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ayaghmour2 · 03-21-2025, 10:46 AM

JULY 15, 1963

John Kingsbury Provides Pop in Continental Victory
Hosts Take Early Lead, Survive Late Rally

Long overdo for his first All-Star game, Sailors outfielder John Kingsbury (.318, 11, 71, 6) showed exactly why he's considered among the top outfielders in FABL. Taken 13th in the 1955 draft, he's been a consistent force in the Sailor lineup, hitting well above .300 with plenty of extra base and home run power.

The home run power was in full effect on the 9th, as he accomplished something few may ever do: hit a home run off Bob Ball (13-2, 2.73, 116) and French Mack (12-4, 1.70, 121). Granted, these two will likely never be on the same team, it would be crazy for either the Eagles or Pioneers to let their young studs go, but I think it's safe to say that this will be the only time anyone hits a homer off both of these star pitchers in the same game. In both at bats, Kingsbury hit two-run homers, taking Ball deep in the 2nd and Mack in the 3rd. Ironically, it was his only two at bats, so the outfielder playing third finished 2-for-2 with 4 RBIs, the obvious choice for All-Star Game MVP.

Kingsbury's second homer made it 6-1, as the Continental lineup hit Ball (1.2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, BB, 2 K) and Mack (1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, K), two guys that have forced their will on Federal hitters, pretty easily, Carlos Jaramillo (.267, 4, 34, 20) doubled and Henry Woods (.352, 16, 53, 6) tripled, but surprisingly it was the Fed that had most of the hits. Out hitting their hosts 14 to 8, 10 Fed hitters had at least one hit, with Eagle catcher Howdy Oakes (.306, 10, 63) a perfect 3-for-3. He got their first run, a solo homer in the 3rd, but the guests also got a pinch-hit homer by Mike Whisman (.303, 13, 59, 10) in the 9th, doubles from the Pioneer sluggers Bob Bell (.361, 19, 48) and Steve Schultz (.322, 22, 65), and a triple from the unanimously selected Harry Dellinger (.352, 23, 74, 22).

Aside from Ball and Mack, the Fed pitched well, as the trio of Les Freedman (5-5, 4.14, 86), Hank Griswold (10-5, 2.92, 82), and John Gibson (5-2, 15, 1.09, 26) held the Conti hitless for the last five innings. In fact, not a single Continental batter reached base, with Freedman adding a pair of strikeouts and Gibson getting a third. In the end, it was the excess of runners left on base that cost the Fed their chance at back-to-back All-Star wins, now dropping their 7th in the last 9 seasons.

Dynamos Start Second Half Perfect, Open 4 Game Lead

A few days of rest did nothing to slow down the Detroit Dynamos, as the rested Fed leaders made quick work of the teams at the bottom of the standings, sweeping the Millers in a three game series and the Minutemen in a double header. Again, they got a ton of production from Ed MacNaughton, as the 22-year-old and recent All-Star won his second consecutive Player of the Week. After going 1-for-2 as a reserve, MacNaughton regained his regular role in Detroit, 10-for-18 with 4 doubles, a homer, 3 runs, 5 RBIs, and 2 steals. Red hot since his slow start to April, MacNaughton is now hitting .348/.384/.522 (139 OPS+) on the season, contributing 24 doubles, 12 homers, 56 RBIs, 61 runs, and 12 steals.

Overtaking the Eagles as the top scoring offense, MacNaughton was not alone in providing offense, as his fellow outfielders were just as effective. Reigning Player of the Month and All-Star Ray Waggoner (.368, 24, 72) was 8-for-19, adding a double, homer, steal, 4 RBIs, 6 runs, and 2 walks. Bill Morrison (.316, 6, 20, 2) was a similar 8-for-22, but it came with 2 doubles, a triple, a homer, 5 runs, 5 RBIs, and a pair of walks. They got power from the infield, with Virgil Ewing (7-19, 7 RBI, 4 R), Joe Reed (6-21, 2B, 5 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB), and Joe Holland (6-20, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R, BB) each hitting a pair of homers, while Dick Tucker (.300, 11, 66) was the weak link, just 5-for-18 with a double, triple, homer, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. Even with the pitching not as strong as normal, the offense pulled their weight, and it's hard to ask for a better start to the second half.

Conversely, St. Louis started out ice cold, dropping all three to the Keystones in Philly. They had no trouble with the Broad Street club before this roadtrip, but they got revenge with shutouts from William Davis (7-6, 4.40, 74) and Tom Robinson (8-6, 4.73, 63), with Robinson's coming in a 13-0 thrashing. Bob Murphy (.269, 9, 46, 3) hit two of the team's four homers, and while the Pioneers were able to sweep the double header with a pair of close victories, the longtime leaders find themselves four back and questioning if they have what it takes to repeat as champs.

*** Paul Anderson Wins 200th Game ***

One of those 5 wins this week was a milestone victory, as Paul Anderson (11-5, 3.65, 64) was a Clarence Jackson (.228, 7, 33) home run away from a quality start.. Though all he might remember is the elation of his 200th career victory. A veteran of 392 starts, Anderson has done a lot of winning since his 1951 debut, and he's now the 65th player to win 200 games.

Now with nearly 3,000 (2,963.2) innings under his belt, all with the Stars and Dynamos, Anderson owns a career 3.27 ERA (127 ERA+) and 1.39 WHIP, striking out 1,796 hitters with 1,701 walks. He'll never be mistaken for a pitcher with great command, walking 100 or more hitters eleven consecutive seasons, but he's thrived as a groundball pitcher who can generate double plays and keep the ball in the park. Often leading his association in something, Anderson has led in wins (1958), ERA (1952), starts (1953), walks (1952-1954, 1956, 1959), strikeouts (1952-1955), HR/9 (1952, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1959), groundball percentage (1955, 1956, 1959, 1961), and BABIP (1957, 1962), and since becoming a full-time starter in 1952 he's started 29 or more games in each season.

Anderson came over to the Dynamos in the 1954 offseason, as Detroit picked up the former top-10 prospect for a four player package that includes current Stars ace Floyd Warner (11-3, 3.59, 92) and regular left fielder Charlie Sax (.291, 1, 27, 7). The deal has worked out well for both teams, but in the short term it greatly favored the Dynamos. At the time of the trade, Anderson had just turned 26, and was 67-36 with a 2.91 ERA (133 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, and 687 strikeouts as a member of the Stars. He had also attended three consecutive All-Star games, and appeared to be one of the best young pitchers in the game.

His first year saw him split time between the rotation and pen, going 11-7 with a 3.81 ERA (119 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, and a Fed high 151 strikeouts in 243 innings. Anderson was a crucial part of the Dynamos staff during the season, leading them to a pennant and picking up a win for the 1955 champs out of the pen. After his 1955, he's only started games, and returned to the All-Star game in 1957. Anderson finished that season 19-8 with a 2.57 ERA (159 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, and 156 strikeouts, and then followed his All-Star year up with a Fed high 21 regular season wins. He struggled that postseason, losing two of the Dynamos three games, but Anderson and his Dynamos were able to win the Ralph Johnson Cup in seven games despite his struggles. Those carried on into the next two seasons, but he was back to the All-Star game in 1961 and 1962, and his 2.89 ERA (159 ERA+) last season is the third lowest of his career, though the 159 ERA+ matches his mark from 1952 (2.16) and 1957 (2.57).

While not an All-Star this season, Anderson has been a consistent presence in a reliable rotation, 11-5 with a 3.65 ERA (114 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, and 64 strikeouts in 17 starts. The 34-year-old is also on pace for the 11th 200+ inning season of his career, something he's done each year excluding 1951 and 1960. At print he's tied with Lefty Allen for the 27th most strikeouts in FABL history, and he has a reasonable chance to become the 18th pitcher to reach 2,000 strikeouts. 1,109 of them come with the Dynamos, as he's 5th in team history. He's top-10 in wins (8th, 133), winning percentage (3rd, .633), WAR (9th, 34.9), starts (7th, 271), K/9 (5th, 5.0), and opponents average (5th, .233), and will be remembered fondly for all the great work he's put in for the Dynamos.

*** Kings 4-Game Streak Leads to 4-Game Lead ***

After dropping both halves of a double header to the Wolves in a tight 3-2 and 4-2 game, the Continental got a little excited that things were starting to turn for the leaders, but they quickly quashed any of those notions over the weekend. They won the next two games against the Wolves to earn the split, before heading to Cincinnati to sweep the Cannons in a double header on Sunday. Now 61-31, they're the first Conti club to 60 wins, and they got a lot of help from their Whitney winner Hank Williams (.373, 26, 85).

Named Player of the Week for the first time this season, the April and June Batter of the Month was 10-for-17 with 2 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, 3 walks, 7 runs, and 8 RBIs. He was exceptionally lethal on the weekend, Player of the Game in their 7-1 win over the Wolves and 7-6 win over the Cannons. In Toronto, Williams crushed a pair of homers, 3-for-4 with 3 runs and 3 RBIs. Then in Cincy he didn't homer, but the 6-Time All-Star was a perfect 4-for-4, adding a walk, double, triple, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs in a near perfect game. His 26 home runs now lead all FABL batters, and his .373/.460/.711 (207 OPS+) batting line continues to remain more then twice as impressive as the average hitter.

Williams' hitting may have gotten most of the headlines, but the Kings pitching is what let them battle back. First time All-Star Gene Bailey (14-2, 2.82, 101) picked up a complete game win (7 H, ER, 5 BB, 7 K) over the Wolves, while Beau McClellan (11 H, 3 ER, BB, 9 K) picked up a 10-inning win as his Kings rallied for a pair in the 11th, setting up a Fred Myers (3-0, 4, 2.51, 21) save. Jack Halbur (W, 5 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K) and Johnnie Higgins (L, 8 H, 3 R, ER, 2 BB, 6 K) both impressed in strong 8 inning starts, with Higgins an error away from his 7th win of the season.

As it stands, the Kings look to be the best the Continental has to offer, and they're offense gets a nice jolt with the return of the almost 21-year-old center fielder Tom Hicks (.303, 3, 23, 7). Likely to replace the now injured Joe Dorsch (.325, 1, 8), Hicks is on a shortlist for best defensive outfield candidates, and he's improved his WRC+ from 78 to 115 in year two. He'll join the club to finish the Cannons series before what could be a big road trip finisher in Chicago, as the talented Kings offense has to face the only CA staff that's allowed fewer runs then them. With a tired squad, this is a chance for one of the outside pennant contenders to sink their claws into the leaders before the Kings return home for a nice, and potentially painless, 16 game homestand.

Tales From The Den
Wolves Come Out of Break Hot, Then Cool Off

Off a three day break the Wolves were the talk of the town after sweeping a twinbill from the CA leaders KC Kings. In the opener Medley became the first Wolves' pitcher to get to double digit wins with his 10th in a tight 3-2 victory. C Al Curtis, a surprise this season, knocked in 2 one of which was his 4th HR, a solo shot of Johnnie Higgins. In the nightcap the Wolves came back from a 2 run deficit with a 4 run eighth in which the big blow was a 3 run shot by Chick Reed, his 24th of 1963. Chick seems to be on a mission since being overlooked for the All-Star Game, an omission condemned by the Wolves' faithful. Bob Campbell got his first FABL win in relief of Colantuono. The thrill of victory quickly turned to the agony of defeat. Kings won the last two games of the short 4 game 3 day series starting with Gene Bailey winning Friday to run his record to 14-2. Bailey pitched out of constant jams, to win 4-1, stranding 9 runners in scoring position when Toronto bats couldn't deliver in key situations. In last game of the series KC scored 3 early, in the 1st, then 3 late, in the 9th, to cruise to a 7-1 win.

Things went from bad to worse when the Cougars came to town on Sunday, then swept a doubleheader, taking the opener 6-3. Jimmy Pepper was the victim of 2 unearned runs on booted balls by the usually reliable Story, Taylor in the middle of the infield. The second game was a Chicago 11-2 thanks to a 6 run ninth when Blake was lit up for 6 runs on 6 hits, 3 BB including a grand slam by Chappy Sanders. Sanders, who was recalled from Milwaukee at the beginning of July, helped balloon Blake's ERA to an unacceptable 6.63 in 38 IP. Blake has saved 6 games, when he is good he is good, when he is bad he is really, really bad in 1963. Wolves hope to salvage the last game of the set with Chicago on Monday.

The Wolves are currently 46-46 for the season. Brett will take quick look at the team stats with 70 games to play. The team is 24-22 at home, 22-24 away, a disturbing number is that they have allowed 30 more runs than they have pushed across the plate. At the dish the team is almost as expected ranking in bottom half of the CA stats for the year. Surprisingly the team in tied for second in XBH with 272, Chick Reed has been a big contributor, giving a team line of .259/.314/.425 with 115 HR. If the performance at the plate is as expected the performance on the mound has fallen desperately short of expectations. A staff ERA of 4.63 is, in most eyes at least a run over hopes. Walks are the biggest problem, the 319 surrendered are next to last in the CA. Only Dallas, Imperials have allowed more than the 454 runs score on Toronto. In prior years the pitching woes were blamed on shoddy fielding. This is no longer the case, Hohlt has transformed the defense by being unwilling to except less full attention to play in the field. With the exception of Ed Savage creating a black hole in right the rest of the team hold their own in the field. Hohlt will tell you that the team still can and will get better, Savage is constantly trying to improve in right with limited success, His bat has to stay in the lineup, hopefully he will improve to just a poor fielder from dreadful over the off-season. Going forward the pitching must improve dramatically for the team to continue move forward in 1963.

Sailors outfielder Billy Forbes (.200, 2) announced on Thursday that 1963 would be the last season of his 18-year career. 38 on the 5th, Forbes spent a majority of his career with the Sailors, and won two championships with three All-Star appearances. Taken 15th in the 1946 draft, Forbes debuted for the then Philadelphia Sailors in 1946 and became a regular in 1948. Forbes fought injuries early in his career and poor performance later, but was an extremely valuable center fielder. A veteran of 1,781 games, Forbes hit .273/.337/.421 (110 OPS+) with 374 doubles, 107 triples, 129 homers, 808 RBIs, 655 walks, 191 steals, 974 runs, and 43.5 WAR. Appearing in 1,337 games for the Sailors, he currently ranks top-10 in team history for WAR (7th, 42.7), games (9th), runs (7th, 760), hits (10th, 1,415), doubles (7th, 300), triples (6th, 85), homers (8th, 96), RBIs (9th, 632), and walks (8th, 522). Having made just 11 PAs this season, it's highly unlikely many of his career marks will change before his retirement becomes official.
Not as many shutouts as usual this week, as aside from the Keystones' two shutouts of the Sailors, only Boston's Andy Logue (5-9, 4.08, 68) was able to go nine without allowing a run. Against another top offense, Logue held the Eagles to just 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 6 in his 18th start with the Minutemen.
The Cougars extended multiple coaches in the organization, including five members of the FABL staff. They agreed to two-year extensions for 2nd year coaches Tommy Byerly (Assistant GM), Elmer de Gray (Bench Coach), Joe Clark (Hitting Coach), and John J. Wilson (1B Coach). Then 2nd year pitching coach Earle Robinson inked a one-year extension. All five coaches have had previous coaching experience before joining the Cougar organization. Aside from longtime scouting director Dixie Marsh, who's been with the team since 1947, no coach in Chicago has been with the team for more then three seasons.
Washington returned outfielder Glenn Johnson (.250, 2, 14) to the Gothams now that shortstop Al Marino (.278, 9, 36) has recovered from his sprained ankle. Johnson, a former 8th Round selection who came over from the Keystones in the Jorge Arellano (6-5, 3.47, 105) trade, got into 43 games, making 17 starts for the third place Eagles. The defense was solid, but he struck out in more then a quarter (26.8%) of his plate appearances, hitting just .250/.305/.368 (79 OPS+) before his release.
LA called up 17th ranked prospect Miguel Paniagua to make his FABL debut. Taken 2nd by the Stars in 1960, the 25-year-old got into just one game, flying out as a pinch hitter in the 8th inning of a 7-3 win over the Wranglers. Unlikely to get too much playing time, he's still a high upside hitter, gifted with an excellent eye and tremendous raw power.
Toronto released 35-year-old first basemen Charlie Harvey (.191, 4, 16), who got into 39 games for the Wolves this season. A former 11th Round pick by the Cougars, Harvey debuted at 29 in 1957, appearing in 33 or more games in each season since. Only his first season was in Chicago, as he joined the Wolves in a minor trade, hitting .262/.334/.392 (93 OPS+) in the six seasons that followed.
Gothams' reliever Fred Rowe (1-1, 3.52, 23) may be done for the year, as the 24-year-old righty was diagnosed with forearm inflammation. An expected three month recovery, the former 4th Rounder was useful out of the New York pen, working to a 3.52 ERA (119 ERA+) and 1.40 WHIP in 30.2 innings pitched.
Chicago welcomed back Cal Randall (.239, 6, 37), as the 27-year-old infielder was 4-for-16 with a homer and 7 RBIs in his return to the lineup. Acquired with prospect Whitey Gates for young pitcher Henry Henderson (7-2, 3, 3.78, 30), Randall has disappointed, hitting just .239/.269/.338 (63 OPS+) through 59 games. An excellent defender, he's been reliable at third, at least helping his pitchers even if the bat isn't near the 101 WRC+ he produced across the past two seasons.
Percy Pringle Jr. is happy with a 4-2 week for the Kings in what was a very busy few days. They managed to move their lead out to 4 games over the LA Stars, but it came with a price. 2B/IF Joe Dorch (.325, 1, 8) is out for 2-3 months and might be able to return late in the year or if the Kings make the Series maybe then. It is not an ideal injury for the Kings as they attempt to keep players fresh, especially since they do have so vets in Farmer and Newman at 2B and 3B respectively. The Kings will likely be shopping for a back up IF who can be a solid backup at 2B and 3B.
Perhaps making that upgrade more difficult is the injury to their top prospect from this years draft, OF Tom White who after 9 games in AA broke his back and will be out until likely spring training.
The plan to get C Bob Burge (.295, 4, 30) rested after being practically carried off the field the prior Sunday seemed to work. Burge hit well and only played in 3 games this week out of the 6. On the positive side of things CF Tom Hicks (.303, 3, 23, 7) is ready to return from his 2 week hamstring injury which is good news.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 07/14/1963

British cargo ship Patrician sank off of Gibraltar after colliding with the U.S. ship Santa Emilia. Thirty-four of the 37 crew were rescued by Santa Emilia, but three men died.
Members of the 1963 American Everest Expedition team were awarded the Hubbard Medal by U.S. President John F. Kennedy for their achievement.
The "20-point agreement" to create the Federation of Malaysia, effective September 16, was signed in London by the UK Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and representatives of four of the five intended members of Malaysia: the Federation of Malaya, the Crown Colony of North Borneo, State of Sarawak and the state of Singapore. The fifth member, the British protectorate over the Sultanate of Brunei, declined to join the Federation.
Gemini astronaut candidates began testing of the "human centrifuge" equipped to simulate the command pilot's position in the spacecraft. The testing was for evaluation of pilot controls and displays required for launch and reentry of a Gemini mission, along with the seat and pressure suit operation under acceleration, and the restraint system.
The all-white University of South Carolina was ordered to admit its first African-American student, Henri Monteith, by order of U.S. District Judge J. Robert Martin. On the same day, Judge Martin ordered the desegregation of all 26 of South Carolina's state parks.
The brief partnership of "Rodgers and Lerner" was dissolved, and production of the first Rodgers-Lerner musical, I Picked a Daisy, was halted permanently. Composer Richard Rodgers had successfully collaborated with lyricist Lorenz Hart (Babes in Arms), and then with lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II (The Sound of Music), while lyricist Alan Jay Lerner had a successful team with composer Frederick Loewe (My Fair Lady). The two were unable to work together successfully beyond "half a dozen" songs for Daisy.
A Vostok-2 rocket launched by the USSR failed shortly after take-off.
A military coup ousted Carlos Julio Arosemena Monroy, President of Ecuador, who was succeeded by naval commander Ramón Castro Jijón. After surrendering the presidential palace, Arosemena was placed on an Ecuadorian Air Force plane and flown to Panama. The "final straw" for the coup leaders had been a state dinner the night before, "when the obviously inebriated president made disparaging remarks about the United States" while talking to the American ambassador.
The sinking of the Argentine ferry Ciudad de Asunción killed 53 of the 420 people on board, after the boat caught fire and went down in the River Plate between Buenos Aires in Argentina and Montevideo in Uruguay.
In South Africa, 19 ANC and MK leaders, including Arthur Goldreich and Walter Sisulu, were arrested at Liliesleaf Farm, Rivonia, the headquarters of Umkhonto we Sizwe.
The first "Gambit" military reconnaissance satellite was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and the film recovered proved it to be a major advancement in observation. The new system had "exceptional pointing accuracy" in aiming its cameras, and the pictures obtained had a resolution of 3.5 feet (1.1 m).
The Congress of the Philippines approved a land reform program that had been proposed by President Diosdado Macapagal. Among other things, the law outlawed sharecropping and provided for a means of large estates to be gradually turned over to the people who farmed them.
The Pulau Senang prison riot took place at the experimental offshore penal colony in Singapore. Superintendent Daniel Dutton and several prison officers were murdered by inmates and the prison was burned to the ground.
In the Soviet Union, 33 of the 35 persons on Aeroflot Flight 012 were killed when the plane crashed as it was approaching a landing at the Irkutsk Airport in Siberia. The Tupolev Tu-104 had departed Beijing in China, bound for Moscow, with one scheduled stop in Irkutsk.
The Legislative Assembly of the Cook Islands voted unanimously to reject an offer by New Zealand to be granted independence, and chose instead to become a self-governing Associated State with its residents to remain New Zealand citizens.
U.S. Undersecretary of State W. Averell Harriman arrived in Moscow in order to negotiate the nuclear test ban treaty, and brought with him three tons of American telephone and telex equipment to set up the Moscow–Washington hotline agreed upon by the Americans and Soviets on June 20.

03-21-2025, 10:46 AM	#1100
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	July 15th, 1963 JULY 15, 1963 John Kingsbury Provides Pop in Continental Victory Hosts Take Early Lead, Survive Late Rally Long overdo for his first All-Star game, Sailors outfielder John Kingsbury (.318, 11, 71, 6) showed exactly why he's considered among the top outfielders in FABL. Taken 13th in the 1955 draft, he's been a consistent force in the Sailor lineup, hitting well above .300 with plenty of extra base and home run power. The home run power was in full effect on the 9th, as he accomplished something few may ever do: hit a home run off Bob Ball (13-2, 2.73, 116) and French Mack (12-4, 1.70, 121). Granted, these two will likely never be on the same team, it would be crazy for either the Eagles or Pioneers to let their young studs go, but I think it's safe to say that this will be the only time anyone hits a homer off both of these star pitchers in the same game. In both at bats, Kingsbury hit two-run homers, taking Ball deep in the 2nd and Mack in the 3rd. Ironically, it was his only two at bats, so the outfielder playing third finished 2-for-2 with 4 RBIs, the obvious choice for All-Star Game MVP. Kingsbury's second homer made it 6-1, as the Continental lineup hit Ball (1.2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, BB, 2 K) and Mack (1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, K), two guys that have forced their will on Federal hitters, pretty easily, Carlos Jaramillo (.267, 4, 34, 20) doubled and Henry Woods (.352, 16, 53, 6) tripled, but surprisingly it was the Fed that had most of the hits. Out hitting their hosts 14 to 8, 10 Fed hitters had at least one hit, with Eagle catcher Howdy Oakes (.306, 10, 63) a perfect 3-for-3. He got their first run, a solo homer in the 3rd, but the guests also got a pinch-hit homer by Mike Whisman (.303, 13, 59, 10) in the 9th, doubles from the Pioneer sluggers Bob Bell (.361, 19, 48) and Steve Schultz (.322, 22, 65), and a triple from the unanimously selected Harry Dellinger (.352, 23, 74, 22). Aside from Ball and Mack, the Fed pitched well, as the trio of Les Freedman (5-5, 4.14, 86), Hank Griswold (10-5, 2.92, 82), and John Gibson (5-2, 15, 1.09, 26) held the Conti hitless for the last five innings. In fact, not a single Continental batter reached base, with Freedman adding a pair of strikeouts and Gibson getting a third. In the end, it was the excess of runners left on base that cost the Fed their chance at back-to-back All-Star wins, now dropping their 7th in the last 9 seasons. Dynamos Start Second Half Perfect, Open 4 Game Lead A few days of rest did nothing to slow down the Detroit Dynamos, as the rested Fed leaders made quick work of the teams at the bottom of the standings, sweeping the Millers in a three game series and the Minutemen in a double header. Again, they got a ton of production from Ed MacNaughton, as the 22-year-old and recent All-Star won his second consecutive Player of the Week. After going 1-for-2 as a reserve, MacNaughton regained his regular role in Detroit, 10-for-18 with 4 doubles, a homer, 3 runs, 5 RBIs, and 2 steals. Red hot since his slow start to April, MacNaughton is now hitting .348/.384/.522 (139 OPS+) on the season, contributing 24 doubles, 12 homers, 56 RBIs, 61 runs, and 12 steals. Overtaking the Eagles as the top scoring offense, MacNaughton was not alone in providing offense, as his fellow outfielders were just as effective. Reigning Player of the Month and All-Star Ray Waggoner (.368, 24, 72) was 8-for-19, adding a double, homer, steal, 4 RBIs, 6 runs, and 2 walks. Bill Morrison (.316, 6, 20, 2) was a similar 8-for-22, but it came with 2 doubles, a triple, a homer, 5 runs, 5 RBIs, and a pair of walks. They got power from the infield, with Virgil Ewing (7-19, 7 RBI, 4 R), Joe Reed (6-21, 2B, 5 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB), and Joe Holland (6-20, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R, BB) each hitting a pair of homers, while Dick Tucker (.300, 11, 66) was the weak link, just 5-for-18 with a double, triple, homer, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs. Even with the pitching not as strong as normal, the offense pulled their weight, and it's hard to ask for a better start to the second half. Conversely, St. Louis started out ice cold, dropping all three to the Keystones in Philly. They had no trouble with the Broad Street club before this roadtrip, but they got revenge with shutouts from William Davis (7-6, 4.40, 74) and Tom Robinson (8-6, 4.73, 63), with Robinson's coming in a 13-0 thrashing. Bob Murphy (.269, 9, 46, 3) hit two of the team's four homers, and while the Pioneers were able to sweep the double header with a pair of close victories, the longtime leaders find themselves four back and questioning if they have what it takes to repeat as champs. * Paul Anderson Wins 200th Game * One of those 5 wins this week was a milestone victory, as Paul Anderson (11-5, 3.65, 64) was a Clarence Jackson (.228, 7, 33) home run away from a quality start.. Though all he might remember is the elation of his 200th career victory. A veteran of 392 starts, Anderson has done a lot of winning since his 1951 debut, and he's now the 65th player to win 200 games. Now with nearly 3,000 (2,963.2) innings under his belt, all with the Stars and Dynamos, Anderson owns a career 3.27 ERA (127 ERA+) and 1.39 WHIP, striking out 1,796 hitters with 1,701 walks. He'll never be mistaken for a pitcher with great command, walking 100 or more hitters eleven consecutive seasons, but he's thrived as a groundball pitcher who can generate double plays and keep the ball in the park. Often leading his association in something, Anderson has led in wins (1958), ERA (1952), starts (1953), walks (1952-1954, 1956, 1959), strikeouts (1952-1955), HR/9 (1952, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1959), groundball percentage (1955, 1956, 1959, 1961), and BABIP (1957, 1962), and since becoming a full-time starter in 1952 he's started 29 or more games in each season. Anderson came over to the Dynamos in the 1954 offseason, as Detroit picked up the former top-10 prospect for a four player package that includes current Stars ace Floyd Warner (11-3, 3.59, 92) and regular left fielder Charlie Sax (.291, 1, 27, 7). The deal has worked out well for both teams, but in the short term it greatly favored the Dynamos. At the time of the trade, Anderson had just turned 26, and was 67-36 with a 2.91 ERA (133 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, and 687 strikeouts as a member of the Stars. He had also attended three consecutive All-Star games, and appeared to be one of the best young pitchers in the game. His first year saw him split time between the rotation and pen, going 11-7 with a 3.81 ERA (119 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, and a Fed high 151 strikeouts in 243 innings. Anderson was a crucial part of the Dynamos staff during the season, leading them to a pennant and picking up a win for the 1955 champs out of the pen. After his 1955, he's only started games, and returned to the All-Star game in 1957. Anderson finished that season 19-8 with a 2.57 ERA (159 ERA+), 1.21 WHIP, and 156 strikeouts, and then followed his All-Star year up with a Fed high 21 regular season wins. He struggled that postseason, losing two of the Dynamos three games, but Anderson and his Dynamos were able to win the Ralph Johnson Cup in seven games despite his struggles. Those carried on into the next two seasons, but he was back to the All-Star game in 1961 and 1962, and his 2.89 ERA (159 ERA+) last season is the third lowest of his career, though the 159 ERA+ matches his mark from 1952 (2.16) and 1957 (2.57). While not an All-Star this season, Anderson has been a consistent presence in a reliable rotation, 11-5 with a 3.65 ERA (114 ERA+), 1.38 WHIP, and 64 strikeouts in 17 starts. The 34-year-old is also on pace for the 11th 200+ inning season of his career, something he's done each year excluding 1951 and 1960. At print he's tied with Lefty Allen for the 27th most strikeouts in FABL history, and he has a reasonable chance to become the 18th pitcher to reach 2,000 strikeouts. 1,109 of them come with the Dynamos, as he's 5th in team history. He's top-10 in wins (8th, 133), winning percentage (3rd, .633), WAR (9th, 34.9), starts (7th, 271), K/9 (5th, 5.0), and opponents average (5th, .233), and will be remembered fondly for all the great work he's put in for the Dynamos. * Kings 4-Game Streak Leads to 4-Game Lead * After dropping both halves of a double header to the Wolves in a tight 3-2 and 4-2 game, the Continental got a little excited that things were starting to turn for the leaders, but they quickly quashed any of those notions over the weekend. They won the next two games against the Wolves to earn the split, before heading to Cincinnati to sweep the Cannons in a double header on Sunday. Now 61-31, they're the first Conti club to 60 wins, and they got a lot of help from their Whitney winner Hank Williams (.373, 26, 85). Named Player of the Week for the first time this season, the April and June Batter of the Month was 10-for-17 with 2 doubles, a triple, 3 homers, 3 walks, 7 runs, and 8 RBIs. He was exceptionally lethal on the weekend, Player of the Game in their 7-1 win over the Wolves and 7-6 win over the Cannons. In Toronto, Williams crushed a pair of homers, 3-for-4 with 3 runs and 3 RBIs. Then in Cincy he didn't homer, but the 6-Time All-Star was a perfect 4-for-4, adding a walk, double, triple, 2 runs, and 3 RBIs in a near perfect game. His 26 home runs now lead all FABL batters, and his .373/.460/.711 (207 OPS+) batting line continues to remain more then twice as impressive as the average hitter. Williams' hitting may have gotten most of the headlines, but the Kings pitching is what let them battle back. First time All-Star Gene Bailey (14-2, 2.82, 101) picked up a complete game win (7 H, ER, 5 BB, 7 K) over the Wolves, while Beau McClellan (11 H, 3 ER, BB, 9 K) picked up a 10-inning win as his Kings rallied for a pair in the 11th, setting up a Fred Myers (3-0, 4, 2.51, 21) save. Jack Halbur (W, 5 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K) and Johnnie Higgins (L, 8 H, 3 R, ER, 2 BB, 6 K) both impressed in strong 8 inning starts, with Higgins an error away from his 7th win of the season. As it stands, the Kings look to be the best the Continental has to offer, and they're offense gets a nice jolt with the return of the almost 21-year-old center fielder Tom Hicks (.303, 3, 23, 7). Likely to replace the now injured Joe Dorsch (.325, 1, 8), Hicks is on a shortlist for best defensive outfield candidates, and he's improved his WRC+ from 78 to 115 in year two. He'll join the club to finish the Cannons series before what could be a big road trip finisher in Chicago, as the talented Kings offense has to face the only CA staff that's allowed fewer runs then them. With a tired squad, this is a chance for one of the outside pennant contenders to sink their claws into the leaders before the Kings return home for a nice, and potentially painless, 16 game homestand. Tales From The Den Wolves Come Out of Break Hot, Then Cool Off Off a three day break the Wolves were the talk of the town after sweeping a twinbill from the CA leaders KC Kings. In the opener Medley became the first Wolves' pitcher to get to double digit wins with his 10th in a tight 3-2 victory. C Al Curtis, a surprise this season, knocked in 2 one of which was his 4th HR, a solo shot of Johnnie Higgins. In the nightcap the Wolves came back from a 2 run deficit with a 4 run eighth in which the big blow was a 3 run shot by Chick Reed, his 24th of 1963. Chick seems to be on a mission since being overlooked for the All-Star Game, an omission condemned by the Wolves' faithful. Bob Campbell got his first FABL win in relief of Colantuono. The thrill of victory quickly turned to the agony of defeat. Kings won the last two games of the short 4 game 3 day series starting with Gene Bailey winning Friday to run his record to 14-2. Bailey pitched out of constant jams, to win 4-1, stranding 9 runners in scoring position when Toronto bats couldn't deliver in key situations. In last game of the series KC scored 3 early, in the 1st, then 3 late, in the 9th, to cruise to a 7-1 win. Things went from bad to worse when the Cougars came to town on Sunday, then swept a doubleheader, taking the opener 6-3. Jimmy Pepper was the victim of 2 unearned runs on booted balls by the usually reliable Story, Taylor in the middle of the infield. The second game was a Chicago 11-2 thanks to a 6 run ninth when Blake was lit up for 6 runs on 6 hits, 3 BB including a grand slam by Chappy Sanders. Sanders, who was recalled from Milwaukee at the beginning of July, helped balloon Blake's ERA to an unacceptable 6.63 in 38 IP. Blake has saved 6 games, when he is good he is good, when he is bad he is really, really bad in 1963. Wolves hope to salvage the last game of the set with Chicago on Monday. The Wolves are currently 46-46 for the season. Brett will take quick look at the team stats with 70 games to play. The team is 24-22 at home, 22-24 away, a disturbing number is that they have allowed 30 more runs than they have pushed across the plate. At the dish the team is almost as expected ranking in bottom half of the CA stats for the year. Surprisingly the team in tied for second in XBH with 272, Chick Reed has been a big contributor, giving a team line of .259/.314/.425 with 115 HR. If the performance at the plate is as expected the performance on the mound has fallen desperately short of expectations. A staff ERA of 4.63 is, in most eyes at least a run over hopes. Walks are the biggest problem, the 319 surrendered are next to last in the CA. Only Dallas, Imperials have allowed more than the 454 runs score on Toronto. In prior years the pitching woes were blamed on shoddy fielding. This is no longer the case, Hohlt has transformed the defense by being unwilling to except less full attention to play in the field. With the exception of Ed Savage creating a black hole in right the rest of the team hold their own in the field. Hohlt will tell you that the team still can and will get better, Savage is constantly trying to improve in right with limited success, His bat has to stay in the lineup, hopefully he will improve to just a poor fielder from dreadful over the off-season. Going forward the pitching must improve dramatically for the team to continue move forward in 1963. Sailors outfielder Billy Forbes (.200, 2) announced on Thursday that 1963 would be the last season of his 18-year career. 38 on the 5th, Forbes spent a majority of his career with the Sailors, and won two championships with three All-Star appearances. Taken 15th in the 1946 draft, Forbes debuted for the then Philadelphia Sailors in 1946 and became a regular in 1948. Forbes fought injuries early in his career and poor performance later, but was an extremely valuable center fielder. A veteran of 1,781 games, Forbes hit .273/.337/.421 (110 OPS+) with 374 doubles, 107 triples, 129 homers, 808 RBIs, 655 walks, 191 steals, 974 runs, and 43.5 WAR. Appearing in 1,337 games for the Sailors, he currently ranks top-10 in team history for WAR (7th, 42.7), games (9th), runs (7th, 760), hits (10th, 1,415), doubles (7th, 300), triples (6th, 85), homers (8th, 96), RBIs (9th, 632), and walks (8th, 522). Having made just 11 PAs this season, it's highly unlikely many of his career marks will change before his retirement becomes official. Not as many shutouts as usual this week, as aside from the Keystones' two shutouts of the Sailors, only Boston's Andy Logue (5-9, 4.08, 68) was able to go nine without allowing a run. Against another top offense, Logue held the Eagles to just 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 6 in his 18th start with the Minutemen. The Cougars extended multiple coaches in the organization, including five members of the FABL staff. They agreed to two-year extensions for 2nd year coaches Tommy Byerly (Assistant GM), Elmer de Gray (Bench Coach), Joe Clark (Hitting Coach), and John J. Wilson (1B Coach). Then 2nd year pitching coach Earle Robinson inked a one-year extension. All five coaches have had previous coaching experience before joining the Cougar organization. Aside from longtime scouting director Dixie Marsh, who's been with the team since 1947, no coach in Chicago has been with the team for more then three seasons. Washington returned outfielder Glenn Johnson (.250, 2, 14) to the Gothams now that shortstop Al Marino (.278, 9, 36) has recovered from his sprained ankle. Johnson, a former 8th Round selection who came over from the Keystones in the Jorge Arellano (6-5, 3.47, 105) trade, got into 43 games, making 17 starts for the third place Eagles. The defense was solid, but he struck out in more then a quarter (26.8%) of his plate appearances, hitting just .250/.305/.368 (79 OPS+) before his release. LA called up 17th ranked prospect Miguel Paniagua to make his FABL debut. Taken 2nd by the Stars in 1960, the 25-year-old got into just one game, flying out as a pinch hitter in the 8th inning of a 7-3 win over the Wranglers. Unlikely to get too much playing time, he's still a high upside hitter, gifted with an excellent eye and tremendous raw power. Toronto released 35-year-old first basemen Charlie Harvey (.191, 4, 16), who got into 39 games for the Wolves this season. A former 11th Round pick by the Cougars, Harvey debuted at 29 in 1957, appearing in 33 or more games in each season since. Only his first season was in Chicago, as he joined the Wolves in a minor trade, hitting .262/.334/.392 (93 OPS+) in the six seasons that followed. Gothams' reliever Fred Rowe (1-1, 3.52, 23) may be done for the year, as the 24-year-old righty was diagnosed with forearm inflammation. An expected three month recovery, the former 4th Rounder was useful out of the New York pen, working to a 3.52 ERA (119 ERA+) and 1.40 WHIP in 30.2 innings pitched. Chicago welcomed back Cal Randall (.239, 6, 37), as the 27-year-old infielder was 4-for-16 with a homer and 7 RBIs in his return to the lineup. Acquired with prospect Whitey Gates for young pitcher Henry Henderson (7-2, 3, 3.78, 30), Randall has disappointed, hitting just .239/.269/.338 (63 OPS+) through 59 games. An excellent defender, he's been reliable at third, at least helping his pitchers even if the bat isn't near the 101 WRC+ he produced across the past two seasons. Percy Pringle Jr. is happy with a 4-2 week for the Kings in what was a very busy few days. They managed to move their lead out to 4 games over the LA Stars, but it came with a price. 2B/IF Joe Dorch (.325, 1, 8) is out for 2-3 months and might be able to return late in the year or if the Kings make the Series maybe then. It is not an ideal injury for the Kings as they attempt to keep players fresh, especially since they do have so vets in Farmer and Newman at 2B and 3B respectively. The Kings will likely be shopping for a back up IF who can be a solid backup at 2B and 3B. Perhaps making that upgrade more difficult is the injury to their top prospect from this years draft, OF Tom White who after 9 games in AA broke his back and will be out until likely spring training. The plan to get C Bob Burge (.295, 4, 30) rested after being practically carried off the field the prior Sunday seemed to work. Burge hit well and only played in 3 games this week out of the 6. On the positive side of things CF Tom Hicks (.303, 3, 23, 7) is ready to return from his 2 week hamstring injury which is good news. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 07/14/1963 British cargo ship Patrician sank off of Gibraltar after colliding with the U.S. ship Santa Emilia. Thirty-four of the 37 crew were rescued by Santa Emilia, but three men died. Members of the 1963 American Everest Expedition team were awarded the Hubbard Medal by U.S. President John F. Kennedy for their achievement. The "20-point agreement" to create the Federation of Malaysia, effective September 16, was signed in London by the UK Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and representatives of four of the five intended members of Malaysia: the Federation of Malaya, the Crown Colony of North Borneo, State of Sarawak and the state of Singapore. The fifth member, the British protectorate over the Sultanate of Brunei, declined to join the Federation. Gemini astronaut candidates began testing of the "human centrifuge" equipped to simulate the command pilot's position in the spacecraft. The testing was for evaluation of pilot controls and displays required for launch and reentry of a Gemini mission, along with the seat and pressure suit operation under acceleration, and the restraint system. The all-white University of South Carolina was ordered to admit its first African-American student, Henri Monteith, by order of U.S. District Judge J. Robert Martin. On the same day, Judge Martin ordered the desegregation of all 26 of South Carolina's state parks. The brief partnership of "Rodgers and Lerner" was dissolved, and production of the first Rodgers-Lerner musical, I Picked a Daisy, was halted permanently. Composer Richard Rodgers had successfully collaborated with lyricist Lorenz Hart (Babes in Arms), and then with lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II (The Sound of Music), while lyricist Alan Jay Lerner had a successful team with composer Frederick Loewe (My Fair Lady). The two were unable to work together successfully beyond "half a dozen" songs for Daisy. A Vostok-2 rocket launched by the USSR failed shortly after take-off. A military coup ousted Carlos Julio Arosemena Monroy, President of Ecuador, who was succeeded by naval commander Ramón Castro Jijón. After surrendering the presidential palace, Arosemena was placed on an Ecuadorian Air Force plane and flown to Panama. The "final straw" for the coup leaders had been a state dinner the night before, "when the obviously inebriated president made disparaging remarks about the United States" while talking to the American ambassador. The sinking of the Argentine ferry Ciudad de Asunción killed 53 of the 420 people on board, after the boat caught fire and went down in the River Plate between Buenos Aires in Argentina and Montevideo in Uruguay. In South Africa, 19 ANC and MK leaders, including Arthur Goldreich and Walter Sisulu, were arrested at Liliesleaf Farm, Rivonia, the headquarters of Umkhonto we Sizwe. The first "Gambit" military reconnaissance satellite was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and the film recovered proved it to be a major advancement in observation. The new system had "exceptional pointing accuracy" in aiming its cameras, and the pictures obtained had a resolution of 3.5 feet (1.1 m). The Congress of the Philippines approved a land reform program that had been proposed by President Diosdado Macapagal. Among other things, the law outlawed sharecropping and provided for a means of large estates to be gradually turned over to the people who farmed them. The Pulau Senang prison riot took place at the experimental offshore penal colony in Singapore. Superintendent Daniel Dutton and several prison officers were murdered by inmates and the prison was burned to the ground. In the Soviet Union, 33 of the 35 persons on Aeroflot Flight 012 were killed when the plane crashed as it was approaching a landing at the Irkutsk Airport in Siberia. The Tupolev Tu-104 had departed Beijing in China, bound for Moscow, with one scheduled stop in Irkutsk. The Legislative Assembly of the Cook Islands voted unanimously to reject an offer by New Zealand to be granted independence, and chose instead to become a self-governing Associated State with its residents to remain New Zealand citizens. U.S. Undersecretary of State W. Averell Harriman arrived in Moscow in order to negotiate the nuclear test ban treaty, and brought with him three tons of American telephone and telex equipment to set up the Moscow–Washington hotline agreed upon by the Americans and Soviets on June 20.