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ayaghmour2 · 01-21-2025, 01:46 PM

OCTOBER 1, 1962

Pioneers on Brink of Pennant, Magic Number Now 1

With just three games left in the FABL season, the 96-55 St. Louis Pioneers are just one game away from clinching their first pennant since 1951 -- the exact same season the then Philadelphia Sailors last made a trip to the postseason. All that it would take for a rematch is one Pioneer win or one Dynamo loss, and even if neither happen St. Louis will get one final chance in a 1-game playoff with the Dynamos.

St. Louis will look to lock things up on Monday, where Billy Hasson (20-8, 3.04, 179) will look to secure his 21st win and first career pennant. If he can't beat Joe Cipolla (13-11, 5.21, 151) and the Chiefs, the Pioneers get to do what no one else can, and go to their 24-game winner Frenchy Mack (24-5, 2.03, 280). As fun as it would be for him to get 25, and trust me, it would be, but him and his squad are hoping that he can be 100% for the postseason, instead of being forced into the second to last game. His double-digit strikeout streak was stopped at eight, with "just" 9 in a complete game win over the Gothams.

Assuming the Pioneers hold on to their lead, they'll face the talented Sailors team that officially clinched during the week. 1st in runs allowed and 2nd in runs scored, they match the Pioneers runs allowed ranked and are a spot above in runs scored, and they do it without the flash of a Mack, Hasson, or Bob Bell (.381, 45, 116, 6). What they do have, is seven starters with a WRC+ above 100, and an eighth stuck at 95. All their pitchers can win starts, from young ace Charlie Lawson (16-10, 4.02, 169) to midseason callup Larry Knez (8-3, 2.88, 51). Edwin Hackberry (.291, 24, 93, 23), John Kingsbury (.346, 21, 111, 13), Heinie Spitler (.334, 4, 79, 27), and Carlos Jaramillo (.289, 8, 44, 27) have all been worth 5 or more WAR, and Ernie Carter (.337, 11, 112, 10) should finish within half a win, and he's a 21-year-old rookie who leads the team in RBIs.

In terms of where the game will be played, the Sailors have a one game lead over the Pioneers, so if they managed to blow it, the Sailors will host the Dynamos regardless. As a team who can win everywhere, they may be more comfortable letting their starters rest, as they're playing above .600 ball at home and away. St. Louis, on the other hand, is significantly better at home, a percentage difference of almost 80 points. With that in mind, they may have extra incentive to win all the games they have left. It's the managers dilemma: win all you can for homefield or have your front three ready for the start of the series?

Tough one, huh?

Well, that's why Lou Ormsby and Walt Zecher get paid the big bucks!

Tales From The Den
Wolves Need Two Wins In Final Three

After going 3-3 for the week the Wolves will have to win 2of 3 while hosting Cincinnati for their last three games of the season. The week began with a heartbreaking twelve inning loss to the Kings. After rallying in the last half of the eighth on an Al Curtis RBI the team could push any runs across in extra while Jimmy Pepper got touched up for two runs on back-to-back doubles by John Wells. a former fan favorite at Dominion Stadium, Charlie Rogers to give KC the win. Toronto got off to a quick start Tuesday, scoring 5 in the first, 2 in the second to cruise to an 11-2 win led by Sid Cullen's 5 RBI. A late rally allowed the Kings to win the rubber match of the series 6-4 when the home team led 3-1 after six before Loeffler's tank emptied in the seventh. Into Dyckman Stadium where Toronto takes two of three including George Adams' first FABL win in a 12-4 Thursday result. With one start remaining for Adams has a 1-4 record with a 6.75 ERA in 8 starts. The ERA is high, the only solace is that it is about half of what it was before he was sent back to Buffalo in August.

Manager Hohlt will not be resting anyone in the Cannons series saying "The players have until February to rest, I want to win the last three games to give the fans a look to the future." The talk in the stands is hoping that the Wolves can come through the last three games but also speculating on whether this will be the last time some don the Wolves uniform. Some are saying that this may be the final hurrah for the likes of Charlie Harvey, 34, with Tom Reed's move to 1B, Rocky Stone, 32, who has only 25 PA this year, Roy Demonbreun, 34, who is a defensive liability. On the mound there are Hank Griffith has had a poor year out of the pen. Hohlt says there have been no discussions of 1963 because "we have not finished 1962 yet, most teams do not return intact season to season. Those discussions are for later during organization meetings during the World Series. Meetings that I hope are later in October next year."

Ed Savage was named Rookie of Month in September with a line of .375/.470/.677 with an OPS of 1.147 (OPS+ 184), generating 1.6 WAR in 25 games.

EXPANSION IMPERIALS ON WAY TO ONE OF WORST SEASONS IN SPORTS HISTORY

With defeat number 113 the New York Imperials broke by one the 1890 Pittsburgh Miners record for most losses by any professional sports team in a single season. The Imperials still have 3 games remaining to add to that futility total but it prompted me to look at some of the worst teams in other Figment sports history.

In hockey there were none worse than the Brooklyn Eagles during the war years. The 1945-46 edition went just 2-41-5 and for a three year total the Eagles won only 8 games while losing 126 and tying 10. They would fold a short time later.

College football has given us some bad teams that play in major conferences the past few years. The worst is likely Idaho A&M of the West Coast Athletic Association. The Pirates went three full years without a victory going 0-30 during that time frame. The worst of those three years was the first as the 1958 edition of Idaho A&M was outscored 580-58 in their 10 losses. The Pirates are bouncing back to a degree as they halted that 3-year futility streak with a 2-8 season a year ago and are 1-2 so far this season thanks to an opening week 20-12 victory over St. Magnus.

The current Baton Rouge State Red Devils are threatening to equal the Pirates as the Deep South Conference door mat has gone 0-10 each of the past two seasons and is off to an 0-4 start. Since the start of the 1958 season the Red Devils are 2-42 and are riding an active 31 game losing streak that dates back to October of 1958 when they beat McKinney State 20-19. It is unlikely the Red Devils will win any of their six remaining games this season.

As far as the pros are concerned the worst football team of the modern era is likely the 1950 New Orleans Crescents of the AFA, who went 0-11-1 in their first and what would prove to be only season in the league as the former Continental Football Conference club folded prior to the 1951 campaign. The 1946 Pittsburgh Paladins also were winless but like New Orleans they did manage a tie and finished with an 0-10-1 record. The last time an AFA team failed to win or tie a game was in 1934 when the short-lived Cincinnati Centurions lost all 11 of their games and were outscored 300-45 in the process.

More recently and for a longer stretch the post-Pat Chappell Kansas City Cowboys endured three consecutive 2-10 seasons from 1954-56: a streak that began the year after the Cowboys reached the AFA title game for the third consecutive season.

On the court we have the 1957-58 Toronto Falcons who suffered through a 12-60 (.167) season and finished last in the Federal Basketball League's West Division for six consecutive seasons. The worst single season winning percentage in the FBL belonged to another Toronto team as the 1948-49 Titans posted a 9-59 (.132) record. It was a much shorter schedule but in the old American Basketball Conference the New York Knights went 2-22 (.083) in 1942-43.

College-wise some of the early season standings are missing but the worst team of all time is believed to belong to the 1939-40 Miners College Miners, who went 2-28. They are followed closely by the 1940-41 Valley State Gunslingers and 1958-59 Alabama Gulf Coast Privateers who each endured a 2-27 season. As for bigger schools there have been several who went 4-25 including the 1951-52 Daniel Boone College Frontiersmen and more recently the 1960-61 Provo Tech Lions won just 4 games after going 17-12 the year before.

Batter of the Months were both repeats, as as June winner Hank Williams (.429, 10, 28) and August winner Tom Lorang (.448, 9, 27, 1) were named the winners for September
The other two Fed winners were repeats, as Pioneers French Mack (5-0, 1.43, 50) and Danny Davis (.400, 4, 12) took home Pitcher and Rookie of the Month respectively. For Mack, it was his second 5-0 month, and he's yet to have a monthly ERA above 3
In the Contin, the Pitcher and Rookie winners were new, with the Stars' Dewey Allcock (5-0, 1.51, 20) and the Wolves' Ed Savage (.375, 7, 23) voted winners. Savage's selection was impressive, as all but 4 of his 29 career games came this September
Looks like us and the Kansas City media jinxed Hank Williams. After getting all the way up to .392, he went 0-for-21 in his last five games. This dropped his still impressive average to .377, but Williams will not be the last player since Hank Williams to hit over .400
Pioneer outfielder Danny Davis (.353, 26, 95) saw his hit-streak end at 32 games, and the only person to be blamed is Lou Ormsby. After giving him the day off, Davis pinch hit in the 7th, but he grounded out and was then replaced by new reliever Bill Davis. During the streak, he upped his season line from .341/.411/.533 to .353/.418/.599, and went 2-for-6 with a triple, homer, and 3 RBIs the following day
Forester Earl Howe (.262, 26, 89, 6) hit his 300th career FABL home run off John Mitchell (11-10, 4.23, 97) of the Cougars to start the 6th inning of Cleveland's 6-5 loss. The 26th player with 300 homers, it came in 1,367 games, all with the Gothams and Foresters. The first pick of the 1950 draft, he won the Kellogg in 1954, the Whitney in 1955, and has been selected to 4-All Star games. Now 30, he's hit .282/.358/.516 (132 OPS+) in his career, worth 44.3 WAR with 220 doubles, 916 runs, and 998 RBIs
Chief Ed Bloom (.283, 12, 52, 9) recorded his 2,000 hit the same day as Howe's 300th homer, and like Howe, he took someone deep. In this case, it was solo shot off reliever Jack Jordan (0-0, 5.71, 31). Known more for his eye then his bat, Bloom recorded his 1,500th walk earlier in the season, and has 3,557 hits + walks since debuting in 1949. This contributes to an elite .298/.431/.444 (139 OPS+) line with 368 doubles, 101 triples, 138 homers, 823 RBIs, 1,312 runs, and 190 steals
Diving deeper into Bloom, the active walk leader, he totaled exactly 100 walks this season. Walking 100 or more times in twelve consecutive seasons, he's led the Fed nine times and has a a legit chance for ten. Only Jerry Smith (99) and potentially Ed Wise (96) could stand in his way
Complete games aren't as prevalent as they once were, so it's even more impressive that King ace Beau McClellan was able to throw an 11-inning one. Picking up his 17th win of the season, he allowed 11 hits, 2 runs, and a walk with 6 strikeouts, as the Kings escaped Toronto with a 4-2 win

STARS AND YANKS SET FOR AFA EAST SHOWDOWN

Plenty of anticipation in pro grid circles in advance of next Sunday's showdown between the two-time defending league champion New York Stars and the Boston Americans after both clubs advanced remained perfect on the season with victories yesterday. A 3-0 start is not unexpected at all for the Stars, who have won 4 league titles in the past ten years and made the playoffs eight times in that span. For Boston, it is a much different story as the Yanks have not enjoyed a winning season since 1955 and have not won a playoff contest since their victory in the 1945 American Football Association championship game.

Boston, which went 6-8 a year ago under long time coach Charles Cabot, has looked impressive this season with all three of their victories coming on the road including yesterday's 22-7 romp over winless Buffalo. Veteran back Bob Callender led the way for the Americans as the 29-year-old ran for a game high 117 yards and scored a fourth quarter touchdown, ruining a strong effort from Red Jackets quarterback Jim Rizzi, who threw for 168. Boston did have its troubles finding the end zone as Callender scored the only major with the rest of the Yanks points coming courtesy the boot of kicker Dana Lawson.

Much better success in the red zone will be crucial next weekend when the New York Stars invade Minutemen Stadium for the Americans home opener. New York has won 16 of the last 21 meetings between the two clubs and is on a roll, as their 41-10 shellacking of the Detroit Maroons yesterday certainly reinforces.

The Maroons, who had high hopes after finishing with the best record in the West Division a year ago, are struggling at 1-2 and looked lost against the Stars offense and back Reid McDuffy in particular yesterday. McDuffy ran for 181 yards in the game with the majority coming on touchdown carries of 69 and 55 yards to help New York go up 28-10 at the half. New York's offensive outburst was even more impressive when you consider that Stars starting quarterback and reigning AFA Most Valuable Player Orlin Youngs missed the game with an injury but third year backup Harris Kummer fared just fine in his first career pro start. The former Miami State star played mistake-free ball, completing 7 of 17 throws for 143 yards including a fourth quarter touchdown pass to Rusty Drews.

The West Division leading St. Louis Ramblers remained unbeaten and ran their win streak including preseason contests to six games with a 20-10 doubling of the Outlaws in Houston. The Ramblers scored 17 points in the first 14 minutes of the game and had little difficulty with the third year Houston club, which dips to 1-2 with the loss.

In other action Bren Wechsler thew for 185 yards and three touchdowns to lead the visiting Cleveland Finches to a 41-7 win over the Paladins in Pittsburgh. The Chicago Wildcats, like Cleveland, came off a bye week with a victory as Fred Gunther ran for 168 yards and a touchdown to lead Chicago to a 21-9 victory over San Francisco. Three Bill Beaver field goals was the difference in Los Angeles as the Tigers improved to 2-1 with a 16-7 victory over the 1-2 Kansas City Cowboys. Dick Drum scored the only Tigers touchdown as part of his impressive 161 yard rushing day. Finally, in Philadelphia Jack Osterman threw for 139 yards and a touchdown to help the Philadelphia Frigates hand winless Washington its third straight loss as the hosts prevailed 24-14.

AVIATORS SOAR IN GREAT LAKES SHOWDOWN

The Central Ohio Aviators nipped Western Iowa 13-9 in a Great Lakes Alliance showdown between a pair of top five teams. The Aviators, led by 91 yards rushing from Larry Spruance, trailed 9-3 at the half before rallying to clip the Canaries in a battle of unbeaten teams. The win moves Central Ohio up two spots in the latest collegiate football rankings to #2, while the Canaries fall from third all the way to 23rd after losing for the first time in three outings.

Cumberland remains the number one team in the nation after the Explorers ran their record to 4-0 with a 73-0 rout of perennial Deep South Conference doormat Baton Rouge State. The Explorers ran for 489 yards in the game including 181 from Ron Filas while Cumberland quarterback Steve Peach completed 10 passes for 151 yards and three touchdowns.

Lubbock State dropped from second to third despite the fact that the Hawks improved to 3-0 with a 20-13 victory over Payne State in their Southwestern Alliance opener. Junior halfback Paul Coddington was the difference in the game as he ran for a pair of touchdowns, both on carries in excess of 50 yards to key the Hawks offense.

A pair of West Coast schools hold down the fourth and fifth spots in the latest rankings as West Coast Athletic Association power Lane State ran its season record to 4-0 thanks to a 39-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter, giving the Emeralds a 31-24 victory over Northern Cal. Independent Minns College, based in San Jose, CA., is also 4-0 and ranked fifth after the Mavericks downed College of Waco 33-27.

Other results of note saw Noble Jones College improve to 3-0 with a 19-3 victory at home over Bayou State. Rome State lost for the second week in a row as Aaron Reurn ran for a pair of touchdowns to help Penn Catholic run its record to 4-0 with a 27-17 victory over the Centurions. CC Los Angeles snapped a two-game losing skid with a 27-20 win over Redwood while Coastal California also won in West Coast Athletic Association play as the Dolphins downed Spokane State 33-13.

WEEKEND COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS
Cowpens State Fighting Green 31, Columbia Military Academy Cadets 9
Charleston Tech Admirals 37, North Carolina Tech Techsters 14
Maryland State Bengals 30, Carolina Poly Cardinals 23
Eastern State Monitors 30, Coastal State Eagles 23
Sadler Bluecoats 24, Brunswick Knights 13
Henry Hudson Explorers 40, Grafton Scholars 37
George Fox Reds 27, Dickson Maroons 7
Ellery Bruins 19, Pierpont Purple 8
Cache Valley Cowboys 23, South Valley State Roadrunners 13
Mile High State Falcons 48, Utah A_M Aggies 0
Wyoming A_I Prospectors 30, Custer College Cavalry 23
Provo Tech Lions 54, Colorado Poly Redbirds 14
Tempe College Titans 24, Canyon A_M Armadillos 14
El Paso Methodist Bandits 30, Texas Panhandle Cowboys 17
Valley State Gunslingers 45, Abilene Baptist Chaparrals 10
Iowa A_M Bulls 31, Eastern Kansas Warriors 23
Lawrence State Chippewa 37, College of Omaha Raiders 10
Boulder State Grizzlies 20, Oklahoma City State Wranglers 7
Arkansas A_T Badgers 31, Red River State Rowdies 3
Darnell State Legislators 30, Texas Gulf Coast Hurricanes 6
Travis College Bucks 24, Amarillo Methodist Grizzlies 21
Detroit City College Knights 24, St Magnus Vikings 3
Lincoln Presidents 30, Indiana A_M Reapers 24
Central Ohio Aviators 13, Western Iowa Canaries 9
Minnesota Tech Lakers 34, Wisconsin State Brewers 28
Whitney College Engineers 10, St Ignatius Lancers 7
CC Los Angeles Coyotes 27, Redwood Mammoths 20
Lane State Emeralds 31, Northern California Miners 24
Coastal California Dolphins 33, Spokane State Indians 13
Portland Tech Magpies 41, Idaho A_M Pirates 10
Mississippi A_M Generals 27, Alabama Baptist Panthers 7
Georgia Baptist Gators 23, Bluegrass State Mustangs 13
Cumberland Explorers 73, Baton Rogue State Red Devils 0
Opelika State Wildcats 41, Central Kentucky Tigers 13
Western Florida Wolves 24, Northern Mississippi Mavericks 19
Noble Jones College Colonels 19, Bayou State Cougars 3
Central Carolina Lions 36, Richmond State Colonials 21
Potomac College Pelicans 24, Huntington State Miners 21
Mobile Maritime Middies 27, American Atlantic Pelicans 10
Alexandria Generals 27, Petersburg Patriots 3
Chesapeake State Clippers 59, Bulein Hornets 6
St Pancras Lions 34, Commonwealth Catholic Knights 20
Minns College Mavericks 33, College of Waco Cowboys 27
McKinney State Renegades 31, Queen City Monarchs 28
Wisconsin Catholic Cavaliers 41, Garden State Redbirds 34
Penn Catholic Crusaders 27, Rome State Centurions 17
Boston State Pirates 14, College of San Diego Friars 13
Pittsburgh State Finches 26, Northern Minnesota Muskies 13
Ferguson Wildcats 48, St Patrick's Shamrocks 7
Eastern Oklahoma Pioneers 13, Daniel Boone College Frontiersmen 3
Lubbock State Hawks 20, Payne State Mavericks 13
Chicago Poly Catamounts 23, Topeka State Braves 9
Liberty College Bells 17, Rainier College Majestics 6
Annapolis Maritime Navigators 25, Cleveland Tigers 6

AGE NO WORRY TO DUKES' POLLACK

It is only training camp but the Toronto Dukes have to be happy with the conditioning of Quinton Pollack. Despite turning 40 years of age two months ago, the oldest player in the North American Hockey Confederation continues to be one of, if not the best the game has ever seen.

Training camp is more a time for youngsters to prove they belong in the league, but the legendary center who won his record 9th McDaniels Trophy last spring as the NAHC's most valuable player, looked like he felt his job was on the line last week. Pollack, whose 507 career NAHC goals and 1,187 points trail only Tommy Burns, played all 4 Dukes tune-up games last week and his 5 goals and 10 points leads all players in preseason action.

The Dukes as a team fared very well, winning three of their four outings and exploding for a league best 23 goals. Toronto's lone loss came last Saturday in Detroit when they fell 5-4 after the Motors exploded for three unanswered in the final ten minutes of the game. That was one of just two down moments for the defending regular season champions with the other being news that veteran forward Ken Jamieson may miss the season opener in Chicago on October 10 after suffering a stomach muscle strain in camp last week.

Montreal, which finished fourth last season but reached the finals before bowing out to two-time defending champion Detroit, also had a quick start as the Valiants went 3-1-0 during their first week of preseason play. Bright spots for the Vals include the play of Charlie Hamblin as the 26-year-old scored 5 goals last week to tie Pollack for the league lead in that category. The strong play of Montreal's two talented goaltenders in Nathan Bannister and Tim Burrows did little to help Vals coach Ted Grafton's difficult decision of which to go with as his number one netminder this season.

Each club will play three more preseason games before the regular season opens October 10.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 9/30/1962

Gunshots fired by Army troops rang out over the heads of protesters in Mississippi after overnight violence resulted in two deaths and scores of injuries. The battle waged over the enrollment of Negro student James Meredith at Mississippi A&M University.
The Federal Government and the state of Mississippi had been in a week long showdown after Mississippi Gov. Barnett and his Lt. Gov. blocked repeated attempts by Meredith to enroll in the 114 year old university. Barnett, finally relented after the threat of jail time. Earlier in the week, the Governor had been on the campus and personally turned Meredith away.
The White House charged that Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett broke his promise that his state police would maintain order if Meredith was brought to A&M's campus. President Kennedy stated that he had no choice but to summon Federal troops to quell the rioters. A reporter who says he was trapped in a besieged building overnight for 8 hours as "300 United States marshals withstood the full fury of 2,500 crazed students and town riff-raff" protesting Meredith's admission to the school.
US Attorney General Robert Kennedy announced that former Army Major General Edwin Walker was among those arrested, and is charged with four offenses related to promoting the rioting. Walker resigned his commission last year after being publicly admonished by the Joint Chiefs of Staff for allegedly referring to Harry S. Truman as "pink" and attempting to influence the votes of his troops. Walker became the only US general to resign this century.
The Federal Appeals Court declared Mississippi Lt. Gov. Paul Johnson in contempt of court for his part in blocking Meredith from attending Mississippi A&M.
Longshoremen quit work on Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports today after their contract expired. President Kennedy has invoked the Taft-Hartley Act in an attempt to end the work stoppage.
A Navy Yeoman was arrested in New York state the company of two officials of the Russian United Nations delegation by FBI agents and charged with espionage.
It has been reported the Soviet Union has used as many as six United States land-lease ships in trade with Communist Cuba. The vessels were loaned to Russia during World War II. The Soviets still have 84 merchant ships supplied under the land-lease agreement and are refusing to return them on the grounds they are not needed by the United States and that Washington had once offered to sell them.

01-21-2025, 01:46 PM	#1060
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,011	October 1st, 1962 OCTOBER 1, 1962 Pioneers on Brink of Pennant, Magic Number Now 1 With just three games left in the FABL season, the 96-55 St. Louis Pioneers are just one game away from clinching their first pennant since 1951 -- the exact same season the then Philadelphia Sailors last made a trip to the postseason. All that it would take for a rematch is one Pioneer win or one Dynamo loss, and even if neither happen St. Louis will get one final chance in a 1-game playoff with the Dynamos. St. Louis will look to lock things up on Monday, where Billy Hasson (20-8, 3.04, 179) will look to secure his 21st win and first career pennant. If he can't beat Joe Cipolla (13-11, 5.21, 151) and the Chiefs, the Pioneers get to do what no one else can, and go to their 24-game winner Frenchy Mack (24-5, 2.03, 280). As fun as it would be for him to get 25, and trust me, it would be, but him and his squad are hoping that he can be 100% for the postseason, instead of being forced into the second to last game. His double-digit strikeout streak was stopped at eight, with "just" 9 in a complete game win over the Gothams. Assuming the Pioneers hold on to their lead, they'll face the talented Sailors team that officially clinched during the week. 1st in runs allowed and 2nd in runs scored, they match the Pioneers runs allowed ranked and are a spot above in runs scored, and they do it without the flash of a Mack, Hasson, or Bob Bell (.381, 45, 116, 6). What they do have, is seven starters with a WRC+ above 100, and an eighth stuck at 95. All their pitchers can win starts, from young ace Charlie Lawson (16-10, 4.02, 169) to midseason callup Larry Knez (8-3, 2.88, 51). Edwin Hackberry (.291, 24, 93, 23), John Kingsbury (.346, 21, 111, 13), Heinie Spitler (.334, 4, 79, 27), and Carlos Jaramillo (.289, 8, 44, 27) have all been worth 5 or more WAR, and Ernie Carter (.337, 11, 112, 10) should finish within half a win, and he's a 21-year-old rookie who leads the team in RBIs. In terms of where the game will be played, the Sailors have a one game lead over the Pioneers, so if they managed to blow it, the Sailors will host the Dynamos regardless. As a team who can win everywhere, they may be more comfortable letting their starters rest, as they're playing above .600 ball at home and away. St. Louis, on the other hand, is significantly better at home, a percentage difference of almost 80 points. With that in mind, they may have extra incentive to win all the games they have left. It's the managers dilemma: win all you can for homefield or have your front three ready for the start of the series? Tough one, huh? Well, that's why Lou Ormsby and Walt Zecher get paid the big bucks! Tales From The Den Wolves Need Two Wins In Final Three After going 3-3 for the week the Wolves will have to win 2of 3 while hosting Cincinnati for their last three games of the season. The week began with a heartbreaking twelve inning loss to the Kings. After rallying in the last half of the eighth on an Al Curtis RBI the team could push any runs across in extra while Jimmy Pepper got touched up for two runs on back-to-back doubles by John Wells. a former fan favorite at Dominion Stadium, Charlie Rogers to give KC the win. Toronto got off to a quick start Tuesday, scoring 5 in the first, 2 in the second to cruise to an 11-2 win led by Sid Cullen's 5 RBI. A late rally allowed the Kings to win the rubber match of the series 6-4 when the home team led 3-1 after six before Loeffler's tank emptied in the seventh. Into Dyckman Stadium where Toronto takes two of three including George Adams' first FABL win in a 12-4 Thursday result. With one start remaining for Adams has a 1-4 record with a 6.75 ERA in 8 starts. The ERA is high, the only solace is that it is about half of what it was before he was sent back to Buffalo in August. Manager Hohlt will not be resting anyone in the Cannons series saying "The players have until February to rest, I want to win the last three games to give the fans a look to the future." The talk in the stands is hoping that the Wolves can come through the last three games but also speculating on whether this will be the last time some don the Wolves uniform. Some are saying that this may be the final hurrah for the likes of Charlie Harvey, 34, with Tom Reed's move to 1B, Rocky Stone, 32, who has only 25 PA this year, Roy Demonbreun, 34, who is a defensive liability. On the mound there are Hank Griffith has had a poor year out of the pen. Hohlt says there have been no discussions of 1963 because "we have not finished 1962 yet, most teams do not return intact season to season. Those discussions are for later during organization meetings during the World Series. Meetings that I hope are later in October next year." Ed Savage was named Rookie of Month in September with a line of .375/.470/.677 with an OPS of 1.147 (OPS+ 184), generating 1.6 WAR in 25 games. EXPANSION IMPERIALS ON WAY TO ONE OF WORST SEASONS IN SPORTS HISTORY With defeat number 113 the New York Imperials broke by one the 1890 Pittsburgh Miners record for most losses by any professional sports team in a single season. The Imperials still have 3 games remaining to add to that futility total but it prompted me to look at some of the worst teams in other Figment sports history. In hockey there were none worse than the Brooklyn Eagles during the war years. The 1945-46 edition went just 2-41-5 and for a three year total the Eagles won only 8 games while losing 126 and tying 10. They would fold a short time later. College football has given us some bad teams that play in major conferences the past few years. The worst is likely Idaho A&M of the West Coast Athletic Association. The Pirates went three full years without a victory going 0-30 during that time frame. The worst of those three years was the first as the 1958 edition of Idaho A&M was outscored 580-58 in their 10 losses. The Pirates are bouncing back to a degree as they halted that 3-year futility streak with a 2-8 season a year ago and are 1-2 so far this season thanks to an opening week 20-12 victory over St. Magnus. The current Baton Rouge State Red Devils are threatening to equal the Pirates as the Deep South Conference door mat has gone 0-10 each of the past two seasons and is off to an 0-4 start. Since the start of the 1958 season the Red Devils are 2-42 and are riding an active 31 game losing streak that dates back to October of 1958 when they beat McKinney State 20-19. It is unlikely the Red Devils will win any of their six remaining games this season. As far as the pros are concerned the worst football team of the modern era is likely the 1950 New Orleans Crescents of the AFA, who went 0-11-1 in their first and what would prove to be only season in the league as the former Continental Football Conference club folded prior to the 1951 campaign. The 1946 Pittsburgh Paladins also were winless but like New Orleans they did manage a tie and finished with an 0-10-1 record. The last time an AFA team failed to win or tie a game was in 1934 when the short-lived Cincinnati Centurions lost all 11 of their games and were outscored 300-45 in the process. More recently and for a longer stretch the post-Pat Chappell Kansas City Cowboys endured three consecutive 2-10 seasons from 1954-56: a streak that began the year after the Cowboys reached the AFA title game for the third consecutive season. On the court we have the 1957-58 Toronto Falcons who suffered through a 12-60 (.167) season and finished last in the Federal Basketball League's West Division for six consecutive seasons. The worst single season winning percentage in the FBL belonged to another Toronto team as the 1948-49 Titans posted a 9-59 (.132) record. It was a much shorter schedule but in the old American Basketball Conference the New York Knights went 2-22 (.083) in 1942-43. College-wise some of the early season standings are missing but the worst team of all time is believed to belong to the 1939-40 Miners College Miners, who went 2-28. They are followed closely by the 1940-41 Valley State Gunslingers and 1958-59 Alabama Gulf Coast Privateers who each endured a 2-27 season. As for bigger schools there have been several who went 4-25 including the 1951-52 Daniel Boone College Frontiersmen and more recently the 1960-61 Provo Tech Lions won just 4 games after going 17-12 the year before. Batter of the Months were both repeats, as as June winner Hank Williams (.429, 10, 28) and August winner Tom Lorang (.448, 9, 27, 1) were named the winners for September The other two Fed winners were repeats, as Pioneers French Mack (5-0, 1.43, 50) and Danny Davis (.400, 4, 12) took home Pitcher and Rookie of the Month respectively. For Mack, it was his second 5-0 month, and he's yet to have a monthly ERA above 3 In the Contin, the Pitcher and Rookie winners were new, with the Stars' Dewey Allcock (5-0, 1.51, 20) and the Wolves' Ed Savage (.375, 7, 23) voted winners. Savage's selection was impressive, as all but 4 of his 29 career games came this September Looks like us and the Kansas City media jinxed Hank Williams. After getting all the way up to .392, he went 0-for-21 in his last five games. This dropped his still impressive average to .377, but Williams will not be the last player since Hank Williams to hit over .400 Pioneer outfielder Danny Davis (.353, 26, 95) saw his hit-streak end at 32 games, and the only person to be blamed is Lou Ormsby. After giving him the day off, Davis pinch hit in the 7th, but he grounded out and was then replaced by new reliever Bill Davis. During the streak, he upped his season line from .341/.411/.533 to .353/.418/.599, and went 2-for-6 with a triple, homer, and 3 RBIs the following day Forester Earl Howe (.262, 26, 89, 6) hit his 300th career FABL home run off John Mitchell (11-10, 4.23, 97) of the Cougars to start the 6th inning of Cleveland's 6-5 loss. The 26th player with 300 homers, it came in 1,367 games, all with the Gothams and Foresters. The first pick of the 1950 draft, he won the Kellogg in 1954, the Whitney in 1955, and has been selected to 4-All Star games. Now 30, he's hit .282/.358/.516 (132 OPS+) in his career, worth 44.3 WAR with 220 doubles, 916 runs, and 998 RBIs Chief Ed Bloom (.283, 12, 52, 9) recorded his 2,000 hit the same day as Howe's 300th homer, and like Howe, he took someone deep. In this case, it was solo shot off reliever Jack Jordan (0-0, 5.71, 31). Known more for his eye then his bat, Bloom recorded his 1,500th walk earlier in the season, and has 3,557 hits + walks since debuting in 1949. This contributes to an elite .298/.431/.444 (139 OPS+) line with 368 doubles, 101 triples, 138 homers, 823 RBIs, 1,312 runs, and 190 steals Diving deeper into Bloom, the active walk leader, he totaled exactly 100 walks this season. Walking 100 or more times in twelve consecutive seasons, he's led the Fed nine times and has a a legit chance for ten. Only Jerry Smith (99) and potentially Ed Wise (96) could stand in his way Complete games aren't as prevalent as they once were, so it's even more impressive that King ace Beau McClellan was able to throw an 11-inning one. Picking up his 17th win of the season, he allowed 11 hits, 2 runs, and a walk with 6 strikeouts, as the Kings escaped Toronto with a 4-2 win STARS AND YANKS SET FOR AFA EAST SHOWDOWN Plenty of anticipation in pro grid circles in advance of next Sunday's showdown between the two-time defending league champion New York Stars and the Boston Americans after both clubs advanced remained perfect on the season with victories yesterday. A 3-0 start is not unexpected at all for the Stars, who have won 4 league titles in the past ten years and made the playoffs eight times in that span. For Boston, it is a much different story as the Yanks have not enjoyed a winning season since 1955 and have not won a playoff contest since their victory in the 1945 American Football Association championship game. Boston, which went 6-8 a year ago under long time coach Charles Cabot, has looked impressive this season with all three of their victories coming on the road including yesterday's 22-7 romp over winless Buffalo. Veteran back Bob Callender led the way for the Americans as the 29-year-old ran for a game high 117 yards and scored a fourth quarter touchdown, ruining a strong effort from Red Jackets quarterback Jim Rizzi, who threw for 168. Boston did have its troubles finding the end zone as Callender scored the only major with the rest of the Yanks points coming courtesy the boot of kicker Dana Lawson. Much better success in the red zone will be crucial next weekend when the New York Stars invade Minutemen Stadium for the Americans home opener. New York has won 16 of the last 21 meetings between the two clubs and is on a roll, as their 41-10 shellacking of the Detroit Maroons yesterday certainly reinforces. The Maroons, who had high hopes after finishing with the best record in the West Division a year ago, are struggling at 1-2 and looked lost against the Stars offense and back Reid McDuffy in particular yesterday. McDuffy ran for 181 yards in the game with the majority coming on touchdown carries of 69 and 55 yards to help New York go up 28-10 at the half. New York's offensive outburst was even more impressive when you consider that Stars starting quarterback and reigning AFA Most Valuable Player Orlin Youngs missed the game with an injury but third year backup Harris Kummer fared just fine in his first career pro start. The former Miami State star played mistake-free ball, completing 7 of 17 throws for 143 yards including a fourth quarter touchdown pass to Rusty Drews. The West Division leading St. Louis Ramblers remained unbeaten and ran their win streak including preseason contests to six games with a 20-10 doubling of the Outlaws in Houston. The Ramblers scored 17 points in the first 14 minutes of the game and had little difficulty with the third year Houston club, which dips to 1-2 with the loss. In other action Bren Wechsler thew for 185 yards and three touchdowns to lead the visiting Cleveland Finches to a 41-7 win over the Paladins in Pittsburgh. The Chicago Wildcats, like Cleveland, came off a bye week with a victory as Fred Gunther ran for 168 yards and a touchdown to lead Chicago to a 21-9 victory over San Francisco. Three Bill Beaver field goals was the difference in Los Angeles as the Tigers improved to 2-1 with a 16-7 victory over the 1-2 Kansas City Cowboys. Dick Drum scored the only Tigers touchdown as part of his impressive 161 yard rushing day. Finally, in Philadelphia Jack Osterman threw for 139 yards and a touchdown to help the Philadelphia Frigates hand winless Washington its third straight loss as the hosts prevailed 24-14. AVIATORS SOAR IN GREAT LAKES SHOWDOWN The Central Ohio Aviators nipped Western Iowa 13-9 in a Great Lakes Alliance showdown between a pair of top five teams. The Aviators, led by 91 yards rushing from Larry Spruance, trailed 9-3 at the half before rallying to clip the Canaries in a battle of unbeaten teams. The win moves Central Ohio up two spots in the latest collegiate football rankings to #2, while the Canaries fall from third all the way to 23rd after losing for the first time in three outings. Cumberland remains the number one team in the nation after the Explorers ran their record to 4-0 with a 73-0 rout of perennial Deep South Conference doormat Baton Rouge State. The Explorers ran for 489 yards in the game including 181 from Ron Filas while Cumberland quarterback Steve Peach completed 10 passes for 151 yards and three touchdowns. Lubbock State dropped from second to third despite the fact that the Hawks improved to 3-0 with a 20-13 victory over Payne State in their Southwestern Alliance opener. Junior halfback Paul Coddington was the difference in the game as he ran for a pair of touchdowns, both on carries in excess of 50 yards to key the Hawks offense. A pair of West Coast schools hold down the fourth and fifth spots in the latest rankings as West Coast Athletic Association power Lane State ran its season record to 4-0 thanks to a 39-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter, giving the Emeralds a 31-24 victory over Northern Cal. Independent Minns College, based in San Jose, CA., is also 4-0 and ranked fifth after the Mavericks downed College of Waco 33-27. Other results of note saw Noble Jones College improve to 3-0 with a 19-3 victory at home over Bayou State. Rome State lost for the second week in a row as Aaron Reurn ran for a pair of touchdowns to help Penn Catholic run its record to 4-0 with a 27-17 victory over the Centurions. CC Los Angeles snapped a two-game losing skid with a 27-20 win over Redwood while Coastal California also won in West Coast Athletic Association play as the Dolphins downed Spokane State 33-13. WEEKEND COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS Cowpens State Fighting Green 31, Columbia Military Academy Cadets 9 Charleston Tech Admirals 37, North Carolina Tech Techsters 14 Maryland State Bengals 30, Carolina Poly Cardinals 23 Eastern State Monitors 30, Coastal State Eagles 23 Sadler Bluecoats 24, Brunswick Knights 13 Henry Hudson Explorers 40, Grafton Scholars 37 George Fox Reds 27, Dickson Maroons 7 Ellery Bruins 19, Pierpont Purple 8 Cache Valley Cowboys 23, South Valley State Roadrunners 13 Mile High State Falcons 48, Utah A_M Aggies 0 Wyoming A_I Prospectors 30, Custer College Cavalry 23 Provo Tech Lions 54, Colorado Poly Redbirds 14 Tempe College Titans 24, Canyon A_M Armadillos 14 El Paso Methodist Bandits 30, Texas Panhandle Cowboys 17 Valley State Gunslingers 45, Abilene Baptist Chaparrals 10 Iowa A_M Bulls 31, Eastern Kansas Warriors 23 Lawrence State Chippewa 37, College of Omaha Raiders 10 Boulder State Grizzlies 20, Oklahoma City State Wranglers 7 Arkansas A_T Badgers 31, Red River State Rowdies 3 Darnell State Legislators 30, Texas Gulf Coast Hurricanes 6 Travis College Bucks 24, Amarillo Methodist Grizzlies 21 Detroit City College Knights 24, St Magnus Vikings 3 Lincoln Presidents 30, Indiana A_M Reapers 24 Central Ohio Aviators 13, Western Iowa Canaries 9 Minnesota Tech Lakers 34, Wisconsin State Brewers 28 Whitney College Engineers 10, St Ignatius Lancers 7 CC Los Angeles Coyotes 27, Redwood Mammoths 20 Lane State Emeralds 31, Northern California Miners 24 Coastal California Dolphins 33, Spokane State Indians 13 Portland Tech Magpies 41, Idaho A_M Pirates 10 Mississippi A_M Generals 27, Alabama Baptist Panthers 7 Georgia Baptist Gators 23, Bluegrass State Mustangs 13 Cumberland Explorers 73, Baton Rogue State Red Devils 0 Opelika State Wildcats 41, Central Kentucky Tigers 13 Western Florida Wolves 24, Northern Mississippi Mavericks 19 Noble Jones College Colonels 19, Bayou State Cougars 3 Central Carolina Lions 36, Richmond State Colonials 21 Potomac College Pelicans 24, Huntington State Miners 21 Mobile Maritime Middies 27, American Atlantic Pelicans 10 Alexandria Generals 27, Petersburg Patriots 3 Chesapeake State Clippers 59, Bulein Hornets 6 St Pancras Lions 34, Commonwealth Catholic Knights 20 Minns College Mavericks 33, College of Waco Cowboys 27 McKinney State Renegades 31, Queen City Monarchs 28 Wisconsin Catholic Cavaliers 41, Garden State Redbirds 34 Penn Catholic Crusaders 27, Rome State Centurions 17 Boston State Pirates 14, College of San Diego Friars 13 Pittsburgh State Finches 26, Northern Minnesota Muskies 13 Ferguson Wildcats 48, St Patrick's Shamrocks 7 Eastern Oklahoma Pioneers 13, Daniel Boone College Frontiersmen 3 Lubbock State Hawks 20, Payne State Mavericks 13 Chicago Poly Catamounts 23, Topeka State Braves 9 Liberty College Bells 17, Rainier College Majestics 6 Annapolis Maritime Navigators 25, Cleveland Tigers 6 AGE NO WORRY TO DUKES' POLLACK It is only training camp but the Toronto Dukes have to be happy with the conditioning of Quinton Pollack. Despite turning 40 years of age two months ago, the oldest player in the North American Hockey Confederation continues to be one of, if not the best the game has ever seen. Training camp is more a time for youngsters to prove they belong in the league, but the legendary center who won his record 9th McDaniels Trophy last spring as the NAHC's most valuable player, looked like he felt his job was on the line last week. Pollack, whose 507 career NAHC goals and 1,187 points trail only Tommy Burns, played all 4 Dukes tune-up games last week and his 5 goals and 10 points leads all players in preseason action. The Dukes as a team fared very well, winning three of their four outings and exploding for a league best 23 goals. Toronto's lone loss came last Saturday in Detroit when they fell 5-4 after the Motors exploded for three unanswered in the final ten minutes of the game. That was one of just two down moments for the defending regular season champions with the other being news that veteran forward Ken Jamieson may miss the season opener in Chicago on October 10 after suffering a stomach muscle strain in camp last week. Montreal, which finished fourth last season but reached the finals before bowing out to two-time defending champion Detroit, also had a quick start as the Valiants went 3-1-0 during their first week of preseason play. Bright spots for the Vals include the play of Charlie Hamblin as the 26-year-old scored 5 goals last week to tie Pollack for the league lead in that category. The strong play of Montreal's two talented goaltenders in Nathan Bannister and Tim Burrows did little to help Vals coach Ted Grafton's difficult decision of which to go with as his number one netminder this season. Each club will play three more preseason games before the regular season opens October 10. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 9/30/1962 Gunshots fired by Army troops rang out over the heads of protesters in Mississippi after overnight violence resulted in two deaths and scores of injuries. The battle waged over the enrollment of Negro student James Meredith at Mississippi A&M University. The Federal Government and the state of Mississippi had been in a week long showdown after Mississippi Gov. Barnett and his Lt. Gov. blocked repeated attempts by Meredith to enroll in the 114 year old university. Barnett, finally relented after the threat of jail time. Earlier in the week, the Governor had been on the campus and personally turned Meredith away. The White House charged that Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett broke his promise that his state police would maintain order if Meredith was brought to A&M's campus. President Kennedy stated that he had no choice but to summon Federal troops to quell the rioters. A reporter who says he was trapped in a besieged building overnight for 8 hours as "300 United States marshals withstood the full fury of 2,500 crazed students and town riff-raff" protesting Meredith's admission to the school. US Attorney General Robert Kennedy announced that former Army Major General Edwin Walker was among those arrested, and is charged with four offenses related to promoting the rioting. Walker resigned his commission last year after being publicly admonished by the Joint Chiefs of Staff for allegedly referring to Harry S. Truman as "pink" and attempting to influence the votes of his troops. Walker became the only US general to resign this century. The Federal Appeals Court declared Mississippi Lt. Gov. Paul Johnson in contempt of court for his part in blocking Meredith from attending Mississippi A&M. Longshoremen quit work on Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports today after their contract expired. President Kennedy has invoked the Taft-Hartley Act in an attempt to end the work stoppage. A Navy Yeoman was arrested in New York state the company of two officials of the Russian United Nations delegation by FBI agents and charged with espionage. It has been reported the Soviet Union has used as many as six United States land-lease ships in trade with Communist Cuba. The vessels were loaned to Russia during World War II. The Soviets still have 84 merchant ships supplied under the land-lease agreement and are refusing to return them on the grounds they are not needed by the United States and that Washington had once offered to sell them.