MARCH 18, 1963
FABL Camp Opens as All 20 Teams Kick off Play to Begin the Week
After another long and cold offseason, the 20 FABL clubs are all settling into their spring homes, though this year, their stay will be shorter. Generally a near six week extravaganza, Spring Training was cut to just three for 1963, as Opening Day was moved up for the coming season. With the schedule expanding from 154 to 162, Opening Day was pushed up to April 8th. As always, the Washington Eagles kick things off at home, as our nation's capital will play host to an Eagle/Minutemen game, while in the Conti the Cincinnati Cannons host the second-year New York Imperials. The rest of the league kicks off the next day, as a group of contenders look to get off to strong starts.
The goal for most teams this spring is twofold: solve roster dilemmas and stay healthy, but that's easier said then done. With a shorter spring, there's less chance for injury, though with less games to shake off the rust we may see sub-optimal performances in early April. How clubs choose to handle that trade-off is what could be the difference between glory and despair, and I'd expect teams give less time to their younger players, and more to the ones they expect to open camp with. Three weeks isn't long enough to ease veterans and rookies back into the swing of things, and teams may want to have their best guys hit the ground running.
Early favorites for 1963 include both pennant winners, but there is room for optimism up-and-down the league. Aside from the four expansion teams, it's anyone's game, as even a team like Montreal or Boston could quickly reverse course. In the Fed, the Pioneers top challenger seems to be the Dynamos, and by adding Joe Holland (.262, 14, 39, 4) and Brad Keylon (.333, 4, 18) they solidified their depth to avoid a repeat of last year, where Bill Morrison (.304, 10, 51, 11) got hurt and they had no one to fill in. Washington and their talented young corner outfield is a legit threat after a slow start to 1962, and the two PA teams will look to finish in the top half as well. The Conti seems more open, as while the Sailors are still really good, a midseason implosion from Cleveland prevented the association from seeing an exciting pennant race. LA, Cincy, and KC all have huge sluggers who can pile on the runs, and now that the Cougars finally have their best hitter back, they'll look to build on their highest win total since they lost a one-game playoff to the then New York Stars in 1946. Making things more exciting, six of the top seven prospects are given 1963 ETAs by OSA, which could lead to another crop of bright young stars opening the season with their big league club.
- Some notable injuries heading into camp. Boston will still be without imposing righty Fred McKnight (2-0, 2.95, 11), who tore his UCL four starts into his Minutemen career. Keystone catcher Tom Cooprider (.293, 10, 48, 8) is dealing with a virus, though in his case he may be able to play through it. No injury, however, is as big as the one Foresters ace Jake Pearson (16-10, 3.33, 141) is dealing with, as the 32-year-old is still five months away from throwing a baseball.
- San Francisco went to upgrade their infield depth, as the Sailors added longtime Chief Elmer Walters (.176, 7) to a minor league deal. If he makes the 40-man roster, Walters will earn $43,200. An excellent defender with elite range and an elite arm, the shortstop owns a .236/.295/.314 (68 OPS+) batting line. Despite awful offensive production, he's been worth 16.6 WAR in 1,274 FABL games, and that's all while having just one season with a WRC+ above 75.
PLENTY UNDECIDED AS NAHC SEASON HITS FINAL WEEK With one week remaining in the regular season, neither of the two semi-final opponents have been determined and first place as well as the fourth and final postseason berth remain very much up for grabs. Each club has three games remaining and the Detroit Motors, with a league high 82 points, have the inside track on finishing in first place but the Motors are getting plenty of heat from both Montreal and Chicago who sit two and three points back respectively.
The Valiants have been on fire the past month and a half and are 12-2-6 in their last twenty games, which has allowed them to make up six points on the front-running Motors over that span. Montreal's 2-0 victory at home over Detroit has added to the heat on the Motors. Detroit also lost Sunday, falling 3-1 at home to Chicago as the Packers, with four wins and a tie in their last five games also make a push for top spot and home ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
Detroit and Chicago will meet in the Windy City on Tuesday evening before the Packers finish off with games in Montreal Saturday and a season ending trip to Boston on Sunday. The Motors have a home and home series with Toronto over the weekend to round out their slate while Montreal visits the Toronto Dukes on Wednesday and the New York Shamrocks on Sunday to sandwich their final home game against the Packers Saturday evening. It is assured that Detroit, Montreal and Chicago will finish 1-2-3 but it could be in any order.
Boston and Toronto, meanwhile, are fighting for their playoff lives. The Bees have a one point lead on the Dukes and perhaps a slightly easier schedule with a home and home series against New York midweek before they end the season with a home game against Chicago. Toronto hosts Montreal Wednesday before the weekend pair against the Motors. Boston is hoping to snap a two-year playoff drought while Toronto has not missed the postseason in a dozen years. The only thing we know for sure is that the New York Shamrocks will finish last for the third year in a row and now have missed the playoffs eight of the last nine years.
NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK
THURSDAY MARCH 14 Mark Milot's 15th goal of the season, with less than two minutes remaining, was the difference in the game as the Packers edged Boston to stay very much in the hunt for first place. Ken York scored twice for the winners to give him 30 goals, one shy of his career high. Only Detroit's Hobie Barrell has scored more often this season.
New York 1 at Detroit 3: Detroit won its third in a row to maintain its hold on fist place as Charles Beauregard and Billy Deruelle each had a goal and an assist to lead the Motors past last place New York 3-1.
Toronto 1 at Montreal 2: Toronto missed an opportunity to pull even with Boston for the fourth and final playoff spot after the Dukes fell 2-1 in Montreal. Scott Ducek, with his 20th of the season, and Charlie Hamblin scored for the Vals while Andrew Williams had the lone Toronto marker.
SATURDAY MARCH 16
Detroit 0 at Montreal 2: A big shutout victory for the Valiants who close to within two points of the Motors for first place with 4 games left to play for each club. Nathan Bannister made 35 saves for his first shutout of the season. Scott Ducek and Roy Fergeron handled the goal scoring duties.
Chicago 3 at Toronto 3: Each team claims a much needed point as the Packers move to within five points of Detroit for first place while the Dukes are just one behind Boston for the final playoff berth. Toronto had trailed 3-1 but earned the tie on goals from Ken Jamieson and Spencer Quinn.
SUNDAY JANUARY 6
Montreal 1 at Boston 2: All the scoring came in the opening ten minutes as the Bees snapped Montreal's four game winning streak with a 2-1 victory. Jimmy Rucks, with his 24th of the season, and Neil Wilson gave Boston a quick lead with Mark Moggy being the only Val shooter to beat veteran Boston netminder Oscar James.
Chicago 3 at Detroit 1: A 3-1 win in Detroit allowed the third place Chicago Packers to move with one point of second place Montreal and just three back of the Motors for top spot. J.P. Morissette, Mike Homfray and Pete Bernier scored for the winners with Joe Broderick notching the loan Detroit goal. Entering the week, Detroit's Hobie Barrell -the NAHC's leading point producer- was red hot with 12 points in his previous five games but he failed to register a single point in three games this week.
Toronto 4 at New York 1: A crucial victory for the Dukes, who needed the two points to stay within one of fourth place Boston after the Bees beat Montreal. Quinton Pollack had three assists to help the Dukes to a 4-1 victory over the last place Shamrocks. New York outshot Toronto 35-30 but Mike Connelly had a solid game in the Dukes net.
UPCOMING GAMES
TUESDAY MARCH 19
Detroit at Chicago
WEDNESDAY MARCH 20
Boston at New York
Montreal at Toronto
THURSDAY MARCH 21
New York at Boston
SATURDAY MARCH 23
Chicago at Montreal
Detroit at Toronto
SUNDAY MARCH 24
Chicago at Boston
Toronto at Detroit
Montreal at New York
END OF REGULAR SEASON
Dukes One Point Out of Playoffs With Three To Play
With 67 of the 70 regular season games in the books for the Dukes they trail Boston by a single point. Toronto's last week of games starts with a home game against the Vals then in Gardens Saturday to host Detroit before winding up the season in the Palladium on Sunday. Boston play the Shamrocks back to back midweek before hosting Chicago on the final day of the regular season. This week began with a trip to Montreal on Wednesday. As it the normal order of business in the league this season the netminders were the key to the game. Both teams tested the other goaltender 36 times over the 60 minutes. Andrew Williams gave the Dukes a lead with his 17th at 12:05 before Charlie Hamblin tied the game at 1 in the last minute of the first. After being out 16-7 in the first Toronto held an advantage in shots 12-8 during a scoreless second period. A surprising wide open final 20 minutes had the Toronto test Bannister 17 times while Connelly faced 12 shot off Vals' sticks. Bannister was equal to the task turning aside all shot while Connelly let one behind him off a shot by Scott Dueck in the 11th minute which gave Montreal the game 2-1.
Packers came to Toronto on Saturday night. This crucial game, as they all for the Dukes, did not start well with Chicago taking the lead before the game was 80 seconds old when Derek Noel beat Connelly on a rebound. Matt McGrath made it 2-0 at 13:50 in an uninspired period by the home side. Pollack, who is trying to will the team into the playoffs, got the Dukes back in the game at 10:04 of the second with his 27th of the season only to have Bernier restored the Chicago two lead just over a minute later. Jamieson capitalized after Noel was called for hooking to make the score 3-2 at 15:43. Down by one entering the last twenty minutes the Dukes opened up firing 19 shots at Crane while leaving themselves open as Connelly made 14 saves in the third. Just before the 7 minute mark Spencer Quinn tied the game. Toronto continued to press but could not find the winning goal in a game that ended tied at 3.
Into Bigsby Garden Sunday to face the Shamrocks. A close tight checking first had Toronto leading 1-0 on Brochu's 21st early the period. Toronto put the game away with 3 in the first 9 minutes of the second with Poulin's 15th at 1:54 followed by Williams at 7:58 then Dan Morrison scored his first of the year 29 seconds later to make 4-0. NY showed some life in the third with 19 shot on Connelly who made 18 saves only beaten by Corb Maybury's deflection with less than 10 to play. Connelly has a losing record for the year, 16-19-2, despite a miserly 2.91 GAA turning back over 91 % of the 1467 shot he has faced for the year.
Coach Bear- "Nothing to say, we have 3 to play with Boston ahead of us by a point for the last spot in the playoffs. Everyone knows what we have to do starting Wednesday against Montreal."
Full Court Press: March 11-17, 1963- The Phantoms stayed hot after stumbling in Washington, 67-66, on Tuesday night. In that game, Washington had a 26-point fourth quarter to come from behind and erase a five-point deficit in the final frame. However, that has been the only bad mark in the month of March. Philadelphia is admittedly playing to feather its second-place nest since Boston has pulled away. Boston is 9-1/2 games in front with 15 games to play. Philadelphia has a four-game week coming up with two big games at Denny Arena in Boston. The Phantoms are 15-17 on the road, so this will be a true test for them. New York is 3-1/2 games behind the Phantoms in third place and will travel to Philadelphia on Wednesday night in a pivotal game.
- The top three teams in the Western Division have all gone 6-4 in their last ten games, so the standings are exactly the same as they were on February 26th. Toronto still has a three-game lead over Detroit and 4-1/2 over St. Louis. Time is the Falcons biggest ally, as Toronto continues to trade baskets with the other teams in the race. The race is not over, though. This week, Toronto will get the Rockets twice in a back-to-back home-and-home series on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Toronto has the season series edge, 11 games to 7. Detroit has a much easier week, facing the dregs of both divisions with one game in Washington and three against Chicago. The Mustangs will be rooting for the Rockets to win so Detroit can move closer to the division lead.
- The last time we looked at the leaderboard, there were seven 20-point scorers around the league. Fred Lillard has fallen from the top spot in the scoring parade, dropping to second place at 22.3 points per game. Lillard has been kept under 20 points in four of six games. The Rockets held Lillard to 11 points on Monday night, though Toronto still won, 86-75. In that same game, the Rockets’ Bill Melton went for 22 points in only 28 minutes before fouling out. Widening the lens, Melton has averaged 24.8 points over his last six games to take the scoring lead at 22.5 per contest.
RECENT KEY RESULTS- Harry Pratt, who briefly held the ABF world heavyweight title last year, was in action over the weekend. The 27-year-old Houston, TX., native knocked out Hal Hatch in the third round of a bout slated for 10 frames in Detroit. Pratt knocked out Bert Parks to win the title last March but lost a decision to Walt Phillips in his first title defense.
- Another top ranked heavyweight was also in action as Norm Robinson ran his record to 30-2 with a first round KO of Leo Pittman in Miami Thursday evening. The 27-year-old Los Angeles native had a title shot but lost to George Galleshaw in 1960. Robinson is considered the fifth ranked contender in the heavyweight division at the moment.
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
- May 3- Welterweight champion Matt Leach will face former champion Eugene Ellis in Houston. Leach, a 29-year-old New York City native, is 33-6-2 and will making his second defense since winning the title from Lenny Shafto last September. The 32-year-old Ellis, 46-6-1 alternated with Lonnie Griffin as welterweight champ for much of the last half of the 1950s. The two staged many thrilling battles for the crown but Ellis has not had a title shot since losing for the last time to Griffin two years ago. It will be the first time the Seattle native faces Leach.
- June 20- Heavyweight Champion George Galleshaw will put his title on the line against former champion Steve Leivers at Bigsby Garden in New York City. Galleshaw held the title for 18 months beginning in 1960 before losing it in a shocking upset to Bert Parks but he regained the crown last November and successfully defended his title in February against Will Flowers. Galleshaw enters the fight with a 36-2-1 record. Leivers, 34, held the title for a spell in the mid-1950s, taking it from another Englishman Joe Brinkworth and making two successful defenses before losing to Brad Harris in 1957. He is 43-2-1 and will be facing Galleshaw for the first time.
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 03/17/1963
- Record crowds, estimated at 250,000, lined the streets of San Jose, Costa Rica watching President Kennedy's black limousine traverse the city on his way to a conference of Central American Presidents. Fidel Castro and the menace of communism is expected to be the primary topic of discussion.
- Brazil's President has reacted angrily to recent US assertions that Communists had infiltrated his government. The Brazilian leader calls it a big new obstacle to harmonious relations between the two countries.
- A Russian ship carrying 2,000 troops left Cuba on Saturday, marking what is believed to be the departure of the final group of Soviet troops from Havana.
- The US has sent a letter of protest to Russia after two Soviet reconnaissance planes flew over the southwestern corner of Alaska last week, penetrating American air space about 30 miles and prompted American fighters to be scrambled. They did not engage the Russian crafts.
- Two vaccines will very soon be made available to protect against measles, which in the past several years has killed more children in the United States than polio.
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