does have great power and a solid eye, but he's extremely raw, poor defensively, and has an exploitable hole in his swing that may lead to a lot of whiffs. It's not the type of deal Keystones fans would like to see, but perhaps they believe Ivey's best days our now in the rear view mirror.

As spring approached, just one more notable deal was completed, as the Eagles picked up 176th ranked prospect Sammy Whipps in a two-for-two deal with the Dynamos. The most exciting player involved, Whipps was once a 9th Round Pick, and has since been with the Saints, Cougars, and Dynamos organizations. Most notably, he was involved in the trade that brought Garland Phelps (.240, 1, 11), but he was just traded less then two months ago from the Cougars in a five player deal with Ted Beaven (1-4, 3, 5.87, 21). The 22-year-old Whipps is a 6'3'' righty with solid stuff, and he'll give the Eagles a useful pitching prospect they can develop into a future rotation piece.

When Opening Day came again, all eyes were again on the Dynamos, who were the clear favorite int he Fed, even if some in OSA thought the Gothams could match them pound-for-pound. As good as the Gothams are, I don't think they match up, as Detroit has the better lineup and pitching. Boston and Chicago should make some noise too, but assuming a major injury, crazy breakout, or big deadline move, they'll continue their dynasty with another Fed pennant. I'd expect their opponent to be a common one, with both the Foresters and Kings the class of the Conti. Don't leave out the Cannons, who have an excellent 1-2-3 and added Doc Clay (10-13, 3.11, 120) to a strong rotation. All this writer is asking for, however, is a pair of exciting pennant races! Us baseball fans deserve excitement!

Instead of excitement, it was surprise in the early goings, as the world class Dynamos were 5-10 and tied for the worst record when April ended. The Gothams (12-4) and Chiefs (11-4) were red hot, and Detroit even lost 10 of their first 13 before taking the first two of a three game set with fellow cellar dwellers Boston in Beantown. By now, however, we all know better then to doubt Detroit, as the Dynamos finished the Minutemen off with a sweep and used that momentum to propel them to a 22-8 May. As you'd expect, that brought them back to first, two above the surprising Pioneers (25-20), while the Gothams plummeted to 7th with a 10-22 month that pretty much sank their season. It even sparked a trade of veterans, as towards the end of the month, New York sent out both John Stallings (0-3, 1, 5.40, 15) and Chief Lewis (.210, 1, 9, 8) to the active Eagles, picking up a 27-in-July switch hitter Johnny Taylor. A former Cannon who came in the Ike Perry deal, New York was hoping his bat would spark the floundering club, as Taylor hit .312/.427/.656 (179 OPS+) in 117 PAs in the nation's capital. The corner bat can handle first, left, and right, expected to spell Joe DeMott, Rex Pilcher, and Bill Barrett when they need rest.

Despite Detroit's excellent record, three teams were within five games of them, while no one in the Conti was less then the five out of the Saints (25-21). At 29-15, Brooklyn was firing on all cylinders, and benefited from elite May's from Hank Williams (.405, 4, 23), Ken Newman (.390, 8, 34), Charlie Rogers (.336, 4, 13, 4), Beau McClellan (6-0, 2.17, 28), Walt Staton (2-0, 1.96, 8), Mike Thorpe (4-2, 2.85, 23), Del Lamb (1-0, 4, 0.79, 8), and Wally Graves (1-0, 1.54, 8). If this could be maintained, or at least them continuing to score the most runs and allow the fewest, Kansas City will have a legit chance for their third pennant in five season. Still looking for that first WCS title after the move, this was starting to shape up as the Kings year, as their high powered squad could keep up with any and everyone.

In June, however, the Montreal Saints made a run at the Kings, going 19-9 before pulling into a tie on the 29th. The Kings reclaimed the lead on the final day of the month because they played (and won) while Montreal was recovering from a tight double header sweep, but they started to really get going on the back of their new star. Third year outfielder Harry Swain hit an excellent .347/.434/.510 (146 OPS+) with 4 doubles, 4 homers, and 12 RBIs before hitting the IL with forearm inflammation after leaving a 7-3 loss when trying to throw out Cougar third basemen Jim Chaplin at home. Losing him will be tough, even if he should be back in mid July, forcing them to hope that Joe Austin (.295, 1, 20, 6), Jim Johnston (.297, 2, 7), and Swain replacement Hippo Wallace (.293, 6) can build off strong Junes. At times the starts were shaky, but the Saints won a lot of close games with excellent pen work from Skinny Green (2-0, 4, 1.50, 8). He finished off strong starts for Tom Fisher (4-2, 2.93, 14) and Phil Murry (3-3, 3.38, 29), while Andy Logue (2-0, 1, 2.08, 13) branched the gap well when the back three couldn't get it to the late innings. The rotation is a spot they can look to improve in, as Montreal has made it known they'd part with some of their top prospects for a top of the rotation arm.

Even without Swain, Montreal finished the first half hot, sweeping the Cannons to take first before a crucial series with the Kings in Kansas City. The Saints offense jumped on Fred Washington, tagging the 2-Time Allen Winner for 10 hits and 6 runs in 4.2 innings pitched. Bill Heim (2-5, 2 RBI) hit his 7th homer of the season off Washington in the 4th, and starting pitcher John Fisher was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. Those two runs driven in matched the runs he allowed, as the 31-year-old improved to 9-5 after going 7.2 innings with 5 hits and 2 runs, walks, and strikeouts. Eight guys contributed hits to the 9-2 victory, and they extended their division lead to a game and a half. They added another the next afternoon, as Joe Austin (2-4, 3 R, 3 RBI, BB, HR, SB) and Bill Elkins (3-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, SB) helped pile on in the commanding 10-4 win. The score looks a bit closer then it was too, as Kansas City added two off mop-up man Dick Garcia (0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER) in the ninth. The Kings lineup had far less success with Max Edwards, who held them to two in seven with 5 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. No hits from the Montreal starter today, but Bill Heim (2-4, 2 RBI, BB) continued to provide support for his pitching staff.

Montreal's 49-30 record was the best at the break, with Detroit (48-33) and Kansas City (47-32) not too far behind. Detroit's five game lead was nicer then the one Montreal had, as they were getting absurd production from 25-year-old infielder Dick Tucker. A natural middle infielder, he didn't have a spot with Stan Kleminski and Joe Reed occupying second and short, but his bat forced his way into a spot at first base. In April he hit .390/.500/.683 (206 OPS+) and just did not look back. With 11 homers, 10 doubles, and 29 RBIs in June, he ensured his name on the lineup card at a position he's almost never played before this season: First Base.

Tucker certainly hit like a first basemen, as June Player of the Month hit .430/.513/.880 (256 OPS+) and appeared in all 30 games for the team that just never seems to run out of talent. The first time All-Star was hitting .376/.474/.698 at the break, and seemed like a surefire lock for the Whitney Award in first season as a FABL start. A former 4th Round Pick, the son of one-year Keystone Mike Tucker (.256, 1, 4) was always a highly ranked prospect, but with Detroit's depth his playing time was limited by his youth and the number's game. His breakout could end with a pennant, as he lengthens a lineup that already had Edwin Hackberry, Bill Morrison, Dan Smith, Dick Estes, Stan Kleminski, and Joe Reed. It's the always unfair instance of the rich getting richer, and the Pioneers (42-37), Miners (41-38), Chiefs (40-39), Minutemen (41-41), and Gothams (39-43) all have their work cut out for them.

*** All Star Game ***

The 26th annual all-star game was held at Boston's Minutemen Stadium and the big news was veteran outfielder Bill Barrett became the first player to be selected for 14 of the midseason classics. Barrett, was a reserve on the Federal Association squad and went 0-for-3 in the game. He had entered the contest tied with retired stars Bobby Barrell and George Cleaves for most appearances with 13. The only other active player with double-digit selections under his belt named to this year's team was Deuce Barrell of Cleveland, who was part of the Continental Association squad for the 11th time.

The CA stars won for the fourth year in a row, claiming an 8-5 victory and now lead the all-time series by a 15-11 margin. Kansas City Kings infielder Ken Newman delivered the key blow, a 3-run homer in the 8th inning to pace the CA to victory but the player of the game award went to Washington Eagles second year catcher Brad Keylon, who had a double and a homerun in the contest.

TRADING HEATED UP RIGHT AFTER ALL-STAR BREAK

Teams barely had a chance to welcome their players back from the al-star game before the trading began with the first place Saints making a big move to acquire Ralph Hanson (.281, 2, 32, 11) from the Cincinnati Cannons. Along with Hanson, Montreal got young catcher Fred Rogers and former top-100 prospect Les Sasson, sending away 14th ranked prospect Babe Booth and longtime catcher Jess Garman (.167, 6, 25). Garman, who turns 32 in August, was as recently as last season (.256, 10, 43) an above average starting catcher. This year, however, he was hitting just .167/.269/.268 (41 OPS+) and is an underrated addition by subtraction. Garland Phelps has emerged as the starter behind the plate after hitting .360/.484/.560 (172 OPS+) in June, and Hanson's versatility allows the Saints the ability to cast a wider net on later upgrades. Hitting .281/.351/.401 (94 OPS+) in 74 games with the Cannons, Hanson was playing primarily left field, and is expected to spend about two-thirds of his time there and one-third at third. The speedy Hanson picked up 20 extra base hits, 11 steals, and 31 runs, posting a positive 30-to-17 walk-to-strikeout ratio.

The trade capped off a five and a half season tenure in the Queen City, as Hanson gathered more then twice as many plate appearances with the Cannons (3,230) as he did with the Stars (1,489). Interestingly, he hit a similar .292/.336/.423 (111 OPS+) with the Cannons, not far off from the .293/.334/.416 (113 OPS+) he hit in parts of four seasons in New York. Cincinnati did well in bringing in Babe Booth, who has grown along way since being selected in the 7th Round of the 1953 draft. Just 17, he held his own against much older competition in the UMVA, and he opened the 1958 season as the #7 prospect in baseball. Now 22, he was hitting .292/.361/.421 (107 OPS+) with 10 doubles, 4 homers, and 19 RBIs in 43 games for the Saints' Class A affiliate. A 6'3'' middle infielder, Booth is projected to maintain averages over .300, with the potential to provide above average power as well. Right now the Cannons have Al Farmer at second, but with how bad they played in June (11-21) he could be on the way out too. Even if he survives the season, he's going to be 33 in September, and he'll offer little resistance once Booth hits his way up to the big leagues.

Things were quiet for a bit on the trade front, but there was plenty of drama on the field. The first place Dynamos got swept to start the second half, dropping all three in Chicago against the Chiefs. Detroit then lost two of three in St. Louis, and after two more losses to the Minutemen the Dynamos five game lead was completely erased. St. Louis technically had the edge as 48-39 (.552) is better then 49-40 (.551), and Boston (48-41) was a game back of both. These two teams were able to take down Detroit with head-to-head wins, allowing the pennant race to heat up.

Another sell-off from the Cannons to heat the stove back up, as on the 23rd they made what would be the second of many deadline moves. Shipping out someone they just picked up last deadline, the struggling Joe Quade (3-6, 5.44, 44) was sent to the Sailors for a pair of prospects. The Sailors have a nice 1-2- with Bud Henderson and George Reynolds, but the rest of the staff has trouble keeping runs off the board. Quade is the type of veteran the Sailors like attempting to fix, and he gives them a durable arm out of the pen or rotation as they search for better pitching. He was at little cost too, but 1956 5th Rounder Whitey Young could be a guy that fills some sort of role on a big league staff. A four pitch pitcher, Young functioned as a swingman for the Sailors A-ball team, going 4-2 with 3 saves and 2 holds in 21 appearances (7 starts). Young worked to a 2.28 ERA (171 ERA+), 3.19 FIP (81 FIP-), and 1.32 WHIP in 71 impressive innings. His stuff isn't great, but he generates a lot of ground balls, and a new organization may be able to improve the quality of his pitches.

Cincinnati continued to sell, sending veteran starter Jimmy Block (8-9, 3.97, 82) to Detroit, reliever Denny Cecil (4-3, 1, 5.04, 44) to the Kansas City, young stopper John Gibson (3-6, 13, 2.76, 17) to St. Louis, and finally veteran outfielder Max Conrad (.347, 4, 18, 1) to Montreal. None of the prospects received come close to Babe Booth, but the Gibson trade brought in a pair of exciting top-200 prospects. I prefer John Power, who ranked 128th at the time of the trade and was traded a year and a day ago in the huge Rex Pilcher blockbuster. Power has gone from throw-in to co-headliner, as the switch hitting second basemen has displayed excellent plate discipline for his age. The 21-year-old drew walks in 13.6% of his plate appearances after joining the Pioneers, and was at a similar 11.9% in 88 PAs this year. The issue with Power, however, is a lot of his other offensive talents are speculative, as he's not yet hitting for a high average or a lot of power. With patience, both could come, but right now he has a long journey ahead of him. Dale Arter, a 22-year-old lefty hitter was one of Power's teammates in Moline, and seems likely to join his trademate in Burlington. A former 2nd Round Pick, he once ranked as high as 68th in the league's prospect list, but he's all the way down to 163rd at the time of the trade. He's a big kid with an above average hit tool, but injuries have already started to see him shift from the outfield to first. Both are high ceiling, low floor players, and it's an interesting approach for the team to take.

And then there was Pete Rivera, who despite being part of the trade for arguably the worst of the players moved, he could be the best of the prospects received. The 24-year-old made 16 starts for the Saints AA team, going 6-8 with a 2.71 ERA (145 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, 51 walks, and 69 strikeouts. A former 2nd Round Pick, he had a few brief appearances on the back-half of the top 100. More of a back-end starter, Rivera has FABL quality stuff, he just doesn't always locate it well. As a groundballer, he doesn't make many home run mistakes, but he did have some issues (24 HR, 1.0 HR/9) in AA last season. With the young righties deep six pitch mix, he can give hitters fits, and if the Cannons continue to deal from their FABL talent, he could quickly pitch his way into their rotation picture.

On the buy side, Kansas City was one of the more active teams, as the reigning Continental pennant winners made a considered effort to upgrade their roster and support their repeat attempt. Before picking up Cecil from the Cannons, they added shortstop Red Ellis (.233, 10, 32, 7), who has been one of the least valuable position players the past few seasons. The 31-year-old is a career .234/.300/.314 (68 OPS+) hitter and has been a sub-replacement player in what could be four consecutive seasons. It's a somewhat puzzling acquisition considering the poor performance, but the Kings haven't got much from their middle infield and a change of scenery could do him well. He's already matched his career high for homers in 91 games, and considering the depth in the Kings lineup they just need him to not be worse at the plate then their pitchers. They were even willing to part with Larry McLaren, a 21-year-old catcher in Class B, they took 15th in 1955. Ranked outside the top 200 prospect list, he has hit a solid .321/.434/.580 (156 OPS+) with 28 doubles, 13 homers, and 56 RBIs in 332 trips to the plate. He has good power and a good eye, and the Kings seem confident with Dutch Miller as catcher now and in the future.

Completing their deadline with a blockbuster on the 30th, the first place Kings (57-41) managed to pry Eddie Web from the Stars, sending five prospects to LA for their 25-year-old ace. Taken 6th Overall in 1950, Webb was in the midst of a breakout season, working to a 2.95 ERA (156 ERA+) and 3.20 FIP (76 FIP-) in 23 starts as a Star. An unlucky 6-9, he had an excellent 1.27 WHIP with 48 walks and 101 strikeouts in 155.2 innings pitched. Named to the All-Star game for the first time in his career, Webb appeared to be a longterm piece for the rebuilding Stars, instead thrust into a rotation with multiple Allen winners and pennant aspirations. By adding this sinkerballer, KC made a huge statement with this acquisition, as Webb has started to flash ace potential. The stuff isn't great, but he has excellent control, allowing him to try to get batters to chase early in the count knowing he can place a strike if he needs to. A groundballer like him could be better served we a better defensive middle infield, but with plenty of run support Webb has a chance to flip his record.

Leading the prospect package was 74th ranked prospect John Essex, who was joined by LF Emil Grenier, 1B Ed Sharp, 3B Eddie Westfall, and RHP Earl Wright. Whether all the "Es" were on purpose or not is up for debate, but among the group Essex seems the most likely to develop into a FABL regular. Just 19, the versatile outfielder was taken 15th by the Kings last season, and he was playing well down in Class B for their Tampa affiliate. Spending most of his time at the hot corner, Essex hit a productive .297/.437/.418 (118 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 15 RBIs, and 29 runs scored. A 40-to-19 walk-to-strikeout rate fueled his 130 WRC+, and he drew a walk in over 20% of his 199 trips to the plate. He hasn't shown much power so far, but scouts think he could hit 30 or more in a season, so it's clear why he was targeted. With a nice swing, good discipline, positional versatility, and a ton of power, he's even got some speed too, making him a well-rounded prospect who seems likely to contribute to their future plans.

Essex wasn't the only first rounder involved, as LA also got Kansas City's 1st Round pick from 1953, Emil Greiner. A towering 6'4'' slugger, Greiner has yet to pass the low minors, and would need to be protected in the Rule-5 draft this coming offseason. Ranked inside the top 200, but outside the top 100, Greiner is a bat first prospect who still doesn't have the discipline portion of the game figured out yet. He's got the strength and power to hit a lot of home runs, but he just has not made enough contact yet to provide meaningful production. Despite his age, he hit just .319/.380/.410 (101 OPS+) in 85 games, not good enough for a guy who can only play left or first. And play is using the term loosely. But what does work in his favor is his makeup, as teammates love Greiner and he makes the players around him better. A good organizational pieces like that is huge, and the Stars can be patient with his development from here on out.

Earl Wright was the only pitcher in the deal, and the well traveled righty will leave the Kings organization almost eight months after they signed him. The 23-year-old ranked 249th among FABL prospects at the time of the trade, and made 16 of his 19 starts with Class A Springfield. The former Miner 15th Round Pick was an even 6-6 with a 3.93 ERA (104 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, 51 walks, and 84 strikeouts. He has solid pure stuff, mixing in four solid pitches, but his command isn't always good. He'll need to polish that up to fill a starting spot, but he's got a chance to break into a rotation. Sharp and Westfall don't rank highly as prospects, but they were 4th and 2nd Round picks. Sharp was taken back in 1953, and seems destined for minor league filler, but Westfall still projects to be a bench piece. Taken in last year's draft, he went through three levels last year, and hit .263/.377/.407 (110 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 7 homers, and 40 RBIs prior to the trade.

The last major move of deadline season came on the day of, as the only trade involving FABL players was a big one. An immediate response to the Kings adding Webb, Montreal picked up 25-year-old Jim Montgomery from the Wolves for a pair of top 100 prospects. Montgomery, who led the Conti in losses last season, was outstanding in his 21 starts this year, going 13-8 with a 3.86 ERA (110 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 39 walks, and 97 strikeouts. That 2.5 K/BB was among tops in the league, and the only thing hurting "Three-Pitch Monte" this year was the longball. He surrendered 23 in 158.2 innings, but a move to the Parc Cartier should help keep those under control. A fan favorite who will be missed in Toronto, Montgomery solidifies a rotation that has been plagued with inconsistency. With 723 FABL innings under his belt, he's more established then your regular 25-year-old hurler, and his 3.80 ERA (105 ERA+) and 1.26 WHIP are pretty impressive. Even better, he has a 3.43 FIP (85 FIP-) and 2.6 K/BB, starting 75 of his 173 appearances with Toronto.

Montreal had to pay a pretty penny, parting with last year's 10th overall pick Phil Story, who jumped all the way up to #33 on the prospect list. Just 19, he was hitting a respectable .236/.425/.371 (85 OPS+) in 24 games, showcasing a patient approach and ability to draw a lot of walks. The power is decent now too, but when he fills out he'll hit for above average power. He's got star power potential, and with Gordie Perkins' age and John Wells never quite mastering defense, shortstop is wide open now and in the future. Story isn't the greatest defender, but the bat should be good enough to keep him in the lineup. Toronto also picked up 65th ranked prospect Wilson Pearson, who Montreal took 3rd in 1956. The 23-year-old was dominating in AAA for the Syracuse Excelsiors, 9-3 with a 2.65 ERA (136 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, 42 walks, and 73 strikeouts. A three pitch pitcher, he profiles as a starter in the majors, but his stuff isn't quite good enough now. Toronto announced Pearson would take Montgomery's spot on the staff, as his new organization would like to see him pitch out of their pen. His slider and splitter should play well there, and if he can limit the need for his fastball, he could pitch really well for the Wolves down the stretch.

*** Dynamos and Kings Step Up In Stretch Run ***

When the trade deadline dust all settled, the fourth place teams in both associations were no more then five games out of first, setting up an exciting final two months of the season. In the Fed, Detroit (59-44) still led the pack, at least three and a half clear of the rest of the association. Boston (55-47), St. Louis (55-48), and the Chiefs (53-47) were all in reach, but those teams wouldn't get to face the Dynamos too much. Only the Pioneers get more then two games, a series in Detroit to start the month and one in St. Louis towards the end, so any misstep against lesser competition could prove costly. It was similar in the Conti, where Kansas City (58-41) trying to keep Montreal (57-43) in the rear view mirror. Cleveland (54-46) and San Francisco (54-47) are one bad series away from falling out, but there should be plenty of excitement as we look to crown the 1958 champion.

Detroit took advantage of the easy schedule, as after taking two of three from the Pioneers to kick off August they won series with the Miners, Keystones, Miners again, and Gothams before their next contest with St. Louis. The only two series the Dynamos didn't win, they split, matching the Gothams in New York and the Chiefs in Chicago. When they got to St. Louis, they were nine clear of the Pioneers (63-57) and Minutemen (62-56), with the Chiefs (62-57) a half game behind them. It's a good thing too, as the Pioneers won two one-run games before Win Lewis (6.1 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K) and Bill Kline (2.2 IP, 3 BB, K) combined for a 7-0 shutout. This allowed them and the Minutemen, who swept the Keystones, to come within six, as the Dynamos headed to Boston for two with the Minutemen. This time the Dynamos were on the right side of things, edging Boston 2-1 in 11 on Sunday before Jim Norris' (9 IP, 6 H, BB, 5 K) 6-hit shutout allowed the guests to escape with a mini two game sweep. Detroit went on to win five of their next six, finishing August a Fed best 19-8.

St. Louis played well, 16-11 in August and 4-2 against Detroit, so it's unfair they opened the final month of the season seven games out of first. September will be a critical month, and starting out with winning their two home series is a month. After that it's thirteen on the road, with just three home games after an off-day on September 8th. This could be a legacy month for 6-Time All-Star Jerry Smith, who hit an impressive .368/.461/.653 (185 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 6 homers, 24 RBIs, 17 runs, and 18 walks in August. They'll have their work cut out for them, but with the association's top pitching staff thanks to their young breakout rookies Billy Hasson and Frenchy Mack. Boston (68-60) and Chicago (68-61) are both within ten, but it will be tough for any of these three teams to make a miracle run.

Things looked dire in the Continental, as no team was within ten games of the first place Kansas City Kings (81-49). Montreal (71-60) finished below .500 for the month, allowing the red hot Foresters (71-59) to sneak past them, but it would take a lot for Rufus Barrell, Adrian Czerwinski, and Sherry Doyal to overtake a Kansas City club that could go on and lead the association in runs scored and allowed. The Eddie Webb trade paid instant dividends, as the deadline pickup was a perfect 5-0 with a 3.08 ERA (136 ERA+) and 41 strikeouts in his seven August starts. Hank Williams continues to be the star, hitting 13 doubles, 6 homers, 24 walks, and 28 runs scored and driven in to go with his .381/.486/.695 (204 OPS+) batting line.

As expected, the Dynamos cruised to the finish, going 17-7 in September. The 796 runs they scored were most in the Fed, as surprise Whitney runner up Dick Tucker had a crazy breakout season that would have been good enough for the award had he been the starter all season. Tucker hit an excellent .355/.449/.615 (175 OPS+), with his .449 OBP the highest in the Fed. In 602 PAs he logged 90 runs, 30 doubles, 3 triples, 32 homers, 120 RBIs, 82 walks, and a 7.4 WAR, emerging as yet another star on an already loaded Dynamo team. He's joined by Joe Reed (.282, 28, 108, 6), Stan Kleminski (.290, 6, 76, 19), Dick Estes (.265, 18, 63), Edwin Hackberry (.272, 18, 62, 23), Dan Smith (.262, 15, 70), and Bill Morrison (.316, 15, 57, 5) in the deepest lineup out there. They were able to overcome multiple injuries during the season, and when they went to the bench guys like Pat Petty (.341, 6, 23) and Ralph Johnson (.295, 5, 18) did well when called upon.

The staff had no injuries, with the top four in their rotation making 129 of the 154 (83.8%) of the team's starts. The rest went to either Bob Allen (12-6, 13, 4.19, 81) or deadline pickup Jimmy Block (4-4, 4.99, 30; 12-13, 4.26, 112), though the 1958 Federal Association pennant winners skip their five whenever they can. Jack Miller (10-10, 4.46, 110) endured a down year, posting an ERA above 3.75 for the first time since 1950, but the top three were as effective as ever. In the postseason, that's really all you need, as Detroit will turn to Jim Norris (20-10, 3.32, 144), Paul Anderson (21-9, 3.52, 123), and Jack Halbur (11-11, 3.58, 93) in their title quest. Aside from Allen and John Herron (7-6, 10, 4.99, 23), the Dynamos don't use their pen much, as second year manager Verlin Alexander is able to trust his workhorses to pitch good enough with the ample run support they receive from the dangerous lineup.

Three other teams finished with more then 80 wins, all of which might think they're a shrewd offseason away from taking the pennant for themselves. Boston (82-72) finished a game ahead of the Chiefs (81-73) and Pioneers (81-73). A balanced attack, Boston has a solid lineup and rotation, with the rotation finally developing a star to match. A full season starter for the first time at 21, Don Griffin led the Fed with a 2.78 ERA (150 ERA+), 64 FIP- (2.69 FIP), 1.04 WHIP, and 8.3 WAR. An All-Star swingman last season, Griffin proved last season was no fluke, as he finished 16-13 in his 35 starts with 56 walks and 191 strikeouts in 246 innings pitched. Despite the records, Griffin, Foster Sherman (12-11, 3.65, 140), and Dick Wilson (11-10, 4.10, 105) all pitched well, and the Minutemen may just be one starter away from a pennant. They played well even with a relative down season from Marshall Thomas (.294, 18, 58), George Rutter (.276, 12, 42), and Leon Wallace (.263, 9, 32). Sam Walker (.303, 22, 86) had a huge season behind the plate as Rick Masters (.326, 33, 99) and Jack Denis (.346, 27, 96) continued to be among the most productive sluggers in the game. This team will be trouble next season, and if stopper Bob Hollister (6-5, 14, 2.55, 35) can live up to his prospect billing, they may have a Don Griffin type breakout on their hands again next season.

Al Miller did not make it five consecutive elite seasons, and the now 43-year-old righty even led the Fed with 21 losses. His 4.21 ERA (99 ERA+) was below average for the first time since 1953, but his 3.68 FIP (88 FIP-) adds to the fact that Miller might have been the most unlucky pitcher in the league. He still struck out 112 and walked just 61, throwing 245.2 innings across 36 starts. The mentor of the staff has now been passed by Vern Osborne (19-8, 2.87, 150), who was selected to his 3rd All-Star game in a bounce-back campaign. Offseason pickup Dick Champ (19-9, 3.54, 128) and last year's 20-game winner Joe Cipolla (11-15, 3.53, 174) are ready to pass their master next season, as the Chiefs have a talented young rotation to lean on. Rod Shearer (.287, 26, 120, 9) may never get his Whitney, but he continues to be the best bat in the lineup. Doc Zimmerman (.323, 16, 67, 9) and Ed Bloom (.314, 7, 63, 23) were just as good, if not better, and with one more bat they could be the one to overtake the Dynamos next season.

St. Louis will instead hope its them, as they finished above .500 for the first time since 1952. They did it on the backs of the best pitching in the association, as Billy Hasson went from 89th ranked prospect to Allen Award winner. A 5th Rounder back in 1955, Hasson got a cup of coffee out of the pen last season, and went on to stymie Federal hitters all season long. Finishing 15-11, Hasson threw an association high 282.1 innings, striking out 185 and walking 96 with a 3.03 ERA (139 ERA+), 3.30 FIP (78 FIP-), and 1.21 WHIP. Just 24, the five-pitch pitcher has emerged as a weapon on the mound, and OSA ranks him among the ten best pitchers in the game. He was the driving force, but all five members of the rotation had above average ERAs, and they got another young breakout arm in Frenchy Mack. Showing signs of Hal Hackney, Mack led the Fed with 253 strikeouts, though it came with 22 homers and 130 walks in 238.2 innings pitched. An even 13-13, the third-year lefty had a 3.70 ERA (114 ERA+), 3.59 FIP (85 FIP-), and 1.41 WHIP, and is already regarded as a leader in the Pioneer clubhouse. Former Sailor vets John Thomas Johnson (8-6, 3.21, 76) and Win Lewis (12-6, 3.86, 89) were reliable and now 22-year-old righty Butch Abrams (12-11, 4.09, 144) could be a season away from joining Hasson and Mack atop the rotation.

What's holding back St. Louis is the offense, as only the Miners (679) scored less runs then the Pioneers (680) did this year. Outfielder Jerry Smith can be built around, as he had a 147 WRC+ and hit .292/.394/.536 (139 OPS+) on the season. The former fifth overall pick and prospect was a counting stat king, picking up 109 runs, 30 doubles, 33 homers, 104 RBNIs, 94 walks, and 14 steals in 150 games. This is exactly the type of hitter St. Louis wanted when they sent a five prospect package to the Cougars to acquire him. He doesn't have much protection in the lineup, but rookie center fielder Bill Bather (.272, 17, 90) was a unique leadoff hitter and Larry Gregory (.287, 12, 76, 6) keeps going at 35. Otis Ballard (.278, 9, 58, 8) and Sam Ruggles (.311, 11, 60) are nice supplemental pieces, but they are a big bopper away from really making some noise.

Pittsburgh may have finished 76-78 this season, but Miners fans must have been thrilled with the vintage season turned in by Paul Williams. The then 31-year-old vet hit an elite .326/.433/.632 (170 OPS+), leading the Fed in runs (111), doubles (44), homers (40), RBIs (138), slugging, OPS (1.066), WRC+ (182), and wOBA (.454) in what should have been a Whitney Winning season. A major breakout, he set personal bests for doubles, homers, runs, hits (181), slugging, OPS, WRC+, wOBA, and WAR (7.2). Even more impressive, he did this on the lowest scoring offense, as no one could really do much to help him. Irv Clifford (.312, 1, 40, 20) was solid atop the lineup, while the Miners' outfielders did plenty of damage. Bill Tutwiler (.301, 7, 55, 10) showed no signs of injury, offseason pickup Frank Selander (.310, 6, 37, 2) was useful in a reserve role, and Bill Newhall (.282, 13, 79) continued to provide Pittsburgh with above average offense. That's not enough there, especially considering breakout 35-year-old Sid Moulton (20-10, 3.06, 146) was their only competent starter, but they may have another starter on the way in their young high leverage righty George Kollock (6-1, 5, 3.63, 49).

Instead of Williams, the Whitney went to Buddy Miller, who won his third at 28. Leading the league in just average, WAR (7.8), and hits (215), Miller slashed .366/.421/.595 (166 OPS+) with 26 doubles, 11 triples, 29 homers, 105 RBIs, and 107 runs. While solid, it seems to pale in comparison to "The Spark Plug," and Miller played for a last place team that won just 62 games. Miller did help facilitate scoring, but top to bottom the lineup was actually pretty solid. Al Coulter (.274, 25, 80), Sal Nigro (.279, 13, 41), Lloyd Coulter (.244, 32, 96), Ed Thompson (.308, 13, 79), Armando Estrada (.288, 14, 59), and Tom Cooprider (.272, 10, 48) all had above average offensive seasons. This is a nice foundation for a lineup, and if the Keystones ever stop trading their pitchers, they could finally compete with their three-time winner. They'll need to hold on to 24-year-old William Davis (11-6, 3.71, 113), who was one of the few starters who game the Keystones good starts all season, but I wouldn't be overly surprised if they shipped out offseason pickup Jim Heitzman (8-16, 4.64, 102). He had a rough season at 29, and they have a 23-year-old in Charlie Rushing (7-17, 15, 5.98, 73) who could move from stopper to the rotation. With better seasons from him, Heitzman, and 19-year-old rookie Joe Kienle (8-13, 4.78, 114), perhaps the Keystones can be a surprise contender as Buddy Miller approaches 30.

Despite making big additions and a roster full of stars, the New York Gothams were a disappointing 76-78, as Earl Howe (.249, 30, 103, 8) was merely above average and not his normal elite. Hank Estill (.291, 33, 110) and Bill Barrett (.359, 22, 55) kept slugging, as the trio still managed to lead the team to a second place finish in runs scored. Ed Holmes (.295, 11, 67, 13), Rex Pilcher (.253, 28, 86), and Lew Mercer (.287, 20, 80, 6) all impressed at the plate, but the pitching let the team down. Ace Jorge Arellano (12-12, 4.06, 129) was merely average, as was Eddie Martin (13-6, 3.99, 107), while offseason pickups Lou Walker (10-10, 4.96, 79) and Sam Ivey (7-8, 2, 4.87, 77) were total duds. Knowing the Gothams, they'll do something to improve their chances for 1959.

That leaves just the Eagles, who improved on their 1957 record by 12 wins. Going from 51-103 to 63-91 got them out of last place, a game clear of the Keystones at the bottom. On the bright side, their young talent is starting to emerge, as 24-year-old outfielder Jim Baccari was named the Fed's Kellogg Winner. The 1952 2nd Rounder hit a respectable .298/.370/.468 (118 OPS+) with a 128 WRC+, 16 doubles, 5 triples, 20 homers, and 94 RBIs. He's not the only young player to play a key role, as last year's Kellogg winner Brad Keylon (.323, 7, 71) was selected to his second All-Star game, 22-year-old outfielder Jack Thompson (.320, 12, 75) provided above average offense and defense, and first year starter Enos Bailey (.317, 7, 59) might have earned himself the first base job long-term. The pitching staff is a complete mess, but help could soon be on the horizon with 19-year-old lefty Otto Caudill. Ranked as the 12th best prospect, he pitched a pair of September games for the Eagles, and has already flashed elite stuff at the big level. He's got ace potential and may already be the best starter on the team, but it's going to take a lot more then just one quality starter before the Eagles are taken seriously by the rest of the association.

*** Kings Had Easy Path to Flag ***

Montreal managed to get within five games of Kansas City, but it never really felt like the Kings were in any danger of losing the lead this time around. Finishing 91-63 and seven ahead of the next best, the Kings were clearly the best team in the association. Scoring the most runs (833) and allowing the fewest (652), it's no surprise they finished on top, and a lot of that can be attributed to Hank Williams. Despite playing just 138 games, Williams was named the Whitney Winner for 1958, but it's hard to argue with selecting a guy who hit .387/.471/.647 (188 OPS+) with 40 doubles, 29 homers, 109 RBIs, 117 runs, and a 85-to-32 walk-to-strikeout ratio. That alone is enough to make a grown pitcher cry, but he has Bryan Jeffries (..265, 19, 72, 6) and Charlie Rogers (.330, 17, 87, 18) ahead of him and Ken Newman (.334, 24, 129) and Dutch Miller (.262, 14, 84) behind him. Deadline pickup Red Ellis (.256, 2, 17; .239, 12, 49, 7) didn't do much, but their other add Eddie Webb is a huge reason they held on this time around.

Webb ended up leading the CA with a 2.86 ERA in his 239.1 innings between the Kings and Stars, and he really turned things up after the trade. In those 11 starts the first-time All-Star was 7-2 with a 2.69 ERA (141 ERA+), 3.20 FIP (76 FIP-), 1.11 WHIP, 20 walks, and 54 strikeouts. The rotation was already filled with stars prior to Webb's arrival, as Beau McClellan (17-14, 3.48, 196), Mike Thorpe (14-12, 3.34, 110), Tony Britten (12-9, 3.76, 99), and Fred Washington (9-10, 4.21, 143) already occupied it. In the pen, Kansas City received surprisingly dominant production from offseason addition Gordon McDonald (7-2, 4, 2.92, 48), who outpitched stopper Larry Rush (3-6, 10, 4.14, 21) late in games. Detroit has had their number, already foiling the Kings championship dreams twice, but this team has a ton of talent and could finally best their boogeyman.

The Saints gave it their all, even if they fell short, and should be excited for what could come next season. Deadline pickup Jim Montgomery (7-3, 3.40, 56; 20-11, 3.69, 153) went on to lead the CA in wins, and he and Phil Murry (15-16, 3.51, 129) are starting to form the foundation of a quality rotation. Veterans Jackie James (14-11, 4.00, 93) and Tom Fisher (12-12, 4.06, 99) provided quality back-end starts while swingman Bob Haverhill (7-8, 1, 3.67, 77) was useful out of the pen and rotation. The lineup could use some work, but they have a decent front four in John Fast (.268, 16, 43), Jim Johnston (.281, 12, 41), Harry Swain (.313, 25, 77) and Art Robbins (.266, 13, 92, 6), but aside from Swain it's more supplemental pieces then stars. Vets Joe Austin (.256, 5, 54, 17) and Bill Elkins (.265, 4, 68) are both useful even at 34, and in a full season they may be able to get more from Ralph Hanson (.286, 2, 31, 9; .284, 4, 63, 20). Montreal is still waiting for their first title since 1921, but they at least finished second for the first time in over 35 years.

Cleveland had a slow finish, but they got another Allen winning season from Rufus Barrell. The 41-year-old legend followed up his 22 win campaign last season by going 19-11 with a 3.29 ERA (129 ERA+), 2.88 FIP (67 FIP-), and 1.14 WHIP with 189 strikeouts and just 37 walks in 287.1 innings pitched. Rufus led the Conti in WHIP, K/BB (5.1), FIP- and WAR (9.2), and he became the 15th pitcher to win 300 FABL games. With 312 he's 12th All-Time, and with another 20-win season he could enter the top-five. The 11-Time All-Star should be able to lead Cleveland on another playoff push, but he'll need a little more help from his friends. For the second straight season Adrian Czerwinski (16-14, 3.71, 193) has had a ERA+ of 115 or below despite a 75 FIP-, as the durable co-ace put together another quality FABL campaign. John Jackson (8-8, 3.58, 117) was a stabilizing force in the rotation, and after an excellent season as a high leverage guy Frank Young (16-8, 7, 2.68, 81) may get another chance in the rotation. The offense is never the issue, with Sherry Doyal (.310, 24, 108, 8) once again providing the Foresters with an impressive offensive season. John Low (.266, 14, 75) took a big step back, posting his first career sub-100 OPS+ (96), but Hal Kennedy (.303, 27, 95) and Rudy Minton (.311, 11, 54) picked up the slack. Tom Carr (.279, 6, 67, 8) and Otis O'Keefe (.263, 13, 65) supplemented Doyal well in the outfield. One more pitcher could do the trick, but a pitcher and hitter may do the trick if they want to stop this tough Kings team.

A surprise finisher above .500, the Chicago Cougars used a solid August (17-12) to propel them to their first winning season since 1952. At 81-73, they were just a game behind the Foresters for third, as a very young team gave Cougars Park hope for the first time in many years. It all starts with top-20 prospect Jerry McMillan, who took home the Cougar's second Kellogg in team history. A former 6th Pick from Canada, the 21-year-old rookie hit a solid .311/.357/.471 (117 OPS+) with 16 doubles, 7 triples, 18 homers, 18 steals, 76 runs, and 78 RBIs. A talented defensive right fielder (9.3 ZR, 1.079 EFF), McMillan has the toolset to be a franchise cornerstone, and he's already shown natural leadership abilities in his first season. Another cornerstone could be fellow rookie Jack Gibson (.246, 27, 68), who at 23 hit 27 homers as the Cougars starting shortstop. Buddy Byrd (.291, 43, 45) led the Conti for the third time in five seasons, Dave Rathbone (.292, 14, 59) did decent in year one as a starter, and second year catcher Stan Czerwinski (.258, 22, 61) continued to supply the Cougars with excellent defense and power.

Chicago's lineup has a lot of room to grow, and could use a big bat in the middle, but the rotation is starting to take form. Top-100 prospect Grant Davis had a breakout rookie season, as the 23-year-old finished 16-9 with a 3.06 ERA (135 ERA+), 1.15 WHIP, and 108 strikeouts in 32 starts. A former 2nd Round Pick, he has a nice slider and he locates all three of his pitches well. His 7.2 BB% in 208.2 innings was among the best in the league, and his sinker should keep the ball inside Cougars Park. His emergence countered ace Pug White's (16-14, 4.23, 160) regression. They got a quality season from Ollie Norris (14-13, 3.66, 121), 21-year-old John Mitchell (14-10, 4.34, 148) showed promise as a rookie out of the rotation, and Hank Walker (7-6, 3.37, 71) did well in the rotation and out of the pen. Consistent save leader David Molina's replacement Arch Wilson (5-8, 25, 3.82, 73) led the Conti in saves for the second consecutive season, and the staff almost looked like a Cougar staff of old. With a deep system and a lot of young talent, they are going to be an interesting team to watch as they look to snap their title-less streak before it reaches 30.

The Continental's lesser half all finished below .500, with none of the finishes more surprising the Cincinnati Cannons. After finishing with 87 wins last season they went and made multiple offseason additions, acquiring talented young starter Doc Clay (8-10, 3.93, 104), outstanding defensive shortstop Willie Watson (.229, 6, 51), and Hal Miller (9-16, 4.46, 158) in an effort to return to the postseason. Of course, they never got going and even sold at the deadline, as the team couldn't prevent or score runs all season. The lone bright spot was reigning Whitney Winner Dallas Berry, who hit an excellent .302/.423/.542 (147 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 30 homers, 90 RBIs, 100 runs, and 113 walks. Obviously it wasn't quite as impressive as his absurd season last year (.315, 45, 111), but he was at least effective. His sidekicks Fred Lainhart (.262, 8, 41, 12) and Johnny Elliot (.259, 11, 58) saw their WRC+ drop below 90, and they just did not have the depth in the lineup to make up for it. Al Farmer (.275, 11, 64) was the only guy other then Berry to have a WRC+ above 100 in at least 100 games, and with their pitching that wasn't nearly enough.

Clay had a nice first season in Cincinnati, working to a 3.93 ERA (107 ERA+) and 1.38 WHIP in 33 starts, giving them a quality #2 behind Jake Pearson (7-11, 3.53, 87). Paul Williams (8-4, 13, 3.39, 56) stepped in expertly after John Gibson (3-6, 13, 2.76, 17; 6-9, 18, 2.69, 36) went to St Louis at the deadline. With how aggressive they were then, players could continue to leave in the offseason, as GM Henry Myles will have the choice of continuing to rebuild or look to win in 1959.

LA is thinking more about if 1959 will finally be the season Charlie Barrell (.310, 20, 73) stops getting hurt, as "The Heartbreak Kid" fractured his thumb in June and miss a few weeks. The star of the worst lineup in the league, just Parson Allen (.286, 10, 49) and Joe Cook (.260, 23, 73) had WRC+ above 100, and neither were within ten of Charlie's 131. On the mound, veteran Pete Ford (14-7, 3.49, 111) provided a huge boost to his trade value, while 22-year-old Floyd Warner could quickly replicate the production Eddie Webb provided before he left (6-9, 2.95, 101). A former 3rd Round Pick of the Dynamos back in 1954, Warner came over in the trade that sent Fed win leader Paul Anderson (21-9, 3.52, 123) to Detroit in the '55 new year blockbuster. A first time All-Star, Warner made 24 starts and 16 relief appearances, finishing 12-14 with 2 saves, a 3.28 ERA (127 ERA+), and 1.27 WHIP. He struck out 112 and walked just 58 in 186.1 innings pitched, and has emerged as a quality middle rotation arm. Three of his five pitches are plus offerings, and he's shown solid command in his youth. Stuck for another second division next season, LA will look for growth from guys like him, former second pick Lou Allen (.222, 4, 14), and their top ranked system. A guy to watch is Ralph Barrell, who the Stars took 2nd in the most recent draft. Son of Hall-of-Famer Bobby Barrell and relative of Charlie, Ralph is already a top-10 prospect who hit .283/.443/.394 (105 OPS+) with 12 doubles, 3 homers, 24 RBIs, and 62 walks in his professional debut. His potential is off the charts, and could rival his dad and Bill Barrett out in right field.

Toronto finished a respectable 75-79, but young ace George Hoxworth (13-18, 4.18, 206) led the Conti in losses, walks (114), and strikeouts as his command wasn't as strong as it was last season. His BB% jumped from 7.6 to 9.3, and with a poor defense behind him the ERA looks much worse then it was, still two percent above average, Hoxworth had an excellent 3.66 FIP (86 FIP-). Still 10 points higher then last year, there are areas for him to work on if he wants to lead his team to a pennant race. He has help, starting with former 1st Rounder Whitey Stewart (15-10, 3.56, 147), who pitched his third 4.5+ WAR season in the last four years. He's the guy pennant contenders want in the three or four, but he might be a little underqualified for the second spot. Still, he's the clear two without "Three Pitch Monte," and they could use someone to step up next season. That could be 24-year-old Wilson Pearson (3-3, 8, 1.95, 18), who came from Montreal in the Montgomery trade. He did a great job as the team's stopper, but pitched out of the rotation in AA and AAA for the Saints these past two seasons. His repertoire is still a work-in-progress, but he has the tools to develop into a solid starter. The lineup is thin, pretty much just Tom Reed (.318, 34, 106), so if Toronto wants to compete next year they may have to look outside their organization.

6th place housed the Sailors, who despite an excellent lineup, dominant top-two in the rotation, and +8 run differential, they finished ten games below .500. The issue wasn't the top of the rotation, Bud Henderson (20-16, 3.60, 183) and George Reynolds (16-14, 3.30, 149) were great, but the back three of Bob Wolf (3-10, 4.64, 55), Dan Atwater (6-16, 4.66, 98), and Duke Bybee (10-14, 4.71, 96) didn't get things done. It was a main reason they allowed the second most runs in the association, though aside from stopper Davey Chamberlain (8-7, 16, 3.77, 54) no one in the pen stood out. The lineup was much better, as catcher Dick Hunt came out of nowhere in year four. Generally a backup, the former Kings 4th Rounder came to the Sailors for two pitchers after a season in Montreal. It was looking like a win for Montreal, who have gotten good use out of Jackie James and just added Red Blanchard to their 40, but Hunt almost crushed his minor league home run totals with 32 in 543 trips to the plate. Hunt drove in 107 runs and hit .265/.343/.508 (120 OPS+), giving Bill Guthrie (.284, 29, 97) some pop in a talented lineup. All-Star Carlos Jaramillo (.332, 6, 44, 8) was in the midst of a major breakout before a broken bone in his elbow ended his season, as Jaramillo was worth 5.6 WAR in 101 games with a 131 WRC+ and 20.5 zone rating (1.132 EFF). Sailors fans will hope that the injury doesn't impact him long-term, as he has all the tools to be the best shortstop in the league. The lineup was deep enough to keep scoring without him, as San Fran got good seasons from Herbert Crawford Jr. (.286, 9, 51), Ray Rogan (.301, 7, 73), and Bill Harbin (.267, 12, 50, 6). With better luck, they could have been one of the 80 game winners, and there a team to watch in 1959.

1958 World Championship Series
ANOTHER TITLE FOR THE DYNAMOS

Just as the Cleveland Foresters seem to have Detroit's number, beating the Dynamos twice in recent WCS matchups, the Motor City club seems to have the same power over the Kansas City Kings. Detroit and Kansas City have now squared off three times in the past five Fall Classics and the Dynamos have came out on top in all three, including this year's thrilling seventh game victory.

The series win allows Detroit to join the Los Angeles Stars as the only franchises with 9 WCS victories. Each of the Stars titles came while the club was based in New York, and the Dynamos -who have won six pennants in the past seven years- now hold the outright lead in flags with 13 to their credit. All those WCS appearances have allowed Detroit players to take the all-time lead in many WCS categories as well. Edwin Hackberry is number one in career WCS hits with 50, and also leads the way with 12 doubles and 31 rbi's. Stan Kleminski leads in singles and at bats and shares the lead for most career WCS games with Hackberry and Detroit teammate Tommy Griffin, as each have played in 40 post-season contests.

GAME ONE: DETROIT 8 KANSAS CITY 2

The series opened in Kansas City and the hosts took an early 2-0 lead in a second inning keyed by a Charlie Rogers triple but Dynamos starter Jim Norris would allow just one more Kings hit the rest of the way. Meanwhile the Detroit bats heated up, scoring once in the fourth on a Norris single and twice in the fifth when they strung together four hits. The contest stayed close until the Dynamos broke it open with five runs in the eighth inning to chase Kansas City starter Beau McClellan. The big blows in the big inning came from a two-run triple off the bat of Edwin Hackberry followed by Stan Kleminski's rbi double.

GAME TWO: KANSAS CITY 8 DETROIT 2

The second game also finished with an 8-2 score but this time the hosts were the victorious as the Kings belted out 14 hits and were treated to some terrific mound work from mid-season pickup Eddie Webb. The 26-year-old former Los Angeles Star went 8 innings and allowed just two runs on four Detroit hits. Meanwhile another former Star, Detroit's Paul Anderson, had all kinds of trouble and did not survive the fifth inning. Bryan Jeffress had 3-hits out of the lead-off spot for Kansas City but it was three homeruns that made the difference with Hank Williams, Dutch Miller and Red Ellis all going deep for the Kings.

GAME THREE: DETROIT 11 KANSAS CITY 1

A third straight rout as the Dynamos returned to Thompson Field and took a two games to one series lead with an 11-1 victory. Jack Halbur went the distance for the Dynamos, scattering five hits. Meanwhile, Kansas City starter Tony Britten was out of the game in the second inning after allowing 5 Detroit runs including 3 homers. Edwin Hackberry and Bill Morrison went deep off Britten in the first and catcher Dan Smith homered in the second.

GAME FOUR: KANSAS CITY 4 DETROIT 2

Early indications were that game four was going to be another high scoring affair as each club plated a run in the opening frame even with a pair of former Allan Award winners on the mound. Jack Miller retired the first two Kings hitters he faced but an error by shortstop Joe Reed allowed Hank Williams to reach base and Ken Newman followed with a triple to drive in the opening run of the game. Detroit answered quickly to tie the game in the home half after Fred Washington walked Stan Kleminski on a full count pitch that was followed by a Dick Tucker single and an rbi ground out from Reed.

The Kings second triple in as many innings, this one off the bat of Chuck Lewis, gave Kansas City a 2-1 lead heading into the bottom of the second inning. Both pitchers would settle down and the score remained 2-1 until the fourth inning when the Kings extended their lead on a Bryan Jeffress rbi hit that scored Chuck Lewis, who had drawn a 1-out walk. That put Kansas City ahead 3-1 and the damage could have been greater but Red Ellis was throw out at third trying to advance from first on the Jeffress single to end the inning.

Edwin Hackberry smacked a solo homerun in the fifth inning to move Detroit back to within a single run but that would be as close as the Dynamos would get as Hank Williams rounded out the scoring with an rbi double, driving in Bob Burge who had been hit by a Miller offering, in the 7th to restore the Kings two run lead and round out the scoring.

GAME FIVE: DETROIT 9 CLEVELAND 7

The series was now a best of three and the game one starters - Detroit's Jim Norris and Beau McClellan of Kansas City- squared off once again. McClellan's struggles against the team that drafted him in game one were nothing compared to his problems on this day. Detroit sent 11 men to the plate in the first inning and scored seven times, chasing McClellan after just 2/3 of an inning. The big blow was a 3-run homer by Detroit's breakout young star Dick Tucker. There was no quit in the Kings, who battled back to make the score respectable with Hank Williams hitting his third homer of the series and Charlie Rogers having a four-hit game but the outcome was never in doubt as Detroit claimed a 9-7 victory.

GAME SIX: KANSAS CITY 11 DETROIT 7

For two teams that prided themselves on quality pitching this series was incredibly out of character, and the high scoring trend continued with a wild sixth game as the series shifted back to Kansas City. The Kings Eddie Webb did survive the first inning without surrendering a run but the same could not be said for Detroit's Paul Anderson. Anderson had his troubles in absorbing a game two loss and they continued on this day as Kansas City took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first thanks to singles off the bat of Hank Williams, Ken Newman and Dutch Miller.

Detroit answered quickly as Joe Reed and Dick Estes each singled in the top of the second before Dan Smith smacked a 3-run homer to give the Dynamos the lead. It did not last as by the end of the fourth inning Anderson was off to the showers and the Kings led 7-3. A lead-off walk issued to Bryan Jeffress to start the Kansas City third was followed by back to back doubles from Bob Burge and Hank Williams to put the Kings ahead 4-3 and an inning later Williams hit another two-bagger, this one driving in two runs and ending Anderson's evening.

The two clubs traded runs in the sixth inning before Detroit made it interesting when pinch-hitter Ralph Johnson blasted a 2-run homer in the top of the eighth to cut the Kings lead to 8-6. It became less interesting when Detroit's third pitcher of the day -Larry Beebe- allowed three consecutive solo homeruns to Hank Williams, Ken Newman and Dutch Miller in the bottom of the eighth. Detroit would add a run in the ninth but Kings reliever Del Lamb would close out the contest and force a game seven with an 11-7 victory.

GAME SEVEN: DETROIT 5 KANSAS CITY 2

We were in this exact same spot when the Kings and Dynamos last met in 1955. Kansas City won game six only to come up just short in the seventh game. That contest was tense all the way through with the Dynamos needing extra innings to beat Kansas City for the second consecutive year.

This one was less so but the end result was the same as the Detroit Dynamos once more were World Champions. The game, just like game five, was over almost before it began. Detroit did not score seven runs in the opening inning as they did two games ago but they did get five as Tony Britten managed to retire just one batter in his second start of the series. The first one for the 32-year-old two-time Allen Award winners was nearly as rough (Britten did not survive the second inning in an 11-1 game three loss).

The writing was on the wall for Britten when Dynamos leadoff man Edwin Hackberry took the second pitch of the game over the right field wall for a 1-0 Detroit lead. Walks to Stan Kleminski and Joe Reed sandwiched around a Dick Tucker fly out created more trouble when Bill Morrison lined a single to plate Kleminski and then Dick Estes ended Britten's day with a 3-run homer to make the score 5-0.

Detroit would not score another run during the game but did not need anymore as Dynamos starter Jack Halbur kept the Kings off the scoresheet until the sixth inning when Ken Newman hit a solo homer and Charlie Rogers added an rbi double to cut the Dynamos lead to 5-2. Halbur, who allowed just those 2 runs on 7 hits, gave way to Larry Beebe to close things out in the 9th inning and preserve the 5-2 Detroit victory.

There were several solid choices for Most Valuable Player of the series including Kings Ken Newman (.455,3,5) and Hank Williams (.400,4,11) as well as Detroit shortstop Joe Reed (.357,0,7) but the choice was Edwin Hackberry (.419,3,8) who had a series high 13 hits, just two shy of Carlos Cano's 1930 record for a series. Williams four homers was one shy of Bobby Barrell's single WCS record 5 hit in the 1945 series and his 11 rbi's was the second most ever in a single series, trailing just Charlie Berry's 13 rbi's in the 1934 series.

FABL OFF-SEASON

Fresh off their fourth title in seven years, the Detroit Dynamos shocked the baseball world by trading away three major pieces of their core.

Now you might be thinking, "why would a champion do something like this?" Especially once you consider the final player traded. But the thought process was clear: this is a deep team with a lot of talent, and by trading away some of their top talent, they are looking to keep that championship window opening by bringing in a ton of young talent.

It worked out to be a trade a month, with the Dynamos sending away one of their home grown stars in October, November, and December. And the best part? They'd only have to deal with at most of one of the guys they traded away, since all three left the Fed for the Conti.

Kicking things off was the blockbuster with the team they keep on beating in October, as the Dynamos sent 5-Time All-Star and 1953 Allen Winner Jack Miller (10-10, 4.46, 110) to the Kings for reserve first basemen George Harnett (.358, 2, 12) and son of longtime Gotham and Miner outfielder Mahlon Strong, Malcom, who ranks just inside the top 200 prospect list and was taken in the 3rd Round of the 1953 draft.

Miller, 33 in March, is as durable and reliable as it got, with 1958 being the first of ten seasons where he had a below average ERA+ (93), and just the second season with a below average FIP- (102). A 2nd Rounder way back in 1948, Miller debuted quickly for the Dynamos in 1949, finding instant success as a rookie. The eventual Kellogg winner, Miller went 14-11 with a 3.56 ERA (117 ERA+) and 1.36 WHIP, though he did walk (90) more guys then he struck out (75). That happened again in 1950, but that would be the last year to date.

1951 was a huge season, leading the Fed in wins (18), losses (17), and innings (294), working to a 3.49 ERA (122 ERA+), 1.29 WHIP, and 120 strikeouts in an association high 36 starts. Miller followed that with one of the most dominant seasons a pitcher could have, and yet not win an award for it, going 22-7 with a 1.86 ERA (189 ERA+), 2.47 FIP (70 FIP-), 1.05 WHIP, and 157 strikeouts in 289.2 innings pitched. Along with wins, Miller also led in FIP- and WAR (8.6). Miller then earned the elusive Allen in '53, going 19-13 with a 2.75 ERA (153 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 88 walks, and 151 strikeouts. No win crown for Miller, but he led in ERA, WHIP, innings (298.1), FIP- (78), and WAR (7.5), this time the clear best pitcher in his association.

From '51 to 57, it was hard to find a pitcher better, as Miller won at least 17 games with an ERA of 3.75 or lower, an ERA+ of 115 or higher, and at least 115 strikeouts in at least 32 starts and 250 innings. The '58 season was the first time he failed to meet any of those metrics, but with his track record its hard to believe that this year was anything but a fluke. KC will be getting another excellent pitcher, as Miller joins a rotation with Beau McClellan (17-14, 3.48, 196), Eddie Webb (13-11, 2.86, 155), Tony Britten (12-9, 3.76, 99), and the injured Mike Thorpe (14-12, 3.34, 110). All five of these guys could lead a rotation, and it's hard to find a better rotation then the one that will pitch at Prairie Park.

Focusing on the return, it appears to be a bit weak for a pitcher of Miller's caliber, especially considering George Harnett's only season with more then 40 starts came in 1956 where he hit a career worst .249/.304/.354 (88 OPS+) with 12 homers and 64 RBIs in 612 trips to the plate. This means the focus on Detroit's side must be on Malcom Strong, who they may take a look at out in center. A quality defender, Malcom is a far different player then Mahlon, as he's got blazing speed, plays excellent defense, and doesn't hit many home runs. Just like his dad, however, he'll spend more then his fair share of a time on the IL, and this season his season ended early with a strained Achilles. 24 in April, he's got the tools to be a decent center fielder, but not the level of player that most pennant contenders want in their lineup.

That lineup quickly got weaker, but Detroit used their second trade to fill the spot in the rotation Jack Miller left. Even though he played first base, Dick Tucker (.355, 32, 120) is way too good of a defender to stay there, so the Dynamos decided to open up a middle infield spot by shipping the now 32-year-old veteran Stan Kleminski (.290, 6, 76, 19) to the Foresters for veteran hurler John Jackson (8-8, 3.58, 117) and young outfielder Andy Patterson.

For all three players involved, it will be their second organization, though Kleminski was the one who spent the most time in the majors for his respective team. Debuting with a 15-game cup of coffee in 1946, Kleminski became a regular at 20 in 1947, and has started 1,693 games for the Dynamos, mostly at second or short. Through 7,563 plate appearances, Kleminski has hit an impressive .283/.370/.363 (101 OPS+) with 298 doubles, 45 triples, 47 homers, 666 RBIs, 887 walks, and 959 runs. A skilled top-of-the-order hitter, Kleminski is exactly the kind of table setter the Foresters were looking for, giving them a major upgrade over Jim Urquhart (.283, 1, 22, 7) and Kleminski's former double play partner Del Johnson (.263, 4, 41, 16), both of which struggled offensively this season. Detroit has the offense to survive the trade, and they'll get a reliable vet to stand behind their three aces. Jackson spent 11 seasons in Cleveland, making 152 starts in 322 appearances, going 88-70 with 23 saves, a 3.87 ERA (104 ERA+), and 3.55 (88 FIP-) in 1,403.2 innings. The 27 starts he made in 1958 were his most since 1950, and the second time All-Star went 8-8 with a 3.58 ERA (119 ERA+), 3.33 FIP (78 FIP-), 1.41 WHIP, and 117 strikeouts. Detroit also receives Patterson, a former 2nd Rounder, who ranked just inside the top 150 prospects. Added to the 40 to avoid selection in the Rule-5 draft, Patterson has yet to reach A ball, but he has a nice hit tool, great power, and a work ethic you hope all your young players show.

Detroit then saved the biggest move for last, shipping away 8-Time All-Star and 1947 Kellogg Winner Edwin Hackberry (.272, 18, 62, 23) to the Sailors for former #1 prospect Ray Waggoner and and reliever Ed Patterson. Understood by many as untradeable, the 32-year-old Hackberry has anchored the Dynamo lineup since he became a regular in 1947 and led all Fed hitters with 710 trips to the plate. "Huck" hit .298/.390/.479 (139 OPS+) starting a run of twelve consecutive seasons with an OPS+ and WRC+ above 100. In that time, Hackberry twice led the Fed in WAR, and has totaled a .276/.380/.487 (135 OPS+) batting line with 327 doubles, 91 triples, 294 homers, 1,104 walks, 1,110 RBIs, 1,154 runs, and 164 steals. 1958 could be considered a "down" year for the Sailors new star outfielder, who hit "just" .272/.379/.463 (119 OPS+) with a Fed high 23 steals. Hackberry logged 21 doubles, 5 triples, 18 homers, 62 RBIs, 75 walks, and 86 runs, missing some time with a back injury that held him to 113 games. Perhaps the Dynamos saw some concern of his future viability, but it was a beyond shocking move that left a generally ecstatic Dynamo fanbase lost for words.

On the bright side, Ray Waggoner is 22 and potentially ready for big league action as early as this season, and currently ranks 2nd to Harry Dellinger, the Keystones 2nd Overall Pick in 1956, in the league's prospect rankings. A former 1st Rounder himself, Waggoner spent most of his season in A ball, where he hit .255/.309/.401 (99 OPS+) with 11 homers and 27 RBIs. One of the top young hitters in the game, Waggoner has an excellent swing and should be able to hit considerably above .300 once he hits his peak. He's got middle-of-the-order power and can really put a jolt into mistake pitches, allowing him the chance to anchor lineups in the future. He may not be the defender Hackberry is, but his offensive potential is enormous, and he projects to be the superior hitter. With age on his side and solid core still in place, the Dynamos felt comfortable taking a minor step back in 1959 for what could be a huge leap forward in the 60s.

Detroit wasn't the only team active, as trading for Stan Kleminski wasn't the biggest move the Cleveland Foresters made. That would be acquiring 27-year-old lefty Jake Pearson from the Cannons for a four prospect package headlined by top-50 prospect Jack Meeks. Pearson, who Cincinnati picked 4th in 1952, had his first injury of more then just a couple days this year, missing almost two months with a hamstring strain. He still managed to make 25 starts, going an unlucky 7-11 despite a 3.53 ERA (120 ERA+), 3.62 FIP (85 FIP-), and 1.30 WHIP. In 186 innings he walked 71 hitters and struck out 87, finishing a nice five year stint in the rotation. Combined with a year out of the pen, Pearson went 74-40 with a 3.48 ERA (116 ERA+) and FIP (86 FIP-) in a 1,339.1 innings pitched. The 2-Time All-Star struck out 684 and walked 567, allowing just 64 home runs in his 193 appearances (163 starts). An extreme groundball pitcher, having a middle infield of Kleminski and John Low (.266, 14, 75) is a dream come true, and Pearson will fit comfortably behind Rufus Barrell (19-11, 3.29, 189) and Adrian Czerwinski (16-14, 3.71, 193) in dangerous top half of the rotation.

Considering their deadline sell-off, it shouldn't have been too surprising the Cannons made sell-off moves, but Pearson being the first of their moves was certainly a surprise. The headliner here was 6'4'' righty Jack Meeks, who was taken with the last pick in the first round of this year's draft. Entering 1959 as the 45th ranked prospect, Meeks had an impressive debut season, going 5-4 with a 4.85 ERA (118 ERA+) and 82 strikeouts in 13 starts on the Foresters Class C club. This is a solid start for any draftee, but Meeks didn't turn 18 until August and still managed to lead his club in ERA among pitchers with more then 25 innings pitched. A crafty seven pitch pitcher, he utilizes all of his pitches well, relying on the situation to make the best choices. In need of a double play, he'll go to the sinker. The curve comes in when he needs a big whiff, and he locates his fastball when he needs a strike. With excellent control he all of his pitches are weapons, and he's got the potential to front a rotation. Of course, he's got a lot of development ahead of him, but he's advanced for his age and could quickly make Cannons fans forget how excited they were to watch Jake Pearson pitch.

Meeks was the only prospect in the top 100, but Ed Tilton (131st) and Charlie Walden (177th) were both in the second tier. Walden is closer to the majors, and Cincinnati added the first year starter to the 40 to prevent him from being selected in the Rule-5 draft. It's actually a return to the Cannons organization, as he was formerly a reliever in the low minors. This year was different, as after 106 relief outings as a professional Walden started all 31 of his games in AA. He was a respectable 8-10 with a 3.42 ERA (99 ERA+) in 155.1 innings. He had a nice 1.13 WHIP with 44 walks and 118 strikeouts, relying heavily on his cutter to get outs. He's an oddity, a three fastball guy, so he's going to have to really locate his pitches well to start. His leadership will allow him to stick around, and he could be a very useful arm to carry as a starter or reliever. Tilton, on the other hand, was a second rounder last year who again split time between the Foresters bottom two levels. 20 in October, the young shortstop was actually better against tough competition, but that's where only 14 of his 74 games took place. Down in C ball he had a solid 101 WRC+ with a .270/.409/.445 (92 OPS+) batting line. A disciplined hitter, he drew 60 walks in 318 trips to the plate, adding 14 doubles, 5 triples, and 7 homers to his ledger. The defense is still a work in progress, but he knows when to swing and hits a lot of line drives. He should hit enough if he has to move away from short, but that's where all 1,265.1 of his defensive innings have came.

The Cannons last move of note was picking up the Minutemen's 3rd Round selection for a pair of pitchers. Ranked as the 123rd prospect at the time of the trade, Charlie Warren had an absurd run up the Minutemen system, pitching well at all three stops. He made 6 starts in Class C, 4 in B, and 6 in A, going 5-8 with ERA+ of 110, 135, and 131. Just 18, the 6'3'' righty sits comfortably in the 90s, commanding the zone with his five pitch mix. Able to get a lot of whiffs, Warren has huge stuff, but the command just isn't there yet. He walked at least 11% of the hitters he faced at all three spots, even up to 19.2% in his 30.1 innings in Class B. It was always paired with a higher K%, as he makes some guys look foolish. It's the stuff scouts dream about, making the Chicago native the ultimate high risk, high reward high school pitcher.

Cincinnati is confident enough in him that they'd part with a pitching prospect of their own, sending former Pioneer 7th Rounder Gary Pike to Boston as part of the return. He turned 23 in October and reached AAA for the first time this season. Most of his year, however, was spent in AA, where he went 4-10 with a 3.54 ERA (96 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP in 17 starts. His 10 in A ball were better (8-2, 1.92, 64), as he really showcased his cutter well. Like Warren, he runs into issues with the walks, but with his ability to generate grounders he'll be able to erase some of the free passes with double plays. Or he can just overpower guys, flexing his 6'4'' frame as he punches mid 90s fastballs right by you. It's the sinker/cutter/fastball mix that's hard to excel with, but he definitely throws hard enough to give it a shot. Boston also brought back left handed pitcher Lee Woodward (2-4, 4.86, 17), who got into his first FABL action this year since his debut with Boston in 1954. A reliever his debut year in Boston, he made 8 starts for the Cannons, but doesn't seem likely to function in the Minutemen rotation.

With all the major moves, there seemed to be fewer minor moves, but there were still some interesting trades made between the FABL clubs. Washington sent loss and walk leader Alex Vaughan (12-13, 5.00, 109) to the Miners for a middling prospect, the Kings gave up their 3rd Round pick this draft in Roy Rice (#190 prospect) for Sailors swingman Bob Wolf (3-10, 4.64, 55), and the Gothams sent middle infielder Harry Murray (.284, 5, 22) to the Chiefs for 23-year-old lefty Dan Charlton, who ranked as the 168th best prospect at the time of the trade.

The last major move involved the active Pittsburgh Miners, who picked up a new center fielder in Bill Harbin from the Sailors. A 2-Time All-Star, Harbin will now complete a three-Bill outfield with Bill Newhall (.282, 13, 79) in left and Bill Tutwiler (.301, 7, 55, 10) in right. If you want to be funny, they have a Bill in Paul Williams (.326, 40, 138) at first, and those four seem likely to follow Irv Clifford (.312, 1, 40, 20) in a lengthened lineup. Recently 30, Harbin hit a respectable .267/.347/.383 (91 OPS+) with 23 doubles, 12 homers, 50 RBIs, 92 runs, and 6 steals. A career .263/.356/.421 (116 OPS+) hitter, Harbin was best in 1954, when a then 25-year-old hit an excellent .295/.416/.525 (158 OPS+) with 30 doubles, 6 triples, 26 homers, 98 RBIs, 107 runs, and 108 walks. Harbin led the Conti in WRC+ (155), wOBA (.416), and WAR (7.1), but he's yet to replicate that production. His last four years of been serviceable, more average then good, but he's a well respected team leader and a much needed left handed bat in a lineup filled with righties. Harbin's addition seems likely to end an 11-year run as the everyday center fielder for Ernie Campbell (.258, 1, 44, 6), who has been a sub-replacement player the last two seasons. He's likely to hang around as depth, and may have to wait for injury for another go as a starter.

San Francisco picked up a top-100 prospect in Tony Martinez, who remained the 90th ranked prospect through the offseason. Recently 21, the Miners took him 14th in the 1956 draft, and he had a productive season between Class A and B this season. In 80 games at the lower level, he hit a solid .310/.338/.435 (114 OPS+), before it dipped to .234/.383/.380 (102 OPS+) in about 100 fewer PAs. Known for his excellent eye, he managed to draw a walk in 19.6% of his PAs in A ball, so even when the hits weren't falling he was finding his way on base. He has superior bat to ball skills, so it's only a matter of time before the starts finding holes, and the Sailors should be very happy with the type of hitter he develops into. He's the clear focus of the return, Leo Farmer is a former 16th Rounder who's outfield defense may earn him a 5th outfielder role, considering nine days later the Sailors pulled off the Edwin Hackberry trade, swapping Harbin for Martinez seemed like the right decision to make.

Looking towards 1959, it's tough to see who the favorites in each association should be, as Detroit still looks scary and Cleveland and KC made huge additions to their already talented teams. Do the Saints have something in store? Are the Sailors going to add more to their rotation and make a run? Could the Gothams be cooking something behind the scenes? Are the Minutemen and Chiefs ready to take the next step? Is this finally the year the now 3-Time Whitney Winner Buddy Miller gets some support in Philly? Can anyone stop Detroit from getting their 5th title of the 1950s?

As always, baseball poses us with so many exciting and thought provoking questions. All before doing something crazy and putting a shock on each of our faces. Baseball leaves us yearning for more, as we all await what should be another exciting season.

• Baseball's Hall of Fame added one new member in January of 1958 as former Pittsburgh Miners and New York Gothams ace Lefty Allen received enough support to join the Boone County museum in his first year of eligibility. Allen went 261-173 over an 18-year career that saw him win a pair of Allen Awards and be named an all-star five times.
  
  
• Deuce Barrell of the Cleveland Foresters became the second pitcher in as many years to reach the 300 win plateau, following on the heels of Al Miller of the Chiefs. Deuce finished the year with 312, good for a tie for 12th most all-time with Jim Lonardo. Miller sits in 9th with 320 victories. Ed Bowman of the Gothams finished the season with 293 so as long as he returns for his age 39 season we should see a 300 game winner for the third consecutive season. It could be a bit of a wait for another 300 game winner as fourth among active pitchers is Cleveland's Adrian Czerwinski with 210.
• Speaking of Czerwinski, the 33-year-old Cleveland hurler notched his 200th career victory in May, about a month before his teammate Barrell collected his 300th. Barrell also won his second straight Continental Association Allen Award, making Deuce the only pitcher to win five Allen's in his career.
• Veteran infielder Ralph Hanson was traded from Cincinnati to Montreal in July and a month later he victimized his former team with a 6-hit game against the Cannons, one of just two 6-hit games this season. The other belonged to Eddie Dickey of the Los Angeles Stars.
• For the first time since 1951, FABL did not see a pitcher throw a no-hitter. There were three of them a year ago.
• The year end ranking of the top FABL prospects has a new number one. That would be 20-year-old outfielder Harry Dellinger, selected second by the Philadelphia Keystones in the 1956 draft. Ray Waggoner,22, had been ranked #1 since 1954. He was drafted out of high school by the Sailors 9th overall in 1953 but at the end of December this year he was moved to the Detroit Dynamos in a deal that brought Edwin Hackberry to the West Coast.
• Detroit skipper Verlin Alexander was named the top manager in the Federal Association for the second consecutive year. The former Toronto Wolves hitting coach took over in Detroit after Dick York, who won 5 Theobald Awards, retired. The CA top pilot award went to Kansas City's Glenn Carney for the third time.
• Detroit pitching ace Jim Norris (20-10, 3.32) had the most first place votes but missed out on winning his fourth Federal Association Allen Award. Instead, the honour went to St Louis 24-year-old Billy Hasson (15-11, 3.03, who nosed Norris out for the award.
• Speaking of Detroit it will be interesting to see if the Dynamos are just as dominant in 1959 after the club traded three longtime stars for young talent after winning its fourth WCS title and sixth pennant in the past seven years. Gone are outfielder Edwin Hackberry, second baseman Stan Kleminski and pitcher Jack Miller, who won the 1953 Allen Award. In their place are top prospect Ray Waggoner, veteran pitcher John Jackson and Mahlon Strong's son Malcolm, an outfield prospect. Our money is on Detroit being just as strong next season with Jackson easily filling the void left by Miller's departure, young infielder Dick Turner, who hit .355 with 32 homers this season and veteran Del Johnson easily filling in for Kleminski and the outfield being strong enough even if Waggoner is not ready for big league duty yet.

WASPS REPEAT AS PRO GRID CHAMPS

The Washington Wasps went two decades without a playoff victory but now they own four post-season wins in the past two years after claiming their second consecutive American Football Association title. The Wasps finished tied with the New York Stars at 9-2-1 for the best record in the AFA before beating the Stars in the semi-finals and then topping the Los Angeles Tigers, who had defeated Detroit in the West Division Final for their first-ever franchise playoff victory, in the title game.

Washington's strength was their ground game both on offense and defense. Led by the backfield duo of veteran halfbacks Rodger Donohoe (1,003 yds) and Jerry Walsh (878 yds) the Wasps carried the ball for a league best 2,438 over the 12 game regular season. That means they relied far less on long-time quarterback Tommy Norwood as only East Division cellar dweller Pittsburgh threw for less than the 1,612 yards the Wasps accumulated through the air. The Washington defense, which had 5 All-Pros, was outstanding against the run and surrendered just 218 points, second only to the New York Stars.

The Stars and Wasps both finished at 9-2-1 but New York was declared division champion because of a better head to head record with Washington. The Stars prevailed 20-9 in an early season matchup between the two in the nation's capital and later in the season they battled to a 14-14 tie. Fifteen minutes of overtime passed without any points making the draw the first tie in AFA has seen since the implementation of regular season overtime before the 1951 season. Second year quarterback Charlie Coons (1,925 yds, 11 TD's) blossomed but the big story in the Big Apple was halfback Bryan Mire, who rushed for a league high 1,410 yards and was named AFA MVP for the second consecutive season.

Philadelphia threatened all season but the Frigates faded at the end thanks to back to back late season losses to Washington and Cleveland and had to settle for third place with an 8-4 mark. Pete Capizzi (2,090 yds, 18 TDs) had another big year with his arm but halfback Doug Lucy (960 yds) may be beginning to show signs of slowing down and the Frigates ground game struggled at times. The third place finish ends the Frigates streak of five straight playoff appearances including back to back titles in 1954 and 1955.

After two straight losing seasons the fourth place Cleveland Finches bounced back and finished at .500 with a 6-6 record. Cleveland's long postseason drought continues as the Finches have not qualified for the playoffs since winning the AFA title game in 1947. Cleveland did perhaps find a late bloomer as veteran halfback Erskine Rizzuto, an undrafted free agent from Western Iowa who signed with the Finches in 1954 and had carried the ball just 44 times in his first four seasons, earned the starting job and responded with a terrific season, rushing for 1,367 yards - second behind only the Stars Mire. With second overall draft pick Bren Wechsler winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and making the All-Pro Classic after throwing for 1,802 yards and a league best 20 touchdowns there is some cause for optimism on the shores of Lake Erie.

Optimism may be harder to come by in Boston and Pittsburgh. The Americans finished just 3-9, marking the third year in a row their record has declined while the Paladins hopes that a 7-5 campaign a year ago was the sign of a turnaround after the club went 2-22 over the previous two seasons appear unfounded as the Paladins finished with the worst record in the loop at 2-10.

There were major changes in the Motor City as the Detroit Maroons, after an off-season of speculation, made good on the rumours by cutting ties with talented but troubled quarterback Sam Burson. Burson was dispatched to St Louis and a pair of rookies were drafted to fight it out for the starting job. Sled Hicks, selected third overall out of Valley State, started 9 games and passed for nearly 1900 yards to nose out fourth rounder Tom Griffin, out of Georgia Baptist, for the job. The duo worked well with veteran ends Ben Heid and Duane Kamp, giving Detroit the highest scoring offense in the West Division. The defense, long a source of trouble, was also much improved led by Defensive player of the year Scott Cross and fellow All-Pro linebacker Mark Anderson.

Detroit and Los Angeles finished tied for first at 8-4 but the Maroons claimed homefield for the West playoff game on a point differential tie-breaker. Los Angeles, led by second year quarterback Charlie Kittredge (1711 yds, 10 TD) and dependable back Dick Drum (1,309 yds) who topped the 1,000 yard rushing mark for the fifth time in his six year career, made the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history, dating back to their days in Cincinnati in the 1940s.

San Francisco's run of three straight playoff appearances came to an end as the Wings stumbled out of the gate, dropping three of their first five games and could not recover. The big three on offense in quarterback Ben Wilmes (2,234 yds,17 TD), end Will Mains (54 catches, 1075 yds) and halfback Scott Belt (1,097 yds, 12 rushing TD) were once more on top of their games but back to back narrow losses to Detroit in October sealed the Wings fate.

It was a season the Chicago Wildcats would like to forget as the Wildcats, who had made the playoffs three of the previous five seasons, dropped six of their first eight games and even a late season winning streak that saw them beat Detroit twice and San Francisco on the road could not help them.

St Louis added a new quarterback after Sam Burson wore out his welcome in Detroit. Burson threw for over 1,900 yards but struggled with his accuracy as the Ramblers lost their first four games and things never did get better. Perhaps it was just bad luck as a pair of one point losses early in the season hurt, and if those had both been victories maybe St Louis would have gained some momentum and returned to the playoffs for a second year in a row. Things never did work out and the Ramblers hit rock bottom in early November when Philadelphia hammered them by a 61-7 count.

That leaves Kansas City in last once again as the Cowboys just can't seem to find the magic that made them the most dominant team in football for nearly a decade. They won three games this season and are 14-46 over the past five years after reaching the AFA or Continental Football Conference title game each of their first seven seasons. Their defense could not stop the run and surrendered more points (342) than any other AFA club. Former Christian Trophy winning halfback Mike Peel ran for 1,306 and stayed healthy this year, but the six year veteran is wasted on what has been a terrible ballclub the past half decade.

[size="5"AFA PLAYOFFS[/size]

The first-ever playoff meeting between the Washington Wasps and New York Stars had plenty of anticipation after the two clubs tied in their second regular season meeting. New York had homefield advantage but it was the visitors who took the lead in to the half after Tommy Norwood connected with end Jim Edmonds on a 48 yard touchdown pass late in the second quarter to put the Wasps ahead 13-7 at the break. The two teams traded field goals before any hopes of a New York comeback came to an end when Washington defensive back Bob Rabon returned an interception 16 yards for a touchdown to put Washington up 23-10 with less than a minute remaining. The game would finish by that 23-10 margin.

The West playoff featured two playoff starved teams in Detroit and Los Angeles. The Maroons did make the playoffs two years ago but had not won a postseason game since beating Pittsburgh in the 1936 league championship game while the Tigers, who got their start in Cincinnati in 1944, had never won a playoff game and made their only postseason appearance three years ago. So one of those streaks of futility had to come to an end it was the visitors from Los Angeles who finally got their first playoff victory. The final score was 33-23 as halfback Dick Drum led the Tigers offense with 118 yards rushing but fullback Bill Comeau got all the glory with a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs to key the victory.

Washington, which won on the road in San Francisco to claim their first title a year ago, was home this time around and the Wasps jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the championship game. The opening drive last just two plays, including a 30 yard Tommy Norwood to Jim Edmonds pass, before Washington halfback Rodger Donohoe galloped 39-yards for the game's first score. Six minutes later the Wasps doubled their lead with a six play drive that culminated in a 16-yard Norwood to Edmonds scoring pass.

Los Angeles was playing catchup all day but did get some reason for hope late in the second period when Tigers quarterback Charlie Kittredge found end John Wilton for a 23 yard score that cut the Wasps lead to 17-10 and it further shrank when Bill Beaver kicked a 24-yard field in the closing seconds to make the score 17-13 Washington at the break.

That would be as close as the Tigers would get as all the scoring in the second half was done by Washington with a pair of rushing touchdowns and the Wasps celebrated a second consecutive title with a 31-13 victory.

WEST CONTINUES ALL-PRO CLASSIC DOMINANCE

For the third year in a row the West Division dominated the All-Pro Classic, blasting the stars of the East 29-3 in the annual year end showcase of the best in the American Football Association. The East had the first opportunity to score when playoff MVP Jim Edmonds of the Washington Wasps returned a punt 56 yards to set up excellent field position for the East but two plays later rookie Cleveland quarterback Bren Wechsler had a pass intercepted by Chicago defensive back Ben Kromer to end the threat.

An interception would directly result in the first score of the game as midway through the opening period Pete Capizzi of Philadelphia, the other East Division quarterback, threw a pick-six that San Francisco Wings safety Tommy Hodges returned 24 yards for the contest's opening points. Three minutes later Hodges' Wings teammate Scott Belt had the longest play from scrimmage of the afternoon when he ran for a 50-yard touchdown that put the West ahead 13-0.

They would extend the lead to 23-0 at the break and two second field goals by Los Angeles kicker Bill Beaver rounded out the scoring for the West. The only East points came on a Charlie Cooney 11 yard field goal in the third quarter.

[size="6"ANOTHER PERFECT SEASON FOR COLONELS[/size]

Noble Jones College ran its winning streak to 24 games as the Colonels won their second consecutive National Collegiate Football title. The Colonels have not lost since falling 6-3 to Western Florida in a terrible downpour in early November 1956. The title marks the fifth time Noble Jones College has been declared national champion, a total only matched by Coastal California. It also marks the fourth time in the past five years a school from the Deep South Conference has been crowned National Champion as Bayou State won in 1956 and Cumberland claimed the 1954 crown.

The Colonels were led in their second consecutive 11-0 season by their trio of All-Deep South Conference skill players in quarterback Garrett Snyder, halfback Jeff Zwiefel and end Don Bernard, who were protected by an dominant offensive line that included All-American guard John Calderone and all-conference center Brian Cody. The scary thing about Noble Jones College is Snyder, Zwiefel and Bernard are all just sophomores.

Noble Jones College opened the season with a home game against Maryland State, a team expected to be one of their chief rivals for a successful defense of their national title. The Bengals did go 9-2 and finished third in the polls but the season opener was a display of a Noble Jones offense that would average more than 35 points a game. Snyder threw for 161 yards and two scores while Zwiefel, who won the Christian Trophy as a freshman a year ago ran for 153 in a hard fought 27-21 victory over the Bengals.

The biggest section showdown for Noble Jones College came against Cumberland in early October and the Colonels passed the test with flying colours, winning 30-17 as Zwiefel had another big day, rushing for 158 yards and 2 scores. The perfect regular season was completed with a 21-14 victory over rival Georgia Baptist.

The annual meeting of Deep South Conference and Southwestern Alliance champions in the Oilman Classic saw Lubbock State give the Colonels a scare by taking a 17-10 lead late in the third quarter. Noble Jones College rallied for a 26-20 victory as kicker Tony White booted a pair of field goals in the final five minutes to complete the perfect season and give Noble Jones College its second straight national title. As for Lubbock State, the Hawks had to settle for their first Southwestern Alliance title since going a perfect 11-0 but finishing second to Cumberland in the 1951 national rankings.

Like Noble Jones College, Northern California was also perfect this season and the Miners, who won their only football national crown in 1923, needed the Colonels to be tripped up on New Years Day for a second championship. That did not happen and the voters stuck with Noble Jones College as number one and Northern California had to be content to finish second but the Miners did complete the first 11-0 season in school history capped by a second straight victory in the East-West Classic. A year ago the Miners, who have played in 5 Santa Ana new years games this decade, beat Minnesota Tech 28-21. This time around Central Ohio was the opponent and the game went right down to the wire with the Miners making a dramatic comeback.

Central Ohio, which was a perfect 9-0 and had national title aspirations until falling to rival Detroit City College in their regular season finale, led the Miners 31-24 with 7 minutes left after Tom Perry found Henry Saxon for a 75 yard score. Northern Cal tied the game with just 57 second left when Gilly Hearne ran for a 14 yard touchdown. It looked like we would see overtime but with 27 seconds remaining the Aviators fumbled the ball and two plays later Northern California kicker Jake Wortman became an instant hero when he was successful on a game winning 44 yard field goal to give the Miners a 34-31 victory.

No other classic game matched the Santa Ana contest for excitement but Maryland State came close with a 16-13 victory over Cumberland in the Cajun Classic that assured the Bengals of the third spot in the final rankings. Bayou State, which finished 10-1 after thumping Southern Border Association champion Valley State 30-3 in the Desert Classic finished 4th in the final rankings with 9-2 Lincoln College, 17-10 winners over Amarillo Methodist in Bayside Classic, claiming fifth.

American Atlantic freshman halfback Jack Dobbins put together a season the likes of which have never been seen before. The Pelicans went 9-2 and finished ranked in the top twenty for the first time in school history but it was Dobbins that everyone was talking about. The 19-year-old from Harrisonville, MO., ran for a record 2,300 yards this season including 377 in one game, a 62-13 drubbing of 1-10 Wisconsin Catholic in which he scored five touchdowns. Sure, the competition was not elite, but voters could not overlook Dobbins and he won both the Christian Trophy and the Bryan Award.

There were a pair of college quarterbacks with famous connections. The first was Travis College senior Roger Landry III. The grandson of the former St Louis Pioneers baseball star was a two year starter for the Bucks and helped lead the team to a 7-3 record this season. The other one with ties to FABL is Victor Crawford of Valley State. Under Crawford's leadership the Valley State Gunslingers went 9-2 and won the Southern Border Association crown before falling to Bayou State in the Desert Classic. Crawford is the son of former Montreal Saints outfielder Vic Crawford and seems a sure bet to be playing his football on Sundays next year, and Landry may have a chance at a pro career as well.

There were a number of very bad teams this year but by far the worst was Idaho A&M as the perennial West Coast Athletic Association doormats not only lost all ten of their games this season but were outscored 580-58 including a 77-0 loss to conference champion Northern California, a 76-3 loss to Rainier College and a 75-13 defeat at the hands of Coastal California.

[size="6"DETROIT CITY COLLEGE WINS FIRST COLLEGE CAGE CROWN[/size]

The Great Lakes Alliance has long been one of the most powerful conferences in collegiate basketball, but also one that appeared to be snakebit come tournament time. Despite numerous number one seeds in the tournament, no current GLA school aside from Whitney College had ever won the year end tournament. The line of thinking had always been one that felt the tough section schedule in January and February, with nearly always two, three and even four GLA member schools ranked in the national top ten, proved too grueling and wore the teams out once the tournament began.

Detroit City College did not win the GLA this year as their 9-7 section record was four games worse than conference leading Lincoln and tied with Western Iowa and Minnesota Tech for second but the Knights did finally win the national title, nipping a Mississippi A&M team led by Barrette Award winning guard Mike Modafferi 57-56 in the championship game. What makes the title win, surprising to begin with, even more astounding is the fact the Knights missed the AIAA tournament entirely last year. That marked the first time Detroit City College was not a part of the 32-team field for the first time in 13 years and just the third time the Knights did not participate since 1921.

In a year where no school lost less than 5 games, the Knights 20-9 regular season record was good enough for them to be awarded the second seed in the Midwest Division, right behind Lincoln College, which had beaten DCC twice during the regular season. This years edition of the Detroit City College was a veteran squad with three seniors including third team All-American Bill Hash (10.5 ppg) along with a pair of junior starters that featured scoring leader Sam Taylor (14.9 ppg), a guard.

The Knights opened the tournament with a 56-35 victory over Western State in a game that saw four DCC starters record double figures in points, led by Taylor's 15. Next up was a meeting with West Coast Athletic Association champion Coastal California and it was Hash who took control, with the senior forward netting 17 points and the Knights riding a strong second half to a 52-45 triumph. The big upset in the region occurred on the other side of the bracket as North Carolina Tech thumped Lincoln 67-48 in the second round, sparring the Knights a third meeting with the Presidents. The Techsters proved a much easier opponent in the regional final and once more behind a strong second half Detroit City rode to a 62-54 victory.

None of the number one seeds survived the regionals as Bluegrass State, top seed in the East, was blasted 72-49 by the Knights Great Lakes Alliance rival Western Iowa. The Canaries were the number two seed in their region and another #2, Mississippi A&M, which down Redwood 57-50 in the West Region also advanced. Rounding out the final four was Georgia Baptist, the fifth seed in a South region that saw both #1 Carolina Poly and #2 Bayou State fall in the second round.

The Knights had split their two regular season games with conference rival Western Iowa, and won the rubber match 57-53 despite a 20-point evening from Canaries start Bob Christensen, to advance to the national title game. The other semi-final was also a conference affair as Deep South rivals Mississippi A&M and Georgia Baptist squared off. Mike Modaffrei, the national player of the year, led the way for the Generals, scoring 20 points in a 59-51 Mississippi A&M victory. For A&M it was the first time they had ever advanced past the second round of the tournament.

Both schools were looking for their first national title as the Knights and Generals met at Bigsby Garden in the championship game. It was a back and forth battle with Detroit City College emerging on top by the narrowest of margins, claiming a 57-56 victory. The Knights did not score any points in the final three minutes of the game but held on for the win after the Generals missed three attempts for the game winning bucket in the final 56 seconds.

[size="6"AMARILLO METHODIST WINS AIAA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES[/size]

The Amarillo Methodist Grizzlies became just the second school from the Southwestern Athletic Association to win the Collegiate Baseball World Championship Series after they prevailed over Charleston Tech in game three of the finals. Two-time winner Lubbock State (1922, 1928) was the only other SWAA school to win a college baseball championship.

[size="5" CLIPPERS HURLER YORK WINS CHRISTIAN AWARD [/size]

Chesapeake State may have just fell short in its bid to qualify for the College Baseball World Championship Series but it was not due to the efforts of Jim York. After two rather unproductive seasons the Clippers junior lefthander put it altogether as a junior, posting a 10-4 record and a 3.38 era, numbers good enough to earn York the 1958 Christian Award as the top college baseball player in the nation. York, who hails from Chicago, also caught the attention of FABL scouts and was a second round draft selection of the Cincinnati Cannons. Following his college season, York had some success in the pros working his way through three levels of the Cannons farm system and OSA feels he may be ready to make his big league debut next season.

York was one of three All-Americans this season to be selected in the June FABL draft. Three time All-American Ben Jolla, a third baseman who lead CC Los Angeles to the CWCS quarterfinals this year after helping them to the semi-finals a year ago in his Christian Award winning season, was also selected in the second round of the FABL draft. The Toronto Wolves called Jolla's name with the 20th pick, ten slots ahead of York. The third member of the All-American team drafted was Springfield State catcher Chappy Sanders. A native of Burlington, IA., Sanders was the first pick of the second round, going to the Washington Eagles.

DETROIT WINS CHALLENGE CUP

There was plenty of anticipation leading up to the start of the 1957-58 North American Hockey Confederation season and all anyone could talk about was just how powerful would the Toronto Dukes offense be following their off-season trade to acquire Tommy Burns from the Chicago Packers. With 35-year-old Quinton Pollack and a 38-year-old Burns age might have been a bit of a concern but the thinking was the two most prolific point producers in NAHC history would be an unstoppable force at least for this season.

Surprisingly, the Dukes offense was not dominant as Toronto's 191 goals ranked third in the league behind both Boston and Detroit with Toronto trailing both of those two in the final standings. Pollack still led the NAHC with 69 points, but it was a far cry from the 95 and 93 he tallied in the previous two seasons. He did miss 6 games with an injury but the bottom line is the Dukes were just not as strong as they were in previous years. Burns missed 9 games and slumped to 50 points, a 34 point drop off from the previous season and his lowest total since the league expanded to a 70-game season. The secondary scoring also evaporated as only Ken Jamieson (17-18-35) notched as many as 15 goals. The Dukes defensive play was strong and they are still a good team, but Jack Barrell's club clearly accomplished much less than was expected of them. A season ending eye injury suffered by goaltender Scott Renes in early March did not help but backup Charlie Dell covered nicely in Renes absence.

The defending Challenge Cup champion Boston Bees finished the season with an NAHC record 93 points, one more than the Toronto Dukes accumulated two years ago. Boston, as is usually the case, was led by its team defense highlighted by goaltender Oscar James (29-12-15, 2.12) and a defense anchored by postseason all-stars Mickey Bedard (8-19-27) and Ben Voyechek (11-22-33). The offense was not overwhelming but had depth with nine different Bees scoring at least ten goals led by winger John Bentley (19-16-35) and the club's top point producer in 32-year-old pivot Alex Gagnon (15-38-53). Wilbur Chandler (9-22-31) suited up for 56 games in what is likely the 40 year old's final season.

Detroit, led by its big line of Alex Monette (29-36-65) between Nick Tardif (19-33-52) and Lou Barber (20-30-50) finished second with 84 points, two shy of the franchise record established a year ago when the Motors finished the regular season in first place for the first time in the modern era. The big trio were all named post-season all-stars with Tardif landing on the first team while Monette and Barber claimed second team honours. Workhouse goaltender Henri Chasse suited up for all 70 games, tying his own regular season victory record with 36 and recording 8 shutouts but Chasse would save his best efforts for the playoffs.

Speaking of playoffs, the Montreal Valiants finished comfortably in fourth, ending a six year postseason drought. Montreal looks like a team on the rise with plenty of young talent but it was 31-year-old Jocko Gregg (35-31-66) who stole the show. The former New York Shamrock finished second to Toronto's Quinton Pollack in the scoring race, led the loop in goals and won the first McDaniels Trophy as league MVP of his career, snapping Pollack's five year old on the award. Montreal goaltender Nathan Bannister (25-26-10, 2.51) finally lived up to expectations as well as the former first round draft pick won the Juneau Trophy as the NAHC's top netminder. Valiants 26-year-old defenseman Gil Thibault (10-28-38) joined Bannister and Gregg as first team all-stars.

Without Tommy Burns to lead the way the Chicago Packers slumped to fifth place and missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years. Goaltending remains a major issue as Allen Hocking (12-21-5, 3.09) struggled and long-time minor leaguer Mitch Henn (12-15-4, 2.35) was forced to take a lot of the workload. Max Lavigne (23-20-43) had a solid season as did 30-year-old Jack Gordon (10-30-40) and there is hope that Archer Cook (17-21-38), the Packers second straight rookie of the year award winner, continues to develop after a very impressive age 21 season.

The New York Shamrocks continue to be a mess, finishing dead last for the third straight season and their 40 points is a new franchise low for a 70 game season, a futility mark only surpassed by the 1950-51 Chicago Packers who accumulated just 35 points. 32-year-old goaltender Alex Sorrell (11-27-13, 3.01) was once one of the league's best but perhaps is wearing down from seeing so much rubber behind a bad New York defense the past few seasons. There is not a lot of hope for the near future either as the Shamrocks have the weakest farm system in the league according to OSA.

CHASSE LEADS MOTORS TO CHALLENGE CUP WIN

It is funny how some teams just seem to have others number. Take the Detroit Motors for example. The Motors, just like the Detroit Dynamos baseball team with the Kansas City Kings, just can't seem to lose a playoff series to the Toronto Dukes. The two clubs have met three times in the past five years and in each of those series the Motors prevailed including this season's semi-finals when Detroit won game seven by a 3-1 score to advance to its third Challenge Cup final in the past five years.

The series opened with Toronto scoring a pair of dominant road victories. Doug Zimmerman had two goals and an assist in a 6-2 Dukes win in the opener before Quinton Pollack's hat trick in a 7-3 game two win gave every indication the series was going to be a rout. That is until Detroit goaltender Henri Chasse settled down and took over the series. Chasse allowed Detroit to get back on even footing in the series with a pair of 1-0 shutout victories at Dominion Gardens. In the opener Alex Monette's first period power play goal stood up as Chasse made 39 saves and two nights later he stopped all 32 Toronto shots and Monette once again scored the only goal, this one coming in the early stages of the third period.

Monette's third goal of the series was the game winner in the fifth contest, a 3-2 Detroit victory at Thompson Palladium in which the Dukes outshot their hosts 35-24. Toronto did force a seventh game with a 3-2 win in game six with Ken Jamieson scoring twice and Bobby Fuhrman getting the game winner for the Dukes with less than 3 minutes remaining in regulation. Toronto would score just 8 seconds into game seven but that would be the only puck to elude Chasse as the Motors, with Monette setting up two goals, would advance to the Cup final with a 3-1 victory.

The other semi-final series put first place Boston against fourth place Montreal. The Valiants, who finished 26 points behind the defending Cup Champions during the regular season, were making their first playoff appearance since the spring of 1951. A pair of late third period goals gave the Bees a 3-1 victory in the opener - a contest that saw Boston outshoot the visitors 50-19 but had all kinds of trouble solving Valiants goaltender Nathan Bannister. Montreal evened the series with a 3-1 victory in game two and then surprised the Bees with back to back wins on home ice to go up three games to one. The third game was 2-1 with Mike Driscoll scoring once and adding an assist for the Vals while in game four it was Donnie Scott leading the way with a goal and two assists as the Valiants prevailed 5-2.

Boston stayed alive with a 3-2 win in double overtime in the fifth game. Neil Wilson was the hero as the 24-year-old Boston forward scored the winner but Montreal would complete the upset with a 4-3 victory in game six. Adam Sandford, who had been part of some great seasons early in his career with a pair of Montreal Cup wins but also through some very lean times, led the way with a goal and an assist for the Valiants to send them to the finals against Detroit.

*** Challenge Cup Finals ***

The finals marked the first time Detroit and Montreal had ever met with the Challenge Cup on the line and there first playoff meeting since the spring of 1951 when they met in the semi-finals.

The Motors hosted the opening two games and took a quick 2-0 series lead. It was an unlikely star for Detroit in the series opener as Dilly Switzer, a 33-year-old depth forward who had just 3 points in 20 regular season games and dressed for only two of the seven games against Toronto, matched his regular season point total in one swoop with a goal and two helpers to key the Motors 5-2 win in game one. Game two saw Henri Chasse take over as the Detroit goaltender stopped all 31 Valiants shots for his third shutout of the playoffs in a 3-0 Motors victory. Rob Lundale opened the scoring with his first career playoff goal in the second period. It stayed that way until Detroit defenseman Anthony Beauchemin gave his squad some breathing room with a pair of goals in the final 17 minutes.

Montreal staged a third period comeback to win game three as the Motors entered the third frame with a 3-1 lead but rookie Manny Coutu, with his first career playoff goal, and Matthew Muir, with his second of the game, forced overtime when each tallied in the third. Detroit would carry the play in the overtime, outshooting Montreal 12-6 but the Vals nabbed the victory when veteran Adam Sandford notched the game winner just shy of 15 minutes into the extra stanza.

Montreal also won game four, outshooting the Motors 43-26 and claiming another overtime victory. This one finished 2-1 as the Motors took the lead on a second period goal off the stick of Alex Guindon but Ian Doyle's unassisted effort five minutes into the third period tied the contest. The winner came just six minutes into overtime when Gordie Thomas, who started his career with Detroit, notched the goal that evened the series for Montreal.

Henri Chasse was first star in a losing effort in the fourth game and the Detroit goaltender was just as good in game five, stopping 24 Montreal shots for his fourth shutout of the playoffs and second of the series in a 2-0 win that moved the Motors to within a game of hoisting the Cup. All the scoring came in the opening period as Emmett Hargreaves gave Detroit the lead just over 2 minutes into the contest and defenseman Tyson Beddoes made it 2-0 when he scored on a point shot late in the first frame.

Chasse would be at his peak the next night as well, with a 29 save effort for his third shutout of the series and fifth of the postseason. The league does not have official records but both three shutouts in the finals and five in a single playoff year are believed to be NAHC records. Detroit scored twice in the opening period on goals by Rob Lundale and rookie Zach Roy with veteran Vincent Arsenault adding insurance in the form of a late goal. The 3-0 victory gave the Motors the Challenge Cup in six games, marking the third Cup win in five years for a Detroit team that had won just one Cup (1938-39) in its history prior to the current run.

HOCKEY NOTES

• The Boston Bees spanked a team of NAHC all-stars 6-1 in the annual mid-season meeting of the defending Challenge Cup champion against a squad of stars assembled from the other five NAHC clubs. Neil Wilson scored twice and added an assist while defenseman Ben Voyechek had three helpers as the Stars lost for the second year in a row. Boston goalies Oscar James and Pierre Melancon combined to stop 53 of 54 shots from the all-stars with only Montreal's Jocko Gregg beating the Boston duo. Veteran center Wilbur Chandler, rumoured to be contemplating retirement, also had two goals in the game for the Bees.
• Pollack's five year run as McDaniels Trophy winner came to an end but the Toronto star did lead the NAHC in points for the fifth time in the past six years and won the fourth Yeadon Trophy for gentlemanly play of his storied career.
• Tommy Burns will be back. Despite what for him was a struggle this season, but still far better production than nearly any other player in the league could even dream of, the 38-year-old has signed an extension to return to the Toronto Dukes for the 1958-59 campaign. During the season, teammate Pollack inked a three year extension with the Dukes.
• The Springfield Hornets won their second straight Hockey Association of America championship after knocking off the Pittsburgh Rovers in a six game final. The Hornets are affiliated with the Boston Bees.
• The Vancouver Bears prevailed in game seven of the Great West Hockey League against the Hollywood Stars to win their first GWHL title.
• The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association final also went the distance with the Halifax Mariners rallying from a 3 games to two deficit to nip the Kingston Cadets 3-1 in the decisive seventh game of their series. The Mariners were led by JP Morissette, who tied for the league regular season scoring title with 120 points. Morisette was originally a Toronto Dukes draft pick but was one of the pieces sent to Chicago in the summer of 1957 in the deal that brought Tommy Burns to Toronto.
• It was another injury shortened season for Benny Barrell. The son of former FABL catcher Fred Barrell and a 1956 Detroit first round draft pick was limited to 44 games for the Hull Hawks of the CAHA this season due to a broken jaw. Barrell still accumulated 75 points despite being limited to 44 games. A year ago he missed half the season with a broken wrist.
• Benny's little brother Hobie Barrell was the first overall draft pick of the CAHA champion Halifax Mariners in the league's midget draft. Barrell missed some time with injury as well but did score 40 goals and 99 points in just 46 games and added 17 points in 8 playoff outings. He is considered to be a likely NAHC superstar but is not eligible for the pro draft until 1960.
• The most notable retirement last year was New York Shamrocks longtime goaltender Etienne Tremblay, who hung up his skates at the age of 36 after more than a decade in the Big Apple.

1957-58 Season in Review -The 1957-58 Federal Basketball League season was one marked by the possible emergence of a dominant team from a major city that did not win their division but had an easy time in the playoffs to win the championship. What’s more, they are young enough to do it again. The team is the New York Knights, and they won their second title in five seasons and the third in their franchise’s history.

New York was led by a player who has come into his own in his second season. Howie Farrell, a second-round pick by the Knights last year, averaged 8.5 points in just under 20 minutes a game during his rookie year. The forward’s minutes increased as he became a starter, increasing his average to 19.4 points per game, good for fourth in the league. Farrell is 25 years old and the oldest starters on the club are 28-year-olds: guard Merlin Holder (12.6 ppg, 6.0 apg), forward Rod Bookman (13.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.8 apg), and center Rankin Egbert (8.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2.0 blk/g). They are a fast team that moves the ball quickly to find the open man, leading the league in assists (26.7/g) and when they shoot, they have the best accuracy in the league (41.5%).

The season was also marked by a divisional race for the ages. Chicago (46-26) played from ahead for most of the regular season and survived a second-half charge from Rochester (45-27) and a final two-week run by Detroit (44-28) as the Mustangs almost stole the division from both the Panthers and the Rockets. Chicago spent 132 days in first place, compared to 58 days for Rochester and 13 days for Detroit. Detroit was 11 games out on February 10th and 8-1/2 games back as late as March 30th.

From March 31st until the end of the regular season on April 17th, Rochester lost eight of nine, which opened the door for both Chicago and Detroit. The Mustangs made up all the ground on Rochester to end up tied with the Rockets, while Chicago went 6-4 and turned a 3-1/2-game deficit to a one-game lead at the end of the regular season. Detroit faced Rochester during that period six times and won all six games, which was a big reason for the Rockets collapse. Detroit had a chance to tie for first place on the final day of the season, but lost to Chicago, 75-67. Detroit would have lost the head-to-head season series tiebreaker anyway, but the comeback from a .500 team in the first 3-1/2 months of the season to coming within a whisker of winning the division.

Charlie Barrell left the team on February 17th when Chicago was 32-11. The departure coincided with Rochester making its move to the top of the division. Barrell was third on the team in scoring at 14.6 points per game and was Chicago’s most talented defender. Joe Lieberman started after Barrell left to join Spring Training with the Los Angeles Stars and there was a noticeable difference. Lieberman managed 8.6 points per game in 29 games after taking over the starting role.

Detroit’s Ziggy Rickard led the league in scoring at 22.7 per game, less than a point ahead of Chicago’s Luther Gordon. Rickard was the scoring star for the now-defunct Cleveland Crushers and will forever be remembered as the prominent player from that franchise. Rickard was as great as ever in his tenth season but lost out on the Most Valuable Player Award to Gordon, who led his team to the division title. The MVP was Gordon’s fourth, while Rickard already has two to his name.

Rochester forward Wayne Wyrick stepped to the fore this year for the Rockets, as there may be a passing of the torch from Billy Bob McCright, who at the age of 32, may be starting to slow down. Wyrick led Rochester in scoring at 17.5 points and added 10.8 rebounds per game. Danny Rachor, the fifth-year guard, capitalized off a solid playoff last season (11.0 ppg in 8 games) and had his best regular season with a 14.6-point scoring average and his 2.9 steals per game led the league. However, Rachor suffered a major knee injury in mid-February and was lost for the year.

In the Eastern Division, Philadelphia (44-28) won the division by eight games over New York (36-36). The Knights won the second-place tiebreaker with Washington (36-36) after winning 13 of 21 in their head-to-head series during the season. Neither New York nor Washington was worried about falling out of the playoff picture since three of the four teams in each division qualify for the postseason. Boston (25-47) finished 11 games behind New York and Washington, so it was all a matter of seeding. Washington lost four of its last six games while New York won three of its last four, so New York wrestled home court away from the Statesmen and were playing with some momentum heading into the playoffs. Both the Knights and Statesmen had identical 24-12 home records and 12-24 road records, so home court was very important.

Philadelphia had a good regular season, but it was hardly dominant. Yes, the Phantoms finished eight games clear of the field and started the season 30-15, but coming down the stretch, Philadelphia finished 14-13 as the team started to coast. Mel Turcotte had another excellent season, averaging 19.2 points and 11.7 rebounds a game, which good for fifth and four in the league, respectively. Turcotte shot over 50% from the floor for the first time, as his 50.1% was the league’s best.

Darren Fuhrman had a down season by his standards. After averaging 20 points a game last season, his number dropped to 15.3 points, but when he suffered a season-ending injury on March 28th with ten games left, Philadelphia had to scramble to try to replace that lost scoring.

The FBL Playoffs did not have a single winner-take-all game in any round. You can chalk up the first round results to momentum. The New York Knights came into the playoffs winners of three of four and blitzed Washington in three straight. Howie Farrell scored 20 or more points in each game to lead the way. Detroit worked so hard to try for the division, there was some doubt if they did not have enough energy to continue their hot play in the playoffs. Detroit proved any doubters wrong, as Rickard averaged 28.3 points per game in the series sweep, including 32 points in the opener. Rochester’s Wyrick was hurt in Game Two and did not play in Game Three.

In the Divisional Finals, Chicago faced Detroit and the Mustangs had the legs late in Game One, outscoring the Panthers in the fourth quarter, 26-11, to win, 83-76. Detroit came back late again in Game Two, losing 69-65 heading into the final period, but prevailed, 85-82. After Chicago held off Detroit in Game Three, Game Four went to overtime and Detroit survived, 98-96, behind 29 points for Rickard and 27 points for Erv Corwin. Rickard was hurt in the game and the Mustangs were able to roll on without him for the time being. Chicago and Luther Gordon tried to extend the series and despite 33 points from Gordon, another fourth quarter comeback by Detroit eliminated the Panthers, 76-72. However, there was concern about Rickard’s injury and whether he would be able to play in the Finals.

Eastern Division champion Philadelphia was rested, and the Phantoms thought they were ready for the Knights. While Western champion Chicago managed to win one game in their series, Philadelphia could not even muster a single win. Howie Farrell continued his rise to becoming a household word, as he averaged 29.5 points in the series, including 35 in Game Three’s 95-74 win where Mel Turcotte only scored seven points. Farrell added 34 in the clincher, a 103-90 win at Bigsby Garden.

The Finals pitted a Knights team, which had not dropped a single game in the Quarterfinal or Semifinal Rounds, against a Mustangs team that has only lost once in two rounds. Detroit was missing its star, Ziggy Rickard, and though he was day-to-day, he would not appear in the entire series.

In Game One, Detroit tried to come back, but the Mustangs trailed by 16 heading into the fourth quarter and despite a 27-14 run, the Mustangs fell short, 99-96. The offense continued to flow for both teams in Game Two, a Knights win, 104-92, and shot an amazing 52.8% from the floor. Rankin Egbert, the starting center, was lost to injury during the game, which would normally cause some consternation, but his backup was the legendary Larry Yim.

Detroit won Game Three, 89-80, with patented fourth-quarter dominance, blowing open a razor-thin margin to win by nine behind Ed Kosanovich’s 26 points and Erv Corwin’s 20 points. Yim scored 22 points in the loss, which would be the only loss New York would have in the postseason.

New York shrugged off the loss and won the remaining two games of the series with relative ease with 16- and 17-point victories to win the championship.

Howie Farrell was held to 14 points in the Game Three loss. But, Farrell cemented his Playoff MVP credentials with 37 points in Game Four and 29 points in Game Five, earning Player of the Game honors in both games. For the playoffs, Farrell averaged 27.3 points in 12 games.

PLENTY OF TURNOVER AT THE TOP

1958 was another year that failed to see any fighter exhibit dominance in a division. Some might have felt that British heavyweight Steve Leivers might have been the next great star in the sport, and for a brief stretch he looked unbeatable. However, after his surprising loss to Brad Harris in February of 1957 Leivers appeared to be frozen out in the division as fight promoters seemed to be conspiring to ensure the heavyweight title remained in American hands.

Leivers remained in North America he had to settle for a string of bouts against B-class fighters as none of the contenders apparently to have time to fit him into their schedules. Joe Brinkworth, the man who originally brought the heavyweight title back to Europe before losing to Leivers, elected to stay overseas and never did seek another shot at the title.

While Leivers continued to bide his time three different ring veterans spent time with the ABF heavyweight title in 1958. Joey Tierney, who beat Brad Harris in September of 1957, began the year with the belt. Now 31, Tierney was still a good fighter but not up to the form he showed in his twenties when he made ten consecutive title defenses. Tierney's reign this time was short as he was knocked out by Tommy Cline at Bigsby Garden in February while making his first title defense this time around.

It was sweet revenge for Cline as the 34-year-old Tennessean had lost twice to Tierney with the title on the including the famous 1952 fight to fill the title vacated by the retirement nine months earlier of the great Hector Sawyer. For Cline the third time was the charm as after falling short twice against Tierney he finally claimed the elusive crown.

Cline would not hold it long as his first defense was a July bout against Brad Harris. The Akron Assassin and Cline battled for 15 rounds only to end in a draw that night in Chicago but agreed to stage a rematch four months later. Ironically, it was in Tierney's hometown of Detroit, although Tierney did not make an appearance at the event. This time Harris was just a little too much for Cline and scored a unanimous decision to win the title for the second time in his career.

The middleweight division began the year with a European champion as Yohan Revel, the veteran Frenchman, had taken the belt from Mark McCoy the previous October. His first title defense was in Montreal against a rising young star who hails from Toronto by the name of George Quisenberry. The result was not even close as the youngster schooled the more experienced Revel in a dominating performance. The Canadian would follow that up with close decision over Joe Clarke, the St. Louis born fighter who had a previous title two years earlier but came up short then as well.

Next up for Quisenberry was the bad boy of the division as he agreed to face former champ George Hatchell, who had been ostracized by the boxing community in the States after back to back disqualifications in title fights with Mark McCoy. The pride of Puyallup, Washington may not be well liked but he certainly can box and he scored a dominant victory to regain the title he had previously held for two years beginning in 1955. It should be noted that little had changed with Hatchell as he was warned four times in the bout for various violations by referee Curtis Thrasher.

Eugene Ellis began and ended the year as welterweight champion but he briefly turned it over to Lonnie Griffin. Ellis had made five successful title defenses including a 12th round knockout of Houston's Lenny Rodriguez in April, but he was narrowly defeated when Griffin claimed a split decision victory in New York in August. The duo, 1-1 head to head, agreed to a rematch in Philadelphia in early December. Ellis dominated that fight, scoring three knockdowns and winning the 15-rounder by at least ten points on each of the three cards from the adjudicators.

The revolving door of champions continued this year, as no belt-holder made it through the entire year without giving up their title. At least in the case of Eugene Ellis, he lost the welterweight belt to Lonnie Griffin in August only to win it back in December.

Joey Tierney won the heavyweight title last year, but he is on the downside of his storied career, and he was thought to be a placeholder for a more suitable up-and-comer to take the belt and wear it for a while. Tierney defeated Brad Harris last September to win the belt back, but in February of this year, he coughed it up to another late-stage boxer, Tommy Cline at Bigsby Garden. Both Tierney and Cline fought for the title in 1952, when Tierney won the vacant title in a dominating performance. Cline was just as dominant six years later.

Cline knocked Tierney down six times and put him away in the ninth round with an eight-count that nearly did Tierney in and a full knockout to finish the job. Cline is known for getting an opponent down, but not closing well, as his exuberance leads to wild swings and allows for the other boxer to catch his breath. Tierney earned a knockdown of his own in the third round, the only round where Tierney could stake a claim. The seventh round was unanimously scored a 10-7 round for Cline, which included two knockdowns, including the only one of the six that did not at least reach an eight-count.

Cline had a new lease on his boxing life after pummeling Tierney and decided to face the man Tierney last faced to win the title last year: Brad Harris. Cline and Harris tangled at Lakeside Auditorium in Chicago and Harris surprised Cline in the opening seconds of the bout by landing a body shot that crumpled the champion in a heap. Cline managed to get to his feet on the count of seven. Cline had the other two knockdowns in the fight, but while Cline often missed his mark, Harris was clinical in his precision, connecting on 65% of his punches compared to only 15% for Cline. The combatants took turns trying to string rounds together, but after 45 minutes of boxing, nothing was settled. One judge had the fight 143-140 for Cline, one had the same score, but for Harris, and the third judge scored it a 143-143 tie, so the boxers had to settle for a draw, a second in two years for Harris in a title fight.

Harris was granted a rematch from Cline’s camp that was set for November at the Thompson Palladium in Detroit. Harris was ready and willing to strike first and strike hard. Just as in the first fight, Harris floored Cline less than a minute in, this time with a hook upstairs that sent Cline sprawling. Harris dominated Cline from pillar to post, only giving away two or three rounds in the unanimous decision. Harris was champion again and ended the year with the belt.

Brad Harris’s domination in the title rematch with Tommy Cline gives Harris the 1958 Bologna Boxer of the Year, as he was 1-0-1 in title fights during the calendar year.

Heading into his last fight of the year, George Quisenberry was all set to win the Boxer of the Year. Quisenberry was a strong contender. He was a fresh face on the scene, a young 23-year-old from Toronto, Canada, who surprised middleweight champion Yohan Revel in March and survived a split decision in June against Joe Clarke.

In the Revel-Quisenberry fight, which was held in Montreal, Quisenberry had to deal with a cut inside his left eyebrow that Revel opened up in the sixth round. He was hardly hampered by this, but the fight was paused twice while the ringside physician inspected the open wound. Quisenberry scored two 10-8 rounds when he drilled Revel to the ground in Rounds 11 and 13 for the only two knockdowns in the fight. Those rounds were essentially the difference in the fight, and Quisenberry won the middleweight title.

Quisenberry had a very close shave in his first title defense at home in Toronto against Joe Clarke. In another fight that went the distance at Dominion Gardens, Clarke scored the only knockdown, which occurred in the third round, but Quisenberry inflicted the physical punishment that was clearly visible to the judges at the end of the fight, or at least two of the three judges. Quisenberry won by split decision and kept the belt.

George Hatchell was up next and tried to take back the middleweight title that was once his. Quisenberry had a good first few rounds, but against the former champion, Quisenberry did not have an answer to Hatchell’s hooks and uppercuts. Hatchell connected on almost half of his punches (48%), while Quisenberry was punching nothing but air most of the time, hitting his target only 15% of the time. Of course, Hatchell had his moments, with four fouls called against him, including a rabbit punch late in the ninth round when he had a lead. It was almost as if Hatchell could not help himself.

All three Quisenberry fights went the full 15 rounds and in this last bout with Hatchell, it was the challenger that reclaimed his title, and 1958 ended with Hatchell on top.

In the welterweight division, Eugene Ellis finally granted a rematch to Lonnie Griffin that was set for the only arena that could contain the hot air that Griffin would provide, Bigsby Garden in New York. Before Ellis-Griffin II, Ellis was strong in his 12th round technical knockout of Lenny Rodriguez in April, but Rodriguez was not even a top five contender in the division. Griffin noticed that and in the lead-up to his rematch, called Ellis and his camp out on dodging Griffin for almost two years.

Griffin and Ellis fought a clean fight with similar accuracy and neither fighter was able to drop the other one to the canvas. While Ellis was falling in love with uppercuts, looking for the big punch, Griffin was content to live with the jab and scoring points with less devastating punches. Griffin was playing for a decision. Neither boxer was ahead by much, but late in the fight, you did get a feeling that Griffin was slightly ahead, if only because of some swelling under Ellis’s right eye first seen in the ninth round started to turn puffy.

Griffin won the fight and in the post-bout interview, he did not mince words, barely giving Ellis any credit for the well-fought match and saying that Ellis can wait a while for his next chance. Ellis shouted back that he would not have to wait long until someone else offered him another title shot, insinuating Griffin’s reign at the top will not be long.

FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS

Tales From The Manor: Dukes Dynamic Duo Fail Capture Challenge Cup - The talk around Toronto in the fall as the 1957-58 Dukes headed north for training camp was the NAHC season was just a formality for five teams. The fans thought that with Quinton Pollack and Tom Burns leading the scoring, backstopped by Scott Renes along with a strong defense corps the team would cruise to a league title then a Challenge Cup.

Unfortunately, Toronto fans were then shown why the teams play a 70 game schedule before 4 teams move into the playoffs. Many hockey writers thought the Dukes would run away with anything associated with goal scoring or point production with Burns and Pollack finishing head and shoulders above any challengers. Some thought that the Dukes many scoring 250 or more goals in regular season. None of those predictions were worth a grain of salt as it would turn out. Toronto did not even score 200. Only one team surpassed that mark and it was Boston with 205. Detroit got close at 195 with four more than the Dukes' 191. The Bees completed the double that is every coach's dream by leading the league in goals for and allowing the fewest goals against. Boston only allowed 145 in 70 games, 21 fewer than Detroit, 23 less than Toronto.

After training camp and its 7 tune up games the Dukes got off to a slow start, going 0-3-2 before winning their first game on Oct 23rd 6-2 over New York. The team stumbled along winning a few, lose a few, with an occasional tie until the Dukes lost 5 straight and 9 of 11 when the calendar flipped from 1957 to 1958. Fans were dumbfounded, not only were their hockey heroes not running away with the NAHC they were in danger of missing the playoffs. Rumours abounded, which were quickly quelled by Jack Barrell, of dissension in the dressing room with players fighting amongst themselves, not the kind of cohesion Barrell always preaches leads to winning games.

The team seemed to right the ship in mid-February going 12-1-5 down the stretch to finish the season in third 6 points behind Detroit and a whopping 15 in arrears of Boston. The fans thought the team had finally turned the corner going into the playoffs against their archrivals from Motor City. Pollack did again lead the league in scoring, 34-35-69 despite missing 6 games due to injury, but that was a far cry from what was going to be the NAHC's first triple digit points season. He finished 3 points ahead of Montreal's Jocko Gregg who led the league in goals with 35. Boston spread their scoring around with Alex Gagnon registering the most assists with 38. Tommy Burns had a good season for a normal player, though not to his high standards, with 22-28-50 in 61 games, which was Burns lowest point total in the decade.

The Dukes went into the semis on a hot streak but with one major concern. On the night of March 15th in a game against the Motors Scott Renes suffered a shattered eye socket when hit by a deflected snap shot. He was immediately sent to Toronto General for surgery to repair the damage. The Dukes continued their winning ways by opening the playoffs with two wins on the road at Thompson Palladium. The opener was 6-2 with a strong third period after the Motors closed the gap to 3-2 early in the third. On April 2nd the Dukes, led by Pollack's hattrick, skated to a relatively easy 7-3 victory.

With fans jumping on the Dukes' bandwagon in droves the team returned to the Gardens to have Henri Chasse show them why he is regarded as the best shot stopper in the game today. Over two games Chasse stopped all 71 shots fired on goal by the Dukes in back to back 1-0 Motors wins. Charlie Dell who led the league in GAA at 2.00 with a 11-6 record was no slouch himself allowing only 2 on 41 shots. Dell was given the net after Renes' horrific injury, he proved to be equal to the task. Detroit had stolen the momentum in the series returned home to have Chasse continue his show stealing work in goal. A goal with just over 6 minutes remaining by Alex Monette gave the Motors, who were outshot 35-24, a 3-2 series lead with a 3-2 score.

Going home Toronto extend the series to a seventh game when Dell starred in net. Ken Jamieson beat Chasse twice then Bobby Furhman notched the winner at 17:01 of the third. The faithful believed the Dukes were headed to their destiny in Game 7 when Tim Brooks opened the scoring after just 8 seconds had elapsed in the game. Dell has a tough second period, beaten 3 times on 8 shots, which proved to be enough as Chasse stoned the Dukes for the last 59:52 in a series clinching 3-1 win in front of almost 15,000 fans.

Coach Barrell- "That was a disappointing season, we finally got untracked in February then had Chasse steal the series in the semis. Our forwards took far too long to get into their game with Tommy, Quinton by thinking those two would handle all the scoring instead of working to get open to complement those two centers. I thought about putting the two of them together often this season, I will do that in the fall, It will take some miles off Burns' legs by moving to the wing. My biggest concern now is Renes, doctors can do amazing things these days, years ago that shot would have ended a goaltenders career. I have talked to Scott, he is doing is hoping to be ready for camp. The test will be whether he has lost any peripheral vision. Without a wide field of vision you cannot play goal in this league. Time will tell. You will see different line combinations in the fall."

*** Tales from The Den- 1958 Brings More of the Same ***

The long suffering fans of the Wolves witnessed more of the same from the ballclub this past season, middle of the pack at the plate with absolutely no help from the mound or in the field. Fans continue to ask "When are we going to see a team that can pitch and catch a ball?"

These fans who have not seen a winning season since 1948 continue to support Bernie Millard's team, attendance was up over 100,000 this year at Dominion Field. This puts more money in the owner's pocket. Fans are living on dreams put forward by the front office "We will turn the corner this year."

This from a team that hasn't finished closer than 11 games behind the CA pennant winner in the fifties along with only having a staff ERA under 4 once since 1948, 3.99in 1957. Fielding has not even been close to major league standards in recent memory and any batted ball in play is a new adventure, resembling at times a scene from the Keystone Cops satires. This certainly does not help the pitching although the hurlers don't help themselves with free passes.

Gordie Perkins, who was brought in by trade in 1952 to stabilize the infield, has spent more time injured than playing since 1955. This year he was in the Wolves lineup only 5 times before suffering a broken kneecap on July 5th that will keep him out until mid-1959. Taking the season in two month segments the Wolves were 22-21 April/May, 26-28 June/July, 27-30 August/September for a season total of 75-79 for fifth place, 16 games behind Kansas City who were defeated by Detroit in a 7 game World Series.

It is not that the Wolves do not have good players. There certainly are some but the problem is they do not have enough even average FABL players. The Wolves seem destined to waste a potential HOF career from Tom Reed who posted another All-Star season at 27 with a slash line of .318/.384/.598 34 HR 106 RBI. Reed led the CA in HR. The problem is with little to no depth opposing pitchers can pitch around Reed in any tight situation.

On the mound the Wolves have a good 1,2 punch with George Hoxworth, 20, 13-18, 4.18, Whitey Stewart, 27, 15-10, 3.56 but after that then the choices become very slim for Manager Jake Beck. Hoxworth led the CA in strikeouts with 206 though unfortunately he also led in BB, 114 and losses with 18 in 282 1/3 innings. Refining his trade at the highest level of baseball is proving to be at times challenging for Hoxworth.

One Wolves move that incensed the faithful this season was the deadline dealing of RHP Jim Montgomery, 25, to Montreal for two minor leaguers SS Phil Story, 19, Wilson Pearson, 24. Story is the 19th ranked prospect, Pearson preformed well in relief in a Wolves uniform but has control issues. Trading a starter who was 13-8, 3.86 for the Wolves before the trade made little sense to the fanbase.

Toronto has the 7th ranked system led by Story at 19 along with the 7th ranked RHP Arnie Smith who was the fourth overall pick in this year's draft. Supporters know the words to this tune when told help is on the way. May have bitter memories of how Les Ledbetter, John Wells were going to lead the Wolves to a new decade of glory in the Fifties. The attitude is now "Prove it!" when management touts the future that is currently refining their tools in the system. Unless the team can solve the ineptitude in the field by turning more than 70% balls put into play into outs, make more errors than turned double plays they are going nowhere in the CA before the Sixties.

IS THIS THE END OF THE DYNAMO DYNASTY?

With all the excitement of three more local teams winning titles in 1958 -the Motors, Detroit City College basketball and of course the Dynamos- it is quite interesting that most of the talk as the calendar turns to 1959 is about doom and gloom coming to Thompson Field next season.

Certainly it caught all fans by surprise and felt like repeated blasts to the midsection from a Joey Tierney haymaker as news broke first of Jack Miller's trade to Kansas City, then Stan Kleminski's departure for Cleveland of all places where he will join his old doubleplay partner Del Johnson and finally just a few days before Christmas the worst blow of all when word trickled out of the Dynamos office that Edwin Hackberry has been traded to San Francisco.

On the surface the moves all seem to be the work of owner Powell Thompson Jr., who like his father, seems far more concerned about the bottom line than anything that might happen between the lines. Trading three did shave about $290,000 off what had grown to become the highest payroll in baseball and to be fair Thompson Field is one of the smallest parks. The Thompson family has been willing to spend money to acquire and retain the great talent we have seen, and they have been rewarded with plenty of post-season revenue. With salaries on the rise and perhaps age, and the rest of the Federal Association starting to catch up with the Dynamos the decision was made to retool the team.

While most may feel this is a huge step back and an slap in the face to deal three players that have been such a major piece of our city for so long, perhaps the timing was right. Hackberry and Kleminski each just turned 32, and both have been playing for the Dynamos since the age of 19 and rank right up there with Frank Vance and Al Wheeler as fan favourites. Miller, also 32, came along a few years later and his 169 wins in a Detroit uniform are third highest in franchise history so each have been fixtures and will be greatly missed.

But I contend this is not a time of doom and gloom. In fact, this may be just the difficult but necessary move to ensure the Dynamos continue to be one of the best franchises in baseball.

The Hackberry trade brought 22-year-old super prospect Ray Waggoner in return. Waggoner has been considered by OSA to be the number one prospect in baseball since shortly after the Sailors selected him 9th overall in the 1953 draft. He is about ready for the big leagues and may be an everyday player in 1959. If not and the Dynamos need to wait a little longer for Waggoner's immense talent to arrive in the Detroit outfield, there is more than enough talent in place already with Bill Morrison shifting to centerfield to replace Hackberry and Ralph Johnson, who has almost been a forgotten man as the fourth outfielder, able to step back into a starting role.

Kleminski was forced to second base a couple of years ago when Joe Reed arrived to take over the shortstop role. Reed, 25, has thrived and has a slash line of .299/.373/.502 for his two plus years in Detroit while playing above average defense. Now another 25-year-old in Dick Tucker is ready to wrestle second base away from Kleminski. Tucker, the fourth pick of the 1951 draft, hit .355 with 32 homers last season, his first full year in the majors.

Miller may be missed on the mound but the 1953 Allen Award winner is coming off the first subpar season of his career and dealt with his first injury of any significance last summer. Perhaps the Dynamos brass is forecasting this might be the beginning of the end for the 32 year old. Detroit still has the trio of Jim Norris, Paul Anderson and Jack Halbur to front the rotation and the Kleminski trade with Cleveland brought John Jackson to the Motor City. The 34-year-old has spent a decade with the Foresters and always seemed to be overshadowed on a staff that rivaled Detroit's in its prime but he has been healthy and if everything breaks right he could be the best #4 starter in baseball. The team needs to find one more quality arm for the rotation but perhaps he is already in the organization in the form of Jimmy Block, who came over from the Cannons at the deadline last summer, or Bob Allen, a 30-year-old who never quite lived up to expectations with the Chicago Cougars but has been a decent swingman for the Dynamos in recent years. There is also another former Cleveland Forester in Larry Beebe, who was acquired in the Del Johnson deal over the summer.

In an ideal world the Dynamos use the next three months before opening day to add another quality arm, making a move like the deal that brought Anderson from Los Angeles a few years ago. However, if that does not happen there are still plenty of internal options. Fans will miss Hackberry, Kleminski and Miller but signs seem to indicate this is not a rebuild, but rather a reload in an effort to carry the dominance Detroit has had over most of the 1950s well into the next decade.

The Year That Was
Current events from 1958

• Jan 8- At the age of 14, Bobby Fischer wins the United States Chess Championship.
• Jan 31- The first successful American satellite, Explorer 1, is launched into orbit.
• Feb 5- The Tybee Bomb, a 7,600 pound hydrogen bomb, is lost in the waters off Savannah, GA. following a mishap in a military training exercise.
• Feb 20- A test rocket explodes at Cape Canaveral.
• Mar 8- The USS Wisconsin is decommissioned, leaving the Navy without an active battleship for the first time since 1896.
• Mar 11- A US B-47 bomber accidently drops an atom bomb on Mars Bluff, SC. It destroys a house and injuries several people, but no nuclear fission occurs.
• April- Unemployment in Detroit reaches 20%, marking the height of the 1958 recession.
• May 13- During a visit to Venezuela, Vice President Nixon's car is attacked by anti-American demonstrators.
• Jun 8- The SS Edmund Fitzgerald is launched: it will be the largest Great Lakes freighter for more than a dozen years.
• Jul 15- During the Lebanon crisis, 5,000 US Marines land in Beirut in order to protect the pro-Western government there.
• Jul 29- Congress formally creates NASA.
• Aug 23- President Eisenhower signs the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, transferring all authority over aviation in the US to the newly created Federal Aviation Agency.
• Dec 19- A message from President Eisenhower is broadcast from SCORE, the world's first communications satellite, launched by the United States the previous day.