All things Figment - from the pages of The Figment Sporting Journal - Page 52

Jiggs McGee · 10-11-2024, 01:57 PM

As we prepare to embark on a trip through the 1960's, the Figment Universe can expect much to change between now -the dawn of the sixties- and we when go back to live weekly simming in each of the four major professional team sports for the start of the 1969 campaign.

Expansion will be the biggest change and the live sim is expected to resume with four new baseball teams conducting their expansion draft following the 1968 season. That is nine years from now and in that time it is expected that baseball, with four new teams slated to debut in 1962 in addition to the four in advance of 1969, will increase in scope from 16 to 24 clubs. The American Football Association, which presently counts 12 members, the North American Hockey Confederation with six and the Federal Basketball League which at the moment houses 8 franchises, all are expected to double size by the time we return to weekly simming with human General Managers in each of those sports.

While a lot will change in nine years, some of the top young players active today will emerge as stars over the coming years and could still be among the top performers in their respective sports as they hit their early to mid-thirties as we approach the 1970's.

Today, as we wait for the 1960 results, TWIFS takes a look at ten names you might want to watch closely over the next decade as each could still play a key role in his respective sport when the weekly sims return.

HOBIE BARRELL

The Barrell reach extends to all sports and hockey is no different. Hobie is the youngest of two hockey playing sons of former Brooklyn Kings catcher and Toronto Wolves manager Fred Barrell. Older sibling Benny is 21 and made his NAHC debut with the Detroit Motors in 1958-59 after being selected fourth overall in the 1956 amateur draft. By all accounts Hobie is a far better player than his brother, perhaps a generational type talent, but as of this writing he has just turned 18 and is still playing in the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association for the Halifax Mariners. In a league dominated by 19 and 20 year olds, Hobie amassed 90 points in 61 games in 1958-59 and was named a second team all-star. His NAHC future will become much clearer when the draft results are released. The left winger may be bound for Chicago as the Packers finished last in the league this past season and own the first selection in the draft.

RALPH BARRELL

Ralph made his big league debut in 1959 at the age of 19 and hit 19 homeruns in just 85 games, evoking memories of his famous father Bobby Barrell. The Philadelphia born teen is one of two Barrell's on the Los Angeles Stars, joining his 29-year-old cousin Charlie. Injuries, caused perhaps by a number of years playing both professional baseball and basketball, may help Charlie's career end well before 1969 but odds are pretty good that Ralph may be well on his way to joining his father as one of the most feared power hitters the game has ever seen. That is a lot of pressure to put on a 19-year-old but he appears ready to handle it.

STEVE BARRELL

As mentioned above with his cousin Hobie, the Barrell reach is all encompassing and Dan Barrell's youngest son Steve seems well on his way to a terrific pro basketball career. A two-sport star at Chicago Poly, where his father Dan - the former FABL player and briefly league president- now serves as Athletic Director, Steve turned down a chance to play pro football with the Los Angeles Tigers because they wanted to convert the former quarterback to a halfback. Instead he decided to concentrate on basketball after being chosen second overall by the Boston Centurions in the 1958 Federal Basketball League draft. The 22-year-old guard averaged over 14 points a game his debut season and was named FBL rookie of the year for the 1958-59 campaign

MILLER BOGERT

The 23-year-old quarterback led the Chicago Wildcats to their first AFA title in a decade as rookie. What is even more impressive is Bogert was a mere afterthought in the 1958 AFA draft, being selected in the 7th round by the Wildcats out of Bluegrass State. A decade long career is a lot to ask for any football player but Bogert may just buck the odds, and if he does the Wildcats may win a few more titles over the next nine years.

HUGO DYAL

Obviously none of the players participating in college football or basketball will be in the AIAA nine years from now but there is a good chance that Hugo Dyal will still be winning football titles. The 62-year-old head coach of the Northern California Miners football team has built his club into a powerhouse. Under Dyal's guidance the Miners have gone 99-17-1 since 1950, winning 8 West Coast Athletic Association titles including 4 straight as well as each of the past four East-West Classic games. Under Dyal, the Miners are 6-3 all-time playing in Santa Ana on New Years Day.

What has eluded the veteran coach, at least so far, is a national title although they have finished in the top five each of the past four years and were ranked second in 1960 and 1958.

GEORGE HOXWORTH

The Toronto Wolves have been a bad baseball team for what feels like forever. They have been fortunate enough over the years to have some good pitchers and we feel George Hoxworth has a chance to be one of the best in the game. Selected 7th overall in 1956 out of high school, he made his big league debut at 18 and now, four years later, has already won 50 games while still a few months shy of his 22nd birthday. FABL has seen three players win their 300th game in the past three seasons (Al Miller, Deuce Barrell and Ed Bowman) and it may be a while for the next one but we feel come 1969 there may be talk about Hoxworth approaching 300. Toronto will have to turn things around as a team for that to happen but OSA sees the 6'2" righthander playing a major role in that as they tout Hoxworth as someone who could win an Allen Award or two.

ALEX MONETTE

The 26-year-old center of the Detroit Motors has etched his name alongside Quinton Pollack and Tommy Burns as one of the top players in the North American Hockey Confederation. Monette led the NAHC with 82 points in the recently completed 1958-59 season, ending a seven year stretch when only Pollack or Burns could claim that honour. After scoring 4 goals in the Challenge Cup clinching game as a rookie in 1953 the Motors knew Monette was something special. He had over 100 points in each of his final two years of junior and has accumulated 451 points in 433 career NAHC games.

Monette, will be 36 when we go "live" again but may still be playing a key role in the Motor City. He has already helped the Motors win three Challenge Cups and it seems just a matter of time before he breaks Pollack's hold on the McDaniels Trophy as the NAHC MVP.

THE BOSTON MINUTEMEN

We could name the two 23-year-old pitchers from Boston in Don Griffin and Dick Wilson, each twenty-game winners in 1959, but truth is this group looks like it might just be the next powerhouse in the Federal Association. It is hard to find a better pair of young pitchers anywhere and the Minutemen offensive core led by 29-year-olds Rick Masters and Joe Kleman along with Jack Denis, 28, and Ed Wise, 27, looks like it could be around for a while. Topping the Detroit Dynamos six pennants in seven seasons during the 1950s seems unlikely but if allowed to stay together, we may be looking back in 1969 at several Minutemen titles.

HANK WILLIAMS

Just 26-years-old, the Kansas City Kings outfielder has already won back to back Whitney Awards and Continental Association batting titles including hitting .406 in 1959. It is the first .400 season FABL has seen since Mel Carrol did it with Washington in 1937. Williams has 493 hits in just 328 big league games and the local product (he is from Liberal, KS) looks to be on a pace, if he stays healthy, to be one of the best pure hitters the game has ever seen. Don't sleep on his power either as Williams hit 34 homers in 1959 and became just the second player ever to smack 60 doubles in a season. The first was Hall of Famer Dave Trowbridge.

JIM YORK

This one might be a little bit of a reach compared to most of the others but we feel York is a carbon copy of another former collegiate lefthander. He reminds us Detroit's 3-time Allan Award winner Jim Norris. York, 22, does not have an Allen Award yet but he did win the Christian Trophy his junior season at Chesapeake State before being drafted in the second round (same as Norris was) to Cincinnati in 1958. York made his big league debut in 1959, posting a 13-10 record and even threw a no-hitter, something else he shares in common with Norris. OSA feels he still has room to grow and could be a true #1 starter. We are anticipating a long career from the Cannons rising star.

Tiger Fan · 10-21-2024, 10:03 AM

1960 IN FIGMENT SPORTS
EXPANSION COMING TO BASEBALL

Ever since it was formed way back in 1892, FABL has consisted of 16 ballclubs with both the Continental and Federal Associations represented by 8 teams. That number will swell in a little over a year from now after word leaked that FABL is set to expand by four clubs, adding two teams to each of its associations. The Continental Association will return to the Big Apple for the first time since 1953. That was when the New York Stars moved to Los Angeles, joining the Philadelphia Sailors on a trip west. Since then, New York City has been the exclusive domain of the Federal Association Gothams but that will change for the 1962 season as the Continental Association will return to New York with a team slated to be called the Imperials. Joining the Imperials as newcomers to the CA for 1962 will be the Dallas Wranglers.

The Federal Association is also expanding to ten teams including the loop's first west coast entry. It will be based in Los Angeles and known as the Suns. Joining the Suns will be a new team based in Minneapolis dubbed the Millers. Here is a look at preliminary logo designs for each of the four newcomers.

Before expansion ushers in a whole new era for baseball we still have the just completed 1960 campaign as well as the 1961 season to look forward to in the final years of a 16-team loop. With baseball expansion a certainty, it feels like it will just be a matter of time before the other three major professional team sports also look to broaden their reach across North America.

On the playing fields it was the city of Boston that had the most to celebrate in 1960. The Boston Minutemen won the World Championship Series for the second year in a row, once again downing the Cleveland Foresters in five games. Boston's basketball team -the Centurions- have never won a Federal Basketball League title but came close last June as they ended a four-year playoff drought by reaching the finals for just the second time in franchise history. They lost, falling to the same organization they did the first time around but instead of the Rochester Rockets it was the St Louis Rockets who ended the Centurions title hopes. Boston also had quite a season on the ice and if you wanted drama in 1960 look no further than the NAHC playoffs.

It was not one but two amazing comebacks for the Boston Bees hockey team. Boston dropped each of the first three games of its semi-final series to the New York Shamrocks and trailed 2-0 after forty minutes in game four before roaring back to take that game in overtime and win the next three as well to complete one of the greatest playoff comebacks in hockey history. The Bees were not done as they fell behind in the Challenge Cup finals as well, trailing the Chicago Packers 3 games to 1 before winning three straight including the last two on Oscar James shutouts, by scores of 3-0 and in game seven 1-0, to win their 9th Challenge Cup.

College Football saw its national champion hail from the state of Georgia for the fourth consecutive year. The first two it was Noble Jones College coming out on top but for the second straight season the Georgia Baptist Gators emerged as the best AIAA grid squad in the nation. Here are the champions in each of the sports for 1960.

It took just two days of 1960 for the first trade involving FABL players, as the Chicago Cougars picked up 30-year-old outfielder Bill Irvin from the Wolves for a pair of prospects. Irvin, who spent parts of seven seasons with the Toronto Wolves, made a career high 388 trips to the plate in 1959. Expected to play a more crucial role on the Wolves this season, he'll instead head to the Windy City after hitting .237/.356/.412 (110 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 14 homers, and 47 RBIs in 121 games. The former 8th pick will enter the 60s with a career .255/.353/.446 (121 OPS+) triple slash in 1,160 FABL PAs. The outfielder tallied 48 doubles, 45 homers, 168 RBIs, 139 runs, and 148 walks, spending all his time at either first or left.

As a non-obvious fit, you would think Chicago got a discount, but the Wolves were able to pry away the 76th ranked prospect Red Richards from the Windy City Kitties. Taken 10th in the 1959 draft, he made 7 starts between 3 levels last year, at times dealing with control issues. Just 21, the young righty has a really good curveball, and his low 90s sinker is excellent at generating groundballs. That skillset is usually in demand at Cougars Park, making it even more shocking they parted with a promising rotation member for a corner-only bat. They could be worried about his control, which could lead to future issues, but the movement he gets on his pitches should lead to plenty of whiffs and weak hits. Not an ace unless his stuff and/or control improve, but still a potential reliable middle of the rotation arm. Toronto also picked up a former Keystone 2nd Rounder in George Ewing, who came over in 1956 in exchange for Tom Buchanan. Ewing has now transitioned into a pen role, and is more filler, but could give the Wolves an extra arm for '60 or '61.

Though just over a week later, the landscape of the 60s changed, as the reigning Fed champs made a huge add. Already boasting one of the top lineups, the Minutemen made a major upgrade in the rotation, adding a third ace-quality pitcher to supplement Don Griffin (20-7, 3.09, 199) and Dick Wilson (22-6, 2.51, 116). That would be 26-year-old Bud Henderson, who like Boston's double Ds, is a former 20-game winner. The now- former Sailor was 20-16 in 1958, leading the Conti in wins, as he finished with a 3.60 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 183 strikeouts in an outstanding season. It was his third of now four seasons with an above average ERA+, as the former 3rd Rounder is coming off an unlucky 12-15 season despite a solid 4.05 ERA (105 ERA+), 3.90 FIP (91 FIP-), and 136 strikeouts. He did walk a career high 107 batters, producing a BB% above 8 (9.9) for the first time in his career, but with his age, effectiveness, and durability, the win-now Boston club was willing to throw in some major chips to acquire the 3-Time All-Star. The extreme groundballer is one of the top arms in the game, and if the Minutemen weren't already the favorite for the start of the 60s, they surely are now.

For the Sailors, it's tough parting with such a good pitcher, especially considering their lack of depth and potential 37-year-old ace Duke Bybee (4-10, 3.88, 94) coming off elbow surgery, but they picked up a promising young FABL hurler and two exciting prospects. The FABL pitcher is 24-year-old Gary Pike, who probably would have held a spot in the Boston rotation had they not acquired Henderson. Acquired just last offseason from the Pioneers, the former 7th Rounder made his big league debut last season. Throwing 62.1 innings between 2 starts and 28 relief outings, the 6'4'' righty was 4-1 with 4 saves, a 1.59 ERA (270 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 33 walks, and 30 strikeouts. A hard throwing groundballer, his off-speed pitch is a cutter, as he blows fastballs and sinkers by hitters. The sinker generates a lot of grounders too, which is key considering his command (or lack of it) lead to a lot of traffic on the bases. With his pure stuff, he can overpower, but he's got a lot of moving parts in his windup and that could make it tough for him to ever walk fewer than average hitters.

Pivoting to the prospects, the headliner was last year's 12th pick Jim Cruel. Ranked 65th among prospects, "Slim" got hit pretty hard in Class C last season (5-7, 7.59, 59), as he walked 85 hitters in 85.1 innings pitched. A five-pitch pitcher, he's clearly a development project, but there is a ton of upside hidden inside. He's got a nice sinker that he leans on to get outs in the field, and he mixes all his pitches well. The stuff may never be better then average, but it's already pretty polished. He likes to live on the corners to make up for the lack of stuff, and the Sailor's staff will now work on refining his repertoire and control. They'll also pick up former Toronto 3rd Rounder Mike Logan, who was drafted last year, traded to Boston in October, and now joins his third organization in less then a full calendar year. Clearly in demand, the top 150 prospect was a solid college hitter, and he produced WRC+ of 209, 152, and 141 in Class C, B, and A. Set to be a fast riser, he could crack San Fran's quite quickly, and with his excellent plate discipline he has a nice high floor of a useful off-the-bench bat. The defense at second isn't very good, limiting his overall ceiling, but so far the bat has played well.

Many off seasons, this would be the end of the notable moves, but FABL teams were still active come February. It started with an interesting swap of top 100 prospects, where Washington picked up lefty Carl Levy (51st) from the Cougars for catcher Chappy Sanders (95th) and veteran outfielder Hugh Pate. Levy debuted at 19 for the Cougars just over a year and a half after being selected as a 4th Round high schooler. It went as you might expect more walks (15) then strikeouts (10) and an elevated 6.86 ERA (62 ERA+), but he flashed a ton of potential on the mound. A four-pitch pitcher who projects to be a starter, he's got amazing stuff and solid command. He's got a reliable low 90s fastball that pairs with a strong change, and with his age he could still have opportunities to add velo. And with such a weak staff in the nation's capital, Levy gives them a promising young arm to eat innings in what's likely to be another season towards the bottom for the Eagles.

For the Cougars, Chappy is the headline, as the son of former Cannons catcher Earl Sanders will leave the organization that took him 17th in 1958. 23 in May, he's got an exciting bat, even before adding the "for catcher" qualifier that you usually have to mention. The power is just a projection, like it was at one point for current backstop Stan Czerwinski, but he has a patient approach and makes at worst average contact at the plate. When developed, he could hit around 15 homers with a few more walks then strikeouts, all while maintaining a solid batting average. The defense could use some work, but it's no surprise the Cougars were interested in him. With Hugh Pate, there's some, as they just got Irvin and already boast a deep and talented outfield. Still, Pate hit .360/.407/.514 (146 OPS+) in a bench role last year and owns a .298/.375/.468 (126 OPS+) career line. He can cover all three outfield positions and is a solid clubhouse figure who provides value off the field as well.

Up next was a swap of veteran infielders, with shortstop Cecil LaBonte heading to St. Louis from New York for third basemen Dan Finch. LaBonte, now 34, was once one of the top young shortstops in the game, but since the 1952 season he has failed to produce a WRC+ or OPS+ above 100. This has dropped his career line down to a just-above-average .287/.354/.409 (102 OPS+) in almost 1,700 (1,698) games in a Gothams uniform. With age he's been relegated to a bench role, as he started just 6 games in 1959 after 67 in 1958, which was second to just his rookie season where he got called up a month after being drafted. St. Louis does have Paul Watson (.265, 15, 80) who plays a lot of third and short, but LaBonte could secure the job and shift Watson to third long-term. On the flip side, Finch started a career high 63 games and hit a respectable .261/.386/.376 (106 OPS+) in an also career high 264 PAs. This accounted for a bit less then half of his 599 FABL PAs, and once he appears in a game for the Gothams it will be his third FABL team since his 1950 debut.

But neither of those moves come anywhere close to the deal the Chiefs made, as they added 6-Time All-Star and 1948 Kellogg Winner Irv Clifford from the Miners for a trio of youngsters. After trading Paul Williams, perhaps it shouldn't be too unexpected they'd move on from Clifford too- another mainstay in their lineup. Since his debut, he's been one of the top offensive middle infielders, producing a WRC+ and OPS+ above 100 in all but his 1952 season, and even then, it was 96 and 94 and he was on base early and often. 34 as of this January, Clifford is coming off another excellent season, hitting .281/.365/.420 (111 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 22 triples, 2 homers, 58 RBIs, 27 steals, 73 walks, and 98 runs. His 6th 4+ WAR season (4.1), Clifford will finish his Miners career with a .303/.381/.410 (116 OPS+) career line in 1,794 FABL games. The former 2nd Pick managed to log 430 doubles, 172 triples, 725 RBIs, 915 walks, 206 steals, and 1,201 runs, all while hitting less homers (18) in his career then new teammates Rod Shearer (31) and Mickey Tucker (21) hit in 1959 alone. Tasked with the leadoff spot, Clifford could lead the Fed in PAs for the third time in his career and seems like a lock to surpass 650 like he has in every season since 1949. 1959 was his first season at second base, a position he'll likely maintain when he goes to the Chiefs, and it's a shrewd move by the baseball's original club to take a run at the defending champion Minutemen. A common entrant on the Miners' career record books, he's top 10 in OBP (10th), WAR (9th, 45.9), games (3rd, 1,794), runs (2nd), hits (3rd, 2,145), triples (3rd), RBIs (9th), and walks (3rd) while the leader in doubles. His time in Pittsburgh will be remembered fondly, but now he'll have a shot for an elusive post season at bat.

The cost for Chicago was huge, two top 100 prospects and a former top 100 prospect, but one that should make them a legitimate contender for the 1960 season. The guy they might miss most is the towering 6'4'' catcher Eddie Thomas, who the Chiefs took in the 2nd Round of the 1958 draft. Arguably the top catching prospect in FABL, Thomas split his '59 between Class C and B, dominating the lesser competition before looking somewhat overmatched against older pitchers. A skilled defender, he's already at least average behind the plate, which should make it easier for the young catcher to earn and hold a big-league role. The bat needs some work, his swing isn't that pretty, but oh boy! When he gets a hold of one?!?!?! Man does it go far! His good swings look majestic and captures the attention of all in the crowd, and even when he doesn't make solid contact, he can still muscle a mistake over the outfield walls. On top of all that, he's got a ton of athleticism, allowing him to shag balls on the outfield grass too. If he can't kick it behind the plate, he could handle either three spots on the outfield, and he's already spent some time at first too. While no George Cleaves, Thomas certainly has loads of talent, and it would be very fitting for the Miners to again have the top catcher in all of baseball. That is of course, if Thomas is able to reach or even pass his already lofty ceiling.

Joining Thomas is fellow top 100 prospect John Moreland, a 23-year-old shortstop, and Tom Sexton, a 24-year-old-outfielder, both of which celebrate their birthdays in May. Moreland, the Chiefs 3rd Rounder in 1954, may not see his last of the organization, as after trading him to the Eagles in February 1958, they quickly re-acquired him that same October. Another tall position player, the 6'3'' infielder went 2-for-13 in a cup of coffee with the Chiefs last year and is believed to have the inside edge on one of the middle infield spots now that Clifford is in Chicago. A capable athlete nicknamed "Bullets" due to his arm strength, he's a viable defender at short, but he doesn't have the speed you like to see at premium defensive positions. He makes up for that with his reactions and instincts, both in the field and on the base path. He has a crisp smooth swing and should hit for a high average, and like Clifford he's more discipline and put the ball in play. Don't get me wrong, he has way more power, but even 10 in a season would still be a stretch. Tom Sexton could join him in the Miner lineup as well, as he got a smaller cup (0-for-2) with the Chiefs in September himself. Projected as a useful bench piece, he's capable at all three outfield spots and second base, and he has big league pop from the right side. The Miners did well to infuse their system with high end, high pedigree talent, even at the cost of a franchise icon.

From that point out, it was back to the usual quiet of the preseason, as teams prepared for the start of the new campaign. After making their big offseason moves, the Chiefs and Minutemen were the favorites in the Fed according to OSA, but they still expected a good season from the former dynasty in Detroit. The Conti looked more open, with a lot of love given to the Kings, Foresters, and rather surprisingly, the Cougars, with the Cannons also in the mix for an 80+ win season. Only really the Miners, Eagles, and Saints look to be eliminated in April, but FABL fans know just how crazy a baseball season can get.

*** Miners Surprise Team of Fed in Early Going ***

Despite trading Paul Williams and Irv Clifford in the offseason, the Pittsburgh Miners started the season red-hot, finishing 8-3, tied with the Chicago Chiefs for the top April record in the Fed. Those two would meet for the first time on May 3rd, in a move that could separate the pretender from the contender. The reason? Partially Roy Sneddon, who looked to put the .222/.309/.300 (65 OPS+) he hit last year behind him. The almost 30-year-old hit .371/.450/.629 (171 OPS+) as the everyday third basemen, tallying 4 doubles, a triple, a homer, 5 walks, 6 runs, and 7 RBIs. Bill Wise (.357, 6, 1) got off to a nice start too, and Clifford return piece John Moreland (.323, 3) completed the unlikely trio that led the Miners lineup. Alex Vaughn (1-0, 1.38, 7) and Joe McDowell (0-0, 2.57, 8) headed the mound staff although in McDowell's two starts his decisions went to Don Honeycutt (1-2, 5.59, 10). It's hard to believe the hot start for Pittsburgh, so it's fitting they'll get a real test after finishing off the Gothams in a double header before an off day they'd use for travel.

Chicago's record was to be believed, as the addition of Irv Clifford has seemingly jump-started the ballclub. The Chiefs shiny new leadoff hitter produced a respectable .306/.346/.449 (104 OPS+) line, but it helped lead to production from Doc Zimmerman (.279, 1, 8, 1), Dave Price (.325, 1, 5), Ed Bloom (.270, 3), and of course, Rod Shearer. Hoping to earn his elusive Whitney, the 31-year-old star hit .286/.375/.643 (158 OPS+), launching 4 homers with 12 RBIs. "Hot Rod" is on track to be just the tenth man to record 350 FABL home runs, needing just 23 more to meet the lofty metric. New starter Jack Halbur (2-0, 2.79, 12), acquired from Detroit, is off to an excellent start to his season, as ace Vern Osborne (3-0, 2.29, 12) showed exactly why he sits atop a contender's rotation. After a double header and off day of their own, Osborne will be the one to welcome the Miners to Whitney Park. It may not feel like a big game to them, but early games like this are critical if you want to nudge middle-of-the-pack teams away from contention.

Set to face Osborne for Pittsburgh is former top 20 prospect Mike Blackham (1-0, 3.75, 5), who debuted at 19 last April. All but one of his league leading 78 appearances came out of the pen, as the young lefty finished 11-5 with 14 saves, a 4.49 ERA (97 ERA+), and 3.84 FIP (88 FIP-) in 122.1 innings pitched. He struck out 90 and walked just 51, and he won one of the many rotation spots behind Ed Power that were up for grabs in the spring. Skipper Clyde Matthews has liked the early returns on him in the rotation so far, as his mid 90s fastballs have been able to overpower in small samples. He's yet to be built up, and in the big game with Chiefs Blackham left after 109 pitches through 6.2 innings. It could have been avoided, as an error is the only thing that stopped it from being seven, as the youngster did a good job bouncing back from a rough first. He surrendered home runs to Mickey Tucker (4) and Rod Shearer (5) and kept the Chiefs at three until they reclaimed the lead in the 6th. This might have been the sign to go to the pen, as the very unreliable Don Honeycutt was the one called upon to strand the bases loaded. It started good, as pinch hitter Willie Martin was quickly down 0-2, but a wild pitch let Ed Bloom score from third. After a foul ball, Honeycutt then hit Martin, promptly reloading the bases for Elmer Walters.

Walter chased a 2-0 pitch, popping up harmlessly to end the inning, but the avoidable damage was done. Pittsburgh went up without a whimper in the top half, and then Honeycutt replacement George Kollock decided to load the bases again with a double and two walks. This led to trouble, as after just missing a tough pitch, Ed Bloom was able to lock on, clearing the bases with a 366 foot wall scraper. To the Miners credit, they battled back for two runs in the ninth, but they just ran out of outs and fell out of the first place tie. With ace Ed Power on against big strikeout arm Joe Cipolla, the Miners would need something from their offense, but they were held scoreless through five. They got finally got two in the 7th, moving within one of the association leaders.

Mother nature decided to interrupt the comeback, as with one out in the 8th, lightning was seen, and play was paused. The 67-minute rain delay ended Cipolla's night too (7.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K), but they couldn't mount a rally on the replacement. Even worse, the Miners had to do the same for Power (7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, 6 K), who aside from allowing homers to Dave Price (3) and Rod Shearer (6) was as good as it gets. Don Honeycutt is not, and after getting a quick ground out he showed exactly why. He walked both Bloom and Shearer on four pitches, and after getting Mickey Turner down 0-2, he threw three wide and the catcher eventually worked an eight-pitch walked. Bases now loaded, he faced young outfielder Dave Price, getting a quick and shallow flyout that kept the veteran Bloom at third. An out away from weaseling his way out, his old nemesis, the wild pitch, came back. That allowed Bloom to score on a 1-1 pitch, and he followed that with two more balls to again load the bases.

After looking silly with the bases loaded the following day, the epitome of an easy out Elmer Walters looked like a man out for revenge, staring menacingly at the pitcher he felt wronged him. Of course, the look didn't do much, his monster swing quickly led to a dribbler on home plate, but lucky for him that meant he got another chance. The wild Honeycutt missed wide trying to get him to chase, which seemed to only increase the rage Walters felt inside. Using that feeling, the defensive specialist unleashed the power of all glove-first guys before him, launching one 425 feet to give the Chiefs their second 8th inning grand slam in as many games. Mercifully, Willie Martin was disposed of quickly to end the frame, but the Miners dugout was dejected, and they realized that any hope they might have gained over the past few weeks was just the foolishness of buying a tiny sample size. The Chiefs used this series to build momentum, while Pittsburgh quickly retreated towards .500.

After the first place deciding Fed series, the Conti was even tighter, as the Cougars (10-7) and Cannons (11-8) were both within a half game of the Foresters (11-7). It was the Cougars who made the first move, as they took first on the 5th of May and didn't look back. After sweeping Montreal they did the same to the Kings and Cannons, and used their patented pitching to hold the lead the rest of the month. Sure, the Foresters got within a half game towards the end, but an 18-12 May allowed Chicago to lead both Ohio teams by two before the new month. The bullpen was amazing, led by David Molina protégé Arch Wilson (3-1, 5, 2.54, 18) who pitched 28.1 innings in just over half (16) of the Cougs May games. When he couldn't go, Bobby Crooks (1-0, 3, 1.54, 7) and Ken Stone (1-1, 1, 2.31, 4) filled in fine, and both Dick Greenlaugh (0-0, 0.46, 7) and Roy Ellis (1-1, 2.29, 12) were excellent in their six relief appearances and single start. Of course, with guys like Hank Walker (5-1, 2.65, 16), Pug White (4-2, 4.20, 26), and Ollie Norris (2-1, 2.75, 16), significant relief isn't always needed. And with young stars like Jack Gibson (.330, 5, 21, 1), Jerry McMillian (.248, 5, 14, 4), and maybe now Jim Barton (.318, 2, 12), they could sustain a pennant run for the first time since 1952.

I can't remember the last time both Chicago teams were atop the standings, as the Cougars haven't been there in ages, but the Chiefs (28-14) held a slightly larger 2.5 game lead over the Pioneers (23-14). They relied heavily on their rotation, namely Joe Cipolla, who was a perfect 5-0 with a 1.99 ERA (222 ERA+), 1.01 WHIP, 13 walks, and 35 strikeouts. Cipolla and Dick Champ (2-0, 1.07, 25) both were outstanding, while the pen got good innings from veterans Mel Haynes (2-2, 3.18, 12) and Carl Potter (1-1, 1, 3.06, 8). For a while, things just stayed close, but on June 12th the Foresters broke the Chicago-only association lead. They didn't hold it outright, matching the Cougars 31-23 record, as the top two teams traded decisions for the next three games. An emphatic 11-0 win over the Saints put the Foresters in front, as Chicago dropped the opener in Cincinnati. They went on to drop the next three, which brought the teams into a tie for 3rd, three and a half behind the first place Foresters (36-24).

*** Cannons Stay in Thick of CA Race as Calendar Turned to June ***

Expected to compete, Cleveland has hit and pitched well, and after an off day they would start a critical 14 game road trip that starts with the Cannons (33-28) and Kings (34-28). The Foresters would open with the now 43-year-old Rufus Barrell, with buddy Adrian Czerwinski and a potential spot starter in the final two starts of the series. Cleveland got off to a fast start, with Tom Carr's speed (BB, SAC, SB, WP) manufacturing an early 1-0 lead. Unfortunately for any of the fans who made the 250 mile trek, that's really the last thing they enjoyed in the game, as Fred Lainhart (2-5, 2 R, RBI, 2 2B), Al Farmer (2-5, 2 R, RBI, 2B), and Johnny Elliot (3-4, R, RBI) led the Cannons to an easy 7-1 lead. The hosts then piled 15 hits on the Mad Professor in an outing where he didn't finish the 6, exiting with 7 runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, and 2 outs. 1957 Whitney Winner Dallas Berry made some noise after a 1-for-5 in the opener, 3-for-4 with a walk, triple, RBI, and two runs scored. Five players recorded two hit games, with Fred Lainhart (2-5, R), Art McKinney (2-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI), Larry Lewis (2-3 R, RBI), Willie Watson (2-4, 2 RBI), and Nick Remillard (2-4, R, 2B) all getting in the fun. Aside from some late inning runs, Jimmy Block (8.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) was excellent, and it was his own error that led to an "unearned" run.

In position to sweep, a win here would put Cincinnati a half game out of first. The pitching matchup of Johnny Britton and Hal Miller didn't do justice to the standing implications, but the game delivered early excitement. After two quick outs, the always difficult Dallas Berry worked a seven-pitch double, extending the inning for Al Farmer. Despite going down 0-2, the veteran remained cool and composed, lining a double of his own. Unable to recover, the spot-starting Britton walked Art McKinney on four pitches, at least setting up the force for both runners. Still a bit uneasy, the young righty missed two more times, before Larry Lewis hit the third double of the inning, plating both runners. It was another walk, this time to Willie Watson, and the Cannons stretched the lead to four with a Nick Remillard single. Thankfully, opposing pitcher Hal Miller was easy enough for Britton, but things were not looking good in the visiting dugout.

Wise words from pitching coach Tom Martin and the Mad Professor himself seemed to calm the young righty, who battled for back-to-back 1-2-3 innings. Just two more Cannons reached base, and after the misstep in the first he fired off four scoreless innings. But when he was pinch hit for in the 6th, his team was in reach of making it a game. Otis O'Keefe opened the scoring with a one out single earlier in the inning, followed by John Low beating out a double play attempt to allow Sherry Doyal's run to count. Now with runners on first and third, Johnson was the go ahead run and could give his pitcher a win with one swing of the bat. Homers aren't his thing, just eight in the past three years, but a line drive past the second basemen put the tying run on second. Down 4-3, the lineup turned over to Tom Carr, who was quickly down 0-2. Not changing his approach, he thwacked a grounder past the shortstop, sending Jerry Hubbs to round third and try to score. Fielded cleanly, "The Can-Do Kid" Dallas Berry unleashed his cannon, catching the tortoise Hubbs before he could make his slide. With how the series went, that felt like a huge miss, but Frank Young (IP, H) and Lynn Horn (2 IP, H, BB, 4 K) kept the Cannons at the 4, providing the lineup opportunities to tie it up. But once the struggling Joe Smith entered the game, Cleveland showed little resistance, sprinkling a hit and a walk between 4 Ks in 2.2 innings. His first save as a Cannon, he ended the game with a Sherry Doyal strikeout and Hal Kennedy double play, putting themselves in striking distance of first place.

Meanwhile, the 1960 draft class was beginning to fill the low minors rosters, including #1 pick Dixie Turner. Son of former Pittsburgh Miner (and GWL Dallas Centurion) Ed Turner, Dixie has a chance to debut for the team that picked his dad in the 1937 Rule-5 Draft. A versatile high schooler, he played games at second, third, short, center, left, and right, but Pittsburgh views him as their new second basemen of the future. Already a top 10 prospect, Turner hit 14 homers as a senior, and projects to have light-tower power at the plate. Paired with excellent plate coverage, a patient approach, and a nifty contact tool, the younger Turner has the chance to be everything his father wasn't. A potential multi-year All-Star, Turner was both best overall and filling a need, as with no more Irv Clifford there's a massive hole he filled for a season. With his youth, his best day's might not come until Clifford had his worst, but Dixie is almost an ideal prospect. His versatility makes him easy to make room for, as aside from catcher and pitcher he shouldn't have many issues.

Though some would argue that 2nd Overall pick Miguel Paniagua was the better option, as the 6'3'' Dominican was placed in the top 5. Further ahead than Dixie, there's thoughts of placing Paniagua in A ball, as the catcher/outfielder impressed in the Caribbean before moving to Florida for college. A patient hitter with extra base pop and a quality contact tool, Paniagua is the type of hitter you want in big opportunities. His weakness is his speed, and the more he catches the less outfield he can play, providing an interesting decision for the Stars front office to make.

Other notable prospects include 5th selection Bobby Phelps, another talented outfielder with elite power, an outstanding eye, and a swing that should translate to averages well over .300. The only issue is his defense has not been good. Natural catcher Tom Brizzolara was taken 7th by the Gothams, and they aggressively placed the 21-year-old catcher in AA. Lew Mercer has been a reliable starting catcher after George Cleaves left, but the Brooklyn native could break the Gothams catching trend that has seen the starter start one fewer season then the rest. Pete Casstevens was there for 8 years, Cleaves for 7, and now Mercer in his 6th could be replaced next season. He hits for average and power all while providing excellent defense behind the game, with his Midwestern University teammates praising his ability to call a game. Just two pitchers were selected, but all sixteen members of the first round cracked the top 100 in a strong draft that skewed batter heavy, causing some talented pitchers to slip to the 2nd and 3rd.

As much as Cincinnati tried, they just couldn't pass Cleveland in June, a month that saw the Fed leader change on multiple occasions, including three times in the last three days. The Chiefs, Pioneers, and Keystones all held first at some point, while the Minutemen finished the month as one of the four teams within one game of first. Even Detroit was still in it at 2.5 out, as everyone was taking games from the Miners (29-43), Gothams (27-43), and Eagles (25-45). With little separation, it was still anyone's game, but as the league got closer to the all-star break, the Keystones started to gain some ground. They took three of four from the Pioneers in St. Louis, split a double header with Detroit, and won three of five from the Miners to enter the break 47-32. For a team that hadn't had a winning record since Buddy Miller's rookie season, it was a huge accomplishment, and they held 2.5 game leads over St. Louis (45-35) and Detroit (46-36), with the Chiefs (45-37) and Minutemen (46-38) an extra game back.

Star rookie center fielder Harry Dellinger was the main reason the Keystones were on top, as the Kellogg favorite exploded in June, taking home the Rookie and Batter of the Month award. The 21-year-old top five prospect hit an excellent .438/.485/.802 (231 OPS+), mashing 11 homers, 5 doubles, and 3 triples in 132 trips to the plate. The former 2nd Pick scored 31 runs, drove in 40 more, and swiped 4 bases, making him 16-for-18. With Dellinger, Miller, and Lloyd Coulter, they have a trio of serious sluggers, and for once the pitching staff some young talent that can be relied on. There's still a long season ahead of them, but it's an exciting position that is unfamiliar to many Keystone fans that are still yearning for the days of success under Bobby Barrell.

The Conti began to separate at the break as well, with the Foresters pulling out a 4 game lead over the Cougars, who were the only team within five. While the Fed had five teams all closer to first then the Cougars, the Conti had only four teams within ten games of the Foresters, and were threatening to run away with the first pennant of the 60s. Czerwinski, Jake Pearson, Hal Kennedy, John Low, Tom Carr, and Paul Williams all represented the division leaders at the mid-summer classic, and with the top offense and second best pitching staff, smart money would bet on Cleveland holding the lead the rest of the way.

ALL-STAR GAME

The 28th annual All-Star Game was an offensive display at Cleveland's Forester Stadium. The two sides combined for 30 hits as the Continental stars held off their counterparts from the Federal Association by a 9-8 score. The CA leads the series 16 wins to 12. Among the hitting stars were Charlie Barrell of Los Angeles, who enjoyed a 3-for-5 day for the CA and Cleveland catcher Hal Kennedy, who had two hits including the only homerun of the game.

TRADE DEADLINE

While Cleveland carried their momentum after the break, the Keystones could not, as they lost big series to the Pioneers (1-3), Minutemen (0-3), and Chiefs (1-2), only picking up multiple wins against the Eagles. On the 23rd, four teams were within a half a game of their miniscule lead, and by July 24th the Dynamos (53-40) were the first of that group to claim the top spot.

At that point, only the Chiefs, who were a game out at 51-40, had made any deals of note. The first one was about as shocking as it gets, as they sold low on last year's Kellogg winner Dave Price (.248, 5, 34, 3) who was struggling through one of the worst sophomore slumps you could imagine. After hitting .313/.366/.480 (126 OPS+) with 33 doubles, 14 triples, 14 homers, 84 RBIs, and 107 runs, he's scuffled to a .248/.267/.352 (59 OPS+) line in 82 games. The 1959 hit leader (193) saw his WRC+ more then halve from 127 to 61, due in large part to a stark BB% decline from 8.2 to 2.9. The talented 23-year-old was still excellent out in center, but his bat was so big of a black hole that they felt they needed a new center fielder. Of course, there are options like optioning him to AAA or move him into more of a 4th outfield role, both of which are significantly better options then trading him to Montreal for a 33-year-old starter-turned-stopper in Tom Fisher (4-5, 12, 3.43, 36), especially considering Paul Magee was doing a solid job himself. Fisher has been excellent, but his 4.84 FIP (109 FIP-) is over a full run higher then his ERA, and for the first time since 1952 he was walking (39) more guys then he struck out (36). He does serve as decent rotation depth himself, but it seems like a deal could have gotten done without Price.

A few days later they picked up another pen arm in Lee Loeffler (3-7, 8, 5.12, 41). A long-time Chief who made 174 appearances between 1953 and 1959 with them. He was DFA'd during the season and unclaimed last year, deciding not to refuse his outright assignment. It paid off, as at the Rule-5 draft the Eagles decided to take a risk on him, and despite his high ERA (5.12, 86) and FIP (4.91, 111) he'll now get to pitch in a pennant race. Unlikely to pitch many high leverage outings, he's a good guy to soak up unimportant innings or even the occasional spot start in a double header. The cost was minimal too, a pair of young first basemen, making it a reasonable deal. The more talented prospect is a first basemen only Wally Fontaine, who ranks inside the top 200, but doesn't really have the bat to play every day at first. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Steve Oleson can play some outfield, but he's a former 12th Round pick whom might top out as a AA player. Still, for a team supplying the rest of their association with wins, it's a useful pickup for a guy you gave up nothing to get.

Trade seasons first major domino fell on the 26th, with both association leaders acquiring a bat from the Gothams. Despite a 7 game lead and a lineup as good as any, the Cleveland Foresters continued their outfield addiction by picking up star center fielder Earl Howe. The 1955 Whitney Winner is one of the game's most feared sluggers, and one of the only six humans to homer at least 50 times in a season. He has just 18 this year, but in his previous six seasons he's hit at least 30 or more, and his 247 home runs will remain 4th behind Walt Messer (430), one of the other five guys to hit 50+ in a season, Red Johnson (386), and long-time teammate Hank Estill (317). Just 28, Howe had a legitimate chance to pass all three, but will now have to add to his totals in a new uniform.

A veteran of seven seasons, Howe appeared in 1,008 games for the Gothams, slashing a healthy .288/.369/.538 (142 OPS+) in 4,350 trips to the plate. Worth just shy of 40 WAR (39.2), Howe logged 712 runs, 159 doubles, 772 RBIs, and 473 walks, spending three seasons at the Gothams right fielder and three and a half in center. One of the leagues most valuable players, he'll join an outfield of Tom Carr, Otis O'Keefe, Armando Estrada, and Sherry Doyal, while they have another outfield option in Paul Williams. Already arguably the best lineup overall, there's little doubt now, as Stan Kleminski, Hal Kennedy, John Low, and Jerry Hubbs are all excellent hitters. With no holes and a strong rotation, there was a reason Cleveland has managed to pull away from the pack, and this move shows they have no thoughts about taking the foot off the gas.

New York's four prospect package wasn't particularly deep, but it featured a clear headliner in Les Freedman. A top-50 prospect who is trending upward, Freedman went in the 3rd Round of the 1958 draft, and has quickly worked his way from the classroom to A ball. Just 20, 15 of his 19 starts this year came with the Foresters Class A affiliate in Wilmington, an unlucky 3-7 despite a 3.45 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, and 102 strikeouts in 101.2 innings pitched. A refined four pitch pitcher, his signatured is a wipeout curve, and if you're sitting on it he can push a mid 90s fastball by you. His change and splitter warrant respect as well, and with his strike throwing abilities and horizontal movement, he'll generate plenty of whiffs. Future ace may be a stretch, as the curve is the only plus-plus pitch at this time, but he'll quickly settle into the middle of a FABL rotation. The Gothams farm is lacking top arms like that, and they've done a poor job supplement Jorge Arellano and the grizzled Ed Bowman in the rotation.

Acquiring Freedman as well as borderline top-100 prospect Chuck Ayers is a step forward, as the duo will become the top two ranked pitchers in the system. A lefty who turns 19 on the final day of August, Ayers was Cleveland's 1st Round selection last year, and after a respectable 15 start showing Class C last year, they kept him back until July before letting him debut with their Class B affiliate. It's just 5 starts, and he has a much better FIP (4.21, 87) then ERA (5.29, 91), but New York isn't acquiring him for the pitcher he is now. What they're excited about is the velo, as his sidewind whip of an arm slings 98 mph fastballs. You can't sit on it either, he has six other toys to work with, and he has the foundational pieces in place already. What determines his big league success is his strike throwing ability, as to succeed he'll have to locate his offerings well. Not all the pitches are great, so unless he refines the weak spots there are mistakes waiting to be punished. A high-risk, high-reward type prospect, he's the perfect #2 in a deal for a star, and all the angry Howe fans may get over it if the mid-to-late 60s teams are anchored by the Freedman/Ayers trade partner tandem.

Finishing off the package is a pair of position prospects, but neither have the upside of the pitchers. Outfielder Howie Taylor is still a quality piece in his own right, as the top-200 prospect is a quality defensive outfielder in the corners who can steal bases and hit a few homers. What stands between him and a starting role is himself, as he's not the brightest bulb and he doesn't have the raw talent to make up for it. He does draw a fair amount of walks, but he strikes out too much and struggles to pick up singles. A bench role seems likely, but he has an easily identified weakness that can be worked on. Chubby Smith then was a throw in, as his use was quickly discovered after the next deal. Despite being a former first rounder, Chubby never garnered much attention as a prospect, and that includes this season where he hit .314/.389/.573 (164 OPS+) with the AAA Rochester Rooks before getting word of the trade. He's got 16 homers in 59 games, but he's a slow, unathletic guy who occasionally hits home runs and not much else.

Chubby's upside is limited, but since he's an able bodied catcher who's got youth on his side (23), he became the Gothams' new starter after they parted ways with Lew Mercer. Mercer, 32, will officially finish with one less season starting then his predecessor, fulfilling the role 7-year starter George Cleaves did to 8-year starter Pete Casstevens. I wouldn't necessarily bet on Chubby (or whoever ends up starting next year) going 5, but I would bet on Mercer hitting better in Detroit than current starter Dan Smith's .245/.329/.306 line. One of the better offensive catchers, Mercer is on track for surpassing the 100 WRC+ mark for the sixth time in seven season. Currently at 119, Mercer has continued to provide production behind the plate, hitting .286/.382/.427 (108 OPS+) with 8 homers and 29 RBIs. It's a nice boost to a Dynamo team that's trying to survive an all-out battle for the Fed, and an even nicer reunion for the team's former 2nd Round pick. He got into 11 games across 3 seasons in Detroit, but he was DFA'd on Opening Day in 1954 and spent three months in the unemployment line.

Finally, Mercer caught on with the Gothams, and even though he got a minor league deal he went straight to the Big Apple. He exploded with a .290/.387/.483 (135 OPS+) triple slash, knocking 10 double and 6 homers with 22 runs, 31 RBIs, and 20 walks. That earned him the starting job until the trade, and in 796 games with the Gothams he hit a productive .265/.361/.416 (109 OPS+) batting line with 131 doubles, 78 homers, and 392 RBIs. Mercer is expected to hit in the bottom half of a solid lineup that features Dick Tucker, Bill Morrison, Joe Reed, Pat Petty, and Dick Estes. 21-year-old outfielder Cecil Gregg has started to get settled, and the addition of Mercer lengthens an already tough lineup. In return, Detroit parted with a pair of infielders, headlined by top-100 prospect Phil Mattis. A natural first basemen, Mattis doesn't have an obvious fit in the Dynamos future, as they have a lot of corner bats and are looking to give top prospect and Edwin Hackberry return piece Ray Waggoner time there in the future. Known as "The Hornell Hammer," it would be awesome for the Hornell, New York native to make it big with the Gothams, and he's got the power they may have just lost with Howe. Well developed for a recent high school pick, he seems to be the heir to Estill at first, and a valuable future asset for a team that loves guys who can hit it a mile.

Despite all the congestion in the standings, just one more major trade was made, as on the 28th the second place Cougars added lefty Andy Logue to the #1 pitching staff. Taken in the 2nd Round of the 1951 draft by Montreal, Logue debuted for the Saints in 1956, and became a full time rotation member with 26 starts (11-5, 3.61, 86) for Montreal last season. Chicago must think they can fix the 27-year-old, as his 21 starts this year were awful. Just 3-8, he sported an elevated 6.25 ERA (71 ERA+) and 1.77 WHIP, walking batters at a career high 9.2%. When paired with a career low 12.9%, it was a recipe for disaster, but he showed a lot of promise last season. The Boston native uses his sinker and curve to set up hitters, putting them away with a nifty slider that's great for strikeouts. The stuff is still hittable, which is why his previously stout command allowed him to succeed. Instead, he's allowing homers at an alarming rate (1.5 per 9), and if that continues his time in Chicago won't be long at all.

Though the fact they parted with a talented prospect in Ham Flanders makes it seem likely that the Cougars have identified a flaw in Logue's delivery that has led to the poor results. A former 2nd Rounder, Flanders is a 22-year-old second basemen who may now be stuck behind slugger Jack B. Gibson, who has seen a bit more second then his natural short. A bat-first prospect, Flanders doesn't offer much with the glove, and if Gibson is who Chicago envisions at the keystone long-term, there's now way Flanders can push him off. As good as he is, the 38 homers Gibson hit last season are more then Flanders' minor league number to date, and at a homer friendly park Flanders can't really take full advantage. He does have a nice hit tool, which plays way better at the Parc Cartier, and since he'll be Rule-5 eligible in the offseason he could be an immediate factor in 1961. They have a few other middle infield prospects, but both guys in the majors are in their 30s, with shortstop Bill Elkins 35 and in his worst pro season. Losing pitching depth is tough, but if the Saints don't believe that Logue can return to the pitcher he was last year, they got paid like he will. This could be a nice win-win trade if both players pan out, but it was funny that one of the only deadline trades was a pair of teams trading from a relative weakness to solidify a strength.

*** Hot August Boosts Boston's Repeat Hopes ***

By rattling off nine consecutive victories to end August, the preseason favorite Boston Minutemen were right back to first place, 2.5 above Detroit and 3 above the Chiefs, with the Pioneers (3.5) and Philly (4) still in the mix. Boston's next win would be there 60th, as a second consecutive .600+ month gave them some much needed separation from their competition. They ran that streak to 11 before Detroit's 3-Time Allen Winner Jim Norris (9 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K) mystified the Minuteman lineup with a 1-0 shutout, but they picked right back up with series wins on the road against the Gothams (3-1) and the Keystones (2-1). In fact, they lost just one series, a three gamer hosting the Chiefs. That finished their three game losing streak, the only part of their 20-9 month where they didn't follow up a loss with a win. The Boston pitching was immaculate, with Don Griffin (4-1, 0.65, 37) and Dick Wilson (3-1, 1.75, 11) picking through lineups with ease. Griffin captured the Pitcher of the Month award, as not only did he have a sub-0.75 ERA and WHIP (0.68), but Doc had a pristine 37-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He's yet to walk double digit hitters in a month, something Wilson (15) and three other guys did this month. That's not always a bad thing, as Bud Henderson (3-1, 2.87, 28) was outstanding like Wilson, but the command Boston's ace has shown makes him a shoo-in for the Allen. The offense was excellent too, with stars Rick Masters (.326, 6, 28, 1), Joe Kleman (.359, 4, 23, 1), and Marshall Thomas (.319, 3, 14, 2) providing the staff with plenty of support.

When rosters expanded, just the Chiefs (74-54, 4.5 GB) and Pioneers (71-54, 6 GB) were within ten games, as the five team race faded to just three. Chicago has rode hot too, and don't forget they were the team to win a series against Boston. Offseason pickup Jack Halbur was starting to pitch like the guy they thought they acquired, 3-1 with a 2.65 ERA (166 ERA+) and 1.04 WHIP. Fellow offseason pickup Irv Clifford led the offense in OPS for August, hitting an impressive .368/.438/.535 (151 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers,15 RBIs, and 15 walks, and 29 runs. Doc Zimmerman (.342, 7, 23) led the team in homers and RBIs, Ed Bloom (.283, 2, 21, 2) walked (16) more then he struck out (12), and rookie shortstop Guy Johnson (.253, 6, 18) doubled his season output in a single month. All that's left is to get Rod Shearer (.192, 3, 13) going, as with two homers remaining for 300 he's started to press. A relaxed Shearer and quality outings from the rotation are a must, but the Chiefs have kept themselves close enough to claim their first crown since 1949.

St. Louis has a tougher challenge, but with the young dream rotation of Billy Hasson (26), Frenchy Mack (23), and George Blake (22) and reigning Whitney candidate Jerry Smith, the Pioneers cannot be underestimated. It's a bit surprising the Pioneers didn't make a move at the deadline, though their midseason upgrade came the way of #1 prospect Bob Bell. The 22-year-old second basemen debuted on July 23rd, and was quickly named Rookie of the Month. Already the team's second best hitter, Bell slashed an outstanding .303/.379/.551 (164 OPS+) in August, knocking 6 homers with 24 RBIs, 21 runs, and 30 walks. His July time was pretty great too, 13-for-31 with another home run, and you can't blame the prospect pickers for saying this guy was the best FABL farms had to offer. A potential star in the making, he's got lethal power with one of the best approaches, walking in over 20% of his plate appearances so far. The Missouri native is also a weapon defensively, able to fill the middle infield and all three outfield spots. The early marks at second have been great, and he seems to have found his spot secured on the lineup card for seasons to come.

Unfortunately, the Fed looked to be the only pennant race in the new decade, as the Cleveland Foresters (78-46) were double digit games ahead of everyone else. That didn't hold, but the eventual second place Cannons never got to get within seven of them. The clear best team in the Conti, they scored 170 more runs then they allowed, finishing 1st (878) and 2nd (708) respectively. Ironically, blockbuster acquisition Earl Howe was awful, hitting just 5 home runs in 259 trips to the plate. That's a HR% of just 2%, a third of the 6% he hit in his career with the Gothams. The low home run output prevented Howe from hitting 30 homers for the first time in his career, stuck with just 23 between the spots. His .262/.328/.399 (83 OPS+) line in Cleveland was poor, with the lone saving grace solid defense in his two familiar positions.

Of course, it didn't matter, as despite battling a five week injury, Paul Williams was back to being the sparkplug he's known to be. The first year Forester hit an outstanding .359/.469/.562 (160 OPS+), totaling 32 doubles, 14 homers, 72 runs, and 77 RBIs in 102 games. He boasted an absurd 74-to-25 walk-to-strikeout ratio, and would have posted his fourth consecutive 100 walk season had he stayed healthy. A now 7-Time All-Star, Williams anchors a dangerous lineup with Tom Carr (.335, 8, 99, 18), Stan Kleminski (.276, 3, 52, 17), Hal Kennedy (.295, 25, 93), Sherry Doyal (.290, 9, 77, 6), John Low (.328, 17, 106), and Jerry Tubbs (.305, 8, 76). Their is no reprieve on the mound either, as Adrian Czerwinski (15-8, 3.68, 140) delivered another great campaign, while Jake Pearson (13-9, 3.86, 126) and Frank Young delivered consistent starts behind him. Future Hall-of-Famer Rufus Barrell (12-10, 4.25, 97) remained effective even at 43, producing his 19th FABL season with an ERA+ above 100 (106) and 20th with a FIP- below 100 (87). The pen is capable too, and they'll be a handful for the survivor on the other side.

Not only was Cincinnati the only team within 10 games (8 GB) of the Foresters, but at 85-69 they were the only other team to win 80 games. Aside from that, there was plenty to be excited about, as their best hitter and best pitcher were elite. Keen readers would be able to glean the pitcher, but even the most casual fans could tell you that Dallas Berry is the best player on the team. You could make the argument for the best in the league, and at least this year, he was the best in the association. The obvious unanimous Whitney Winner (spoiler alert: the Allen is controversial!), Berry hit a ludicrous .326/.461/.657 (182 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 42 homers, 151 runs, 133 RBIs, 128 walks, 14 steals, and a 10.6 WAR that came second to just his first Whitney season in 1957. The offensive environment wasn't as high in '57 as it was this year, but so despite the higher OPS (1.118 to 1.084), he had a lower OPS+ and WRC+ (188) this time around. Compared to the Conti, he led in runs, walks, OBP, slugging, WRC+, wOBA, WAR, and of course OPS, and his run total was tied for the 8th most in a FABL season yet.

No Allen for the Cannons, but 23-year-old southpaw Jim York led the Conti with 20 wins in his first full seasons as a starter. The sophomore Cannon did it in the association high 35 starts, working to a 3.64 ERA (123 ERA+) and 3.41 FIP (76 FIP-) with a 1.39 WHIP, 93 walks, and 165 strikeouts. The new ace of the staff, no one behind him came close, and one of the guys they expected to rely on saw a complete 180 in his production. That would be Doc Clay, who followed up his impressive 1959 (15-12, 3.22, 119) with his first FABL season with an ERA above 4 and a WHIP above 1.40. In both cases, it was WAY above, as his ERA swelled to 5.62 (80 ERA+) with an equally poor 5.35 FIP (119 FIP-). His 32 starts just lasted 149 innings, and for the first time he walked (90) more hitters then he struck out (75). His decline has made a mess of the rotation, but they have a great pen and deep lineup. Paul Williams (6-11, 25, 2.62, 80) led the Conti in saves, the first time a non-Cougar led since 1955, and despite the high loss total he was effective in the late innings. Fred Lainhart (.307, 7, 54, 27), Al Farmer (.312, 15, 86), Charlie Ham (.283, 20, 60), and Johnny Elliot (.300, 8, 47) did a good job to surround "The Can-Do Kid" and even guys like Larry Lewis (.284, 8, 80, 9) and Art McKinney (.264, 25, 107) had above average WRC+, and there's a lot of talent in the state of Ohio.

Late season collapses happen far too often for the Chicago Cougars, who went from a contender for first to barely staying over .500. It makes sense, considering they scored and allowed the fewest runs, as despite being able to record hits, homers, and steals, the Cougars just didn't get on base enough to score runs. The exception, however, was whenever Jack B. Gibson batted, as the 25-year-old superstar hit 43 homers in his 3rd big league season, good for the 2nd most in team history. Already 9th in total homers and 100 within the Cougar record, he shoulder's none of the blame for the low scoring, as he drove in 134 runs and scored 95 times. His .307/.351/.572 (137 OPS+) batting line was well above average, and he's the oldest of the team's young stars. Jerry McMillian (.321, 15, 70, 25) is just 23, Jim Barton (.338, 17, 86) 24, and versatile rookie Henry Watson (.340, 20, 76, 5) 22. And while not stars, Mooney Vetter (.297, 18, 83) and Stan Czerwinski (.242, 13, 42) are both 26 and former 1st Round picks. The pitching has some vets, with quality arms Pug White (17-11, 3.91, 134), Ollie Norris (8-11, 4.83, 71), and Hank Walker (14-10, 4.49, 104) all 28-and-up, and they managed to fix the 27-year-old Andy Logue (1-4, 3.34, 43; 3-8, 6.25, 63). They do have a talented 23-year-old in John Mitchell (7-7, 4.30, 101) too, and their roster is filled with plenty of guys younger then the star Gibson. It was a rough decade in the 50s, and the 60s haven't started better, but the future is starting to look bright for title starved franchise.

The two west coast teams finished tied for 4th, both an even 77-77, which is actually the best season for the Stars since they moved to LA. That's in large part due to Charlie Barrell, who for the second straight year was healthy enough to play 151 games. Now 30, the 6-Time All-Star hit an impressive .322/.382/.493 (121 OPS+) with 41 doubles, 7 triples, 18 homers, 105 RBIs, and 96 runs. Nephew Ralph was even better, as the 20-year-old youngster hit a pristine .325/.395/.541 (140 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 4 triples, 21 homers, 67 runs, 88 RBIs, and a 151 WRC+ in an injury-shortened season. If for 1961, both can be healthy, things will look good in Hollywood, as they got big years from young outfielders Charlie Sax (.346, 8, 65, 13) and Don Hall (.284, 28, 86, 10), as well as the guy who should have 100% without any question absolutely positively won the Continental Allen, Dewey Allcock. Perhaps the puritan voters held him accountable for things outside of his power, but the 22-year-old righty was the best pitcher in the CA this year. Also not an All-Star, all he did was go 19-10 with a 3.31 ERA (133 ERA+), 3.22 FIP (72 FIP-), 1.20 WHIP, and 167 strikeouts. Allcock led the association in wins, ERA, starts (35), WHIP, K/BB (3.7), FIP- (72), and WAR (7.2), and its an absolute travesty he did not earn an Allen for his efforts. Accolade or not, the Stars found their overpowering ace, and all that's left is to give him someone else who can prevent runs. Aside form second basemen Vern Reynolds, who didn't allow any of the three batters he faced (two outs, one walk) to score, no Star had an ERA below 4.50, and no Star with more then 10 starts had an ERA below 5.25. If it's any consolation, one of those guys was 23-year-old righty Floyd Warner (8-11, 5.30, 136), and as a rookie in 1958 he was 12-14 with a 3.28 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, and 112 strikeouts. 21-year-olds Cal Johnston (4-8, 12, 4.93, 86) and Sy Dunn (7-8, 3, 4.84, 52) both look in-line for longer looks in the rotation, and like the Cougars they have a great collection of youth. It's been 7 years since the Stars finished above .500, but if this trio of young pitchers can take a step forward next season, they have a chance to not only break the .500 mark, but compete for 13th Continental pennant.

San Francisco's future doesn't look as bright, especially in a rotation led by 38-year-old Duke Bybee (5-3, 3.81, 37) and 1959 Rule-5 pick Larry Knez (5-14, 3.79, 79), but at least the top of the order is tough to navigate. Leading is the still talented Edwin Hackberry (.281, 10, 72, 17), even if he did recently turn 34 and take a step back at the plate, and they have the top young shortstop Carlos Jaramillo (.293, 7, 77, 21), who is starting to look like a young Skipper Schneider. And while not household names, John Kingsbury (.315, 15, 89, 6), Ron Turner (.289, 21, 79), Ben Crawford (.275, 20, 99, 10), and Rip Rogan (.294, 11, 57) all provided quality at bats. They have some reinforcements on the farm, but it's all on the position player side, the current strength of the big league club. The young pitching they have is already in San Francisco, as the now 25-year-old Gary Pike (12-13, 4.36, 115) impressed, putting together 34 solid starts after coming over from Boston in the Bud Henderson deal this January. A useful #4 or #5, the same goes to Larry Knez, who scuffled through a rookie season last year and pitched better then that 5-14 record. The George's McDaniel (5-4, 2.77, 39) and Fuller (7-2, 1, 3.21, 55) did well in the pen and rotation, and could earn long-term spots next year. Both project more as back-end guys as well, and may end up being fillers until they can find someone better.

After finishing the 50s with just one sub-.500 season, the Kansas City Kings had a shocking fall from grace, finishing two games under .500 after eight consecutive 80+ win seasons. The culprit was the defense, evidenced best by Beau McClellan's (15-11, 4.46, 171) 4.46 ERA (99 ERA+) being a full run higher then his 3.46 FIP (77 FIP-). When even a pitcher of his caliber has issues keeping runs off the board, they were in trouble, as young stopper Del Lamb (13-11, 14, 3.69, 96) was the only pitcher to throw more then 100 innings and keep an above average ERA. Former Dynamo Jack Miller (8-6, 1, 6.34, 88) was even in worse in year two, Mike Thorpe (6-6, 5.69, 33) again saw his season end early with injury, and now graduated top-100 prospect Fred Myers (5-12, 5.33, 75) was victimized by the poor defense as well. The only plus was Fred Washington (12-7, 4.47, 111) go from awful to average, but any of that was offset by Tony Britten (5-12, 5.77, 76) flop of a season. It may be tough to solve the defense issue too, as they have a lot of good bats. Improving the middle infield is crucial, but the outfield of Hank Williams (.324, 40, 127), Charlie Rogers (.325, 11, 70, 21), and Bryan Jeffries (.284, 17, 67) will likely remain unchanged. With corner bats Ken Newman (.328, 25, 103, 7) and Bill Guthrie (.302, 39, 119) producing a ton of runs and the always reliable Dutch Miller (.267, 11, 55) continuing to provide a stabilizing force behind the plate, they can really emphasize the defense.

Canada's two teams were again at the bottom, as both the Toronto Wolves (68-86) and Montreal Saints (62-92) failed to finish with more then 70 wins. Lucky for Wolves fans, there new young superstar got an undeserved Allen. No, I'm not talking about 22-year-old George Hoxworth (12-11, 3.75, 173), who was named to his second consecutive All-Star game, but the 20-year-old Arnie Smith. Perhaps the voters were enamored with his good looks, or perhaps a league leading 213 strikeouts was enough, but in every other way Smith didn't hold a candle to Dewey Allcock. He was just 13-13 with a 3.44 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, and 85 walks, all worse then Allcock. That's not to say Smith wasn't outstanding, he certainly was, it's just aside from giving Wolves fans something to cheer about, naming him the 14-2 winner makes zero sense. Aside from Smith and Hoxworth, not much else went right, as even though young center fielder Sid Cullen (.332, 20, 78) was amazing at the plate and on the grass, he only got into 92 games due to injury. Not much else went right, but they can hope that the solid seasons put together by Tom Reed (.289, 18, 80, 8), Carl Clark (.289, 18, 80), Hank Lacey (11-10, 4.30, 119), John Wells (.270, 15, 76, 13), and Roy Demonbreun (.284, 8, 43) attract outside interest in the offseason.

In similar fashion to the Kings, Montreal was plagued with the worst pitching staff in the association, as not even one of the nine pitchers to make a start for the Saints this season had an above average ERA+. In fact, the only pitcher to throw an inning with one was the guy they traded at the deadline, Tom Fisher. Phil Murry (9-14, 5.05, 114) underwent his worst season as a starter, loss leader Eddie Martin (8-17, 5.30, 85) had his worst season period, and last year's win leader Jim Montgomery (9-13, 5.68, 119) just could not catch a break. The reinforcements in the farm are too far away to contribute, and the offense isn't strong enough to make up for all their pitchers sucking. Harry Swain (.306, 21, 81, 6) was the only guy to have a WRC+ above 120, and aside from catcher Garland Phelps (.291, 11, 79), Art Robbins (.267, 17, 102) surpassing the 100 RBI mark, and Ralph Hanson (.304, 8, 82, 36) leading the Conti in steals, there wasn't too much to write home about. Just when the Saints were starting to turn things around, putting together three 80 win seasons in four years, and they'll hope to regain that form as soon as possible.

So now who faces the Foresters? Boston would be the house bet, but with how hot they've been perhaps they'd regress back to the mean. Boston has gone 57-29 (.663) in their last 86 games, well on their way to back-to-back 90-win seasons. They started out with a quick test, hosting the St. Louis Pioneers for three games in Boston. It wasn't a pretty shutout, but Foster Sherman (5 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 5 K) was the first of three pitchers to combine for a series opening 5-0 shutout. Win 81 was a 5-3 walk-off courtesy of Marshall Thomas, who finished his 5-for-5 night with a game-winning two-run homer. Before the walk-off, his first four hits were singles, but that big hit built momentum for a sweep with Don Griffin on the mound. As he often does, Doc delivered, coming two-outs away from a 9-2 complete game win. This quickly brought their lead over the Chiefs to 6.5, and the Pioneers were now nine back.

It was at this point, the breaks stopped coming, as after winning game one of a double header in Washington 11-1, they got embarrassed 16-8. They then got swept by the Gothams in New York, and after a sweep of the Dynamos, they dropped five of their next six. With the lead down to 5.5 games, they had a big home series against their closest competitor, the Chiefs. The two teams split a pair of one run games, and with seven to play, things were looking quite good for the reigning champs.

But for some reason, the dominant Minutemen couldn't handle the lowly Eagles, who should have had the 1st pick wrapped up by now. They lost all three in the nation's capital and had to go to the Windy City for two more with the Chiefs. One win was all they needed to clinch, but the Chiefs pen threw 5.1 scoreless innings during a tidy 8-7 win. That was followed up by a big 5-run 7th, where the Chiefs stayed alive for one more night, winning 8-6 to complete the sweep. Unfortunately, they had three with the third place Pioneers, while this Minutemen were again in Washington with the last place Eagles. Boston was pulling out all the stops, putting Don Griffin on for what would be his last game of the regular season. All it took was a Pat Todd solo homer in the 2nd, and in his next at bat Rick Masters scored from third on a wild pitch. Griffin dealt for 8 innings, keeping the hosts off the board, allowing 6 hits and a walk with 6 strikeouts to solidify his triple crown. The obvious and clear Allen winner was an elite 21-6 with a 2.01 ERA (220 ERA+), 0.92 WHIP, and 186 strikeouts, but the most impressive part had to be his 6.2 K/BB. It's the third year in a row he's led in that category and his second straight season breaking the Minutemen single season record. For a guy who doesn't turn 24 until the 6th of October, it's remarkable he's already been named to 4 All-Star games, and along with his Allen he has 2 ERA crowns, threw WAR leads, and three WHIP leads. It's fitting that the game's top pitcher pitches for a pennant winner, and it's even more fitting he's the one that earned the clinching win.

Chicago lost the same day, so the win didn't end up mattering, but it allowed them a chance at 90 wins, which they got with a Dick Wilson start that evened his record to 7-7 and brought his ERA to average at 4.41 (100 ERA+) with 75 walks, 79 strikeouts, and an elevated 1.56 WHIP -- a stark contrast from last season where he was 22-6 with a 2.51 ERA (171 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts. His wins and ERAs were best in the Fed, but even with his struggles Boston still boasted the top staff. Obviously, Doc was a major factor, but Bud Henderson (14-6, 4.05, 120) had a solid, if slightly less than expected, level season, while Foster Sherman (13-13, 3.86, 123) has really settled into his role as a mid-rotation starter. In the pen will be Bob Hollister (6-8, 11, 3.50, 47) who pitched a few solid starts and a lot of excellent high leverage innings, and at 25 he could end up being a full-time starter. The fact he's able to pitch in the pen is a testament to the depth of their pitching staff, though nothing compares to the lineup. Rick Masters (.336, 34, 117) appeared in all but five of the team's games, finishing with his six consecutive 30+ home run season. Like any top offense, the whole is worth more than the parts, and Masters was surrounded with quality hitters in Joe Kleman (.345, 19, 108), Jack Denis (.304, 19, 80), Marshall Thomas (.291, 20, 62), Ed Wise (.250, 32, 85), Sam Walker (.284, 6, 57), Bill Tutwiler (.266, 8, 45, 6), and Del Filo (.291, 23, 67, 6). That's a really good group, and easily the best lineup the Foresters will see all season. Rematches aren't always exciting, but these two are the clear best teams at the moment.

Finishing September and October just 12-12, the Chiefs couldn't take advantage of the Minutemen's late season stumbles, but at 87-67 they were still a high quality team. The addition of Irv Clifford was a plus, as the 6-Time All-Star did a good job lengthening the lineup, batting .304/.379/.424 (108 OPS+) with a 119 WRC+, 4.3 WAR, 38 doubles, 13 triples, 3 homers, 49 RBIs, 68 walks, and 110 runs. Surprisingly, he had a higher WRC+ then Rod Shearer (109), who prior to this season never produced one below 124, with the rest 130 or higher. This year Shearer hit just .259/.360/.469 (113 OPS+), and his 26 homers were tied for a low since his Kellogg winning campaign in 1951. If Shearer hit anywhere near his career .294/.377/.558 (151 OPS+) line, Chiefs fans would be celebrating a pennant, but instead the most excitement they got was his 350th career home run. Shearer was overshadowed by Doc Zimmerman (.329, 22, 102, 11) and Ed Bloom (.327, 10, 91, 18), both of which produced WRC+ above 145, and their pitching staff kept them in every game. All six guys with double digit starts had ERA+ above 100, led by high strikeout arm Joe Cipolla (16-6, 3.35, 171), who put together the best season of his young career. Vern Osborne (14-9, 3.74, 144) and Dick Champ (12-5, 3.64, 98) provided a steadying force atop the rotation, and despite an up-and-down season Jack Halbur (13-10, 4.23, 99) was overall successful in his first season with the Chiefs. Even though they came up short, it was an excellent season at Whitney Stadium, and with an upgrade or two in the offseason the Chiefs may be able to break their decade plus long pennant drought.

Just two games behind them were the Pioneers, who despite having an elite rotation, finished 4th in runs against. Ace Billy Hasson (15-11, 3.52, 176) wasn't able to secure his 3rd consecutive Allen, but the 26-year-old will be in those conversations for many years to come. Frenchy Mack (14-11, 4.34, 142) saw his ERA rise and his strikeouts drop, but the occasionally erratic 23-year-old posted a career best 8.7 BB%. Rounding out the top three is another 23-year-old in Charlie Blake (14-8, 3.52, 173), who was named to the All-Star game in his first season as a starter. With the talent and youth from these three, as well as a dominant stopper in John Gibson (8-9, 23, 2.98, 62), they're just going to need to hit a little, and maybe find a 4 better then 39-year-old John Thomas Johnson (7-6, 4.11, 60). At the plate, reigning Whitney winner Jerry Smith (.280, 39, 107, 17) had another big season, but he was quickly passed up by #1 prospect Bob Bell. The 22-year-old came up late July and hit an absurd .328/.447/.582 (162 OPS+) with 16 homers, 45 runs, 50 walks, and 50 RBIs in 64 games. The issue moving forward is there isn't much to support those two talented sluggers, as just veterans Larry Gregory (.281, 9, 50) and Dixie Hutchings (.274, 14, 74) provided above average hitting, and that classification felt like more of a technicality then a reflection of their skillsets. But above all, winning 85 games was huge for a team that hadn't done that since their last pennant in 1951, and like the Chiefs, they're just a piece or two away from another pennant.

Philadelphia was the last team in the Fed to win more then 80 games, finishing 83-71 and 7 games out of first. For 8-year vet Buddy Miller (.327, 30, 117), it was the first time since he became a regular that the Keystones managed to even finish above .500. Most interestingly, is the fact that the elite outfielder wasn't even the best player on his team, as rookie sensation Harry Dellinger captured both the Kellogg and Whitney in a Miller-like season. 22 as of August, Keystone fans are salivating at their new star duo, as Dellinger hit a robust .350/.395/.568 (150 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 12 triples, 31 homers, 118 runs, 125 RBIs, and 24 walks. The former 2nd pick led the Fed in at bats (651), hits (228), runs, RBIs, average, slugging, and WAR (7.3), making him the easy pick for both awards he was eligible for. With his speed, the defense in center should be excellent too, as aside from a sort of small 6.2 BB%, there isn't a weakness in his game. Dellinger, Miller, and Lloyd Coulter (.264, 33, 103) all bashed 30 homers, helping lead the team to the 2nd most runs scored in the Fed. Even better, they've started to churn out some pitching for the first time in a while, as William Davis (15-8, 3.82, 124) and Jim Cooper (15-7, 3.96, 69) provided plenty of quality starts. And despite the lofty ERA, 21-year-old Joe Kienle (10-13, 5.17, 108) could lead a rotation, as his 3.81 FIP (87 FIP-) was much more palatable. That's a solid 1-2-3, and the 4th spot could be filled by the just turned 23-year-old Don McKeown (5-8, 13, 4.68, 111), who after spending his first two FABL seasons in the pen, made 9 starts and could be a capable back-end guy. Like the two teams ahead of them, they're almost there, likely just one bat and one Kienle rebound season away from posing a serious threat.

Detroit may have held first for a while in July, but a miserable 12-18 August pushed them into the second division, and a 10-15 finish ended their season early. Still, they managed 78 wins, extending their winning season streak to ten seasons, matching the 1937 to 1946 Cougars. Of course, they had a single pennant to show for while Detroit has four titles, but like the Chicago club, eleven doesn't seem likely. Sure, they were a contender most of the season, but the offense got cold and has taken a ton of hits. Dick Tucker's (.259, 13, 55) amazing 1958 (.355, 32, 120) is looking more and more like an outlier, especially in the power department as his 32 homers in '58 is one more then he's hit over the past two seasons combined. Joe Reed (.261, 22, 96, 7) put together his 4th consecutive 20+ homer 90+ RBI season, as well as his normal plus defense at short, but his WRC+ plummeted from 141 last year to 96 -- the first time he failed to surpass 120. Lew Mercer (.188, 3, 16; .252, 11, 45) was awful in his homecoming, and aside from outfielders Bill Morrison (.281, 13, 53, 11) and rookie Cecil Gregg (.288, 14, 57, 9), consistent offense was hard to come by. The pitching was still good, if not the elite Dynamos fans are used to, as Jim Norris (13-9, 3,38, 158) was as good as usual, and veteran John Jackson (10-11, 3.23, 101) was one of the few Dynamos to pitch better this year than last. Former top pitching prospect Bob Allen (10-4, 3.43, 86) was a revelation in the five spot, but fellow 1928-born vets Paul Anderson (6-10, 4.13, 102) and Larry Beebe (5-12, 4.65, 71) frequently found themselves on the wrong side of decisions. Add on the mess of a pen, and for the first time in a decade, the Dynamos are no longer going to be considered in my list of contenders. That all could chance if 1961 is finally the season the Dynamos unleash former #1 prospect Ray Waggoner (.379, 6), who used up his last option year. His .379/.419/.517 (141 OPS+) line in 62 PAs was elite, and if they let him unleash his power at Thompson Field, all this talk about not enough offense will be quickly forgotten.

The bottom three were bad. Real bad. But at least the New York Gothams prevented their loss total from reaching 90. 71-83 isn't too bad, but it's their lowest win total since 1945, where they were 65-89 in a second consecutive 7th place finish. Known for big trades, stars, and all-or-nothing approaches, the Gothams now have to adjust to life without pennant winner Earl Howe. There may be more sales in the future, but for now they have a lot of depth in the corner positions. Hank Estill (.309, 39, 106) will be 34 in November, but no Fed hitter hit more homers than him, and he's now hit 35 or more in a season four times. Even at his age, he'd fetch a huge return, but the Gothams could try to retool around him, Rex Pilcher (.262, 30, 88), and Johnny Taylor (.272, 17, 55). Though from the outside, their best bet looks to be getting as much as they could for these corner guys on the wrong side of 30. The only guy I wouldn't entertain trading is Ed Bowman (10-16, 4.69, 102), but aside from Jorge Arellano (7-14, 4.28, 132) they don't have many big-ticket assets. They made their big strike at the deadline and will hope their expansive collection of top 100 prospects will be enough.

Bowman will be back for year 20 as he continues his quest to 350 wins. It may be tough, he's at 314, recently passing Hall-of-Famer and former teammate Jim Lonardo for 13th All-Time. He's already the team leader, has been for almost 100 wins, but perhaps the Gothams have a soft spot for Bowman like I do, and will surround him with bats to continue his ascent up the record books. He's just 30 wins away from 3rd outright, (though he's chasing Rufus Barrell), and that could just be two or three more productive seasons. The youth movement did them well, going 19-9 after rosters expanded, and they were regularly using at least four starters 23 and under. There could be a fifth next year in Frank Arnold (.400, 2, 11), who was great off the bench. Most impressive were 22-year-old center fielder Otto Pilkerton (.333, 5, 17) and 19-year-old shortstop Isaiah Redbird (.300, 1, 6, 1), who should be in line to earn a starting job. With a few step forwards from the young guys, Bowman and the staff may be able to add more wins to their total, and the front office can delay any major subtractions.

Pittsburgh and Washington were mirror images of poor play, with the Miners 6th in runs allowed and 8th in runs scored, while the Eagles were 8th and 6th respectively. On the bright side, neither team expected to compete, and they saw young players get comfortable in their potential roles. The Miners saw instant returns with their big offseason deals, as Paul Williams package member Mike Whisman (.262, 16, 70) emerged as an option in center and Irv Clifford trade return John Moreland (.289, 8, 50) was a borderline top 5 shortstop as a rookie. Plus, potential offseason trade pieces Bill Newhall (.305, 7, 47) and Bob Gaines (.286, 13, 77) both well. Not much to be excited about with the pitching, but 21-year-old Mike Blackham (8-9, 3.28, 123) was named to the All-Star game in his first year as a starter, and him and Ed Power (9-14, 3.63, 116) make a pretty solid 1-2. If you don't look past that, you'd think they were in good shape, but there's a reason they lost 92 games.

94 losses was where Washington ended up, but holy cow they had a talent gap in their rotation. The top two was brilliant, as it's really a shame that Bob Ball wasn't either brought up earlier or just a rookie in a different season, as he was Kellogg worthy in a 21-start sample. Don't get me wrong, he's not beating Dellinger even with a full season, but the former 3rd Round pick may be the ace the Eagles organization has been searching for since, well, forever? A six-pitch righty, he hurls mid 90s fastballs and sinkers by guys, and the off-speed pitches make him infinitely tougher to time up. As a 21-year-old, he was 13-5 with a 2.75 ERA (161 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 83 strikeouts in 150.2 innings pitched. Along with fellow midseason callup and former Miners 7th Rounder Jim Stewart (5-7, 2.97, 72), they were really tough for opposing hitters. A potential third to join that group is the 20-year-old lefty Carl Levy, who was picked up from the Cougars in the offseason and threw 178.1 FABL innings before he'll get his first drink of alcohol. While not as dominant as those two, he was with the team all year, going 10-13 with a 4.31 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, and 106 strikeouts in 158.2 innings across 35 appearances (22 starts). It's been a while since the Eagles had young pitching to be excited about, and they have some bats to match. Tom Lorang (.285, 20, 91) held his own at 18, but right when he turned 19 in August, he posted back-to-back 130+ WRC+ months. He's one of five lineup members to start the season 25 or younger, with the now 23-year-old Joe Holland (.286, 21, 62, 5) hitting well enough to represent them at the All-Star game. It's been a rough four seasons in the nation's capital, but with this collection of youth it's hard not to get excited about the future.

1960 World Championship Series

The Boston Minutemen and Cleveland Foresters met for the second year in a row in the World Championship Series. The Minutemen had prevailed a year ago, proving to be far too much for the Foresters and taking the series in five games. For Cleveland this would be their seventh trip to the WCS in the past dozen years while the Minutemen won back-to-back Federal Association pennants for the first time since they ended a run of five in a row in 1906.

GAME ONE: BOSTON 6 CLEVELAND 3

Adrian Czerwinski made his 15th career WCS start on the mound for the Foresters, tying him with Woody Trease for the most all-time. Czerwinski would break the record in game four but what he really wanted was to win his 11th WCS game. The 35-year-old Cleveland ace failed to beat the Minutemen in last year's series but things looked promising when the Foresters took a quick 2-0 lead on Boston hurler Bud Henderson.

The opening inning pair of runs came courtesy of a 2-run homer off the bat of Sherry Doyal after Stan Kleminski had drawn a 1-out walk. The score would remain 2-0 until young Boston outfielder Del Filo launched a solo blast off Czerwinski in the bottom of the fifth inning. Frank Young would take over on the Cleveland mound in the seventh inning and Filo, who hit 23 homers during the regular season, launched his second round-tripper in his WCS debut. This one was a two-run shot and put the Minutemen up 3-2. Before the inning ended it was 4-2 as Bill Tutwiler added an rbi double. Cleveland would close to within a run in the eighth inning when Paul Williams homered but the string of longballs continued with Joe Kleman delivering a two-run blast in the top of the ninth and the Minutemen would claim a 6-3 victory.

GAME TWO: CLEVELAND 9 BOSTON 2

Just as they did in the series opener the Cleveland Foresters scored twice in the bottom of the first inning. The Foresters runs, which were generated by 3 singles, came after Boston missed a glorious opportunity in the top of the first inning when the Minutemen had runners on second and third with one out. Cleveland starter Jake Pearson got out of the jam with a pair of ground outs before the Foresters greeted Boston starter Don Griffin with a cope of early runs.

The game was tied 2-2 at the seventh inning stretch before Cleveland bats lit up Chet Baker, who had taken over in the bottom of the seventh for Don Griffin. Singles by Jerry Hubbs and Otis O'Keefe set the stage for a 1-out, 2-run double from Tom Carr and then, after Stan Kleminski drew a walk, the Foresters went up 7-2 on a 3-run homer from Paul Williams, marking his second straight game with a longball. Cleveland would add two more in the bottom of the eighth to make the final 9-2 and the series shifted to New England tied at one.

GAME THREE: BOSTON 6 CLEVELAND 3

For the third game in a row the Foresters scored a pair of runs in the opening inning, but Boston answered with four off of Foresters veteran starter Deuce Barrell in the bottom of the second. The big blows were back-to-back doubles off the bats of Sam Walker and Boston hurler Foster Sherman. Deuce Barrell may be the winningest active pitcher in the game today, but he was chased in the third inning when Boston added two more runs to go up by a 6-2 score. Del Filo, who homered twice in the opener, delivered a rbi double while Sherman smoked a 2-run single that ended Barrell's night very early. It was a big game for Sherman, who not only had a pair of hits but also earned the win despite exiting in the sixth inning.

GAME FOUR: BOSTON 8 CLEVELAND 3

As they in each of the first three games, the Cleveland Foresters scored in the first inning but this time it was just a single run which came on a Hal Kennedy single off Dick Wilson that plated Stan Kleminski, who had also singled for the visitors. Kennedy drove in another run with a third inning single to put Cleveland ahead 2-0 but the lead was erased quickly in the bottom of the fourth frame when Rick Masters smashed a 2-run homer off of Foresters starter Jerry York to tie the game at 2.

Cleveland quickly regained the lead a half inning later when Tom Carr doubled and Kleminski followed with a rbi single. York had been pitching very well and surrendered just 2-hits through five innings, but he was lifted for a pinch-hitter and the Cleveland bullpen immediately landed in hot water. Frank Young took the hill to start the bottom of the sixth and he would retire just one Boston batter as 3 walks, an error and 5 Boston hits including doubles from Rick Masters and Del Filo led to 6 runs and proved the difference in a 8-3 win for the Minutemen.

GAME FIVE: BOSTON 2 CLEVELAND 0

After some high scoring games we finally were treated to a pitching duel in game five as Czerwinski made his record-breaking 16th career WCS start for Cleveland against his game one rival Bud Henderson. Cleveland had runners on the corners with two-out in the opening inning but failed to score. The Minutemen did get a run as Czerwinski, who allowed a homerun in the series opener, served up another longball. This time it was veteran Marshall Thomas with a solo shot to make it 1-0 for the Minutemen.

The score would stay 1-0 until the bottom of the 8th when Boston added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly from Ed Wise after Joe Kleman and Rick Masters had each singled. Cleveland threatened to extend the series with a 1-out double from Hal Kennedy in the top of the ninth, but Boston reliever Bob Hollister closed out the shutout victory without further incident and the Minutemen celebrated their second straight World Championship Series title.

OFFSEASON

Boston got the job done again, copying their 4-1 WCS win over the Cleveland Foresters from the previous year. Shortly after Boston finished celebrating, one of their Fed challengers-the St Louis Pioneers- made a pair of pitching moves to shore up their staff. Neither are game changing moves, but they picked up swingman Dixie Gaines (5-4, 3.61, 68) from the Cougars and veteran reliever Gene Amico (6-5, 6, 3.81, 44) from the Dynamos. Solid depth pieces, Gaines will fight for the 5th spot in St. Louis' rotation, while Amico can help set up John Gibson (8-9, 23, 2.98, 62), and provide high leverage innings if they decide to move one or both of their 21-year-old pitchers Al Grabner (4-1, 5, 3.31, 38) and Steve Madden (5-1, 2, 3.56, 51) into the rotation. The price to get Gaines was affordable, just a filler level prospect in second basemen Delos Smith, but the Amico trade made a little less sense. While not a top prospect, Loren Patterson ranked 186th on the prospect list, and you can never have too much pitching. 23 in October, he's got a solid five pitch mitch and looked solid in his 18 starts (8-4, 3.53, 52) with St. Louis' AA team.

Between the two Pioneers moves, the Gothams and Cannons hooked up for an interesting trade, as New York traded effective young stopper Hal Adams to the Cannons for vet Aaron Jones (.328, 1, 12) and borderline top 250 prospect John Power. Adams, 25, is the clear best player involved, and it's a bit surprising the Gothams were willing to part with him. Finishing 11-6 with 18 saves, Adams was lockdown in his second FABL season, working to a 3.34 ERA (133 ERA+) in 107.2 innings. He does have some walk issues, allowing 63 to 57 strikeouts, and it led to a high 1.53 WHIP. The Gothams may think his big year was more luck than skill, but getting a 34-year-old bench guy and, Power isn't really a prospect most teams are looking at. 24 in March, he projects as no more then a below average second basemen, but there is a somewhat interesting power/speed mix. In 111 A ball games this year he hit 14 homers and stole 12 bases, but it came with a middling 102 OPS+ and 99 WRC+.

The first major move of the offseason came between a pair of Continental teams, as the Kansas City Kings might have acquired the middle infielder they were looking for. That would be former #1 overall pick John Wells, who unfortunately for Toronto, was rushed to the majors and never reached his lofty potential. Debuted at 19 in 1950, he hit just .269/.302/.339 (78 OPS+) before seeing that plummet to .251/.260/.280 (48 OPS+) in 427 PAs the next season. Wells continued to struggle early in his career, but the bat somewhat came alive in 1955. The then 24-year-old hit a solid .275/.357/.402 (107 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 9 triples, 10 homers, 66 RBIs, 63 walks, and 81 runs. This set up a run of five average or above average offensive seasons, though he couldn't get either his OPS+ or WRC+ to even 110. At 29 in 1960, the streak ended, as his line dropped to .270/.341/.397 (86 OPS+), though he added 26 doubles, 15 homers, 13 steals, 76 RBIs, and 100 runs, with a just-below-average 99 WRC+. With solid defense, he was worth 2.2 WAR, and he'll look to revive his career in Kansas City.

In exchange for Wells, Toronto added 23-year-old outfielder Frank Hardin, who debuted for the Kings this September. A former 3rd Round pick, Hardin dominated the Dixie league, batting .318/.412/.616 (169 OPS+) in parts of four seasons with the Kings AA affiliate. That includes this season, one of his two with over 100 games, where he hit an excellent .322/.421/.609 (159 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 26 homers, 92 runs, 97 RBIs, and a 72-to-43 walk-to-strikeout ratio. This earned him a quick AAA callup before his debut with the Kings. It was almost as good as his AA time, and the Texas native hit a powerful .286/.297/.743 (158 OPS+). Half of his ten hits left the yard, and that power is something Toronto has not seen often. Just two Wolves ever, Tom Reed (31, 34) and Walt Pack (31) have hit more then 30 homers in a season, so if Toronto decides to give their new bat a full season, he could join that small group.

Toronto made a second move a few days later, dumping the contract of 32-year-old rookie Bob Burdick (2-3, 3, 3.86, 49) on the Cougars, providing them with top 200 prospect Bruce McInturf. Taken in the 2nd Round by the Foresters in 1956, he was a former top 100 prospect who came to Toronto in the Lynn Horn deal back in 1957. Now Rule-5 eligible, they might not have wanted to commit a 40-man spot to a guy who hasn't gotten past A-ball, even if he has great raw stuff. The command isn't there, likely preventing him from being more then a spot-starter, and they'll get an unranked teen in John Gates to try to develop. A 3rd Rounder of the Cougars last season, he's the opposite of the outfielder they got from the Kings. He's a high contact, low power guy, who has great speed and an excellent ability to track the ball in the outfield. But that was all Toronto ended up doing, but their little trade spree started to heat things up.

What came next was as shocking a deal as any, as after parting with Dave Price at the deadline, the Chiefs targeted him in their three-player return for top 100 prospect Grady Smith. Price, who hit just .248/.267/.352 (59 OPS+) with the Chiefs, was much better in Montreal, as the 1959 Kellogg winner hit .304/.340/.422 (96 OPS+). Between his two stops, he gathered 21 doubles, 5 triples, 9 homers, 58 RBIs, and 50 runs scored. A talented defender, he was still valuable even with the poor bat, and he looks to fit back right between Doc Zimmerman (.329, 22, 102, 11) and Rod Shearer (.259, 26, 120, 12). Another outfielder will join the mix, as the almost 24-year-old Marty Hanna will come over as well. A former 11th overall pick by the Miners, this is now the third trade he's been involved in, first as a part of the Bill Wise trade in 1955 before traded in a minor league only deal in 1959. This time, Hanna is traded as an official FABL player, as he struck out in his only plate appearance for the Saints this year. The rest of his time came in AA, where he hit .284/.383/.427 (110 OPS+) with a solid 121 WRC+. A disciplined hitter, he gives good at bats, but a starting role may be hard for him to come into. The last piece was 25-year-old righty Norm Van Dyne, who ranks inside the top 200 as a relief prospect. He was added to the 40, and could assist vets Tom Fisher (4-4, 13, 4.26, 31; 8-9, 25, 3.79, 67) and Paul Magee (5-8, 16, 3.18, 55) in the pen.

On the flip side, Montreal was able to add the 47th ranked prospect Grady Smith, who the Chiefs took 9th in the 1960 draft. Still 18, the lefty swinger has a big bat, featuring a sweet swing that launces baseballs into the outfield. He's got above average power and ability to drive the ball, making him a feared hitter if he can reach his potential. He comes with plenty of risk considering his age and distance from the majors, but after not hitting much in Class C, he hit better after a surprising promotion. In 43 games Smith hit a strong .276/.326/.466 (115 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 8 homers, and 16 RBIs. With such a high ceiling, Montreal is expected to focus a lot of development effort on their new outfielder, and he's likely to remain among the Saints top 5 prospects come Opening Day. With their last place finish, some expected more subtraction from the roster, but after back-to-back 80-win seasons, they might instead hope that a lot of what went wrong this year, goes their way in the next.

Yet no move will have bigger impact on the pennant race then the surprise blockbuster between the Minutemen and the Keystones, where Boston parted with star second basemen Marshall Thomas. Since the now 32-year-old debuted in 1951, Thomas has only produced above average offensive numbers, hitting an excellent .314/.378/.494 (136 OPS+) in 1,275 games as a Minuteman. "The Experimental Man" will now join an upstart Keystones team, batting ahead star outfielders Harry Dellinger (.350, 31, 125, 24) and Buddy Miller (.327, 30, 117), giving veteran slugger Lloyd Coulter (.264, 33, 103) a chance to hit a ton of grand slams. Thomas has seen his production drop a little in recent seasons, hitting "only" .291/.367/.472 (115 OPS+), but it came with 27 doubles, 20 homers, 62 RBIs, 58 walks, and 83 runs scored. Another well rounded season, Thomas did miss time with injury for the third straight year, so perhaps the Minutemen are worried that these concerns may limit how often he plays for them. On top of that, Ed Wise (.250, 32, 85) offers a ton of power from second or third, and they have gotten reliable, if unspectacular, performance from Pat Todd (.304, 4, 47). Todd would likely be on the bench had Thomas stayed, and Boston will add a young prospect and a pair of big leaguers to improve their depth on a threepeat quest.

Neither major leaguer heading to Boston is a real impact player, but just a few seasons ago the now 33-year-old Sal Nigro (.267, 5, 21) was a reliable everyday guy, with excellent seasons in 1955 (.309, 25, 84) and 1956 (.307, 19, 75) that made him look like a legitimate building block. Instead, he saw his production and playing time dip the next two seasons, before settling into reserve roles the last two seasons. All told, he's got 93 homers and a .291/.363/.461 (122 OPS+) triple slash in 806 games with Philly. The other major leaguer was more interesting, as 23-year-old Ray Gonyea (11-9, 4, 4.18, 157) impressed in a split role between the pen and rotation as a rookie. A former 12th Rounder-turned-top-100-prospect, Goneya started 21 of his 41 games this season, but was much better as a reliever. He was still average as a starter, but with a front four of Allen winner Don Griffin (21-6, 2.01, 186), Bud Henderson (14-6, 4.05, 120), Foster Sherman (13-13, 3.86, 123), and Dick Wilson (7-7, 4.41, 79), there's not too much room for another starter. Regardless, Gonyea is the headliner, a potential middle-to-back of the rotation arm, and a worthy addition to the staff. Rounding out the return is catcher Larry McLean, but the 23-year-old is a former Kings 1st Rounder that has yet to show why. After 2 games in AA in 1958, he's yet to return, and won't function as more then catching depth unless Boston can unlock his potential.
After such a big and surprising deal, the baseball world was in shock, but the Fed teams still made a few more November trades before the league got quiet again. Detroit picked up veteran outfielder Charlie Phillips (.223, 1, 10, 2; .267, 2, 19, 6) and a prospect from the Gothams for two prospects. Sent to the Foresters from Detroit last offseason, Cleveland waived him midseason, and before he could get to Detroit, the Gothams were able to claim him. Able to re-acquire their outfielder, Phillips gives Detroit some extra outfield depth, and he could look to reclaim the center field spot he made home in 1959. Later, the Miners sent depth arm Carl Prichett (1-0, 3.52, 4) to their in-state rivals for 20-year-old outfielder Buck Russell, who they took in the 2nd in 1958. Neither of these deals seem to make a big impact, but it will be interesting to see how the 1961 season goes, with news of expansion coming to FABL.

Since the 1892 season, FABL has held consistent with 16 teams, but with recent relocation seeing the game capture new markets, expansion has felt like a foregone conclusion. Whether you respected the GWL talent or not, the rebel league showcased that baseball would be watched anywhere, and the west coast was an untapped market. First it was the Kings, moving from Brooklyn to Kansas City, followed by the Sailors and Stars leaving the colonies for California. As early as next season, those western teams could see travel become a little easier for them, with Dallas and LA on the shortlist for a fledgling franchise. Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Seattle, Denver, and even a return to New York have been floated, bringing excitement to baseball fans who don't have a team near them.

For the other 16 teams, 1961 could be the last season that feels regular, classic, even correct, and knowing that the baseball landscape could be thrown on its head, teams may approach the coming season differently. If expansion would occur, the new franchises would be able to select players directly from the historic organizations, meaning that each year prior to expansion could be the most talent you have on your squad. Will we see big trades trying to capture one more title? Or will teams become more conservative, trying to keep their options open in case their organizational depth is pillaged by the newcomers?

But one thing is for sure: once the expansion cat is out of the bag, baseball can never return to being same old game it once was.

And you know what? I think that's a good thing! Let's bring baseball to more fans everywhere!

The baseball Hall of Fame expanded by two with word that Red Johnson and George Cleaves had each received enough votes for induction in what was the first year of eligibility for each of them. Johnson, who hit 535 homeruns in his career and was aptly known as "Big Timber", began his career with seven seasons in Detroit before being dealt to the New York Gothams in 1943 and won 4 Whitney Awards. Cleaves, who won two Whitney Awards, began in Pittsburgh before moving on to New York and was a teammate of Johnson's. Cleaves was selected to the all-star team 13 times, trailing only Bill Barrett in that category and had one more all-star game appearance than Johnson.

Speaking of Bill Barrett. The 41-year-old made the All-Star game for the 15th time in his career. He played in 153 games for the Gothams this season, batting .333 but announced his retirement after the campaign.

Code:

MOST ALL-STAR SELECTIONS     
15* Bill Barrett      Retired
13  George Cleaves    Retired
13  Bobby Barrell     Retired
12  Red Johnson       Retired
12  Ed Bowman         New York
11  Al Miller         Retired
11  Adam Mullins      Retired
11 Deuce Barrell      Cleveland
10* Adrian Czerwinski Cleveland
10 Skipper Schneider  Retired
10  Harry Barrell     Retired
10  Tom Bird          Retired
*selected to 1960 ASG

Deuce Barrell is now 43 and says he will return for the 1961 season after going 12-10, 4.25 for Cleveland in 1960. He now has 329 career victories. If Barrell wins 12 more again in 1961 he will be tied for third all time wins with Aaron Wright and would trail only Double Al and Charlis Sis.
Barrell and another 300-game winner, New York's Ed Bowman, each recorded their 2,500th strikeout just a week apart in August. They rank 4th and 5th all-time in that category with Deuce sitting at 2,531 career K's, three more than Bowman. Only Charlie Sis, Bill Temple and Mike Marner -all Hall of Famers- have fanned more FABL hitters.
Other milestones reached this season include Edwin Hackberry, Charlie Rogers and Sherry Doyal all crossed the 2000 hit threshold and Hank Estill, Jerry Smith and Lloyd Coulter all joined the 300 homer club while Rod Shearer of the Chicago Chiefs hit his 350th career round-tripper.
Stan Kleminski played in another WCS and became the first to appear in 50 WCS games and surpass 200 postseason at bats. Kleminski has taken part in 8 WCS in the past 9 years: six with Detroit and each of the past two seasons while playing for Cleveland.
TWIFS baseball guru Archie Irwin calls it a controversial Continental Association Allen Award selection with 20-year-old Toronto sophomore Archie Smith. "Pretty Boy" was just 13-13 with a solid, but not dominant, 3.44 ERA (131 ERA+). Smith did lead the Conti with 213 Ks, but Irwin adds he has no idea how the Stars' Dewey Allcock didn't win. Unless voters just didn't want to write "Allcock" on their ballot. He struck out "just" 167 hitters, but had a better record (19-10), ERA (3.31), ERA+ (133), and pretty much everything else. Allcock led in not only ERA, but WHIP (1.20), K/BB (3.7), FIP- (72), and WAR (7.2) while a win shy of the lead. The only edge for Smith is one extra inning, more strikeouts, and less hits allowed. Even crazier might have been the 14 to 2 first place split for Smith, who even played for a sub .500 team while Allcock's Stars won more then 75 games for the first time since 1953.
Quite a rookie season for Keystones 22-year-old Harry Dellinger, who led the Fed in batting average (.350) and rbi's (125) while winning both the Whitney Award as MVP and the Kellogg Award as rookie of the year in the Federal Association. Dellinger also had two long hitting streaks this season: the first was 22 games in length and the second was 26.
Boston may have Griffin, Sherman and Henderson on the mound but it seems to me that the St Louis Pioneers pitching staff is going to have a huge decade if they stay healthy. The Pioneers have three top-20 pitchers in Billy Hasson, Charlie Blake and Frenchy Mack and only Hasson, at 26, is older than 23. In addition there is a wagon full of young talent in St Louis. OSA says 24 year old Butch Abrams is at least a #2 arm, 21 year old Steve Madden is potentially a #1, 21 year old Al Grabner can "anchor a rotation", 25 year old Doc Carver is a middle of the rotation arm and 22 year old Danny Daniels also should settle in the rotation someday according to the scouting service. They also have #32 prospect Harry Johnson, who is 18 and their 1960 first round pick that OSA says can anchor a rotation along with 1958 3rd rounder Joe Lee who the scouting service feels could be a solid starter.

They were known for their "3-H Club" when we last watched the Pioneers close up. I have a feeling we may need a new nickname for the 1960s St Louis rotation.
There were two FABL no-hitters this season. Jake Pearson threw one for Cleveland against Kansas City in June while in September Slick Willie Davis of the Philadelphia Keystones tossed a no-hitter against Detroit. Pearson's effort for Cleveland was the first Foresters no-hitter since 1917 and just the second in team history.
Del Filo might have been a playoff hero for Boston with two homers in his first career WCS game but the 24-year-old does not feel quite as comfortable navigating stairs as he does facing Cleveland pitching. In December, the 1954 first round pick, fell down a flight of stairs in his house and separated his shoulder. The Minutemen expect he will be ready to go when spring training gets underway.
Notable retirements at the end of the season included Rats McGonigle and, as previously mentioned, Bill Barrett.
The top pick of the 1960 FABL draft went to Pittsburgh and the Miners selected a high school middle infielder out of Florida by the name of Dixie Turner. Turner finished the season in Class B and cracked the OSA top ten prospect list. Headlining the OSA prospect pipeline are a pair of St Louis Pioneers in 22-year-old second baseman Bob Bell and 21-year-old outfielder Danny Davis.

FOOTBALL STARS SHINE BRIGHTEST IN AFA ONCE MORE

Baseball may no longer be king in New York as the ball Stars and Brooklyn Kings have long since left town and the New York Gothams seem far removed from their glory days. New York has also had some tough times on the ice with the Shamrocks continuing to languish at the bottom of the North American Hockey Confederation. But there is one team shining brightly in the New York City night. That would be the New York Stars football team - a club that has made the playoffs seven times in the past nine seasons, reached the title game five times and won three of them including a dominating 38-20 win over a rejuvenated Kansas City Cowboys squad in the 1960 title tilt.

What is interesting is the fact the Stars success this season came with a rookie quarterback and without star running back Bryan Mire. Mire, who was offensive player of the year in 1957 and league MVP the following season, announced his retirement at age 30 prior to the start of the season while quarterback Charlie Coons was released after Orlin Youngs was drafted 11th overall out of Oklahoma City State. Youngs started all 12 games, threw for nearly 2,000 yards and was named the offensive rookie of the year. The running game was also not a problem as Mire's longtime backup Larry Moen stepped up and the 7th year pro enjoyed the first 1,000 yard rushing season of his career. Moen and Youngs each were named to the East roster for the All-Pro Classic.

The New York offense was solid but it was the Stars defense that truly excelled, allowing the least yards against in the league and surrendering the fewest points. Five Stars defensive starters were named All-Pros led by veteran linebacker Tom Keeney, who led the league in tackles.

New York finished with the best record in the league at 10-2 and really had no competition as the second place Philadelphia Frigates, who finished at 8-4, were 3-3 before putting things together in the second half of the season. The Frigates also made a major change at quarterback, electing not to resign veteran Pete Capizzi after missing the playoffs in back to back seasons, ending a string of five straight trips to the postseason. Capizzi was replaced by Jack Osterman, who was drafted 8th overall out of College of San Diego. Osterman had his ups and downs in the early going but really found his stride with in a November win over Cleveland in which the rookie threw 5 touchdown passes and put an end to any hopes the Finches might have had of overtaking the Frigates for the second playoff berth in the East.

Cleveland was 6-6 and their biggest problem was an inability to stop the run with opposing teams rushing for an average of nearly 210 yards per game against the Finches. Boston was also 6-6 as the Americans struggles continued. The Yanks have not won a playoff game since 1945 and somehow, despite a five game winning streak this season, still managed to only finish with a .500 record.

Fifth place Pittsburgh might be in even worse shape than the Americans, as the Paladins struggled through a 4-8 season and have not made the playoffs since 1952. Pittsburgh has another new quarterback in Landon Peek, who was selected 5th overall out of Detroit City College but he struggled with several nagging injuries. About the only good news for the Paladins was veteran halfback Dean Turgeon ran for a career best 1,186 yards after missing the entire 1959 season with a knee injury suffered in training camp. Rounding out the East Division was the Washington Wasps, who had a terrible collapse. The Wasps won back to back titles in 1957 and 1958 and made the playoffs a year ago but a 5-game losing skid to end the season left the 3-9 Wasps under .500 for the first time since 1952.

Nobody stood out in the West Division but the Kansas City Cowboys finished 7-5 and that was good enough for a playoff berth. It ended a long run of suffering for the once proud franchise which made four straight appearances in the title game to start the decade but had gone 16-56 between 1954 and the end of last season. Wins over Cleveland, Chicago and Detroit to start the season gave the Cowboys confidence and they won the division with a tiebreaker over the Maroons. Detroit, also 7-5, overcame a 2-4 start and made the playoffs with three straight victories to finish the season including a dominating 48-14 road win in Chicago in the season finale to leapfrog the Wildcats and finish second. The mini-quarterback controversy continued in the Motor City as Tom Griffin, a 1958 fourth rounder, again earned the starting job while Sled Hicks, who was a first round pick that same year and had an impressive rookie campaign, spent his second consecutive season as Hicks' backup. Despite some objections from team owner Rollie Barrell, the move must be working as the Maroons had the top passing offense in the league.

Back to back losses in St Louis and at home to Detroit to end the season cost the Chicago Wildcats a playoff berth despite the fact that Chicago led the West Division with 348 points. Second year quarterback Miller Bogert was terrific, passing for an AFA best 2,393 and 27 touchdowns so there certainly is something to build around in the Windy City.

San Francisco missed the playoffs for just the third time in the past seven years but a season ending win at home over Washington assured the Wings of a .500 record, marking the 9th consecutive season they have finished with at least six victories. Just one win in their final six outings doomed the Los Angeles Tigers to fifth place after a 4-2 start. The Tigers defense had plenty of problems, especially against the pass, and they allowed opponents to average more than 30 points a game against them. Last place St Louis had the league's Most Valuable Player in gifted running back Jim Kellogg, who gained 1,424 yards, but not much else as the Ramblers bumbled their way through a 3-9 season.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

Offensive rookie of the year Orlin Youngs started all 12 games at quarterback for the East Division leading New York Stars but he was forced to miss there playoff opener after he was injured late in the regular season finale against Philadelphia. That meant the Stars would be forced to go with untested backup Harris Kummer, also a rookie, under center in the rematch with the Frigates.

Kummer had thrown just 6 passes all season but the fifth round pick out of Miami State looked like a seasoned veteran in throwing a pair of first half touchdown passes as the Stars opened a 17-7 lead on the visiting Frigates at the break. Kummer did not slow down, adding a third touchdown toss in the final minute to conclude a game winning drive as the Stars pulled out a 27-20 victory.

Meanwhile the West Division playoff proved that the Kansas City Cowboys may just be for real. The Cowboys have been searching for success ever since Pat Chappell retired and longtime quarterback Scott Greenwell finally managed to win his first playoff game. It was in resounding fashion as the Cowboys blasted the Detroit Maroons 54-10 in a game that Greenwell went 20-f0r-28 for 214 yards and three touchdown passes while veteran halfback Mike Peel carried the ball for 135 yards.

Any celebration in Kansas City was short-lived as the New York stars dominated the final, opening a 35-3 lead at the break and then coasting to a 38-20 victory. Orlin Youngs was healthy enough to return to action and the Stars quarterback threw four first half touchdown passes while veteran halfback Larry Moen was named playoff MVP after rushing for 164 yards against the Cowboys a week after he went off for 168 yards in the win over Philadelphia.

GATORS CLASS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL ONCE AGAIN

The Deep South Conference, or more specifically the state of Georgia, remained the capital of collegiate football as the Georgia Baptist Gators completed a perfect 11-0 season to win their second straight AIAA national grid title. This after their rivals from Noble Jones College had celebrated the previous two crowns following back to back undefeated seasons.

The Gators had early season non-conference victories over Abilene Baptist, Red River State and Maryland State in a game that required overtime to beat the South Atlantic Conference champions and one that would prove to be the Bengals only loss all season. The Gators also had some tough contests in section play, needing a late touchdown to beat Alabama Baptist by a single point and surviving close calls against Cumberland, Mississippi A&M and Central Kentucky. The Gators did have the luxury of not playing Noble Jones College for a change, as the 12 team Deep South Conference only plays seven games against its section opponents.

Noble Jones lost to Bayou State and was surprisingly upset by Northern Mississippi in late November to finish as one of four schools tied for second in the Deep South at 5-2. The others were the Bayou State Cougars, Cumberland and Western Florida with its first-ever five win showing in conference play. Only two Deep South schools in Georgia Baptist, which returned to the Oilman Classic to face the Southwestern Alliance champion Lubbock State Hawks, and the Cougars, who were tabbed for the Cajun Classic and a meeting with Charleston Tech, received invites to play on New Years Day.

Missing out on a New Years date was especially hard to swallow for the Colonels as Noble Jones College expected a huge year with its three big offensive stars playing their final seasons. Quarterback Garrett Snyder, halfback Jeff Zwiefel -who won the Christian Trophy as a freshman- and end Don Bernard all had strong campaigns but a season opening 7-point loss to West Coast Athletic Association powerhouse Northern California hurt and a heartbreaking 19-16 defeat at home to Bayou State on a last second field goal made matters worse. Any dreams of a new years game came crushing down when Northern Mississippi (5-5) upset the Colonels 27-20 Thanksgiving weekend.

Maryland State emerged as the class of the South Atlantic Conference, going 7-0 in section play and 10-1 overall with the lone blemish being that early season overtime loss to Georgia Baptist. The Bengals kicked a field goal to go up 10-7 with just under two minutes remaining but Gators senior quarterback Jim Henson completed three big passes to put his club in position for a game-tying field goal in the closing seconds. Henson then worked his magic in overtime with a 10 yard touchdown pass to Jim Pukas and when the Bengals drive was stopped the game ended 17-10 in favour of the Gators. Despite the lose to Georgia Baptist, it was a special year for the Bengals who celebrated their first collegiate basketball title the previous April and then won the SAC football crown for the third time in the past four years.

*** MINERS COME CLOSE TO NATIONAL TITLE ONCE AGAIN ***

The Northern California Miners must be wondering just what else they have to do to win a national title. The Miners won their fourth straight West Coast Athletic Association title and are 26-2 in section play over that span. They have also finished second twice, including this year, third once and finally fifth in the national rankings the past four years.

This year Northern Cal, led by sophomore quarterback Charlie Watson's AIAA leading 1,429 yards passing, went 10-1 with the lone loss being a bad stumble, falling 38-9 in Bigsby Garden in a late season neutral site showdown with Rome State. The Miners rebounded the next week with a late rally to nip California rival Redwood 17-16 and secure their 7th New Years Day trip to Santa Ana in the past ten years.

Northern California's opponent would be a Central Ohio Aviators squad that entered the game with a perfect record and expectations of winning their first college football national title. It would have been very interesting to see how the voting would have gone had the Aviators prevailed but Northern California won quite easily and the perfect season was over for Central Ohio which dipped to fourth in the final rankings. The Aviators had a couple of close calls, nipping Coastal California 12-10 on a last minute field goal and needing overtime to beat another non-conference foe in Western Florida but they were dominant in their 27-17 win over Detroit City College to complete a perfect 7-0 record in Great Lakes Alliance play and earn a second trip in three years to face Northern California in the East-West Classic.

Among other schools perhaps the two biggest surprises were Huntington State and College of San Diego. The Huntington State Miners were one of nine teams that were kicked out of the South Atlantic Conference a decade ago and a formed a loose alliance of their own. The Miners were led by Christian Trophy winning halfback Rick Fisher who rushed for an AIAA best 1,748 yards and 17 touchdowns as Huntington State went 10-1 on the regular season and earned an invitation to play on New Years Day for just the second time in school history. College of San Diego went 10-1 and also earned a classic invite. The Friars lone loss came to CC Los Angeles and the classic invite was their first since 1947.

NEW YEARS CLASSIC RECAPS

The 45th annual edition of the East-West Classic ended in the exact same way as the previous three, with the Northern California Miners celebrating a victory over the Great Lakes Alliance representative. The Miners dynasty has certainly changed the landscape of the greatest New Years Day game, as prior to the Northern California run the GLA representative was on a six game winning streak.

This loss had huge implications for Central Ohio, which entered the game ranked number one in the nation and was looking for its first collegiate national title. Nerves perhaps got the best of both teams early as the first period was filled with penalties but the Miners did strike first with a field goal midway through the period. An unnecessary roughness call on Miners defensive lineman Del Upperman proved costly late in the opening quarter as it prolonged a Central Ohio drive that culminated in a 2-yard touchdown run for Aviators back Joe Cress.

As it would turn out that would be all the scoring Central Ohio would manage and the game turned quickly in the closing minute of the first half. First it was the culmination of a 14-play, 55 yard drive that ended in a 5-yard Gil Cooper touchdown to put the Miners up 10-7 and two plays later Aviators end Ed Kuntz fumbled as he was tackled and that set up a late field goal to put Northern California ahead 13-7 at the break. The Miners defense was too much for Central Ohio after the break and the Aviators never came close to scoring while Northern California tacked on an additional 13 points in the second half to secure the 26-7 victory and put an end to any title hopes Central Ohio might have had.

With Central Ohio's perfect season in shambles that left just Georgia Baptist looking for perfection and a second straight national title. All that stood in the Gators way was their Oilman Classic opponent Lubbock State. It was the Hawks third straight appearance in the Oilman Classic and they struck first, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown plunge from Tom Pennington to conclude an opening drive that lasted nearly eight minutes. The Gators responded with a long drive of their own but it stalled at the Hawks 11-yard line and Georgia Baptist was forced to settle for just 3 points on a Mike Mannion field goal.

After a Lubbock State punt the Gators put together another long scoring drive, this one traversing 81 yards and concluding with Roger Harris scoring on a 3-yard run to put the Gators up 10-3. They would never trail again and while Lubbock State did make it close with a late touchdown to cut the deficit to 25-20, the Gators with halfback Harris leading the way with 133 yards rushing, never seemed in danger of losing.

The most notable of the other new years contests saw Maryland State rally with a 4th quarter touchdown to improve to 10-1 with a 22-15 victory over Oklahoma City State. The win moved the Bengals to third in the final rankings, behind the Gators and Northern California and one slot ahead of Central Ohio with Huntington State, winners of Desert Classic in overtime, claiming the fifth slot in the final rankings.

MARYLAND STATE WINS FIRST COLLEGE CAGE CROWN

Overshadowed for years by South Atlantic Conference rivals Carolina Poly and North Carolina Tech, the Maryland State Bengals basketball team finally enjoyed its moment in the sun as they defeated another conference rival -Charleston Tech- in the title game to win the Bengals first-ever AIAA cage championship. The recent turnaround for Maryland State has been nothing short of miraculous over the past three seasons as the Bengals, who had never won a tournament game prior to the spring of 1958, reached the quarterfinals a year ago and went all the way this time around, downing the Admirals 70-58 in the title game behind a 15 point effort from junior forward Beryl Towne.

Maryland State finished the season with a 27-5 record, establishing a new school record for wins in a season but they finished second to Charleston Tech in the South Atlantic Conference record, losing on a tiebreaker after both schools finished section play 11-3, one game better than defending national champion Carolina Poly.

West Coast Athletic Association champ Redwood entered the tournament as the number one ranked team in the nation and the Mammoths were assigned the top seed in the West Region. Another WCAA school, Coastal California was handed the top seed in the South while Carolina Poly headlined the East Region. The Bengals were sent to the Midwest as a second seed behind Great Lakes Alliance winners Central Ohio.

The Bengals opened with a game against 19-11 Custer College, champions of the lightly regarded Rocky Mountain Athletic Association. Sophomore forward Pepper Whitney, who led the Bengals in scoring with an 11.5 ppg mark had the hot hand in the tournament opener as the forward shot 7-for-10 from the field and scored 19 points in a 69-42 victory for his Bengals.

Next up was a talented Western Iowa team that had gone to the national title game a year ago but the Canaries were not match for Maryland State and absorbed a 77-48 thrashing from the Bengals. That set up a showdown with Central Ohio in the only regional file that followed script by matching its top two seeds. The Bengals led by two at the half and pulled away after the break to advance to Bigsby Garden and the national semi-finals for the first time in school history with a 53-46 grounding of the Aviators.

Redwood breezed through the West Region including a 12 point victory over third seeded Mississippi A&M in the regional final. The South Region saw third seeded Charleston Tech handle top seed Coastal California by a 59-49 score while the East drew plenty of attention as Dickson, the Academia Alliance champ that had not won a tournament game since the spring of 1917, was the surprise bracket winner after downing Liberty College 61-50 in the title game. The Bells had eliminated Carolina Poly, winners of three of the past six tournaments, in the second round.

Redwood was the tournament favourite and the Mammoths were playing in Bigsby Garden for the second April in the past three years. Redwood has advanced to at least the quarterfinals for six straight seasons but the Mammoths only national title came in 1947-48. They would fall short again this time as Charleston Tech, led by 18 points from senior forward Joe Satterfield, held on for a 64-62 victory to give the Admirals their first ever appearance in the national championship game.

Maryland State halted Dickson's run, dumping the Maroons 68-53 with sophomore Mark Robinson scoring 21 points to pace the Bengals attack and set up a third meeting with their conference rivals from Charleston. The Admirals had won each of the previous two, but the Bengals got their revenge in the biggest game for the pair all season, claiming a 70-58 victory and their first AIAA cage title.

HAWKS FLY HIGH AT COLLEGE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

It was a long time coming but the Lubbock State Hawks finally won their third college baseball World Championship Series. The Hawks, who were the best AIAA baseball team in the country in 1922 and again six years later, emerged unscathed from the field of 16 hopefuls that gathered in Cleveland in early June. The Hawks finished the regular season with a 39-23 record, good enough to claim their third Southwestern Alliance title in the past four years and then won the five more games necessary to hoist the AIAA baseball championship trophy.

The Hawks start the tournament off with back to back shut out victories, blanking Pittsburgh State 7-0 in the opening round before nipping Mississippi Tech 1-0 in the second round as hurlers Logan Mantica and Chris Paulsen combined on a 3-hitter. The lone came in a wild seventh inning in which the Hawks loaded the bases with three straight singles and then with two-out third baseman Adam Wagner drew a full count walk which plated the only run of the contest.

Wagner, the Hawks lead-off man, had 3-hits and scored three times to lead Lubbock State past Wisconsin Catholic 11-5 and give the Hawks their first appearance in the AIAA finals since the old feeder days when the Hawks were led by catcher Jack Flint and beat a loaded Liberty College squad that included Tommy Wilcox and Jake Shadoan.

Deep South Conference champion Opelika State was the Hawks opponent in the finals after the Wildcats, who were making their fourth tournament appearance in the past five years, eliminated West Coast Athletic Association c-champs Portland Tech in the semi-finals with an 8-5 decision.

Homeruns by Charlie Hess, John Williams and Jim Smith staked Opelika State to a 5-0 lead after two innings of the opening game in the best-of-three final and the Wildcats breezed to a 6-4 victory. It was a much different story in game two as Lubbock State busted open what was a scoreless game with 9 runs in the third inning and the Hawks would add five more in the fifth as they tamed the Wildcats 16-2 to even the series.

Game three was a pitching duel as the Hawks Logan Mantic and three Opelika State hurlers dueled to a 1-1 draw after eight innings. Lubbock State would get a pair of key hits in the top of the ninth as Billy Fuston led off with a double and John Case followed with a 2-run homer off Opelika State's Harry Rowland. That would prove the difference as Lubbock State reliever Chris Paulsen set the Wildcats down in order in the ninth to clinch the 3-1 victory for the Hawks.

ANOTHER ROOKIE GOALIE LEADS DUKES

For the second year in a row the big story in the North American Hockey Confederation was a surprise breakout season from a rookie goaltender in Toronto. A year ago it was Mike Connelly, a career minor leaguer who started his NAHC career with 4 consecutive shutouts and would go on to lead the Dukes to both the best regular season record and their record 11th Challenge Cup win. Now 28, Connelly found himself spending most nights on the bench as Toronto found another rookie with a hot glove in 26-year-old Justin MacPhee.

MacPhee, who was twice named Canadian Amateur Hockey Association goaltender of the year in junior with the Halifax Mariners, went undrafted and spent the past four seasons playing for the Tacoma Lions of the Great Western Hockey League, two rungs below the NAHC. MacPhee was signed by the Dukes, presumably to be Connelly's back up but he did not take long to wrestle away the starting job. MacPhee played in 56 games, winning 32 and his 11 shutouts were just one shy of another former Duke Scott Renes 1954-55 record.

The Dukes finished with 86 points, good for a 7 point bulge on second place Boston but well off their record-setting 97 point showing of a year ago. Toronto still scored the most goals in the league and surrendered the fewest but they were not as effective as a year ago in no small part due to the fact that star center Quinton Pollack (27-31-61) missed 18 games due to injury and while the legendary Tommy Burns (17-23-40) did dress for all 70 contests, but his now 40-year-old body showed signs of breaking down with the lowest point total of his career. Thirty year old Ken Jamieson (27-29-56) had another strong season and often supplanted Burns as the second line pivot while the all-star duo on the blueline in Bobby Fuhrman (9-35-44) and Tim Brooks (8-17-25) anchored the stingiest defense in the league. The Dukes did slow in the second half of the season, playing just .500 hockey from late January until the end of the regular season but were still favourites to repeat as Cup champions.

Chasing Toronto were four teams that battled much of the season for the remaining three playoff spots. The Boston Bees were the hottest team down the stretch, going 11-2-1 over the final month to ensure they would finish in second and claim home ice advantage for the opening round of the playoffs. If there were any lingering doubts about whether Jimmy Rucks was the new big star in Boston, they were erased this season as the 26-year-old right winger was named to the first all-star team for the second consecutive season and his 54 points, including 20 goals, paced the Bees and was the fifth highest total recorded in the loop this campaign. Boston might still be looking for a top center now that Wilbur Chandler is long gone but the Bees appear set on the wing with 27-year-old Jean Lebel (13-30-43), 26-year-old Gabe Vigneault (17-23-40) and 24-year-old Pierre Paquette (21-21-42) all playing key roles. 36-year-old Oscar James (24-16-7, 2.78) continues to guard the crease for Boston.

A late slump cost the New York Shamrocks second place but 75 points and a third place finish is a big win in the Big Apple, as the Shamrocks qualified for the playoffs after missing the post-season each of the previous five seasons. Marc Huot, a 25-year-old who was cut by Boston, joined the Shamrocks part way through last season and had a breakout year in his first season of fulltime NAHC duty. The Montreal born right winger scored 26 goals and finished with 57 points, third best in the league behind only Alex Monette of Detroit and Toronto's Pollack. Newcomer Mathew Garbowsky (20-16-36) also reached the twenty-goal plateau for the Shamrocks and 25-year-old Corb Maybury (16-28-44) took on a bigger role in his third full season on Broadway. New York did not match the offensive firepower of Toronto, Boston and Chicago but the Shamrocks did win a lot of tight games and edged out the Chicago Packers club for third place by a single point.

The Packers barely held off Detroit for the fourth and final playoff spot, finishing two points ahead of the Motors. Chicago seems to have moved on from the Tommy Burns era as a host of players in their early to mid-twenties, along with eight-year veteran rearguard Guy Bernier (13-35-48) who is still just 28, give Windy City fans plenty of hope for the future. The biggest hopes are pinned on Archer Cook (28-26-54), a 23-year-old 1955 second round pick who won the McLeod Trophy two years ago and this season became the first Packers forward to be named to the first all-star team since Burns and Max Ducharme earned the honour five years ago. Ducharme, by the way, once a fixture in Chicago but now 36 years of age, spent most of the season in Pittsburgh as the Packers fully embraced their youth movement. Left winger Ray Weller (23-29-52) made the league's Second All-Star team along with blueliners Bernier and first-time winner Mike Homfray (6-29-35). Other key pieces were forwards Ken York (20-27-47), Conn Maguire (16-25-41) and J.P. Morissette (15-25-40).

Iron man goaltender Henri Chasse (30-28-12, 2.72) played every minute of every game for Detroit for the third year in a row but it was not enough to keep the Motors from missing the playoffs for the first time since the 1951-52 season. Detroit's Alex Monette (30-43-77) won his second straight scoring title and claimed the McDaniels Trophy for the first time his career but the 27-year-old missed 7 games with various injuries and Detroit lost six of them in his absence, which proved the difference between finishing fourth and fifth. Detroit did receive secondary scoring from veterans Nick Tardif (23-23-46) and Lou Barber (15-27-42) and career best point production from 25-year-old Alex Guindon (15-33-48). Another 25-year-old in defenseman Anthony Beauchemin (8-16-24) shows plenty of promise on the backend. Beauchemin is hardly a new face as the he has been playing for the Motors since he turned 19.

It was another awful year for the Montreal Valiants, who won just 11 of 70 games and their 34 points broke the record for futility in a 70 game season, finishing with one point less than the awful 1950-51 Chicago Packers. After back to back playoff appearances, most in Montreal thought the gloomy days of the 1950's, where the Vals went six seasons without a sniff of playoff action, where over but this year set new lows. Montreal had trouble scoring with only veteran Jocko Gregg (22-32-54) and youngsters Mathew Muir (22-26-48) and Roy Forgeron (11-25-36) enjoying much success, but there biggest problem was keeping the puck out of their net. The Valiants allowed a record 254 goals against, smashing their old record of 235 set 8 years ago and allowing 56 more against than any other NAHC team surrendered this season. Nathan Bannister (5-26-9, 3.53) and Tim Burrows (6-20-2, 3.34) are not considered to be bad goaltenders and there is some talent on the blueline but for some reason the Valiants have just never been able to do the job and for the second time in just over two years they are looking for a new coach after Andrew Stymiest was fired following the season. He lasted 79 games behind the Montreal bench.

1959-60 NAHC PLAYOFFS

The Toronto Dukes had cause for worry when they found out their semi-final opponent would be the Chicago Packers. Despite Toronto finishing 12 points ahead of the Packers, Chicago dominated the season series between the two clubs with the Packers winning 9 of their 14 meetings. Like they did a year ago, the Dukes put their fate in the hands of a rookie goaltender but this time it was Juneau Award winner Justin MacPhee instead of Mike Connelly.

Chicago's J.P. Morissette beat MacPhee with one minute remaining in the third period of the opener to tie the game at 3 but it would be the hometown Dukes who came out on top as Tim Amesbury notched the game winner after nearly 24 minutes of extra time. Chicago rebounded with a 3-2 win in the second game to head to the Lakeside Auditorium with the series tied at one.

They would split the two games in the Windy City. Chicago took game three by a 3-2 score as Mark Milot scored the winner in overtime after ex-Packer Tommy Burns had tied the contest late in the third period. The Packers outshot the Dukes 40-25 in the game. Game four was all Toronto as Ken Jamieson and Mitch Moran each had a goal and an assist to pace the visiting Dukes to a 5-2 victory.

For the third time in the series overtime was needed to decide a winner as game five was deadlocked at four after sixty minutes. Archer Cook, the Packers talented young winger, was the hero when he beat Toronto netminder Justin MacPhee 18 minutes into the extra frame. Ken York had scored twice for the Packers while Toronto defenseman Jimmy Cooper had a goal and two helpers while Jamieson scored twice in a losing cause. Back home for game six, the Packers wrapped the series up with a 5-2 victory as Ken York had 3 assists while Conn Maguire scored twice to pace the Packers.

In the other semi-final series the New York Shamrocks were hitting the ice in Boston for their first taste of playoff action since 1954. The Greenshirts got off to a fantastic start, sweeping both games at Denny Arena to start the series. The opener saw New York goaltender Dalton Duco record a shutout in his playoff debut as the Shamrocks skated to a 3-0 victory with Corb Maybury scoring twice and assisting on the third New York tally. Game two was much tighter as the Shamrocks opened a 3-1 lead in the second period but goals from veteran rearguard Mickey Bedard and Luc Fournier allowed Boston to tie it. Jim Macek was the overtime star with a goal just shy of 13 and a half minutes into the extra period.

After dropping the first two games at home, the Boston Bees problems grew even larger with a 2-1 loss in the third game. Alex Sorrell, who was a surprise starter in game two after Duco's shutout in the opener, was called upon again in the third game and was outstanding, turning aside all but one of the 37 shots Boston fired at him. Simon Savard and Alex Breen scored the New York goals with Byron Redmond assisting on both.

There was no margin for error for the Bees, who trailed 3 games to none but then completed a most-improbable comeback with four straight victories to take the series. The Bees were up against the wall in game four, trailing 2-0 after two periods but Jack Gariepy and Gabe Vigneault scored in the third period to force overtime and Jonathan Poirier needed just 4:30 of overtime to end the game, scoring on the powerplay to keep the Bees alive. Jake Stockman scored once and added two assists as the Bees doubled New York 4-2 in game five and then battled back after the Shamrocks scored twice in the opening 96 seconds of game six to beat New York 5-2. Jimmy Rucks had 3 points while Ben Jacobs scored twice for the Bees who had knotted the series after losing each of the first three games.

*** Bees Complete Comeback ***

Boston has done nothing the easy way this series so when the Shamrocks scored three times in a span of less than four minutes to take a 3-1 lead just over six minutes into the second period there was likely far less alarm on the Boston bench than one might have expected. The Bees tied the game with goals from Ben Voyechek and Neil Wilson before the period had ended and then added three more in the third period before the defeated Shamrocks meekly responded with one late goal. One of the biggest comebacks in NAHC history had been completed as the Bees, who trailed 3 games to none and by two goals entering the third period of the fourth game, rallied to win four straight and advance to the Challenge Cup Finals.

BOSTON AND CHICAGO FINALS

The Bees and Packers were meeting in the Challenge Cup finals for the second time in four years. They were far from strangers in post-season action as Chicago and Boston were facing off for the fourth time in the last 14 years. Boston had won two of the three previous meetings including the battle from four years ago.

The Bees entered the series on a 4-game winning streak and stretched it to five straight but not before requiring overtime to dispose of Chicago in game one. The final score was 3-2 with Boston rookie Brad Lowenberger being the unlikely hero, saving his first career playoff goal to be an overtime winner. Chicago goaltender Garrett Topping made 35 saves two nights later as the Packers left Boston with the series knotted at one following a 5-2 victory in the second game. Charlie Bowman paced the Chicago attack, setting up three first period goals to stake the Packers to an early lead.

Game three saw the Bees jump out to a 3-0 lead but the Packers scored five unanswered goals over the final 37 minutes to claim a 5-2 victory and take a 2-1 lead in the series. J.P. Morissette and Ray Weller each had a goal and two assists to lead Chicago while Pierre Paquette had the same for the visiting Bees. Topping made 27 saves as Chicago blanked Boston 5-0 in game four.

*** Bees Stage Another Comeback ***

It was time for another Boston comeback as the Bees, after overcoming a 3 games to none deficit in the semi-finals, looked to rally after trailing 3-1 in the finals. Game five in Boston saw Mathieu Harnois and Jean Lebel each scored in the final 13 minutes to lift the Bees to a 3-1 victory. Back to Chicago, where they had been defeated twice, the Bees relied on veteran goaltender Oscar James and he delivered with a 29 save shutout in a 3-0 Boston win. Tommy Elliott opened the scoring for the Bees in the second period before Jean Lebel and Neil Wilson added insurance markers in the third stanza.

Game seven was a terrific goalie showdown between James and Topping. Neither team scored in the opening period despite the Bees enjoying a pair of power play opportunities. The only goal of the middle period came courtesy of Boston all-star winger Jimmy Rucks, who notched his playoff leading 6th goal midway through the frame. The third period was tight checking as the Bees held the Packers to just seven shots while managing only four of their own. Neither team could score and the game ended 1-0 giving James back to back shutouts and the Bees another amazing comeback.

Much like baseball, which has confirmed it will add four more franchises in 1962, the Federal Basketball League has had discussion of expanding but, having been burned once before, the loop started by Rollie Barrell in 1946 seems content, at least at the moment, with 8 stable clubs. The Federal League had been big dreams in its infancy and quickly went from eight to seventeen teams by 1948 only to see most flounder. Since the 1955-56 campaign the league has been a stable group of eight teams with only the move of the Rockets from small-market Rochester, N.Y., to St Louis marking any changes.

Whether they were based in Rochester or St Louis the Rockets have been the class of the FBL's West Division, winning six of the last seven division regular season titles including each of the past two seasons after their move to the shores of the Mississippi. They won 50 games for the second consecutive season, something that has only been accomplished five times in FBL history and three of them were by the Rockets. Their leader this season was an unlikely hero by the name of Rick Sims. A 29-year-old center, Sims was a back-up behind Billy Bob McCright for each of his first six seasons in the league but as McCright showed signs of slowing down Sims seized his opportunity.

Sims started all 76 games and was one of just three players to average more than 20 points per game while also providing dominant defense for the Rockets. He was rewarded with the FBL's Most Valuable Player Award and combined with fellow all-league first team forward Wayne Wyrick to give St Louis a team that dominated at both ends of the court thanks to a stellar supporting cast in vets Danny Rachor and Verle Schoonmaker along with first year starter Jerry Kosior.

Second place Detroit finished 5 games back of the front-running Rockets. The Mustangs, led by the backcourt duo of Erv Corwin and Lew Bayne and a slowing but still effective Ziggy Rickard, actually outscored St Louis but could not match the Rockets defensive intensity. It was a long way back to third place as the Chicago Panthers finished a full 15 games behind the second place Mustangs. Luther Gordon was once more first team all-league and his 22.8 points per game was good enough to win his 7th scoring title but even a breakout year for 30-year-old Chris Rogerson, who more than doubled his previous career best in averaging just shy of 20 points per game, was not enough to allow the Panthers to keep pace with the big two in the West Division. The Toronto Falcons finished last in the West and missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season with the lone bright spot being the play of Bill Spangler. The 3rd year guard out of CC Los Angeles had a breakout season and was named first team All-League.

A 10-game winning streak late in the season helped the New York Knights hold off both Boston and Philadelphia to finish with the best record in the East at 44-32. It marked the first time New York led the division since 1954-55 and the big reason was Howie Farrell. Unlike a year ago Farrell did not win the scoring title but his 22.5 ppg was good for second place and he was named to the All-League Second Team.

The Boston Centurions were battling with New York for top spot in the East Division all season but stumbled down the stretch with just three wins in their final 14 games. They did manage to hold on to second place, claiming a tiebreaker over Philadelphia after both the Centurions and Phantoms ended the season with identical 39-37 records, good enough to put an end to Boston's 4-year playoff drought. The Centurions scored the fewest points in the league, but they had the best defense and led the loop in both rebounds and blocked shots. Guard Steve Barrell followed up his rookie of the year season with a strong sophomore campaign but a mid-March concussion cost him 26 games and coincided with the Centurions late slump. Mel Turcotte continues to be the leader in Philadelphia as the Phantoms veteran center led the loop in rebounds, averaging 13.7, while also scoring at 16.5 point per game clip.

The surprise team left without a playoff chair in the East Division when the music stopped was the Washington Statesmen. It marked a first as the FBL's most successful team was coming off a season when it won its FBL record fourth title and had made the playoffs each of the first 13 years of the league. In fact, going back to the old American Basketball Conference, the Statesmen had not missed the playoffs since their inaugural season of 1937-38. A serious knee injury to Jack English, who along with Ernie Fischer and Hank Adkins were the leaders of the most recent title winner hurt the team as English was limited to just 10 games. Fischer was his usual solid self as the big man in the middle, but Adkins struggled and eventually lost his starting guard job. A dreadful stretch beginning in mid-January when the Statesmen won just once in a dozen outings stated with an exclamation point that a 19-year playoff streak was coming to an end in the nation's capital.

FEDERAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
ST. LOUIS GETS ITS TITLE

While Washington was not invited to the playoff party to defend its title, six teams were gearing up for the second season to figure out who would succeed the Statesmen. New York won the East and waited for Boston and Philadelphia to sort out the make-up of the Eastern Divisional Final, while St. Louis was treated to a bye in the Western Divisional Playoff.

Familiar foes kicked off the playoffs in the Western Divisional Semifinal, as Detroit and Chicago renewed acquaintances. It was a contrast of styles, with Detroit’s power coming from its back court tandem of Lew Bayne and Erv Corwin, while Chicago is still led by Luther Gordon and center Chris Rogerson. Bayne and Corwin were a thorn in Chicago’s side all series.

Bayne dished out 13 assists to go along with 16 points in Game One, scored 30 points in Game Two, and after the Mustangs squandered their 2-0 lead in the series, Bayne was named Player of the Game in the deciding Game Five, scoring 25 points and adding nine rebounds.

Corwin had a great game in Game Two, with 29 points in the Mustangs 116-90 win. The only game decided by less than ten points was the final game and while the home team won all five games in the series, the last one for Detroit was not easy. The Mustangs won, 84-81, and had to hang on against Chicago, as the Panthers chipped away at Detroit’s nine-point edge heading into the fourth quarter.

St. Louis inherited a solid team, a league champion, when the Rockets relocated from Rochester, and the “little engine that could” still had its stars from the Rochester championship, though the torch has been passed. Billy Bob McCright comes off the bench now and Marlin Patterson was a spare player who did not even see action during the regular season. They were simply insurance behind the new stars of the club with Rick Sims and Wayne Wyrick. Sims was the MVP of the regular season and picked up right where he left off when the Western Divisional Final started.

St. Louis built a quick three games-to-none series lead over Detroit with a couple of close wins at home, 75-74 and 72-69. Sims scored 24 points in Game One and Wyrick poured in 22 points in Game Two. Sims and Wyrick combined for 59 points in the 108-95 win in Game Three that pushed Detroit to the brink.

Corwin and the Mustangs tried to claw their way back and they were able to force a sixth game. Corwin averaged 21.3 points in the series and played better as the series went on, scoring 26 points and adding 15 rebounds in Game Four. The Rockets, specifically Rick Sims, were just too much for Detroit. Sims averaged 25.8 points in the series, including 30 points in the Game Six, which was the clincher.

The Eastern Division Semifinal was not nearly as dramatic, though the teams who tipped off against each other had the same regular season record (39-37). Boston defeated Philadelphia in three straight to move on and face New York. Bert LaBrecque, who has come into his own in his third season, arrived in Boston’s first playoff run in years. LaBrecque scored 23 in Game One and 25 more in Game Two. To complete the sweep, Boston had to win it in overtime on the road. It was Boston’s guard play of Charlie Stark (25 points) and Steve Barrell (22) that pushed the Centurions to victory. Mel Turcotte was quiet in the first two games of the series, but he had 27 points and 15 rebounds in Game Three to give Philadelphia a chance.

New York won the opener of the East Final behind a former Playoff MVP, Howie Farrell, and his 26 points, but LaBrecque was at it again to steal a split of the two games in New York. Game Two saw Boston come from behind in the fourth quarter to win, 77-75, as LeBrecque scored 26 points, offsetting 24 from Farrell. Boston went home and win both games to take a commanding three games-to-one lead.

Boston could not close the series out in New York, but won it at Denny Arena, 94-62. LaBrecque scored 16, but the star of the game was center Wally Moorehead, who is known more for his fearsome defensive presence than his offensive traits. Moorehead led all scorers with 22 points in the victory.

The momentum carried over into the FBL Finals between St. Louis and Boston. Boston drew first blood with a 100-80 win in St. Louis, getting off to a 28-14 first-quarter lead and managing the game from there. LaBrecque scored 26 points and Stark (18 points, 10 assists) missed a triple double by a single rebound. Boston shot an unsustainable 47% from the floor as a team.

St. Louis collected itself and won Game Two to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole, 87-76. Sims once again led the way with 28 points and Wyrick added 19 points while St. Louis was the hotter shooting team. The series moved to Boston and, for the Centurions, the momentum that helped in Game One came back to bite them. Boston’s hot shooting ran cold and St. Louis won the battle of the front court. The Centurions managed only 66 points in Games Three and Four. Sims scored 30 points in Game Two and 28 points in Game Three, both victories for St. Louis that gave the Rockets a two games-to-one series lead.

Boston came so close to tying the series in Game Four, but the team suffered a fourth-quarter collapse, managing only six points to turn an 18-point fourth-quarter lead into a heart-breaking 68-66 loss to push them to within one game of elimination. St. Louis had to work for it, but the damage to Boston was done. Game Five went to overtime in a game that was tight throughout. Rick Sims set a personal best with 40 points in Game Five in the 78-76 victory, as he carried the Rockets on his back to deliver St. Louis a championship.

Sims had a playoff scoring average of 26.9 points to double up his regular season MVP award with Playoff MVP hardware.

ELLIS BUILDING LEGACY IN WELTER DIVISION

Eugene Ellis continued his dominance of the welterweight class in 1960 as the 29-year-old added three more victims to his impressive resume - one which has seen him involved in every title fight in the division since 1956. The Seattle native is now 42-4-1 and slowing no signs of slowing down although he had a close call early in the year when he faced Dan Hampton in Baltimore.

The battle was the toughest Ellis had been involved in since he lost a split decision to Lonnie Griffin nearly three years ago as Hampton just keeping coming despite being knocked down twice by the champ in their bout. Those knockdowns proved the difference as Ellis prevailed after 15 rounds, but only in the minds of two of the three ringside judges.

With the close call behind him, the Seattle native returned to the west coast where he would have far less trouble in his other two title fights in 1960. Brogan Cattlin travelled all the way from Ireland to Los Angeles, toting with him a big reputation and an impressive 41-1-2 record but Ellis made short work of the challenger, knocking him out in the 6th round of their July tussle. Four months later in his hometown of Seattle, Ellis toyed with Michael Wheeler much of the fight and claimed an easy unanimous decision.

The middleweight belt also did not change hands in 1960 as Canadian George Quisenberry, who had won the title from the now retired Mark McCoy in September of 1959, retained control of the division. British challenger Oscar Woodings did fight Quisenberry to a stalemate in the champ's hometown of Toronto in April but Quisenberry scored a unanimous win over the Englishman in a rematch three months later. His final fight was a duel with former champ George Hatchell at the famous Bigsby Gardens and it was a clean decision for the Canadian.

Dave Courtney's brief fling with the heavyweight title ended quickly as, while he did score a unanimous decision over Ezra Frishman in January, he was badly beaten by George Gallashaw, a hard throwing puncher from Syracuse who knocked out Courtney in their May bout to take the title. The 24-year-old Gallashaw would improve to 31-1 for his career with a 7th round TKO of Norm Robinson in his first title defense in October. Gallashaw's only blemish was a title fight loss to former champ Brad Harris a year and a half ago, in a bout that might have just been a little too ambitious for the youngster at that point in his career.

A new decade is dawning and, with it, a sense of renewed optimism. Youth will be served, sooner or later. The War years are in our rear-view mirror, the Red Scare has faded. The future is coming. It is the same brilliant hue of a sunrise. In the sport of boxing, youth has been served.

George Gallashaw is the Heavyweight Champion of the World at the age of 24. George Quisenberry has owned the Middleweight Champion’s belt for the entire calendar year, won his title last year when he was 24 years of age. Eugene Ellis is the old man of the trio of champions, as the Welterweight Champion is 29 with 47 professional fights to his name.

Gallashaw had a title shot in June 1959 as a 23-year-old against then-champion Brad Harris. The moment was too big for Gallashaw, as he suffered his only professional loss to date in a third-round TKO. Harris would drop his next fight to Dave Courtney and Courtney was champion until Gallashaw had his second shot at the belt.

Courtney kicked off the year in January with a fourth-round knockout against a lesser opponent, journeyman Ezra Frishman, but Gallashaw was awarded the next fight. Gallashaw, who hails from Syracuse, New York, went west to Cleveland’s Lake Erie Arena with nothing but confidence. He was ready for this chance. Gallashaw was effective, efficient, and he did not let Courtney permeate his excellent defense.

Gallashaw built an early lead, having his way with the champion and barely taking any punches for the first couple of rounds. Courtney was knocked down in the fourth round and by the middle rounds, Gallashaw was in excellent shape. Courtney had his best round in the eighth, but it barely registered. Gallashaw out-pointed Courtney is every round until he made it official with a knockout in the tenth round. It is hard to remember a title fight this one-sided.

After winning the belt in May, his first defense was a successful one, as he defeated Norm Robinson in October by technical knockout in the seventh round. Robinson is only a year older than the young champion Gallashaw, and started the bout well, holding his own through the first four rounds. Gallashaw earned a quick knockdown in the fifth before dropping Robinson in the seventh, where he rained incessant blows upon the challenger, causing referee Frank Garcia to call the fight with only a few seconds remaining in the round.

The heavyweight division was the only division in professional boxing where a title belt changed hands, but it was close. In the middleweight ranks, George Quisenberry fought to a draw against Oscar Woodings in April before winning by unanimous decision in the July rematch. In the draw, Quisenberry had to contend with a nasty cut inside his left eyebrow, which he suffered in the ninth round and hampered him for the rest of the evening, but it was not enough to lose the fight. Quisenberry was cut again in the rematch, this time in the fourth round. However, he persevered, scoring both knockdowns in the fight and he was ahead at the end of 15 rounds by all three judges.

Quisenberry also exorcised a demon, as he defeated George Hatchell, who had beaten him for his only previous loss in 1958, taking away the middleweight title in the process. Hatchell was already a two-time champion but failed in his quest to win the belt a third time in what may be the sunset of his career.
Eugene Ellis has become “Ol’ Reliable” of boxing, as his exploits in the welterweight division have made him one of the great championships of the weight class. Except for a loss in 1958 to Lonnie Griffin, Ellis has held the title consistently since 1956. This year, Ellis had three fights and two went the distance, but the most harrowing bout for Ellis was his February match against Dan Hampton, the 28-year-old Scranton, Pa. native.

The margin of error was razor-thin throughout. Each fighter scored a knockdown with Hampton dropping Ellis in the fourth round and Ellis returned the favor in Round 12. Each fighter also had a point deducted for illegal maneuvers. The fight went to the end and, luckily for Ellis, two of the three judges had Ellis as the victor. The split decision win for Ellis gave him a reprieve and let to a relatively easy time of it against lesser competition for the rest of the year to end the year with his title reign intact.

George Quisenberry won the Bologna Boxer of the Year for 1960 with his 2-0-1 record and the vanquishing of George Hatchell, the only opponent to beat him.

FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS

WLCOME BACK!
Continental Association Set to Return to NYC in'62

If reports are to be believed the Continental Association is returning to New York City. After abandoning Manhattan and Brooklyn nearly a decade ago, Continental fans have had the choice of switching over to the dreaded Gothams in Queens, following another CA ball club, or sitting home and catching up on other sports.

But that it all to change in about one year's time. If all goes according to plans an expansion draft will take place next winter to create a brand new team for the Big Apple. Granted, your new team will be rostered with cast-offs and those with little prospect, but it's a start. You may begin to dream.

After some digging and a few late night beverages I can report two bits of interesting information. The new teams name will be the New York Imperials.

I can just see the headlines now as the "Imps" challenge the Gothams for the hearts of New York fans. Where will the Imperials play, you ask? Ah, well that's the other bit of information. It will be right here in Manhattan, where a not so ancient ball park sits vacant. Dyckman Field, opened 1934, sits at the northern tip of Manhattan. I'm told that with a fresh coat of paint it will be ready for the 1962 season.

I hope you're all looking forward to a new era in Figment Baseball as the league expands for the first time in the modern era, bringing baseball to cities, new and old. I plan to be here with all the information and reporting on the New York Imperials.

Tales From The Manor- Dukes Fine Regular Season Leads to Disappointing Postseason -- The Toronto Dukes again proved to be the class of the NAHC from October-March as once more they finished first with 38-22-10 record for 86 points, seven more than second place Boston. The season was two stories: one good but the other raising questions of the future for Jack Barrell's charges in the Sixties.

The good story was between the pipes where the Dukes found an unexpected hero in Justin MacPhee, 25. MacPhee who went undrafted after a 5 year career in junior with the Halifax Mariners, eventually signed with Tacoma in the GWHL in 1955. MacPhee spent 4 seasons toiling for the Lions with limited success before winning Goalie of the Year in 1959 for Tacoma. The Dukes scouting staff convinced Barrell to invite him to camp on a tryout in which he was impressive enough to garner a contract with the Dukes. The $1800 deal may prove to be the one the biggest steals in NAHC history. MacPhee went on to lead the league in wins, 32, GAA, 2.22, save percentage at 92.1% not bad for a player who was plying his trade in the low minors last season. He was backed up by last year's goaltending phenom, Mile Connelly, giving the Dukes a solid crease tandem for the next few years.

The concern going forward for the Dukes fans could be in the club's ability to put pucks into the net. Quinton Pollack, 37, again finished second in the scoring race to Detroit's Alex Monette with 27-34-61 despite playing only 52 games after suffering a broken jaw on Feb 9th in practice when Pollack, while working on deflections, took a shot to the face. The team only had two twenty-goal scores in '59-60, with the other being Ken Jamieson with 27 to go with 29 helpers for 56 points, numbers good enough to place Jamieson 4th in the scoring race. Tommy Burns, 40, failed to score twenty for the first time in 16 seasons. Burns ended up with 17 goals and 40 points for his lowest total since collecting 33 points (in just 48 games) as a 22 year old in 1943. Troubling is the fact that Burns managed to score only one goal on the power play. Given their ages along with Pollack's injury history the Dukes are hoping that Jamieson can take on a larger scoring role along with Tim Amesbury to take some of the pressure off Burns, Pollack.

After cruising to the league title, leading the NAHC in goals scored while surrendering the fewest goals against, the Dukes faced the Chicago Packers in the semi-finals. The Packers held off a late season charge by Detroit to secure the final playoff spot by two points over the Motors. Toronto found out quickly that Chicago was playing for keeps even though they finished 14 points behind the Dukes. The Dukes won the first game in the second overtime period on a goal by Tim Amesbury after J.P. Morissette had tied the game at 3 with a minute to play in regulation. Chicago took a surprising 2-1 series lead with back to back 3-2 wins. The second one in overtime before 16,920 in the Auditorium who were seeing their first playoff action in years. Toronto evened the series at two with a 5-2 win in Chicago leaving the fans thinking that the Packers were a mere bump in the road before advancing to the Challenge Cup final. The Gardens, with 14,235 on hand, witnessed a rally then a collapse by the Dukes in Game Five. Down 2-1 after twenty the Dukes scored three in less than 4 minutes in the second, including one by Pollack who returned for the playoffs, to take a 4-2 lead. Enso Eckler narrowed the gap to one before then end of the second and Ken York sent the game to overtime with a goal in the third setting the stage for Archer Cook's game winner at 18:15 of overtime. That 5-4 loss crushed the Dukes who went out meekly two nights later in Chicago. Packers skated to a relatively easy 5-2 victory to eliminate Toronto.

Coach Barrell- "No excuses, we took the Packers far too lightly. Defensively we appear to be fine going forward. I have find the proper line combinations to spread the scoring around with the load moving off Tommy, Quinton even if just a little. Ken Jamieson has found his scoring touch, i need to find the proper wingers for him."

Tales From The Den- More Of The Same Another Non-Competitive Season --The Wolves starts the Sixties the way they ended the Fifties, losing more than they win. They have now stretched their consecutive streak of sub .500 seasons to 12 with a 68-86 record in 1960. The team extinguished any hopes for the fans of progressing in the CA by going 31-53 between June 1st to August 31st after staying at .500, 21-21, through April, May.

At the plate, where there had been signs of hope in recent seasons, the team regressed to start the new decade finishing in the bottom half of the CA in all hitting statistics. There biggest bat, Tom Reed, slumped to .289/.363/.453 18 HR 80 RBI which would be a good season for most FABL players but not for those of Reed's stature. John Wells was a consistent bat in lineup over the summer posting a line of .270/.341/.397 15 HR 76 RBI while providing above average defense at second base on a team that again was poor in the field. Fans will not see Wells in a Wolves uniform any longer as he was dealt to Kansas City in October for a young OF prospect by the name of Frank Hardin, 23, after spending eleven seasons in Toronto. With the exception of new shortstop Jesse Taylor, 24, who led the team in RBI with 87, the rest of the bats were anemic. Taylor's glove while not outstanding at least gave the Wolves the dependable fielder at short they have not seen since the days of Charlie Artuso, a name few of the new generation of fans even recognize from the Wolves' glory days of the early Forties.

On the mound the Wolves again get effective starting pitching but once more dealt with the problem they have had for years, an ineffective bullpen coupled with porous defense. Wilson Pearson, who was supposed to be the shutdown man to secure late inning leads blew almost as many games, 12, as he saved, 15. Arnie Smith, who was the controversial winner of CA Allen Award with 13-13, 3.44 record, led the CA in strikeouts with 213 followed by teammate George Hoxworth with 173. Whitey Stewart suffered through a second subpar season at 6-13, 5.18. The highly touted pitcher who went first overall in 1953 is starting to remind longstanding fans of Les Ledbetter who is still plying his trade in Buffalo. The Wolves have not been successful in developing talent for the last decade which shows in their record.

Fans who might hope the club's future is the minor league system will probably be disappointed as the system again ranks in the bottom half of the FABL. Change up top has happened again as the team fired GM George Thomas in October after three seasons at the helm. His record was an undistinguished 217-245 with a 5th, 6th and 7th place finish in the CA. Owner Bernie Millard handed the keys to the front office to an unproven Dan Atwater, 38, which most fans believe will lead to more losing as the new GM attempts to implement his plans for a new direction for the Wolves. Atwater spent 11 years in the FABL as a pitcher for New York Stars, Boston and San Francisco putting together a 95-105, 4.03 record.

The Year That Was
Current events from 1960

Jan 2- US Senator John F. Kennedy announces his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Jan 19- The United States and Japan sign a treaty of mutual cooperation and security.
Adolph Coors III, chairman of the brewing company, is kidnapped and his captors demand a ransom of $500,000. He is later found murdered.
Mar 6- The United States announce that 3,500 American soldiers will be sent to Vietnam.
May 1- A Soviet missile shoots down an American U-2 spy plan and pilot Gary Powers is captured.
May 6- President Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights act of 1960 into law.
May 16- Khrushchev demands an apology from Eisenhower for the Spy Plane. The incident cuts the 1960 Paris summit short.
Jul 13- John F. Kennedy wins the Democratic presidential nomination. Two weeks later Vice President Richard Nixon earns the Republican nomination.
Aug 6- In response to a U.S. embargo against Cuba, Fidel Castro nationalizes American and foreign-owned property in the nation.
Aug 19- In Moscow, downed American pilot Gary Powers is sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage.
Sep 26- Candidates Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy participate in the first televised presidential election debate.
Oct 14- Kennedy first suggests the idea for the Peace Corps.
Nov 8- In a close race Kennedy is elected over Nixon, becoming (at 43) the youngest man elected President.
Dec 2- President Eisenhower authorizes the use of $1 million for the relief and resettlement of Cuban refugees, who have been arriving in Florida at the rate of 1,000 a week.

Tiger Fan · 11-02-2024, 07:57 PM

1961 IN FIGMENT SPORTS

"Doubling Up" can be considered the theme for the past year in sports. The city of Philadelphia celebrated titles in two sports as the baseball Keystones ended a long pennant drought and the cage Phantoms were the class of the Federal Basketball League. The American Football Association New York Stars doubled up by winning their second consecutive AFA title while the Mississippi A&M Generals accomplished a very rare feat - winning national titles in two sports in the same year as the Generals won their first AIAA basketball tournament in April and followed that up two months later with their first Collegiate World Championship victory. Even a college athlete got in on the doubling theme as Brunswick shortstop Dick Vitt became the first to win back to back Christian Awards as the top college baseball player since Tom Miller did it in 1947-48.

1961 was the end of an era, as this season would be the last time a FABL season saw 16 teams compete for a World Championship Series. For 1962, the Fed and Conti will each see two new organizations, with the Los Angeles Suns and the Minneapolis Millers joining the Fed, and the New York Imperials and Dallas Wranglers join the Conti. An expansion draft is scheduled to kick off 1962, with the new teams getting raid the original eight teams in their association for talent.

Before that, however, we have a season to get through, and the start of the new year sparked a second trade season. In total, five trades involving FABL players were conducted in the year's initial month, starting with a three player trade between the Kings and Sailors.

Kansas City added the big leaguer, picking up outfielder Ben Crawford for a pair of prospects. A four year vet who has experience in all three spots, the now 31-year-old Crawford is coming off his best season yet, hitting .275/.349/.479 (116 OPS+) with 26 doubles, 9 triples, 20 homers, 99 RBIs, 81 runs, 61 walks, and 10 steals. Worth a shade below 4 WAR, Crawford has a nearly average career batting line (.243/.312/.409, 97 OPS+, 98 WRC+), but he has solid power and does well logging doubles and home runs. The speed is good too, leading to some triples and steals, but he has big strikeout issues that usually keep his average low. To acquire Crawford, the Kings sent out their recent 1st Round pick Mike Potter to San Francisco, who was a Southeastern League champion and with great power and an intriguing bat. He's young, 19 in February, so as intriguing as that bat is, he has a lot of development ahead of him, and the Kings want to win now. They tend to have a lot of outfield depth, and considering the second prospect, former 15th Rounder Harry Russell, was nothing more then a thrown in, they sacrificed some future outfield talent to supplement Hank Williams (.324, 40, 127), Charlie Rogers (.312, 16, 94, 12), and Bryan Jeffress (.284, 17, 67).

Crawford wasn't the only outfielder on the move, though he was the only one that had to find a new apartment. That's because Frank Reece (.246, 110, 533, 84) went from the Cougars to the Chiefs, only slightly adjusting his commute to work. The headliner of the axed Red Johnson deal nearly ten years ago, Reece ended up paving out a solid career in Chicago, spending eight seasons as the Cougars everyday center fielder. A former 2nd Round Pick, 1961 will be his 11th season, and the 33-year-old owns a respectable .246/.312/.394 (95 OPS+) batting line with 220 doubles, 57 triples, 110 homers, 533 RBIs, 617 runs, and 84 steals. A skilled defensive outfielder, last season was the first year he produced a sub 1.000 efficiency, and as recently as 1958 he produced a career high 20.5 zone rating (1.076 EFF) in 150 starts in center. In fact, all but two of his nearly twelve hundred FABL starts have came in his typical center.

Stability like that hasn't been found since another former Cougar John Moss started six straight seasons, and he'll join 5-Time All-Star Rod Shearer (.259, 26, 120, 12) and former Cougar draftee Doc Zimmerman (.329, 22, 102, 11) in a very capable alignment. Coming off a 2nd place finish, the Chiefs continued to add quality veterans to a roster that is ready to win now. This made it easier to part with top 100 prospect Ricardo Castillo (and throw in outfielder Blackie Morrison), who the Chiefs made the 25th selection in the 1960 draft. The versatile Panamanian hit well in both Class B (.275, 3, 10, 1) and C (.335, 3, 15, 18) after the draft, playing far better then a guy who turned 19 a week after the season. A really talented hitter, he's already driving the ball consistently, relying on a quick and fluid swing. He hits to all fields and can steal a ton of bases, so whenever he's on base he can cause issues. He projects to have good plate discipline, and even walked at a 18.2% clip, but after the promotion he only got 8 walks in 139 trips to the plate. Playing five positions allowed him to stay in the lineup all season, and his versatility will be appreciated in his new organization.

Toronto then added a pair of top 100 prospects, receiving Bob Campbell (85th) from the Stars for Jackson Scott and Red Richards (114th) before sending a trio of prospects to the Foresters for the 99th ranked Fred Tollefson. Despite the rankings, Tollefson might be the more valuable one, as the 18-year-old backstop is a recent 1st Round pick and catcher is a very thin position. He's among the better prospects, and since he's almost ten years younger then current starter Dixie Williams (.247, 17, 58), there's no one blocking his eventual claim on the starting role. At least 4 or 5 seasons away, Tollefson is a strong defender and solid hitter, one of the few guys who can handle both aspects of the game. He won't hit for much power, maybe 10 or so a season, but he can hit for a high average and has shown strong plate discipline. Pitchers will love to throw to him, and that may include Bob Campbell, who threw a no hitter less then a year after he was drafted in 1958, and has transformed from 6th Rounder mid rotation starter. The 20-year-old groundballer has great raw stuff, but it's far too often that he's missing the zone. Tollefson can help with that, as lesser catchers have struggled with Capmbell's wicked mid 90s sinker. It was a concerted effort by Toronto to trade older prospects for younger ones, as perhaps the rebuilding organization was making decisions with the upcoming expansion in mind.

*** OSA Likes Cleveland, But Not Boston ***

For the rest of the preseason, there was little action, and come April OSA made the bold prediction that the Boston Minutemen would not only not threepeat, but win just 73 games in 1961. Instead, they expected the Pioneers to runaway with the crown, as talented Chiefs and Keystones rosters fought for 2nd. In the Conti, Cleveland continued to be the favorite, as they looked to prove that third time's truly a charm. The Kings will give them a lot of trouble, and I'm sure the Cougars will pretend to be a threat for a portion of the season, but OSA thinks them and the Stars will crack 80 wins as the league feasts on the poor Canadian teams competing to stay out of the gutter.

A late start to the season meant some teams only played five games in April, and the season didn't really feel like it got going until June started. At this point the CA was feasting off the Wolves (15-21), Saints (16-22), AND Cougars (16-23), as the Foresters (26-15) looked to put some distance between themselves and the Stars (21-15) and Kings (21-16). In the Fed, the other Chicago team (21-12) was threatening to runaway with the association, as no one else was more then two games over .500. In fact, Philadelphia (18-16) was the only other team over .500, and they were the only team within four games of the leaders. With it still being very early, the pennant was far from settled, as three teams sat at .500 and a fourth was just one under. And instead of pulling away, they settled around the .500 mark. After getting swept by the second place Keystones, their lead shrunk to half a game, but they managed to hold at least a share of the lead until the 28th of June.

St. Louis (39-28) became the new leader, and opened July their new association lead. The Chiefs (35-27, 1.5 GB), Keystones (35-29, 2.5), and surprisingly, the Eagles (34-31, 4 GB), were all within five games. On the flip side, the Foresters held the top spot for all of June, but a slow start to July let the surprise Stars seize control of first. Led by the Barrell's Charlie and Ralph, they were scoring a ton of runs, and the almost 26-year-old Lou Allen making Stars fans wonder why the organization kept him in AAA for most of the last two seasons. Cleveland quickly reclaimed the game, as the Stars' reign lasted a grand total of one day, and the Foresters (53-31) held the lead to the All-Star game. It got as big as four, halved to two after the Stars (50-32) beat them in the last two games of the first half. The Conti was looking like a two-team battle, as the Kings and Sailors were both 9 out at the break. In fact, the Stars were the only team in either association that was less then four out, as the Pioneers (50-32) held a 4.5 game lead over the Chiefs (44-35) and Keystones (45-36). Both teams would need hot starts after the break, or the pennant race could quickly become out of reach.

ALL-STAR GAME

The 29th edition of FABL's midseason classic returned to the site of the initial all-star game as venerable Whitney Park, host of the first contest back in 1933, once more welcomed the best the sport had to offer. The Chicago sporting mecca played witness to not only the 1933 game, won 8-5 by the Federal stars, but also the 1948 contest in which the Continental Association dominated by an 11-3 score.

This time around the Continental Association prevailed by an 8-5 score to take a 17-12 lead in the series. It was the second consecutive win for the CA and its sixth triumph in the last seven years. The game also saw Cleveland pitcher Adrian Czerwinski selected for the 11th time. The star righthander did not pitch in the game- he had started for the Foresters the previous day in Los Angeles- but his selection makes the Mad Professor one of just nine players to be named to the all-star team at least 11 times.

The game itself saw the Continental stars score three times of Detroit's Paul Anderson in the top of the first inning and they never trailed although the Feds did knot the game at 4 in the fourth inning before the CA pulled ahead for good on an rbi double from Lou Allen in the top of the sixth. The young Los Angeles Stars outfielder would round out the Continental scoring with a 2-run homer in the eighth inning and Allen's two extra-base hits to go with 3 rbi's earned him the player of the game award.

Flag Race Over By All-Star Break For Defending Champs

The pennant race was over. That's how the defending champs felt, as at 37-47 they announced that they were going to sell once play resumed. Most teams didn't take that literal, but sure enough, before the Minutemen played the Eagles in Washington on July 21st, they told Foster Sherman (7-2, 4.12, 60) to go to the home team dugout. A staple of the Minutemen rotation, all but 10 of his FABL innings came in Boston, where he went 71-52 with a 3.79 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, 683 walks, and 714 strikeouts, Sherman was now an Eagle. Known for some command issues, he led the Fed with 118 walks last season, though that was actually his fewest since his first full season in Boston. Equipped with more talented, younger pitching (though for some reason they've moved reigning Allen winner Don Griffin to the pen), they felt like they would use their lost season as an opportunity to retool.

This first deal, which also saw them move a young catcher, brought in 19-year-old John Swift, who ranked 63rd on the league's prospect list. Taken 3rd by the Eagles in 1960, he hasn't lived up to that hype yet, and there were some in the league who thought the athletic star would give it a go in the outfield too. Instead, Swift has stuck to the mound, where he profiles as a potential #2 pitcher. The six foot lefty has a deep arsenal with an excellent change and curve, while his low 90s sinker generates more grounders then you can count. He worked his way up to A ball, where he was 3-3 with a 3.78 ERA (96 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts in 9 starts. An advanced pitcher for his age, we may just be two or three seasons away from the young lefty surpassing Sherman in terms of overall ability.

Washington made another reinforcement that day, but they weren't able to make it to Columbia Stadium in time for the game. The surprise over .500 team, the Eagles improved their depth with righty Walt Staton (2-2, 2.68, 20) and catcher/infielder Del Gaines (.232, 3, 13, 2) coming over from Detroit. While on paper that's not a bad idea, what was is trading the just turned 24-year-old Bill Follis (5-2, 1, 3.83, 59), who was excellent in 12 starts and 4 relief outings. Originally a 7th Round pick of the Dynamos, Fouls didn't last long in that organization, cut less then a month after the draft, and he eventually got to Washington in last year's Rule-5 draft. The rookie was a respectable 9-12 with 2 saves, a 4.63 ERA (92 ERA+), and 83 strikeouts in 138 innings, though he had a high 1.59 WHIP in his 42 appearances (19 starts). Just before being given a second chance in the Motor City Follis was looking like a diamond in the rough, and you could make the case he was better then Staton at this point in his career. Though it could be the appeal of Gaines, who at 24 hit .249/.319/.404 (92 OPS+) parts of three seasons in Detroit, that drew the Eagles to the deal. Mostly as a pinch hitter, he started just 31 of his 162 games, but with his versatility Washington may have thoughts of using him as a rotational guy who can give days off at first, third, short, and even catcher. The power is nice too, and he's already paid Detroit back for taking a chance on him in the 15th Round back in 1954.

What came next possibly rewrote the future for two franchises, as the second place Keystones shipped three top-75 prospects to the Gothams to acquire the ace they've wanted since Lloyd Stevens was dispatched to the Sailors in 1951. That move helped bring a pennant to Philadelphia- but to the Sailors and not the Keystones- and and with adding the highly-skilled Jorge Arellano (9-7, 3.17, 68), the Keystones upgraded the best rotation they've had in years. Just 30, Arellano was once ranked as the top pitching prospect in FABL, and in his mid 20s he showed everybody exactly why. His biggest season came in 1957, where he went 21-8 with a 3.13 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, and Association high 202 strikeouts in 279.1 innings pitched. He was named to the All-Star game that season, with this year's inclusion surprisingly his only trip back. In 242 FABL games "Georgie" has gone 102-78 with a 3.78 ERA (113 ERA+), 3.59 FIP (83 FIP-), and 1.33 WHIP. A big strikeout arm, he's set down 1,079 hitters in 1,632.1 innings, and since he's not a power guy, just a guy with great stuff, he keeps the walks manageable (8.5%). Worth an impressive 35.9 wins above replacement, no pitcher taken before or after him (24th) in 1949 has cracked 30, and in the class just the Chiefs duo of Vern Osborne (Gothams, 6th) and Dick Champ (Miners, 22nd) have a chance to take the top spot from him.

Now a member of the Keystones, Arellano will get supported by Harry Dellinger, Marshall Thomas, Buddy Miller, and Lloyd Parker, and with midseason callup Andy Parker looking like a Kellogg contender in limited time, he gets to go from one of the worst offenses to one of the best. New York will feel well compensated, and hope that 19-year-old Charlie Walker can develop into a similar pitcher. Taken in the 3rd Round of the 1960 draft, he was off to a 2-1 start in 4 Class C starts, but the Gothams have aggressively moved him to their Class B affiliate. The hard throwing groundballer has explosive stuff, and I'm sure members of the Gothams lineup would have trouble with his curve. The sinker gets grounders and he does a good job using all five of his pitches. The command will continue to be a work in-progress, but even with no improvements he could be a back-end starter.

Best part is, he's the Glenn Johnson (the fourth prospect in the trade) of the package, as Joe Anderson and Johnny Nelson could be All Stars in the making for the Gothams. Anderson has come close to cracking the top-10, sitting at 17th, and the former 6th pick was crushing it in AA New Orleans. 22 in August, Anderson hit .307/.419/.460 (138 OPS+) in 360 trips to the plate, adding 14 doubles, 7 triples, 6 homers, 34 RBIs, 49 runs, and 53 walks. Eligible for this year's Rule-5 draft, he was blocked at second and the outfield in Philly, and as talented as he may be, he can't help with this year's pennant chase. Still, it's hard to give away batting title potential and his perfect swing, but Keystone GM Frank York understood the price aces fetch.

Nelson was another tough pill to swallow, as the Keystones don't have a long-term option behind the plate. Initially a 2nd Rounder of the Gothams, he was used to acquire Sam Ivey, in a deal that did not go well form the Gothams. Like Nelson, Ivey is back with his original team, as after struggling with the Gothams (10-16, 4.86, 115), he's been good back home. With the better player back, the Gothams regain a quality prospect even if they're one of the few teams set at catcher. He entices enough with huge home run potential. With good discipline and a solid contact tool, the thing determining his big league potential is his defense. 68 of his 91 games have game in AA, where the 22-year-old hit .249/.373/.498 (134 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 16 homers, and 56 RBIs. You don't see many catchers hit like that, and since he'll need to go on the 40 with Anderson, he could be on the big league roster next season. Starting catcher would be surprising, as their incumbent is the graduated #5 prospect and two months younger. Nelson has played at first, however, and with Hank Estill showing some age at 34, they may view him as an option to play first long-term.

With Philadelphia's big acquisition of Arellano, it would have made sense for the St Louis Pioneers to make a move to counter, but the Fed leaders held through the deadline. They led the Keystones by 2 and Washington by 3, and Washington did link up with the Minutemen for a small deal. A few days later, Boston made their fourth move of trade season, moving on from 27-year-old Bud Henderson just a year and a half after acquiring him from the Sailors. It's back to California for Henderson, but further south to Los Angeles where he was sent to the Stars along with 51st ranked prospect Bobby Garrison, for #2 prospect Frank Kirouac. Kirouac, who was expected to anchor the Stars offense for years to come, is an intimidating 6'4'' slugger who LA took 3rd in 1956. A consistent top-10 prospect, Kirouac has almost ascended to the spire, and was crushing it in 80 AAA games. That's where he's spent most of the season, slashing a strong .275/.404/.498 (146 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 15 homers, 45 RBIs, and 56 runs. He walks (59) more then he strikes out (50), and even swiped 7 bases in a 3.5 WAR effort. The defense was decent in center too (3.0, 1.016), and it's easy to see why Boston was so interested. Along with the big power, he'll hit around .300 with an OBP around .400, and as good as Boston has been, they don't really have a natural center fielder. Bill Tutwiler is an amazing hitter, but his defense is excellent in right and pretty poor in center. Kirouac would be a defensive upgrade, and if the Minutemen want to be aggressive, they can roll out a Masters-Kirouac-Tutwiler outfield once he gets all his bags packed.

It's a big loss for the Stars, but Lou Allen has emerged as an excellent slugger in center, and if they want defense, 23-year-old Ed Moore is going to be ready in a season or two and he's a much better defender. They have plenty of offense, but aside from the robbed Allen winner Dewey Allcock (who actually tore his rotator cuff in the Stars first post-trade inning) and first year starter Sy Dunn, there are a lot of holes in the rotation. Henderson, now in his third organization, is in the middle of what should be his sixth consecutive season with an above average ERA+ and FIP-. This started when he went 17-12 with a 2.79 ERA (133 ERA+) and 2.75 FIP (74 FIP-) as a rookie, where despite a 1.27 WHIP, 93 walks, and an association leading 189 strikeouts, he came up short in the Kellogg race. Two years later he led the Conti with 20 wins, and with better run support he could have came close to that this year. An unlucky 7-9, Bud has a tidy 3.65 ERA (120 ERA+) and 3.76 FIP (85 FIP-), making 20 starts with a 1.37 WHIP, 51 walks, and 73 strikeouts. Him and Allcock will form a lethal 1-2 punch, and with potentially seven 20+ home run hitters, they are going to be a legitimate contender this season and in the near future.

*** Keystones Make Move During Dog Days ***

Fueled by their big acquisition of Jorge Arellano, the Philadelphia Keystones were on a mission in August. The team went 6-0 in his starts -Arellano himself was 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA (167 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts- and didn't lose a single series as the wins kept coming. An outstanding 23-6 for August, they actually didn't reach first place until the second half of the month, as the Pioneers didn't lose a series until the end of August. Unless of course, you count the one game they played (and lost) on the 22nd in Philly. That was an Arellano start, as he (6.1 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 4 K) matched Billy Hasson (7 IP, 4 H, ER, 3 BB, 7 K) and put the game in the hands of his pen. They held up, John Gibson of St Louis didn't, as Lloyd Coulter led off the 9th with a single, got to second on a bunt, and then scored on Al Coulter's walk-off single. Not only did that put the Keystones back in first, but it let them stay there, and they finished August with a three game lead. The rest of the Fed couldn't keep up with the red hot hopefuls, as just the Eagles (68-55, 9.5 GB) were within 15 of first.

Lucky for baseball fans, the Fed was still likely to have a pennant race, and the Conti is razor thin. The Foresters (73-51) and Stars (70-49) were neck-and-neck, separated by just half a game at months end, and while not close, the Sailors (67-55, 5 GB) and Cannons (64-56, 7 GB) were at least within double digits. LA got off to a hot start, seizing first with a quick series win, but after losing their ace in his first August start, they lost their replacement ace in his first September start. That would be deadline pickup Bud Henderson, who was not only off to a poor start (2-4, 5.57, 28), but will now have the lengthy rehab process involved with torn elbow ligaments. A game and a half lead would be tough to protect, and the gap between Bud and whoever they'll decide to replace him with is about as large as some of the homers the Barrell boys can hit.

Making matters worse, LA stumbled into a three game set in Cleveland with three straight losses, causing them to enter the crucial series down a game. With the injury it meant an unfavorable pitching matchup too, as Earle Wright to take on 44-year-old Rufus Barrell, who was still going strong despite having teammates that weren't even born when he made his FABL debut. That didn't stop Don Hall from getting the scoring going early, as the former #2 pick hit his 19ht homer of the season. That 1-0 lead would have been nice, but the Cleveland offense quickly backed up their beloved vet. Tom Carr got a first pitch double and then walks loaded the bases for Paul Williams. He just missed one, popping up to the second base side of the outfield, and a double play could help the Stars come out unscathed.

The twin-killing did not happen and instead a wild pitch was what they got, as the first pitch to Earl Howe scooted away from Joe Cook, and the lead disappeared. Howe then doubled, scoring the last two on base, and just like that Cleveland was up 3-1. Hal Kennedy matched Howe with a double of his own, and Kennedy made it 5-1 when he scored on a Don Hall error. Wright finally got out of the inning, but he couldn't finish the second. He game up two more before leaving, and Cleveland added a pair of runs in the 3rd, 6th, and 8th too. The game ended up looking closer then it was, as Vic Richardson had a major league debut that could have been worse then his worst nightmare. Cleveland's 3rd Round selection in 1956, he ranks outside the top 250, and was ambushed for a walk, 6 hits, and 5 runs. Richardson recorded just one out, before 21-year-old rookie Johnny Ogden had no issues getting the last two outs of a 13-7 win. Now 73-54, LA had the same amount of losses as the Foresters, just with four less wins.

First-time All-Star Lou Allen had no trouble early in game two, homering off spot starter Johnny Britton in his first two at bats, and the 26-year-old was responsible for all but one of the Stars runs in an early 4-1 lead. Those were his 32nd and 33rd home runs, and his RBI total got up to 103. But the 4th was an issue for Floyd Warner, who after a leadoff single and fly out, he allowed five consecutive batters to reach. This led to a huge five run inning, quickly flipping the score to 6-4. Cleveland got five more in the six, with three coming on a big swing from Paul Williams during an at bat with Ted Ferguson. Again, with the game out of reach, LA got more runs, this time 3 in the 7th and 2 in the 9th, making their 11-9 loss look closer then it felt.

Now 3 out, LA needed a win to avoid the sweep, and it might have been good they didn't score in the first. This time it was Cleveland who struck first, with Paul Williams' double making it 1-0 early. It felt like it was more of the same, but this time they had their only healthy and effective pitcher, Sy Dunn on the mound. The 22-year-old struggled with his command, walking ten in his start, but he left the game with a 7-4 lead. Homers from Allen and Charlie Barrell were helpful, but Dunn himself had one of four Stars doubles. With two outs in the 8th he handed it off to Hank Myer, who went from being terrible (2-1, 1, 5.14, 44) to almost automatic in the pen. A double play erased his only baserunner, a Cecil Cummings single, and allowed him to lower his ERA to 2.44 and record his 16th save. Avoiding the sweep, the Stars got back within two -- the same amount of games they had remaining with Cleveland.

Those came in over two weeks, meaning they had to at least keep pace with the talented Cleveland squad, but with those teams focused on each other, the San Francisco Sailors decided to start making things interesting. Reeling off wins in 11 of 15 September games, the Sailors got within two games of the leading Foresters. They swept Cleveland in San Francisco, winning a tight 2-1 game before exploding for 14 in the finale. Led by a talented young cast, they had two series against the teams ahead of them, allowing them an opportunity to steal the pennant in the final week. They end their season in Cleveland (3) before home series against the Stars (2) and Foresters (3), setting up an exciting photo finish at the end. Cleveland and LA were within a half game of each other, and had a series of their own in the last week of September. By the time those teams met, the Sailors (82-63) scooted ahead of the Stars (81-63), who were 2.5 games behind the leading Foresters (84-61).

In need of a better performance, the Stars had over 20,000 in the opener, which could be an excellent pitching duel between Jake Pearson and Sy Dunn. That's not how it started, as both offenses got two in the first, and a two-out double from Ralph Barrell in the 2nd made it 3-2 LA. Finally settled in, the starters traded zeros until a Tom Car double tied the game in the 7th. Dunn was able to get out of the inning, finishing his night with 7 strong innings (7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K), but he'd now have to rely on his defense if he wanted his 17th win. Jake Pearson worked around a double in the 7th, and unlike his opponent, he started the 8th. It would have been 8 full innings (6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 5 K) for the 30-year-old, but a Johnny Neal error extended the inning. As punishment, Neal was the one to be taken out in the double switch, as the young Johnny Ogden was brought on to finish the 8th and later start the 9th. His task was retire young leadoff hitter Charlie Sax, something he did on just three pitches.

Hank Myer, who delivered a perfect 8th, got off to a rough start, as Herm Ford singled on the first pitch of the ninth, but after defensive replacement Gene Curtis fouled off a bunt, his second attempt ended up with Ford forced out at second on an excellent play by Ralph Barrell. Stan Kleminski's hustle paid off, as he got on with an infield hit, bringing up slugging shortstop John Low. After taking two pitches wide, he unloaded on a fastball, blasting it 414 feet to right. Though if you thought that was impressive, Paul Williams' encore was even better, as he pounded a get me over fastball 458 feet to left. Dejected, the young Myer was removed from the outing, as September callup Len Trautman was called upon for the final out. He got it, retiring defensive replacement Bob Allie, but the hosts at their work cut out for them.

Ralph Barrell leading off the inning helps, especially if it was a tie game. Down four, they needed more then a leadoff walk. Both Jim Berrien and Lou Allen fell down in the count and each had poor results. Berrien struck out, and Allen erased the lead runner with a dribbler to the pitcher, bringing up breakout infielder Virgil Ewing as the last chance. He pounced on a first pitch breaking ball, singling to the left field gap, with the pitcher's spot ready next. Former Forester Manager Charley McCullough went to Emil Grenier, who gave Ogden all he had. Working the count to 3-2, he fouled off three pitches before grounding to third to end the game.

Desperate for the win to avoid a sweep, Los Angeles went to Carl Johnston, who had the tough task of facing CA win leader Adrian Czerwinski. Making that tougher was a Paul Williams RBI double (1st) and a Gus Melvin home run (2nd), putting Cleveland ahead 2-0 before the Barrell's got to bat. Ralph ended up cutting the lead in half, getting hit on a 2-2 pitch before scoring on a Virgil Ewing double. The run of support seemed to calm Johnston down, as the 23-year-old southpaw finished his night off with five scoreless frames. LA finally broke back through in the 7th, as the Stars were able to bring home Charlie Barrell after his leadoff double. Johnston didn't go back out for the 8th, finishing with 5 hits, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts, although most importantly free from an undeserved loss. Hoping for a bounce back after last night's debacle, Hank Myer was brought in for the 8th, stranding a two-out single to keep the game tied.

Czerwinski made his way out for the 8th, but perhaps he should have had his night end with 7 strong innings and a no decision. Lou Allen reached on a Gus Melvin error, and after an intentional walk to set up the force. the Foresters relieved their multi-time Allen winner. On again was the young Johnny Ogden, who got Ralph Barrell to roll one over to short. Lucky for the Stars, he beat the throw to first, setting up his cousin to give the Stars a lead. After taking a close pitch, Charlie locked in, and hit the next one right over the left field fence. Unrattled, Ogden got the following two batters to strike out, but that big home run could reshape the pennant race.
Myer did allow a two out walk, but it was an overall painless 9th inning, and were back within three games of the Cleveland. The Sailors were a game and a half back, and after a pair of off days they opened their "final gauntlet" a game and a half back. With six games against the leaders, three on the road and three at home, the Sailors controlled their own destiny in the Continental race.

**** Sailors and Foresters Final Weekend Showdown ****

The race to the finish started with a nice late September Friday in Cleveland, where San Francisco's first time All-Star George Fuller took on 11-Time All-Star Rufus Barrell. Both arms had their missteps early, with Barrell charged with one in the first and the Foresters claiming the lead with a Jerry Tubbs three run homer in the second. Both pitchers settled down, but high-stress, high-pitch innings pushed Fuller out after 5 (4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K), and after Barrell allowed the first man in the 7th (who later scored) to reach base, his night ended with 6+ innings of decent work (4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K). No win for him, as Johnny Ogden couldn't hold the lead, as after retiring the first batter he faced, Chet Harris took him deep to tie the game at three. With a clean inning, Ogden was able to keep San Francisco off the board in the 8th, but the Foresters offense couldn't get anything going either. Neither team scored in the 9th, so extra innings was needed to decide this all important matchup.

Kicking things off was talented young shortstop Carlos Jaramillo, who worked Lynn Horn to a full count before hitting a hard grounder past short for a single. Playing for one, veteran outfielder Edwin Hackberry did something he'd never do in Detroit, bunt over a runner, but with Jaramillo's speed they increased their winning potential exponentially. To the surprise of some, no intentional walk followed, with second year outfielder John Kingsbury forcing Horn to throw six pitches before surrendering the walk. With the force set up, pinch hitter Carl Matthews rolled up what should have been a routine double play ball for the always reliable John Low, but he booted the grounder, his second error in the game. With the bases now loaded, Ray Rogan pounced on the first pitch, breaking the tie with a one run single. The lead expanded when Herbert Crawford Jr. did the same, though the second out came after when Roy Rutter struck out.

The book was closed on the earned runs, but because of the Low error, Horn still needed one more out. His opponent would be Larry McLaren, who after going down 1-2, added another single. Matthews scored and Rogan followed, beating Tommy Henry's throw from center. Horn's night was over, swingman Frank Young entered, but the scoring continued as early game hero Chet Harris made it 8-3 with the fifth single of the inning. Both runners advanced on the throw home, and the lineup turned all the way back to Jaramillo, who scored the go-ahead run. This time his 3-2 count ended in a flyout, but the damage was done and five runs was tough to overcome. Cleveland did try, even loading the bases with two outs, but 25-year-old lefty Zeke Blake got Bob Allie to flyout and end the game. With the win, the Sailors were just a game behind the Foresters in the win column, a half game away from holding first place.

Now with the chance to take over, the Sailors relied on rookie swingman Eddie Chapman to take on third year swingman Sonny Stoyer. Cleveland got off to a hot start, getting runs in the 3rd and 5th, before a leadoff single ended his night. Perhaps another batter would have worked out well, as former Whitney winner Earl Howe welcomed Roy Rice into the day with a double, increasing the lead to 3-0. On the other end, Stoyer was dominant through seven, putting up zero after zero. Then came the 8th, where a leadoff single sparked some light in the Stars. Quickly, Stoyer retired the next two hitters, but Edwin Hackberry extended the inning with a single, and they got on the board with a John Kingsbury RBI single. Both runners advanced on the throw, moving to third and second, and bringing in the oft-used Johnny Ogden for the final out. He got Heinie Spitler down 1-2, but the rookie second basemen tied up the game with a clutch liner through the left side. Ogden was able to bounce back, getting Rogan to fly out, but just like that the miracle Sailors were right back into it.

They sent Davey Chamberlain in for the 8th, using just five pitches to set down the Foresters before some fans returned from a quick late-game concession break. Ogden was back out for Cleveland in the 9th, getting a ground out and strike out before rookie catcher Larry McLaren extended the inning with a single. This brought up the pitcher's spot, and an obvious substitution, with former first rounder Ray Hughes tasked with turning the lineup back over. Like the Foresters in the previous half inning, he wasted no time, pouncing on a first pitch that he drilled to left. Going all the way to the wall, even the tortoise that is McLaren was able to score from and Forester stadium was so quiet you could hear Hughes' roar of excitement as he popped up from his slide at third. Again, Ogden countered allowed run with an easy out, but now the hosts were down to their final three outs.

Tasked with getting those was Gary Pike, as their top two arms Chamberlain and Roy Rice were already used. Pike got a quick ground out, but walked pinch hitter Larry Curtis after he worked the count full, turning the lineup around for Tom Carr, who already had two doubles on the night. As the go-ahead run, Carr singled. With the winning run on base, Pike was in trouble, but he needed just one pitch to get Stan Kleminski to fly out. The game came down to star shortstop John Low, 2-for-4 with an RBI, and a chance to pick up #108 on the season. Pike got ahead of him, getting a whiff and a foul out, before forcing Low out of the zone with a 60-foot sinker. It didn't get far enough away from McLaren, who was able to complete the put out at first and push San Francisco a half game ahead of Cleveland.

A sweep at home would be devastating for the Foresters, who had just one other game (in Chicago on the 3rd) against a team who wasn't the Sailors, and those final three games would be at Golden Gate Stadium. Making matters worse, Cleveland had to face rookie ace Charlie Lawson, who was not only named to the All-Star game, but led the Continental in earned run average. Cleveland had a dependable arm of their own, Jake Pearson, but the offenses couldn't do much against weaker pitching. A pitching duel was expected, and it certainly lived up to it. Both pitchers were scoreless through four, but while Pearson made it five, Earle Howe fire the opening salvo with a homer off Lawson in the 5th. Howe got to him again in the second, doubling home Paul Williams, who led the inning off with a double of his own. Still, the Sailors ace was advertised, allowing just 5 hits and a walk with 3 strikeouts in 8 solid innings. His only hope for a ninth is his offense producing with runners on base. Despite getting ten base runners (6 H, 4 BB) in the first eight innings, they couldn't score a single run. Again in the ninth, runners got on, as down to their final out Chet Harris got himself a pinch-hit double to turn the lineup back over one more time. Carlos Jaramillo kept things going with a single, but Harris held up cautiously as he did not want to get thrown out at home to end the game. Looking to get the platoon advantage, the righty Ron Turner hit for the lefty Edwin Hackberry. Turner held a share of the team RBI leader with John Kingsbury (92), who was waiting on deck. Pearson jumped ahead of the new entrant, and got him to chase a 1-2 pitch, finishing off a huge 8-hit shutout to reclaim first place.

San Francisco got a day off to regroup, and they got an off day to travel home for the last time this year. Half a game back, they had five games against the third and first place teams at Golden Gate Stadium. The Stars came to town 84-65, just a single game behind the Sailors. Both had five games remaining, but LA would need a little help from their hosts to reach Cleveland. They obliged early, as the 23-year-old southpaw Cal Johnston put up zero after zero in a veteran like start. Deadline acquisition Eddie Whitney didn't have the same luck, as Charlie Barrell started the scoring with a solo shot in the 3rd, and the Stars lineup added single runs in the 4th and 5th too. For the 6th the Sailors turned to the pen, and in the 8th Vince Ewing hit his 20th homer of the season.

Johnston continued to deal and was looking to complete his first career shutout. Herbert Crawford Jr. had other ideas, pouncing on a get me over pitch, doubling down the left field line. This triggered Charlie McCullough to make the move, turning things over to young stopper Hank Myer. Myer got Bob Gray to fly out to left, keeping the quick Crawford at second, but rookie catcher Larry McLaren got him there with a line drive to right-center. Up again in a big pinch hitting opportunity was Ray Hughes, this time with one out instead of two. The result was worse, as after taking the first pitch, he grounded into a routine 6-4-3 double play, Meanwhile, San Francisco lost to the Cougars 3-1, as George McKee (2-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B, 3B) solved The Mad Professor's pop quiz. With Cleveland off on the 4th, whoever won the finale of the Stars/Sailors would enter a tie for first with three games to go.

The win may mean more for Los Angeles, but there's no doubt that San Francisco is the one that needs the win more. With it, pretty much all they have to do is handle the Foresters. Win three and they're in, win two and anything but a sweep form LA and they're postseason bound. From this point on, every start made would be the pitcher's last, so George Fuller finishes his first full season starter with 32 as a Sailor, as he took on former All-Star Floyd Warner. Fuller was the one that pitched like it, as while he limited damage, Wagner was tagged for three in the second while Ray Rogan and Bob Gray went back-to-back in the third. He did end up finishing six, but 7 hits, 5 runs, and 3 walks is tough to win with. On the flipside, Fuller fired off six scoreless, allowing just 5 hits and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts. Carlos Jaramillo made it 6-0 in the 7th with a solo homer, and perhaps mercifully, Don Hall's 25th homer gave the Stars a 9th inning pity homer.

With the Sailor win, they entered the last series of the regular season tied with the Cleveland, setting up the storybook finish to the season every fan dreams that their team can come through in. Almost a playoff before the playoff, the winner of this series would likely win the Continental, as the scrappy San Francisco team had a chance to spoil the dominant Foresters threepeat effort. It would be no easy task, but with home field and a team that refused to lose, I'm sure the mighty Foresters were far more nervous then they showed.

In a rematch of October 1sts game, Jake Pearson once again took on Charlie Lawson, as the Sailors looked to get ahead with their ace. The only issues was their defense was abysmal, as the hosts made four errors in the first five innings. This led to six runs, three of which were earned, and put the Sailors in an early 6-1 hole. They did get two in the six, a Heinie Spitler RBI single and Bob Gray bases loaded walk, but after the runners were promptly stranded. Tom Carr then tripled and scored in the 8th, making it 7-3, as Pearson (8 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 3 K) once again provided his club with a huge victory. And with Buddy Byrd's walk-off sac-fly in Chicago, the Stars loss too, meaning all the Foresters had to do to make the playoffs was win one more game.

Easy enough, right?

With a 5-Time Allen winner like Rufus Barrell, it might be, and his lineup gave him an early 1-0 lead. He would need more support, as Larry McLaren doubled and scored to tie the game and then take the lead. Herm Ford battled back with an RBI triple to tie the game backup, but the hosts had a quick answer. Bob Gray launched his 20th homer of the season, doubling the Sailors run total, and allowing starter Eddie Chapman (5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 7 K) to exit his start in line for the win. Though win he did not, as after a scoreless frame, Roy Rice allowed Barrell to single to start the 7th. Bringing the lineup back to the top, Tom Carr added a single of his own, and Stan Kleminski bunted both of them over. After a called strike, John Low replaced his pitcher on third, tripling to tie the game up at 4. Low was stranded there, with both Paul Williams and Hal Kennedy flying out, but Rufus was back out for the 7th, but after walking McLaren and Chet Harris he was quickly replaced with Jonny Ogden. Carlos Jaramillo's sac-bunt put both runners in scoring position, giving Edwin Hackberry a chance to retake the lead. He got ahead 3-1, and then lined one past the second basemen to give San Fran the lead. Harris quickly followed McLaren, sliding past the Hal Kennedy tag to make it 6-4. Ogden then caught the talented John Kingsbury looking, but hope was back in the Sailor dugout. Entering form the pen was Davey Chamberlain, who was tasked with getting the final six outs. He ran into little resistance, even striking out Carr and Kleminski to end the game. And since the Stars lost once again, game 154 would officially determine who won the Continental Association.

Smart money was on the back-to-back pennant winners, as they had none other then Adrian Czerwinski, arguably one of the top-5 if not top-10 pitchers of all time, in the deciding game of the season. They would have loved to have him in Game 1 of the World Series, but instead he had to win today to ensure he'd make his 17th career postseason start. Manager Jim Whitehead wouldn't outrightly state it, but everyone knew that game 154 was all on Czerwinski, who was set to lead the CA with 13 complete games and 4 shutouts. Unusual for him, he found himself in an early deficit, as Carlos Jaramillo started the inning with a single, stole second, got to third on a grounder, and scored on Heinie Spitler's two out single. Cleveland responded quickly with a two-out run of their own, with Jerry Tubbs hitting his 7th to tie the game at 1. Both starters settled in, with the Eddie Whitney completing 5 solid innings with just 3 hits, a walk, a run, and 2 strikeouts.

It was a bold decision to turn it to the pen, as both Roy Rice and Davey Chamberlain threw 2 innings each the previous day. Perhaps scoring a run in the 5th is what made the decision, as with a 2-1 lead they might have felt like they had to protect the lead. Rice again threw a scoreless frame, but Hal Kennedy's 24th homer tied the game back up at 2. That led off the 7th, and Rice did manage to keep the game where it was, but a tie game between Czerwinski and Davey Chamberlain did not seem to favor the home team. The durable vet gets outs and gets them quick, and he can throw 140+ pitches if he absolutely must.

Chamberlain entered the 8th, and he had to deal with the top of the Continental's top lineup. Tom Carr got things going with a walk, and as he tends to do, Stan Kleminski bunted the runner over. With John Low up and a runner in scoring position, the pressure was at an all-time high. After going down 1-2, he fought back with four foul balls in five pitches, before lacing the 9th pitch of the at bat to center. With Carr's speed, scoring was easy, and the Foresters were now six outs away from their third consecutive pennant.

Cleveland wasn't ready to stop either, as Paul Williams was a run producer himself. He got down 0-2, fouling off two pitches after, before taking four straight wide ones to reach base. Now on second, Low was pinch ran for in Gene Curtis, a more skilled baserunner. It turned out it wasn't needed, after getting ahead 0-2, Chamberlain hit the catcher Kennedy to load the bases. Though when Earl Howe hit his 0-2 pitch to deep center, perhaps the skipper Whitehead breathed a little easier, knowing Curtis could easily score to stretch the lead to two. Finally, Chamberlain finished off an 0-2 count, striking out Jerry Hubbs to end the inning.

With the season on the line, the Sailors now needed to score two runs off one of the most experienced and talented pitchers in baseball history, and they had just six outs to work with. After a myriad of defensive moves, the battle-tested ace actually made the cardinal sin of baseball, allowing rookie sensation Heinie Spitler to reach with a leadoff walk. The vet did get the next two guys quick, but he put the tying run on base with a walk of Herbert Crawford Jr. That brought up Larry McLaren, who seems to always be the right guy at the right time. Now with the opportunity to bring his team to the playoffs, he knew he had to come through, and he put a jolt into a 1-0 fastball. It looked good off the bat, but it curved just foul, nearly retaking the lead with a huge homer. Hoping to do it again, he put a good swing into the next pitch, but the professor was prepared, and got him to weakly ground out to short.

Before their final chance, the Sailors had to keep the score where it was, and Chamberlain was asked to do what he couldn't do in the previous inning. More composed, he cut through the 8-9-1 hitter, including a strikeout of Czerwinski, who had no intentions of letting someone else hit for him. With the game on the line, he knew he had to be out there, and more then anything, he wanted to be the guy to get things done.

As it has been in September, Ron Turner was there to pinch hit for the pitcher in the 9th, but after a pair of foul balls he was set down on strikes. The lineup turned over for Carlos Jaramillo, who not only scored both Sailor runs, but was 4-for-4 and a homer away from the cycle. That big hit would have been huge, but he was probably just happy to get on, singling on a tough 3-1 pitch. That made Edwin Hackberry the tying run, going ahead 1-0 before fouling off two pitches right back behind the plate. Starting to lock in, he drove the next pitch to center, but right at the well positioned center fielder Jaramillo remained at first making John Kingsbury the Sailors last chance.

Kingsbury took a change low to start the at bat, but then beat the second one in the dirt, right to defensive replacement Johnny Neal at short. Smooth as silk, he unloaded a laser to first, causing the visiting dugout to spill out with an array of ecstatic Forester players and coaches. Down to the last game, with the tying run up, their star did what he did best, and sent his team to their third consecutive World Championship series.

*** Cleveland Continues as Class of Continental ***

It wasn't as easy at it was the previous two seasons, but the Cleveland Foresters were still clearly the best team in the Continental. Not only did they score the most runs and allow the fewest, but they had players win the Allen and Whitney too. For the Allen, it was a common winner, as regular season hero and 11-Time All-Star Adrian Czerwinski won the award for the 6th time in his career. You could make the argument that teammate, runner-up, and staff-ace Jake Pearson (17-7, 3.37, 140) was actually more deserving, but it's hard to argue with the guy that led the association in wins (18), WAR (6.4), complete games (14), and FIP (3.51). A strong 18-9 in what was tied for an association leading 34 starts, "The Mad Professor" worked to a 3.54 ERA (126 ERA+) with a 1.21 WHIP, 74 walks, and 163 strikeouts. His second win in three seasons, and he completed his 13th consecutive season with 33 or more starts, at least 235 innings, an above average ERA+, and a FIP- of 85 or lower. Regardless of whether he wins his 4th championship or not, the run Czerwinski has continued is legendary, and it's truly going to be a shame when the crafty veteran decides that baseball is no longer for him. Once can only hope it comes after 300, if not 350, wins, as through 13 seasons he has 265 to go with a 3.25 ERA (126 ERA+), 3.19 FIP (77 FIP-), 99 WAR, and 2,122 strikeouts.

Despite his propensity for errors, John Low captured the Whitney, the first in his impressive 10-season career. Selected to his 9th consecutive All-Star game, Low finally earned the elusive accolade. An outstanding hitter and fielder, Low cracked the 7 WAR mark or the third time in his career, worth 7.4 in 149 games. The 32-year-old shortstop slashed an outstanding .331/.419/.530 (142 OPS+) with an elite 152 WRC+. Low logged 80 runs, 48 doubles, 10 triples, 14 homers, 111 RBIs, and 87 walks in a sterling all-around effort. Low's rare mix of offensive and defensive prowess at short is a true rarity in the game, and he's just one of the cogs in the elite lineup. A full season of him, Paul Williams (.307, 28, 111), and Earl Howe (.263, 22, 103, 7) led to 862 runs, but top to bottom everyone could produce. Tom Carr (.283, 6, 61, 32) and Stan Kleminski (.289, 8, 68, 14) excelled at setting the table, and if the 3-4-5 couldn't get it done Hal Kennedy (.285, 24, 84), Cecil Cummings (.281, 11, 62), Sherry Doyal (.298, 15, 64), and Jerry Hubbs (.240, 7, 36) came through when needed. And with the rotation of Pearson, Czerwinski, and Rufus Barrell (13-11, 3.94, 104), beating this team is no easy feat.

San Francisco came about as close as they could, and while still disappointed, rookie manager Walt Zecher should be proud of what his team accomplished. For the first time since 1954, they surpassed the 80 win mark, and with their young talent they might be able to start a streak going. Leading the youth charge is graduated top-50 prospect Charlie Lawson, who made a serious case for the Kellogg. Being 13-8 may have been his undoing, but Lawson led the CA in ERA (2.91) and WHIP (1.07), striking out 165 with 73 walks and 29 homers in 238.1 innings pitched. Lawson had a meteoric rise, going from 3rd Rounder last season to a top-10 pitcher, and he was the lone stabilizing force in a rotation that saw a lot of movement. Only George Fuller (12-10, 4.34, 118) started more then 20 games, but seven pitchers made double digit starts. The effectiveness varied, as Duke Bybee (3-5, 5.79, 35) looked like a 39-year-old coming off elbow surgery, and George Reynolds (4-5, 5.27, 71) and Gary Pike (3-5, 3, 5.77, 40) were banished to the pen. On the flip side, young guys like Eddie Chapman (15-4, 8, 3.26, 91) and Clem Pranger (7-5, 6, 3.48, 51) pitched their way into the rotation. If those two can fix up the rotation, they can focus on adding some bats. Heinie Spitler (.302, 9, 87, 11) was a nice development, he rounded out a solid top four. Carlos Jaramillo (.313, 12, 68, 40) would be the best shortstop if John Low didn't exist, and Edwin Hackberry (.243, 16, 70, 18) and John Kingsbury (.335, 18, 93, 14) are capable corner outfielders. Despite his poor end of season pinch hitting, they may want to make room for home run leader Ron Turner (.326, 24, 92), but for now he's stuck rotating from first, left, and right. They may have surprised teams this year, but expect this Sailors squad to have their hand in the pennant race once again.

Los Angeles will hope to be there too, as even after an embarrassing season ending sweep in Chicago, the Stars still finished with their best record since their pennant winning season in '52. If not for fatal injuries, they probably would have won, as losing ace Dewey Allcock (10-4, 3.63, 87) and deadline pickup Bud Henderson (2-4, 5.57, 28; 9-13, 4.08, 101), both of whom might not be ready for Opening Day, spoiled their season. Without those two, they just didn't have the pitching to compete. On the bright side, they have a third quality arm for next year, as 22-year-old Sy Dunn impressed in his first season as a starter. Making 29 starts, Dunn was 16-5 with a 3.34 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, and 136 strikeouts. Wild at times, Dunn is a live armed righty that hurls six tough pitches at you, some of which can graze triple digits. His sinker is usually in the 96-98 range, and he can roll up a ton of grounders, and assuming the health of Allcock and Henderson, LA will have a lethal 1-2-3. With a lineup that slugs as many homers as they do, even average pitching overall might be enough, as seven guys hit over 20 homers. Leading the charge was Lou Allen (.287, 39, 119) and his 39, and Ralph Barrell (.267, 35, 103) passed 30 too. Rookie middle infielder Virgil Ewing (.329, 21, 112) was a revelation at 26, and guys like Charlie Barrell (.315, 28, 88), Don Hall (.271, 25, 80), Jim Berrien (.306, 22, 61), and even Joe Cook (.221, 23, 68) could change the game with one swing of the bat. With 240 total homers, the clobbered the previous CA home run record, blowing the 1955 Foresters (183) out of the water. It's very early to make 1963 predictions, but if they can keep their pitchers healthy, I'd wager the Stars be the team to finally stop the Foresters' pennant streak.

A little bit further back were the Cincinnati Cannons, who at 80-74 finished 8 behind Cleveland. With a -39 run differential, they didn't really deserve their record. A lot can be blamed on their rotation, as ace hopeful Jim York (7-11, 5.07, 97) fought injury and poor performance, and Jimmy Block (7-11, 5.14, 88) had similar stats without the injury. On the plus side, young guys like Red Cunningham (10-8, 4.51, 87), Charlie Warren (7-3, 3, 3.19, 73), and Jack Meeks (9-12, 1, 4.14, 105) held there own, and the trio is in-line to fill the back of the rotation next season. Steps forward there would be huge, and if the organization has faith in their young pitching, they can shift their offseason focus to fine-tuning the squad. The outfield is strong, with 2-Time Whitney Winner Dallas Berry (.282, 29, 94, 10) the undisputed star, and elite play by former 5th pick and #4 prospect Bonnie Chapin, who also kind of got screwed out of the Kellogg. 24 as of June, Chapin hit a robust .345/.421/.574 (153 OPS+), capturing the batting title and launching 47 doubles, 7 triples, and 22 homers with 111 runs, 84 RBIs, and more walks (70) then strikeouts (55). That duo is among the best in the bigs, which made up for Fred Lainhart's (.265, 4, 47, 12) stark decline in production. They have a ton of power, even if not at the Stars level, with a 30+ homer season from Art McKinney (.259, 34, 101) and big blasts from Al Farmer (.304, 18, 61) and Charlie Ham (.272, 21, 82). The key now is hitting with runners on, and hoping for no more automatic outs, and with just one more table-setter, they could finish among the top three CA teams in terms of run production.

The last Continental team above .500 was the Kansas City Kings, who at 79-75 were back over he breakeven mark after their 8 season stretch was snapped a year ago. 79 wins was still likely a disappointment, but they got to add another Kellogg to an award they've dominated since its inception. 214 hits, 124 RBIs, and 33 steals were what it took for Pat Davis to win the award, as the highly touted top-15 prospect became the 5th King to win the award. The 23-year-old hit a solid .343/.380/.543 (137 OPS+) with 94 runs, 33 doubles, 17 triples, and 19 home runs, turning into a fourth deadly lefty in the KC lineup. A lot of Davis' RBIs were because Hank Williams (.326, 39, 121, 7) batted in front of him, and the duo spent plenty of time driving in Ken Newman (.255, 28, 108, 6), Charlie Rogers (.312, 16, 94, 12), and whoever else managed to get on. As good as those four were, the rest of the lineup really struggled. The always reliable and former Kellogg winner Dutch Miller (.217, 11, 75) had his first bad showing since he won back in '54, and his backup Bob Burge (.290, 6, 32, 4) was the only other above average hitter with more then 200 PAs. The pitching staff had a similar situation, as Beau McClellan (11-11, 3.99, 135), Fred Myers (10-14, 3.73, 119), and Gordon McDonald (9-4, 1, 3.63, 34) all impressed, but the rest of the staff seemed to have prolonged cold spells. Even All-Star stopper Del Lamb (10-6, 18, 4.36, 97) wasn't his normal dominant self, so with a return to form from some of their better pitchers they could push for a pennant. They're probably one solid starting pitcher and one quality regular from being a top team, but the foundation is there to make a sustained run.

The Chicago Cougars never got going, as a 10-18 May threatened to sink their season. The final nail came on June 6th, where star middle infielder Jack Gibson (.290, 15, 44) ruptured his MCL. A devastating injury from someone who has had injury issues in the past, cynical Cougar fans will draw parallels to Billy Hunter, another talented young infielder who could never get past his knee issues. Gibson's loss was irreplaceable, as the 26-year-old will enter 1962 with the 5th most home runs (123) in team history, despite having appeared in less then 500 FABL games. Coming off back-to-back 5 WAR seasons, the former 2nd Rounder was on track to break the team's single season home run record of 47, and with him gone the offense was never quite the same. They finished second to last in runs scored, despite solid seasons from Jerry McMillan (.314, 28, 81, 23), Gene Case (.288, 21, 77, 8), and Henry Watson (.302, 26, 90). Jim Barton (.303, 9, 68) might have taken a step back, going from an All-Star to an average bat with out power, but he's just 25, the oldest of the bunch. Add in a solid rookie season from 22-year-old shortstop Tom Holliday (.291, 4, 57), and the beginning of a young core is forming. They've got the pitching, as Andy Logue (15-11, 3.40, 139) seems to have put it all together, while John Mitchell (8-3, 3.74, 45) and rookie Henry Henderson (9-6, 2, 3.72, 66) are looking like solid young pitchers. Barring a combination of breakouts next season, this team is still ways from contention.

As expected, the Canadian teams were at the bottom, with Montreal (62-92) "winning" the Battle of the Great North. They didn't do much scoring or preventing runs, with very little going right. Eddie Martin (9-14, 3.88, 93) was the only pitcher with an ERA below 4.25 among pitchers with a start, and even in the pen only deadline pickup Chet Baker (5-3, 6, 3.78, 40) was able to get many outs. Offensively they had a little more luck, as Harry Swain (.328, 20, 101, 6) and Andy Gilman (.275, 25, 85) put together solid seasons. With Swain it was expected, but the 92 starts Gilman made were more then his previous three seasons combined. Now 24, the former 4th pick is starting to live up to the hype, and Montreal could quickly be his team. Meanwhile, the Toronto Wolves finished 59-95, and they saw their 21-year-old ace and Allen winner Arnie Smith (6-2, 2.81, 70) tear his labrum in June. Even worse, George Hoxworth (5-16, 5.14, 124) was awful, so what was once expected to be a decades long duo of dominance could fizzle out already. There's more of course, as Sid Cullen (.310, 19, 69) fought injuries again, making Tom Reed (.299, 28, 91, 10) the only above average hitter with more then 450 PAs. Canadian baseball is at a new all-time low, and with expansion set to take talent away from FABL organizations, these two cellar dwellers may not be able to stave off the expansion teams.

*** Fed Flag Race Decided Early ***

Suspense was lacking from the Fed finish, but in early September the Philadelphia Keystones and St Louis Pioneers were neck-in-neck. From the 8th to 10th, the top two teams squared off in St. Louis, and when the Pioneers took two-of-three, they opened up a one game lead. St. Louis ripped off three more wins, adding an extra half game to the lead, giving them a week and a half to stay on top before a big series in Philadelphia.

Philly then started to get hot, winning 7 of 8 to take a two game lead over the ice cold Pioneers. With a two game lead and a four game series, St. Louis still had a chance to put themselves in the driver's seat. They got off to a great start, roughing up Jorge Arellano (4 IP, 11 H, 8 ER) in the opener, as homers from Bill Bather (19) and Bob Bell (36) pushed the Keystone ace out early. Bather hit another homer off Sam Ivey in the 6th, helping the guests cruise to an 11-3 win. With the lead cut to one, the Keystones needed to end their struggles against St. Louis, and with a huge outing from Tom Robinson (8 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K), they were able to hold onto a tight 2-1 lead.

A double header followed, and while the two teams would play once more in October, this game had huge pennant implications. For St. Louis, a sweep would put them into a tie for first, while a Philly sweep would bring them ever-so-close to their first pennant since 1945. Runs came often in game one, with scoring in four of the first six innings, as the Keystones opened up a nice 5-1 lead. Neither team scored in the 7th, but the Pioneers were making a push in the top of the 8th. Starter Joe Kienle was cruising through 7, but after a leadoff ground out, pinch hitter Steve Schultz made it 5-2 with one swing of the bat. Looking to rebound, Kienle got Bill Bather to hit a grounder, but first basemen Andy Parker booted it, allowing Bather to reach. He got to second on a walk, and with the dangerous Bob Bell up, advanced on a wild pitch. With two runners in scoring position and a feared slugger at bat, momentum was starting to change, and with one swing from the eventual Whitney winner, it was a brand new game in Philly. Bell tied things up with a 383 foot homer to left center, ending Kienle's night, and producing a sort of uneasiness at Broad Street Park.

Reliever Don McKeown was up next, working around a pair of singles, managing to keep the score where it was. The Keystones got to face a new pitcher too, with John Gibson brought in to keep the game tied, but he failed in about as spectacular fashion as you could. Tom Cooprider was his first test, and he hit a solo homer to right center, quickly returning the lead to the home side. Next was a walk to Sam Gallick, and he only got an out after since Ed Thompson bunted him over. Gibson wanted nothing to do with reigning Whitney winner Harry Dellinger, walking him intentionally to bring up second basemen Marshall Thomas. Up 2-1, he lined a single to right, loading the bases for the young Andy Parker. With a chance to make up for his error, he hit one right back to Gibson, allowing him to get the force at the plate. Bases still loaded, now it was another Whitney winner in Buddy Miller, and there was nowhere to put him. Miller fouled off the first offering, but then hit one harmlessly to short.

Or at least it should have been, but defense was optional today, and the 4th Pioneer error made it 7-5 as Cal Randall, who just moved from third to short, couldn't field it cleanly. Bases still loaded, the dangerous Lloyd Coulter had a chance to make things happen, but he rolled over a 3-1 pitch, grounding out meekly to second to strand the runners. McKeown needed five pitches to get the first two outs of the 9th, but Bill Bather worked a eight pitch walk to keep the game alive. With a chance to make up for his error, Randall became the tying run, but all he could muster was a dribbler to Coulter at third, which he casually tossed across the diamond for the win.

Normally after a tough loss, you have a day to regroup, but instead the teams had about 30 minutes to prep for a rematch. At this point, St. Louis had to win, so putting up zeros for the first six innings was a big no-no. Thankfully, all Philly mustered up on 40-year-old John Thomas Johnson was Dick Christian's 2nd inning RBI single, so 1-0 wasn't a tough deficit to overcome. Still, another zero in the 7th was brutal, and opposing pitcher Jim Cooper decided he needed more run support. With one out and two on, the 27-year-old did something he had never done before: hit a home run. That big blast made it 4-0, so when Cooper left with one out in the 8th, he was inline for his 11th win of the season. In came a second Jim, 20-year-old Jim Elliot, who let St. Louis get on the board with Bob Bell's 38th home run. It was a good start, and St. Louis did get two more in the 9th, but any hope of winning was stamped out when the Bell homer was answered by Lloyd Coulter, who matched Cooper's three-run blast with one of his own. The 7-3 win put Philly 4 up, and with 7 wins in their last 10 games to end it, they cruised to a 97-57 record that put them seven clear of a really good Pioneers team.

For the first time maybe ever, it was pitching and defense, not the high octane offense, that carried the Keystone team. Among qualified hitters, just Harry Dellinger (.306, 36, 96) even hit above .300, but with him, Miller (.298, 36, 113), and Coulter (.263, 35, 91) they had a trio of 30+ homer and 90+ RBI mashers. Rookie Andy Parker (.324, 13, 52) came up late and impressed, with the graduated 6th ranked prospect producing a 148 WRC+ in 112 games. Picking up Arellano (7-2, 2.89, 62; 16-9, 3.05, 130) at the deadline was massive, and likely won them the pennant, but the Keystones had a 3.43 rotation ERA and every member at the end had a sub 4 ERA. Joe Kienle (16-7, 3.25, 100) dropped his ERA almost two points, while William Davis (16-11, 3.47, 149), Tom Robinson (13-9, 3.45, 97), and Jim Cooper (12-4, 3.68, 83) were all excellent. They're all young too, as Arellano is the only one over 30, so this group can stick together for the long haul. Stopper Don McKeown (12-11, 26, 3.05, 117) is another young guy who could start, but he emerged as a clutch game finisher, leading the Fed with 26 saves. This team is deep and seemed to find the missing piece, and should be the odds on favorite even if Cleveland has the postseason experience most teams can only dream of.

St. Louis is probably the 2nd best team in FABL, but they had the unlucky occurrence of catching an outstanding Keystones team in a year they were at their best. 90-64 is usually good enough to win a pennant, and the best they've done since going 91-63 and capturing the 1951 pennant. I alluded to how good Bob Bell could be last year, as a then 22-year-old hit .328/.447/.582 (176 OPS+) after a late July callup, and he somehow managed to match that with a lethal .345/.435/.635 (173 OPS+). The clear Whitney winner led the association in OBP, slugging, OPS (1.070), WRC+ (176), wOBA (.447), and WAR (9.8), as well as more traditional stats like runs (117), homers (39), and RBIs (128). No one could come close to what he did, and on top of all the offensive output, he even swiped 10 bases and won the Diamond Defense award for second base. As long as this guy is in St. Louis, they're going to compete, and it helps having another Whitney winner in Jerry Smith (.289, 34, 103, 14) to compliment him. Add in the elite 1-2-3 of Billy Hasson (19-8, 2.85, 188), who won his third Allen in four seasons, ERA leader Frenchy Mack (7-8, 2.83, 131), and pitching WAR (7.5) leader Steve Madden (14-6, 3.17, 166), and it's honestly mind boggling they aren't a postseason team. Aside from catcher, this team doesn't have any real weakness, and will be one of the early favorites for the 1962 pennant.

There's a rather significant drop after the top two, but the Washington Eagles were still way closer to the top then the bottom. In fact, there were 13 games between them and Philly and them and the Gothams and Chiefs, who finished tied for 4th. At 84-70, the Eagles had their best finish in over a decade, ending a stretch of four straight seasons finishing 7th or 8th. They did so with a strong offense, scoring more runs then any of the non-Keystone teams in the association. A balanced approach, they don't have a true star in the lineup, instead getting production from guys like Jack Thompson (.314, 16, 97), the guy who refuses to walk (2.9 career BB%), 20-year-old sophomore Tom Lorang (.305, 18, 62), who might be a star in the making, and Al Marino (.255, 9, 76, 6), who has emerged as a real quality shortstop. The pitching has a lot of holes, but Jim Stewart (13-8, 3.32, 137) looked like an ace, and Foster Sherman (7-5, 3.79, 45; 14-7, 3.97, 105) provided a stabilizing veteran presence. If Washington is confident in young guys like Bob Ball (13-16, 4.35, 127), Wally Phillips (8-4, 3.53, 66), Carl Levy (12-6, 20, 3.93, 84), and Otto Caudill (10-12, 1, 4.95, 104), they might not need to make a big move, but a second veteran like Sherman could do wonders for their postseason probability.

After an 87 win finish last season, dropping to 71-83 was devastating for the Chicago Chiefs, who seemed like one of the tougher competitors before the season started. A lot of the decline can be attributed to Rod Shearer (.260, 15, 77), who battled middling production and injury in a year where he set many career lows. Though aside from Ed Bloom (.315, 23, 104, 17) and Irv Clifford (.312, 2, 49, 8), he was actually their best hitter. Doc Zimmerman (.267, 8, 81, 13) saw his WRC+ drop 60 points, posting a below average mark (93) for the first time in a full season, and none of the supporting cast stepped up in his place. They did pitch a bit better, with nice seasons from Vern Osborne (10-15, 3.50, 152) and Jack Halbur (12-10, 3.84, 99), but Joe Cipolla (7-12, 4.71, 130) saw his walk and strikeout rates go in the wrong direction, and Dick Champ (12-9, 4.41, 129) was more average then good. The pen was reliable, led by 23-year-old rookie Joe Lancaster (8-4, 15, 3.31, 56), and they have plenty of other talented young arms ready for more of a role next season. Despite the bad record, they don't really need much legwork in the offseason, and can perhaps bank on Rod Shearer being Rod Shearer again to return to contention.

New York however, does have much to do, as despite being tied in the standings with Chicago, they're in a far different spot then the Chiefs. Shedding stars in recent years, the Gothams will be without Ed Bowman (8-16, 4.25, 78) next year, who decided to hang up the spikes after cracking FABL's top-10 win list. With 322 wins, he finished 1 above Rabbit Day, but he still provided average results. I think he had a year left in him, and with 11 wins he could have moved up to 6th All-Time, but instead he'll have to settle for a slew of Gothams records. This includes wins and WAR (141.7) and pretty much every counting stat you could think of. In total, the former #1 prospect hurled 5,418 innings, working to a 3.31 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, and 2,606 strikeouts. A 2-Time Allen winner and 12-Time All-Star, he'll go down among the greatest pitchers of all time, leaving a gigantic hole in a mediocre rotation. Left at the top is the now 25-year-old Clarence Reimer (12-12, 4.15, 158) a former 15th round pick who was quickly released by the Keystones, and every arm behind him is either young and raw or a middling vet they are hoping they can increase the value of. The offense is thin, and I would expect them to shop Hank Estill (.248, 15, 71) and Rex Pilcher (.260, 21, 64), as they already have young guys contributing there. Otto Pilkerton (.261, 13, 55, 14) looked great in center, capturing the Diamond Defense award and providing average offense, exactly what Frank Arnold (.297, 5, 65) get at the hot corner. Young catcher Tom Brizzolara (.313, 12, 57, 6) has emerged as a top-5 backstop as well, giving them a trio of talented starters 24 or under. The roster is still a work in-progress, but big '62 seasons from this group could push up their contention timeline.

No team was more disappointing this year then the Boston Minutemen, who followed up back-to-back titles with a deadline sell-off. Finishing 69-85, they had their worst year since 1951 where they failed to reach the 60 win mark for the first time since the turn of the century. Everything that went wrong, did, as Rick Masters (.274, 12, 49) was barely replacement level, Ed Wise (.209, 21, 58) barely hit over .200, and Joe Kleman (.262, 10, 72) was a full five runs worse as he didn't do much hitting and produced a negative zone rating (-2.2) for the first time since his rookie season. My vote is that it was the baseball gods punishing them, as for reasons unknown to the baseball community, reigning 20-game and Allen winner Don Griffin (6-7, 25, 3.07, 74) was banished to the pen. Easily their best pitcher, and maybe one of the bests in the game, it was a shocking move that left many around the game stunned. I mean sure, guys like Ray Gonyea (11-16, 4.09, 153) and Bob Hollister (10-11, 3.63, 76) are solid, but there was plenty of room in the rotation behind them. At this point, it seems like he'll remain their stopper, but word around the league is teams are very interested in adding the recently turned 25-year-old to their staff instead.

Rounding out the Fed at 67-87 are the Detroit Dynamos and Pittsburgh Miners. For Detroit, it was a surprise, as they had finished above .500 ten consecutive seasons, and actually had a +4 run differential. Funny enough, it's the offseason sell-off moves that helped them win games, as veteran John Jackson (11-13, 3.15, 121) pitched like an ace at 37, and former top prospect Ray Waggoner (.317, 30, 100) took home this season's Kellogg award. The 25-year-old showed exactly why they parted with Hackberry to get him, as he mashed to the tune of .317/.372/.566 (141 OPS+) and won the team triple crown. He anchored a lineup with a good amount of power, as Bill Morrison (.276, 14, 75, 9), Dick Tucker (.281, 19, 71), Cecil Gregg (.302, 25, 97), Joe Reed (.299, 23, 87, 10), and Lew Mercer (.295, 16, 56, 9) are all threats to go deep. The offense as constructed is pretty solid, and with Jackson, Jim Norris (9-15, 4.08, 137), and Paul Anderson (18-7, 3.27, 113) the rotation looks pretty good too. They're really just one starting pitcher away, and I'd be willing to bet this team finishes much better in 1962.

Pittsburgh was a more fitting last place team, as they finished with fewer then 70 wins for the fifth time in six years. Arguably the worst pitching staff in the game, Ed Power (8-18, 6.13, 86) saw his ERA increase by almost three full runs, and they didn't have a single pitcher throw more then 200 innings. Joe McDowell (15-7, 4.29, 90), the "best" starter on the staff, got close, only two outs away, but there just weren't guys who could give them good innings early in the game. They had the 8th and 9th locked up, as 24-year-old George Kollock (6-7, 22, 3.21, 92) was superb, making it surprising they never gave the former starter a chance in the rotation. They did show more life at the plate, as Frank Selander (.351, 12, 72, 14) won the batting tile and is starting to look like the top-20 prospect he once was. Youngsters Chuck Draper (.263, 14, 63, 16), John Moreland (.328, 10, 109), and Mike Whisman (.269, 15, 84, 9) got on plenty ahead of Selander, and veteran Bill Newhall (.280, 12, 56) put together another good season. The bottom three in the lineup needs some work, but until they can shore up the pitching staff, it won't matter too much. One guy to watch on that end is Jimmy Blair (9-16, 4.37, 107), who had a really nice 3.67 FIP (82 FIP-), but there just isn't enough in hand to expect a postseason run in the near future.

1961 World Championship Series

It's been quite some time since the Philadelphia Keystones played in the World Championship Series. You have to go back 16 years since the Keystones last pennant in 1945. It was the second of two straight flags for Philadelphia and they split back to back WCS appearances against the Cincinnati Cannons with Cincinnati winning in 1944 and the Keystones prevailing the following year. There have been some lean years in the City of Brotherly Love since then as the Keystones went 14 years of never been less than double-digits out of first place until the 1960 season when they trailed front-running Boston by seven games but still ended up fourth.

That changed this time around as the Keystones won a franchise record 97 games, one more than the previous mark established by their 1933 championship team. Like the '33 club which featured Rankin Kellogg in his prime and young Bobby Barrell, this edition of the Keystones has plenty of power. Outfielders Buddy Miller and Harry Dellinger each socked 36 homers with third baseman Lloyd Coulter chipping in with 35.

Unlike the long wait the Keystones had before returning to meaningful October baseball, the Continental Association has pretty much belonged to the Cleveland Foresters over the past decade and a half. The Foresters led the CA for the third year in a row and have won 8 pennants in the past 13 years. Four of the five seasons the Foresters did now lead the Continental Association they finished in second place and their 1958 third place showing was the worst the Cleveland fans have seen since 1949.

That is a far cry from the early history of the franchise as Cleveland did not win its first WCS until 1934, beating only the Brooklyn (now Kansas City) Kings in that regard. For most of the 1940's the Foresters were the bottom of the barrel in the CA, spending nine consecutive years in the second division and finishing higher than seventh place just once. That turned around with a surprising worst to first run in 1949 and the Foresters, led the entire time by Adrian Czerwinski and Sherry Doyal, have never looked back.

While Philadelphia clinched its pennant with nearly two weeks to spare, finishing 7 games ahead of the second place St Louis Pioneers, the Foresters needed every game to prevail in the Continental Association flag race. Cleveland and San Francisco entered the final day of the season tied for first and needed two runs in the top of the 8th inning and a complete game from Czerwinski to hold of the Sailors in the season finale. Los Angeles was also very much in the mix until the Stars were swept in a 3-game season ending weekend series by the Chicago Cougars and finished 3 games off the pace.

GAME ONE: CLEVELAND 5 PHILADELPHIA 3

The first ever meeting between the Keystones and Foresters came with plenty of pressure on the visitors from Cleveland. The Foresters were playing in their third consecutive WCS but had lost in five games to Boston each of the past two years. With Adrian Czerwinski needing rest after pitching the regular season clinching game on Sunday, the Foresters had a solid backup option in 17-game winner Jake Pearson. Philadelphia countered with their number one starter Jorge Arellano, who was the only Keystones hurler with previous WCS experience, having won two starts for the Gothams in the 1956 classic.

Pearson had a tough first inning, walking in the games first run when he issued a free pass to former Forester Lloyd Coulter after a single, a walk and an error. In the third Coulter made his former mates pay again when he delivered an rbi double to plate Andy Parker and put the Keystones up 2-0.

Arellano would cruise along until the top of the sixth when the Foresters bats erupted with three runs. CA Whitney Award winner John Low hit a 1-out triple and after Paul Williams worked Arellano for a free pass, bringing Cleveland catcher Hal Kennedy to the plate. The second pitch to Kennedy was wild and Low raced home to score with Kennedy adding an exclamation point in the form of a 2-run homer to give the Foresters a 3-2 lead.

The Foresters added some insurance with two runs in the top of the ninth off Philadelphia reliever Tom Robinson. A walk, an error and singles off the bats of Otis O'Keefe ad Tom Carr did the damage increasing Cleveland's lead to 5-2. With Johnny Ogden on the hill trying to close out the win for Cleveland the Keystones made a strong effort at a comeback, scoring once and having the bases loaded with two out but Ogden fanned Dick Sheehan to end the game and give Cleveland a 5-3 victory to start the series.

GAME TWO: PHILADELPHIA 7 CLEVELAND 6

16-game winner William Davis took the hill for the Keystones against the winningest lefthander in FABL history. That would be 44-year-old Deuce Barrell, who went 13-11 and now has 342 career FABL wins. Deuce was making his 16th WCS start, one more than teammate Adrian Czerwinski for the all-time lead, but has had his struggles in recent Octobers, going 0-3 with a 10.98 era in four WCS starts over the past two years. Barrell's postseason problems persisted as he did not make it through the fourth inning as the Keystones scored at least once in each of the first four frames and led 5-2 when Barrell was sent to the showers.

Buddy Miller drove in a run in the first inning after Harry Dellinger and Marshall Thomas led off with back to back singles off of Barrell. The damage could have been worse than 1-0 but Cleveland centerfielder Earl Howe threw out a runner at the plate. Barrell surrendered three more singles in the second inning resulting in another Philadelphia run and then two more on two hits in the third put the Foresters behind 4-0.

Cleveland did score a pair in the top of the fourth but Philadelphia answered with Buddy Miller's second rbi single of the game to make the score 5-2. That marked the end of Barrell's day and the Keystones were finally held scoreless for an inning in the fifth frame. It did not last long as the lead was up to 7-2 when Cleveland reliever Sonny Stoyer gave up 3-hits including a two-run double from Lloyd Coulter in the sixth inning.

The score would remain 7-2 until the Foresters rallied in the top of the ninth inning. They scored four times with Paul Williams' 2-run homer doing most of the damage. Down 7-5 wth two out and runners on second and third the Foresters nearly forced extra innings as pinch-hitter Gary Romeo smacked a single. Earl Howe scored from third and Armando Estrada, who represented the tying run, was waived home after starting on second base. Philadelphia rightfielder Buddy Miller delivered a perfect strike to catcher Tom Cooprider and Estrada was gunned down at the plate to end the game and preserve the 7-6 Philadelphia victory.

GAME THREE: PHILADELPHIA 5 CLEVELAND 4 (16 innings)

It would be hard to top the drama of a game-ending play at the plate that evened the series in game two, but the two clubs were up for the challenge as the series shifted to Cleveland for the third game. Adrian Czerwinski made his first start of the season for the Foresters and allowed just 2 singles over the first 7 innings as the hosts built a 3-0 lead. All of Cleveland's scoring came in the bottom of the sixth inning when Keystones reliever Don McKeown walked two batters and then allowed doubles from Paul Williams and Earl Howe.

Czerwinski, tiring, retired the first batter to start the eighth inning but then allowed back to back line drive singles from Dick Sheehan and Tom Cooprider. The Mad Professor induced a fly ball out from Dick Christian and then seemed to be out of the jam when Harry Dellinger hit a ground ball to Foresters shortstop John Low. Low booted the ball and the bases were loaded setting the stage for a Marshall Thomas grand slam that put Philadelphia ahead 4-3 with one swing of the bat.

The Foresters tied the game at 4 in the bottom of the eighth when Hal Kennedy hit a solo shot for his second homerun of the series. The game would remain tied at 4 until the top of the 16th inning when Buddy Miller led off with a single off of Cleveland hurler Earle Turner. Turner then went to a full count on Lloyd Coulter before walking the ex-Forester but was aided by a double play when another former Clevelander in pinch-hitter Jim Urquhart popped out while trying to sacrifice the runners. The play left Lloyd Coulter unable to get back to first base in time and he was doubled up.

Dick Sheehan was issued an intentional walk leaving runners at first and second and Philadelphia catcher Tom Cooprider at the plate. Cooprider deliver an rbi single to plate Buddy Miller from second and that run would stand up, giving the Keystones a 5-4 victory and a two games to one series lead.

GAME FOUR: PHILADELPHIA 6 CLEVELAND 4

Another game with plenty of offense early as both teams scored in the first inning. Back to back doubles from Marshall Thomas and Andy Parker off Cleveland starter Hank Berkowitz gave the Keystones a quick run but a pair of walks issued by Philadelphia hurler Jim Cooper followed by an rbi single off the bat of Hal Kennedy allowed Cleveland to tie it at one in the home half of the first.

Cooper aided his own cause when the Philadelphia pitcher smashed a 2-run homer in the top of the second to give the Keystones a 3-1 lead but Cleveland again responded, this time with 3 runs in the bottom of the third inning on three singles, a walk and a hit batsman to put the Foresters up 4-3.

The scoring was rounded out in the top of the fifth inning when Philadelphia plated three runs. The first came on a lead-off solo homerun from pinch-hitter Turk Ramsey and the other two came after a pair of walks when Lloyd Coulter delivered a 2-run double. Both bullpens did their jobs after that and the game ended 6-4 for the Keystones, leaving Philadelphia one win away from winning the WCS.

GAME FIVE: CLEVELAND 7 PHILADELPHIA 2

The Foresters did not want to lose the series at home and it would mark the third consecutive season they fell in five games. The game, a rematch of the series opening pitching matchup of Jorge Arellano for the Keystones against Cleveland's Jake Pearson, was tight for five innings with the Foresters holding a 3-2 lead thanks to Paul Williams second homerun of the series. The Foresters added a run in the sixth inning when a wild pitch allowed Earl Howe, who had doubled to score to go up 4-2.

Philadelphia's best chance to pull even in the game came in the top of the seventh when Dick Christian led off with a double and moved to third on a Harry Dellinger single but Marshall Thomas hit into a 2-4-3 double play to end any hopes of a big inning. Cleveland made sure of a return to trip to Philadelphia by plating three more runs in the bottom of the seventh and the Foresters were still alive following a 7-2 victory.

GAME SIX: PHILADELPHIA 5 CLEVELAND 0

Unlike in other WCS starts over the past three years, Deuce Barrell was outstanding for Cleveland for seven innings, scattering 7 hits and making just one mistake - a gopher ball that pinch-hitter Turk Ramsey sent over the rightfield wall in the sixth inning. Barrell left trailing 1-0 as Philadelphia's William Davis was equally good. Davis allowed 6 hits before giving way to reliever Don McKeown. The pair combined on a 7-hit shutout as the Keystones clinched the series with a 5-0 victory.

Barrell was replaced with nobody on and one-out in the eighth and Cleveland reliever Lynn Horn immediately landed in hot water. Harry Dellinger greeted Horn with a single. Marshall Thomas followed with a double to put runners on second and third and a free pass to Andy Parker loaded the bases. For the second time in the series we had a grand slam homerun with this one courtesy of Buddy Miller to put the Keystones ahead comfortably by a 5-0 score. It would end that way and the Keystones had won their franchises 4th World Championship Series while the Foresters had lost in the WCS for the third consecutive season.

Buddy Miller, who hit .375 with a homerun, 6 rbi's and 6 runs scored, was named the series MVP. It was the first taste of post-season action for the 31-year-old three time Whitney Award winner.

OFFSEASON

After the Keystones debunked the "third times a charm" myth, all the focus in the baseball world was on expansion. 1962 would bring the first ever expansion draft, as the 16 FABL organizations that competed for the crown in 1961 had a few months to prepare for one of the biggest advancements of the league. Deemed profitable enough to move to 20 teams, it's a bold move by the league, but one that has been long overdo. Baseball has quickly grown into a national game, and it was clear that there were markets to be tapped. The GWL sparked an interest on the west coach in more competitive baseball, and the relocation of three east coast teams was basically a trial run of viability of baseball on the west of the Mississippi. All three of those teams finished above .500 this season and top-6 in attendance, a resounding success story the league off.

Joining the fray are the Minneapolis Millers, Los Angeles Suns, Dallas Wranglers, and New York Imperials. The first two will compete in the Fed, the last in the Conti, so teams now have to compete against nine others to make it to the postseason. Before all that, the four teams will get to select players from their competitions FABL and AAA rosters. Teams can protect players of course, so don't expect Buddy Miller or Jake Pearson putting on another uniform any time soon. But guys like Bobby Crooks and Charlie Phillips? Who knows! Stars may be born, careers changed, but more importantly, us fans get more of what we love. We get more baseball!

With the shift in the landscape, GMs will go about their business differently, so the trade market was on the quiet side. The Fed runner ups kicked things off, looking to fill their catchers spot with a bounce back candidate. That would be 2-Time All-Star Dutch Miller, who's '61 batting line of .217/.330/.348 (76 OPS+) was nowhere near his .263/.357/.421 (113 OPS+) career line since his debut in 1954. A reliable bat in the seasons prior, as Miller's 84 WRC+ was the first time he produced one below 100. Even in a down year, Miller still drew 79 walks, and despite his personality guys like throwing to him. He's a useful veteran add to the Diamond Defense winner this year Sam Ruggles (.243, 7, 47), who also had the worst season of his career. Then to entice the Kings, they sent infielder Cal Randall (.284, 13, 68) and top-200 prospect Whitey Gates. Randall did start for them some, but with Steve Schultz (.289, 20, 76) and Paul Watson (.245, 12, 52) able to play third and short, they figured it was best to move him instead of one of their top prospects.

Always looking to fill their shortstop position, Kansas City will hope the 25-year-old Randall is the answer. A former 1st Round Pick, "Bucky" ranked as high as 25th on the prospect lists, and 1961 was the first season he got a regular role with the Pioneers. In parts of three seasons he has hit .274/.334/.383 (87 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 17 homers, and 91 RBIs. 598 of his 845 PAs came this season, where he came close to hitting league average (99 WRC+) and developed as a captain on the infield. He could end up having a better season then Miller, and with Bob Burge (.290, 6, 32) hitting really well as the backup for Miller this year, KC might hope he can keep it up in a full-time role. Then with Gates they got a 6'4'' lefty who won't be 21 until next June. His 10 starts in Class B (3-6, 3.64, 51) were excellent, and with a deep five pitch arsenal he could work his way into a big league rotation.

Kansas City then went to upgrade their pen, sending a 20-year-old righty Marty Bean to Toronto for CA save leader Whitey Stewart. Stewart, 30, started all but four of his previous 192 outings, before making an association high 74 appearances this year. His 2-14 record was more about the Wolves being bad then him, as his 4.49 ERA (99 ERA+) was perfectly respectable. He did walk a ton of guys, 67 to be exact, but he hadn't had control issues since he was in his early 20s. In each of the last four seasons he walked less then 10% of hitters, but that jumped to 13.7 in 104.1 innings. A sad outcome for a former #1 pick and prospect, Toronto must think Stewart's best days are behind him. At best, Bean looks like a back-end starter, and Toronto's staff has plenty of holes. Of course, there's always the added factor of the looming expansion draft, and they relied on a lot of young pitchers that they won't want to leave unprotected.

Boston continued to make trades, though the Minutemen fanbase almost rioted when it was announced team home run leader Rick Masters would no longer be wearing a Minutemen jersey. Taken 2nd way back in 1949, the former #1 prospect is just one season removed form winning World Championship Series MVP and hitting .336/.413/.565 (162 OPS+) with 34 homers and a tied for career high 117 RBIs. A former batting title and home run leader, Masters did struggle in 1961, with his .274/.355/.407 (97 OPS+) batting line the worst since his rookie season. His struggled caused his playing time to decrease, and he failed to hit 20 homers for the first time since his 27-game 1952. One of his 12 homers this year was #300, a beautiful blast off Jack Halbur in the first inning of a 3-2 loss. As disappointing as he was this year, it's still a huge shock Boston would even continue parting ways with him, as he just turned 31 and produced six consecutive 5 WAR seasons before this. In his career, Masters has slashed an outstanding .303/.367/.500 (133 OPS+), selected to 6 All-Star games with Boston. Players like that don't come along very often, and the player they got back has no chance of becoming Masters.

In fact, he's almost three years older, as the Minutemen decided to swap one veteran corner outfielder for another. Sure, Bill Newhall hit better this season and has been a quality hitter his whole career, but his peak isn't anywhere near Masters. "The Hollis Hotshot" is more solid then good, with a 122 WRC+ in 457 PAs this year and a 122 WRC+ in 6,063 PAs with the Miners. As productive as that is, Newhall has never hit more then 15 homers in a season, and if you list the top ten seasons between Masters and Newhall there's a lot more for the new Miner then the old one. The advantage he does have is defense, he's good in both corners and can handle center, but when you move on from a fan favorite you send a bad message. And that bad message is amplified when it's perceived as nothing better then a lateral move.

Just a week later the two teams hooked up for another trade, with the Minutemen going after stopper George Kollock with eyes on making him a starting pitcher. Taken 27th in the 1955 draft, Kollock debuted just three years later, and he hasn't gone down since. Primarily a leverage reliever, he did make starts in 1959, though he's been far more effective as a reliever. 1961 was his big breakout, as the just turned 25-year-old made a Fed high 77 appearances. He worked to a 3.21 ERA (138 ERA+) and 1.42 WHIP with 22 saves, 62 walks, 92 strikeouts, and a 6-7 record. One of the hardest throwers in the league, his fastball hits 97, but the real treat is his slider. Righties can't touch it, and he's frozen plenty of lefties from the back door as it clips the zone as it winds by. The stuff is good overall, but in the pen it really shines. The transition back to the rotation may be tough, but with lean years expected they can give him plenty of leeway.

Pittsburgh picks up a pretty solid prospect, adding Boston's recent 1st Round pick Ed Reeves, who sits in the bottom fourth of the top 100 prospect list. After the draft, 53 of his 67 games came in Class C, but he was better in a late season promotion. It was just 52 PAs, but Reeves hit .326/.404/.457 (117 OPS+) with the Class B Arlington Patriots. He has good speed, a good swing, and a good eye, and it's an exciting development project for Pittsburgh. He may never be a star, but he's got the tools to develop into a reliable every day outfielder.

Boston also finished trade season, adding another arm to compete in their rotation. That was World Champion Fred McKnight, who won it with the Keystones. Making an identical 13 starts and relief outings, the now 25-year-old went 8-5 with 2 saves, a 3.87 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 34 walks, and 69 strikeouts. A veteran of four seasons, McKnight has gone 21-16 with 11 saves, a 4.22 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 126 walks, and 223 strikeouts. A former 4th Rounder, McKnight is a six pitch groundballer who excels at keeping the ball in the park. He's more back then middle of the rotation, but the staff finished 7th in runs allowed, and has plenty of room for improvement. joining McKnight is outfielder Howie Taylor, who recently turned 24. Another former 4th Rounder, he's quick and has a good eye, and could quickly replace the guy that will go to Philly. The Keystones got former 9th pick Del Filo, who sandwiched a 426 PAs season with two below 100. Perhaps pushed out of a role in Boston, he's currently lined up to join Harry Dellinger (.306, 36, 96, 38) and Buddy Miller (.298, 36, 113). That's about as good of a pair as it gets, so even average production from Filo will be a plus. He's got a nice .290/.320/.516 (121 OPS+) batting line, adding 36 homers and 99 RBIs in roughly one full season.

Between those two deals the Saints and Pioneers made a prospect swap. Montreal gets the higher ranked prospect, grabbing 94th ranked outfielder Bill Gilman. Coming along way since being a 14th rounder, Gilman has an advanced feel for the zone and should hit for a solid average. He's a strong kid who could end up hitting more home runs, but with his speed he can do damage just by putting the ball in play. That will play well at the Parc Cartier, and he could be a nice table setter at the top of the order. In return, St. Louis picked up lefty slugger Grady Smith, as well as long-time bench warmer Walter Medlin (.255, 1, 6). Smith is the interesting piece, as the 19-year-old ranks just outside the top-100. A former 9th pick, he's now part of his second trade, as he went from the Chiefs to the Saints in the second Dave Price deal. He's lost a little of his prospect shine, but he has a really good swing and projectable power. He's not hitting many homers right now, but St. Louis sees something in him they like, and will look to get that power unlocked.
Change is now on the horizon, with expansion ready and waiting, and the next big move will be the expansion draft itself. Baseball is about to change, hopefully for the better, as teams are ready to march into the grand unknown. New stars will be born, older ones may shine even brighter, and what happens next may surprise even the keenest of baseball minds.

Good bye 16 teams, hello 20!

Boone County did not add anyone this year as none of the eligible players earned the 80% required to be added to baseball's Hall of Fame. Walt Messer, the longtime New York Gothams outfielder who was in his first year of eligibility came closest but the 8-time All-Star still fell well short, appearing on just 65% of the ballots cast. Joe Hancock, a 294 game winner who played for 4 WCS winning clubs in Toronto and Detroit, headlines the list of 1962 newcomers to the ballot. Here are the 1961 voting results.
Deuce Barrell is still going strong at the age of 44 and after a 13-11 season for the Continental Association pennant winning Cleveland Foresters says he will be back for another year. Barrell is now the winningest lefthander in FABL history and third all-time in victories with a career record of 342-213. He is also fourth all-time in strikeouts with 2,635. Deuce continues to impress during the regular season but he has had three successive awful Octobers, going 0-5 in the WCS with an 8.11 era over that stretch including 2 more losses this season to Philadelphia. The 5-time Allan Award winner is just 5-11 in WCS play.
Barrell and teammate Adrian Czerwinski are tied with 17 WCS starts, more than any other pitcher. Barrell is the loss leader as his 11 are now three more than Woody Trease was tagged with during his career while Czerwinski, at 10-3 in October, is the winningest post-season pitcher.
Adrian Czerwinski recorded his 250th career win and 2,000 strikeout two weeks apart in May. Other milestones reached this year include Irv Clifford collecting his 2,500th hit, Ken Newman notching his 2,000 hit while Buddy Miller and Rick Masters each surpassed the 300 homerun mark.
Czerwinski won his record 6th Allan Award this season while Billy Hasson of the St Louis Pioneers won the Federal Association Allen for the third time. The Whitney winners were both first timers as Bob Bell of St Louis earned the nod in the Fed while veteran Cleveland infielder John Low claimed the CA Whitney.

Czerwinski was also named to the CA all-star team for the 11th time. Only 5 players have been selected more often that the Cleveland ace. Here are the players with the most All-Star game selections.

Code:

MOST ALL-STAR SELECTIONS     
15  Bill Barrett      Retired
13  George Cleaves    Retired
13  Bobby Barrell     Retired
12  Red Johnson       Retired
12  Ed Bowman         Retired
11* Adrian Czerwinski Cleveland
11  Al Miller         Retired
11  Adam Mullins      Retired
11 Deuce Barrell      Cleveland
10 Skipper Schneider  Retired
10  Harry Barrell     Retired
10  Tom Bird          Retired
10* Ken Newman        Kansas City
*selected to 1961 ASG

Ed Bowman, one of the names on the All-Star appearance list above, was the most notable retirement announcement. The 42-year-old who spent his entire 20 year career with the New York Gothams called it quits after an 8-16 season. Bowman finishes with a 322-253 record, good enough for 10th on the all-time win list, one ahead of Rabbit Day. Bowman won a pair of Allen Awards and was a member of three Gothams pennant winning clubs including the 1956 team that won the WCS.
The lone no-hitter thrown in 1961 came in September with 20-year-old Philadelphia rookie Jim Elliott, making just his second big league appearance, turned the trick in a 9-0 win over Detroit. It would be Elliott's only big league start as 1959 second round draft pick's two remaining big league appearances came out of the pen. It was extra special for the rookie as he was born in the Motor City.
Second year outfielder John Kingsbury (.335,18,93) of the San Francisco Sailors enjoyed a 30-game hit streak that came to an end in late August. The 1955 first rounder, a Canadian-born player from the Toronto area, finished third in the CA batting race behind two other 24-year-olds in Bonnie Chaplin of Cincinnati and Kansas City's Pat Davis. Kingsbury's 30-gamer is the longest since Jim Jenkins hit safely in 35 straight games for the Washington Eagles in 1945.
Cleveland skipper Jim Whitehead won the Theobald Award as top manager in the Continental Association for the third consecutive season. The Fed award also went to the pennant winning bench boss, with Don Fox of Philadelphia winning his first.
The Washington Eagles had first pick in the annual FABL draft and they selected George Whaley, an 18-year-old high school third baseman from Providence, RI. Scouts see Whaley, who split his first pro season between Class A and B, as a potential elite big league player. OSA had Whaley 9th in its top prospect list.
Heading the prospect parade is Frank Kirouac, a 24-year-old outfielder who hit 26 homers and batted .294 splitting the season between AA and AAA. Originally selected third overall out of an Ohio high school by the Los Angeles Stars in 1956, Kirouac was dealt to Boston at the deadline in exchange for pitcher Bud Henderson and 19-year-old first base prospect Bobby Garrison.

EXPANSION COMES TO AFA

FABL and the Federal Basketball League are each eyeing expansion in 1962 but it was the American Football Association that became the first to grow as the AFA, which had been at 12 teams since 1951, added two more members in the Buffalo Red Jackets and Houston Drillers. The loop also increased its schedule to 14 games from 12, which had been the standard for decades.

For Buffalo it was the city's first American Football Association club but they did have a team in the old Continental Football Conferences for its four year run immediately after World War II. The Red Jackets nickname was after a famous Seneca tribe chief who negotiated with George Washington. The Houston club, known as the Drillers, is the first major league sports team for the city since its short-run in baseball's Great Western League. As one might expect from an expansion team, it was tough sledding for both of the newcomers as each finished with a 3-11 record and in last place in their respective divisions.

The New York Stars continued their dominance of the East Division despite the fact that last year's playoff MVP, halfback Larry Moen, announced his retirement before the season began. Rookie Reid McDuffy, a first round pick out of Cumberland proved a more than able replacement and was named offensive rookie of the year after rushing for 949 yards. Second year quarterback Orlin Youngs also had a huge season, throwing for more than 2,500 yards and was named league MVP after guiding the Stars to a 13-1 record, best in the AFA. It marked the third consecutive season that New York had made the playoffs and eighth time in the past ten years. New York which scored more points than any other team in the East Division and surrendered the fewest in the league, finished the season with 12 straight victories after suffering their only loss in week two to Pittsburgh by a 9-6 score.

The Washington Wasps earned the second playoff berth in the East Division, bouncing back from a disappointing 3-9 season a year ago after making the postseason each of the three prior years. The Wasps, who won back to back titles in 1957 and 1958, finished tied with the Pittsburgh Paladins for second at 9-5 but Washington earned the tie-breaker after sweeping their two games with the Paladins during the season. Second year quarterback Robin Hornick had a solid season, especially when connecting with veteran end Jim Edmonds who had 41 catches in his 9th year in the league.

The Paladins got off to a quick 6-2 start but struggled somewhat down the stretch and it was the two poor showings against the Wasps that prevented Pittsburgh from ending a playoff drought that has stretched to 9 years. It was the first winning season in four years for Pittsburgh. Cleveland, at 7-7 was the only other East Division team without a losing record this time around as the Finches finished strong with victories in each of their final three games. Cleveland struggled on offense despite another strong season from veteran halfback Erskine Rizzuto, who ran for more than 1,300 yards for the second straight season.

Philadelphia and Boston each finished at 6-8. The future looks bright for the Frigates as second year quarterback Jack Osterman had a strong season, throwing for a league high 2,780 yards and topped the loop with 24 touchdown heaves. The downfall in Philadelphia was the defense which was arguably the worst in the league. As for Boston, the Americans have been a middle of the pack team for well over a decade and especially struggled in the second half of the season, dropping five of their last six games including a 23-17 defeat to expansion Buffalo.

The last place Red Jackets won just three times but two of their wins came against the playoff bound Washington Wasps. Quarterback Jim Rizzi joined the club after six years in Cleveland and provided veteran leadership while passing for 2,452 yards and 16 touchdowns. Rizzi's favourite target was end Don Ishmael, who spent 8 seasons as a backup in Boston but thrived as a starter with Buffalo, leading the division in receptions with 65. Buffalo landed a gem late in the rookie draft, nabbing St. Magnus linebacker Gary Scruggs in the seventh round. Scruggs went on to be one of the best defenders in the league as a rookie, leading Buffalo with 92 tackles and was named to the All-Pro Classic.

*** Maroons Lead Way In West ***

After finishing second in the West Division last year the Detroit Maroons led the West for just the second time since 1946. Hoping to rebound from a humiliating defeat in last years West Division playoff when Kansas City pounded the Maroons 54-10, Detroit raced out to a 10-0 start and had the division title clinched by mid-November. Led by veteran halfback Art Heal, who ran for a league-high 1,627 yards and rookie quarterback Dee Cann, the Maroons put up a whooping 411 points on the season while their defense was the best in the loop at stopping the run.

Chicago won its first five games but could not keep pace with the Maroons. The Wildcats did hang on to claim second with an 8-6 record despite some struggles down the stretch. Late season losses to Kansas City and New York cost the Los Angeles Tigers a shot at the playoffs and they settled for third with a 7-7 mark one game worse than second place Chicago. Los Angeles boasts an impressive offense led by quarterback Garton Bird (2,476 yards passing) and veteran back Dick Drum (1,529 yards rushing) but their defense continues to be the Tigers weak link.

Kansas City won the division a year ago, ending a six-year post-season drought, but the Cowboys failed to build on that as a slow start -one which saw the Cowboys drop 6 of their first 8 ballgames- doomed the club to a fourth place finish at 6-8. They made the surprising decision not to resign veteran quarterback Scott Greenwell, handing the job to rookie Pete Fairfield instead. The Kansas City running game was among the best in the league with both Elvin McGoldrick and long-time star Mike Peel surpassing the 1,000 yard mark but the passing game under Fairfield sputtered.

St Louis, San Francisco and expansion Houston brought up the rear. The fifth place Ramblers missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year while the Wings, who finished sixth with a 4-10 mark, were under .500 for the first time in a decade. Expansion Houston, 3-11, has a lot of work to do but the Drillers have some building blocks on defense as rookie linebacker Jim Griffin was named defensive rookie of the year and was joined by fellow rookie John Padgett, a defensive end, as Drillers selected to the All-Pro Classic.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS

No team has won more games over the past decade than the 78-40-2 regular season record of the New York Stars and they topped the AFA with a 13-1 season in the loop's first year with a 14-game schedule. New York was the heavy favourite over the second place Washington Wasps in the East Division playoff game, a contest marking the fourth straight season of playoff football and eighth appearance in the postseason since the league went to a 4-team playoff eleven years ago.

Washington stayed with the defending champs for all of 15 minutes. The first quarter ended with the Stars holding a 3-0 as both defenses came up with some key plays. The second quarter was a different story as the Stars put up 24 points to turn the contest into a rout. New York's second year quarterback Orlin Youngs had some trouble in the first quarter due to a persistent Wasps pass rush but on the first possession of the second quarter Youngs connected for back to back passes of at least twenty yards to drive the Stars to the first touchdown of the game. Rookie halfback Reid McDuffy, who ran for a game high 102 yards on the afternoon, finished off the 13 play drive that traversed 98 yards with a 7-yard run around the right end to account for the first major of the afternoon.

Three plays later the Stars were given a gift when Washington quarterback Robin Hornick threw an interception that veteran Stars defensive back Vic Morrell returned 19 yards to set up a first goal for his club. Two plays later it was suddenly 17-0 as Youngs found end Matt Center on a 4-yard touchdown strike. Before the period ended the New York lead had ballooned to 27-0 as Youngs and Gil Cooper hooked up on a 20-yard touchdown throw and Cornelius McAlpin was good on a 31-yard field goal attempt as time expired in the first half.

The break did nothing to help the Wasps as their offense never did get untracked against the Stars, managing just 198 yards of total offense, barely half that which was accumulated by New York. The final score was 34-3 moving New York to within a victory of repeating as AFA champions.

*** Another Dismal Day For Detroit ***

The Detroit Maroons had a whole year to think about their humiliating showing in the 1960 West Division playoff game, one which saw the Maroons stage a complete collapse in the most lobsided post-season game in AFA history: a 54-10 loss to the Kansas City Cowboys. The Cowboys sputtered this season but the Maroons used that playoff debacle as inspiration, posting a 12-2 record to finish 4 games ahead of second place Chicago in the West Division.

Unfortunately for the Thompson Field faithful, they had to endure a second straight playoff collapse from their local heroes as the visiting Wildcats mauled the Maroons 30-7. Chicago fullback George Hornback rushed for just 30 yards on 12 carries but three of those touches were touchdown runs and all came in the second period as the visitors from the Windy City built a 24-0 lead at the break and coasted to a 30-7 victory.

Detroit fans should have anticipated problems when the Maroons first play from scrimmage resulted in an interception and set up a Wildcats field goal. Like the East Playoff, the West game was just 3-0 after 15 minutes but the game was blown open in the second quarter when the Wildcats scored 21 points. Detroit turned the ball over twice, resulting in Chicago points each time and the Maroons All-Pro back Art Heal could never get untracked. Heal carried the ball 25 times but averaged barely two yards a pick-up and never had a gain of more than 8. The Wildcats were not overly impressive on offense but they did not make mistakes and took advantage of their opportunities leaving the Maroons with plenty of unrealized potential once again. Detroit has not won the AFA title since 1936 and has gone 0-7 in playoff games since then.

*** Stars Shine in Title Tilt ***

The AFA title game matched up the two winningest teams in league history with the Chicago Wildcats own 8 titles including a win in 1959 and the New York Stars six, with their most recent league crown coming last year. It would be New York's third straight appearance in the title game and their fifth meeting for the AFA championship with the Wildcats. Chicago prevailed in 1959, 1948 and 1941 while the Stars only championship game win over Chicago came in 1946 title game.

The Wildcats built an early 10-0 lead on a first quarter field goal from Paul Chestnut and a second quarter 42-yard touchdown run by George Hornback, who had scored three majors in the win over Detroit last week. Hornback's run came a play after Stars quarterback Orlin Youngs was intercepted by Wildcats cornerback Ben Kromer.

Chicago seemed to have all the momentum as New York's next series saw Youngs sacked twice and the Stars forced to punt from deep in their own territory. Chicago appeared to be driving again when halfback Fred Gunther raced for 12 yards on the Wildcats first play and Gunther was off for a big gain on the second play. Then the game turned. After a 17 yard gain Gunther had the ball punched loose by New York defender Vic Morrell and the Stars Rich Hewlett came up with the recovery. The Stars suddenly took over as Youngs found Britt Panos for a 25-yard catch and Gil Cooper for 12 more. Before you knew it New York fullback Ephraim Stanek bulled his way into the endzone from a yard out and the Stars were on the scoreboard.

The first New York score came with 2:24 remaining in the half and it took just 24 seconds for the Stars to score again and take a 14-10 lead. Stars linebacker Galen Cossey, a two-time AFA defensive player of the year, forced a fumble on Chicago's next play from scrimmage and after Cossey recovered the ball, New York half back Reid McDuffy carried the ball twice with the second run being a 19-yard jaunt into the Chicago endzone.

New York was not down as after the Wildcats had a three-and-out the Stars navigated into field goal position in the final minute and Cornelius McAlpin connected from 33 yards out to put New York ahead 17-10 at the break. In a span of 2:22 a 10-0 Chicago lead had turned into a 17 point deficit.

Cossey recovered his second fumble of the day early in the third quarter and that led to another New York touchdown- this one a 16-yard pass from Youngs to Ryne Hardy making the score 24-10. Chicago made it close with a field goal early in the fourth quarter and a long touchdown pass late in the game but could not get into position for a game-tying field goal and the Stars had won their second straight AFA title.

The Stars second consecutive title and fourth championship in the past ten years to go along with 2 other appearances in the title game places them in consideration as one of the best American Football Association teams of all-time. They may not quite yet match the powerhouse Detroit Maroons of the late 1920s and early 1930s or the Wildcats of the late 1930s and 40s that appeared in 8 title games over a 12 year stretch but the current edition of the New York Football Stars is certainly closing in on those two legendary squads.

MARYLAND STATE CLASS OF COLLEGE GRID

It has been quite a couple of years for Maryland State as the Bengals, after winning their first ever AIAA basketball tournament title in the spring of 1960, claimed their first National Title in football in the winter of 1961. Maryland State, with 4 baseball crowns including the most recent in 1943, is one of a select group of schools that now has won national titles in all three major team sports.

The Bengals title this season came after a pair of close calls in recent years as Maryland State was 10-1 in 1960 but finished third behind Georgia Baptist and Northern California. The Bengals also finished third in the 1958 rankings. This year's club, like the squad a year ago, went 10-1 but emerged as the number one ranked team after 48-6 drubbing of Plains Athletic Association champion Oklahoma City State in the Sunshine Classic.

The Bengals were led by the highest scoring offense in the entire AIAA, one which averaged nearly 34 points a game in starting the season with nine consecutive victories. The Bengals calling card was a powerful running game led by junior halfback Mike Moran (1,174 yards) and bruising fullback Bob Butters, who spent most of his time clearing a path for Moran and carried the ball himself just 15 times all season but 13 of them were for short touchdown runs.

Maryland State's most impressive win would be a late September 26-14 triumph over eventual Great Lakes Alliance champion Detroit City College. After non-conference wins over Mile High State and George Fox, the Bengals breezed through their South Atlantic Conference slate until the season finale when it appeared their title hopes may have vanished with a shocking 31-6 loss on the road at Coastal State. The showing in Miami at the Sunshine Classic proved enough to convince the pollsters to place Maryland State at the top of the charts.

As is often the case, the poling system left several schools feeling like they received the short end of the stick. Most notably was Annapolis Maritime, which was 10-0 but struggled to beat Southern Border Conference champion Canyon A&M 25-20 in the Desert Classic. The knock on the naval academy was it played a soft schedule and ended up facing just one team ranked in the final top 25 - #23 Pittsburgh State who the Navigators beat 34-13. Despite missing out on their first National Title the season was a resounding success for Annapolis Maritime in that it included a 44-41 victory over rival Rome State and was a reversal of the Navigators awful 0-10 season from when this senior class were freshman.

Spokane State and Penn Catholic also felt shortchanged by the final ranking as each, like Maryland State, finished with just one loss. The Indians ended Northern California's four-year hold on the West Coast Athletic Association title by defeating the Miners 34-23 and finishing 6-1 in section play. The lone loss was to Rainier College but the Miners also lost their rivalry game with Redwood. What perhaps should have enhanced the Indians case was a thrilling comeback to defeat Detroit City College 27-24 in the East West Classic. The Knights entered the game ranked second and coming off a big win over rival Central Ohio but Spokane State scored 10 points in the final two minutes to pull out the New Year's Day victory. Penn Catholic was also very impressive on New Year's Day, as the Crusaders had little difficulty with Great Lakes Alliance runner-up Central Ohio in the Bayside Classic, posting a 30-10 victory. The Crusaders only loss was an early season defeat at the hands of Miami State and they, like fellow independent Annapolis Maritime, may have been penalized by a schedule that sorely lacked in high end opponents.

In the end the late season loss to Coastal State did not hurt Maryland State as much as one might expect and the Navigators ended up second with the Indians and Crusaders holding down the third and fourth slots. We have to go all the way down to five before we get a Deep South Conference school, marking the first time since 1949 that the Deep South did not place at least one team in the top four. Fifth this year would be the two-time defending champion Georgia Baptist Gators, who ended up 9-2 after a perfect 11-0 season a year ago.

The Gators were one of four schools that finished 5-2 in section play but the conference crown went to Bluegrass State for the first time. The Mustangs went 6-1 in section play, but just 8-3 overall, and may have been aided by a section slate that left both Georgia Baptist and Noble Jones College off their docket this year. The lone section loss for the Mustangs was 38-7 thrashing administered on them by Cumberland. The Explorers finished 6th in the final rankings and 9-2 overall but they dropped successive section games on the road to Georgia Baptist and Northern Mississippi late in the schedule. Recent history has dictated that the conference champions of the Deep South and Southwestern Alliance would meet in the Oilman Classic but the selection committee bucked tradition and opted to invite Cumberland to face SWA winner Arkansas A&T meaning the Mustangs had to settle for a trip to New Orleans and a meeting with Coastal State in the Cajun Classic. Both Cumberland and Bluegrass State would win their classic games and Georgia Baptist nipped Lubbock State in the Lone Star Classic to make it perfect 3-0 New Years Day for the Deep South Conference.

It is also worth noting that Jack Dobbins became the first two-time winner of the Christian Trophy after the American Atlantic senior halfback won the award that he first claimed as a freshman in 1958. Dobbins led the nation with 1,672 rushing yards for the Pelicans this season and finishes his career as the all-time rushing leader in AIAA history with 6,763 yards. The Harrisonville, Mo., native ran for a single season record 2,300 yards as a freshman.

NEW YEARS CLASSIC RECAPS

Entering the East-West Classic in Santa Ana on January 1, the Spokane State Indians and Detroit City College Knights each felt they had a shot at the national title. Maryland State may have entered its Sunshine Classic against Oklahoma City State as the number one ranked team but a loss to Coastal State in their South Atlantic Conference finale opened the door for a number of schools including the duo battling in college football's longest running classic game.

The Indians had ended Northern California's four-year reign as West Coast Athletic Association champs and the Great Lakes Alliance schools were likely relieved as the Miners had won the East-West Classic in each of those four years. Spokane State had never won the big game, losing to Minnesota Tech in their only appearance in 1952. The DCC Knights had never lost in Santa Ana, entering the game with a perfect 4-0 mark with their most recent victory in 1955.

The game was a tight battle with DCC holding a 7-point lead until the Indians staged a 14-play 80-yard drive to tie the game at 24 with just over 2 minutes remaining in regulation. With just 23 seconds left and the ball on the Spokane State 49 yard line the Knights opted to go for it on fourth and three, but were stopped. The game appeared headed to overtime but a penalty on the DCC defense with 9 seconds left but Spokane State in position to attempt a long field goal. It was a 40-yarder but Indians kicker John Vaughn had just enough leg to force the ball over the upright and the Indians had pulled off a 27-24 victory.

They would learn later than Maryland State did more then enough to retain the number one ranking with a 48-6 corralling of the Oklahoma City State Wranglers in the Sunshine Classic. The Deep South Conference had three teams playing on New Years Day and each of the three came up with victories. The Cumberland Explorers had a strong second half and led by halfback Ron Filas, won galloped for 148 yards, beat Southwest Alliance champion Arkansas A&T 31-21 in the Oilman Classic. Georgia Baptist and Lubbock State met for the third year in a row. Each of the two previous seasons saw the Gators prevail in the Oilman Classic. This time around the venue was different - the Lone Star Classic in Austin- but the result the same as a late field goal lifted Georgia Baptist to a 23-21. Bluegrass State, which won the Deep South for the first time, settled for a trip to New Orleans where the Mustangs beat Coastal State 24-10. Mustangs junior quarterback Bruce Fitzgerald had a big day in the win. He threw for 37 yards but it was his legs, not his arm, that gave the Eagles fits with Fitzgerald running for 86 yards and two touchdowns.

Elsewhere, six Steve Eilrich field goals help Annapolis Maritime complete a perfect season with a 25-20 victory over Canyon A&M in the Desert Classic and 23 second half points lifted Penn Catholic to a 30-10 victory over Central Ohio in the Bayside Classic. Two Crusaders backs in Rick Fowler and John Hay each topped the 100 yard rushing mark in the game.

MISSISSIPPI A&M WINS COLLEGE CAGE CROWN

The Mississippi A&M Generals had a close call three years ago when they reached the AIAA championship game only to come up short against Detroit City College but this time around the Generals went all the way, topping Lane State in the semi-finals before having no trouble prevailing over another West Coast Athletic Association foe Rainier College in the championship game to win their first AIAA tile in any of the major team sports. It also meant the collegiate basketball tournament had seen a first-time champion crowned in four of the past five seasons.

For much of their existence the Generals were a bottom rung team, winning just a single tournament game in their first 38 years but the past decade has seen basketball take off in Jackson, MS. as the school qualified for the tournament in eight of the last ten and reached the quarterfinals twice in that span in addition to their near miss in April of 1958.

The Generals spent much of the season chasing Redwood for top spot in the rankings after an early season loss to South Atlantic Conference power Carolina Poly. As freshman forward Rich Edwards began to gain experience the Generals started to string wins together -17 in a row to be exact- including victories over ranked teams in Indiana A&M, Rainier College and Deep South Conference rival Alabama Baptist. A mix of youth and veterans jelled with Edwards and fellow frosh forward Bill Goscha complimenting a pair of players who played small roles on the first Generals team to reach the title game. They were center Mike Lyons and guard George Stevens but the leader of the club was the fifth member of the starting unit in junior guard Dave Simons. The San Antonio, TX., native spent his first two seasons as a backup but took on the leadership role in 1960-61 and led the Generals in scoring with nearly 14 points per game.

Mississippi A&M lost twice in section play but their 14-2 conference record was enough to claim their second consecutive Deep South cage crown, although it did require a 60-41 win over Noble Jones College in the regular season finale as the teams entered that contest tied for top spot. At 26-3 entering the tournament the Generals were ranked second in the nation behind WCAA champ Redwood, which was 29-2. The Mammoths were given the top seed in the West Region while the Generals had similar standing in the South. Rounding out the number one seeds were Great Lakes Association co-champions Whitney College in the Midwest Region and the always strong Carolina Poly Cardinals in the East.

As it would turn out the only number one seed that reached the semi-finals was the Generals. Redwood was knocked off by Indiana A&M in the second round, ending a season in which the Mammoths, following two straight appearances at Bigsby Garden, seemed destined to win it all. The Reapers would then fall to Lane State in the West Region final. Carolina Poly also bowed out in round two as the CC Los Angeles Coyotes feasted on the Cardinals before nipping St Blane 50-49 in the East final thanks to a last second bucket from Ralph Peck. Whitney College was humbled in the Midwest final, falling 79-41 to Rainier College which meant there would three schools from the West Coast Athletic Association in the Emeralds, Coyotes and Majestics joining Mississippi A&M in the final four.

Simons scored a game high 16 points as the Generals opened the tournament with a 55-42 victory over 8th seed and Southern Border Conference champion Abilene Baptist. Round two brought a stronger foe in defending national champion Maryland State but the Bengals were no match for Mississippi A&M and were defeated 61-52. The regional final would be Mississippi A&M's first chance to face Detroit City College since the Knights defeated the Generals in the spring of 1958 with the national title at stake. This time it was a trip to the national semi-finals that was up for grabs and number seed Mississippi A&M, led by 11 points from Simons and 10 each from seniors Stevens and Lyons, built a 13 point lead at the half and went on to down the second seeded Knights 64-55.

The semi-final game with Lane State was noted as a showdown between a pair of senior centers who were touted to be Federal Basketball League draft picks a few months later. Sam Pisani of the Emeralds was considered the best big man in the draft but he was being pursued hotly by the Generals Mike Lyons. Pisani exploded for 19 points while Lyons had just 4 but the Mississippi A&M team balanced approach, with freshman Edwards and Goscha each netting 10 points, carried the Generals to a 43-40 victory. The other semi-final was even tighter as Warren Richardson was fouled in the closing seconds while attempting a game winning shot for Rainier College over CC Los Angeles. Richardson sank both of his shots from the charity stripe and the Majestics prevailed 61-59 over the West Coast Athletic Association rivals in a game that saw top ranked pro prospect Jim Stoner score 25 points for the winners.

Stoner had a much tougher time two nights later as the Generals held him to 13 points. Mississippi A&M had a hot start and led by a dozen at the break before going on to a 56-43 victory in the title game. Simons had a game high 15 points while FBL hopeful Lyons left a good final impression on pro scouts with 9 points and 11 rebounds in his final college game.

GENERALS PREVAIL ON DIAMOND

It turned out to be a double celebration for Mississippi A&M as the Generals followed up their first collegiate basketball national title with another first for the school - a College World Championship Series title. It also meant that seniors George Stevens, a starting guard on the Generals cage club and a backup middle infielder on the ball team, along with sophomore Tommy McCaulley, a backup forward on the basketball team and pitcher on the Generals baseball team, became what is believed to be the first athletes to win AIAA national titles in two different team sports in the same year. Neither are considered solid pro prospects in either sport.

ROOKIE PHENOMS LEAD MOTORS AND VALS TO SUCCESS

A year ago the Montreal Valiants endured the worst season an NAHC club has completed since the schedule expanded to seventy games as they finished with just 34 points. The one benefit to their collapse after making the playoffs each of the two previous seasons is the Valiants were rewarded with the first overall pick in the NAHC amateur player draft. It was an ideal year to be drafting number one as two of the best prospects the game has seen in years were available in Halifax Mariners forward Hobie Barrell and offensively gifted rearguard Mark Moggy, who played his junior hockey in Sherbrooke for the Industrials.

The toughest decision for the Valiants was deciding which of the two super prospects to select with the first pick and which to leave to the Detroit Motors, who slumped to fifth in 1959-60 after making the playoffs each of the previous seven years. In the end, Montreal decided to build around the blueline and drafted Moggy, leaving the playmaking winger Barrell to the Motors. Both teams prospered with the newcomers in the lineup as each made the playoffs this time around.

It was Toronto, however, that once more was the class of the league during the regular season. Longtime coach Jack Barrell - who is new Detroit winger Hobie Barrell's uncle- had moved on, opting for retirement but Ari Bear, promoted from the HAA's Cleveland Eries, guided the Dukes to an 86 point campaign, identical to the total Toronto accumulated in Barrell's final season. Mike Connelly (28-22-9, 2.77) reclaimed the starting job in net after struggles a year ago as a sophomore but the real strength for the Dukes was its blueline that featured Dewar Trophy winning defenseman Jimmy Cooper (13-29-42) and fellow first team all-star selection Tim Brooks (8-22-30) along with steady veteran Bobby Fuhrman (11-9-20) even though the later missed 15 games with an injury.

Up front Quinton Pollack (34-49-83) continued to build his impressive resume as the 38-year-old ended Detroit's Alex Monette's two year hold on the scoring title by leading the NAHC in points for the seventh time in his career and also claimed his seventh McDaniels Trophy as the loop's Most Valuable Player. Tommy Burns (29-25-54) had a terrific year as well, but at age 40 the NAHC's career scoring leader deciding to walk away, announcing his retirement after the season.

The Montreal Valiants, led by rookie rearguard Moggy, finished a surprising second with 78 points, 8 behind the Dukes. It marked the Valiants highest placing in the standings since they finished second a decade ago before going on to win their second consecutive Challenge Cup. There would be no Challenge Cup win this time around, but the future looks might brighter in "la belle province" with the arrival of Moggy. Just 19, he won the McLeod Trophy as top rookie and was also named a second team all-star following a 38 point regular season. With Moggy, along with veterans Jean Tremblay (10-11-21) and Gil Thibeault (8-21-29), patrolling the blueline and a strong showing from 31-year-old netminder Nathan Bannister (28-22-9, 2.77) another Cup win may not be far off. Veterans Jocko Gregg (34-39-73) and Jean's brother Yan Tremblay (26-26-52) along with the emergence of 24-year-old Roy Forgeron (16-46-62) in his second season in the NAHC give the Vals some offensive pop.

Detroit finished third, three points back of the Valiants as once more the big story was Alex Monette (40-42-82). The 28-year-old failed to win his third straight scoring title -he finished a point back of Toronto's Pollack- but Monette found himself a sidekick as rookie Hobie Barrell was very impressive even though his NAHC debut was delayed until January. Barrell (20-19-39) was limited to just 30 games because of a shoulder injury suffered in training camp but once he was pronounced fit for duty he quickly showed why he was considered to be the best offensive player to join the league since Pollack. Once Barrell arrived the Motors caught fire, posting a 15-7-8 with the rookie in the lineup and easily secured themselves a playoff berth.

Barrell, who grew up in Detroit while his father Fred, the former FABL catcher, was scouting for the Detroit Dynamos, had a familiar face in the Motors dressing room as his 23-year-old brother Benny Barrell (17-30-47) had a career best point title in his third season in Detroit. Sprinkle in 35-year-old captain Nick Tardif (15-29-44) and young center Zach Roy (14-24-38) and the Motors have the most offensive depth they have seen in years. They were also very good in their own end as well even if 38-year-old Henri Chasse did not play every game for the fourth consecutive season. Chasse (27-17-9, 2.39) had played nearly 300 consecutive games but clearly benefited from the rest this time around, leading the NAHC in goals against average and was rewarded with the third Juneau Trophy of his career.

The Chicago Packers snuck into the playoffs with their second consecutive fourth place finish. They needed a 4-3 victory over the defending champion Bees in Boston on the final day of the regular season to nose out the Bees for the final playoff slot. Lakeside Auditorium was buzzing all year as the Packers "Kid Line" of 23-year-old John Trumbull (22-35-57) between a pair of 24-year-old wingers is Ken York (31-31-62) and Archer Cook (18-30-48) gave the club its best trio since the Burns brothers and Marty Mahoney over a decade ago.

A Challenge Cup hangover plagued Boston as the Bees never could get untracked. They were looking like a playoff berth would happen until mid-March when leading scorer Jimmy Rucks (30-28-58) went down with back troubles. Boston stumbled with out their all-star winger, going 1-6-1 in their final eight games and allowing Chicago to overtake them for the final playoff slot.

There was hope in New York after the Shamrocks made the playoffs a year ago for the first time since 1954, but they endured an awful season and finished in last place for the fourth time in the past six years. Goaltender Alex Sorrell (14-34-7, 3.59) had little support but it is looking increasingly obvious that the 35-year-old's best days are behind him. New York surrendered far and away the most goals against and had little in the way of offense, a combination that clearly leads to a dreadful 44 point season.

1960-61 NAHC PLAYOFFS

For the second year in a row the Toronto Dukes finished with the best record in the NAHC and opened the playoffs as heavy favourites to defeat the fourth place Chicago Packers. A year ago the Packers shocked Toronto and won the series in six games. Dukes star forward Quinton Pollack seemed to determined to ensure that would not happen again as the league MVP scored twice and added two assists in a 6-2 Toronto victory in the series opener. Chicago did rebound to take the second game by a 2-1 score after Conn Maguire found the back of the net with a shot six and a half minutes into overtime but the Dukes answered with a 7-3 victory in game three, one in which Pollack had two more goals and added an assist.

Game four saw the Dukes take a 3-0 lead early in the third period on a goal by former Packer Tommy Burns but Chicago responded with 5 unanswered goals in the final 16 minutes to even the series with a 5-3 victory. Two nights later the Packers went up 3 games to two in the series with a 4-2 victory on the road at Dominion Gardens. Toronto forced a seventh game after Mike Connelly stopped all 34 Packers shots in a 3-0 Dukes win in game six but Chicago completed its second straight series upset of Toronto with a 6-3 doubling of the Dukes in game seven. Ken York scored twice to lead the Chicago attack with John Trumbull adding three assists.

The other semi-final saw the second place Montreal Valiants facing the Detroit Motors. It was highly anticipated as a showdown between the two stellar rookies in Montreal's all-star teenage defenseman Mark Moggy and Detroit's new scoring sensation Hobie Barrell. Barrell got the upper hand in the series opener, assisting on both Detroit markers as the Motors prevailed 2-1. Moggy had also picked up a point, setting up Jocko Gregg's first period powerplay tally that had given the Vals an early lead.

Game two was another tight battle but once more Barrell played a major roe. Hobie assisted on two goals from Alex Monette, including the game winner with less than three minutes to play, to give Detroit a 3-2 victory and a sweep of the opening two games in Montreal. The series shifted to Detroit for game three and the Motors dominated, winning 5-1 as Hobie Barrell had another goal and his older brother Benny Barrell also scored and added an assist for Detroit.

Montreal did stay alive in the series with a third period rally in game four. Matt Mercier and Matthew Muir each scored in the third period to give the Valiants a 2-1 win and send the series back to Quebec. The Valiants hopes would be dashed at home as Hobie Barrell set up all three Detroit goals, including two from Monette, in a 3-1 series clinching win for the visitors. In all, Hobie Barrell had seven points in the seven game series but he was just getting started.

*** Challenge Cup Finals: Detroit vs Chicago ***

This was Chicago's second straight trip to the finals but the Packers, who have only ever won the Challenge Cup once -in 1952- had never faced Detroit with the Cup on the line. The Motors were looking for their fourth Cup win in the past eight years. The matchup was a bit of a shock as it did not include either the first or second place team from the regular season.

The series opener was surprisingly wide open with five goals scored in the opening period and after sixty minutes the teams were tied at five. Louis Rocheleau thought he notched the game winner with 3:46 left in regulation but Archer Cook replied for the Packers less than a minute later. Veteran Detroit center Alex Monette had a five point hight and set up the game winner just over eight minutes into overtime when he fed Hobie Barrell for the winning goal. Detroit had fired 51 shots on Chicago goaltender Andrew Bomberry including nine in the extra frame.

The hosts also prevailed in game two as Hobie Barrell had a goal and two assists while Robert Kennedy scored twice in another dominating offensive performance by the Motors, who won 5-2. Chicago evened the series with two wins at Lakeside Auditorium. Game three was a 3-2 Motors victory in a game that should have been easier than that for the visitors as Detroit outshot the Packers 34-17 but Motors goaltender Henri Chasse seemed to be fighting the puck. Monette and Hobie Barrell each had a goal and an assit to pace the Detroit offense.

The fourth game also saw the Windy City squad badly outshot but they claimed a 6-3 victory to stay alive in the series. Chicago's winning effort was bolstered behind the strength of a two-goal evening from Ken York.

Up 3 games to one the series shifted back to Thompson Palladium in Detroit for the fifth game with the Motors looking to celebrate a Cup win on home ice. Detroit goaltender Henri Chasse had his difficulties in the two games in Chicago but he was stellar on this night, turning aside all 24 Packers shots for his first shutout of this playoff year after notching five of them when he last saw post-season action two years ago. Detroit once more dominated play, outshooting Chicago 47-24 in a convincing 6-0 victory. Benny Barrell scored his second of the playoffs just over a minute into the game and the Motors would score twice in each stanza and celebrations began in the stands at the Palladium very early.

Winning never gets old, even for rabid Detroit sports fans who in the past decade have witnessed their hockey heroes win 4 Challenge Cups and their beloved baseball club claim six pennants. The baseball Dynamos may be heading for a rebuild but the hockey team looks like it may be the cause of plenty of championship parades in the coming years thanks to the emergence of Hobie Barrell, who paced all playoff performers with 17 points in 10 games, to partner with 28-year-old pivot Alex Monette.

HOCKEY NOTES

The league bid farewell to Tommy Burns as the great Chicago and Toronto center announced his retirement. Longtime Montreal Valiants forward Ian Doyle also called it quits.
There have been some talented brother combinations in the NAHC with the best known duo likely being the Burns brothers, Tommy and Wes, in Chicago. Detroit has what could be a brother act to rival the Packer pair in rookie Hobie Barrell, who led the NAHC in playoff scoring as a 20-year-old and his 24-year-old brother Benny, who showed solid improvement in this, his third season with the Motors. They are the sons of former big league baseball catcher Fred Barrell.
Hobie & Benny Barrell are not the only relatives of a former NAHC star to make his mark this season. Barrell's, nephews of former Toronto Dukes star and later coach Jack Barrell, are teammates in Detroit. Meanwhile Charlie Oliphant Jr., son of the long-time Toronto Duke by the same name, appears to have finally established himself as a key piece with the Montreal Valiants. The 25-year-old has bounced back and forth between the Vals and Syracuse of the HAA the past couple of season but maybe in Montreal full-time now after scoring 10 goals and 18 points after being promoted for the final 29 games of the regular season.
Toronto may have had a disappointing end with a second straight semi-final loss to the Chicago Packers but it perhaps can be explained a bit more when news leaked after the playoffs that second line center Ken Jamieson was playing with a broken hand and veteran top-four defenseman Bobby Fuhrman was skating pretty much on one leg due to an ankle problem.
The Syracuse Lancers beat Pittsburgh in six games to win their second Hockey Association of America playoff title in the past three years.
Justin MacPhee, who had an outstanding rookie season at age 26 in net for Toronto a year ago, one in which he won both the McLeod Trophy as rookie of the year and the Juneau Trophy as top goaltender, found himself back in the minors with Rochester where he claimed the Harry Seymour Trophy as the top netminder in the HAA. Toronto still owns his NAHC rights but it appears the Dukes have decided to go with Mike Connelly instead of MacPhee despite the fact the Rochester goalie has now won goalie of the year in all three professional leagues (the Great West Hockey League being the third) and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. He was goalie of the year in the CAHA in 1953-54 and twice won the GWHL nod while playing for Tacoma.
The Seattle Emeralds ended the Portland Ports two-year reign as GWHL champs, knocking off the Ports four games to two in the best-of-seven league final.
On the strength of the scoring of the "Killer B's", 20-year-old forwards Charles Bozek and Graham Beaton, the Kitchener Roosters won their first CAHA title. The Roosters finished with the best regular season record in the league and then went on to down the East Division leading Verdun Argonauts in 5 games in the best-of-seven Canadian junior championship series. Bozek led all playoff performers with 27 points in 10 games while Beaton finished second with 21 points. Both are undrafted by NAHC clubs and eligible to be signed as free agents.
There is no player that compares to last year's top two draft picks Mark Moggy and Hobie Barrell that will have an immediate impact in the NAHC but there are a couple of talented forwards in this year's draft class. The favourite to go first overall is winger Earl Muirhead of the St. Thomas Pachyderms but Kingston Cadets center Julian Mooney may overtake him. Both have high potential but neither is considered close to being ready for regular duty in the NAHC next season.

ROCKETS SOAR AGAIN IN 60-61

For the third consecutive season the St Louis Rockets owned the best regular season record in the Federal Basketball League. The defending playoff champs have set the pace in the loop's West Division for seven of the past eight seasons, going back to their days in Rochester before the club was moved to the larger market in the Midwest. A hard working defense that led the FBL in steals and forced turnovers, the Rockets also boasted a pretty solid offense led by veteran center Rick Sims (21.4 ppg) and forward Wayne Wyrick (13.9 ppg). Joining the mix this season were a pair of newcomers in Bill Melton and Charlie Glidewell. Both were rookies in the eyes of the league but neither were new to the pro game. Melton was 26 years old and was originally drafted out of Coastal California in 1958 while Glidewell was 29 and had been cut in training camp five times by four different teams before finally catching on in St Louis. A star at Carolina Poly in the early 1950s, he had played only semi-pro league games since 1954 but the point guard ran the Rockets offense with the ease of a seasoned veteran.

The only team that has challenged the Rockets in the West in recent years has been the Detroit Mustangs and once more the Mustangs were the only outfit to stay close, finishing 5 games behind the Rockets league best 55 wins. The Mustangs have had some success against the Rockets in the post-season but have not led the division during the regular campaign in a full decade. The key to Detroit's success was owning the most productive offense in the league led by the backcourt duo of Erv Corwin and Lew Bayne. Corwin averaged 20 points per game for the first time in his seven year career while Bayne, a local Detroit product who went to Chicago to play his AIAA ball at Whitney College, averaged nearly 17 points per contest in his fifth season as a pro.

As has been the case for three years now the Chicago Panthers and Toronto Falcons were left in the dust, and forced to battle it out for the third and final playoff berth in the West Division. The Panthers, who have not missed out on postseason action since the spring of 1952, finished the regular season on a dreadful 4-12 run but it was still enough to nose Toronto out by two games in a race that moved at a snail's pace as the Falcons closed the season with just 7 victories in their final 22 outings. The woeful Falcons finished with a 28-52 record -worst in the loop for the sixth consecutive season. Chicago still revolves around 33-year-old Luther Gordon, who was named league MVP for the fifth time despite averaging a career low 18.8 points per game while the Falcons seem to finally have some pieces to build around as after years of dreadful draft day decisions they finally look like they landed a winner in first overall pick Jim Bromberg. The 23-year old was a second team All-American at Detroit City College as a senior and averaged 11.1 ppg and 4.8 assists in his debut with the league's lone Canadian entry. Bill Spangler, another former first overall, also had a big year north of the border with a career best 21.8 points per game earning him a spot on the All-League first team.

While the West Division has been strictly a two-team race between St. Louis and Detroit in recent years, the East has witnessed three different teams finishing atop the division over the past three years. This time it was the Philadelphia Phantoms, who last topped the section four years ago, taking their turn. The Phantoms dominated their three eastern rivals, finishing with a 52-28 record and a 13 game lead over second place Boston. Just like the West Division pace setters in St Louis, the Phantoms did not place a player on the All-League first team but veteran center Mel Turcotte (17.7 ppg, 13.1 rpg) headed up the second squad. The offense was solid, but no team surrendered fewer than the 71.7 points the Phantoms allowed their opponents to average.

The Boston Centurions finished second for the second year in a row as the arrival of guard Steve Barrell three years ago continues to pay dividends. The Centurions had finished last in the division four straight seasons and had not finished with a .500 or better record since 1951-52 until Barrell's breakout year as a sophomore. The second overall pick of the 1958 draft was bypassed in the draft by Toronto but has been a huge reason for the turnaround in New England. T.J. Grimm was somewhat surprisingly waived by Philadelphia prior to the season and immediately fit in perfectly as Barrell's backcourt mate in Boston with Grimm, a two-time first team All-American and AIAA champion at Rainier College nearly a decade ago, averaging more than 15 points a game in his debut campaign with the Centurions.

The Washington Statesmen finished third, returning to the postseason after missing out on a playoff berth last year for the first time ever as a member of the Federal Basketball League. Washington was led by league scoring leader Fred Lillard (24.0 ppg) and a breakout season from Doc Daniels (19.8), a 29-year-old who was an everyday starter for the first time in his career. That left the New York Knights on the outside looking in as they finished last in the East Division, 3 games back of Washington. New York, as always, was led by star forward Howie Farrell (22.5 ppg) but lacked secondary scoring.

FEDERAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

The Washington Statesmen defeated Boston in a meaningless game to end the regular season but had no luck against the second place Centurions in the opening round of the East Division playoffs. Boston swept the best-of-five series beginning with a 76-61 victory in the opener behind a 27-point effort from forward Bert LaBrecque. Game two was a little closer, finishing 72-60, with LaBrecque continuing his hot play. The Centurions fourth year forward scored 28 points. A shift to the nation's capital for the third game did little to slow LaBrecque, who scored 29, or the Centurions who completed the sweep with a 78-72 win.

Boston found the second round against Philadelphia much more challenging as the Centurions dropped the opener 83-67 but did battle back with three straight victories and were on the verge of reaching the league finals for the second year in a row. Boston never managed to get that fourth win of the series as the Phantoms took game five 71-58 thanks to Mel Turcotte's 15 point, 12 rebound effort. Game six was all Turcotte as the veteran center had 33 points and Philadelphia thumped Boston on their home court by a 77-64 margin.

With back to back wins forcing a seventh game, Keystone Arena in Philadelphia was buzzing in anticipation as the Phantoms were on the verge of their first trip to the league finals since the spring of 1957. The Centurions defense held Turcotte in check, limiting him to 12 points on the night, but Philadelphia still took a 14 point lead into the half and would go on to win 79-73.

The Detroit Mustangs and Chicago Panthers had squared off in the playoffs for six straight seasons with Detroit winning five of them so it came as little surprise that the Mustangs took the opening West Division series in four games. The opener at Thompson Palladium was a shooting gallery as Detroit, led by Lew Bayne's 33 points, outscored the Wildcats, paced by Luther Gordon's 28 points, 104-96. Game two saw both defenses tighten up and it went right down to the wire with the visiting Panthers winning 74-73 thanks to a late basket from Bob Christensen, who had 17 points on the day.

That would prove to be the high point of the series for the Panthers, who dropped the next two games at home to lose the series. Game four was a 79-71 Mustangs win despite 26 points from Luther Gordon while the fourth game ended 89-76 for Detroit with Mustangs center Jack Briones setting the pace with 28 points.

That set up for the third year in a row a West Division final between St Louis and Detroit. The Mustangs had prevailed two years ago but the Rockets came out on top last season before going on to defeat Boston in the championship series. St Louis took a quick two games to none lead with a pair of wins at the St Louis Event Center. The opener was 90-82 behind 33 points from Rockets center Rick Sims and a wild fourth quarter that saw the two teams combine for 62 points in the period. Erv Corwin led game two scorers with 24 points but his Mustangs came up on the short end of an 83-76 result with Sims scoring 22 and adding 11 boards while his front-court partner Wayne Wyrick scored 21 and collected 13 rebounds in the victory.

A series shift to Detroit did nothing to slow the Rockets as St Louis, led once more by 30 points from Sims, tamed the Mustangs 80-72. Detroit prevented the sweep with a 98-90 win in the fourth game despite another 30 point showing from Sims but any hopes of a comeback disappeared early in game five when St Louis outscored Detroit 34-14 in the opening quarter and went on to win by seven to secure a return to the finals.

*** Championship Series ***

The Philadelphia Phantoms and St Louis Rockets had never met in the playoffs before game one, but each had finals experience over the past decade. The Phantoms won their only title in 1952-53 and made the finals four years later only to come up short against Chicago. St Louis won it all last year and also in 1954-55 while losing to Washington in the spring of 1956.

The series was primarily a showdown between two of the top centers in the league in Philadelphia's Mel Turcotte and Rockets pivot Rick Sims. Both brought their A-game in the opener as Turcotte scored 20 points and added 15 rebounds but he was overshadowed by Sims as the St Louis star scored 30 points and contributed 17 boards. However Turcotte got the last laugh as his Phantoms stole the series opener in St Louis by a 74-69 score.

Game two would also go to the visitors but it was a surprise switch that caught the Rockets off guard. Turcotte shifted to forward and scored 11 points while hauling in 17 rebounds but the man he swapped positions with - Dan Holland- was the story of the night. The 23-year-old rookie from Carolina Poly had the night of his young career, scoring 38 points to pace the Phantoms to a 94-85 win and allowing them to return to Philadelphia up two-nothing in the series.

Holland stayed at center for game three and scored 23 points while Turcotte had 21 and the Phantoms had the Rockets on the ropes with a 79-62 triumph. However the win was tempered when Turcotte was injured late in the game. The diagnosis was a broken finger and he would not return in the series.

There would be no title celebration at Keystone Arena following game four as the Rockets, led by 23 points from Sims, avoided the sweep with an 83-63 victory over a Philadelphia team struggling to adapt without Turcotte. Byrd Summers and Freddy Timms split Turcotte's minutes with Summers having some success but Timms was overmatched.

Game five saw the Rockets feeling they might have a chance to comeback as Turcotte was again sidelined. St Louis entered the fourth quarter with a 4-point lead before Dan Holland took over, scoring 11 of his game high 27 points in the final eight and a half minutes of the game to lead the Phantoms to a 74-66 victory. Holland also had 19 rebounds in the contest and his 18.9 ppg and 12.7 rpg during the post-season earned the rookie the Federal Basketball League playoff MVP award and led the Phantoms to their second ever FBL title.

A MOST UNLIKELY CHAMPION

The biggest story in the world of boxing in 1961 was perhaps the biggest upset the sport had ever seen in a heavyweight title fight. A middle of the road 25-year-old Los Angeles native by the name of Bert Parks went from being a near unknown to the holder of the greatest individual title in professional sports when he shockingly knocked out defending champion George Gallashaw in the 7th round of their fight in Chicago.

Entering the fight it is unlikely that even Parks himself expected to win. Gallashaw, a 25-year-old from Syracuse that some were classifying as at least an equal of Joey Tierney in his prime and perhaps could one day be mentioned in the same breath as Hector Sawyer, was 34-1 and had not needed to go the distance in his previous six fights. Most expected another short night for champion as Parks was merely a warm body to fill a spot when negotiations with several other prominent fighters fell threw.

Somehow, no one told Parks as the challenger, who was 28-8-2 but other than Norm Robinson the previous January, had not beaten any fighter of high standing. Parks actually looked very good early, winning each of the first three rounds as Gallashaw got off to a very sluggish start. That changed in round four as Gallashaw started to find his rhythm and in the fifth round he had Parks in big trouble, prompting many to suspect the fight would be over very shortly. It was, but not how anyone expected. Galleshaw dominated the sixth but Parks hung on and then continued to do the same in the early moments of the seventh round. One moment changed everything. Galleshaw, sensing a chance to end things, loaded up for a big hook but ended up walking into a Parks uppercut and was out before he hit the ground. Referee Johnnie Addie's count had reached nine before Galleshaw even showed signs of stirring and a second later Parks was a very improbable world champion.

The other two divisions were much more predictable. Canadian middleweight George Quisenberry continued his dominance but nearly stumbled in May when he faced a veteran Dutch fighter by the name of Ferdinand De Best. De Best nearly lived up to his name on this night but the 35-year-old could only manage a tie. Shockingly, rather than remain in North America for a rematch, De Best returned to Europe where he fought once more before announcing his retirement. Quisenberry scored an easy win over Italian turned New Yorker Huge Canio in his final fight of the year and has held the title since the fall of 1959.

Seattle welterweight Eugene Ellis finally lost his belt, as his longtime rival Lonnie Griffin got the best of him in a title fight for the second time. The pair have battled four times, three of them with the title on the line, and each has one twice. Odds are good there will be a fifth meeting sometime in 1962.

If 1960 was a vote for the youth movement, 1961 was a swing of the pendulum back to expertise and grizzled experience in at least one weight class. The welterweight division had been owned by Eugene Ellis through seven successful title defenses and at the age of 30, he was still the king of the welterweights.

Lonnie Griffin was the last welterweight to hoist the belt before Ellis and that was three years ago. In fact, the belt has passed between Griffin and Ellis exclusively since Griffin defeated Lewis Kernuish in 1956. Griffin and Ellis clashed for the fourth time in their storied histories. Ellis had won two of the previous three and since their last fight, neither has lost with Griffin winning all eight of his recent fights and Ellis has gone 7-0. Between the two of them, they have won 80 of 91 prior professional matches. The bout took place at Bigsby Garden, appropriate for the importance of the fight.

Griffin started fast and landed a key uppercut in the first round that set the tone. Ellis staggered backwards, but Griffin could not take further advantage. Ellis threw a solid hook that rattled Griffin late in the second round, but that was all Ellis could muster before the end of the round. The third round continued the pattern of one crowning punch late in the round to decide the round, as well as the inability to turn that punch into a sequence that led to more.

Griffin took control of the bout in the tenth round where he showed how little the first nine rounds affected him. Griffin kept his feet light as he dipped and darted all around the ring but stood his ground as he ripped an uppercut to Ellis’s head, knocking him to the canvas. Ellis reached his feet after a seven-count but made it to his corner just 15 seconds later. Only 19 seconds after the 11th round began, Ellis had to pick himself up off the floor again after another uppercut. Those two punches from Griffin sealed Ellis’s fate.

The fight went the distance and referee Barry Yeats called Griffin’s name first to announce the new champion. It was a feeling Griffin felt three times before, as he set a record by being the first boxer of any weight class to acquire a title belt four different times.
Griffin was unencumbered by Ellis as he disposed of journeyman Ernie Black with a ninth-round TKO before a “Christmas Eve-Eve” battle with Carl Rondinelli and the Italian showed very well. Griffin (40-5-1) was up on the cards through 13 rounds and the champion dominated the 14th round, peppering Rondinelli upstairs and downstairs, scoring a knockout at 2:56 of the round.

In the heavyweight division, George Gallashaw had a head of steam coming into the year and looked like he would breeze through his opponents this year. First up was Bill Mosley, who had eight losses coming into his title shot. The bout was closer than expected and in the eighth round, Mosley floored Gallashaw with a right cross. Gallashaw woke up in time to win the fight in the 14th round, earning two separate knockdowns and referee Laurence Cole stopped the fight in the final seconds of the stanza.

Gallashaw faced former Heavyweight Champion Steve Leivers, who last visited the Champion’s corner four years ago. The fight did not last long, but not because Gallashaw was so devastating. Gallashaw won by disqualification on a blatant low blow in the fifth round that was seemingly triggered by nothing in particular. A rematch against Dave Courtney was next for an August date at Thompson Field in Detroit. Gallashaw had his finest bout of the year as he used a cross and an uppercut to knock Courtney down in consecutive rounds and referee Frank Blakeslee had seen enough in the fifth round, calling a technical knockout for the champion.

December opened with Gallashaw’s last fight of the year against virtual unknown Bert Parks, the 25-year-old Los Angeles native who had a 28-8-2 record entering the bout. Gallashaw took the fight to Parks early, but Parks announced his arrival in the sixth round with a right hand that stunned the champion early in the round and another right that almost had Gallashaw’s knee touching the canvas. Gallashaw tried to reassert himself in the seventh and all was well until Parks connected with a hook that snapped Gallashaw’s head back.

In boxing, all it really takes is one punch. The right punch could change everything. With 1:38 gone in the seventh round, Parks unleashed a vicious cross that hit Gallashaw just right. Referee Johnny Addie started counting and it took Gallashaw to a count of nine to start moving, which was way too late. Parks knocked out the champion and picked up one very special present under his Christmas tree: a heavyweight title belt.

George Quisenberry was the only champion to hold on to the belt the entire year, and therefore won the Bologna Boxer of the Year Award for 1961. Quisenberry is the second two-time winner, joining Eugene Ellis, who won it for the second time last year. Quisenberry is the first back-to-back winner of the award. Cases could have been made for Lonnie Griffin, for his long pursuit and his victory over Ellis, as well as Bert Parks and his out-of-nowhere upset victory, but this award is for the best boxer for the entire year and only Quisenberry was truly the best from January to December.

Quisenberry won early thanks to an accidental head butt against Johnny Barton that went to the cards in the fifth round, as Barton was unable to continue. In May, Quisenberry battled Ferdinand de Best to a draw and as fight fans awaited the inevitable rematch, the 35-year-old de Best decided to return back to Holland.

The final fight of the year for Quisenberry was an October win against Hugo Canio, who was in his third title fight without tasting a middleweight championship. The fight went the distance, and it will almost definitely be Canio’s final major bout. The bright spot for Canio was the fifth round, where he pummeled Quisenberry and knocked him down twice, including a nine-count that came very close to ending Quisenberry’s reign. Those were the only two times either fighter fell to the canvas. Quisenberry was accurate and his punches caused Canio to develop a mouse under his right eye very early in the fight.

After a year that saw two longtime rivals fight again, a major upset in another title fight and a champion that just barely held on to his belt all year, it was an unpredictable year in boxing.

FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS

Tales From The Manor: Dukes Again Finish First Bow Out in the Semi-Final -Toronto hockey fans knew this season was going to be different after Jack Barrell retired as head coach in June. The Dukes reached into their system to promote Ari Bear, 56, to be the bench boss after spending the last half of the 1959-60 in Cleveland.

Bear inherited a strong team from Barrell, he also brought in a game with a little more edge to it for the Dukes witnessed by their 738 PIM in the regular season: only Detroit with 755 had more time in the sin bin during the season. Bear also revamped the power play with the Dukes leading the league by a wide margin in power play goals with 54, 10 more than Montreal, converting on better than 1 in 5 chances with the man advantage.

The Dukes were again led offensively by Quinton Pollack, 38, who led the NAHC in scoring putting together a 34-49-83 season to edge out Alex Monette by a single point after Monette led the league in goals with 40. Pollack again missed 6 games due to injury. Tommy Burns, who has announced his retirement at 41 following the season, had another fine year playing against many players half his age with 29-25-54 which was good for 7th in goals, a tie for 10th in points.

Going forward Burns' presence on the ice and in the room will be missed by Bear and his staff. More of the burden down the middle will fall to Ken Jamieson, 31, who seems ready for a bigger role after a 1960-61 season where his 22-39-61 placed him 6th in scoring race. In a head scratching move in many way the Dukes let last year's star in net, Justin MacPhee leave the team as a free agent. No team in the NAHC, inexplicably, signed MacPhee the First Team All-Star goaltender in 1959-60, who ended up signing the HAA's Rochester Robins where he had a 38-20-9 record with a 2.18 GAA. He is again a free agent who might be a hot commodity this summer. It was not all gloom and doom between the pipes as Mike Connelly held down the fort leasing the NAHC with 33 wins in 60 starts with a 2.71 GAA a 91.1% save percentage. He was spelled occasionally by Charlie Dell leaving the Dukes as one the strongest tandems in the league.

After losing their season opener 3-1 in Montreal to the surprising Vals, who finished second in the regular season with 78 points, the team won 10 of the next 11 games. The Dukes only had one small bump on the trip to first place in the regular season with a 39-23-8 record good for 83 points. Between January 29- February 5th they loss 4 in a row including two to Detroit, who finished 3rd then rode a hot playoff streak to the Challenge Cup.

Toronto went into the playoff to face the Chicago Packers who finished 4th with 70 points, 3 more than the Cup defender from Boston. The series started with the Dukes dominate in the first game when a 4 goal third period led to a 6-2 win. The second game was probably not what Bear wanted from his charges when the Packers got some life with 2-1 win in OT thanks to a 34 save performance from rookie Andrew Bomberry, a former Dukes farmhand, with Conn Maguire's winner in the first extra frame. Toronto seemed to reestablish control of the series with hot start in the Lakeside Aud scoring three in the first skating to an easy 7-3 victory solving Bomberry early and often in game three. Things got ugly for the Dukes in the fourth game with a collapse in the third. Leading 3-0 with 16 minutes to go the Packers struck for 5 straight markers including a natural hattrick from Ken York to drive the 16920 on hand into a frenzy tying the series at 2.

The hangover from that game seemed to affect the Dukes in the fifth game as the visitors got out to 4-0 lead in the Gardens before making it close with two in the last seven minutes. Back to Chicago with Packers looking to win the series at home. Connelly brought his A game, despite being outshot 34-22 the Dukes forced a deciding game with a 3-0 whitewash. Toronto fans believed that the team would wrap up the series then go on to face the Motors in the final, but the young Packers had other ideas. Ken York opened the scoring at 23 seconds setting the tone for the game. Riding a 3-1 lead after 20 the Packers held off the Dukes' Pollack who twice brought the team back to with one goal by scoring a pair in the third, but Chicago went on to claim game seven 6-3 with two goals in the third which silenced the Gardens crowd, sent the Dukes to the sidelines for the summer.

Coach Bear- "A successful regular season, the guys bought into my changes to the system at both ends of the ice. For some strange reason we changed our style in the playoffs. We have to be a tough team on the puck, we tried to finesse our way through Chicago. Losing Tommy to retirement opens an opportunity for a young guy to step into the lineup. In camp I will stress being a tough team to play against each and every night, we will take away open ice in all zones by finishing every check. We will have an edge to our game."

Tales From The Den: Wolves Continue Freefall to FABL Cellar in 1961 --If there are any redeeming features of the 1961 Wolves someone else will have to point them out to this writer. The team went through the season, finishing 59-95, without a winning month and ended up with the worst record in baseball. The closest the Wolves got to a breakeven month was a 4-5 record in April followed by 11-16, 10-19, 11-16. 10-18, 12-15. 1-6 in October when the season could not end fast enough for the fans.

At the plate the team was abysmal with lowest numbers in the FABL in all three categories that contribute to the slash line with a team line of .242/.312/.377 scoring only 634 runs over 154 games or 4.1 runs per game. At the plate the leader once more was Tom Reed, an All-Star, with a season of .299/.377/.540 28 HR 91 RBI. Reed, 30, seems destined to suffer through a career as big bat on a lousy team, many fans wonder how much better he would be with some support from teammates. The only other bat worth mentioning was CF Sid Cullen, 25, who started the season in Buffalo then fought off a back injury in May that cost him two months to post a .310/.371/.545 line with 19 HR in 95 games along with solid defense in CF.

If they had pitching the team may be able to be at least competitive in the CA. That was not the case as the Toronto staff ERA was just slightly better than their Canadian counterparts, the seventh place finishers Montreal Saints. Phil Colantuono led the staff a 15-10, 4.35 while leading the CA in strikeouts with 172. The rest of the starters struggled with high touted George Hoxworth never getting untracked (5-16, 5.14) while walking almost as many as he sent down on strikes. Whitey Stewart, 30, was moved the bullpen where he led the CA in saves with 22 despite a record of 2-14, 4.49 with 10 blown saves. Stewart has since been dealt to Kansas City.

If there was one glimmer of hope in a dismal summer it was that the team improved slightly in the field going from horrid to just bad. This is of small consolation if the team is neither scoring runs nor preventing the opposition from crossing the plate.

Expansion is coming to the FABL in 1962 with new CA teams coming to New York and Dallas. The team now has to set its protected roster for the upcoming expansion draft. With Minneapolis, Los Angeles joining the FA the FABL will go through its first expansion from 16 to 20 teams. Wolves fans are hearing rumours of a major shakeup in the front office in which Bernie Millard make do a complete cleaning of the decision makers after 13 straight losing seasons.

The team has fallen upon hard times with improvement required throughout the system to bring the team back to respectability, the feeling amongst the faithful is that they are going hear the refrain they heard far too often over the last decade, "This going to take time to fix the problems." Fans are secretly hoping that Wolves will be able to finish at least ahead of the newcomers but many think this not a lead pipe cinch. Most feel there are far too many areas that the Wolves are below FABL standard to insure they can finish ahead of New York and Dallas if either of those two draft wisely to stock their new teams.

The Year That Was
Current events from 1961

Jan 3- President Eisenhower announces the United States has severed all diplomatic relations with Cuba.
Jan 17- In his farewell address, President Eisenhower warns of the increasing power of a "military-industrial complex and how it can shape public policy.
Jan 20- John F. Kennedy is sworn in as the 35th President of the United States and Lyndon B. Johnson as his Vice-President.
Feb 15- President Kennedy warns the Soviet Union not to interfere with United Nations efforts in the Congo.
Apr 17- The Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba begins, but fails two days later.
May 5- Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space aboard Mercury-Redstone 3
May 25- Kennedy announces to Congress his goal to put a man on the Moon by the end of the decade.
Jun 4- Kennedy and Khrushchev meet for two days in Vienna, discussing nuclear tests, disarmament and Germany.
Sep 25- Black voting rights activist Herbert Lee is murdered by a Mississippi state representative.
Oct 27- A standoff between Soviet and American tanks in Berlin heightens Cold War tensions.
Nov 18- President Kennedy sends 18,000 military advisors to South Vietnam.
Dec 11- The Vietnam war officially begins, as the first American helicopters arrive in Saigon along with 400 U.S. personnel.

Tiger Fan · 11-15-2024, 11:31 AM

The fast forward is over and Figment is back to a regular sim schedule as we dive into the 1962 season. It is presently late January 1962 and the baseball expansion draft -adding four new teams- was conducted by the AI General Managers. Immediately after which, our human GM's were called back to work and are now back to running our teams.

GOOD NEWS. THERE ARE SOME OPENINGS

If you have been following along with this dynasty now is your chance to be a part of the story. With expansion we have a few openings, but they are not just for expansion teams as few of the original 16 GMs opted for a new challenge. As a result there is I believe five openings and they include an expansion team if you want a challenge but also the mighty Cleveland Foresters, led by veteran pitching greats Deuce Barrell and Adrian Czerwinski, if you want to jump right in and control a winner. Send me a PM if you want to find out more and I will put you in touch with our commissioner.

Baseball is back to human GMs and the other three sports will follow soon. The plan is to let the AI GMs finish out the 1961-62 basketball and hockey schedule before human GMs take charge once again when we hit the off-season. I believe both are full but if you are interested in running a team in either of those sports (in conjunction with a baseball team or just as a hockey or basketball GM only) our commissioner is willing to add expansion clubs a few years earlier than real life. The American Football Association, which has been around since the early 1920s, and using Draft Day Pro Football since 1950, will also welcome human GMs as we approach the 1962 grid season. There is a companion league using the college game that will provide the draft pool for our football team.

If you want to be a part of Figment sports, rather than just an avid reader, this is the perfect time to apply for a GM job with one or as many as four teams in the various sports.

TWIFS issues will be sporadic over the next couple of in-game months as with baseball the only one with human GMs at the moment we will likely be simming a couple of weeks at a time to get us to spring training and the much anticipated 1962 season- a new era of FABL in a new decade and with, for the first time ever, 10 teams in each of the Continental and Federal Associations fighting it out for the chance to compete in the World Championship Series.

JANUARY 29, 1962

BIG WEEK AHEAD FOR NAHC LEADERS

It is hard to call any games in late January or early February crucial but the Detroit Motors and Chicago Packers have a big home and home series this Wednesday and Thursday as the two battle it out for first place in the NAHC. The two clubs are separated by just a single point atop the league standings with the Motors owning the lead will also in possession of a game in hand on the Packers. The two clubs have met eight times already this season and their is little to separate the pair, with each winning three games and the remaining two contests ending in ties. Chicago has reached the Challenge Cup finals each of the past two years but came up short on both occasions including a 4 games to one loss to the Motors last spring.

Detroit is led by twenty-year-old sophomore sensation Hobie Barrell (25-26-51), who trails only veteran Toronto pivot Quinton Pollack in the scoring race. Barrell has spent some time skating on a line with his older brother Bennie Barrell (10-26-36) after the Motors number one center Alex Monette (8-10-18) missed more than twenty games with knee and elbow issues. Monette is healthy, at least for the moment, so the Motors offense should be firing on all cylinders.

Scoring was expected from the Detroit club, but what comes as a big surprise is the goaltending after longtime star Henri Chasse announced his retirement last summer. Chasse, who had played every Detroit game for nearly half a decade, was spelled on occasion by former Boston farmhand Sebastien Goulet for 16 games a year ago. The 28-year-old Goulet had his struggles as a rookie a year ago but without the safety net of Chasse, has excelled this season and is chasing another late bloomer in Toronto's Justin MacPhee for the Juneau Trophy as top netminder in the league.

The Packers strength is their balanced offense which already boasts eight different skaters in double-digits for goals this season led by Ken York (16-18-34) and J.P. Morissette (14-31-45), who tops the club in points.

It is far from a two-horse race as the Toronto Dukes are just five points back of Detroit and the Boston Bees a single point behind the Dukes. Toronto is led, as always, by the ageless Quinton Pollack who shows no signs of slowing down at the ripe old age of 39. Justin MacPhee is also back as the top option in net and boasts the lowest goals against average in the loop. The 28-year-old burst on to the scene as rookie two years ago, winning both the Juneau Trophy as a top netminder and the McLeod Trophy as rookie of the year but was exiled to the minors a year ago in favour of Toronto's other top tender Mike Connelly.

The fourth place Bees lack the star power of Toronto and only 25-year-old Jack Gariepy (9-24-33) cracks the league top ten in scoring but Boston has managed to stay in the chase for top spot. The Bees shutout Montreal 4-0 last night with veteran Oscar James turning aside all 32 Vals shots in a game that allowed Boston to open up a 5 point lead on the Valiants in the race for the final playoff berth. The New York Shamrocks, who have made the playoffs only once in the past eight years and have not won a playoff series since the spring of 1950, are enduring another difficult campaign and have little hope of ending their playoff drought as they trail fourth place Boston by 21 points.

FALCONS FINALLY TAKE FLIGHT

It feels like forever but fans of the Toronto Falcons are finally witnessing winning basketball again. The past decade has been tough on Toronto as the Falcons finished dead last in the West Division each of the last six years and have won just one playoff series since 1950. Now the club, which flew north from Pittsburgh in 1945, is perhaps dreaming of the first Federal Basketball League title in franchise history.

The Falcons are off to a 31-10 start, best record in the entire FBL and even a slight slump in which they dropped two of three to division rivals Detroit and St Louis last week, has not been a cure for basketball fever in a city where the local cage club has long been overshadowed by the most successful hockey team in the NAHC.

A recent ten game winning streak seems have to have reaffirmed that times have indeed changed at Dominion Gardens and it boosted the Falcons win total to 31 on the season. The season is just past the halfway point but the Falcons have already won more games than they did in the any of the past six full seasons.

After so many awful seasons the Falcons just had to improve because of repeated first overall draft picks. They may have made some errors on passing on players like Steve Barrell, who is starring for East Division leading Boston, but Toronto also landed some gems, although it took a few years to polish them up. Those gems would include the backcourt duo of Bill Spangler and Jim Bromberg. Each was selected first overall with Spangler coming in 1957 from CC Los Angeles and Bromberg three years later from Detroit City College. Spangler is third in league scoring, averaging 21 points per game, while Bromberg is following up his rookie of the year award win a year ago with a strong sophomore campaign. The two Toronto forwards, Bill Hash and Bryce Kirk were also first overall selections but the surprise piece that may have allowed the Falcons to put everything together is a 28-year-old center who was waived by two teams before finding a home on the shores of Lake Ontario. That would be Fred Lillard. Originally a 1955 second round pick of Chicago where he had no chance of replacing the great Luther Gordon, Lillard ended up playing semi-pro ball for four years before making his FBL debut with Washington a year ago. He suited up for just 2 games as an injury replacement with the Statesmen, and averaged 24 points but was cut and finally landed in Toronto for training camp. An impressive camp earned Lillard the starting job with a team in need of a big center and the rest has been like a fairy tale. Lillard is averaging 21.5 points per game, second highest in the league, and is among the top dozen rebounders in the game as well.

The Falcons still have a long flight ahead of the them, but it seems very clear they are poised to end the three year old on the West Division lead that the St Louis Rockets have held. The Rockets lost just 25 games all of last year and are still in second place, but they are two games under .500 and have already tasted defeat 22 times in 42 games this season.

DENNING HAS COLONELS BACK IN CHARGE

Al Denning has Noble Jones College back in a spot the Colonels have not been in since the days of Charlie Barrell. Noble Jones College is the top team in collegiate basketball, leading the polls with a 17-1 record including a perfect 4-0 start in Deep South section play. Denning, the Georgia born and bred senior guard who was named National Freshman of the Year in 1959, is the biggest reason why the Colonels are dreaming of their first national cage title since Barrell led the club to back-to-back trips to the national championship game and a win in the spring of 1950.

Denning had 23 points in a recent victory on the road at Opelika State as the Colonels swept a two-game sojourn through Alabama last weekend, following up a 9-point win over the Wildcats Thursday with another 9-point victory over Alabama Baptist Saturday. Denning's 16.2 points per game average places him among the league leaders in the entire nation and makes him one of the most feared shooters in the Deep South Conference. Denning, who hails from Conyers, is not the only Georgia born product leading the Colonels this season as he has teamed with fellow senior Jim Glick, a forward out of Decatur, to give the Colonels one of the most lethal one-two scoring punches in the nation. Glick is averaging 13.5 points per game.

Come tournament time there is expected to be plenty of competition for the Colonels from the usual college powers as Carolina Poly, Maryland State and Whitney College are all ranked in the top ten and the Lane State Emeralds, who reached the national semi-final game a year ago, are also making noise out west. The Emeralds stumbled in their West Coast Athletic Association opener against Coastal California, but have won five straight section games since and are ranked second with a 17-2 overall record.

EXPANSION IMPERIALS QUICK TO DEAL

It did not take one of baseball's newest franchises long to make its first trade. The New York Imperials, just two weeks after stocking their team with players from the expansion draft, dealt away a pitcher who was expected to be near the top of their rotation with news that former Detroit Dynamos hurler Bob Allen was heading to Chicago. It will be a homecoming for the 33-year-old righthander who returns to the Cougars, the team that drafted him in the first round in 1946.

Allen was considered the top pitching prospect in the game for several years, but his career never quiet lived up to expectations. He debuted with the Cougars at the age of 23 in 1951 to the highest of expectations but won just 34 games over six seasons in the Windy City before he was traded to Detroit for a prospect by the name of Monty Brown, who is now 26 and recently was selected by the Minneapolis Millers in the expansion draft.

Allen had some success in Detroit, posting a 53-39 record in the Motor City but enjoyed the most success out of the bullpen when the Dynamos were in the tail end of their dominant years. He saved a Federal League best 20 games in 1959 but with Detroit on the downswing he returned to the rotation the past two years. There was some surprise Detroit exposed Allen in the expansion draft but perhaps even more surprise that the Imperials, who look to be very weak on the mound, would opt to move him even before seeing Allen in spring camp.

New York management appears committed to a long-term youth movement and the Imperials hope that Delos Smith, a 24-year-old acquired in return for the veteran hurler, will be part of their future. OSA feels the move will heavily favour the Cougars, who always seemed to win trades when their current GM was in charge prior to the fast-forward. The scouting service appears to call this one another big win for the Windy City Kitty's, noting Allen "should have no trouble filling a role in the middle or back half of any rotation" while noting Smith plays "capable and reliable defense" but he is more of a "supplement than a star."

Former Chicago Cougars ace Peter "The Heater" Papenfus is back in the game five years after his retirement. Papenfus posted a 153-133 record from 1938-54 with the Cougars before playing one final season with the Los Angeles Stars. The two-time Allen Award winner had spent four seasons coaching in Japan but has returned to the United States and will become the pitching coach for the Newark Aces - the AAA affiliate of the Detroit Dynamos.
There were several FABL teams busy making staffing changes including the Cougars who replaced nearly their entire coaching staff
It was a busy week for the Washington Eagles returning GM. 19 players were released from the organization and 25 newcomers were signed to minor league contracts.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 1/28/1962

Postponed last week due to low-hanging clouds, astronaut John Glenn will attempt to rocket three times around the earth sometime this week. The Mercury countdown, set for Saturday, was called off 20 minutes before blastoff.
Ranger 3, another spacecraft, is more than halfway to the moon but there is no hope of the craft hitting the moon. It was launched yesterday on a lunar collision course but its big Atlas booster rocket gave it just a bit more speed than it should have had, and it will not achieve its mission of landing on the moon.
Budget Director David Bell told the Senate Appropriations Committee to not be surprised if the Federal budget passes the $100-billion a year mark within a few years. He was testifying in a closed session on the requirements of the 1963 budget which calls for spending of nearly $92.5 billion.
At a meeting in Uruguay, the foreign ministers of the American states agreed in principle to "suspend" Fidel Castro's Cuban regime from hemisphere family councils.
The 39-month old three-power nuclear test ban talks broke up in complete disagreement today as after a stormy 135-minute session, delegates from the United States, Britain and Russia failed even to agree on ho to end the conference.

Tiger Fan · 11-19-2024, 10:51 AM

FEBRUARY 12, 1962

MEET THE NEWEST FABL TEAMS

With the expansion draft completed and teams preparing for Spring Training, the team at TWIFS decided to take a look at a few players of note on each expansion team:

Dallas Wranglers
One for Now: RHP Hank Berkowitz
1961 Stats: 5-3, 3.00 ERA (148 ERA+), 3.76 FIP (84 FIP-), 84 IP, 28 BB, 46 K, 1.25 WHIP, 1.6 K/BB, 1.4 FIP-
FABL Career: 57-47, 73 SV, 4.20 ERA (100 ERA+), 4.00 FIP (95 FIP-), 678.2 IP, 252 BB, 424 K, 1.43 WHIP, 1.7 K/BB, 5.7 WAR

A long time reliever of the Cleveland Foresters, there are plenty of teams out there who would have been comfortable giving Hank Berkowitz a rotation spot. Acquired from the Stars in the ill-fated trade that sent Richie Hughes to the Big Apple for Berkowitz, Joe Wood, Larry McClure, and Bill Grove, the former 8th Rounder has been part of three World Champion teams and was selected to the 1954 All-Star game. That was one of his most productive seasons, where he finished 12-7 with a CA high 23 saves. Berkowitz worked to a 3.96 ERA (107 ERA+) and 1.48 WHIP in 91 innings, second only to the 92.1 he threw in 1958. A minor league starter, it took until 1958 for his first FABL start, but in each of the three seasons that followed he started two or more of his appearances. That includes the most recent season, where he was at his best. In 26 outings (7 starts) he went 5-3 with a 3.00 ERA (148 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts, turning 34 last July.

With the Foresters depth, a swingman role would likely have continued, but on a brand new Dallas team with little to get excited for, Berkowitz is now the best pitcher on the staff. His stuff is decent, headlined by a really nice splitter, but what makes Berkowitz so good is his control. He always keeps the ball away from the center of the plate, allowing him to get outs without overwhelming stuff. For a young team like Dallas, he'll be tasked with eating a ton of innings, and if he looks like the pitcher he was for Cleveland last season, he could net them a pretty promising prospect or two. If not, he can be a useful mentor as the Wranglers carve out their identity, as many of his former teammates commented on his work ethic and the respect his teammates have for him.

One for the Future: RHP Butch Abrams
1951 Stats: 0-0, SV, 2.84 ERA (155 ERA+), 2.57 FIP (58 FIP-), 12.2 IP, 6 BB, 11 K, 1.42 WHIP, 1.8 K/BB, 0.3 WAR
FABL Career: 49-56, SV, 4.35 ERA (98 ERA+), 3.96 FIP (93 FIP-), 960.1 IP, 337 BB, 563 K, 1.36 WHIP, 1.7 K/BB, 16.1 WAR

It feels weird calling a guy with 143 FABL starts one for the future, but considering all of those starts came before his 25th birthday, the towering 6'6'' righty Butch Abrams certainly fits that mold for Dallas. Until last season, Abrams was a mainstay in the Pioneer rotation, as the 17th overall pick in 1955 debuted less then a year after he was drafted. Just 19, he posted a productive season (8-9, 4.14, 93), joining young stars Billy Hasson (19-8, 2.85, 188) and Frenchy Mack (7-8, 2.83, 131), with Hasson actually two years older then Abrams and Mack just under a year younger.

While never as highly touted, Abrams was still a top-100 prospect in his short and expected to be a suitable middle rotation arm. At times he's shown that, but right now his five pitch is undeveloped. The fastball and change are both plus to plus-plus offerings, but his curve and slider don't get many whiffs, and his sinker can get hit hard. Sure, a lot of times that's right into the ground, but it's not reliable enough of a pitch to get a double play on command. I think that's the key to his success, as he's an extreme groundballer who sits comfortable in the mid 90s. If Dallas' pitching staff can polish that pitch, they might have uncovered a gem, but right now his best skill is his ability to eat innings. With an option left, they have a lot of possibilities for where he starts the season, as he could fill the rotation or pen in Dallas, as well as a rotation spot down in AAA Denver. As you'd expect with an expansion club, they don't have many pitchers with upside, but Abrams is a guy that a lot of organizations would be happy to have.

One for the Past: 2B Chuck Lewis
1951 Stats: 95 G, 354 PA, 38 R, 14 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, 38 RBI, 42 BB, 8 SB, .223/.316/.361 (76 OPS+), 81 WRC+, 1.5 WAR
FABL Career: 1,930 G, 7,588 PA, 777 R, 289 2B, 85 3B, 159 HR, 863 RBI, 665 BB, 94 SB, .237/.303/.373 (87 OPS+), 83 WRC+, 28.3 WAR

There were plenty of choices here, especially on the pitching staff, but with the focus on two pitchers already, I decided to hone in on veteran middle infielder Chuck Lewis. Known best for his 14 seasons with the Kings, it's easy to forget that's not where he started his career, as the Chicago Chiefs took him in the 2nd Round of the 1947 draft, and called him up to the big league club when rosters expanded. That 14 game sample is all he did in FABL with a team that wasn't the Kings, as that offseason the Chiefs sent him to Brooklyn in a 1-for-1 swap for outfielder Joe Rutherford. Lewis started his Kings career in AAA, but until a rehab assignment in 1961, the rest of his time came in FABL. Appearing in over 1,900 games in a King uniform, Lewis played a ton at both middle infield spots, hitting an okay .237/.303/.373 (87 OPS+) with 285 doubles, 85 triples, 159 homers, and 861 RBIs. A strong eye, good speed, and quality defense kept him in the lineup almost everyday, as he started 140 or more games in 10 of his 14 seasons.

Now 36, he's not really the guy you want doing that anymore, but he was a valued member of the Kings organization that some of the fans may miss. He won't hold the record for much longer, as both Ken Newman (.255, 28, 108, 6) and Charlie Rogers (.312, 16, 94, 12) should both pass him, but Lewis' 1,916 appearances are the most by any King ever. His 6,811 at bats are second to Rogers (7,703), and he's top 10 in runs (10th, 775), hits (10th, 1,611), total bases (6th, 2,543), doubles (6th, 285), homers (4th, 159), RBIs (6th, 861), and walks (4th, 662). With such a storied career for the franchise, it's a surprise they were willing to let him go, but when you have your eyes on a pennant and younger replacements, he was expendable. Now he'll get to lead a rag-tag group of Wranglers, expected to bat first and man second on a team that might be able to compete for a Century League lineup. With his age, he's likely not to garner much trade value unless he hits like he did 20s, but he's a skilled defender and decent roster filler for a team with holes everywhere.

Los Angeles Suns
One for Now: C Stan Czerwinski
1961 Stats: 134 G, 472 PA, 41 R, 6 2B, 3B, 15 HR, 54 RBI, 24 BB, 2 SB, .211/.254/.331 (67 OPS+), 41 WRC+, -0.3 WAR
FABL Career: 666 G, 2,374 PA, 253 R, 53 2B, 5 3B, 90 HR, 301 RBI, 93 BB, 6 SB, .241/.272/.389 (79 OPS+), 69 WRC+, 5.4 WAR

It's not all that often an expansion team is able to select a former #1 pick on the right side of 30, but with the way Stan Czerwinski has hit so far, Suns fans may want to temper expectations. Among the games top prospects, the Chiefs never got the future star catcher they desired, eventually including the brother of future Hall-of-Famer Adrian Czerwinski (18-9, 3.54, 163) in a quantity-over-quality package that sent Doc Zimmerman (.267, 8, 81, 13) from one side of Chicago to the other.

Despite never playing above A-ball, the Cougars inserted Czerwinski right into the starting lineup, and it went almost exactly as you would think. The 23-year-old hit just .215/.245/.371 (76 OPS+) with a 63 WRC+, but he showed promise behind the plate and with his power. In 135 games he launched 20 home runs, and quickly asserted himself as one of the premier pitch framers. Since his debut, he's been worth 15.7 runs above average, with his lowest a still solid 1.5 in 1959. 1959 also happens to be his only above average offensive season, producing a 105 OPS+, but his 94 WRC+ was still below. This is due to high K rates and miniscule walk rates, not a good combo for a slugging catcher who doesn't put the ball in play. Still, he brings tremendous value to a team with an awful pitching staff, as Czerwinski does everything well behind the plate. Few catchers can frame, throw, or block as well as he does, and there really isn't anyone out there who can do everything better then him. In a stress-free environment, the offensive potential could be extracted, but for now the expectations are just for Stan to make their staff look better then it is.

One for the Future: RHP Red Burtch
1951 Stats: N/A
FABL Career: N/A

There were very few exciting prospects available in the expansion draft, but the Suns were able to get a useful young pitcher in Red Burtch. Just 24, he's gone a long way from being a 12th Round pick by the Gothams. In fact, he was cut six times before finally sticking with the Foresters, the team that left Burtch unprotected. Currently ranked 4th in the Suns system and 217th overall, he's one of four top 350 pitching prospects in the system, and he's the guy that's furthest along. A hard throwing righty, Burtch's fastball is nothing short of elite, and with great conditioning he's able to maintain his velocity deep into games. The fastball leads his four pitch mix, with a decent slider, curve, and change, and he gets solid marks for his movement and control too.

Yet to debut, Burtch made 22 of his 29 starts in AAA, going 5-4 with a 3.37 ERA (110 ERA+), 3.16 FIP (85 FIP-), and 1.20 WHIP, walking 40 with 93 strikeouts in 147 innings. Without a rotation spot available in Cleveland, being selected could help spark his career, as there are a lot of spots available in what could be one of the league's youngest rotations. As it shapes out now, he could join Doc Carver (26), Grant Davis (26), and Paul Debo (25), all within two years of the 24-year-old righty. Any of those guys could fit here, Debo in particular due to his stellar sutff and elite fastball, but Burtch has the feel of a big leaguer. With three options left, the Suns could delay the start of his career, but if I'm in charge of an expansion team, I'd rather lose with talented young guys then 30 something year old vets that most clubs would barely consider worth hanging onto as AAA depth.

One for the Past: 1B Danny Taylor
1951 Stats: 39 G, 44 PA, 5 R, 2 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, .317/.341/.439 (103 OPS+), 110 WRC+, 0.2 WAR
FABL Career: 719 G, 1,591 PA, 197 R, 52 2B, 10 3B, 53 HR, 230 RBI, 135 BB, .289/.349/.449 (114 OPS+), 114 WRC+, 7.3 WAR

There was a time in Boston when Danny Taylor was supposed to be part of an elite outfield that contained Rick Masters (.274, 12, 49) and Yank Taylor. Now, none of them are left in Beantown, and only Masters can be considered to have a successful FABL career. In Taylor's defense, Boston never really gave him a chance, as after hitting a solid .305/.332/.464 (113 OPS+) as a rookie, he spent three seasons almost strictly in the minors. He got more time in 1955 at 27, hitting a productive .289/.377/.453 (118 OPS+) as he got his strikeouts under control and his walks back up while providing some power. It then looked like he was finally ready to play regularly, but the Minutemen shipped him to the Cougars, who returned Taylor to a bench role. In six seasons he started just 61 of his 420 appearances, and it's no surprise he was left unprotected by Chicago.

Now with his third organization, Taylor has a chance to add to his 53 career home runs, a shockingly low tally considering he had multiple 20+ home run stints in the minors. Sure, playing time has always been a struggle for him, but the projected elite power hitter has only been average compared to his peers. "Dynamite Dan" is now better at not striking out then slugging, and the former outfielder is now strictly a first basemen only. OSA thinks the 34-year-old is their second best player behind Czerwinski, so perhaps he can finally get the playing time he deserves, and have a nice little late career resurgence out west.

Minneapolis Millers
One for Now: RHP Joe McDowell
1961 Stats: 15-7, 4.29 ERA (103 ERA+), 4.21 FIP (94 FIP-), 199.1 IP, 60 BB, 90 K, 1.44 WHIP, 1.5 K/BB, 3.2 WAR
FABL Career: 47-51, SV, 4.77 ERA (91 ERA+), 4.27 FIP (98 FIP-), 828.2 IP, 285 BB, 446 K, 1.45 WHIP, 1.6 K/BB, 11.6 WAR

A guy who not only should not have been protected, but also probably the guy who should have went #1, Joe McDowell is not your typical expansion pitcher. Perhaps the $85,000 salary scared away some teams, but McDowell has started an association high 33 games two years in a row, and since he's became a regular rotation member in 1958, he's been as consistent as it gets. While far from an ace, there's not a single rotation that couldn't use him, as the soft-tossing groundballer has excellent control and a near spotless injury record. He's coming off his best season too, as the 29-year-old went 15-7 with a 4.29 ERA (103 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, and 90 strikeouts in a career high 199.1 innings pitched. I'd expect McDowell to break that this year, as it seemed like the Miners staff was always looking to keep his inning total down.

The question now for Minneapolis is whether they build around McDowell or try to entice a contender in the next few seasons to overpay for their new ace. The farm is almost completely empty, just one prospect in FABL's top 250 (and he's 247), and with McDowell and the upcoming draft the new staff has a chance to restock the farm quickly. With his track record, control, and ability to keep the ball on the ground, the only thing stopping teams may be the previously mentioned salary, but that's something the Millers can help with. They have very little on the books, making retention that much easier, and I'm curious to see what route they end up taking with the former 4th Round selection.

One for the Future: 2B Clarence Jackson
1951 Stats: N/A
FABL Career: N/A

Just 22, it was a relatively surprising the Toronto Wolves left infielder Clarence Jackson unprotected, and of little surprise that the former 7th Rounder was selected. Making it up to AA this season, Jackson appeared in 93 of his 129 games there, hitting a solid .249/.386/.364 (103 OPS+). 21 for most of the season, he had a nice 114 WRC+ with 14 doubles, 8 homers, 11 steals, and 22 RBIs, drawing 77 walks to just 39 strikeouts. An extremely disciplined hitter, he's got a great eye, and projects to hit around .280. An excellent athlete, he's quick, a superb baserunner, and a gifted fielder, outstanding at second and third and above average at short. A perfect clubhouse presence despite his youth, he's a true leader with the will to win, and he's got the ability to impact the game in multiple ways.

For a poor team like the Millers, that type of presence in the clubhouse is huge, as despite his youth he can do a lot to help keep the group together. Projected to be the Opening Day second basemen, at worst an excellent utility infielder, but with his age there has to be some untapped potential. With a low stress environment and regular at bats, his bat can really shine, and with his eye he'll always give tough at bats. Add in the hit tool, his speed, and his athleticism, and he's got a lot of tools that work in his favor. The only questions is how impactful he'll be when he makes contact with the bat, as there's no shortage of slap hitting singles hitters who don't do much more then get to first base or move a runner up.

One for the Past: RHP Don Hillshire
1951 Stats: N/A
FABL Career: 3-1, 2 SV, 3.09 ERA (141 ERA+), 4.25 FIP (99 FIP-), 32 IP, 9 BB, 16 K, 1.25 WHIP, 1.8 K/BB, -0.1 WAR

One of the most controversial first round picks of the 1950s, the Philadelphia Sailors made Don Hillshire the 9th pick of the draft, despite having no experience in organized baseball. At first, the questionable picked looked okay, as the league put him in the ends of the top 100, but his stay there was short. He struggled to get much traction in the minors, and it took until 27 for him to debut. That came in just one inning, where he got a save with a homer, walk, and strikeout, and he made three appearances for San Francisco over the next two seasons. Traded at the '58 deadline to the Miners, he went straight to their pen, going 2-1 with a save, 3.97 ERA (110 ERA+), and 1.37 WHIP, striking out 7 with just 4 walks. While solid, Pittsburgh didn't want to keep him on the 40, and until the expansion draft, that's where he stayed.

Now 33, Hillshire will have a chance to carve out a late career renaissance with the Minneapolis team that's far close to his Springfield home then San Francisco. The stuff isn't great, but aside from former Miner teammates Joe McDowell and Ed Power (8-18, 6.13, 86), the rotation is barren as can be. Hillshire provides the team with a level headed vet who can get his team through the early innings, and is currently in line to be the #3 starter. He's yet to make a FABL start, but all 312 of his minor league and CWL appearances have been starts, so it's not like he can't handle pitching multiple innings. Whether he can keep runs off the board is another thing, but at this stage in the Millers history, they can afford to take a risk on a former 1st Round pick.

New York Imperials
One for Now: RHP Jim Cooper
1961 Stats: 12-4, 3.68 ERA (117 ERA+), 4.62 FIP (107 FIP-), 154 IP, 81 BB, 83 K, 1.40 WHIP, 1.0 K/BB, 1.5 WAR
FABL Career: 46-32, 7 SV, 4.17 ERA (101 ERA+), 4.63 FIP (109 FIP-), 654 IP, 315 BB, 307 K, 1.49 WHIP, 0.9 K/BB, 4.6 WAR

Another guy who probably shouldn't have been left unprotected, Jim Cooper is a 28-year-old starter fresh off a World Championship. On top of that, he's had an above average ERA+ in each of his three full seasons in the rotation, and in 1958 where he started (14) and relieved (24) for the Keystones, he had a 4.29 ERA (99 ERA+) and 3.77 FIP (89 FIP-). Aside form his rookie season in 1957, he's been a very reliable pitcher, but his control is bad and the Keystones do have a lot of depth. Still, I feel like there had to have been a better guy to leave unprotected, but the Keystones loss may now be the Imperials gain.

Originally the 6th pick of the 1952 draft, the Cleveland Foresters sent him to the Keystones in a big deal for Sid Moulton (8-7, 4.22, 72), who was another guy taken in the expansion draft. Cooper quickly entered the top 100 prospect lists, even if he never got in the top half, and looked to be a quality middle rotation starter. To this point, he's lived up to it, as despite his command issues he doesn't allow many base hits. Not quite effectively wild, but he does keep batters on their toes with five pitches, even if none of them stand out. But by generating weak contact, he allows himself to compete and keep his game close, making him a very useful asset for a team that doesn't enter the season with much value. Already having traded Bob Allen, Cooper could be out the door before the season starts, as there are plenty of contenders who could use an arm like.

One for the Future: 1B Turk Ramsey
1951 Stats: 82 G, 125 PA, 2 2B, 9 HR, 27 RBI, 4 BB, .308/.328/.550 (127 OPS+), 130 WRC+, 0.6 WAR
FABL Career: 109 G, 195 PA, 6 2B, 3B, 14 HR, 40 RBI, 8 BB, .290/.318/.559 (129 OPS+), 123 WRC+, 0.8 WAR

Another member of the champion Keystones to make his way to the Big Apple, you could argue that Cooper and Turk Ramsey are the two best players on the new squad. A former 6th Rounder, the 26-year-old Ramsey didn't have much of a role on the Keystones, though he did appear in 82 games during their title winning season. Only 16 were starts, but he hit a strong .308/.328/.550 (127 OPS+) with 9 homers and 27 RBIs. As you can tell from the home run numbers, he can hit the ball far, and there are very few FABL sluggers who can hit it harder and farther then Ramsey. In 122 AAA games last season, he slugged 37 home runs, and while hitting around .300 won't happen for long, he might be able to sit in the .260 range.

As a lefty swinger, Dyckman stadium is one of the easier parks to hit homers in for the Conti, but he's the type of guy built for Broad Street Park. Granted, with his power he can hit the ball out of any park, as even the Parc Cartier and Dominion Stadium can't hold in the force that is Turk Ramsey. Getting to start with the Imperials from day one, he has a really good chance to be the early franchise home run leader, and if he stays his career in the Big Apple there's a legitimate chance he holds it for multiple seasons. The only thing stopping him from being a great slugger is his poor eye, but scouts think he's getting more patient at the plate. With little protection, teams may be comfortable going right at him, allowing him the opportunity to see plenty of balls in the zone.

One for the Past: RHP Eddie Webb
1951 Stats: 1-1, SV, 4.12 ERA (106 ERA+), 6.08 FIP (138 FIP-), 19.2 IP, 10 BB, 16 K, 1.47 WHIP, 1.6 K/BB, -0.3 WAR
FABL Career: 48-37, 6 SV, 4.02 ERA (101 ERA+), 3.81 FIP (93 FIP-)

It's crazy to think Eddie Webb is just 29, but considering how far he's fallen since leading the CA in ERA back in 1958, it would make more sense if he was 39. Not only was he kicked out of the rotation, but he threw under 20 innings this season with a FIP north of 6. A shell of the guy that went 13-11 with a 2.86 ERA (150 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, and 155 strikeouts in an All-Star season, Webb likely won't crack the Imperials rotation, as his curve no longer fools anyone, and his sinker/fastball combo is not good enough to go through the order more then once. There's rumors that his poor work ethic have contributed to his downfall, and encouraged LA to trade him, and that's something the Imperials new staff may want to monitor.

Expected to be the closer, Webb could thrive in that role, as he got big strikeout numbers last season even with the decline in stuff. His 18.2 K% in FABL was actually better then the 15.5% he posted in AAA, but both are well above average even out of the pen. His command has slipped recently, but it should be at least average, and he's always done well maintaining K/BBs above 1.5. And as a former starter, he can go multiple innings, with a legit chance to crack 100 innings if he pitches reasonably effective. For someone who doesn't like to try too much, pitching for an expansion team may be rewarding, and he could rebuild some of his past value before he turns 30 in September.

A New Spring

As players gather here in St. Petersburg, Florida as much to introduce themselves as to get in shape for a new season I caught up with Imperials Manager Ed Ziehl to get his perspective on his expansion club. As expected the Ol' Lion pulled few punches.

"Ed, how do you feel about this squad that's been cobbled together for you?"
Ziehl-"Ah Al, it is Al? Well it kind of reminds me of my days in Los Angeles. Lots of sunshine, palm trees and just a few ball players. The old clubs haven't done us any favors and we're going to be in a tough spot here. I'm thinking I may have to suit up and bring Bud and Walt with me to add some professionalism to the occasion."

"You don't see many likely candidates out there?"
Ziehl"Now don't be putting words in my mouth. I got plenty of them already. We've got a few likely candidates."
Here Ziehl takes a look around the field. Players stretching and tossing. He sighs and continues, "Scotty McDonald can keep the ball in the park, so that's good. If that kid Webb can find the plate, he'll strike out a bunch. The new fellow, Woods he can hit 'em a long way. There's a couple more. It's just we have a problem of too old or not young enough. Most of these guys have been around long enough to know what they're not."

"So, you're saying fans should be patient."
Ziehl"Hell, everyone should be patient. We'll coach 'em up the best we can. I'll make sure they play hard and give our fans the best show they can. Fans in New York have been without Continental League ball for a long time. They want a team to be proud of so they can face up to the Gothams fans who have had it easy for so long."

"Do you still have any connections over in Queens?"
Ziehl"Nope. Not ties at all. Can't say as Jameson or even Messer do either." Here the aging baseball giant stares off towards the outfield perhaps remembering his days with the Gothams. "Damn shame. Ok I have to go tell these guys a few things. Maybe inspire them. You take care. You're the new guy?"

"Yes, this is my first team assignment."
Ziehl"Maybe you'll get better along with the team."

And that was my first interview with Ed Ziehl. We'll have a better feel for the available talent when games get started. Then a full run down of the club as cuts are made. It's sure to be a busy season."

Entering his age 34 season Ed Bloom is 9th all-time in walks with 1457, just 315 away from equaling Max Morris' career record. He's led the FED in walks in nine of his eleven full seasons and has averaged 126 walks/season over that eleven year span. If he were to average 126 walks for the next two seasons then he would pass Morris in less than three seasons.
The Kansas City Times tells us that outfielder Charlie Rogers is still going strong for the Kings at age 32. He has amassed 2,398 hits and already has 482 doubles. The current league record for doubles is 601 and with Rogers hitting 50 last year he seems to be a shoe in for 3,000 hits and also over 600 doubles. If he has a healthy 62 season, he should be well over 2,600 hits and probably in the top 12 in doubles all time with 525+. He is also the only active player who is top 50 (at #50) in hits. If healthy he should have a very real opportunity to be top 5 all time in hits and #1 in doubles.
Back in the 1940s a catcher by the name of Woody Stone was in the right spot at the right time to collect a big paycheck. Stone was released by the them Philadelphia based Sailors and became the subject of bidding war with some FABL teams and clubs from the old Great Western League during its brief stint as a major league. Stone ended up signing a then record contract for nearly $100,000 per year and was paid more than even Bobby Barrell for a stretch. Now it is a 27-year-old career minor leaguer by the name of Howie French that is likely going to land a huge payday. French happens to be a rare species - a player scouts like who happens to be a free agent- and as a result a number of teams are making overtures. It is doubtful bidding will approach the $200,000 per annum that Adrian Czerwinski, Dallas Berry and Jerry Smith will each collect for 1962 but French could top the 100 grand mark despite the fact he has never thrown a big league pitch. The righthander was a fifth round pick of Montreal's in 1956 but was quickly released and signed with the Minneapolis Lumberjacks, an unaffiliated club. The Lumberjacks folded up shop with the arrival of the Minneapolis Millers so French was set free after going 77-52 with a 2.74 era over half a dozen Triple A seasons.
The expansion Minneapolis Millers are hoping some very familiar baseball names will help with attendance as the club signed both John Stallings and Ralph Johnson to contracts. The 36-year-old Stallings was the first overall pick in the 1946 draft and went on to make three all-star teams and post a 157-149 record with the Chiefs, Gothams and Washington. He was 1-2 out of the Eagles bullpen a year ago before being released last month. Johnson, 37, was a 4-time Whitney Award winner with the Brooklyn Kings and won 4 WCS titles with Detroit but was cut last August after playing sparingly for the Dynamos the past few seasons.

PACKERS TAKE OVER TOP SPOT IN NAHC

The Chicago Packers took three of a possible four points in first place showdown with Detroit to begin the month and continued to roll through the opening two weeks of February. Chicago has lost just one of its past six games and with a 14-6-5 run since Christmas the Packers have pulled ahead of Detroit by four points in the race for first place in the North American Hockey Confederation.

Veteran rearguard Phil Stukas, a two-time first team All-Star selection, had a goal and an assist to lead the Packers to big a 4-2 victory over the Motors at Lakeside Auditorium and in the rematch the Packers held on for a 3-3 tie with the Motors the next night at Thompson Palladium. From there the Packers went on to win three and tie one of their next five games with the lone blemish being a surprising loss to the lowly New York Shamrocks. While the Packers prospered after the head-to-head battles, the Motors stumbled, losing three of their next five games, a stretch which also included a defeat at the hands of the last place Shamrocks.

The other team heading the wrong way quickly is the Boston Bees, who have won just five games since Christmas and are 1-5-1 in their last seven outings. The Bees still own a 3-point lead on Montreal in the battle for the final playoff berth which makes this Wednesday's meeting between the two at Denny Arena a fairly important contest.

NO SLOWING FALCONS DOWN

The Toronto Falcons, long-time doormats of the Federal Basketball League, continued their dream season with five straight victories over the past two weeks. With 16 wins in their last 18 outings the Falcons have increased their lead over second place St. Louis to 13.5 games.

The strong showing the past dozen days included 4 consecutive victories over the reeling Chicago Panthers. Chicago, which will have to suffer through five more dates with Toronto over the next three weeks, has dropped 13 of its last 14 games and are on track for the worst season in franchise history. There is some good news in the Windy City as third year forward Bob Christensen, who is leading the FBL in rebounds per game, looks close to be able to return to the lineup. The 24-year-old out of Western Iowa has been sidelined with a broken finger since January 21.

Speaking of tough seasons, the Washington Statesmen are on their way to setting a franchise record for futility. The Statesmen, who have 5 league titles under their belt, have dropped 35 of 45 games this season and are almost assuredly going to miss the playoffs for just the second time in FBL history. With both Washington and Chicago struggling their appears to be very little uncertainty about the playoff participants this year, despite the fact there are more than two months remaining in the regular season. The only suspense may well be if St Louis can hold off Detroit for second place in the West Division and whether the East Division leading Boston Centurions, presently 3.5 games up on Philadelphia, can hold off the Phantoms. If so, it will be the first time in franchise history - going back to 1937 and the old American Basketball Conference- that the Centurions finished a season in first place.

ADMIRALS RISING IN SAC

Overshadowed in the South Atlantic Conference for most of their existence, the Charleston Tech Admirals may well be continuing a dominance only known by Carolina Poly. The Admirals are looking for their third consecutive conference title and are now 6-1 in section play after recent wins over both Maryland State and Carolina Poly. The 49-41 victory over the mighty Cardinals Saturday afternoon also caught the eye of national pollsters, as the Admirals cracked the top five for the first time this season.

Charleston Tech, which had never won an SAC title until they started this current streak, still has a tough path ahead with road games at both the second ranked Bengals and fourth ranked Carinals as well as a home game against #8 North Carolina Tech, which is the only SAC school to beat the Admirals so far this season.

The SAC may dominate the polls with four of its member schools in the top ten but the number one ranking once belongs to Deep South Conference leader Noble Jones College. The Colonels dropped to number two last week after stumbling 50-48 at home against Alabama Baptist but regained the top spot with lobsided victories over Georgia Baptist and Opelika State last week.

RECENT KEY RESULTS

]32-year-old Bill Sanderson, who had a couple of shots at the middleweight title but came up short against Mark McCoy in 1953 and George Hatchell 3 years later, needed less barely 2 minutes to score a TKO victory over journeyman Ed Taylor in Sacramento, CA., last week. The New York City native now sports a 42-6-2 record and remains hopeful for a third chance at the world title.
In Chicago last weekend, Windy City favourite Andy Barnes (29-4-1) scored an unanimous decision over Artie Wilson in a heavyweight clash. The 23-year-old is considered one of the top 15 fighters in his weight class.
Former World Heavyweight champion Steve Leivers improved to 47-3-1 after a 10th round TKO win over fellow Brit Trevor Treleaven in a bout in Liverpool. Leivers beat Joe Brinkworth to win the title in 1956 and successfully defended it against Joey Tierney before losing the belt a year later to Brad Harris. The 32-year-old also had a title shot against George Galleshaw just under a year ago but lost by disqualification.
Italian welterweight Carl Rondinelli made his return to the ring, claiming a fourth round TKO win over Brad Evans in a bout in England. Rondinelli's last outing was a title shot against Lonnie Griffin but the champ knocked out Rondinelli in the 14th round of a spirited tussle in Bigsby Garden in December.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

Mar 3 in Boston: new heavyweight champion Bert Parks will make his first title defense since upsetting George Galleshaw to win the World Title. Parks will face Houston Harry Pratt, 27, in a bout at Denny Arena. Parks shocked the boxing establishment with a 7th round KO of Galleshaw in Chicago in their December bout. The Los Angeles native is 28-8 and ruined what was expected to be a fairly easy evening for Galleshaw. Pratt, a 26-year-old Texan, owns a 28-4 record but, other than a win over Dave Courtney, has not beaten any big name opponents.
Apr 12 in Las Vegas: Longtime welterweight champion Lonnie Griffin defends his crown against Dan McMullan. The 30-year-old Griffn (40-5-1) has held the title on four different occasions and his bout against McMullan will be his third defense this time around. McMullan (22-1) is a 23-year-old rising star from South Carolina and is getting his first shot at the welterweight title.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 2/11/1962

Released American U-2 spy pilot Francis Gary Powers will face a grilling from the CIA now that he has been returned to American soil following a prisoner exchange with Russia.
In a letter received by President Kennedy, Russian Premier Khrushchev has proposed that eighteen heads of government meet in Geneva March 14 to open the conference on general disarmament. This after talks between the US, Britain and Russia on nuclear disarmament fell apart two weeks ago.
Tensions are increasing rapidly in France as the danger of an attempt to overthrow the government of Charles de Gaulle by force and the possibility of a civil war in that country loom large.
A leftist demonstration against the right wing Secret Army started quietly in Paris, as more that 30,000 French policemen were on hand, many in full riot gear armed with submachine guns to watch over some 200,000 protesters.
US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy arrived in Indonesia yesterday for a six-day visit.
African Americans demanding desegregation of Macon city buses have called for a boycott of the transit system in the Georgia city and urged all "to walk in dignity rather than to ride in disgrace."
Everything is a "go" but the weather as the orbital flight of Mercury astronaut John Glenn continues to wait for a safe flight window. Weather and some minor technical issues have delayed the launch more than two weeks.

Tiger Fan · 11-20-2024, 08:23 AM

FEBRUARY 26, 1962

HANCOCK WELCOMED TO BOONE COUNTY

The baseball Hall of Fame added one new member to its ranks recently with news that former Toronto and Detroit pitcher Joe Hancock will be the lone member of the 1962 Hall of Fame class. The Massachusetts native, one of just a handful of hurlers to win an Allen Award in each association, was named on 92% of the ballots in his first year of eligibility. Walt Messer, the long-time New York Gothams slugger was second in the balloting but finished well short of the 80% required for induction, being named on just over 65% of the ballots.

Hancock made his big league debut with the Toronto Wolves at the age of 23 in 1936 and would lead the Wolves to a World Championship Series victory in 1940. He was dealt to Detroit at the trade deadline in 1951 with the expectation that the now 38 year old would wrap up his career in a pennant quest with the Dynamos. He stuck around for six seasons in Detroit and was a part of four pennant winning clubs and 3 more WCS champions. Hancock was waived early in the 1957 season at the age of 44 and immediately retired. An eight-time all-star, he finished with a career record of 294-210 to go along with a 5-1 mark in WCS play. Hancock won his first Allen Award with the Wolves in 1949 and would follow it up with a second one 13 years later following a dominant 22-9 season with a 1.77 era for the 1952 World Champion Dynamos.

PACKERS EXTEND NAHC LEAD

It has been a decade since the Chicago Packers finished with the best regular season record in the North American Hockey Confederation but with a month to play in the regular season the current edition of the Packers look well positioned to finish in first place. Chicago is enjoying a 7 point lead on the second place Toronto Dukes with 10 games remaining on their schedule (the Dukes have 12 to play) and the Packers could go a long way towards wrapping up top spot with a win at Dominion Gardens over the Dukes on Wednesday.

The Packers have been red-hot of late with five wins and a tie in their last seven games and are 11-3-3 in their last 17 outings. Much of that success can be credited to the emergence of goaltender Andrew Bomberry. The 24-year-old second year netminder has been very good of late with possibly his best effort of the season coming in a 5-2 win in Detroit last week, a game in which he made 49 saves as the Packers completed a sweep of back to back games against the spiraling Motors.
*** Pollack Collects 500th Goal ***

Toronto has also played well of late and the Dukes continue to be lead by another dominant season out of Quinton Pollack. The 39-year-old center already has 73 points in 58 games this season and is on a pace to finish with 88 points. If he gets to anything over 85 it will be at least the fourth highest point total in NAHC history. The top three, including a record 99 points in 1952-53, all belong to Pollack.

The veteran center became just the second player in NAHC history to reach the 500 career goal plateau. Pollack scored 5 times last week to pass Detroit's Hobie Barrell for the goal lead and now sits at 30 on the season and exactly 500 for his career. The milestone marker came in the Motor City last night and was the game winner, a second period powerplay tally in a 2-1 Toronto victory. Pollack trails only former Chicago and Toronto star Tommy Burns, who lit the lamp 564 times in his career. Pollack also is second in points with 70 so far this season giving him 1,1,65 for his career. Burns leads the way with 1,215 career points.

As Detroit and Boston continue to struggle, the Montreal Valiants have overtaken the Bees for fourth place and have their sights set on Detroit, which is just three points ahead of the Vals. Detroit has lost its last five games and the Bees are just 3-14-7 in their last twenty four games. Injuries have played a role in the struggles for both teams as the Motors have been forced to play for stretches without each of their three top scorers with Alex Monette (13-17-30) being the hardest hit with the 29-year-old being sidelined for 21 of Detroit's 58 games.

The Toronto Falcons (41-12) are running away with the Western Division and Toronto has the best record in the league by 5-1/2 games over the best team in the East, the Boston Centurions (36-18). How have the Falcons done it? The Falcons lead the league in scoring, as they average 86.8 points, and they have done so with the league’s finest shooting percentage in the league at 42.0%. The Falcons have the best home record, carrying a 25-2 mark at Dominion Gardens. Toronto is also the only team in the circuit with a pair of 20-point scorers in C Fred Lillard and SG Bill Spangler. Lillard is second at 21.3 points per game, while Spangler is right behind Lillard in third place, averaging 20.8 points.
Meanwhile, the race for second place in the West is heating up, as the Detroit Mustangs (26-30) are trying to catch the defending champions, the St. Louis Rockets (26-27), for second place and home court advantage in the first round. Both teams are even in wins, but Detroit has played three more games. However, Detroit is making its case, going 3-1 over the past two weeks against the Rockets. Detroit roared back with a 28-10 run in the fourth quarter to win the opening game of the fortnight against St. Louis, winning 93-82. St. Louis ripped open a tie game with a fourth-quarter runaway, 88-77, in their next matchup. This past week, Detroit turned a three-point halftime deficit into a ten-point win, 87-77 but fell to St. Louis on a tough 32% shooting night, 75-59. League-leading scorer Bill Melton averaged 27.0 in the first three games of these recent matches – all losses – but only scored 14 in the only win for St. Louis last Wednesday. The race has tightened to a game-and-a-half between both teams, and there are nine games remaining in their regular-season series, including a home-and-home to close the regular season schedule in mid-April.
As the season is now two-thirds complete, the fight in the Eastern Division is not about second place versus third place. Second-place Philadelphia (31-21) still has designs on the top spot, as the Phantoms trail the Centurions by four games. However, Philadelphia leads New York (25-29) by seven games and the Knights are comfortably in front of last-place Washington (14-38). This will be a fight for the division title. So far, Boston has gotten the better of Philadelphia, winning 12 of 18, including a narrow 78-76 victory on Friday night. Mel Turcotte was uncharacteristically held to nine points on 2-for-11 shooting while Bert LaBrecque won star of the game honors with 20 points to lead all scorers, keying Boston’s fourth-quarter comeback. Boston trailed by seven points entering the final quarter. The two teams face each other six more times before the playoffs begin.

BIG RECRUITING WIN FOR BENGALS

Maryland State may have come up short against Charleston Tech Saturday afternoon, falling 48-35 to the South Atlantic Conference leading Admirals but despite the loss on the court there was plenty of good news for Bengals basketball fans last week. The Bengals, who are 22-4 on the year and ranked second in the latest AIAA Top 25, seem well positioned to earn a number one seed in the annual tournament and look to follow up their national title of two years ago with a second crown.

That is not the big news of the week for the Bengals. Instead, the excitement surrounds the current recruiting class for Maryland State which seems assured of being ranked number one in the nation. The Bengals secured a commitment from Jack Bicknell, a center out of Philadelphia's Frankford High School, who is considered the top high school senior in the nation. Bicknell joins national number two John Brantner, a Hickory, NC, born forward who committed a couple of weeks ago. It is a big coup for the Bengals to land the two best recruits in the country after struggling on the recruiting front last year. As if the haul was not big enough this time around, the Bengals also landed New York City point guard Randy Highfill, who is ranked 5th at his position and 40th overall by the OSA. The Bengals rounded out their class with another top 100 prospect in Fort Royal, Va, native Chet Maitland, a 6'5" forward ranked 81st overall.

BERT PARKS TO DEFEND TITLE IN BOSTON RING DEBUT

BOSTON — The heavyweight division’s most improbable champion, Bert Parks, is set to make his first title defense next week at Denny Arena. Parks, a relative unknown until his shocking upset of George Galleshaw last year, will face off against Houston Harry Pratt in a bout that promises plenty of action, if not prestige.

Parks, who hails from Los Angeles, claimed the crown in dramatic fashion. Against all odds, he landed a stunning right hand in the sixth round that sent the previously dominant Galleshaw reeling. Though Galleshaw managed to stay on his feet, the punch altered the course of the fight. In the following round, Parks delivered another crushing blow, sending the reigning champ to the canvas for the full count. Parks, then 25, celebrated with unrestrained joy, the unlikely victor and new heavyweight champion of the world.

But questions remain about Parks’ legitimacy as a champion. His career record, 29-8-2, hardly reads like that of a world-beater, and critics have been quick to point out that his resume is light on marquee opponents. Now on the cusp of his 26th birthday, Parks will need to prove that his victory over Galleshaw was no fluke.

His challenger, Harry Pratt, brings a 28-4 record to the fight. The Texan burst onto the professional scene with 20 victories in his first 21 bouts, and for a time, seemed destined for greatness. However, a trio of defeats — including a loss to then-undefeated Norm Robinson — derailed his meteoric rise. Since that rough patch, Pratt has rebounded with eight consecutive wins, including an impressive showing against former champ Dave Courtney. Yet, skeptics question whether Pratt, like Parks, is truly deserving of a title opportunity.

While neither fighter boasts the credentials of a traditional heavyweight champion, both enter the ring with something to prove. Parks hopes to silence his critics and cement his status as a legitimate titleholder, while Pratt seeks to fulfill the promise of his early career and capture the ultimate prize in boxing.

The stage is set for what promises to be an intense clash of wills on March 3 at Denny Arena. Both men are hungry for validation, and if nothing else, their desperation to prove themselves should make for a compelling night of boxing.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

Mar 3 in Boston: new heavyweight champion Bert Parks will make his first title defense since upsetting George Galleshaw to win the World Title. Parks will face Houston Harry Pratt, 27, in a bout at Denny Arena. Parks shocked the boxing establishment with a 7th round KO of Galleshaw in Chicago in their December bout. The Los Angeles native is 28-8 and ruined what was expected to be a fairly easy evening for Galleshaw. Pratt, a 26-year-old Texan, owns a 28-4 record but, other than a win over Dave Courtney, has not beaten any big name opponents.
Apr 12 in Las Vegas: Longtime welterweight champion Lonnie Griffin defends his crown against Dan McMullan. The 30-year-old Griffn (40-5-1) has held the title on four different occasions and his bout against McMullan will be his third defense this time around. McMullan (22-1) is a 23-year-old rising star from South Carolina and is getting his first shot at the welterweight title.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 2/25/1962

Astronaut John Glenn roared into space in a Mercury capsule last Tuesday and orbited the earth three teams before safely splashing down in the North Atlantic just shy of five hours later. More than 250,000 would line the streets of Washington DC today in a parade to honour Glenn
Soviet Premier Khrushchev proposed that the United States and Russia pool their resources to explore outer space. The proposal was part of his message to President Kennedy congratulating American on Glenn's orbital flight.
Kennedy's refusal to start the Geneva disarmament talks at summit level next month caused Khrushchev to state that must mean the United States "is not ready to negotiate agreement." The President has stated he prefers to have the talks begin at the Foreign Minister level and has suggested a readiness to go to summit later, if some progress is made at a lower level. As the week closed, Kennedy reiterated his position that talks must be opened with foreign ministers, not by heads of government as Khrushchev continues to propose.
Kennedy's Urban Affairs bill was defeated in the House but is expected to become a lively issue in the congressional elections next fall.
Red China has warned the United States to get out of Viet Nam, claiming American military aid support of South Viet Name "seriously affects" the security of Red China and Communist North Viet Nam and threatens "the peace of Asia." China also stated that the United States "is already in an 'undeclared' war in South Viet Nam."
Washington's unofficial but unequivocal answer to Peiping's sharpened warnings against US military intervention in Viet Nam was: "We'll stop if you stop." This amid increased calls for China to pull its military support of North Viet Nam.
The French government poured 20,000 troops into jittery Algiers following a terrorist bloodbath that left 20 Moslems and at least 11 Europeans dead in the populous European quarter of Bab-el Oued. Authorities blame the bloody attack on a Secret Army plan to dash peace hopes in a racial war.

Tiger Fan · 11-21-2024, 03:04 PM

MARCH 12, 1962

PRATT WINS HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE OVER PARKS USING INVISIBLE PUNCHES

Denny Arena, Boston, Mass. – Bert Parks (29-8-2, 14 KO) vs. Harry Pratt (28-4-0, 13 KO) – Referee: Vic Green
NOTE: It is our pleasure to return to our individual title fight coverage on Title Talk, since we are back to our weekly simulation schedule in Figment. Our last individual fight recap was in February 1952 when Joey Tierney advanced for the right to fight for the vacant Heavyweight Championship after Hector Sawyer’s retirement. The ensuring 10 years saw champions come and go, none at the level of Sawyer, but we pick it back up with the heavyweight division.

Bert Parks was an unlikely champion. A journeyman fighter, his eight losses were an eyesore on the heavyweight title card in December when Parks won the title against George Gallashaw. Parks started slow in that bout, but came on strong to stun the boxing world with a knockout in the seventh round.

This was his first title defense and finding a pundit who questioned Parks’s place as a champion was an easy job. Parks was young, but the 25-year-old was battle-tested. The question was the quality of competition and the eight losses on his ledger.

In the challenger’s corner for this bout was “Houston” Henry Pratt, who was hardly an up-and-coming fighter. Pratt had four losses of his own, but he was running an eight-bout win streak and defeated former champion Dave Courtney among those eight scalps he collected. In a division devoid of a dominant fighter or the next great heavyweight, Pratt was the man standing before Parks.

Just as in Parks’s crowning match in December, he started slow. It seemed to be more than a two-time occurrence; it looked like a planned strategy. Pratt could not take advantage early, despite one good punch to the body that sent Parks back. However, the first two rounds offered only that one memorable moment and a lot of circling, swinging and missing.

After the second round concluded, the fans let both fighters know they needed to pick up the pace. While ticket sales were not as brisk as the Hector Sawyer days, it was still a sold-out Denny Arena in Boston, where the fight fans were knowledgeable and opinionated.
One boxer seemed to get the message, and it was not the champion. Pratt came out firing to open the third round, operating with a hook that stunned Parks. An uppercut and a couple of crosses late in the round started to get the crowd on the challenger’s side. By the end of the round, there was the first visible proof that Pratt was off to a better start, as a mouse was starting to develop under the right eye of Parks.

Pratt was much more active throughout the match, missing wildly quite often, but he still landed more punches than Parks offered. This was no more evident than in the third and fourth rounds, where Parks barely registered anything of note while Pratt was making the best of it.

Pratt took on some incoming fire from Parks, catching him by surprise with a left hook, but he proceeded to pick Parks apart, bit by bit, with big punches. Parks was starting to get desperate, while Pratt’s confidence rose with each offering. As the round ended, Pratt showed Parks his back as he swaggered back to his corner.

The desperation on Parks’s side bubbled over in between rounds, as the swelling under the right eye of Parks become more pronounced. His trainer was barking at him to be more aggressive, and some cross words were heard in the front rows between fighter and trainer. The kick in the trunks seemed to electrify Parks before the fifth round, as he had his best round in the fight. Parks was on the offensive, connecting on a well-executed uppercut and his route to Pratt after the opening bell was such that Pratt could not sidestep the punch. While Pratt offered a stinging response with a hook to Parks’s midsection, Parks was not done.

Parks connected on almost two-thirds of his punches, so connecting was not the problem. It was the lack of volume that was the problem, but not in the fifth round. There was renewed optimism that Parks was just warming up, especially seeing as how he lit up in the sixth round before his seventh-round knockout of Gallashaw in his crowning fight.

However, that was not to be on this night. The sixth round went about as wrong as it could for the champion. The swelling continued to worsen for Parks and it may have played a role on whether he saw Pratt’s punches coming. Pratt unleashed a beating on Parks in the sixth round and if there was any encore that Parks was planning, it could not be executed because Pratt kept feeding Parks with a barrage of punishment.

There were two right crosses from Pratt that signaled the end of the evening and the end of Parks’s short reign as Heavyweight Champion. Both of them were not seen by Parks until the very last second, after any kind of defense was possible. The lack of peripheral vision out of that right eye became his undoing. The first cross staggered Parks, and Pratt followed the effective punch with an uppercut coming from inside, and the second cross ended in a thud, which was the sound of Parks hitting the canvas.

Parks seemed to be in another world as he was not able to fully come to his feet after getting up to one knee early in referee Vic Green’s count. Green counted out Parks and his three-month tour as champion was over. Houston Harry Pratt (29-4-0) continued his hot streak and will have to back this up with challengers of a higher pedigree. Pratt did what he had to do on this night.

After the fight, Parks admitted to those crosses, which sandwiched the uppercut, were not even seen by Parks. Those “invisible” punches, as he put it, rocked him.

The heavyweight division continues to be wide open, so this loss, while dropping Parks’s record to 29-9-2, it hardly disqualifies him for getting another chance. He is only 25 years old, so he can route back to the top, but he will have to prove he deserves another chance against better opponents.

BOLOGNA’S BIG BOPPERS
Round 1: Pratt, 1-0 (1:10 right/midsection)
Round 2: None
Round 3: Pratt, 4-1 (PARKS: 1:12 hook; PRATT: 0:13 hook, 1:27 uppercut/head, 2:15 cross, 2:58 cross)
Round 4: Pratt, 3-1 (PARKS: 0:43 left hook/body; PRATT: 1:02 hook/ribs, 1:26 right/body, 1:59 uppercut)
Round 5: Parks, 3-2 (PARKS: 0:11 uppercut, 1:15 combo, 2:05 hook; PRATT: 0:25 hook/midsection, 2:37 hook)
Round 6: Pratt, 5-0 (PRATT: 0:13 combo/midsection, 0:35 uppercut, 1:30 right/ribs, 2:08 cross, 2:26 cross/knockout)
TOTAL: Pratt 15, Parks 5

RECENT KEY RESULTS

Feb 27: veteran middleweight Oscar Woodings, who fought former champ George Quisenberry to a draw in a title bout before losing the rematch ran his record to 50-3-2 with a 7th round TKO win over Shane Baker in Blackpool, England.
Feb 28: Undefeated Scottish middleweight Billy Findlay ran his record to 23-0-1 with a first round TKO win over Eddie Willey in New York.
March 8: Heavyweight contender Norm Robinson knocked out Ed Drake in the 8th round of their 10 rounder in Portland, Or. Robinson, who had an unsuccessful title shot against George Gallashaw 18 months ago, is 27-2. He hails from the Los Angeles area and is a month away from his 27th birthday. Robinson was ranked 6th among heavyweights in the 1961 end of year rankings.
March 11: Welterweight prospect Matt Leach (29-6-2) knocked out Steve Richardson (34-13-3) in the 10th and final round of their bout in Brooklyn.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

Apr 12 in Las Vegas: Longtime welterweight champion Lonnie Griffin defends his crown against Dan McMullan. The 30-year-old Griffn (40-5-1) has held the title on four different occasions and his bout against McMullan will be his third defense this time around. McMullan (22-1) is a 23-year-old rising star from South Carolina and is getting his first shot at the welterweight title.

SPRING TRAINING ARRIVES

A New Chapter in Baseball's Timeless Tale

March has come again, and with it, the promise of baseball. Under the soft Florida sun a fresh season begins to stir. It’s the symphony of spring: the crack of the bat, the chatter of infielders, and the shouts of managers barking out instructions. For fans of the Continental and Federal Associations, the dawn of 1962 brings a particularly rich excitement. For the first time since the founding of Major League Baseball in 1894, each association boasts ten clubs, with expansion delivering the thrill of new beginnings across the land as the Dallas Wranglers, Los Angeles Suns, Minneapolis Millers and New York Imperials take their first steps.
*** Foresters Eye History ***

The Cleveland Foresters, rulers of the Continental Association for three consecutive years, arrive in camp with unfinished business. Adrian Czerwinski, whose precise arm continues to dazzle at 37, leads a pitching staff determined to carry Cleveland to the elusive World Championship Series crown, a bauble that eluded them each of the past three campaigns. And then there’s Deuce Barrell, the grand old man of the mound. At 44, Barrell pitches as if Father Time himself is an opposing batter, staring him down and losing.

Yet, questions linger. Can Cleveland shake the October ghosts that have haunted them, losing three straight World Series to Federal Association foes? This club’s core is seasoned and steady, but whispers of vulnerability have crept in. Meanwhile, out west, the San Francisco Sailors, last year’s closest challengers, look to unseat the champs.

With Carlos Jaramillo commanding the infield at shortstop, John Kingsbury patrolling the outfield, and Charlie Lawson throwing heat on the hill, the Sailors boast a youthful core. Jaramillo’s flair, Kingsbury’s power, and Lawson’s poise at just 23 are enough to make any club nervous. Manager Walt Zecher’s squad is hungry, and the Golden Gate faithful can’t help but dream of their first pennant since the team left Philadelphia behind.
*** A Wide-Open Federal Race ***

In the Federal Association, the Philadelphia Keystones sit atop the throne, fresh off a thrilling World Series victory. With outfield sluggers Buddy Miller and Harry Dellinger anchoring the lineup, they remain a formidable force. Yet the path to October glory is never smooth.

The St. Louis Pioneers, with the indomitable Billy Hasson leading their rotation, loom as the Keystones' greatest threat. Hasson, a three-time Allen Award winner, is as automatic as sunrise and just as brilliant. Pair his talents with a deep supporting cast, and you have the makings of a championship contender.

And what of the Boston Minutemen? Their 1959 and 1960 pennants feel like distant memories after last year’s dismal sixth-place showing. Spring, though, is a time for rebirth, and the Minutemen’s camp buzzes with talk of redemption. Can their bats and arms bounce back to reclaim Federal supremacy?
*** The Newcomers Step Up ***

Amidst the storylines of the old guard, excitement brews around the league’s newest entries. Expansion clubs in both the Continental and Federal Associations bring new fans, fresh rivalries, and the unknown. For every established star arriving at camp, there’s a rookie hoping to make his mark in history.

Spring training is a time for optimism, and baseball in 1962 brims with it. Can the Foresters break their October curse? Will the Sailors seize their moment? Is another Keystones-Pioneers battle brewing, or will Boston rise again? Questions abound, but one thing is certain: the stage is set, and the timeless game is ready to deliver another chapter in its endless story.

So grab your scorecard and dust off your glove, baseball fans. The season is here, and with it, all the promise of what might be.

FRENCH, SMITH, SIGN MAJOR DEALS ON EVE OF SPRING TRAINING

Free Agents are often forced to sign for pennies, so any time you see one, let alone two, players secured six figure contracts, it's going to be big news. Though to be fair, these two guys aren't the average free agent, as the Detroit Dynamos added a high upside pitcher who made his career with the independent Minneapolis Millers, while the Kansas City Kings brought in a 2-Time All-Star and 4-Time World Champion that they traded with Ralph Johnson and Bob Arman over a decade ago. So far this offseason, no other players have signed for more then $50,000, making Howie French and Dan Smith clear outliers.

16 FABL stars make more then $150,000, from Charlie Barrell (.315, 28, 88) to the $200,000 made by Jerry Smith (.289, 34, 103, 14), Adrian Czerwinski (18-9, 3.54, 163), and Dallas Berry (.282, 29, 94, 10). The 27-year-old French will take home exactly $150,000 in Detroit this season, with the matching amount in 1963. A former 5th Round Pick, French and the Saints couldn't work on an agreement, and instead of returning to St. Joseph's, he decided to sign with the now dissolved Minneapolis Millers. It took just under a week to sign the deal, and shortly after they inserted him in their rotation. He had enough time to get 15 starts in, going 8-4 with a 2.96 ERA (135 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, 30 walks, and 51 strikeouts.

With impressive numbers like that, you might think he was facing low minors competition, but it came in the Century League, one of the three AAA leagues. Facing competition with far more experience, he met every expectation, but the doubters could have said it's just beginner's luck. French had a near identical 2.95 ERA (128 ERA+) in a full 234.2 inning sample at 22. French struck out 135 hitters, finishing 11-12 with a 1.19 WHIP and 3.3 WAR. His big break game in 1958, where he went 19-7 with a 2.50 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.04 WHIP, 78 walks, and 170 strikeouts. Worth an elite 6.3 WAR, FABL started to take notice of the young righty, but since he was contracted with the Millers, they couldn't purchase or trade for him. He got three more seasons with them, adding another 19-win season, two more sub 2.60 ERAs, a sub 1 WHIP year, and three 150 strikeout seasons. This finished up a six season career in Minneapolis, where he was 77-52 in 168 starts and a single relief outing, totaling 1,312.2 innings before what will be a highly anticipated FABL debut. The Chicagoan worked to a 2.74 ERA (137 ERA+) and 3.27 FIP (87 FIP-) with a 1.09 WHIP, 432 walks, and 826 strikeouts.

Detroit already boasts a strong rotation, led by resurgent veteran John Jackson (11-13, 3.15, 121) and 3-Time Allen winner Jim Norris (9-15, 4.08, 137). 5-Time All-Star Paul Anderson (18-7, 3.27, 113) is one of the best #3s in the league, leaving French to compete with former Forester Larry Beebe (3-13, 4.38, 79) for the 4th spot. Like Anderson, Beebe is 33, and early word is they prefer the incumbent veteran. As the known commodity, they know exactly what they're going to get, whereas French is a wild card. Well regarded for his stuff, he has a deep six pitch arsenal, led by a curveball that actually prepares minor league hitters for a FABL starter. His low mid-to-low 90s fastball isn't too shabby either, and other then his slider each of his pitches is a weapon. He's kept command of the zone, and he can throw deep into games while remaining effective. His progression will be under a microscope this season, but lucky for the Dynamos, they can still succeed without him living up to his expectations.

Ironically, the other player signed spent the past decade plus in Detroit, and he'll make exactly half as much ($75,000) as French. This comes after appearing in 1,250 games and hitting an almost exactly league average .252/.339/.385 (98 OPS+) with Detroit, logging 174 doubles and 118 home runs. He walked (553) more often then he struck out (527), scoring 515 times while driving 635 runs. Unfortunately for the 36-year-old, he was pushed out of playing time this season, and he was left unprotected in the expansion draft. The veteran catcher was selected by the Los Angeles Suns, but they ended up releasing him to save a little cash.

Kansas City will hope he can regain some of his early career magic, as when the Kings were in Brooklyn, he hit .254/.328/.392 (99 OPS+) with 50 doubles, 30 homers, and 165 RBIs in 320 games. This includes an All-Star season they year he was traded, as Smith hit a strong .265/.357/.437 (117 OPS+) with 9 homers and 44 RBIs in 61 games. It would be tough to expect much of t hat from him now, but he can still give the Kings good at bats and a veteran presence in the locker. He can compete with last year's backup Bob Burge (.290, 6, 32, 4) for everyday at bats, as the only two catchers on the Kings 40-man roster.

Naturally, some folks may wonder who will be the next guy to crack the $100,000 mark, but I wouldn't expect an offer like that to happen given FABL's current contract structure. Until we see another long-time independent team like the Minneapolis Millers, another contract of that value in a single season seems unlikely, but there has been a trend to teams cutting bait with veterans who other teams might still be interested in. Seven other players signed major league contracts since mid January, and the New York Imperials gave 26-year-old Canadian $80,000 for two years after the Wolves cut bait with their former 3rd Rounder. It's nice to see castoffs have an opportunity to catch on with the league's expansion, so while most won't see the big bucks that Smith and French saw, a release does not end careers the way it once used to.

DUKES CLOSING IN ON TOP SPOT

With two weeks remaining in the regular season the Toronto Dukes have pulled to within a point of the front-running Chicago Packers for top spot in the NAHC. Toronto has gone seven games without a loss and tasted defeat just once in their last 14 outings, posting a 10-1-3 mark over that time frame. Chicago did manage to retain the lead after the Packers held on for a 1-1 draw last night at the Lakeside Auditorium against the visiting Dukes. Each club has six games left to play including one final meeting between the pair, next Saturday at Toronto's Dominion Gardens.

Toronto's Quinton Pollack is riding an 11-game point scoring streak and with 24 points in that span seems assured of, at age 39, of winning his 8th career NAHC scoring title. A strong finish may even see Pollack threaten his own single season scoring record of 99 points. Pollack has 87 including 37 goals at the moment.

The Montreal Valiants have had a rough couple of weeks, losing six straight games and their playoff hopes seem all but extinguished. The Valiants are now 7 points back of the Boston Bees for the fourth and final playoff berth. Montreal does have some games in hand, as the Vals have seven contests remaining on their docket compared to four for the Bees, but it seems unlikely given their recent play that Montreal will catch Boston or third place Detroit, which is now ten points ahead of Montreal.

NAHC TALENT LEVEL ON THE RISE

A decade ago the NAHC's scouting service suggested there were three elite level players, or 5-star ratings, in the league. That number has not changed with the release of the 1961-62 OSA player rankings but the totals for players bubbling just under that superstar level have seen a dramatic rise.

Quinton Pollack, Toronto's 38-year-old star center was considered a 5-star player a decade ago and today nothing has changed. Pollack is still a five-star player but instead of joining now retired centers Tommy Burns and Wilbur Chandler as he did a decade ago, Pollack is the only 5-star pivot on today's list. He is joined by a pair of 20-year-olds who went first and second in the 1960 NAHC amateur draft. They would be Montreal defenseman Mark Moggy and Detroit winger Hobie Barrell.

Most had assumed since probably early 1958 that Barrell would be the number one pick in the 1960 draft but Moggy had a breakout draft year with the Sherbrooke Industrials and after the Vals selected him ahead of Barrell he went on to beat Barrell for the 1960-61 NAHC rookie of the year award while also being named to the second all-star team. This year Moggy has, by a wide margin, the highest average game rating of any defenseman in the league and trails just one player. That player is not Pollack, although he is very much in the mix, but rather young Barrell who has had a big season in Detroit and, despite missing 9 games due to injury, is challenging Pollack for the league goal scoring lead. Detroit was more than happy to have Barrell land in their lap and make it a homecoming of sorts as well as allowing Hobie to team with his 24-year-old brother Benny Barrell who had joined the squad two years before Hobie's arrival. The two boys, sons of former star catcher Fred Barrell, had honed their skills playing youth hockey in the Motor City while their father was the scouting director of the FABL Detroit Dynamos.

While the number of 5-star players is unchanged, the scouting service has suggested there is quite an increase in 3 and 4 star elite skaters. A decade ago the scouting service ranked 33 players at that secondary level but today that number has doubled to 66 and it is clear the quality of the game has improved with much of the credit going to the formation of the tier 1 junior Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in the fall of 1949. Virtually every active NAHC player under the age of 30 has spent time in the CAHA.

One other interesting note from the OSA list (see below) is the shortage of goalies. A decade ago their were seven goalies rated as at least 3-star performers but now, while every other position has witnessed a dramatic increase, the scouting service suggests only four goalies in the league warrant a 3-star or better rating. Those four also happen to be confined to just two different clubs as both Montreal and the New York Shamrocks have two of them. One of the Shamrocks pair is 35-year-old Alex Sorrell, who is the only active goaltender that was on the list of 3-star or better players a decade ago.

Toronto has gone 12-3-5 for 29 points in their last twenty games to put a stranglehold on home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Dukes start March 2-0-3 managing a tie on Sunday at Lakeside Aud when Charles Brochu scored his 13th on the power play to tie the game at 1 with 39 ticks left on the clock. Toronto remains a point behind the Packers with 6 games left. They will host Chicago next Saturday for the team's final meeting of the regular season.

Dukes have picked up their goal scoring over their twenty game run. Now have scored 180 goals tied for second with Detroit 19 fewer than Chicago. Keeping the puck out of the net has been the key for the Dukes who have the fewest losses in the NAHC, 19. The red light has only gone on 154 times behind a Duke's keeper, 15 fewer than the next best Motors.

Quinton Pollack, who is having his first injury free season in over a decade, is running away with the scoring race with 37 goals 50 assists 87 points for an 18 point lead over Hobie Barrell.

Boston is on a six-game winning streak and the timing is important, as the rest of the contenders in the division continue to win. The lead for the Centurions is five games and a big part of their club has come back into the fold with the return of Steve Barrell from injury. Barrell’s first game back was a two-point win in Philadelphia just over two weeks ago. Starting with that game, Boston has won seven of eight and Barrell has been very good, averaging 13.5 points and over two steals a game, while surpassing 10 rebounds four times. His partner in the backcourt, point guard T.J. Grimm averaged 12.5 points and 8.6 assists in those eight games, to provide great guard play to key Boston’s rise.
Philadelphia is running out of chances to directly affect Boston’s designs on a division title. Another lost opportunity was in store for the Phantoms on March 4th at Keystone Arena in front of 6,075 fans. Philadelphia had another fourth quarter letdown, as the game was up for grabs, and it was Boston getting the key baskets when it mattered. Top scorer Bert LaBrecque scored 19 points and Barrell earned a triple-double with 15 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in the 77-76 win.
St. Louis has won four in a row to improve their middling home record to 20-11 and their season record to 30-30. While there is no hope to win the Western Division, as the Rockets are 14-1/2 games out with 20 games to play. The win streak has allowed them to stay ahead of Detroit and the lead has doubled over the last two weeks, from 1-1/2 to three games. Three wins during this streak were home games at the St. Louis Event Center. The Rockets last game, an important 80-66 win in Detroit, is the first of nine road games in the next twelve contests. St. Louis is only 10-19 on the road, so if the Rockets struggle on the road, that would open the door for Detroit to capture second place. More to the point, the win over the Mustangs was only their first meeting of five in those dozen games, with three at Thompson Palladium and two at home. In the 80-66 victory on Saturday night in Detroit, Bill Melton led a second-half charge that erased a 39-33 halftime deficit to storm back with a 19-8 third quarter and had the game put away in the fourth. Melton scored 30 points on 13-for-27 shooting and the team excelled from the floor, making 45% of their shots.

TOURNAMENT FIELD UNVEILED

Noble Jones College, Charleston Tech, Maryland State and Lane State -ranked 1 thru 4 in the final college cage poll- each have claimed number seeds for the annual AIAA college basketball tournament, which tips off over the weekend. The Noble Jones Colonels, at 28-2 including an impressive 15-1 mark in Deep South section play will be the top seed in a South Region that also includes Great Lakes Alliance champion Indiana A&M and a pair of traditional powers in North Carolina Tech and Redwood University.

Turning to the East Region, the Charleston Tech Admirals -winners of their third straight South Atlantic Conference title- are the headliner. The Admirals reached the AIAA title game two years ago but have never won the national tournament. Wisconsin State, Academia Alliance winner Brunswick and independent power Liberty College are among the Admirals foes in the region.

The Midwest Region top two seeds go to schools outside the area as Maryland State, tournament champion two years ago, gets the nod as the number one seed while five time champion Rainier College, which lost in last year's championship game to Mississippi A&M claims the number two seed. There is some local flavor highlighted by third seed Western Iowa.

Out west the top seed will be Lane State after the Emeralds shared the West Coast Athletic Association crown with Redwood. The region is loaded with long time elite schools Whitney College, Carolina Poly and Coastal California in the group of 8 teams along with defending national champion Mississippi A&M, which earned the third seed.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 3/11/1962

President Kennedy has decided to resume nuclear tests in the atmosphere during April unless Russia agrees to an inspected test ban before then. No reply from the Soviets on that front but Premier Khrushchev did renew calls for an 18-nation summit meeting on disarmament and said that the world's four nuclear powers could easily have special talks within the framework of the larger meeting.
Later in the week Russia charged that Kennedy was trying to force "a completely unacceptable system of espionage inspection" on the Soviet Union as the price for holding up United States nuclear tests. American allies in Western Europe agreed the tests must resume unless the Russians accept ironclad controls on nuclear testing but the Prime Minister of Japan said nuclear tests will destroy the human race and the Japanese "are totally opposed to the decision."
As the week came to a close Russia reluctantly accepted a US-British proposal to open the 18-nation disarmament conference in Geneva with a foreign minister's meeting.
President Kennedy has instructed US Secretary of State Dean Rusk to "make every effort toward disarmament" as Rusk arrived in Geneva yesterday. Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko also arrived in Geneva and he stressed the need for disarmament as well.
The CIA fully exonerated U-2 Pilot Francis Gary Powers, stating he did not yield to his Russian captors and lived up to the terms of his employment and "his obligations as an American." Powers returned to the US last month in a prisoner exchange after being captured in May, 1960 when his plane was downed over the Soviet Union.
The United States and 24 other nations have agreed to chop about 20% from tariffs on a wide range of items -from automobiles to Scotch whisky." US officials say American came out ahead on the deal with President Kennedy terming the agreement "highly advantageous to the United States."
Algerian rebels have proposed to open "the ultimate phase" of peace negotiations, one which a rebel spokesman says should end in a ceasefire in Algeria and bring a close to a seven and a half year rebellion. Talks did not happen and by weeks end a new wave of violence including well over 100 plastic bomb explosions resulted in dozens of deaths as part of a show of strength by the European Secret Army Organization.
95 are dead following a crash of a Los Angeles bound American Airlines jet shortly after takeoff from New York City. Engine failure is being cited as the cause. It was the nation's largest disaster involving a single civilian plane. A few days later a British airliner crashed in Cameroon, killing all 111 persons on board.
A devastating storm from Florida to New York, particularly in the Middle Atlantic resort area, caused damage estimated at well in excess of $200 million.

Tiger Fan · 11-23-2024, 12:27 PM

MARCH 19, 1962
AIAA CAGE TOURNAMENT TIPS OFF

The 53rd annual collegiate basketball championship tournament commenced over the weekend and while none of the first or second seeds failed to advance in the four regions, it was a rough weekend to be a third or fourth seed in the 32 team field. In all, six of the eight number threes and fours were on the wrong end of scored against the fifth and sixth seeds.

You might be hard pressed to call any of those lower seed victories a major upset but without a doubt the biggest surprise of the opening round took place in the South Region where one of the powerhouses from the West Coast Athletic Association was sent packing early. That would be the Redwood Mammoths, who finished second to Lane State in the WCAA this season and were ranked 9th nationally in the final weekly poll. The Mammoths, who had reached at least the quarter finals of the tournament in six of the last seven years, had their title hopes this time around made extinct by Bulein. The Hornets, unranked but in the tournament as champions of the Middle Atlantic Conference, stung the Mammoths by a 56-48 score behind 20 points from senior center Arlo Smits.

Next up for Bulein will be a date with Great Lakes Alliance champion Indiana A&M. The second seeded Reapers had their hands full with 7th seed Lawrence State, champions of the Plains Athletic Association, but hung on for a 50-48 victory with junior guard John Caffrey setting the pace with 16 points.

The other side of the South bracket saw top seed and national number one Noble Jones College have little trouble disposing of California League champion Kit Carson University. Senior center Jim Glick had 25 points as the Colonels dumped the Mountaineers by a 70-49 count. The final game in the bracket saw the four seed come up short as despite 18 points from junior guard Bob Terwilliger his North Carolina Tech Techsters were nipped 62-59 by the Central Ohio Aviators.

Just as was the case in the South Region, the East also saw its third and fourth seeds go down to defeat. Academia Alliance champion Brunswick downed Central Kentucky 56-51 in the four-five game with junior center Lonnie Tait setting the pace for the Knights with 17 points and 10 boards. Top independent school, the third seeded Liberty Bells had a rough day as they were manhandled 55-41 by the Lubbock State Hawks. The Southwestern Athletic Association champs were paced by 17 points from forward Tommy Johns while Artie Pugh and Chuck Dent also scored in double figures.

The Hawks will have a tough task in Thursday's second round when they face three-time defending South Atlantic Conference champion and top seed in the East Region Charleston Tech. The Admirals sank the Garden State Redbirds 50-45 in their opening game. The other round one game in the East Region had Wisconsin State building a 15-point halftime lead on Flagstaff State and the Brewers rolled to a 64-48 victory.

The lone upset in the Midwest Region had independent Great Plains State, as the #6 seed, taking care of business against Western Iowa, clipping the Canaries by a 57-47 score. Next up for the Buffaloes will be West Coast Athletic Association power Rainier College. The Majestics had little difficulty prevailing as the second seed against Ohio Poly, winning 49-37 with guard Johnny Dukes setting the pace for the Pacific Northwest school with 12 points.

Top seeded Maryland State and fourth seed Detroit City College advanced in the other half of the Midwest bracket. The defending national champion Bengals waltzed past Northern Minnesota, outscoring the Muskies 36-9 in the first half before taking the foot of the gas and settling for a 67-43 victory. Senior Bengals guard Mark Robinson, considered the possible first overall selection in the summer Federal Basketball League draft, set the tone with 20 points.

Detroit City College looked like an easy winner against Northern California after the Knights built a 13 point lead at the half but the Miners battled back and nearly pulled off the comeback but fell just short, dropping a 59-57 decision to DCC.

In the West Region each of the top three seeds advanced while fifth seeded Carolina Poly's 64-40 win over #4 St Magnus was hardly considered an upset. Sophomore guard Bob Bucher carried the Cardinals on his back with a career high 24 points in the win. Carolina Poly, with six, has won more AIAA tournaments than any other school. The Cardinals have the top seed Lane State as their second opponent after the Emeralds won a low scoring game against 8th seed Canton State, downing the Central Athletic Association champs 40-34. Second seed Whitney College had three players score in double figures led by junior guard Dan Munger's 14 points, in a 55-45 win over Cache Valley while third seed Mississippi A&M had a surprisingly easy time with Coastal California, downing the Dolphins 56-38 behind 16 points from guard Dave Simons and 15 from his backcourt partner Calvin Lowery.

The second round games will be played Thursday and Friday with the quarterfinals set for Saturday/Sunday.

OSA CALLING FOR PIONEERS-SAILORS WCS

Predictions for the upcoming FABL season made before even the first spring pitch has been tossed are seldom accurate, but that does not prevent the OSA - official scouting service of FABL- from taking a swing. If the scouting service call is accurate it will result in a pair of old foes resuming acquaintances come October. OSA calls for the St Louis Pioneers, armed with possibly the best pitching in either association, to cruise to their first Federal Association flag since defeating Detroit in a 1-game playoff in 1951. In the Continental Association, the scouting service expects a much tighter race with the San Francisco Sailors holding off the Kansas City Kings and Chicago Cougars. Three-time defending CA champ Cleveland is tabbed to finish in a fourth place tie with the Los Angeles Stars.

To the surprise of absolutely no one, OSA believes none of the four expansion teams will win as many as 60 games and they will finish in the bottom of both associations.

The Pioneers-Sailors call is an intriguing one, primarily because of how these two teams fortunes seemed to have been linked since WWII. Both had some close calls in the 1930s with each finishing in second place in their respective associations. It was not until 1947 that they both ended long pennant droughts and met for the first time in the World Championship Series. St Louis would win that year and then, after each won a second straight pennant the Pioneers would prevail once more in the WCS. They both then crashed to the depths of the second division in 1949 and 1950 before each made a surprising pennant run in 1951 and would meet in the WCS for the third time in five years. The Sailors, based in Philadelphia back then before moving to the coast prior to the 1954 season, finally got revenge against the Pioneers with their first WCS title since 1930. Neither enjoyed much success for the rest of the 1950s but each finished in second place a year ago and both have their sights set on another WCS appearance, and the way they seem intertwined if one makes it, it's likely a good bet the other will be there as well.

HERE ARE THE OSA 1962 PREDICTIONS

Montreal Saints management has been pretty quiet this winter as they were in evaluation mode. The only moves were signing few minor league contracts with two catchers and the most notable being Fred Jones. The 27-year-old has been a AAA player for the last three seasons and has been invited to training camp trying to get the second catcher position behind Garland Phelps.

In January, the Saints entered in the “Howie French derby” but quickly bowed out of the battle when they believe it was becoming insane pricing to hire a good minor leaguer arm or maybe this was because there was bad feelings with French who refused to sign with the Saints while he was drafted by Montreal few years ago. French ended up signing with Detroit at a contract that will pay him more than even outfielder Harry Swain, who is the highest paid Saint.

With the first week of training camp, fans been advised the veteran players will not see much action in week #1. Outfielders Swain and Malcolm Strong, shortstop Art Robbins and number one catcher Phelps will spend much of the early portion of camp on the bench to give playing time to younger players and prospects. Same thing on the pitching rotation where most of the well known arms will not even throw ball in any games the opening week.

Two players who came to the major last season in 23-year-old first baseman Ham Flanders (OSA #26) and 25-year-old second sacker Bob Vernon will get plenty of chances in the early going to prove they can be everyday players.

Notables prospect who were invited at Montreal camp other the Flanders:

OSA #28 Catcher Bob Griffin- should be sent back to minor either AAA or AA
OSA #50 CF Bob Gilman- plan to start season in AAA
OSA #177 Don Whited- he is at start of training camp the leader for 4th outfield spot
OSA #51 Juan Quinana- he will get probably 2 starts to show skills but will be sent down to AAA or AA for development

In general the Saints squad have a good mix of veterans and young players, many of them got promoted in 1961 to gain experience and the management hope it will start to payoff in 1962. The biggest question is the starting rotation? Even if not bad, there is not a lot of depth. It will be interesting to see how manager Lynn Gray handles the bullpen to rest the good arms to avoid potential injuries. Playball!

PAIR OF RACES COMING DOWN TO THE WIRE[/center]
With a week remaining in the North American Hockey Confederation season the playoff matchups are very much undecided. There are a pair of tight battles that may well go undecided until the season ending games next Sunday. The only spot that appears locked up is third place where the Detroit Motors presently resided but even that is not yet a certainty. Detroit is six points behind second place Toronto but each has three games to play and if the Motors win all three and the Dukes lose all three Detroit would host the Dukes in the opening game of one of the semi-finals.

Now that is unlikely so we can pencil Detroit in for third place but the other three slots are still up for grabs. Chicago is in the drivers seat for first place as the Packers have a two point lead on Toronto and also have three more victories than the Dukes so should win a tiebreaker. They each have 3 games remaining but will not face each other in the final week. Both are assured of making the playoffs of course, but the same cannot be said for Boston and Montreal.

That is the other big battle as the Bees are clinging to the fourth and final postseason berth by just a single point over the Valiants. Boston has just two games remaining: against last place New York on Thursday and their finale against Toronto on Sunday. The Bees do have the luxury of playing both of those games at Denny Arena. The Vals have a game in hand and will play two of their final three at the Montreal Arena. The Vals host Toronto Thursday and entertain Chicago Saturday before finishing the season in Detroit on Sunday.

NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK
WEDNESDAY MARCH 14

Detroit 2 at New York 2 : Detroit took a stride closer to locking up a playoff spot with a 2-2 at Bigsby Garden. Colin MacMillan led the way for the Motors with a goal and an assist while Corb Mayberry had a pair of helpers for the hosts from New York.

Montreal 4 at Toronto 3 :Montreal moved within 5 points of idle Boston and still has two games in hand in the fight for fourth place following a 4-3 road win in Toronto. Defenseman Colton Keil got the game winner, midway through the third period, scoring for just the second time this season. Dukes star and NAHC scoring leader Quinton Pollack saw his 11-game point scoring streak come to an end.

THURSDAY MARCH 15

Boston 1 at Detroit 5 : Alex Monette had a hat trick and with Zach Roy and Alex Guindon each scoring once and adding a pair of assists as the Motors clinched a playoff spot with a 5-1 victory over the Boston Bees.

Chicago 1 at Montreal 2 : Jim Drury score the game winner with less than five minutes remaining as Montreal continues to close in on Boston for fourth place. Charlie Oliphant Jr. had a goal and an assist for the winners as the Vals knocked off first place Chicago a day after defeating second place Toronto.

SATURDAY MARCH 17

New York 3 at Montreal 1 : A tough loss for the Valiants, who remain 3 points behind Boston after falling 3-1 to the last place Shamrocks.

Chicago 4 at Toronto 1 : The Packers lead on Toronto is now 3 points for first place with each club having four games remaining to play. Toronto struck first when Bill Archer scored less than two minutes into the game but after that it was all Chicago as Ken York scored his 24th and 25th goals of the season before Keith McFadden and Pierre-Alex Bernier added third period insurance. For the first time since December 30 & 31, Toronto's Quinton Pollack was held pointless in consecutive games.

SUNDAY MARCH 18

Montreal 4 at Boston 0 : The Valiants are just a point behind the Bees with a game in hand after blanking Boston 4-0. The Bees outshot the visitors 37-21 but could not solve Nathan Bannister, who earned his fourth shutout of the season. Gil Thibault, Mark Moggy, Roy Forgeron and Charlie Oliphant Jr. handled the scoring duties.

Chicago 6 at Detroit 6 : A wild one at Thompson Palladium as the two clubs combined for 12 goals including 8 in the middle frame. Matt McGrath scored the only goal of the third period to allow the Packers to escape the Motor City with a point. Hobie Barrell had two goals for Detroit, raising his season total to 33 while Alex Monette had 3 assists. Phil Stukas and Archer Cook paced the Packers with 3 points each.

Toronto 4 at New York 1 : A big win for the Dukes, who gain a point on Chicago but still trail the first place Packers by two points with 3 games to play. Quinton Pollack was held pointless for the third consecutive game but Lou Galbraith, who has struggled to put up points the past couple of seasons, did have a goal and an assist to lead the Dukes.

UPCOMING GAMES
TUESDAY MARCH 20
Detroit at Chicago

THURSDAY MARCH 22
New York at Boston
Toronto at Montreal

SATURDAY MARCH 24
Chicago at Montreal
Detroit at Toronto

SUNDAY MARCH 25
Toronto at Boston
Montreal at Detroit
Chicago at New York
END OF REGULAR SEASON

The Toronto Dukes cool off going 1-2-0 over the week, including losing back to back games at home. Wednesday it was a Montreal team fighting for its playoff lives that downed the Dukes 4-3 in a game in which the Vals were up a man on six different occasions which had Dukes bench boss Ari Bear upset with his team.

That was followed by a critical loss to Chicago 4-1 on Saturday night a game in which the Dukes took the lead less than 2 minutes in then could not solve Andrew Bomberry for the remainder of the game. Dukes were outshot 37-21 in a game where the Packers scored late in both the first and second periods a cardinal sin for a hockey team. That loss was costly as the Dukes missed a chance to pull even with Chicago for top spot in the NAHC.

Toronto will have a say in which team secures the final playoff spot with games both in Boston and Montreal the week. The Bees are clinging to a 1-point lead on the Vals but Boston has just two games remaining while Montreal has three on its docket. The last home game of the regular season for the Dukes will be against their probable first round opponent, Detroit, who still has an outside chance to finish second.

First place is not out of the question for the Dukes as they are two points behind Chicago with 3 to play. Ari Bear put it simply "It is easy, we just win our three games, then see what happens with Chicago."

STRONG WEEK ENSURES MOTORS TO FINISH NO WORSE THAN THIRD

After limping through the end of February and the early part of March with 8 losses in ten games the Detroit Motors seem to be back on track and hopefully poised for a run at a second consecutive Challenge Cup victory. Securing points in each of their last five games -two wins and three ties- put some distance on Boston and Montreal and clinched a playoff berth for the local ice crew. All that remains now is the slim chance that Detroit sneaks ahead of Toronto for second place. That seems unlikely as it would require the Motors to win each of their final three games and have the Dukes lose their three so expectations are the Motors will open the playoffs in either Toronto or Chicago a week and a half from now.

Third is exactly where the Motors finished the regular season a year ago before reeling off the 8 playoff victories needed to secure the Challenge Cup. Detroit beat second place Montreal in five games before knocking off the fourth place Chicago Packers, who had surprised Toronto in 7 hard fought games in the other semi-final. The Motors needed just 5 games to dispose of the Packers last April as the Dynamic Detroit duo of Hobie Barrell and Alex Monette proved too much for the Packers. Barrell, just a 19-year-old rookie at the time, led all playoff scorers with 19 points while Monette was tops in goals after lighting the lamp 10 times in 10 games.

The goal for the next week is to ensure Monette and Hobie Barrell both stay healthy. Monette has missed 25 games this season and Barrell was sidelined for 9, which ended any hopes of the second year star catching Toronto's Quinton Pollack for the scoring lead. Hobie is still second in both points (73) and goals (33) behind the ageless Toronto wonder and when healthy the duo of Monette and Barrell has been almost unstoppable. The challenge has been finding a right winger for the big line and the latest to get an audition is 22-year-old Colin MacMillan. The 1958 first rounder saw some limited action last season including six playoff games and will likely be on the top line when the playoffs begin this time around. MacMillan has had his ups and downs adjusting to the NAHC with 7 goals and 19 points in 58 games but may have found his footing with 5 points in the last three outings.
*** Mustangs Still Chasing Rockets ***

Third place appears to be where Detroit's other winter team is also set to land as the Federal Basketball League Mustangs sit three games back of second place St Louis after splitting a pair of games with the Rockets last week. Scoring has not been an issue for the Detroit quintet as only the high-flying Toronto Falcons are averaging more points per game than Head Coach Scott Paul's club. Guards Erv Corwin (20.9 ppg) and Lew Bayne (16.4) have taken care of much of the offense but the Mustangs have struggled on defense with only lowly Chicago surrendering more points than the Motor City crew. St. Louis has long been a thorn in the Mustangs side and while there is well over a month remaining in the campaign, it seems clear the path towards the league finals for Detroit will once more have to begin with a matchup against the Rockets.

Good news on the college cage front as the Detroit City College Knights survived their AIAA tournament opener. The Knights were just 9-7 in Great Lakes Alliance play and 20-9 overall during the regular season so perhaps not a lot was expected of them despite being the four seed against number five Northern California in Cleveland for their Midwest Regional opener against the Miners yesterday. A strong first half in which they built a 13 point lead was just enough to get DCC the win, holding off the Miners 59-57. Joe Godfrey and Bryan Hunt, the Knights two senior guards, led the way with Godfrey scoring 13 and Hunt 12 in the win. Next up will be a tough challenge as they face the region's top seed in Maryland State on Friday. DCC reached the quarterfinals a year ago and with the win over the Miners the Knights have now won at least one tournament game each of the past five seasons.

On hand to watch the win in Cleveland yesterday was Bill DuMont. Considered one of the best high school seniors to come out of Detroit in recent years, the Eastern High senior guard has committed to the Knights for next season. He is ranked 10th in the nation and will be joined at DCC next year by another highly touted Detroiter. That would be Randy Rose, a forward from Mackenzie High that is ranked 34th in the nation. It should be quite a freshman crop as the Knights also landed the 17th ranked recruit in the nation in New Jersey high school center Les Hoeft. Maryland State coaches may just have a little more motivation against DCC on Friday as they were very much in the running for both Hoeft and Rose but lost out to Knights coach Ken Benford.
*** Dynamos Hit the Diamond ***

Spring training is underway and the Dynamos went 3-3 in the opening week of Citrus loop action. Among the highlights was the Detroit debut of the $320,000 man Howie French. The pitcher, signed to a record breaking free agent contract, will have plenty of eyes on him as he hopes to earn the paycheck he has been given despite having never pitched in the big leagues before. French appears destined for the back of the Detroit rotation as it is unlikely he will surpass the veteran trio of John Jackson, Jim Norris and Paul Anderson. There is a chance that Larry Beebe, who struggled through a dreadful 3-13 season a year ago, may even nose out French for the fourth starter role.

So, why pay all of that money for a back of the rotation arm? Detroit management freely admits it overpaid but club owner Powell Thompson Jr., the beneficiary of many large regular season crowds and World Championship Series gates in recent years, committed to open the purse strings when he convinced his former GM to return. There was very little in the way of quality talent available on the free market so the Dynamos, knowing their pitching depth was a major question mark, opted to back up the Brinks truck at French's front-door.

Will it pay off? Only time will tell but odds are not good that the Dynamos return to their championship form. The club certainly has some talent, led by the big three arms and some pretty talented offensive players such as Joe Reed, Dick Tucker, Ray Waggoner and highly touted rookie Ed MacNaughton but there are also some pretty big concerns. Third base could be an issue and the bullpen has a lot of question marks. A successful season for this edition of the Dynamos, would be a .500 season. Last year's 67-87 disappointment was the first time Detroit finished below the breakeven point since 1950 and Thompson has made it clear he will not tolerate another losing campaign.

We have talked a lot about the six teams who will make the playoffs in some order, but what about the other two teams? Washington is far out of contention in the East and Chicago is cemented to fourth place in the West. They have combined for 36 wins this season, but they have also accounted for six of the last 15 championships. Most of the big names are gone from those days, but one huge name remains for Chicago: Luther Gordon.
With Gordon Chicago is 26 games out of first place and 9-1/2 games into the cellar. Chicago is only 4-30 away from Lakeside Auditorium and the turnstile count for home games has been abominable, as the Panthers have averaged 3,267 paying fans in the cavernous 18,000-seat arena. Gordon, the five-time MVP, seven-time scoring champion, and eight-time First Team All-FBL scored 13 points in a win over St. Louis last night in an unlikely 100-82 win against the Rockets. The 13 points were dwarfed by the 38 points put up by the leading scorer, Bob Christensen, but Gordon hit an important milestone. Gordon’s eighth point gave him 1,000 for the year, which was the 12th straight season he has reached the plateau for the future Hall of Famer who has averaged 65 games a season, including all contests this year for the 20-45 Panthers.
Back to the divisional races, where the individual seeds look relatively planted with less than a quarter of the season to go, New York is the hottest team, riding a seven-game winning streak to reach the break-even point of the season at 32-32. Unfortunately for the Knights, the streak followed a five-game losing spell, so it did not translate to a better situation in the standings. The Knights are in third place, 10-1/2 games behind Boston, but seven games in arrears of Philadelphia. Call it a shot of confidence to enter the playoffs against their likely opponent, the Phantoms. New York will need that confidence and perhaps much more. The Knights have lost 14 of 21 this season against the Phantoms but defeated them during this win streak. Three more tune-ups remain between the two teams, but unless Philadelphia catches fire and Boston relinquishes the division, this will be a Divisional Semifinal preview.

RECENT KEY RESULTS

Veteran heavyweight Pat Hammond ran his record to 26-5-2 with a 6th round knock out of Jerry Pitcher at Bigsby Garden last Thursday.
In Philadelphia on Saturday heavyweight contender Will Flowers (25-4-1) scored an 8th round knockout of Jack Borghi.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

Apr 12 in Las Vegas: Longtime welterweight champion Lonnie Griffin defends his crown against Dan McMullan. The 30-year-old Griffn (40-5-1) has held the title on four different occasions and his bout against McMullan will be his third defense this time around. McMullan (22-1) is a 23-year-old rising star from South Carolina and is getting his first shot at the welterweight title.
May 10- San Francisco: Middleweight champion Lyman King (39-0) makes his first title defense against Steve Bradshaw (30-8-2). King, a 24-year-old Oakland, CA. native claimed a 5th round TKO victory over now-former champ George Quisenberry at New York's Bigsby Garden in January. King has never lost a fight and only went to the judges cards twice in his last 9 outings. Bradshaw, 25, originally hails from Pittsburgh, PA. and is coming off an impressive victory over Bill Sanderson but has lost in recent years to some top names such as George Hatchell, Davis Owens and Hugo Canio.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 3/18/1962

Russia's disarmament proposals dominated much of the talk in Geneva but no progress was made as Western powers found the terms unacceptable, noting there is "nothing very new or startling" in Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko's statements.
As the week came to an end the Soviets accused the United State of seeking resumption of nuclear arms testing and said the American delegation is avoiding a "serious approach" to solving their differences.
Premier Khrushchev announced that Russia has put a new space vehicle in orbit and at the same time threatened the United States with what he called a "global rocket" invulnerable to anti-missile defenses.
President Kennedy gave Khrushchev a chance for immediate United States and Russian co-operation in five space programs: weather studies, communications satellites, tracking stations, space medicine and mapping of the earth's magnetic field. The letter was in reply to one received from the Russian Premier congratulating John Glenn's orbital flight.
It was revealed that for three hours during John Glenn's space flight there were serious concerns due to a problem with the craft's heat shield. Crisis was averted and Glenn landed safely after successfully orbiting the Earth three times.
President Kennedy has asked Congress for $4.8 billion for his foreign aid program. Kennedy noted that the US cannot yet claim any dramatic results in the four-month-old "Decade of Development" plan, but he says the stage has been set for a switch to long term development, tailored to individual countries' specific needs and emphasizing self-help.
Admitting his 3-year-old revolution faces serious problems, Cuban Prime Minister Fidel Castro has announced drastic rationing of food and other staples and declared "We are ashamed of not fulfilling the promises made."
A Secret Army terrorist attack bombed the barracks of French riot police as trouble continues in Algiers. The Secret Army Organization of European terrorists is attempting to bar Algeria's independence.
Over the weekend Israeli and Syrian forces clashed in a night battle declared the worst in two years and included aircraft as well as land and water forces on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Tiger Fan · 11-25-2024, 01:19 PM

With expansion in baseball and football about to become an online league there are openings if you want to be a part of the Figment Universe. Here is more information:

https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=359004

Nice cross-section of available teams too. Cleveland has won the last 3 Continental Association pennants and boasts two of the greatest pitchers in FABL history. The New York Gothams, Pittsburgh Miners and San Francisco Sailors each have very rich histories, and the Los Angeles Suns are one of the four expansion teams for someone looking for a real challenge.

Tiger Fan · 11-26-2024, 08:47 PM

MARCH 26, 1962

UPSETS ABOUND IN AIAA CAGE QUARTERFINALS

It was an upset heavy weekend as three of the four collegiate basketball tournament quarterfinal games over the weekend were won by the lower seed and only one school ranked in the top ten at the end of the regular season remains as the top four prepare to gather at New York's Bigsby Garden for Saturday's semi-final games.

The lone survivor among top ten schools was Lane State as the West Coast Athletic Association champions, who finished the regular season 24-5 and ranked fourth in the nation, knocked off Carolina Poly and Whitney College last week to reach the semi finals for the second consecutive season. This will be the Emeralds fifth time reaching the semi-finals but the Oregon school has never won the national tournament.

Lane State, top seed in the West Region, defeated Canton State 40-34 in their opening game 10 days ago before following that up with a 46-35 victory over Carolina Poly, which was ranked 7th in the nation, in round two. The Emeralds were led in their win over the Cardinals but sophomore guard Wade Brann, who led all scorers with 13 points in the contest. Saturday's quarterfinal matched the top two seeds in the region with the Emeralds having an easier time than expected with Whitney College, dumping the Engineers 56-44 to punch their ticket to New York City.

Lane State was the only one seed to reach the semi-finals as both Noble Jones College and Maryland State bowed out in the quarterfinals. The Colonels, ranked #1 in the nation after a 28-2 regular season and a Deep South Conference title, had little trouble with Central Ohio in the second round, grounding the Aviators 70-63, but in the quarterfinals the Colonels proved no match for another Great Lakes Alliance quintet. It was Indiana A&M, ranked 12th in the nation and seeded second in its region, that advanced out of the South after the Reapers, led by 19 points from junior guard John Caffrey, outscored the Colonels 56-53. It marks just the second time Indiana A&M has reached the semi-finals with their first trip coming in the spring of 1950.

Maryland State entered the tournament ranked number 3 in the nation and the top seed in the Midwest Region. The Bengals, who were national champions two years ago but exited in the second round last year, were expecting another trip to Bigsby Garden and after wins over Northern Minnesota and Detroit City College seemed well on their way, especially after the region's second seed Rainier College fell 61-60 to sixth seeded Great Plains State in the other second round game in the Midwest. The Buffaloes, who have never advanced past the second round and were 4-15 all-time in the AIAA tournament entering this season, shocked the Bengals with a 63-53 upset yesterday. What added to the surprise was the fact that the Bengals two big names - guard Mark Robinson and forward Pepper Whitney- each scored 17 points but Maryland State still came up 10 points short. Five different Buffaloes scored at least 8 points in the contest led by center Hugh Leach's 13.

The East was the only region that did not see the top seed reach at least the quarterfinal game as three-time reigning South Atlantic Conference champion and #2 overall Charleston Tech was upset 53-40 by Lubbock State in the second round. Senior forward Tommy Johns was on fire for the Hawks, shooting 8-for-13 from the field to lead the way with 17 points as the sixth seeded champions of the Southwestern Alliance upset the Admirals.

Yesterday the Hawks had a much tougher time with Wisconsin State as Brewers guard Jack Jenson scored 22 points for the second seed, but it was not enough as the Hawks squeezed out a 57-55 victory with Artie Pugh scoring 11 and Johns adding 10. The victory sends Lubbock State to the national semi-finals for the fourth time in school history but the first since 1923.

DUKES OVERTAKE PACKERS FOR TOP SPOT, VALS CLAIM FOURTH

It went down to the final day of the season before the playoff seedings were decided and when the dust settled the Toronto Dukes finished with the best regular season record for the fourth year in a row and the seventh time in the past nine years. It took a late charge as Toronto was chasing both Chicago and Detroit much of the past two months. The Motors faded in February while the Packers had clung to first place until losing their final three games of the season, allowing the Dukes -winners of three of their last four- to overtake Chicago and claim top spot.

Quinton Pollack finished with 92 points to win the NAHC scoring title for the record 8th time. It marked the fourth time he surpassed the 90-point mark, something no other player has ever accomplished. Toronto, with another stellar season from goaltender Justin MacPhee, surrendered the fewest goals in the NAHC this season.

The Chicago Packers were forced to settle for second place and will open the playoffs at home against Detroit with the Motors, a February slump seemingly in their rearview mirror, the hottest team down the stretch with points in each of their last 8 games, going 5-0-3. Detroit, which finished third last season as well before going on to win the Challenge Cup for the second time in the past four years, knocked off the Packers in five games in the finals last season.

The Dukes will face the Montreal Valiants, who rallied to pass the Boston Bees for fourth place in the final week of the season. The Bees went 6-14-3 in the final two months of the season including ending with 4 straight losses to finish a single point back of the Valiants for the final playoff berth.

NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK
TUESDAY MARCH 20

Detroit 3 at Chicago 2 : Goals by Emmett Hargreaves and Colin MacMillin 15 seconds apart late in the third period lifted the Detroit Motors to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Packers in what was a costly loss for the Packers as Chicago clings to just a 2 point lead on Toronto for first place in the NAHC.

THURSDAY MARCH 22

New York 6 at Boston 3 : Alex Kalmakoff and Byron Redmond each had 3 points to pace the visiting Shamrocks to a 6-3 victory over slumping Boston. New York will not make the playoffs but they may have crippled the Bees chances as Boston, just a single point ahead of Montreal for fourth place, has not lost four in a row.

Toronto 3 at Montreal 1 : Toronto moved into a first place tie with Chicago while Montreal remains a point back of Boston for fourth place after the Dukes won 3-1 at the Montreal Arena. Tim Brooks, Ken Jamieson and Charles Brochu scored for Toronto after Jamie Koebel had given the Vals the lead in the opening period.

SATURDAY MARCH 24

Chicago 1 at Montreal 3 : A huge game for both teams as the Valiants move into fourth place, a point up on Boston, while Chicago remains tied with Toronto for first after both lost on this night. Nathan Bannister came up big in the Montreal net with 38 saves while three defensemen -Gabriel Allard, Mark Moggy and Colton Keil- handled the Vals scoring.

Detroit 7 at Toronto 0 : Detroit will finish in third place but the Motors made a statement with a 7-0 pounding of the Toronto Dukes. Alex Monette, Hobie Barrell and Jack Chapman each had three points for the winners while Sebastien Goulet made 22 saves for his 6th shutout of the season. The 29-year-old Monette scored his 300th career NAHC goal in the game.

SUNDAY MARCH 25

Toronto 9 at Boston 1 : A fifth straight loss, getting blasted 9-1 at home by Toronto with their playoff lives on the line clearly raises questions as to what sort of changes will take place in Boston before next season. The Bees season came to an end while the Dukes claimed first place after Chicago fell in New York. Scoring champ Quinton Pollack had 4 assists for the Dukes to bring his season point total to 92 and the only player in NAHC history to accumulate at least 90 points in a season has now accomplished that feat four times. Pollack's 92 points are more than double that of any other Toronto player and only 3 other NAHC players this season had more points than Pollack, with 55, had assists. He also led the NAHC in goals with 37.

Montreal 0 at Detroit 4 : Detroit scored four times in the second period including a pair by Alex Monette and Sebastien Goulet recorded a shutout in back to back games as Detroit blanked Montreal 4-0. The loss did not prevent the Valiants from qualifying for the playoffs as they finished a point ahead of Boston.

Chicago 2 at New York 5 : While Toronto won three of its last four games, Chicago dropped each of its final three to surrender first place to the Dukes. The season ending loss was 5-2 to the last place New York Shamrocks, who scored three times in the final 15 minutes to pull out the victory.

END OF REGULAR SEASON

The Toronto Dukes managed to capture first place with 81 points after going 2-1 in the final week of the regular season passing the Chicago Packers, who dropped all three of their games to finish with 79 points. Toronto will face Montreal in semis after the Vals edged out Boston, losers of five straight, by a single point for the final playoff spot.

Toronto's lone loss during the week was to the suddenly hot Detroit Motors, a 7-0 shellacking in which the Dukes were outshot 49-21 at home. Coach Ari Bear termed the loss "our worst effort of the season, by far. That type of game will not work in the coming weeks." Motors will start their playoff series in Chicago.

Quinton Pollack won another scoring title leading the league both in goals, 37, and assists, 55. Pollack played the last week with a bruised chest after being hit with a puck in practice. The Dukes allowed the least goals in the league, 172 the only team to allow less than 180 over the 70 game schedule. Justin MacPhee leading the NAHC in GAA, 2.43, Save Percentage, .921. In 52 games MacPhee posted a 32-16-6 record. Two goaltenders Detroit's Sebastien Goulet, Boston's Oscar James appeared in all 70 of their team's games.

The playoff schedule has not yet been released by the league office awaiting on ice availability for the four playoff teams. Dukes are hoping for a delay to allow C Tim Amesbury, 14-22-36. time recover from a groin injury before the Montreal series.

Youngster Turning Heads in Camp

While in every spring training, teams tend to call up some of their top prospects, this season seems to be an anomaly. Not only are all three of the top prospects in camp, but 7 of the top 10, 9 of the top 12, and 15 of the top 25 This week, the team at TWFIS takes a look at how the top-10 is doing through two weeks, and how likely they are to stick.

CF Frank Kirouac, Boston Minutemen, #1 ranked prospect: Not only is Frank Kirouac, who Boston picked up from the LA Stars at last year's deadline for Bud Henderson and a prospect, the #1 prospect in baseball, but he's probably the most developed of any player with a prospect ranking. Taken 3rd by the Stars in 1956, he's spent most of his professional career ranked inside the top-10, recently surpassing last year's #1 Danny Davis (currently 3rd and in camp with the Pioneers) and expected to hold the top spot come Opening Day.

If Boston has their eyes set on contention, he should be in their Opening Day lineup, as the 24-year-old was probably big league ready last season. One of the most tantalizing talents in all of baseball, Kirouac projects to be an elite center fielder, with the range to stick, tremendous power, an excellent eye, and on top of all that, a hit tool that should allow him to hit well over .300. The power, eye, and defense are all developed, with the contact tool the last thing left to complete. Right now he's just a bit above average, and after a slow start he's got his spring line up to .231/.318/.436. The power is evident, he's already got two longballs in 44 PAs, and he's got a pair of doubles to go with it. He's striking out way too much, already set down 14 times, as their is some swing and miss in his game. Still, when he puts bat to ball, it goes hard and far, and there are very little weaknesses to his game.

2B Dixie Turner, Pittsburgh Miners, #2 ranked prospect: The only member of the top-5 that isn't a primary center fielder, Dixie Turner could play center if needed, but with his infield range and arm he's best suited for the left side of the infield. With reigning Fed hit leader John Moreland (328, 10, 109) at short, that's one of the spots taken, and despite a weaker arm, Reid Barrell has been getting the reps at third, leaving Turner to play second. It's his most familiar spot too, and with outstanding marks defensively, he could be a Diamond Defense award winner should the keystone be his long-term spot. Having not played above A ball and still just 20, an assignment to AA Birmingham may be both he right and safe call, but both second and third are weak spots in the lineup and he and/or Barrell could fill them quickly. Dixie has drawn his walks, 4 in 24 PAs, but he has just 4 hits and all 4 are singles. With plus power potential, it appears he's not quite at his peak yet, but he is more of a line drive hitter then a home run hitter. As he matures, expect huge extra base numbers, and with his speed he'll be on second and third more often then you might think. His versatility, well-rounded bat, and athleticism make him a lock for FABL playing time, and if all goes right he'll have an infield spot secured for the Miners' front office for over a decade. Expectations have always been high for the 1st pick of the 1960 draft, and so far, he's already done a superb job meeting them.

CF Danny Davis, St. Louis Pioneers, #3 ranked prospect: A little less then a year ago, it was Danny Davis who led the prospect rankings, but his drop to 3rd is no knock on his talent. In fact, it's a number he's familiar with, as the 22-year-old was taken 3rd in the 1958 draft. Another polished hitter for his age, he had a huge final month of the season, hitting .339/.385/.716 (201 OPS+) in 27 games for St. Louis' AA affiliate. He was mashing too, as he matched his 9 homers from 88 games in A ball, and over half (20) his 37 hits were for extra bases. He's shown no signs of slowing down either, hitting .350/.364/.650 with 2 homers and 6 RBIs. Already adept at putting the ball in play, he's struck out in just one of his twenty-two PAs, though his customary center field is being taken up by an even better defender in Bill Bather (.313, 22, 72, 11). When paired with a 139 WRC+, that's a guy you want playing everyday, and it's not like Davis can overtake former Whitney winner Jerry Smith (.289, 34, 103, 14). This leaves just right field, a position that might be best for him as he's got a strong arm and isn't as surehanded as you want for a center fielder. If I was in St. Louis, I'd be putting him in right field every day until Opening Day, and if the early results were good, he'd be in my lineup when the Pioneers welcome the Miners to St. Louis on April 17th.

3B Ernie Carter, San Francisco Sailors, #6 ranked prospect: Now you might see 3B and think there's no way Ernie Carter can play center field, but fear not young reader! He's versatile enough to go anywhere! A former 1st Rounder of the Kings, Carter came to the west coast in the Bill Guthrie deal, and has recently emerged as one of the top young players in the league. The 21-year-old has played everywhere but catcher and pitcher, and you can expect above average production from him pretty much everywhere but center. Better in the infield and maybe best at short, he's got the range and double play ability you love to see, but his arm might be his best tool. Plus, as somewhat of a lighter hitter, you might want him in the middle infield, where his bat should be well above average. Already with some experience in AAA, he went from A to AAA last season, though his .246/.290/.358 (78 OPS+) line in Sacramento may suggest the recipe is not quite complete. Paired with a .227/.320/.318 spring line and young studs like Carlos Jaramillo (.313, 12, 68, 40) and Heinie Spitler (.302, 9, 87, 11) in the middle infield, and I think I'd be comfortable waiting until he can hit his way up. Sure, Bob Gray (.267, 20, 86) isn't great, but he's got a ton of pop and an absolute cannon at third, and if he can give the Sailors another 95 WRC+, 2 WAR season, that's plenty of value for someone not expected to carry the team. With their eyes set on the pennant, the club may choose to stick with their vet, but I think there's a good chance Carter sees the hot corner at some point this season.

LHP Danny Daniels, St. Louis Pioneers, #7 ranked prospect: St. Louis is lucky enough to double-dip with top-10 prospects and boast the #1 pitching prospect in FABL. The first of these guys with FABL experience, the young 23-year-old threw 3 scoreless innings out of the Pioneer pen last September, allowing just a single base runner (hit) with a pair of punchouts. Known for his wicked change, the young southpaw has tremendous stuff, that in short order may turn out to be elite. Right now the change is the clear headliner, but 5 of his other 6 pitches are average-to-plus offerings. The former Chief second rounder has exceeded all expectations with his repertoire, as he's been involved in two trades (Chicago to Cincinnati, Cincinnati to St. Louis), where even at the time it looked like organizations weren't valuing him correctly. St. Louis has since learned he's a guy to be developed, not exchanged, and at print they have them as their #5 starter. The top four is elite, with Frenchy Mack (7-8, 2.83, 131), Billy Hasson (19-8, 2.85, 188), Steve Madden (14-6, 3.17, 166), and Charlie Blake (10-10, 4.18, 150) all ace-worthy, and I see a few non-expansion teams out there that might consider Daniels to lead their rotation. Aside from the occasional use of his splitter, there's really nothing he does poorly, and he's already shown the ability to pitch deep in games. He's hardworking, a team leader, and filled with talent, but if there is one area he can improve, its the command. It's still already better then the average FABL hurler, but it could be even better, and a slight reduction in BB% could cement him as a true impact starter.

RHP Owen Lantz, Washington Eagles, #8 ranked prospect: Another team with two guys in the top 10, the Washington Eagles finish our list off, starting with a second potential ace that the Cannons had the misfortune of trading away. A former 4th Rounder, Owen Lantz was traded a year and a half after being drafted, netting Wally Hunter (5-2, 4.97, 44) and Eli Bowen in a second deal that Cannons fans wish their front office never accepted. The Chicago native is now the top right handed pitching prospect in FABL, boasting similar stuff to Danny Daniels. The difference, however, is how they approach things, as Daniels keeps you off balance before getting you to swing out of your shoes on a change, where as Lantz attacks you with a cutter/curve mix that have absurd movement out of his sidearm slot. A hard thrower, he can also whiz a 97 mph fastball by you up and away, and if you hit any of the low stuff, it's going to end up in an easy groundball out. Another difference between him and Daniels is the command, as Lantz is about as effectively wild as it gets. He's going to walk a ton of guys, including 80 to 79 strikeouts in 17 AA starts last season, but it's not going to be a major concern with his stuff. He's an ace, plain and simple, as he can overpower you and erase mistakes with a perfectly time grounder. Washington has used him out of the pen so far, allowing 8 hits and 4 runs in 6 innings, though shockingly he has zero walks to 5 strikeouts. Based on the usage and run totals I'd expect him to return to AA, but for a team with a weak rotation, it might not take too long before Lantz gets his go every fifth day.

3B George Whaley, Washington Eagles, #9 ranked prospect: To his point, all the prospects have either been excellent defenders or high stuff pitchers. George Whaley is the exception. Taken 1st last June, it's all for the bat, as this 19-year-old may be the best offensive prospect in the game, and his bat is not what you'd expect from a 19-year-old. He hasn't played much, just 0-for-7 with 3 walks as a replacement player, but I think in more regular playing time he could certainly hold his own. He does everything well, and even when he's not hitting, he can draw a ton of walks. He had a pristine 26.1 BB% in 153 Class-A plate appearances last season, and aside from 20-year-old superstar Tom Lorang (.305, 18, 62), there might not be a more disciplined hitter on the Eagles roster. Ironically, Lorang also plays third -- elite at that -- which really helps counter Whaley's defensive liabilities. There's no way he's replacing Lorang, so the Eagles can get ahead of the logjam and start working him out at first. Sure, Joe Holland (.295, 11, 34) is talented too, but the only thing he does better then Whaley is hit home runs. That may continue, though what 19-year-old really has all their strength already, but Whaley matches if not exceeds Holland's eye, and projects to have a well above-average contact tool. Expect lines around .290/.430/.510 from Whaley once he's fully ready, and if you weren't already scared of the Eagles young core, you certainly should be now. I think their 30ish year title drought won't make it to 40!

A PAIR OF TRADES AS SPRING TRAINING CONTINUES

FABL clubs completed a pair of transactions in the opening days of spring training. The bigger deal of the two saw the Cincinnati Cannons move on from infielder Al Farmer, dealing the 36-year-old two-time all-star to the Kansas City Kings in a straight one-for-one deal with 33-year-old outfielder Bryan Jeffress going the other way.

The move was seen as a cost cutting measure by the Cannons, who were slated to pay Farmer more than $110,000 this season while Jeffress, who began his career in Pittsburgh before spending the past 9 seasons with the Kings, will make $41,200 this year. An all-star in 1959, Jeffress lost his starting job in the Kansas City outfield last year and was limited to just 127 plate appearances, batting .295. OSA feels he is still a solid option as a corner outfielder.

Farmer has spent nearly his entire career at second baseman and made his big league debut with the Sailors in 1948 before being dealt to Cincinnati at the trade deadline in 1956. He was one of the Cannons most dependable hitters a year ago, batting .304 with 18 homers but his defense has been a liability in recent years. Prior to the move Farmer had been expected to shift to first base this season for Cannons despite the fact he has only ever played 2 games at the position and both were back in 1952. Despite the defensive concerns, OSA feels Farmer could still be an above average big league second baseman and he may end up battling ex-Toronto Wolve John Wells for the starting second base job in Kanas City although he could end up at first if the Kings opt to move Hank Williams back to the outfield.

The other trade saw the expansion New York Imperials make their second deal. A few weeks ago they sent veteran pitcher Bob Allen to the Chicago Cougars for prospects and now they made a deal with the other Windy City team. The Imperials sent catcher Ray Smith and first baseman Joe Flanagan to the Chicago Chiefs in exchange for a pair of minor leaguers and cash. Smith, 32, who had spent some time as Toronto's backup catcher before being selected in the expansion draft, will likely assume the same role as the caddy to Al Padgett with the Chiefs. Flanagan is a 28 year old first baseman who has spent time with several organizations but has yet to make his big league debut.

The big piece for the Imperials in the deal was Art Roberts, a 20-year-old lefthander ranked 215th on the latest OSA prospect list. A 1960 fifth round selection out of a Los Angeles high school by the Chiefs, Roberts split last season between Class B and A, posting a 9-4 record with a sparkling 2.09 era. OSA is not sold on Roberts ever making a big league rotation and it is expected he will be tested at AAA this year, since the Imperials will not have a AA or A club this season.

The other youngster moving to New York is 25-year-old outfielder Marty Hanna. He was a first round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Miners in 1955 and did spend some time in the top 100 but has now been traded three times and OSA has him outside its top 200 prospects suggesting his future would be as a bench piece only. Hanna's lone big league at bat came with Montreal in 1960 and he struck out in his only FABL plate appearance. Last season he hit .250 as a part-time player for AAA Fort Wayne.

Tales From The Den- Will a New Owner, Front Office Turn Reverse Wolves Fortunes?

The Wolves have begun spring workouts in warmer climes while diehard fans continue the hot stove league in Toronto debating whether the changes in ownership and the front office are going to lead the team back to the front of the CA . The team has finished no better than fifth in the standings since their last winning season in 1948 when a record of 82-72 brought the Wolves a third place finish with the likes of Fred McCormick, Hal Wood and Chink Stickels at the plate, smooth fielding Charlie Artuso gobbling up every ball hit on the ground to the left side of the infield and on the mound the quartet of George Garrison, Jim Morrison, Jerry York and Joe Hancock put fear into the hearts of all opposing batters.

Little did the fans in '48 know that this would be the end of an era in Toronto baseball that had begun a decade earlier before the horrors and sacrifices of WWII. Under the ownership of controversial and outspoken Bernie Millard, who purchased the franchise in 1942, the Wolves were always in the news for both their play on the field along with the public musings of their crusty coal baron owner.

One the biggest changes is that Millard, 77, has retired to Florida divesting himself of all his businesses along with the sale of the Wolves after 20 years to Kingston, Ontario businessman Robert (Bob) Smith. Smith is said to be a less vocal owner with pockets as deep as Millard's ready to lead the Wolves out of the wilderness. In his few statements to the public Smith has said that 1962 is first step in a multi-year plan to revitalize the franchise. He has said that that early on his is impressed with the talent of his front office staff with whom he has had lengthy meetings to put together a plan moving forward. He has cautioned the long suffering fans that improvement will not be immediate, it will take time.

Smith says "My front office team has put a plan forward that outlines the reasons for failure over the last decade along with steps to bring back the glory days of baseball to Dominion Stadium that I witnessed early in my business career. I was following the Wolves most often through the Mail & Empire accounts along with listening to the games on radio. The GM has outlined a vision going forward to which he will be held accountable, as with in my other businesses I leave the day to day operation to the "experts". I will be involved in the Wolves more as question asker than a dictator, as has been said of my predecessor. Mr. Millard had his ways I have mine, give the people the resources they need then hold them to the agreed results. I will invest money into the Wolves but will not throw good money after bad. We have plans to spruce up the stadium for the fans along with bringing back some the old heroes. Plans have begun to honour Fred McCormick along with others this summer. I have made it clear to the staff that making a trip to the park to watch the Wolves must become a goal for every sports fan not only in Toronto but in southern Ontario. I want fans to be clamoring for tickets with lines forming pregame like they do at the Gardens for the Dukes."

A cursory look at the Wolves heading into the 1962 season would confirm Mr. Smith's staff's initial observations. At the FABL level any chance of improvement will rely on the pitching staff. A starting staff of Phil Colantuono, George Hoxworth, Arnie Smith, Hank Lacey should get the games off to good start. New manager Randy Hohlt, recently returned to the Americas after six years in Japan, will have to deftly handle his bullpen along with pitching coach Max Monell for the team to move up in the standings. The pitching will have to be successful as the Wolves seem destined to have a hard time scoring runs. Only powerful bats in the lineup appear to be LF Tom Reed, CF Sid Cullen with the rest of lineup being weak at the plate. Hohlt is going to have stress slick fielding to help the pitchers rather than outscoring the opposition on a daily basis. The staff focus will have to on development of players in the system. Team has a few catchers coming along and a prospect at each position in the field, it will be important to have these guys develop rather than washout in the system which has happened far too often over the last decade. On the mound fans should keep an eye on Bob Campbell, 21, who should start the season in Buffalo. Pitching, defense will be the key for the 1962 Wolves along with players moving up the system.

Detroit has finally caught St. Louis for second place in the Western Division, as the Mustangs (31-36) lead the Rockets (31-37) by a half-game with about a dozen games to go. Detroit passed St. Louis in the standings after the Mustangs defeated the Rockets in St. Louis on Friday night. Dick Murray scored 24 points and shot an amazing 11-for-15 from the field, as the Mustangs dominated to build a 34-point lead through three quarters and defeat the Rockets, 94-62. The Rockets are in the midst of a spell where they have lost seven of eight games after a four-game winning streak got St. Louis to the .500 mark.
The best either team can do is play for second, as the Toronto Falcons were the first team to clinch a division title this season. The Falcons are 48-19 with a 17-game lead and only 13 games to play. Toronto leads the league in points per game with 86.7 and while the Western Division admittedly plays defense only have the time, their point differential of points scored versus points allowed is second in the FBL at +5.7 points per game (Boston, +6.1).
There will likely not be any movement in the Eastern Division standings between now and the end of the season, which is less than four weeks away. Boston is 47-21 and has a seven-game lead on Philadelphia (39-27). Both teams have excellent home records, with Boston boasting a 26-7 mark at Denny Arena and Philadelphia owning a 25-9 record at Keystone Arena. New York (31-36) is 8-1/2 games behind Philadelphia in third place, but the Knights are not worried about missing out on the postseason because Washington (17-50) is last, 14 games out of a top three slot in the division and 29-1/2 games out of first place.
This is going to be Boston’s division to lose because while all teams win at home at a 65% clip or better, New York is 8-24 on the road, which does not bode well for a Divisional Semifinal where Philadelphia will likely get the extra home game. Philadelphia is 14-18 on the road, which may loom large in a series where Boston has the home-court advantage. Boston is on a good streak, winning consistently at home and on the road. Overall, the Centurions have won 11 of 13, with the only two losses over the last four weeks being a home loss to New York and a road loss at Philadelphia. Before Knights and Phantoms fans get excited, Boston defeated each team three times in the same 13-game sample, making up six of those 11 recent wins.

RECENT KEY RESULTS

Chicago born heavyweight Gene McCord ran his record to 31-9-2 with a 9th round knockout of Don Petty in a bout in the Windy City last Wednesday.
On Thursday in Kansas City, the pride of Watertown, CT., Harry Kimbro, scored an unanimous decision over hometown favourite Stanton Austen in a 10-round middleweight tilt. Kimbro, 26, owns a 38-4 record that included a title shot loss to George Quisenberry in December of 1959. He has not lost in five outings since then and is hoping for another shot at the crown, now held by Lyman King.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

Apr 12 in Las Vegas: Longtime welterweight champion Lonnie Griffin defends his crown against Dan McMullan. The 30-year-old Griffn (40-5-1) has held the title on four different occasions and his bout against McMullan will be his third defense this time around. McMullan (22-1) is a 23-year-old rising star from South Carolina and is getting his first shot at the welterweight title.
May 10- San Francisco: Middleweight champion Lyman King (39-0) makes his first title defense against Steve Bradshaw (30-8-2). King, a 24-year-old Oakland, CA. native claimed a 5th round TKO victory over now-former champ George Quisenberry at New York's Bigsby Garden in January. King has never lost a fight and only went to the judges cards twice in his last 9 outings. Bradshaw, 25, originally hails from Pittsburgh, PA. and is coming off an impressive victory over Bill Sanderson but has lost in recent years to some top names such as George Hatchell, Davis Owens and Hugo Canio.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 3/25/1962

Terror attacks have ramped up in Algiers as the latest outbreaks resulted in close to 100 deaths. The rightest attacks had been expected since the Secret Army had warned of a campaign to keep Algeria French.
At the Geneva disarmament talks Britain has told Russia it would be willing to cut enforcement machinery to the "absolute minimum" in order to get an agreement on a nuclear test ban. It was part of an urgent appeal from the British at the 17-nation conference to get Russia to accept a "reasonable compromise."
Premier Khrushchev agreed to co-operate with the United States in space exploration including a program for sending vehicles to other planets. But he emphasized such joint ventures depend "in some degree on the solution of the disarmament problem."
US officials expect marked improvement in the next 90 days in the war against the Communists in South Viet Nam, a Defense Department spokesman said.
The White House issued a blunt denial of charges by former Vice President Richard Nixon that President Kennedy violated restrictions during a 1960 campaign in urging American support of intervention against Castro in Cuba.
President Kennedy's wife Jacqueline continued her Far East tour with a visit to Pakistan.

Tiger Fan · 11-28-2024, 07:59 AM

APRIL 2 , 1962

LANE STATE AND LUBBOCK STATE TO MEET IN AIAA CAGE TITLE GAME

Two schools looking for their first ever AIAA basketball tournament championship will square off tonight at New York's Bigsby Garden in the deciding game of the 52nd annual AIAA cage championships. The two combatants will be the Lane State Emeralds and Lubbock State Hawks after each prevailed in Saturday's semi-final tilts.

The Emeralds, top seed in the West Region and ranked fourth in the nation entering the tournament, were champions of the West Coast Athletic Association and relied on accurate shooting to down the Indiana A&M Reapers Saturday evening in the first semi-final. During the regular season the Emeralds were one of the most accurate teams in the nation from the field and lived up to that billing by connecting on 52% of their field goal attempts in a 61-52 victory over the Reapers. Senior guard Harry Epstein, who went 5-for-7 from the field and 5-for-6 from the charity stripe, paced Lane State with 15 points in the victory.

The Emeralds, who reached the national semi-finals a year ago, have played in the title game twice previously but came up short on both occasions. In the spring of 1940 they lost to WCAA rival Rainier College in the finals while back in the 1929 tournament it was Columbia Military Academy that spoiled the festivities for the Oregon school.
*** Dramatic Finish Sends Lubbock State to Title Game for First Time Since 1918 ***

Lubbock State, champions of the Southwestern Alliance, missed the tournament entirely last year and have not won a post-season game since the 1953-54 season. The Hawks lone title game appearance prior to the one coming up this evening was way back in 1917-18, when they lost 22-15 to Brunswick College.

The Hawks, who were the 5th seed in the East Region and upset top seed Charleston Tech as well as number two Wisconsin State, found themselves trailing Great Plains State 37-32 at the half in Saturday's second game. The second half was a different story as the Hawks opened with a 12-0 run to take the lead before the Buffaloes got back on track. Great Plains State was ahead by 3 points with 40 seconds left in regulation but Lubbock State pulled to within one on an Earl Holmes 12-footer. Dave Paul made one of two free throws to put the Buffaloes back up by two at 59-57 but just as time expired Tommy Johns, who led the Hawks with 15 points, drove for a game tying layup and was fouled on the play. Johns made his pressure packed free throw with no time left on the clock to send Lubbock State to the title game with a 60-59 victory over Great Plains State.

HOME TEAMS DRAW FIRST BLOOD IN NAHC PLAYOFFS

Teams battle for 70 games during the regular season in order to gain an extra home game in the playoffs and that certainly paid off for both the Toronto Dukes and Chicago Packers as the post-season got underway over the weekend. The Dukes, who finished atop the NAHC standings won a laugher Saturday night, blasting fourth place Montreal 7-0 at Toronto's Dominion Gardens. A day later the second place Chicago Packers welcomed third place Detroit to the Lakeside Auditorium. That game required overtime but in the end the hosts prevailed, claiming a 3-2 victory.

Montreal had lost two of its final three regular season games but still managed to nose out the Boston Bees by a single point for fourth place. Toronto was not at the top of its game down the stretch either as the Dukes finished out the season with three wins and three losses in their final six games. Toronto was embarrassed 7-0 on home ice by Detroit the previous Saturday but rebounded by ending Boston's season, and securing a playoff berth for Montreal, by thrashing the Bees 9-1 in their regular season finale.

Clearly, the Dukes did not use up all of their offense in Boston, as Toronto scored twice in each of the opening two periods and then lit the lamp three more times in the final stanza to draw first blood in their best-of-seven semi-final series with the Valiants by clubbing Montreal 7-0. As one might expect, regular season scoring champ Quinton Pollack played a major role in the offensive outburst as the 39-year-old scored once and added three assists in the contest. Defenseman Bobby Fuhrman scored twice and added an assist while young winger Nick Landry also enjoyed a 3-point evening for the Dukes. Justin MacPhee turned aside all 22 Montreal shots for the 28-year-old's first career NAHC playoff shutout.

The visiting Detroit Motors arrived in Chicago as the hottest team in the loop, riding an 8-game unbeaten streak that included a win and a tie against the Packers in the previous seven days. Chicago, on the other hand, limped into the playoffs with 3 straight losses - results that cost the Packers first place.

The playoffs are a new start and both teams were cautious out of the gate. The first period was scoreless and saw the clubs combine for just 10 shots on goal including 6 from the Motors. Detroit took control in the middle frame, outshooting the Packers 18-7 and taking a 2-1 lead on goals by Alex Monette and Jack Doctorow. The lone Packer tally was a powerplay marker by Matt McGrath with Doctorow in the box for hooking.

Detroit carried the play in the third, again outshooting the Packers but the Motors could not put another puck past Chicago's second year goaltender Andrew Bomberry. Ken York, who led the Packers with 26 goals during the regular season, scored the only goal of the third period -just past the midway point- and that was enough to send the contest into overtime.

Overtime games have a tendency of ending quick or dragging on for an awful long time. This one was an example of the former as just over a minute into the extra period Chicago defenseman John Lucas creeped into the slot from his point position and ripped a wrist shot over the shoulder of Detroit netminder Sebastien Goulet to give the Packers the 3-2 victory. Lucas was an unlikely overtime hero, a rookie defenseman who had scored just twice in 32 regular season games found the back of the net in his first NAHC playoff contest.

Game two of the Chicago-Detroit series will be Wednesday in the Windy City before it shifts to Detroit for the third game on Saturday. The Toronto series continues at Dominion Gardens tomorrow night before the two clubs board a train for Montreal and Friday's third game.

Been a tough spring on pitchers with three of them already suffering season ending injuries. First it was 25-year-old Toronto lefthander Jim Jackson who blew out his shoulder. Jackson started a dozen games for the Wolves last season and went 4-7 with a 5.14 era. He was likely to make the pitching starved club in a bullpen role this season had he not been injured.
Yesterday 21-year-old Washington Eagles hopeful Johnny Davydov suffered a back injury that has likely ended his season. The 1958 fifth rounder split last season between A and AA. He is not a high end prospect, slotting in at 364th on the latest OSA rankings.
Between the two of them it was Duke Bybee of the expansion Dallas Wranglers who suffered a season, and possibly career ending injury. The 39-year-old was once a top prospect in the game, and won 21 games for the Chicago Cougars as a 25-year-old in 1948 but never quite lived up to the lofty expectations. If it is the end of the line for Bybee, he finishes with a 147-140 career record accumulated with 4 different teams.
Dallas Berry appears to be in mid-season form. The 30-year-old Cincinnati Cannons outfielder leads or is tied for the spring lead in all three triple crown categories. Berry won the CA Whitney Award twice (1957 & 1960) and is a 6-time All-Star Game participant.
Cincinnati is one of two Continental Association teams that made recent changes in the front office with San Francisco being the other one. The Cannons have had some lean years trying to recapture the success the club had shortly after moving from Baltimore with three straight pennants and a pair of WCS triumphs from 1943-45. The Sailors last pennant win was a little more recent, as they claimed a WCS title in 1951. San Francisco's new management team inherits a club that OSA predicts is the team to beat in the CA this year.
20-year-old Ed MacNaughton appears to be embracing the confidence Detroit manager Verlin Alexander has put in the #46 prospect according to OSA. Told the starting centerfield job in the Motor City was his to lose, the 1959 16th overall draft pick is enjoying a terrific spring- batting .404 with a homerun and 7 rbi's in 47 spring at bats. MacNaughton's arrival will shift incumbent Bill Morrison from center to right field.

It might be April Fool’s Day, but news of Chicago suddenly leaping into contention for a playoff spot has many people in disbelief. However, it is true. Chicago is on a ten-game winning streak to pull to within four games of a playoff spot with nine games to play. It is still a tall order, but one thing that works in the Panthers favor is that there are two teams four games ahead: the Rockets and the Mustangs. Chicago needs to keep winning, but the Panthers have two chances to sneak into the playoffs. Wins against both the Mustangs (91-69) and the Rockets (104-81) this week helped get them to within range. Chicago still somewhat controls its destiny, and the Rockets are in the crosshairs. Chicago will face St. Louis four times in the final nine games, but the Panthers are done with Detroit. The Panthers have four games against top-ranked Toronto and one against Washington to close out the schedule.
Meanwhile, Detroit and St. Louis, which are in a flat-footed tie at 32-39, will tip off four times in their final nine contests. It will be St. Louis’s playoff spot to lose, and they also control the potential of a home-court advantage in the Divisional Semifinal. St. Louis has eight consequential games left to determine who gets in and who finishes in second, as the Rockets have four against Chicago and four against Detroit. Both Detroit and St. Louis have lost four of five, but St. Louis has been on a tougher streak, losing nine of eleven.
Detroit will face Toronto three times, and the Mustangs had its hands full in its last game on Sunday night against the Falcons. The Mustangs had a three-point lead as the fourth quarter began, but ran out of gas in the final period, as Toronto had a 22-8 advantage and won by 11 points, 89-78. Detroit had 17 more field goal attempts but made the same number of shots (36) as Toronto. The Falcons got to the free throw line 15 more times and made 11 more shots, which was the difference in the game.
It is time to count down Boston’s magic number to clinch the Eastern Division. Over the past week, the standings have barely moved, and this is where it will settle. Boston (49-23) leads Philadelphia (40-29) by 7-1/2 games and while Philadelphia has three games in hand, the Centurions are still six ahead in the loss column with nine to play, which earns Boston a Magic Number of three to clinch the division. Any number of Boston wins and Philadelphia losses that add up to three will give Boston the Eastern Division title. Philadelphia is locked into second place, though, as the Phantoms are 7-1/2 games ahead of New York (33-37). Philadelphia’s Magic Number on New York is four because the Phantoms are eight ahead in the loss column with 11 to play.

RECENT KEY RESULTS

In Brooklyn, veteran Bronx born heavyweight Will Hatcher improved to 22-12-3 with a unanimous decision over another New York City area fighter in Chris Deal.
Charlie McMichael, a welterweight starting to garner some attention, hurt his title hopes somewhat after settling for a majority draw in Miami against Florida native Jed Long, who is 17-20-4 for his career. McMichael, a 27-yer-old New Yorker, entered the bout on a 20 fight win streak and with a 27-2-1 overall mark. The New York native should have handled Long easily, and outpunched him by a wide margin, but had an awful time trying to connect with the wiry Long and missed the mark on nearly 90% of his punches. There had been talk of a title shot for McMichael but that is now likely on the back burner for at least a little while.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

Apr 12 in Las Vegas: Longtime welterweight champion Lonnie Griffin defends his crown against Dan McMullan. The 30-year-old Griffn (40-5-1) has held the title on four different occasions and his bout against McMullan will be his third defense this time around. McMullan (22-1) is a 23-year-old rising star from South Carolina and is getting his first shot at the welterweight title.
May 10- San Francisco: Middleweight champion Lyman King (39-0) makes his first title defense against Steve Bradshaw (30-8-2). King, a 24-year-old Oakland, CA. native claimed a 5th round TKO victory over now-former champ George Quisenberry at New York's Bigsby Garden in January. King has never lost a fight and only went to the judges cards twice in his last 9 outings. Bradshaw, 25, originally hails from Pittsburgh, PA. and is coming off an impressive victory over Bill Sanderson but has lost in recent years to some top names such as George Hatchell, Davis Owens and Hugo Canio.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 4/01/1962

Steel negotiators announced a new two-year labor agreement that was immediately hailed by President Kennedy as fulfilling his appeal for an early and responsible settlement.
The President named Warren Howard, former All-American and AFA halfback as well as Rhodes scholar, to succeed Justice Charles Whitaker on the Supreme Court. The announcement came a day after Whitaker, on doctor's orders, announced his retirement.
Senate candidate Ted Kennedy, youngest brother of the President, disclosed he was asked to leave Dickson University in his freshman year after he had a friend take an examination for him in a course in which he had some difficulty.
South Viet Nam has launched a military operation involving some 1,500 troops near the Cambodian frontier.
Army officers in Northern Syria proclaimed a rebellion against the Syrian military junta and demanded reunion with President Nasser's United Arab Republic.
Violence continues in Algiers and Oran, cities with large European populations, but most of the countryside in Algiers is now under the control of Algerian nationalists.
Glum faced Jose Maria Guido, humbled by the watchful eye of Argentina's military leaders, formally assumed the presidency this week. Former President Arturo Frondizi was removed in a bloodless coup and sent to an isolated island for detention last week.
In the first of its kind ever undertaken with an Iron Curtain country, the United States will finance an unprecedented $2 million dollar medical research program by Polish and American scientists. The 5-year study will provide for collaboration by research scientists of both countries.
15 are dead and scores of others injured as a tornado plunged from a black cloud without warning and left widespread damage in northwest Florida.

Tiger Fan · 11-30-2024, 10:16 AM

APRIL 9, 1962

JOHNS LEADS LUBBOCK STATE TO FIRST CAGE CROWN

Behind the strength of a 22 point outing from senior forward Tommy Johns, the Lubbock State Hawks downed Lane State 63-55 to win the school's first-ever AIAA basketball tournament championship. The title win also makes the Hawks, winners of three of the last four Southwestern Alliance league titles, the first school from that conference to ever win an AIAA cage championship.

The Hawks downed Lane State, which won the West Coast Athletic Association title and finished the regular season ranked fourth in the nation, denying the Emeralds what would have been their first title in the 52 year history of the AIAA basketball tournament.

Johns, a native on San Angelo, Tx., who was named the Southwestern Alliance player of the year, led the Hawks in scoring with a 14.5 points per game average. He had 10 points and three rebounds in the opening 16 minutes of the game as the Hawks opened up a 26-16 lead before a late rally from the Emeralds cut the Lubbock State lead to six at the break.

Lane State, which saw three players led by Harry Epstein's 16, score in double-figures, briefly took the lead at 39-37 with just under nine minutes remaining in regulation and was tied with 5:59 to play but the Hawks outscored the Emeralds 20-12 the rest of the way to pull out the victory. The final 8 of Johns' 22 points came in that late push for Lubbock State.

It was quite a run for Lubbock State team which missed the tournament entirely last year and five of the previous seven seasons. The Hawks had not advanced past the second round of the tournament since the 1949-50 season. The Hawks finished the regular season with a 27-5 record, ranked 17th in the final TWIFS poll of the regular season. Seeded 5th in the East Region they upended fourth seed Liberty College 55-41 behind 17 points from Johns for their first tournament victory in nine years. The Hawks followed that up by shocking top seed and number two in the nation Charleston Tech 53-40 with Johns once more leading the way with another 17 point outing. The regional final saw Artie Pugh score 11 and Johns add 10 as they survived 57-55 over second seeded Wisconsin State. The semi-final was another tight game as the Hawks, with Johns scoring 15, nipped Great Plains State 60-59 to advance to the championship game for the first time since the spring of 1918.

VALS, MOTORS FLIP SCRIPT IN NAHC PLAYOFFS

After the top two regular season teams in the Toronto Dukes and Chicago Packers drew first blood against their opponents in the NAHC playoff openers, the third and fourth place clubs turned the tables in both games two and three. The result sees the Dukes trailing the Montreal Valiants two games to one in their best-of-seven semi-final series while the Packers now have to overcome the same disadvantage in their tussle with the third place Detroit Motors.

The Vals were embarrassed 7-0 by Toronto in their series opener but looked like a much different team three nights later on Dominion Gardens ice as the visitors from Montreal evened the series with a 5-3 victory. Toronto struck first as Tim Amesbury scored just over two minutes into the game and some were thinking it may be another rout. Montreal changed that line of thinking quickly when Matt Muir, who would later add two assists, scored Montreal's first goal of the playoffs just two and a half minutes after the Amesbury opener.

Rookie Nick Poulin made it 2-1 Toronto early in the second but the Vals evened the score on Charles Hamblin scored on the powerplay with Poulin in the penalty box. It marked a quick stretch in which Montreal exploded for three goals, 2 by Hamblin, in a span of less than two minutes and Montreal took a 4-2 lead into the dressing room after forty minutes. Quinton Pollack got his second of the series midway through the third period but that was as close as the Dukes would get and Roy Forgeron sealed the Montreal win with an empty net marker in the closing seconds.

The series shifted to Montreal for game three Friday evening and the Vals jumped out to a 4-0 lead after forty minutes on a pair of goals from Forgeron and singles off the sticks of Jim Drury and Jean Tremblay. Quinton Pollack scored for the third straight game to give Toronto a brief glimmer of hope in the third period but his goal was the only puck to elude Vals goaltender Nathan Bannister, who stopped 27 of 28 Toronto shots in the 4-1 Montreal win. Game Four will be tonight in Montreal.
*** More Overtime For Packers and Motors ***

The Chicago-Detroit series has been as close as one could imagine through the three games. Each was decided by a single goal including the opener which the Packers won on home ice 3-2 in overtime. Game Two also went into overtime but it was Detroit that pulled out the victory to even the series. Robert Kennedy got the game winner just over six minutes into the extra frame to give the Motors a 5-4 victory after Chicago had rallied with a pair of goals in the final minute of regulation to tie the game.

Detroit led 1-0 after twenty minutes with Alex Guindon scoring the only goal of the first period but after forty minutes it was tied at two with Archer Cook and Ken York finding the back of the net for the Packers sandwiching a Jake Clark goal for the Motors. Nick Tardif and Darcy Sill gave Detroit a 4-2 lead in the third period before Chicago scored with 38 seconds left and goaltender Alex Bomberry on the bench for an extra attacker. Conn Maguire notched the goal to make it 4-3 and just 7 seconds later the Packers tied the game when Maguire set up JP Morissette who split the Motors defense and scored on the breakaway. It was all for naught as the Motors evened the series with Kennedy's overtime winner but the victory came at a price as Detroit captain Nick Tardif suffered a shoulder injury late in the game and is likely out for the duration of the playoffs.

The series shifted to the Motor City for game three and while it did not require overtime, it certainly came close. Mark Milot opened the scoring for Chicago six minutes into the opening period but before the frame was done the Motors had a 3-1 lead as first Benny Barrell followed by two goals from Emmett Hargreaves put the hosts ahead. Chicago pulled even with second period goals from Ray Weller and Matt McGrath and it appeared overtime would again be required as the minutes slipped away without a goal in the third period. That changed when Detroit's Benny Barrell notched his second of the game, a wrister from the top of the circle that Bomberry probably wanted to have back and Detroit pulled out the 4-3 victory to take a 2 games to one lead in the series. Game four is set for tomorrow night at Detroit's Thompson Palladium.

FINALISTS NAMED FOR NAHC AWARDS

The North American Hockey Confederation has revealed the names of the three finalists for each of its major season ending awards. It comes as no surprise that league scoring champ Quinton Pollack of the Toronto Dukes headlines the shortlist for the McDaniels Trophy, presented annually to the loop's Most Valuable Player. The 39-year-old center already has a full mantle, with seven scoring titles and a record 8 McDaniels Trophy's on his resume. He is the odds-on favourite to win a ninth with the other two finalists being a pair of 20-year-olds in Detroit winger Hobie Barrell and Montreal Valiants defenseman Mark Moggy.

Moggy is a finalist for the Dewar Trophy, presented to the top defenseman along with a pair of Detroit Motors in Anthony Beauchemin and Jack Doctorow. This will mark the first time in the 4-year history of the award that a Toronto Dukes player did not claim the Dewar Trophy.

Toronto's Justin MacPhee is the favourite to win the Juneau Trophy presented to the top goaltender. If successful it will be his second Juneau win as MacPhee claimed the trophy as a rookie in 1959-60. MacPhee led the NAHC in goals against average and save percentage this season. His competition for the Juneau is Nathan Bannister of Montreal and Detroit's Sebastien Goulet, neither of whom have ever won the Juneau before.

The nominees for the rookie of the year award - the Harvey McLeod Trophy- are James O'Reily, Matt McGrath and Nick Poulin. O'Reily, a 24-year-old New York Shamrocks winger, had 17 goals and 43 points in his debut season. McGrath, 25, had 49 points including 21 goals in 62 games for the Chicago Packers while the 25-year-old Poulin finished a distant second behind Pollack in scoring for the Toronto Dukes. Poulin had 16 goals and 39 points for the regular season champions.

Finalists for the Yeadon Trophy for gentlemanly play are Brad Lowenberger Boston, Montreal's Jean Tremblay and Ray Weller of the Chicago Packers. The winners will be announced after the conclusion of the Challenge Cup finals.

Any excitement over seeing the Toronto Wolves with the best spring record in the Continental Association has been heavily tempered due to a pair of pitching injuries. The Wolves lost Jim Jackson for the season with a shoulder injury last month. That was not a crushing blow as while the 25-year-old was expected to claim a job in the pen, he was not believed to be a key part of the staff. This week's injury news is far more crushing with word that Phil Colantuono, also 25, will be sidelined until August with an issue with his throwing arm. Colantuono had the best spring era in either association and was the club ace a year ago with a breakout 15-10, 4.18 season for a team that won just 59 games. There are a ton of question marks in the Toronto rotation as Arnie Smith, the 22-year-old who burst on to the scene while still a teenager in 1959 and won the Allen Award the following year, is hoping to come back from a torn muscle in his shoulder that cost him most of last season.
The Los Angeles Stars narrowly missed out on their first pennant since the move west from New York last season, finishing 3 games back of front-running Cleveland. The Stars feel they are close but need an upgrade at shortstop and are actively shopping to fill the void. With nine prospects in the OSA top 100 the Stars do have some attractive young prospects including outfielder Miguel Paniagua and righthander Harry Stout, both ranked in the top 15. Russ Hawkins handled most of the work at shortstop a year ago, but he did not hit well and was selected by the cross-town Los Angeles Suns in the expansion draft. That really leaves just 25-year-old rookie Mike Forst, who has some defensive skills but has yet to play above Class A or long-time utility infielder Alberto Acuna as the only options, and neither are a good choice for a team with pennant aspirations.
The Kansas City Kings have won three pennants since the 1952 move from Brooklyn but finished in the second division each of the past two years. Kings management suggests the club is pretty much set with just really one battle left -who will be the #5 SP on the club? Will it be veteran P Elmer Sullivan or will it be youngster 23-year old Frankie Sawyer. Sawyer has a slight edge based on spring performance. It will come down to the last outing that both will toss this week. If Sawyer wins the #5 spot then Sullivan goes to the pen and Stan Reinert will go to Seattle to start games. If Sullivan wins, Sawyer goes to Seattle to start and Reinert will be a middle reliever.
To get the roster set for opening day, Kansas City will DFA 1B Chuck Collins and IF Billy Bryant. Two long time Kings that go back to the Brooklyn days but just don't seem to have a role on the club this year.
Collins and/or Bryant may find a home with an expansion team and there is likely to be a lot of waiver claims by the new clubs. The Los Angeles Suns got an early start on the proceedings, claiming six players last week including four cut loose by the San Francisco Sailors. Much of the established teams trash will be treasures with the four new clubs. Among the players claimed by the Suns include 34-year-old righthander Bill Kline, who was a 17-game winner for St Louis back in 1956 but has accomplished little since them.

What do we make of the Detroit Mustangs? Are their fans glass-half-full optimists or glass-half-empty pessimists? Detroit is a game-and-a-half behind St. Louis for second place in the Western Division. If you are an optimistic Mustangs fan, you could hope for a late push in the final six games of the season, especially when half of the remaining games are against the Rockets. Pessimistic Mustangs fans might be worried about setting themselves up for heartbreak. If those games are anything like Saturday night’s game in St. Louis, Mustang followers would be right to be worried. Detroit had no answer for St. Louis’s front court of Wayne Wyrick (27 points) and Bill Melton (21 points), who combined for 48 points. Not many teams have had answers for Melton, the league’s leading scorer at 23.4 points a game.
Another reason for Mustangs fans to be pessimistic is the fact that Detroit has not clinched a playoff spot yet. Chicago is still hanging around, three games back with six to play. Chicago’s schedule is not easy, with three against the first-place Toronto Falcons and a pair against St. Louis. Detroit has three against St. Louis and two against Toronto. The sixth game on the schedule for Detroit is New York, which is third place in the East. Chicago will close the regular season at home against last-place Washington. If it gets to the last game of the year, there may not be nails left to bite. Chicago had its ten-game winning streak snapped against St. Louis, but the Panthers still took two of three consecutive games against the Rockets.
The league leaders are almost set in stone for who will pace the circuit in major statistical categories, but there are a couple of races that should go down to the wire. We know that Bill Melton of St. Louis will lead the league in scoring, as he is more than a point better than Toronto’s Fred Lillard, who is in second place at 22.1 points per game. Philadelphia’s Dave Woods will lead the league in assists, as he is at 9.2 per contest, which is eight-tenths of an assist more than any other qualifying player. Ed Morrison of the Knights is trying to be the only player this season to average more than 50% from the field and the Falcons’ Jim Bromberg will lead the league in free-throw shooting. Bromberg is currently at 92%. However, for rebounds, steals, and blocks, the final games will determine the winner. Bromberg (2.24/g) and New York’s Simon Fausey (2.22/g) are virtually tied at 2.2 steals per match. Boston teammates George Stevens (2.39/g) and Wally Moorehead (2.35/g) are also in a virtual tie at 2.4 blocks per game. Finally, Philadelphia’s Mel Turcotte has a slim rebounding lead on Detroit’s Gary Moore, 13.1 to 12.9.

RECENT KEY RESULTS

Middleweight Davis Owens, who came up short in a pair of shots at the title losing to Mark McCoy in 1953 and George Hatchell six years later, was back in the ring last week at the age of 38. The Cleveland native scored an unanimous decision over Chris Herbert (24-4-1) in a midweek bout in Atlantic City. Owens, who says he has no plans to retire, is now 52-10-3. It was his first fight since losing a non-title rematch with Hatchell last November.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

Apr 12 in Las Vegas: Longtime welterweight champion Lonnie Griffin defends his crown against Dan McMullan. The 30-year-old Griffn (40-5-1) has held the title on four different occasions and his bout against McMullan will be his third defense this time around. McMullan (22-1) is a 23-year-old rising star from South Carolina and is getting his first shot at the welterweight title.
May 10- San Francisco: Middleweight champion Lyman King (39-0) makes his first title defense against Steve Bradshaw (30-8-2). King, a 24-year-old Oakland, CA. native claimed a 5th round TKO victory over now-former champ George Quisenberry at New York's Bigsby Garden in January. King has never lost a fight and only went to the judges cards twice in his last 9 outings. Bradshaw, 25, originally hails from Pittsburgh, PA. and is coming off an impressive victory over Bill Sanderson but has lost in recent years to some top names such as George Hatchell, Davis Owens and Hugo Canio.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 4/08/1962

The United Nations censured Israel for an attack on Syrian territory in mid-March. The 11-nation Security Council voted 10-0 in favour with France abstaining.
Cuban exile negotiators will fly to Havana this week in hopes of inducing Fidel Castro to reduce the $62 million set as the ransom for those captured at the Bay of Pigs.
Communist pressures are likely to increase during the coming year, Secretary of Defense McNamara told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. McNamara was testifying in support of the administration's request for $1.5 billion for foreign military assistance in the fiscal year starting July 1.
It has been confirmed that President Kennedy will be on hand at Columbia Stadium April 19 to throw out the first pitch before the Washington Eagles home opener against the St Louis Pioneers. The season will open two days prior and the Eagles begin on the road with a 2-game series in Minnesota against the expansion Minneapolis Millers.
The steelworker strike was averted but the west coast shipping strike enters its third week, with Kennedy poised to invoke the Taft-Hartley law to end the dispute in efforts to ease the situation in Hawaii, while has been cut off from vital food and other supplies.

Tiger Fan · 12-04-2024, 09:57 AM

APRIL 16, 1962

CHAMP GRIFFIN COULD NOT LAND A SINGLE PUNCH
IN DEMORALIZING 155-SECOND LOSS TO McMULLAN

Las Vegas Arena, Las Vegas, Nev. – Lonnie Griffin (40-5-1, 16 KO) vs. Dan McMullan (22-1-0, 12 KO): As the fans filed out of Las Vegas Arena tonight, most thought – and some said out loud – they should have been at the tables or seen a show instead of what they saw on Thursday night. However, the fight ended so quickly they could be fashionably late at any show in town.

Another thought: there is no doubt that Eugene Ellis would have put up a much better fight with the World Welterweight title on the line. Ellis is a year older and had four more professional bouts to his name before Lonnie Griffin stepped into the ring tonight. What Griffin showed was that he is ready for the meat grinder. He is finished. The magician has played his last hand, and everyone knows the trick.

McMullan entered the fight with a single professional loss and 12 of his 22 wins coming by knockout. The South Carolina native is an up-and-comer, and the 23-year-old made quick work of the 30-year-old Griffin.

The mismatch was apparent almost immediately. McMullan made a straight line for Griffin, who seemed ready, but in a matter of seconds, Griffin realized the error in judgment. While Griffin should have danced around to give the fans at least a fraction of their money’s worth, Griffin stood there while McMullan started his offensive.

This may be a trademark for McMullan, or it could just be the competition, but McMullan was able to land punches in bunches. He mixed up his offerings and switched his targets very effectively. Griffin did not know where the next punch was going to land. When he protected his head, McMullan landed a combination to Griffin’s midsection. Griffin protected his body, and McMullan went right for Griffin’s head with a stiff right and a winning cross.

McMullan was admonished for a low blow on Griffin that could have been seen as McMullan firing away at anything and everything. Could it have been intimidation? More likely, McMullan was throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Griffin and did not realize where each punch was landing.

Griffin has had a great career, winning the Welterweight Championship a record four times. He had two successful title defenses before tonight, with his last fight ending in a 14th round knockout against Italian national Carl Rondinelli just before Christmas.

No one had any illusions that Griffin would hold the belt for very long, but the expectation was that Griffin would end the night on his feet at the very least. Referee Wayne Kelly did not even let Griffin retreat to his corner a single time.

Griffin did not connect on a single punch. He took all the punishment without so much as a wayward offering to find its way to McMullan’s body with any ill humor. McMullan’s opponent was nothing more than a sparring partner, but a sparring partner would have lasted longer.

Once Kelly stopped the fight, Griffin (40-6-1) slinked off the canvas and into obscurity. There were no taunts, no staged finger-pointing, not even a quote for eager newspapermen. Griffin, once the showman, once the loudmouth, had become just another has-been.

While history will remember this night as the night a champion went to pasture, the future looks bright for McMullan (23-1-0). As a 23-year-old, he is now the Welterweight Champion and with it comes a target. We will see how McMullan performs when opponents see him coming.

BOLOGNA’S BIG BOPPERS
Round 1: McMullan, 3-0 (0:29 right, 0:46 combo/midsection, 2:30 cross)
TOTAL: McMullan 3, Griffin 0

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

May 10- San Francisco: Middleweight champion Lyman King (39-0) makes his first title defense against Steve Bradshaw (30-8-2). King, a 24-year-old Oakland, CA. native claimed a 5th round TKO victory over now-former champ George Quisenberry at New York's Bigsby Garden in January. King has never lost a fight and only went to the judges cards twice in his last 9 outings. Bradshaw, 25, originally hails from Pittsburgh, PA. and is coming off an impressive victory over Bill Sanderson but has lost in recent years to some top names such as George Hatchell, Davis Owens and Hugo Canio.

With opening day just 48 hours away it is time for my annual preseason predictions. The Continental Association call will come tomorrow and for today here is my Federal Association forecast:

1- Philadelphia Keystones: It's hard to be against the Philadelphia Keystones, who have a star-studded squad and a championship trophy to match it. Smart money would be on them repeating, as they have two of the top players in Whitney Winners Buddy Miller (.298, 36, 113) and Harry Dellinger (.306, 36, 96, 38) patrolling the grass at Broad Street Park. Sprinkle in second year first basemen Andy Parker (.324, 13, 52), 7-Time All-Star Marshall Thomas (.264, 14, 49), and 3-Time Champ Lloyd Coulter (.263, 35, 91), you have the makings of one of the top lineups in all of baseball. The rotation got better last deadline with the Jorge Arellano (16-9, 3.05, 130) acquisition, giving them a legitimate ace to lead a talented young rotation. 24-year-old Don McKeown (12-11, 26, 3.05, 117) will be looking to move from stopper to the rotation, joining 22-year-olds Tom Robinson (13-9, 3.45, 97) and Joe Kienle (16-7, 3.25, 100). Aside from the former Gotham Arellano, William Davis (16-11, 3.47, 149) is the vet at 27, meaning this team will remain a contender for years to come.

2- Washington Eagles: A team I like a lot right now is the Washington Eagles, but I think they're still a season or two away from representing the Federal Association. All they have to do is supply Tom Lorang (.305, 18, 62) with a competent supporting cast, as the 20-year-old is already among the elite in the baseball world. He's extremely disciplined and one of the top defensive third basemen, all while batting .294/.378/.484 (133 OPS+) in his first 272 FABL games. Nearly all of those came as a teen, as Lorang didn't turn 20 until last August. He already has 60 doubles and 38 home runs, but it's his 139 walks that draw the attention. Only one Eagle has ever drawn more then 1,000 career walks (Ira Phillips, 1,091), and if he stays healthy that top spot could be his. Coming off an 84 wins season, the Eagles will feature quality pieces like Brad Keylon (.301, 6, 61), Joe Holland ( .295, 11, 34), and Al Marino (.255, 9, 76, 6). The rotation is on it's way to becoming a top one, and youngsters Bob Ball (13-16, 4.35, 127), Wally Phillips (8-4, 3.53, 66), Carl Levy (12-6, 20, 3.93, 84), and Otto Caudill (10-12, 1, 4.95, 104) will look to establish themselves as rotation fixtures behind Jim Stewart (13-8, 3.32, 137) and Foster Sherman (7-5, 3.79, 45).

3- St. Louis Pioneers: I may have them third, but I think St. Louis has almost as much a chance of winning the Fed as the Keystones. Not only do they have one of the best young hitters in reigning Whitney winner Bob Bell (.345, 39, 128, 10), but they have a second Whitney winner in Jerry Smith (.289, 34, 103, 14) and the best rotation in baseball. Both Frenchy Mack (7-8, 2.83, 131) and Billy Hasson (19-8, 2.85, 188) have claims on the best pitcher in baseball, and plenty of teams would be lucky to have Steve Madden (14-6, 3.17, 166) or Charlie Blake (10-10-, 4.18, 150) as a long-term ace, and top-10 prospect Danny Daniels (0-0, 0.00, 2) could be an ace in his own right. Hasson is the oldest at 27, so barring injury this group will pitch plenty of seasons together. 22-year-old Al Grabner (5-9, 1, 5.18, 71) is another potential building block, and the Pioneers have one of the best stoppers in John Gibson (9-9, 20, 3.25, 53). But as good as the pitching is, I don't think the lineup can compete with the Keystones and some of the other big boppers in the Fed, as they don't have pennant quality depth. I like Bill Bather (.313, 22, 72, 11) in center and 26-year-old Steve Schultz (.289, 20, 76) should do well in regular time at the hot corner, but there is room for an addition or two. One could be internal in top prospect Danny Davis, who's strong spring may have earn him a look in the outfield with Bather and Smith. If he has a big season, St. Louis' lineup would be a lot more competitive, and with their pitching they should be able to stay in most games.

4- Detroit Dynamos: The kings of the 1950s, the Dynamos had their first sub .500 year since 1950 last season, a poor 67-87 and 7th place finish. I don't envision that happening again, as there is just far too much talent on this team. They may not be title contenders, but Joe Reed (.299, 23, 87, 10) is an elite shortstop, former #1 prospect Ray Waggoner (.317, 30, 100) was as advertised as the Kellogg winner, and Bill Morrison (.276, 14, 75, 9) is still one of the top center fielders at 34. And then there's 22-year-old Cecil Gregg (.302, 25, 97, 6), who produced a 142 WRC+ in his first full seasons as a FABL starter. The pitching is solid too, led by a resurgent John Jackson (11-13, 3.15, 121) and former Allen winners Jim Norris (9-15, 4.08, 137) and Paul Anderson (18-7, 3.27, 113). Detroit's X-Factor this season is $320,000 man Howie French, who is coming over from the Minneapolis Lumberjacks. The 27-year-old dominated for the independent AAA team, going 77-52 with a 2.74 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP, and 826 strikeouts in 1,312.2 innings pitched. Whether that translates to FABL success is yet to be seen, but Detroit has a great history with pitchers, and is the perfect environment for a talent like French.

5- Chicago Chiefs: It's a shame Rod Shearer (.260, 15, 77, 6) never won a Whitney, but even at 33 the 5-Time All-Star remains a key contributor, and as long as him and Ed Bloom (.315, 23, 104, 17) are in the same lineup the Chiefs have a chance to compete. Whether they have enough support for a championship run is yet to be determined, as they'll need a return to form for Doc Zimmerman (.267, 8, 81, 13) and more of the same from Irv Clifford (.312, 2, 49, 8). The pitching is solid too, led by Illinois native Vern Osborne (10-15, 3.50, 152), a 4-TIme All-Star who has started 33 or more games in each of the last five seasons. Dick Champ (12-9, 4.41, 129), Jack Halbur (12-10, 3.84, 99), and Joe Cipolla (7-12, 4.71, 130) are all quality middle rotation arms, and they have plenty of options for their fifth spot. I'd love to see fireballer Dutch Lane (0-0, 2.79, 12) get a chance there, but the Chiefs may prefer to use their young lefty in the late innings. His fastball is almost impossible to hit, but he has yet to develop an out pitch from his secondary offerings. Never count this team out, but I'd bet against them in 1962.

6- Boston Minutemen: I'm not sure what happened to the Minutemen last year, but I certainly don't expect the 1959 and 1960 World Champions to finish in 7th again. In fact, this team should challenge for a first division spot, as even after subtractions this roster is loaded with talent. The first question will be what to do with Allen winner Don Griffin (6-7, 25, 3.07, 74), who was shifted to the pen last season. I really hope the 25-year-old returns to the rotation, but Boston is flush with alternatives if they like him finishing off as many wins as he can. 24-year-old Ray Goyena (11-16, 4.09, 153) has even better stuff then Griffin, and if he can keep the ball in the park the rubber armed righty will be a 20-game winner. The only issue is he's the only other guy with anywhere near the upside as Griffin, forcing Boston to rely more on their offense. The outfield is great, with the Bills Tutwiler (.288, 14, 78, 15) and Newhall (.280, 12, 56) surround top prospect Frank Kirouac in center. They have a strong middle infield in Ed Wise (.209, 21, 58) and Joe Kleman (.262, 10, 72), and after such a miserable season, you wouldn't be blamed for thinking this team could be in for a huge bounce back year.

7- Pittsburgh Miners: The best part about expansion for the Pittsburgh Miners is that they're not likely to finish in last again. A young team on the rise, almost all their talent is 25 and under, giving them a huge gap between floor and ceiling in the short and long term. For now, however, 28-year-old vet Frank Selander (.351, 12, 72, 14) is the best player on the team, as the reigning batting champ was named an All-Star in a stellar 1961 season. Whether he remains the best player, however, is yet to be seen, as they have plenty of guys 25 and under who can take a big step forward. John Moreland (25, .328, 10, 109) has emerged as a top shortstop, while Chuck Draper (24, .263, 14, 63, 16), Mike Whisman (24, .269, 15, 84, 9), Reid Barrell, (21), Roy McGee (21), and top ranked prospect Dixie Turner (20) all have a chance to get a large quantity of at bats. The pitching is in a similar situation, as Jimmy Blair (24, 9-16, 4.37, 107), Mike Blackham (22, 7-17, 6.16, 131), Pat Simon (2-0, 1, 2.00, 4), Frank Maxwell (6-7, 6, 3.90, 49), Clay Buddemeyer (22), Ted Mickiewicsz (22), and Hank Griswold (20) are all competing for a rotation spot. In fact, only four pitchers on the 40 are over 25, with Pepper Swanson (29) the only one below 39. With a lot of youth, they may be susceptible to rough patches, but the experience gained this year could be critical in forming a new Miners dynasty to break their unending drought.

8- New York Gothams: It's been a while since the Gothams have been in a pennant race, and after parting ways with pieces of their core they may have to compete with the expansion squads to stay out of last. I expect the Gothams to continue their teardown, with Hank Estill (.248, 15, 71) one of the last pieces left. The fan in me hope he finishes his career with the team that took him 7th in 1948, but aside from him and Rex Pilcher (.260, 21, 64) there aren't many vets left to move. One of the younger teams, they have been trotting out a 1-2-3 of Otto Pilkerton (.261, 13, 55, 14), Isaiah Redbird (.280, 2, 5), and Tom Brizzolara (.313, 12, 57, 6). All are 24 and younger, and play premier positions at center, short, and catcher. That trio and the almost 25-year-old Frank Arnold (.297, 5, 65) are legit pieces to build around, and they have plenty of young players in the system fighting to join them. The pitching needs plenty of work, but 25-year-old Clarence Reimer (12-12, 4.15, 158) was effective as a rookie last season. Younger then him is Chuck Kleiman (7-10, 3, 4.56, 100), Les Freedman (3-0, 5, 4.24, 22), Chet Stansbury (2-2, 1, 3.38, 24), and Jack White, all of who could join Reimer in the rotation. Him and Kleiman could form a nice duo, but neither are the aces that Philly, St. Louis, and Chicago all have.

9- Minneapolis Millers: The expansion teams weren't left with much to pick, but the Minneapolis Millers did a great job to acquire Joe McDowell (15-7, 4.29, 90). The 29-year-old former Miner has been a consistent mid rotation arm the past four seasons, and could fetch a hefty return on the trade market. He's young enough to still be effective in a few seasons from now, same as continued teammate Ed Power (8-18, 6.13, 86), who's just a season removed from a 3.63 ERA (120 ERA+) and 116 strikeouts in a Fed high 33 starts. They also have the benefit of 25-year-old Bill Smith, who was part of the then independent Charleston Blue Legs, who joined the Millers organization as their AAA affiliate. A former 14th Round pick of the Chiefs, Smith spent the past five seasons starting in the Union League. He has excellent stuff, striking out at least 17% of the hitters he's faced in each of the last four seasons, and in two of the seasons he had ERAs of 2.32 (153 ERA+) and 2.65 (141 ERA+). Like Howie Fresh, he'll make the jump from independent success to FABL, but in a much more laid back environment. While he looks to build his career, veteran castoffs like Hugh Pate (.213, 5, 15), Dick Sheehan (.278, 5, 47), and Roy Gass (.269, 3, 21) have a chance to capture the elusive starting spot they've desired.

10- Los Angeles Suns: FABL's second club in LA, the Los Angeles Suns focused on young pitching in the expansion draft, something that could benefit them greatly in the long run. The downside to that is their offense might be the worst in baseball, as the only hitter I'd really get any nerves facing is Gary Romeo (.286, 16, 2), and even he isn't much of a threat. Instead, they focused on elite defense for their young staff, from Stan Czerwinski (.211, 15, 54) behind the plate to Andy Nevill (.196, 2, 9, 2) in center and Bill Bell (.183, 1, 8, 2) and Sam Gallick (.176, 4, 20) on the left side of the infield. As things line up, all five of their starting pitchers will be 26 or younger, with former Pioneer Doc Carver (6-3, 1, 3.66, 39) the ace and fireballer Paul Debo (1-1, 6.10, 12) right behind him. Debo is a guy who's caught my interest, as his stuff gets at you quick. His high 90s fastball is one of the best in the game, and if you try to sit on it he'll fool you with the change. Though the real gem might be 24-year-old Frank Carey (2-3, 4, 3.90, 33), a former 4th Rounder of the Dynamos who came from the Forester organization. He's got an elite fastball, slider, and change, but he's still working on finding the zone. They have a wide variety of risky and safe young pitchers, but until they find the right combo, they'll be losing far more often they win.

SAILORS ADD DEPTH TO ROTATION
By Archie Gouldie

On the eve of baseball's Opening Day, the San Francisco Sailors and the Toronto Wolves hooked up on an interesting deal. It was a 3 players for one deal, but honestly it came down to a 1-1 deal with the Sailors picking up SP Hank Lacey (29) and the Wolves getting a 25 year old RP by the name of Zeke Blake. It is a deal that could bode very well for the Sailors who look to strengthen their rotation and a bit of a puzzler for the rebuilding Wolves.

For the Sailors, Lacey will slot in likely as the #4 starting pitcher behind rotation head Charlie Lawson (13-8 2.91 last season), #2 George Fuller (12-10 4.34) and Eddie Chapman (15-4 3.26), who is expected to be the Sailors third starter. Lacey has a career record of 43-69 4.43 ERA in 6 seasons with the often rebuilding Wolves and his 8-17 record a year ago led the Continental Association in losses.

An Indianapolis native, the 29-year-old Lacey was a 10th round pick of Toronto's in the 1950 draft but quickly climbed the prospect pipeline and was ranked 13th in 1957 when he joined the Wolves full-time. He really only has had one really good season in the majors which was 1959 when he fashioned a record of 13-11 with a 3.70 ERA. Now some might saw that he has been held back playing on some very poor Toronto teams, but he looks like he could be capable of more. Perhaps the change in scenery will do him wonders and that is what the Sailors have to be banking on. The Sailors also picked up a marginal at best shortstop prospect in Bud Campbell, and along with veteran reliever Zane Kelley (36) who has been dreadful the last 2 seasons and clearly appears past his useful prime.

For the Wolves they did pick up a solid reliever in Zeke Blake who, at 25 years of age, fits into the Wolves youth movement strategy. Blake has "electric" stuff and was 3-2 with 2 saves and a 2.61 ERA in 51.2IP last year and figures to probably be one of the top 2 arms in the Wolves bullpen. But while he is a solid bullpen piece, he has no real chance to be a starter and that is what the Wolves gave up. With the serious injuries this spring to Phil Colantuono and Jim Jackson plus some uncertainty regarding the return of Arnie Smith who is coming off a serious shoulder injury himself, this is a deal that will leave some Toronto fans scratching their heads.

This deal was done pretty quietly and one has to wonder if Lacey was shopped a bit more if Toronto might have found a better return.

MOTORS INCH CLOSER TO SECOND STRAIGHT CUP

Fresh off an upset of the Chicago Packers in five games, the Detroit Motors moved one step closer to claiming their second consecutive and sixth overall Challenge Cup title by besting the Montreal Valiants 3-1 in the opener of the Cup finals. Hobie Barrell and Darcy Sill each had a goal and an assist to lead the hosts to the win over the visiting Vals at Thompson Palladium last night. Game two of the best of seven NAHC championship series will go Wednesday in Detroit before the series shirts east to Montreal for games three and four.

Last night's opener saw the surprising Vals, who knocked off first place Toronto in the semi-finals in five games, dominate the opening period on the road as they outshot the Motors 11-3 but failed to put a puck past Detroit goaltender Sebastien Goulet, a 28-year-old Montreal native who has played every minute of every game this season for the Motors, had a terrific night, turning aside 31 of the 32 Valiants shots he faced.

The Motors managed just 20 shots on Montreal netminder Nathan Bannister but opened the scoring just shy of seven minutes into the middle period when Hobie Barrell - Detroit's second year scoring star- beat Bannister with Darcy Sill and Jock Doctorow drawing the assists. Jeff Gaudreault tied the game for Montreal two and a half minutes later but the Motors would take a 2-1 lead before the period ended when Sill, assisted by Hobie Barrell and Doctorow, found the back of the net. Alex Guindon rounded out the scoring early in the third when his centering pass from below the goal line bounced off a Montreal defender and past the surprised Bannister.

Detroit was forced to play without 4-time all-star center Alex Monette, who suffered a neck injury in the last game of the semi-finals against Chicago and is questionable for game two as well. Monette had 50 points in 45 games this season and another 4 in five playoff contests.

Both Detroit and Montreal dropped the opening game of their respective semi-final series before roaring back to win four straight. The Motors series with Chicago was a tight one as every game was decided by a single goal. The two clubs traded overtime wins to begin the series before the Motors beat the Packers by identical 4-3 scores in both games three and four at home. Both contest saw Guindon, who also scored in the third period against Montreal last night, play the hero with the lone third period marker after the two clubs finished the opening 40 minutes on both evenings tied at 3. Guindon also scored the game winner in the series clinching victory but that one came in the middle period to put Detroit up 2-0 after Hobie Barrell started the scoring with a shorthanded tally early in the first. Chicago closed the gap before the second period finished when Ken York collected a powerplay marker but that was as close as the Packers would get in losing 2-1 and seeing Detroit end their season for the second year in a row - the Motors beat Chicago in the finals a year ago.

The Valiants turn around against first place Toronto in their semi-final series was nothing short of remarkable after the Dukes blasted the Vals 7-0 in the series opener. Montreal then reeled off four straight wins, beginning with a 5-3 victory in Toronto in the second game. Roy Forgeron scored twice while Yan Tremblay had three helpers in a 4-1 victory at the Montreal Arena in the third game and a couple nights later it was another 4-1 result with Matt Mercier pacing the Valiants attack with a 3-assist night. Jim Drury had a hat trick as Montreal completed the upset with a 6-2 drubbing of the Dukes at Dominion Arena in the series clinching fifth game. It has been quite a playoff for Drury, a 21-year-old rookie who tallied just 4 goals and 9 assists in 32 regular season games. The 1959 second round pick out of the Brantford juniors has 5 goals and an assist in his six playoff games.

MINOR LEAGUE ROUND-UP The Springfield Hornets are one win away from sweeping the Philadelphia Rascals in the finals of the Hockey Association of America playoffs. The Hornets, who have won the HAA playoff title in three of the past five years, are the top affiliate of the Boston Bees. Cody Lynch, who had a 5-point game in Springfield's 8-1 drubbing of the Rascals in Friday's third game, leads all playoff scorers with 10 goals and 15 points in six games. Lynch, 26, was never drafted by an NAHC team and his rights are not owned by any of the six NAHC clubs.

The San Francisco Wings won their first Great West Hockey League title in seven years after beating the regular season leading Seattle Emeralds four games to one in the finals. The Canadian Junior Hockey Association playoffs are still ongoing with the London Lions leading the Halifax Mariners 3 games to two in the best-of-seven series that has seen the home team win each of the first five games of the series. London, which finished with the best regular season record, has never won the league title while the Mariners won it all once in the 11 year history of the major junior loop. Undrafted 20-year-old center Norm Fullan of London is the top scorer so far in the CAHA playoffs with 18 points in 10 games including a goal and two assists in a 5-3 Lions win in Saturday's fifth game. The Lions can wrap up the series with a win in Halifax on tomorrow night.

Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. That is how the saying goes. For the St. Louis Rockets and the Detroit Mustangs, they have had to fight each other and stave off the late-blooming Chicago Panthers to push for the postseason. There is no hope of the top seed, as the Toronto Falcons (55-22) are 21 games ahead of the rest of the Western field. While neither the Rockets nor the Mustangs have clinched a playoff spot yet, each team needs a single win to make it official. The only way Chicago can qualify for the playoffs if is the Panthers run the table and either St. Louis or Detroit loses all three remaining games. Chicago has one game against the Rockets, but the Panthers will also have to get past Toronto before finishing at home against lowly Washington.
Detroit and St. Louis have a chance to help each other qualify for the postseason since they play a home-and-home to end the regular season. If they split, that will keep Chicago at home during the postseason. Chicago will root for Detroit to sweep that home-and-home since the Panthers play the Rockets and have at least a little control over one of the final games these teams will play. Chicago stayed alive on Thursday night in St. Louis, winning in overtime, 79-76, despite falling behind by six after a quarter and seven at the half. The game was a battle of frontcourts, as Chicago received 24 points from Bob Christensen and 20-and-16 from Luther Gordon, which was slightly better than the Rockets’ Bill Melton (24 points) and Wayne Wyrick (16).
The last few days of the regular season will also hold a race to for the best record in the league. Boston (54-24) has won five in a row to make it a race, as Toronto (55-22) has led most of the season and has won seven of eight to stay in front. Boston only has two games remaining and both are against New York, which is firmly in third place in the Eastern Division. Toronto has a trio of games left, but all are at home, where the Falcons are a league-best 33-4. Toronto will face Detroit and Chicago, which gives the Falcons a say in who makes the Western draw, before closing out the year against Philadelphia, the second-place team in the East.

COLLEGE CAGE ALL-AMERICANS ANNOUNCED

Northern California Miners senior forward John McLaughlin headlines the list of award winners from the recently completed collegiate basketball season. The 6'7" native of San Bruno, CA., was named an AIAA first team All-American and collected the Red Barrette Trophy as the most valuable player of the 1961-62 cage season.

A four year starter for the Miners, McLaughlin, was among the leading scorers in the nation this season in averaging 16.2 points per game while finishing third in the country in rebounds with a 9.6 average. The Miners finished with a 21-9 record and were eliminated by Detroit City College in the opening round of the AIAA tournament.

Joining McLaughlin as first team All-Americans are guards Jim Paul from Redwood and Ron Burns from Western Montana, forward Joe Stone of tournament semi-finalist Great Plains State and center Nolan Hymer of Oklahoma Bible College. All four are seniors. Headlining the second team All-America list is forward Tommy Johns of the national champion Lubbock State Hawks.

The Coach of the Year was Michael Neal who guided the Central Kentucky Tigers to a second place finish in the Deep South Conference. Neal, in his second year with the Tigers, led the school to 23-7 record and a berth in the AIAA tournament, a first for Central Kentucky in a decade and a half. The 23 wins equaled a school record established in the 1947-48 season.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 4/15/1962

As Secretary of State Rusk begins a new round of Berlin settlement talks with Russia, he denied most emphatically that the US has proposed any reduction of Western troops in Berlin.
German Chancellor Adenauer has objected strenuously to new United States proposals for Berlin which in his view would move toward recognition of Communist East Germany.
Crisis mobilization of military reservists, as was needed in the Berlin Crisis prior to Russia building a wall, is considered unlikely as the Army should have sufficient enlistees to supply five new divisions.
Nikita Khrushchev called an American-British plea to join in speeding a treaty banning nuclear weapons testing "propaganda." Early in the week President Kennedy published terms of a request that Russia allow international inspectors to check any suspicious explosions and Soviet agreement with such request would clear the way for an early test ban treaty.
President Kennedy's victory in the steel price battle tightens his grip on the economy, but analysts suggest that while the President will get much of the credit if the nation prospers, he will be more vulnerable than ever to criticism in Congress and retribution at the polls if the economy falters, regardless of the reason.
The Attorney General's office announced that the Government may sue segregated school districts receiving Federal aid to break down their racial barriers.

Tiger Fan · 12-05-2024, 04:04 AM

APRIL 17, 1962
OPENING DAY!

Yesterday we looked at the Federal Association. Today as FABL prepares to throw the first pitches on a historic season that includes four brand new franchises let's take a look at my Continental Association Predictions:

1- Cleveland Foresters: Eventually, the Cleveland Foresters have to win another title, and I think this is the year. Falling to the Fed champs in three consecutive seasons, the Foresters still have the most talented roster in FABL, and with Rufus Barrell (13-11, 3.94, 104) at 44 the time to win him a 4th WCS title may be running short. Jake Pearson (17-7, 3.37, 140) has emerged as the ace in front of the Hall-of-Famers Barrell and Adrian Czerwinski (18-9, 3.54, 163). There's plenty of star power in the lineup as well, led by Whitney winners Earl Howe (.263, 22, 103, 7), John Low (.331, 14, 111), and Tom Carr (.283, 6, 61, 32). It's a shame Paul Williams (.307, 28, 111) can't be included in that group, as the 8-Time All-Star had a few Whitney worthy seasons in his Pittsburgh years. He's one of many talented vets on the roster, with Stan Kleminski (.289, 8, 68, 14), Hal Kennedy (.285, 24, 84), and Sherry Doyal (.298, 15, 64, 4) key contributors on offense. Pound for pound, they have the most talent in either association, but they're far from a guaranteed winner. The pitching staff is susceptible to an injury or a decline in Barrell, plus there are multiple serious contenders thirsty for a pennant. They were almost caught last year, and will have to play a complete season to extend their postseason streak.

2- Kansas City Kings: There are a lot of teams in the Continental who can mount a pennant run, and the Kansas City Kings are one of those teams. A team filled with stars including Ken Newman (.255, 28, 108, 6), Charlie Rogers (.312, 16, 94, 12), and Hank Williams (.326, 39, 121, 7) who have all won Whitneys, and they recently picked up veteran second basemen Al Farmer (.304, 18, 61) from the Cannons. Farmer and 25-year-old shortstop Cal Randall (.284, 13, 68) will form a brand new double play duo, as both guys played elsewhere in 1961. Middle infield has been a relative weakness in Kansas City, and now they have a quality defender in Randall and a top bat in Farmer. On top of that, they'll bring back the Kellogg Winner Pat Davis (.343, 19, 124, 33), who's outstanding at all facets of the game. The only thing stopping them is the pitching, as beyond ace Beau McClellan (11-11, 3.99, 135), they don't have someone you'd trust in game two of a postseason series. McClellan himself doesn't compare to Pearson, Czerwinski, and some of the other top pitchers, but he's an innings eater who's innings are actually at the level you want them to be. But unless 34-year-old Fred Washington (10-11, 5.33, 111) regains his Allen form or 22-year-old Curly Anderson (0-2, 5.17, 14) transforms from "innings eater" into a McClellan type, I can't see them taking home a crown.

3- San Francisco Sailors: After coming up just short last season, there's no reason to think the San Francisco Sailors can't finish on top. Adding to that is the acquisition of Hank Lacey (8-17, 4.99, 122), as the Sailor's new front office worked quickly in acquiring an upgrade for their rotation. Aside from 23-year-old ace Charlie Lawson (13-8, 2.91, 165), there is room for improvement, but adding a decent veteran in Lacey can help hedge their bets. Young fireballer George Fuller (12-10, 4.34, 118) could emerge as a top option as well, but that's about all there is to get excited about in the rotation. The rest is more good then great, so they'll have to rely on the talent of their offense. Granted, 25-year-old shortstop Carlos Jaramillo's (.313, 12, 68, 40) defense at short could make the pitching look a lot better then it is, and his bat is excellent leading off the order. He has a talented double play partner in Heinie Spitler (.302, 9, 87, 11), and the 24-year-old John Kingsbury (.335, 18, 93, 14) is already one of the top outfielders in the league. Complimented by vets like Edwin Hackberry (.243, 16, 70, 18), Ray Rogan (.292, 7, 45), and Herbert Crawford Jr. (.253, 12, 85) they should be able to score plenty of runs.

4- Cincinnati Cannons: I can't really put my finger on exactly why, but I have this itch that the Cincinnati Cannons are going to have a huge season. Dallas Berry (.282, 29, 94, 10) had an excellent spring, and seems to return to his 10 WAR form after producing "just" 5.8 in his 6th All-Star season. One of the top hitters in the game, he has a new sidekick in 24-year-old Bonnie Chapin (.345, 22, 84, 6), who won the batting title as a rookie and was worth more WAR (6.1) in 12 fewer games. Completing the outfield could be 23-year-old Joe Case (.314, 24, 82, 11), who excelled in a 90 game sample last year. If he can join the level of Berry and Chapin, they can really carry the lineup. In a pitcher friendly park, they then just need passable results from the pitching, and ace Jim York (7-11, 5.07, 97) is just a year removed from a 20-win season. If he returns to form and 21-year-old Charlie Warren (7-3, 3, 3.19, 73) take a step forward, they could eat enough innings at the top of the rotation to allow Paul Williams (7-7, 10, 4.64, 96) to eat the rest of the innings. One more name to keep an eye on is Red Cunningham (10-8, 4.51, 87), a 22-year-old looking to reclaim a rotation spot in 1962. On top of that, he's shown promise out in the outfield, with a bat decent enough to fill in as a 4th outfielder. With a high 90s fastball, he's best served on the mound, and his development could help propel the Cannons in a surprise pennant run.

5- Los Angeles Stars: If we were ranking pitching staffs, the Stars might be first, as LA's Continental team has Dewey Allcock (10-4, 3.63, 87) and Bud Henderson (9-13, 4.08, 101) who both pitched on Opening Day last season. The only issue is now both are injured, though the 24-year-old Allcock can start throwing today. Robbed of the 1960 Allen, I'm hoping the baseball gods fixed his shoulder, as before he tore his rotator cuff he was the most exciting pitcher in baseball. A rare mix of command and stuff, he was an old-fashioned starter who ripped off big complete game wins, and if he can't do that now baseball is worse off for it. That also makes the Stars' pennant chances hazy, but 22-year-old Sy Dunn (16-5, 3.34, 136) did his best in last season's pennant race to keep LA in it, and they have a plethora of young big league pitchers who can help them win both now and in the future. The lineup is top-heavy, with the Barrell's Charlie (.315, 28, 88) and Ralph (.267, 35, 103) among the Stars in Hollywood. Lou Allen (.287, 39, 119), Virgil Ewing (.329, 21, 112), and Don Hall (.271, 25, 80) are all talented young sluggers, and if this pitching staff was healthy, I'd consider placing them ahead of the Foresters in the standings.

6- Chicago Cougars: A young team on the rise, nearly every important member of the Cougars offense is on the right side of 30, and all the top players are under 25. 24-year-old Canadian Jerry McMillan (.314, 28, 81, 23) is coming off a 20/20 season, and 23-year-olds Gene Case (.288, 21, 77, 8) and Henry Watson (.317, 26, 90) have already established themselves as reliable regulars. A third 23-year-old, shortstop Tom Halliday (.291, 4, 57, 5) was excellent as a rookie, and he was above average at the plate and in the field. They could have another young star behind the plate, as 24-year-old Chappy Sanders won the starting job and will make his debut on Opening Day. Unfortunately, they're without their best player, as All-Star Jack Gibson tore his MCL last June and may miss all of this season as well. If the slugger was healthy, they could have made an outside run for the pennant, but instead they'll be on the outside looking in. Where they have quality young in the lineup, the pitching is still developing, and they're relying on a collection of middle rotation arms led by Andy Logue (15-11, 3.40, 139) and Hank Walker (10-11, 4.63, 123). A guy to keep an eye on is 26-year-old Roy Ellis (11-13, 4.45, 139), who had an excellent spring and led the Conti in K/BB (2.6) last season. He has a nice stuff/control combo that can continue to improve, and by the season's end he may push his way to the front of the rotation.

7- Toronto Wolves: Despite their questionable pitching acquisition, the Toronto Wolves still have a lot of talented arms, but like the Stars injuries have taken their toll. "The King" Phil Colantuono (15-10, 4.35, 172) got hurt in the second half of the spring, expected to miss the next 3-4 months with forearm inflammation. On top of that, 22-year-old ace and Allen winner Arnie Smith (6-2, 2.81, 70) tore his labrum last June, and there's no guarantee he returns to the ace he was prior. With these two question marks, it's hard to envision a pennant run from Toronto, but they could at least win the Canada cup. George Hoxworth (5-16, 5.14, 124) should be able to put his awful 1961 behind him, and both Tom Reed (.299, 28, 91, 10) and Sid Cullen (.310, 19, 69) are excellent outfielders. Joining them could end up being top-20 prospect Ed Savage, a 2nd Round selection in 1959 who hit .315/.414/.511 (164 OPS+) in 86 AAA games last season. There's still more building to be done, but the Wolves have a nice young core that has staying potential.

8- Montreal Saints: Montreal's drop to the bottom of the standings was quick, and even in the spring they couldn't keep up with the expansion clubs. Last season was rough, as Jim Montgomery (19-14, 5.48, 112) has seen his pitching talent vanish with a second brutal season, and Phil Murry (8-17, 5.36, 100) has followed a similar path. The only thing that went right was Eddie Martin (9-14, 3.88, 93), as the 34-year-old managed to rebuild some trade value. Him and Garland Phelps (.286, 10, 76) could fetch a decent haul if Montreal decides to sell, as neither is likely to be part of their next contender. If they really wanted to tear down, 28-year-old Harry Swain could fetch a huge return, but he's young enough to be effective when they have more pieces to surround him. Right now, him and the 24-year-old Andy Gilman (.275, 25, 85) do a lot of the heavy lifting, but they may have some help in 1B/2B Ham Flanders (.322, 1, 16, 1). The 23-year-old debuted last season to solid results, and he got most of the reps at first this spring. He's no star, but exactly the type of player Montreal needs to collect before they can return to winning records.

9- New York Imperials: Neither of the expansion teams are any good, but the Imperials have something the Wranglers do not: Turk Ramsey. One of the best sluggers in FABL, Ramsey's 7 spring homers were tied for 2nd in FABL, and the 1961 Champion hit 37 homers in 122 AAA games two seasons ago. Just 26, he has a lot of home run hitting seasons in him, and could work his way up the new franchise's home run leaderboards quickly. The former 6th Rounder swings too much, but when he does make contact, it goes far. He launched 9 homers in just 125 PAs last season with the Keystones, and should quickly pass his 14 career home runs this year. There's a lot of spare parts behind him, but he's got a few decent vets with Gordon McDonald (9-4, 1, 3.63, 34), Willie Dieter (.210, 5, 12), and Eddie Webb (1-1, 1, 4.12, 16). The Imps don't have the youth of a team like LA, but they have a few future pieces in 24-year-olds Jim Lang (.35) and Delos Smith (.287, 4, 14), the latter of which was acquired from the Cougars for expansion pick Bob Allen (7-13, 4.71, 84). The 25-year-old Bob Roberts gives them a young option in the rotation, but for now it's mostly castoffs that will give up a lot of runs.

10- Dallas Wranglers: Unlike their expansion counterparts, the Dallas Wranglers have a good young pitcher, as the 25-year-old Butch Abrams (0-0, 1, 2.84, 11) seems to have won a rotation spot to start the season. The former Pioneer made 20 or more starts from 1956 to 1960, but was pushed out last season due to St. Louis' dominant young staff. Now with Dallas, Abrams is the exciting young pitcher, surrounded by lottery ticket guys like Hank Berkowitz (5-3, 3.00, 46) and Sid Moulton (8-7, 4.22, 72). The lineup isn't in good shape either, as their best hitter might be 38-year-old John Fast (.220, 3, 31), who's coming off the worst season in his 15-year-career. A veteran of 1,785 games, the Pennsylvania native is stateside for the first time in his career, as he was drafted by the Wolves and traded to Montreal after his 7th FABL season. The switch hitting veteran could lead a lineup with a ton of holes. There's no guy to be wary of and no youngster who can make a huge impact, but someone like Ed Thompson (.429, 1, 1) or Ray Hughes (.182, 1, 10, 1) will step up now that they're given an opportunity to play regularly. There will be lean years, but for a big state that has been left out of FABL for so long, just having a team will be a huge win down in Texas.

OSA PREDICTS KEYSTONES-STARS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Here are the opening day predictions as made by the OSA, official scouting service of FABL.

TODAY IS OPENING DAY

Fans are lining up at the turnstiles and getting ready for another great year. Welcome to another exciting baseball season. Everyone is ready to sit back, munch on a hot dog and get this thing started! The first pitches of the new season will be tossed today in stadiums all across the country. Included in the home openers will be the first ever FABL game played in Texas and in Minnesota as two of the four new expansion teams open at home. That would be the Dallas Wranglers and Minneapolis Millers. The other two new clubs - the Los Angeles Suns and New York Imperials- get their inaugural campaign underway on the road. Opening Day games are as follows:

Pittsburgh Miners @ St. Louis Pioneers
New York Gothams @ Philadelphia Keystones
Washington Eagles @ Minneapolis Millers
Chicago Chiefs @ Detroit Dynamos
Los Angeles Suns @ Boston Minutemen
Kansas City Kings @ San Francisco Sailors
Los Angeles Stars @ Toronto Wolves
New York Imperials @ Chicago Cougars
Cleveland Foresters @ Montreal Saints
Cincinnati Cannons @ Dallas Wranglers

GRIFFIN’S HANDS AND HIS MOUTH PROVIDED SOME GREAT MEMORIES

“He just stood there.” Such was the prevailing sentiment after watching Lonnie Griffin’s brief time in the ring last week against now-champion Dan McMullan. Ink has been spilled on how poor the showing was, and I have not come to bury Griffin. Grudgingly, I have come to praise him.

Lonnie Griffin was a four-time champion. He put the welterweight division on the front page when he fought because he was a showman, a loudmouth with a penchant for the sensational that earned him the nickname “Loudmouth Lonnie”. His bluster knew no bounds. For a division that was dormant during World War II and went through a time of transient champions in the few years after, the welterweight class saw some stability with Mac Erickson and Danny Rutledge and was beginning to find its feet.

Griffin’s entrance into the national consciousness was in a title bout against Danny Rutledge in March of 1954. Griffin was brash and, in the days leading up to that fight, he disrespected Rutledge with his comment that he was going to show the world who the real champion was. This enraged Rutledge and he was disqualified because of a blatant foul in the 12th round.

The rematch was relatively quiet, and Griffin lost the belt to Rutledge, but 11 months later, he won it back, which became a running theme in his career. Lewis Kernuish was the champion before his bout with Griffin, but left a loser, as Griffin hoisted the welterweight belt for a second time when a nasty cut proved too tough to overcome for the Scottish champ. Griffin earned revenge on Rutledge to win the rubber match in the trilogy in July of 1956, but Rutledge was way past his prime as Griffin knocked the former champion down seven times.

Griffin seemed to be more lucky than good, as his victories did not win over many naysayers. He was certainly challenged by his next foe and it brought out the best in him, though not initially.

At boxing’s Mecca, Bigsby Garden, Griffin and Ellis met in October 1956 for the first of four bouts. Ellis won the match and, of course, there was controversy. This was the write-up from my Bologna on Boxing year-end retrospective from that year: “Controversy seems to follow Griffin. Maybe it is because of his big mouth. Griffin protested wildly after his final fight of the year, one in which he lost his belt. At Lake Erie Arena in Cleveland, Eugene Ellis put a hurting on Griffin in the fifth round that was consequential. All three judges scored the fifth round a dominating 10-8 in favor of the challenger, who scored the only knockdown of the fight. After a respite in his corner, Griffin’s situation did not improve. The onslaught continued and there was a serious concern for Griffin’s health. Griffin was still in the fight, which was dead even through five rounds on all three cards, as we later found out, but referee Barry Yeats saw something ominous in how open Griffin left himself to power punches on a regular basis. Yeats called the fight late in the sixth round and while 1957 might bring a rematch, Griffin openly wondered to the press if Yates was in the bag for Ellis (30-3-1) and the two were in cahoots to rob him of his title.”

The loss by technical knockout affected Griffin greatly and he lost his next fight to sink deeper into the abyss, with many wondering if his career was over. However, just two fights later, the lack of depth in the welterweight class gave him another title shot against Ellis the following August, and he won the belt for a third time, winning by split decision. Ellis won the rematch in December on the strength of three knockdowns carrying him to a unanimous decision over Griffin.

This is where the story becomes one of redemption. Anyone would have thrown in the towel, ridden off into the sunset. Griffin kept fighting. He matured as a fighter, as a man. Griffin started to win and did not stop, earning another chance after eight straight victories against the man who vanquished him twice before. In June of 1961, Griffin and Ellis met again at Bigsby Garden for a fourth time. Griffin won by unanimous decision for his finest moment as a professional.

After two successful title defenses, he did not show up in this last fight against Dan McMullan. His body of work showed much more than a one-round fight where Griffin did not lay a glove on his opponent. Griffin fought 13 times with the belt on the line and was 9-4 in those fights. He won the belt four times and lost the belt four other times, as well as five times where he stepped into the ring and left the ring with his belt around his waist.

Griffin’s place in history is secure as the second-best welterweight since World War II behind Eugene Ellis. He had defeated Ellis twice and Danny Rutledge twice. Rutledge might want to lay claim to the second-best welterweight since Jimmy “Kid” Simpson, but Griffin edges him out in my opinion. Mark McCoy and George Quisenberry have been the best the middleweights have had to offer since Ray Pizzuto spent nine years atop the division in the 1920s. Of course, no one has ever been better than Hector Sawyer in any weight class and Joey Tierney is second among heavyweights.

Based on his last showing, there have been many calls for his retirement. Griffin is 30 years old, but we would all be foolish to count him out. While I do not think a fifth title will ever materialize, he was fighting well before this last bout. I would want to see how he shows in his next bout, if there is one, to gauge whether he should really hang up the gloves.

Whenever Griffin does call it quits, he will leave behind him a lot of memories, not only with his hands, but with his showmanship.

APRIL 16 BOXING RESULTS
Miami - WW John Wallace (24-2-1) unanimous decision over Tom McMillion (1-2), 6 rounds
Los Angeles- MW Joe Vaughan (8-7-1) split decision over Lee Ray (8-7), 10 rounds
New Orleans- WW Charlie Puder (14-2) majority decision over Skip Austin (3-8-5), 6 rounds
Brooklyn- MW Tom Martin (3-0-1) unanimous decision over Jim Street (1-3), 6 rounds
Baltimore- HW David Hanson (2-1) unanimous decision over Paul Mills (2-12-1), 6 rounds

The DAY That Was
Current events from 4/16/1962

Secretary of State Rusk was reported to be moderately satisfied after the first of his talks on Berlin with Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin.
After consulting with Attorney General Robert Kennedy, Senator Kefauver announced he expects hearings on steel industry pricing practices to begin in about six weeks. Kefauver has proposed legislation for some Government regulation of basic industry prices.
The Senate Public Works Committee approved authorization of and immediate $600 million public works program to reduce existing unemployment.
Army Engineers have been authorized to rebuild more than 3 miles of beach dunes just south of Rehoboth Beach, Del. The area was destroyed by a March storm.

Tiger Fan · 12-06-2024, 10:14 AM

APRIL 23, 1962

PLAY BALL! 1962 SEASON IS UNDERWAY

Baseball is back and there was plenty going on in the opening week of the 1962 campaign. For starters, FABL's four new teams all made their debut but with mixed results. Little is expected of the newcomers this year, pegged to battle it out for 9th and 10th in their respective loops this season but for one week at least both the Minneapolis Millers and Dallas Wranglers were .500 ballclubs.

Each went 3-3 to start the season including the Millers taking back to back wins -each by a single run- from the Washington Eagles, who are expected to be one of the flag contenders in the Federal Association. You couldn't ask for a more dramatic first big league game ever played in Minnesota as the Millers rallied with 4 runs in the bottom of the ninth to nip Washington 11-10 in the opener and then held off the Eagles by a 4-3 score keyed in part by a 4-for-4 day from Millers centerfielder Walt Denny. Things came crashing back to reality the next day when Denny was injured and will miss four weeks while the Millers dropped two of the next three games to fellow Fed freshman squad Los Angeles and then were doubled 10-5 by Boston yesterday.

Pinch-hitter Ed Hester, a veteran of over 1,000 FABL games with Toronto and the Chicago Chiefs, gave Dallas fans something to cheer about in the Wranglers first game. Hester's 2-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning accounted for all of the Dallas offense in a 2-1 win over Cincinnati. The Wranglers would alternate win-loss over their first six games. Neither newcomer is likely to stay anywhere near .500 as the season progresses but each can enjoy their moment tied for fourth place in their respective loops.

The Los Angeles Suns started 2-4 with their only wins coming against the Millers while the final expansion team, the New York Imperials, won just once in their first week. One positive for the Imperials was first baseman Turk Ramsey hit four homeruns in the opening week to take the Continental Association lead in that category. The 26-year-old was an expansion draft pick from Philadelphia, a club that always seems to find some bigtime homerun bats. Ramsey showed early signs of his power prowess, smacking 14 in 109 games over parts of 3 seasons with the Keystones.
*** Rookie Kirouac Has Huge Start ***

Talk about a debut week! It will be hard to surpass what Frank Kirouac accomplished in his first six career FABL games. The 24-year-old rookie Boston Minutemen outfielder hit five homeruns in the opening week. He also drove in 7 and batted .400 to capture the Federal Association player of the week accolade. The Philadelphia native had a slow route to the majors after being drafted third overall by the Los Angeles Stars in 1956. He was up to #2 on the OSA prospect pipeline and playing AA when the Stars shipped him to Boston in exchange for veteran pitcher Bud Henderson and a prospect at the trade deadline last summer. He had a solid spring with the Minutemen and looks to be a fixture in centerfield at Minutemen Stadium for years to come.

Veteran Kansas City Kings outfielder Hank Williams, who won back-to-back Whitney Awards in 1958 and 1959, was named player of the week in the Continental Association. The two-time FABL batting champ who hit .406 in 1959, swatted .522 (12-23) last week.

The news was not good for every FABL team. The Montreal Saints had a dreadful 1-5 start that included a pair of losses in 3 games at Stade Montreal against expansion Dallas but their week might not have been as tough as the one was for Fed pennant favourite Philadelphia. The Keystones performance on the field was acceptable, going 3-3, but the big pain came yesterday in a 7-5 loss to Detroit. 1960 Fed Whitney Award winner Harry Dellinger suffered a shoulder injury and was forced to leave the game. Word is the 23-year-old centerfielder will be out of action for six weeks. Dellinger hit .306 a year ago with 36 homers and a Federal Association leading 38 stolen bases.

CHICAGO, LA EARLY CA LEADERS AFTER WEEK ONE

It's obviously too early to start looking at the standings, but if you're a fan of the Cougars or Stars, you'll take any piece of first place you can get. Both teams are 5-1, with losses to the Cannons (3-3) and Wolves (4-2) in their opening week. Chicago ranks ahead alphabetically, as ace Andy Logue has given the Imperials (6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, BB, 2 K) and Wranglers (9 IP, 8 H, ER, BB, 3 K) early losses in their existence. They swept New York and won the first of two with Dallas, a perfect 3-0 against the expansion teams. Jerry McMillan (.448, 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 2 SB) homered twice in Cincinnati, leading a solid young offense that took two of three and scored 6 or more runs in each game. The 2-3-4 of Tom Halliday (.379, 8, 1), Gene Case (.360, 1, 4, 3), and Henry Watson (.360, 1, 6, 1) has produced a lot of runs themselves, leading to wins in games where their starters allowed more runs then innings pitched.

LA saw a poor return for Dewey Allcock (4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1), but he was much better his second time around (5 IP, 6 H, ER, 4 K). The 24-year-old seemed to be held to a pitch count, yet to throw his 80th pitch. The Stars won both his starts, so the strategy worked, but one of his best attributes is his ability to pitch deep into games. To stay up top, a potential complete game every five days is crucial, and I'm hoping he's built up enough by May to start delivering those results on a regular basis. His offense will hit plenty of home runs for him, as Ralph Barrell (.240, 3, 4) is tied for second in the CA and three other guys have multiple home runs. As a team, they've scored more then 4 runs in each game, with Ed Moore (.458, 1, 3), Charlie Barrell (.346, 1, 2), and Mike Frost (.350, 2, 8) have been excellent in the early goings. After a series with the Cannons in Cincy, they'll get to take on their first place counterparts, hosting the Cougars for three out west. This could be an early series for first place, as these two teams try to get ahead early. With no off days, we can assume the teams top three starters will go head-to-head in a matchup where everyone's bests can shine.

St. Louis Alone at the Top of Fed: Like the Cougars and Stars, the Pioneers are 5-1, but in the Fed that's good enough to lead the association. Reigning Whitney winner Bob Bell (.304, 4 HR, 8 RBI) is showing last year is no fluke, and they opened camp with third pick and ranked prospect Danny Davis as the opening day left fielder. The 22-year-old went 7-for-22 with a triple, 2 walks, 3 RBIs, and 4 runs, An early favorite for the Kellogg, he joins the talented outfield of Bill Bather (.292, 1, 2, 1) and Jerry Smith (.300, 2 HR, 5 RBI), both of which have already homered this season. Where most teams struggle preventing runs, all five of their starters have ERAs below 2.50, with just one pitcher allowing more then four runs so far. Assuming their top guys stay healthy, this team will allow the fewest runs in the league. St. Louis debuted 7th ranked prospect Danny Daniels (9 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 4 K), who threw a complete game victory in his FABL debut. The 23-year-old could be the fifth ace, making the absurdly rich even richer.

WELCOME TO THE NEW YORK IMPERIALS
April 17, 1962

Opening Day is upon us. Soon we will be able to report on first hit or home run, or strikeout and maybe even a WIN. For now let's become acquainted with the 25 men who will forever be, the Original Imperials.

Pitching - This is a position where I would expect a bit of turnover, early and often. Preventing runs is likely to be the biggest issue for this new team. Opening day starter, Gordon McDonald, is 35 and has been a part-time starter and mainly a reliever for ten FABL seasons. McDonald has managed a winning record and respectable 3.58 ERA in that time. He keeps the ball in the park and isn't overly wild. If nothing else he won't be overwhelmed with the pressure of the inaugural game. After McDonald, Hank Short has been a major league starter with limited success, while 25 year old Bob Roberts will be making his major league debut. Rounding out the rotation are Ernie Tisdale and Frank Williams who have had limited and mostly unsuccessful major league experience.

The bullpen of Eddie Webb, Jimmy Morris, Bill Holm, Russ Edwards, and Joe Smith have some experience with mixed results.

Catching - Jay Ziegler, Jr has won the starting job based on his stellar reputation with the glove. He is not know for his bat. Tom Reed will be the back up.

1st Base - Here is where the most exciting new Imperial will reside. Turk Ramsey, 26, is sure to impress his new fans with his ability to send a ball a long way. For a new team there's no surer way to become a fan favorite. Ramsey hit 37 AAA homers in 1960 and 9 in the majors last season in only 120 ABs. Supporting him will be Jim Upchurch.

2nd Base - In a bit of a surprise, off season acquisition Delos Smith has been farmed out to Jersey City. Off of solid springs Roxy Schilling and Amos Weatherby will share duties at 2nd.

3rd Base - Another shared position to start the year. Until someone claims the spot full time Walt Bantle and Joe Dorch will both man the hot corner.

Shortstop - Red Ellis gets the starting nod based on a stronger glove and a decent eye at the plate. Tommy Williams is more a left hand bat off the bench.

Outfield - Expect to see Jack Lang in CF and Jack Woods in RF most days. Lang has good range in center while Woods should add another HR threat to the lineup. LF should be a mix of Willie Dieter, Dave Oliver and Bill Scott. Dieter has the best chance to break out as a power threat.

There you have it. The Original Imperials. Most in the know don't expect more than a battle to avoid the basement in the Continental League. Team owner Ed Ball says he wants his team to be competitive. One hopes those strong words are just an effort to drum up ticket sales. Manager Ed Ziehl has been heard to mutter "Can't anybody here play this game?" at times this spring. I'm predicting a decent amount of runs, for and against, and a battle to avoid 100 losses.

Let the games begin.

PLAY BALL!
April 23, 1962

The New York Imperials now officially exist. Real games were played and real box scores were available to peruse. A cold splash of reality led us off with 4 straight losses followed by the kind of thrilling win that sends the fans home happy and has them returning for more.

First all the necessary firsts....
Starting in Chicago meant that Red Ellis had the honor of being the first Imperial to participate in a major league game. Let the record show that Ellis took a called strike to start the history of the Imperials. He completed the at bat with a flyout to centerfield.

Jack Wood followed with the first hit in team history, a single.

Gordon McDonald also recorded a called strike on the first pitch in the bottom of the first and went on to record the first strike out 3 pitches later.

The first homer? Turk Ramsey of course.

I'll leave it to you fans to chase down whatever other first interests you. The Imps would go on to lose their debut as Gordon McDonald faltered in the 6th, allowing three runs in the way to a 5-3 loss. The Imperials would go on to lose close games the next three days leading into Saturday's afternoon contest against the San Francisco Sailors. Frank Williams was strong on the mound allowing 3 runs on 7 hits over seven and a third innings. He left with the score tied 3-3. Eddie Webb would keep the score there as over 19000 awaited the bottom of the ninth.

Jack Woods led off with a line drive past 3rd to put the potential winning run on first. Roxy Schilling worked out a walk against Sailors reliever Eddie Chapman, pushing Woods to second. Then on a 1-0 count Bill Scott lined one up the middle scoring Woods from second to record the Imperials first victory.

There was quite a bit of excitement in the stands and no doubt some new Imperials fans were born.

Despite a 1-5 first week there were a few highlight performers. Ernie Tinsdale was solid on the mound in a 3-2 loss. Turk Ramsey hit 4 homers and drove in 6. All three outfielders - Dieter, Lang and Woods got off to quick starts.

This week the Imps have one more games against the Stars, then 3 game sets with Cleveland and Montreal.

BUSY WEEK FOR DETROIT SPORTS FANS

The Detroit Dynamos staged their season opener last Tuesday at Thompson Field and celebrated by hanging on for a 7-6 victory over the Chicago Chiefs in front of a relatively sparse - by opening day standards- crowd of just over 28,000. Anything less than at least the capacity of 34,350 shoehorned into the old ballyard for opening day had been unheard of in recent years but expectations perhaps are tempered this time around after the Dynamos dismal 67-87 showing a year ago. It was the first losing season since 1950 and a far cry from the glory days of the mid-fifties when the club celebrated six Federal Association flags in a seven year span.

Perhaps the fact that both the ice Motors and the cage Mustangs were playing key games factored in the smaller crowd for the Dynamos opener. The Mustangs played down the street at the Palladium that same evening, and won a game against the St Louis Rockets that locked up second place for the local quintet. The Federal Basketball League playoffs began Saturday and the Mustangs beat the Rockets that night but came up on the short end of a 69-58 result last night and the best of five series is now even at one win apiece.

The Motors have replaced the Dynamos as the darlings of Detroit after winning the Challenge Cup for the fourth time in the past decade last season and then disposing of the Chicago Packers in five games in the semi-final. The Motors did not play Tuesday, but were in action at the Palladium a day later although that one ended in disappointment with a 4-1 loss to the visiting Montreal Valiants. That allowed Montreal to secure a split and now, after the Vals won game three 3-2 in overtime Saturday night, it is the Motors who need a road win tomorrow to even the series. They will have their work cut out for them as Alex Monette, the all-star center, and veteran winger Nick Tardif each have yet to play in the finals and both are doubtful for tomorrow's crucial fourth game as the Motors do not want to return home trailing 3 games to one in the Cup final.

As for the Dynamos, perhaps some time out of the spotlight will take the pressure off and let them get out to a quick start. This is a crucial season for the direction of the club as no one wants to see a second straight losing campaign - that has not happened since the days of World War II. There is some good young talent such as rookie outfielder Ed MacNaughton, who had a great opening week as a pro at the tender age of 20, along with Cecil Gregg and first baseman Ray Waggoner. The pitching rotation is solid, but on the old side with 37-year-old John Jackson, 33-year-old Paul Anderson and 32-year-old Jim Norris leading the way. 27-year-old rookie Howie French created waves when he signed a contract that makes him one of the highest paid players on the team but he looked worth every penny after a complete game 3-2 victory over Boston in his big-league debut.

There certainly is some talent on the roster but there are also a lot of areas for concern. Third base has often been a weak spot and this year is no different. It feels like Tommy Griffin has been here forever - and close to it as the 37-year-old debuted with Detroit in 1947- and every year it seems the club has been looking to upgrade his position at the hot corner and this year is no exception.

The other major concern, aside from a backup catcher to spell Lew Mercer, is the bullpen. The first week of the season did nothing to ease those worries as the Detroit bullpen collectively posted a 7.15 era, worst in the Fed. Earl Shields managed two saves in three appearances last week but two of those outings were adventures, to say the least, as the 25-year-old was hit hard. Ollie Norris, brought in after not pitching at all last season after the Chiefs cut him, had a solid spring but is on a short leash and may have worn out his welcome in the Motor City after just one appearance as the 31-year-old had an awful inning yesterday turning what was a rout over Philadelphia into a game that got just a little too close for comfort.

Detroit claimed veteran Hub Armstrong off the waiver wire from the Los Angeles Stars and that may spell the end of Norris. Both remain on the roster after reserve infielder Jerry Parker was optioned to AAA Newark but the Dynamos are not expected to carry 11 pitchers on their roster for any great length of time.

Despite the bullpen fears and Griffin hitting just .211, the Dynamos did open the season with four wins in six games and will look to keep the positive momentum going with games against Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington. Of course most of the city's attention will be on the Motors and Mustangs for at least a few more days.

Looks like the St. Louis Pioneers have another great young pitcher after 23-year-old Danny Daniels tossed a complete game 3-hit shutout for a 1-0 win over Washington on Saturday in his first big league start. A top ten OSA prospect, Daniels did make a pair of relief appearances for the Pioneers last season but this was his first start.
Another youngster with a hot start to his big league career for Detroit rookie centerfielder Ed MacNaughton. The 1959 first rounder went 3-for-4 in a win over the Chiefs on opening for his big league debut and ended up 8-for-16 with at least one hit in each of his first four FABL games.
Speaking of hot starts, Tom Carr had himself quite an outing on the second day of the season. The veteran Cleveland outfielder had a 5-hit game, including three doubles and two triples to go along 3 runs scored in the Foresters 13-1 mashing of Montreal.
Another Forester outfielder, Sherry Doyal, joined the 300 homerun club with a longball of Toronto reliever Fred Clark on Friday but he and his Cleveland teammates came out on the shortend of an 8-7 score. Doyal becomes the 23rd player to reach the 300 plateau.
Word out of Kansas City is the Kings offensively look to be in good shape but the success of the season will likely be with how the 3 starting pitchers behind Fred Washington and Beau McClellan perform. There is some concern about 3B Ken Newman who has started the season with a ding on his throwing arm. That forced Newman to begin the season at 1B moving Hank Williams back to the outfield which in turn has kept the bat of rookie CF prospect Tom Hicks out of the starting lineup. Hicks still went 2-10 in his first taste of major league action.

BACK TO BACK WINS PUT VALS AHEAD IN CUP SERIES

After dropping the opening game of the Challenge Cup finals to the defending champion Detroit Motors, the Montreal Valiants battled back with two straight victories and now head into Tuesday's pivotal fourth game at the Montreal Arena with a two games to one lead in the series.

Detroit's blanketing defense held the Vals in check in a 3-1 Motors win to open the series but just as Montreal did in the semi-finals when they were bombarded 7-0 in game one by Toronto and roared back to win the next four contests, the Vals had an answer for the Detroit. It came in the form of a convincing 4-1 victory in which the Motors had opened the scoring on Hobie Barrell's fourth goal of the playoffs before the Vals answered with a pair of markers just over a minute apart late in the opening frame.

Matt Muir and Colton Keil solved Detroit netminder Sebastien Goulet with those two quick goals and despite the fact the Valiants were once more outshot by their hosts, they would hold off Detroit to even the series. Much of the credit goes to Montreal goaltender Nathan Bannister, who had a strong game in turning aside all but one of the 29 Detroit shots on goal. Muir would also deserve plenty of credit as his second goal of the game, early in the second period when the Motors seemed to be pressing for the equalizer, took the crowd out of the game. Veteran Vals rearguard Gil Thibault would round out the scoring when his point shot found its mark for the only goal of the third period.

As the series shifted to Montreal for the third game Detroit had hoped to get a boost from the center Alex Monette but for the third straight game Monette was forced to spend the evening in the press box after the neck injury he suffered in the final game of the Motors semi-final series against Chicago was deemed to still be too debilitating to allow the 4-time All-Star team selection to dress for the game. To further handcuff the Motors offense, Detroit continued to be without veteran winger Nick Tardif, who injured his shoulder in the Chicago series.

For the third consecutive game the Motors got on the scoresheet first but unlike the first two games it was not Hobie Barrell doing the honours. Instead it was Motors defenseman Billy Deruelle with his first of the playoffs after he raced in from the point during a goal mouth scramble and lifted the puck over a prone Bannister and into the Montreal net.

Matt Muir, who scored twice in the game two victory, added two more for the Vals in the second period of game three but they were sandwiched around an Alex Guindon marker for the Motors and the clubs were deadlocked at two after forty minutes.

Each team had a powerplay in the third frame but neither could score and the Motors stifling defense of game one seemed back in full force when they limited the Valiants to just two third period shots. The overtime was a different story and Montreal carried the play but for the first eleven minutes goaltender Goulet was up to the task in the Motors net. That changed at 11:21 when Charlie Oliphant Jr. -son of the former Toronto Dukes great- was left unattended in the slot and fired a wrist shot past Goulet to give the Vals a 3-2 victory and a two games to one lead in the series.

MINOR LEAGUE ROUND-UP: The Springfield Hornets completed a four game sweep of the Philadelphia Rascals in the HAA finals last week with a 5-3 victory in game four. There was little suspense as the Hornets built a 5-0 lead after forty minutes before the Rascals should some late signs of life with 3 goals in the final nine minutes. The Hornets, minor league affiliate of the Boston Bees, are the most successful HAA team as this would be their sixth league playoff title since 1950.

For the first time in their history the London Lions are champions of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The Lions outlasted the Halifax Mariners in the league playoff finals, winning the best-of-seven series four games to three with the home team triumphing in each of the seven contests. After falling 6-3 on the East Coast in game six, the Lions doubled the Mariners 4-2 on home ice in game seven. Bernie LaChance, an 18-year-old center, was the hero with two goals and an assist in the deciding game. LaChance, who is eligible for the June NAHC draft, also enjoyed a 4-goal game early in the series and finished the playoffs with 16 points in 12 games. A pair of 20-year-old London teammates in Norm Fullan and Carl Klaven shared the postseason scoring lead with 21 points each. Klaven is a Boston Bees prospect while Fullan was undrafted.

The Chicago Panthers were so close to finding a way into the FBL Playoffs. Everything was breaking their way. The St. Louis Rockets lost their remaining three games, one of which was against Chicago, but the other two were against Detroit, which allowed them to clinch a berth. The Panthers could not get past Toronto, losing at Dominion Gardens on Wednesday night, 80-69. Luther Gordon led all scorers with 22 points and added 13 rebounds. Toronto was hot out of the gate, leading Chicago, 28-14, after one quarter. As much as Chicago tried to get back into the game, Toronto had enough to put the final nail in the Panthers coffin. Bill Hash was the unsung hero for the Falcons, defensively covering his opposite number, Duane Ray, and playing at a +22, while Ray was a -22. Jim Bromberg scored 14 points with seven assists and three steals, as Bromberg finished second to the Knights’ Simon Fausey in steals with 2.2 per game.
While the Rockets (34-46) backed into the playoffs, the Mustangs (36-44) were the stronger team down the stretch. St. Louis ended the regular season on a six-game losing streak, losing three to the Mustangs in the process by an average of over 16 points per game. Maybe St. Louis was trying to lull Detroit into a false sense of security. In Game One of their playoff series in Detroit, St. Louis came away with a 69-58 victory behind Wayne Wyrick’s 24 points and 17 rebounds. The guard play stood out for Detroit, as Lew Bayne (17 points) and Erv Corwin (14) accounted for over half of their points. Detroit’s guards shot the lights out in Game Two, an 89-55 blowout for the Mustangs, as Bayne and Corwin combined to hit 23 field goals in 44 attempts (52%) and the team shot 48% from the floor. Detroit’s defense was dominating with St. Louis only managing 25 made field goals all game, shooting at a 28% rate. However, St. Louis earned the split and now has home-court advantage in the Western Division Semifinal.
Boston and Toronto are watching the divisional semifinals along with us. They needed a breather, as both teams ran the table late to vie for the best record in the league. Toronto (58-22) finished ahead by two games and ended the season on a tear, winning 10 of 11 and five straight. Boston won seven games to close out its regular season schedule at 56-24 and the last four games were against New York. With endings to the regular season so hot, you wonder if the bye in the first round will hurt their momentum.
The New York Knights knew they were finishing third in the East, but a seven-game skid to enter the playoffs was not what first-year Head Coach Richard Gilley had in mind. Similar to St. Louis, the Knights backed in and snapped to attention when the playoffs tipped off. In Philadelphia, the Phantoms (45-35) were ten games better than the Knights (35-45), but both games in Philadelphia were very close. Philadelphia escaped Game One with an 89-86 win, having to come from behind in the fourth quarter to do so. Dave Woods was an assist shy of a triple-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds from the point guard position. New York earned the split in Game Two, an overtime thriller that had wild swings during the game, with Philadelphia opening up a 13-point lead at the half only to see New York charge back with a 25-10 fourth quarter to force overtime. In the extra session, there were 22 points scored, but New York’s 12 earned the Knights an 80-78 edge in the game. Howie Farrell led the way with 31 points, but he hit five of six free throws, which were as important as any single shot he made from the field. Both teams had 34 field goals, but New York was slightly better from the line, making 12 of 17 while Philadelphia was 10 of 16. It was that close. The series swings to New York with home-court advantage in its pocket.

RECENT KEY RESULTS

Saturday night in Stockton, CA., west coast heavyweight Tim Larsen ran his record to 26-9-2 with a knockout of Steve Clarke in the 10th and final round of their bout. Larsen, an Oakland native, has not lost in his last seven outings stretching back to a 1959 fight in Chicago with former title contender Tommy Cline in what would prove to be the final win of Cline's long career. Larson, now 34 years of age, is well known in California but never earned a shot at the heavyweight title. Clarke, 23, is 17-6-3 following the loss.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

May 10- San Francisco: Middleweight champion Lyman King (39-0) makes his first title defense against Steve Bradshaw (30-8-2). King, a 24-year-old Oakland, CA. native claimed a 5th round TKO victory over now-former champ George Quisenberry at New York's Bigsby Garden in January. King has never lost a fight and only went to the judges cards twice in his last 9 outings. Bradshaw, 25, originally hails from Pittsburgh, PA. and is coming off an impressive victory over Bill Sanderson but has lost in recent years to some top names such as George Hatchell, Davis Owens and Hugo Canio.
June 1- New York City: Dan McMullan will make his first defense of the welterweight title he won from Lonnie Griffin with a first round TKO in April. McMullan, a 24-year-old Columbia, South Carolina native, will face Englishman Lenny Shafto at Bigsby Garden June 1. It will be Shafto's North American debut. His record in Europe is 45-7-1.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 4/22/1962

The US has its most powerful space rocket set for an attempt to propel the Ranger-4 spacecraft to the moon to snap television pictures and record scientific data. It is hoped the launch will take place this week.
The jury probe will go on but President Kennedy, fresh off winning his battle with the steel industry over a price increase, declared the administration plans no punitive action on the steel case.
Russia threatened to walk out of the 17-nation general disarmament conference in Geneva if the United States conducts atmospheric nuclear weapons test in the Pacific in the next week or so.
The replacement of the commander of Soviet forces in East Germany is regarded as a most significant event by Western officials. It caught the west off guard and appears to be the clearest indication to date the Soviets were taking the heat off Berlin.
Two full companies of US military helicopters spent Easter Sunday exchanging fire with Viet Cong troops in an operation in the Mekong River Delta.
U.N. soldiers with fixed bayonets deployed against Congo government troops that had prevented the President of Katanga from departing after unity talks with the Congo Premier broke down.
The leader of the terrorist Secret Army was arrested in the heart of Algiers after he was surrounded by riot troops and police. The Secret Army vowed to continue its battle against Algerian independence but may observers felt the arrest represented a crippling and possible death blow to the underground organization.
Troops are guarding Buenos Aires in the midst of renewed crisis in Argentina as military pressure mounts for President Jose Maria Guido to wipe out Peronist and Communist activities.

Tiger Fan · 12-07-2024, 11:10 AM

APRIL 30, 1962
MOTORS WIN SECOND STRAIGHT CHALLENGE CUP

With all due apologies to Toronto's Quinton Pollack, Detroit Motors winger Hobie Barrell may just have officially taken the title of best player in the North American Hockey Confederation away from the 39-year-old Dukes legend. Trailing two games to one to the Montreal Valiants and with two of their top forwards sidelined, Barrell lifted the Motors onto his broad shoulders and almost single-handedly carried Detroit to its second straight Challenge Cup victory and sixth in franchise history.

Barrell, the son of former baseball catcher Fred Barrell, erupted for six goals and ten points in the final three games of the finals, lifting Detroit to victory and leading the loop in playoff scoring for the second year in a row. He found another gear and nothing the Montreal Valiants could do seemed to slow him down. The scary part is Hobie Barrell just turned 21 years of age this month. He already has 35 career playoff points, two Challenge Cup titles and 118 points in just 91 NAHC regular season games and the their seems no limit to what he just might accomplish over the course of his career.

After losing 3-2 in overtime in game three to fall behind the Valiants 2-1 in the series, it looked like Detroit might be on the ropes. Alex Monette, the star Detroit center who averaged more than a point a game during the regular season, had yet to play in the series and remained doubtful due to a neck injury suffered in the semi-finals. Same for captain Nick Tardif, who is now 36 and not the point producer he once was but still an integral part of the Detroit offense. That is when Hobie Barrell took over.

Detroit had a statement win in game four, blasting Montreal 8-0 in a game in which Hobie scored twice and added three assists with his older brother Benny Barrell also contributing two goals. Sebastien Goulet made 26 saves for his first playoff shutout and Detroit had evened the series.

Blowout losses were not necessarily a worry in Montreal. They all count the same regardless of the score as the Valiants proved after absorbing a 7-0 loss to Toronto in game one of the semi-finals only to roar back and win four straight. However, that Toronto team did not have Hobie Barrell.

The Barrell brothers were the key stars of game five as the Motors took the series lead with a 4-2 victory in which Hobie scored twice and set up Benny Barrell once. Benny drew helpers on his brothers two goals as the duo combined for 6 points in a game that saw the Motors dominate- outshooting Montreal 47-10 and only the acrobatics of Nathan Bannister in the Vals net prevented another blowout.

Game Six was in the Montreal Arena but it was the visitors who had all the momentum, and it received an extra jolt with news that Monette was going to dress for Detroit. Montreal's entire season came down to this game and they competed, outshooting Detroit 40-38 but some solid netminding from Goulet and first period goals off the sticks of Dixon Butler and Jake Clark gave Detroit a 2-0 lead after twenty minutes. Benny Barrell made it 3-0 before Montreal finally solved Goulet when Gabriel Allard bulged the twine 8 minutes into the second period.

The only other scoring was by Hobie Barrell as for the third consecutive game he had two goals- notching both in the final frame to ensure that the Motors, after a 5-1 victory, would parade the Challenge Cup around the Montreal ice surface. Monette made his presence felt as well, assisting on 3 of the Detroit markers to win the Cup for the fourth time in his career.

*** A Dynasty in the Making? ***

Only one team has ever won three consecutive Challenge Cups. That would be the Boston Bees from 1941 to 1943 but the Motors may be well positioned to join that illustrious Boston group. It was the last thing on long-time Detroit coach Badger Rigney's mind as he savoured a beer while champagne corks popped all around him in the Motors dressing room following the game.

"I haven't had a chance to think about it," said the jubilant but weary 64-year-old. After taking a swig of his beverage he mused "three in a row...that would be special, wouldn't it?"

Rigney has been behind the Detroit bench since 1948-49, a span of 970 games and he has won 5 Challenge Cups with the Motors but is quick to admit this is the most talented club he has ever coached. Hobie Barrell may well be the best player in the league now and with Alex Monette and Hobie's brother Benny along with a rising star in Darcy Sill the Motors certainly have plenty of offense. Rearguards Anthony Beauchemin and Jack Doctorow are both in their mid-twenties and each is at the top of his game. If there is a weak spot it is between the pipes following the retirement of Henri Chasse before the season but Sebastien Goulet certainly stepped up when he was needed.

It is far too early to be talking about a dynasty, but this Detroit club is now Challenge Cup champion for the second straight season and there will be plenty of anticipation of what the future might bring for this group.

KINGS RECOVER FROM SWEEP, JOIN STARS ATOP CA

Aside from their sweep in Los Angeles, Hank Williams (.457, 5, 13) and the Kansas City Kings have been a force to be reckoned with early on. They've swept the Sailors, Foresters, and Saints while most recently taking two of three from the Wolves. Their star first basemen is out to win another batting title, hitting .457/.510/.870 (244 OPS+) in 51 trips to the plate. The Two-Time Whitney winner has 4 doubles and 5 homers, even gathering one more walk (5) then strikeout (4). Currently second to the Wolves Tom Reed (..462, 3, 11), Williams is the only active player to hit .400 for an entire season, batting .a league high .406/.490/.694 (221 OPS+) in 1959. The then 26-year-old led the Continental in many hitting categories, including runs (128), hits (231), doubles (60), WRC+, (221), and WAR (10.6). Despite his best effort, his Kings finished 2nd, and now he has Pat Davis (.340, 7, 4) and Al Farmer (.255, 4, 12) for additional support. The pitching may not hold up, but this team scores a ton of runs, and will continue to battle for the top as long as they have Hank Williams hitting third.

Los Angeles pushed the Chicago Cougars out of first, sweeping their guests in a 3-game weekend series that could have gone either way. Dewey Allcock (7 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 2 K) gave the Stars a tremendous start, but his teammates couldn't solve Cougars hurlers Andy Logue (6 IP, 5 H, ER, 5 K) or Pug White (2 IP, 2 K). A hero came off the bench, as the Stars backup catcher Ron Johnston delivered a pinch-hit homer to end it in the 10th.

Homers were the theme on the weekend, and on Saturday Ralph Barrell (5) and Joe Cook (3) hit homers in the 5-2 Stars win. On Sunday it was Stars outfielder Lou Allen (.360, 3, 4) taking Cougar starter John Mitchell (1-1, 2.70, 8) deep in the 3rd and 6th while Jim Berrien (.400, 2, 2, 1) added a solo shot in the 7th, allowing Floyd Warner (9 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) to cruise to a 5-3 complete game victory.

Today's off day will do Los Angeles well, as they have a six game road trip with the Sailors (4-9) and Wranglers (7-6) in San Francisco and Dallas. This is the first time they'll pay a visit to the Lone Star state and they're in line to face breakout starter Butch Abrams (3-0, 0.35, 6). The former Pioneer is coming off an 8-hit and 6-hit shutout, something the St Louis rotation has outdone three times already this season. Frenchy Mack (3-0, 2.13, 27) had a 2-hitter, Billy Hasson (3-0, 1.00, 18), had a 3-hitter, and 8th ranked prospect Danny Daniels (1-1, 4.26, 5) threw a 3-hit shutout in his FABL debut with St Louis. If it wasn't for expansion, Abrams would be stashed in the Pioneers pen, so you can thank FABL's bold four team expansion plan for uncovering gems like this one.

Many might have expected the Cleveland Foresters to be on top, and if you went with the favorite, don't be too worried. The winners of five of the last six Continental Association pennants, the Foresters are just a game out, at 8-5 through their first 13 games. This is despite a few clunkers from the always reliable Adrian Czerwinski (1-1, 5.56, 16). He followed up his 5-hit shutout with a 6 and 9 run start, leading to a 7-6 and 14-0 loss. That blowout came in Cincinnati, where Art McKinney (3-5, 2 R, 4 RBI, HR), Johnny Elliot (2-5, R, 3 RBI, HR), and rookie third basemen Milt Senecal (2-5, 3 R), who's taken a liking to the leadoff spot with a .302 average, 3 homers, 6 walks, and 11 runs. Cleveland has still had plenty of support from their top guys, with eraly .400 hitters John Low (.400, 3, 14) and Hal Kennedy (.422, 3, 14). Rufus Barrell (3-0, 2.62, 9) is still tremendous at 44 and Jake Pearson (2-0, 2.35, 23) has an elite 23-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Once the Mad Professor gets back on track, this team is going to be tough to stop, and I think they'll be the team leading at the start of next week.

*** Mack, Hasson, Madden throw names in ring as most talented rotation trio ***

I'm trying not to get carried away, but after three starts, the Pioneers starters are looking like a trio that hasn't been seen before. Last year they were amazing, and their April this time around is one to remember. All three pitchers won all three of their April starts. In 78.1 innings they allowed just 45 hits, 20 walks, and 13 earned runs. All three guys can get strikeouts, as Hasson has 18 and Madden 17, but Frenchy's 27 are the most in either association. The aces have a combined 1.49 ERA and 0.83 WHIP, accounting for all but one of the team's ten wins. On the flip side, the offense may be without star second basemen Bob Bell (.383, 7, 15) for a few weeks due to back spasms. The initial diagnosis are that he could play through it, but with a 23-year-old they might want to be cautious. In the short term, they could make up for his loss, as the Jerry Smith (.326, 3, 9, 1), Bill Bather (.352, 2, 4, 3), Danny Davis (.383, 2, 8, 1) outfield trio has been about as good as the one on the mound.

As good as St. Louis has been, however, they don't lead the Fed outright, as the Dynamos share their 10-3 record. Detroit has gotten tremendous starts from Paul Anderson (3-0, 1.64, 11) and John Jackson (2-1, 3.13, 13), and while it's just two starts, Howie French (2-0, 2.08, 9) has been worth every penny. In both starts he's pitched into the 9th, beating the Minutemen and Miners at Thompson Field. The top of their order has been responsible for nearly all their runs, as Bill Morrison (.312, 1, 4, 1) is always on base for a resurgent Dick Tucker (.440, 2, 8) and former top prospect Ray Waggoner (.404, 4, 15). It's a welcome sign for Tucker, who has yet to come close to the .355/.449/.615 (181 OPS+) in 1958. Though the Dynamos did hit a snag in the outfield, as 20-year-old rookie Ed MacNaughton will miss the next 2-3 weeks with a strained PCL. The former first rounder hit .311/.367/.467 (112 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 5 runs, as triple, 4 walks, and 6 RBIs leaving an opening for one of their vets to take.

Washington is at the bottom of the standings early on, a large surprise to myself. They haven't scored or prevented runs, as Jim Stewart (2-0, 2.28, 15) is the only starter with a sub-5 ERA, and aside from their 3-4-5, they haven't seen much offensive production. Even what they've received isn't what's expected, as Tom Lorang (.271, 3, 10, 1) has been more solid then great, and 21-year-old Jimmy Brown (.277, 2, 7) has been one of their key contributors. Joe Holland (.311, 3, 9, 2) has impressed between them, but he needs someone else to step up around him. Lorang should be able to carry more of the load as the season goes on, and experience can only do the rest of their young core well. It's a long season and too early to panic, but second year manager Roger Cleaves will look to right the ship and get the Eagles back in the race posthaste.

THE CHALLENGES OF BUILDING AN EXPANSION TEAM

Today I'm talking to Doug Lightbody, former star of the Brooklyn Kings and current Assistant GM of the New York Imperials.

Al: Doug, welcome, I'd like to focus on the challenges you face in building a team from scratch.
Doug: Thanks Al. As you know the existing teams did us no favors and having to share their spare parts with three other teams made it difficult to find many hidden gems.

Al: Did you find any?
Doug: We think so. They're mostly on our major league roster. Turk Ramsey for one will be exciting for our fans, and he's still just 26.

Al: How will you continue to add talent?
Doug: We scour the waiver wire, look over the free agent lists and continually monitor other organizations. It's a matter of continuing to make incremental improvements.

Al: So no tanking for a first pick?
Doug: If we were the only expansion team, we could count on getting a top player for a few seasons. Stockpile talent patiently wait for them. But we have three other new teams plus a couple in rebuild mode so there is competition for those top draftees. It will be interesting to see how this all unfolds over the next few years.

Al: I suppose you're looking forward to the draft.
Doug: Certainly. No offense to our AAA players, but we need top end prospects in the lower minors. And we need everything, so best player available is our motto right through the draft. It will be fun for us and the fans to have youngsters to watch.

Al: Thanks Doug. We'll be checking in during the season to see how your first team is coming along.
Doug: Sure, always happy to talk.

The divisional semifinals are over and neither series went the full five games. Detroit was shocked in Game One by St. Louis in the Western Division Semifinal but righted themselves in Game Two. When the series went to St. Louis, Detroit kept their pedal to the metal. Detroit won Game Three by 21 points and Game Four by 14 points. The Mustangs blew past the Rockets like they were standing still. In Game Three, St. Louis had a lead entering the fourth quarter, but Detroit put up 36 points in the period, only giving up 10 points to the Rockets in the 104-83 win. Dependable guard Erv Corwin scored 25 points, matching teammate Frank Black, but Black added 10 rebounds, eight assists, and five steals to win Player of the Game honors. Both teams shot well in Game Three, but Detroit hit another gear, surpassing the 50% mark on 47-for-93 shooting. In Game Four, it was Dick Murray’s turn to shine. Murray scored 27, while Corwin added 20 with 16 rebounds and three steals, in the 88-74 triumph. Once again, the Rockets came up small in the fourth quarter, only managing nine points and wasting Bill Melton’s 27 points in the Rockets final game of the season.
The Eastern Division Semifinal was more of a surprise. The New York Knights finished 10 games behind the Philadelphia Phantoms and ended the year on a seven-game losing streak. However wounded the Knights seemed entering this series, the Knights earned the split in Philadelphia before coming home to Chelsea Arena and owning the Phantoms. Neither game was close. In Game Three, the Phantoms left their game in the locker room at halftime, scoring an anemic five points in the third quarter on their way to an 85-70 loss. Howie Farrell (23 points) and Ed Morrison (17) gave the frontcourt some scoring punch, while the Knights backcourt of Tim Jacobus (+17) and Simon Fausey (+20) were defensively responsible, if not contributing on the offensive end. Game Four was more of the same in the clinching contest for the Knights. It was almost a carbon copy: only eight points in the third quarter for that all but sounded the death kneel for Philadelphia. The New York tandem of Farrell (31 points) and Morrison (27) were even more effective, with Farrell a deadly 15-for-18 from the floor.
Both division winners took Game One of the divisional final series. Toronto trailed by a point heading into the fourth quarter, but the Falcons sent more than 7,000 fans back to their homes happy with a 23-14 final stanza en route to an 83-71 victory over the Mustangs. Fred Lillard took over by scoring 30 points and grabbing 17 rebounds for the Falcons. As for Boston in the Eastern Division Final, the Centurions were ready for the Knights since they played their last four games against New York in the regular season, winning all four of them. Game One was no different, as Boston easily handled New York, 88-62. All five starters for Boston were in double figures, as well as its sixth man, forward Tom Reavis. George Stevens, the man in the middle for Boston, paced a balanced scoring attack with 20 points. The Cents shot 48% from the field and had 16 more field goals than New York.

RECENT KEY RESULTS

Norm Robinson, the number 6th ranked heavyweight in the world as of the of 1961, knocked out Shawn Nance in the fifth round over their bout in Oakland last week. The fight came less than a week after Robinson's 27th birthday and the Los Angeles native was in complete control from the opening bell. Nance, who hails from Cedar Rapids, IA., and owns a 37-19 record, has held his own against many of the top heavyweights in recent years. Robinson's camp hope the victory is a springboard back into another title shot and it was his second straight knockout since his career hit a snag a little over a year ago with back-to-back losses. The first was to the great George Gallashaw in a title fight in October of 1960 and the second came to fellow Los Angeles native Bert Parks four months later, prior to Parks upsetting Galleshaw for the title. Since then, Parks surrendered the crown when he fell to Harry Pratt last month.
In Boston on Saturday veteran welterweight Sammy Knox won a hard-fought split decision over Dave Clarke. Knox, a Philadelphia native, improves to 31-12-1 with the victory while Clarke's record settles at 28-19-3.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

May 10- San Francisco: Middleweight champion Lyman King (39-0) makes his first title defense against Steve Bradshaw (30-8-2). King, a 24-year-old Oakland, CA. native claimed a 5th round TKO victory over now-former champ George Quisenberry at New York's Bigsby Garden in January. King has never lost a fight and only went to the judges cards twice in his last 9 outings. Bradshaw, 25, originally hails from Pittsburgh, PA. and is coming off an impressive victory over Bill Sanderson but has lost in recent years to some top names such as George Hatchell, Davis Owens and Hugo Canio.
June 1- New York City: Dan McMullan will make his first defense of the welterweight title he won from Lonnie Griffin with a first round TKO in April. McMullan, a 24-year-old Columbia, South Carolina native, will face Englishman Lenny Shafto at Bigsby Garden June 1. It will be Shafto's North American debut. His record in Europe is 45-7-1.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 4/29/1962

Ranger-4 crash-landed on the far side of the moon and space officials called the feat another of the "long strides in space we have made in the past year." Ranger-4 was the country's first success in seven attempts to land a piece of hardware on the moon, virtually duplicating Russia's accomplishment when Lunik-2 hit the moon September 14, 1959.
A ban against shipping and air traffic in the Pacific around Johnston Island is now in effect where the United States is expected to fire son its high-altitude nuclear bursts - the most anticipated and perhaps most important of its Pacific Test series. A smaller test was conduct in the vicinity of Christmas Island last week.
A crowd of 2,000 screaming Japanese students tried to storm the US Embassy in Tokyo in protest against American nuclear testing. Police drove them off.
In an address to the 50th anniversary meeting of the US Chamber of Commerce, President Kennedy urged business and labour to join hands with the government in working for an expanded, free and prosperous economy.
Kennedy also reaffirmed willingness to continue summit meetings with the Soviet Union and other powers "whenever there is an indication that such meetings would serve the interests of peace and understanding."
East German border guards fired 14 shots at a man trying to escape over the Red Wall, West Berlin police reported. The man gave up his attempt close to the bord and the Red Guards led him away.
Terrorists bombed a police station and blew up a newspaper office near Paris while in Algeria, French troops and Secret Army commandos fought a rooftop battle in Oran. The Paris attacks were the first in several weeks in France and officials feared they may signal a new Secret Army terror campaign in France.
Ghana President Kwame Nkrumah and artist Pablo Picasso, have been awarded Lenin Peace prizes for 1961, the Communist equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Tiger Fan · 12-10-2024, 11:05 AM

MAY 7, 1962

EXPANSION TEAMS ASSIST DYNAMOS, KINGS IN QUEST FOR FIRST PLACE

They say the secret to being a good team is beating the bad ones, and right now it's pretty clear the expansion teams are going to be bad this season. In the Fed, the Detroit Dynamos took advantage of the Los Angeles Suns and the Minneapolis Millers as both came to visit Thompson Field for the first time. The hosts were not too kind to their visitors, sweeping the Suns out of town before sending the Millers below .500 by taking two of three. The 5-1 week allowed the Dynamos to put two games between them and the Pioneers. The pitching was outstanding, getting brilliant complete game wins from Howie French (9 IP, 8 H, ER, 5 K), John Jackson (9 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K), and Jim Norris (9 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K). Larry Beebe gave the Dynamos 8 shutout (2 H, 2 BB, 5 K) against the Suns, though he was responsible for the only loss. It wasn't all his fault, as 7 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs, and 4 strikeouts can be good enough to win, but somehow the struggling Bill Parkhurst (1-2, 6.45, 13) twirled a 1-hit shutout where only backup catcher Ed Holt (.286) was able to put the ball in play and reach safely.

Now 15-4, the Dynamos will have to head to St. Louis for a big three game series, as a sweep would allow their hosts to reclaim first. Howie French (3-0, 1.71, 14) will open up the series against the struggling top prospect Danny Daniels (1-2, 7.16, 10), and unlike the potential young star, the highly paid #5 has been the team's most effective pitcher. He's won all three starts, but it's not like the other guys are struggling. John Jackson (3-1, 2.81, 20) and Paul Anderson (3-0, 2.51, 14) have been dominant, while Jim Norris (3-1, 3.94, 12) has been good when he's not allowing home runs. St. Louis will have the pitching advantage in the other two games, as Frenchy Mack (4-0, 2.10, 37) and Billy Hasson (4-0, 1.03, 24) are the two best pitchers in baseball. If Detroit wants to stay in first, the opener is a must win, and they'll need Ray Waggoner (.357, 4, 16), Cecil Gregg (.303, 3, 19), and Joe Reed (.306, 2, 7, 4) at their best. They may also hope that Danny Taylor (.400, 2, 3) and Dick Tucker (.389, 2, 12) keep up their strong starts, as the two vets are crushing it early on. For Taylor, it's a huge turn events, as he was not only taken in the expansion draft, but then later waived. Detroit took the risk, and in his first week with the team he was 4-for-10 with a walk and three homers. This has certainly earned him more at bats, and he has a chance to make a difference in this early big series.

On the flip side, the Kings took two of three from both the Dallas Wranglers and New York Imperials. The wins with the Wranglers came in Kansas City, while they knocked off the Imps in the Big Apple. Their wins weren't as commanding as the Dynamos, but Elmer Sullivan (7.2 IP, 5 H, BB, 8 K) and Del Lamb (1.1 IP, H, BB) combined for a 3-0 shutout against Dallas and then Pat Davis' (.342, 12, 6) 2-run single helped the Kings hold off the Imps 7-6 in 12. Wins like this are big regardless of the opposition, and they've been exceptional at scoring and preventing runs. Ranked 2nd in both, KC has a solid group, led by superstar Hank Williams (.371, 7, 16), who's one of the many sluggers tied for 2nd in FABL with 7 homers. Offseason acquisition Al Farmer (.325, 5, 16) has been revitalized leading off such a talented lineup, but they have been dealing with an ailment to one of their top players in Ken Newman (.311, 2, 17, 3). The 33-year-old and 10-Time All-Star sprained his elbow in the spring and has been trying to play through it, and it may be limiting his power. It's something to watch as the season goes on, but they could take it to a higher level with a healthy Newman.

CUP CHAMPS LEAD NAHC FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS

Three members of the back-to-back Challenge Cup champion Detroit Motors headline the list of first team all-stars, announced last week by the NAHC. 21-year-old winger Hobie Barrell along with the defenseman tandem of Anthony Beauchemin and Jock Doctorow were the Motors who comprised half of the first team. They were joined by a pair of Toronto Dukes in center Quinton Pollack and goaltender Justin MacPhee with Chicago right winger Ken York rounding out the top team.

Barrell, who finished second to Pollack in regular season scoring and is a finalist along with the veteran Toronto pivot for the McDaniels Trophy as NAHC most valuable player, makes his debut as a post-season all-star as does 26-year-old blueliner Docotorow and the Packers winger York, a 25-year-old who tallied 51 points in 68 games this season. Beauchemin was named to the second team a year ago before graduating to the top squad this time around. MacPhee was a first team all-star and rookie of the year two seasons ago but spent last season in the minors before returning to all-star form for Toronto this season. The 39-year-old Pollack has been selected to the first team nine times in his career and was a second team choice on four other occasions.

Montreal goaltender Nathan Bannister and 20-year-old defenseman Mark Moggy make the second team for the second year in a row. The other four spots went to Chicago Packers with defenseman Phil Stukas, who was a first eam all-star twice in his career, being joined by forwards Ray Weller, JP Morisette and rookie Matt McGrath. Only Weller, who was a second team selection each of the previous two seasons, had been previously named to a post-season all-star team out of the Chicago forward trio.

Both division winners are one game away from a date in the FBL Finals. Toronto and Boston have each played five games in their divisional final matchups with both top seeds trying to close their series out in a Game Six scheduled for Tuesday night. If either series must go to a seventh game, they will be played on Thursday.
Fred Lillard is the leading scorer in these playoffs, but the Toronto center has had a hard time controlling the Mustangs Gary Moore. Lillard is the playoff leader in points (22.0) and rebounds (12.6), all while playing the most minutes among qualifiers (42.4) in his five games. Toronto took Game One behind 30 points and 17 rebounds from Lillard to set the tone. The Mustangs earned a split in Toronto to start the series where Lillard was bested by his opposite number, Moore. Lillard’s 25 points and 12 boards helped keep it close, but Detroit won down the stretch and came from behind in the fourth quarter to win, 87-85, with Moore pacing Detroit with 22 points and 18 rebounds. Game Three belonged to guard Bill Spangler and his 26 points in Toronto’s 70-62 win. Lillard was only 4-for-19 from the field, but points were at a premium in the game. Lillard and Moore had another great clash in Game Four – a Mustangs win to even the series – with Lillard leading all scorers with 30 points and Moore winning Player of the Game honors with 23 points. Toronto took a 3-2 lead in the series thanks to forward Bryce Kirk, who set a new personal playoff best with 23 points in a 96-66 romp to put the Falcons one win away from advancing.
Boston had a chance to win the series against New York in five games but stumbled at Denny Arena in overtime to give the Knights a reprieve. New York won Game Five, 80-78, despite matching 20-point efforts from star forward Howie Farrell and playoff performer Lenny Olsen. The 31-year-old Olsen has playoff averages that surpass his modest regular season performances. In nine games this postseason, Olsen has averaged 8.1 points and 3.7 assists, a season removed from 9.0 points per game in six playoff games. His best scoring season in the regular season was 7.4 points per game in 1959-60. In his 11-year pro career, he has averaged only 4.3 points a game. But there was Olsen, setting a career-high with 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting in the win.
Boston allowed the Knights to come in and split the first two games of the series, but the Centurions wrestled home court right back in Game Three with their defense lighting the way. George Stevens stands six feet, ten inches tall and his six blocks made a huge difference in the 73-70 win for Boston to go up in the series, two games to one. Wally Moorehead picked up three blocks and the teammates are one-two among all players in the playoffs in blocked shots. For the game, Boston had the edge in blocked shots, 11-1. Game Four provided the same stifling defense but added an offensive element that gave the Boston fans that came down from New England scream with delight. The team shot 48% from the floor and had another 11 blocks, holding New York to 32% shooting. Bert LaBrecque, who has taken a back seat in this series, led Boston with 18 points. LaBrecque (13.6 ppg) is the third-leading scorer on the Cents in the postseason after Stevens (15.6) and Moorehead (15.2) after pacing Boston with 17.3 points per contest during the regular season.

RECENT KEY RESULTS

Matt Leach, a successful welterweight out of New York City, scored a one-sided unanimous decision over Stan Thomas in a mid-week bout in Massachusetts. The 28-year-old ran his record to 31-6-2 with the victory. Thomas is 21-19-3.
32-year-old welterweight Ernie Black, who lost a title bid against Lonnie Griffin last year, came up short last week in Sacramento, CA., when he was knocked out in the 6th round of a scheduled 10-rounder against Peter Kjolbye, a run of the mill Dane who spent much of his pro career fighting in North America. Black, who hails from Toledo, sees his pro record dip to 40-9-1.
Heavyweight Ed Drake rebounded from a loss to contender Norm Robinson, with a unanimous decision win over Dave Adams in Pittsburgh. Drake, who is 29 and hails from Peoria, IL., has squared off against many of the big heavyweights of the past decade including Brad Harris, Joey Tierney, Tommy Cline and Max Bradley but always came up short, is now 41-12-3.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

May 10- San Francisco: Middleweight champion Lyman King (39-0) makes his first title defense against Steve Bradshaw (30-8-2). King, a 24-year-old Oakland, CA. native claimed a 5th round TKO victory over now-former champ George Quisenberry at New York's Bigsby Garden in January. King has never lost a fight and only went to the judges cards twice in his last 9 outings. Bradshaw, 25, originally hails from Pittsburgh, PA. and is coming off an impressive victory over Bill Sanderson but has lost in recent years to some top names such as George Hatchell, Davis Owens and Hugo Canio.
June 1- New York City: Dan McMullan will make his first defense of the welterweight title he won from Lonnie Griffin with a first round TKO in April. McMullan, a 24-year-old Columbia, South Carolina native, will face Englishman Lenny Shafto at Bigsby Garden June 1. It will be Shafto's North American debut. His record in Europe is 45-7-1.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 5/06/1962

The Navy said it considered its first test firing of a Polaris nuclear missile with its warhead a complete success. The test conducted in the Pacific saw the warhead fired from a submerged submarine, hit its target close to 1,400 miles away.
It was also announced that five of the Polaris submarines have been assigned to NATO, and that more are coming to patrol the Atlantic Ocean.
The United States announced it expects more Soviet nuclear tests to be conducted in the near future.
Chancellor Konrad Adenauer arrived in Berlin and warned against any steps in current United States-Soviet contacts that could lead to recognition of Communist East Germany. "Nobody in the world believes in the sovereignty of the East Zone" the West German leader told a news conference.
After heavy fighting Pro-Communist forces captured Nam Tha, a Loas provincial capital 20 miles from Red China's border that the Royal Laotian government had vowed to defend to death.
A revolt to overthrow the government in Venezuela was crushed in Caracas.
The Federal Trade Commission has been given jurisdiction to handle complaints against deceptive advertising in the multi-million dollar mail order insurance business. It had previously fallen into a grey area between state and federal regulation.

Tiger Fan · 12-16-2024, 09:20 PM

MAY 14, 1962

COUGARS WIN 8 STRAIGHT, JOIN KINGS ATOP CA

While not expected to be a pennant contender, the Chicago Cougars weren't expected to be an easy win either, as the up-and-coming squad in the Windy City has an exciting young offense led by Jerry McMillan (.327, 4, 12, 5), Gene Case (.302, 3, 13, 3), and Jim Barton (.337, 4, 19). Barton just turned 26 on the 2nd, while McMillan and Case are 25 and 23. The lineup depth needs some work, but with a quality and reliable pitching staff, they've been able to get off to a quick start. During their 8-game streak, they allowed three or fewer runs in five of the wins, with all but two games below five runs allowed. The bullpen in particular has been outstanding, with stopper Pug White (2-0, 6, 1.59, 19) earning a share of FABL's save lead, and high leverage arm Arch Wilson (3-1, 1, 0.82, 6) has allowed just a single run, a pinch-hit solo shot from Ron Johnston (.409, 1, 6) that gave him his only loss.

Chicago's 8th consecutive win, a 3-2 win over the Kings, gave the Cougars hold of first for a day, but Kansas City managed to snap the streak and avoid the sweep with a 7-1 win. Elmer Sullivan (3-0, 3.14, 18) continued his breakout, earning a complete game win with 8 hits, a run, a walk, and 2 strikeouts. It snapped a mini three game losing streak, as like the Cougars, the Kings are 16-9. They saw homers from Pat Davis (.299, 1, 14, 6) and Ken Newman (.359, 3, 22, 4), and the big win brought the Kings back into first in terms of runs scored (144) and allowed (102). Even against the Cougar staff that ranks second in runs allowed, they had no issues scoring, tacking on 15 runs against a quality group of pitchers. Hank Williams (.344, 8, 19) is up to 8 homers, most on the club, and they've gotten support all across the field. In particular, young shortstop Cal Randall (.356, 1, 13) has been a huge success, as the Kings may finally have the shortstop they've been looking for. Recently 26, Randall has hit an above average .356/.385/.456 (117 OPS+) while offering quality defense at short and making his presence known in the clubhouse. A steady reliable presence like that in the middle infield has been huge, and it should help keep the Kings in the first division.

Right behind the two leaders are the Foresters and Stars, who at 15-10 are just a game back in the congested Continental. The Stars will even meet with the Kings Thursday to Saturday, allowing the west coast squad a chance to take first place. Known for their big home run hitters, Ralph Barrell (.238, 10, 20) stands alone at the top, as the young 22-year-old is the first FABL slugger to reach double digits. He's driven in his uncle Charlie (.305, 3, 7) plenty of times, while behind the two Barrells Lou Allen (.327, 6, 10), Ed Moore (.344, 3, 9, 2), and Virgil Ewing (.349, 3, 20) have mashed. The pitching, led by Dewey Allcock (2-0, 3.77, 12) and Sy Dunn (3-2, 3.89, 29) has been reliable, with 23-year-old Cal Johnston (1-2, 2.54, 16) off to a fast start. The real key, however, has been stopper Hank Myer, who celebrated his 23rd birthday yesterday. In 16.2 innings, the former 4th Rounder has a miniscule 0.54 ERA (811 ERA+), striking out 11 with just 3 walks and a 1.26 WHIP. They may not have the superstars of the Kings and Foresters, but LA is a complete team, and it's easy to forget they would likely have won the CA last year had Allcock and Bud Henderson stayed healthy.

Among the top four teams, Cleveland has the easiest upcoming schedule, as their two full series are hosting the Saints and in Toronto. Montreal is one of just two CA teams with single digit wins, tied for last at 6-19 with the New York Imperials, while the Wolves (12-13) are the third and final team below .500. This should lead to easy wins for the Foresters, who have won five of their last six series. Jake Pearson (4-0, 2.02, 29) and Rufus Barrell (5-0, 2.66, 18) continue to dominate, while Adrian Czerwinski (2-2, 4.06, 29) is coming off his second start of three with one run allowed. With a lineup as deep as theirs, having three ace-quality pitchers is a good recipe, and offensively they have one of the top performers. No, not John Low (.343, 4, 20) or Paul Williams (.321, 2, 11), though both have been great, but the guy who bats between them. That's backstop Hal Kennedy, who's slashed .427/.475/.719 (199 OPS+) with 7 homers and 22 RBIs. The 4-Time All-Star is always a big part of the team's success, both for his offensive prowess and his defense, and he'll continue to be a key contributor on their pennant quest.

*** Six Wins See Pioneers Begin to Separate from the Pack ***

The Chicago Cougars weren't the only team to string together wins, as not only did St. Louis win six in a row, but they kept their streak current. Coming off a series loss to the Chicago Chiefs, the Pioneers had a tough week, scheduled to host the Federal Association leading Detroit Dynamos for three before heading to Philly to take on the reigning champion Keystones. Perhaps the talent they faced elevated them, as they swept both teams to start their nice streak. Both Frenchy Mack (7 IP, 4 H, ER, 3 BB, 10 K) and Billy Hasson (W, 9 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 6 K) made headlines, Mack striking out 10 and Hasson twirling a 4-hit shutout of the Dynamos, but that's expected from this talented duo. What wasn't, was Danny Daniels, as he's responsible for two of the wins.

Daniels only got credit in his 6-hit, 6-strikeout shutout of the Keystones, a belated 24th birthday gift from himself, with his second career shutout coming the day after his birthday. Daniels also opened the streak, but matching Howie French (7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 K) for seven innings. Like French, Daniels allowed 2 runs, scattering 8 hits and 3 walks with his 6 strikeouts. For the 8th, he turned it over to John Gibson (2-1, 3, 5.56, 8), who allowed a single in a rather uneventful frame. Detroit was hoping the same from 25-year-old fireballer Earl Shields (2-1, 5, 4.41, 12), but instead he allowed former Whitney winner Jerry Smith (.293, 6, 20, 2) to lead the inning off with a single, and after he stole second, Dynamo skipper Verlin Alexander decided to keep the force alive with an intentional walk. After back-to-back strikeouts, Alexander looked like a genius, and to get out unscathed all he would need is to retire backup catcher Dutch Smith (.167, 1, 4). That proved difficult, as Miller doubled his RBI total with his first double of the season. With the lead, the Pioneer manager let his stopper hit, and after being retired he provided St. Louis with a similar 9th.

For most teams, the highlight going into a new week would be the win streak, but for St. Louis it's just the icing on the cake. Reigning Whitney winner Bob Bell was dealing with a back issue, and head trainer George Anthony announced he's cleared to return for their series in New York. The 23-year-old still leads the team with 7 homers, hitting an astronomical .383/.463/.915 (245 OPS+) with 11 runs, 15 RBIs, and 7 walks in 54 trips to the plate. Last season he led the Fed in homers (39), RBIs (128), WRC+ (245), WAR (10.0), and more, so if the Pioneers offense can engineer a pair of sweeps against good teams without him, imagine what they could do with him! That will become a reality for the Miners (9-16), Eagles (11-14), Suns (7-18), and Millers (12-13), the four teams they'll take on in their next twelve game stretch. This is a very favorable set of games for the team with FABL's best record, and they could quickly become the first team to 20 wins. They can really separate themselves from the rest of the association, as they continue to ride the top rotation in the game.

Detroit (17-8) and Chicago (15-10) are the only two teams within five games of the leaders, 2 and 4 games out respectively. Playing in the Pioneers favor is that those two play each other to start the week, and I'm sure they'll be rooting for a long and tiring series that leaves both teams worse off. For neutrals, it should be a fun one, as both teams will send their 1, 2, and 3 into battle. For the Dynamos, righty John Jackson (3-1, 2.48, 24) will precede southpaws Jim Norris (3-2, 4.15, 15) and Paul Anderson (4-0, 1.93, 20), as the Chiefs start with a lefty and end with righties. Unlike Detroit, their front three has been shelled, with Vern Osborne (1-3, 6.55, 21), Jack Halbur (2-2, 4.15, 7), and Dick Champ (3-1, 5.28, 17) failing to meet expectations. Osborne in particular is a big surprise, as the 30-year-old from East St. Louis has started 33 or more games in each of the past five seasons, with ERAs of 4.00 and below each year. He's gotten some bad luck from his defense, as his 3.89 FIP (88 FIP-) is more in line with the quality pitcher he is. With starts this week against the Dynamos and Keystones (12-13), he'll be crucial to them keeping pace, and with his pitching pedigree he's expected to play a key role for the Chiefs the rest of the way.

KING DOMINATES BRADSHAW IN FRONT OF HOME FANS WITH SIXTH ROUND KO

San Francisco Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, Ca. – Lyman King has an impressive record at first look. His thirty-nine wins in thirty-nine fights are impressive enough, but he toiled at the lower levels and rose recently in his competition and his outcomes. King was not ranked among the top contenders until last year, when he ended the year ranked third behind the then-champion George Quisenberry and veteran pugilist Bill Sanderson.

Quisenberry drew King for his first fight of 1962 and his ninth attempted title defense. In the bout four months ago at Bigsby Garden, King snapped Quisenberry’s streak and became the Middleweight Champion after a fifth-round technical knockout. It was King’s seventh knockout in his last nine fights after only 14 of his first 30 wins coming by knockout.

Now, with King suddenly in the spotlight, he had his first title defense scheduled against Steve Bradshaw in what amounted to a home game. The Oakland, California native hopped across the bay to the Civic Auditorium in San Francisco for the fight. His supporters did the same and it was a partisan crew to see King defend his title for the first time.

There was barely a lull in the noise from the crowd in the lead-up to the opening bell, as the referee reminded both fighters of the rules for the bout. When the bell rang, King was ready. He was measured and waited for his moment, executing a hook and an uppercut in rapid succession to set the tone for the first round. King was dominating when he leaned in and caught Bradshaw’s chin with his shoulder, which earned a stern warning from referee Charlie Wood, Jr. King had a great first round with the added benefit of some visible swelling under Bradshaw’s right eye.

The second round started with a lot of clutching and grabbing before King took control halfway through the round with an uppercut that hurt the challenger and a cross that caught Bradshaw flush in the face. The first knockdown of the fight was the result of another cross that sent Bradshaw to the canvas. Bradshaw got to his feet quickly, but he lacked any offense to fight back for the rest of the round, while King targeted the right eye to try to end the night early.

Bradshaw tried a different tactic in the fourth round by going on the offensive. He had nothing to lose, as King was dominating the first three rounds. It was Bradshaw’s only hope. Bradshaw met King at ring center and bopped him with a hook that surprised the champion. However, King was able to sidestep Bradshaw’s other offerings until he was able to get his bearings and go back to work. After a combination upstairs and a hook to the challenger’s jaw, the fourth-round scoring was similar to the first three rounds. King kept adding to his lead.

In the fifth round, it looked it was only a matter of time before the fight would be called. King was having his way with Bradshaw, and he connected at will. King was looking for the punch that would take Bradshaw down, but somehow, the challenger stayed on his feet. The fans were urging King on, the crescendo was rising, but King could not find the ultimate punch to end the proceedings. In fact, towards the end of the round, King was so consumed with trying to knock Bradshaw down, he left himself open for Bradshaw’s best punch of the night, a right hand that landed right on the button, but it was delivered in the waning moments of the round and he could not pursue more pressure before the bell tolled for the end of Round Five.

Bradshaw’s swelling looked as bad when the sixth round began as it did when the fifth round ended. Trying to capitalize on a good ending to the previous round, Bradshaw tried to dance around King’s movements in the ring, but it only got him so far. It did not give Bradshaw a better defense and it did not allow Bradshaw to offer anything of substance in return. King unleashed an onslaught, finally realizing that Bradshaw was reduced to an immobile traffic cone. King drilled Bradshaw, again and again, and found another gear when he grouped his punches together. With seconds left in the sixth round, Bradshaw walked into a brilliant cross from King that sent Bradshaw straight to the mat. Bradshaw barely moved as Wood, Jr. counted him out. The challenger’s corner men ran into the ring to administer first aid and to retrieve their fallen fighter.

King pulled off another knockout, his eighth in his last ten wins and he won his fortieth straight bout to start his professional career. King (40-0-0) dominated throughout and while Bradshaw (30-9-2) came at him often, King parried Bradshaw’s blows easily and was able to return fire quickly. The hooks and crosses were most effective, and King was not shy about unloading those types of punches.

While the nation still saw King as a virtual unknown heading into 1962, his last two fights have made him a household name.

size="5"]
BOLOGNA’S BIG BOPPERS[/size]
Round 1: King, 4-0 (1:10 hook, 1:24 uppercut/ribs, 2:10 hook, 2:43 cross)
Round 2: King, 2-0 (1:55 uppercut, 2:29 cross/face)
Round 3: King, 3-0 (0:46 hook, 1:05 cross/knockdown #1, 1:23 right)
Round 4: King, 3-1 (K: 1:44 cross, 2:02 combo, 2:20 hook/jaw; B: 0:22 hook/head)
Round 5: King, 2-1 (K: 0:12 uppercut, 1:17 right/jaw; B: 2:41 right/chin)
Round 6: King, 5-0 (0:39 cross, 1:02 hook/side, 2:00 left hook/body, 2:13 hook, 2:51 cross/knockout)
TOTAL: King 19, Bradshaw 2

RECENT KEY RESULTS

Bill Mosley, the Ohio heavyweight who was unsuccessful in a title shot against George Gallashaw a year and a half ago, scored a unanimous decision over Keith Hyde in a 10-round heavyweight bout in Seattle early last week.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

June 1- New York City: Dan McMullan will make his first defense of the welterweight title he won from Lonnie Griffin with a first round TKO in April. McMullan, a 24-year-old Columbia, South Carolina native, will face Englishman Lenny Shafto at Bigsby Garden June 1. It will be Shafto's North American debut. His record in Europe is 45-7-1.

POLLACK WINS 8th MVP AWARD

Even at the ripe old age of 39, Quinton Pollack shows no signs of slowing down. The Toronto Dukes center finished the season with 92 points -fourth highest total ever recorded- to mark the eighth time he has led the North American Hockey Confederation in scoring. For his efforts, which helped lead Toronto to the best record in the regular season before a surprising semi-final exit at the hands of the Montreal Valiants, Pollack claimed another first as he won his record eighth McDaniels Trophy as the most valuable player in the NAHC.

Pollack was pushed for the award by a pair of players nearly half his age as Detroit's Hobie Barrell, who turned 21 during the playoffs and finished second in scoring, and 20-year-old Mark Moggy of the Valiants were the other two finalists for the McDaniels Trophy. Moggy, who won the McLeod Trophy as the loop's top rookie a year ago, collected another piece of hardware as he was named top defenseman in the NAHC and presented the Dewar Trophy. It marked the first time in the history of the now four year old award that a Toronto Dukes player did not win.

The Dukes had a second award winner to join Pollack as Toronto goaltender Justin MacPhee, who led the NAHC in both goals against average and save percentage, was named the winner of the Juneau Trophy as the league's top netminder. It marked the second time in three years that MacPhee claimed the Juneau.

The final two awards went to Chicago Packers with veteran winger Ray Weller earning the Yeadon Trophy for gentlemanly play and 25-year-old first year Packer Matt McGrath getting the nod as the top rookie and laying claim to the McLeod Trophy. It marked the third time in the past six seasons that a Packers player was named rookie of the year.

Toronto is two games away from tasting victory from the championship cup for the first time. The battle in the FBL Final between the Toronto Falcons and the Boston Centurions is the matchup the league’s fans wanted to see. Only three of the eight teams in the loop finished with a winning record, but these two teams won 70% or more of their games in the regular season. Toronto was 22 games ahead of Detroit, while Boston finished 11 games ahead of the other above .500 team, Philadelphia.
In our last update, both division winners were up three games to two in their respective series, and both teams closed out their divisional final in the sixth game. Toronto thumped Detroit, 72-44, in one Game Six. Bryce Kirk followed up her playoff-high 23 points in Game Five with 18 points in Game Six to lead both teams on the court. Toronto’s Fred Lillard and Detroit’s Gary Moore had one more battle and while Lillard edged Moore on points, 16-15, Moore was the only weapon in the Mustangs arsenal. Moore was 7-for-14 from the floor, but the rest of the team only made 11 field goals and shot 18%. In the Eastern Divisional Final, Boston won in New York in a much closer game, 82-72. Once again, the more complete team won the game. While the Knights’ Howie Farrell and Ed Morrison scored 20 points apiece, which was more than anyone else in uniform, Boston had four players in double figures, led by George Stevens and Bert LaBrecque’s 18 points and the only starter who did not reach 10 points, Steve Barrell, chipped in with 12 assists.
The FBL Final has pitted the two division winners during the regular season that met twice, splitting their games and the total points scored by each team only differed by three points with Toronto’s 12-point win in late February countering Boston’s 9-point victory in late March. Toronto took Game One with a fourth-quarter comeback after withstanding a comeback from Boston. Toronto jumped out to a 26-8 lead after the first quarter and Boston came all the way back with a 29-8 third quarter to end the period with a 60-55 lead. The Falcons erupted for 30 points in the fourth behind a playoff-best-tying 23 points for Bryce Kirk, 22 points from Bill Spangler and 20 from Fred Lillard to earn an 85-82 win. The Big Three scored 62 points for the Falcons in Game Two, which more than made the difference in Toronto’s 85-74 victory. The Falcons got out to another fast start in Game Two, filling up the bucket with 34 points in the first quarter.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 5/13/1962

A 1,000 man United States Army battle group has been sent to Communist threatened Northeast Thailand. Officially it is being called a "training exercise" but it is reported the real purpose is to show the Russians that the U.S. is ready to fight if necessary to hold a line along the Mekong River.
President Kennedy proved the report correct a day later when he declared the Mekong River line must be defended by all military means including the use of American troops.
Houei Sai, Laos is now a ghost town after a mess evacuation into Thai territory by government troops and civilians late last week. At this point the Reds have not occupied the city.
Pierre Salinger, Kennedy's press secretary, arrived in Moscow and was meeting with Soviet Premier Khrushchev but no details of what was discussed were released.
At a Democratic political rally in Milwaukee more than 300,000 turned out to see the President's motorcade as he arrived to speak. One man darted from the crowd, apparently bent on reaching the presidential car shaking hands with the President but before he reached it a Secret Service agent grabbed the man by the collar and hurled him to the street. Inside the Milwaukee Arena Kennedy said that many of his goals when he was elected still are undone and "we cannot permit this country to stand still."

Tiger Fan · 12-17-2024, 05:15 PM

MAY 21, 1962
FALCONS BRING CANADA IT'S FIRST CAGE CROWN

The Toronto Falcons rallied from a three games to two deficit to beat the Boston Centurions and win their first ever Federal Basketball League championship. The Falcons had come up short in each of their three previous trips to the league finals with the most recent one being in 1952-53 before rallying past Boston to end a title drought for the franchise that begin 1945 when the club was based in Pittsburgh and played in the old American Basketball Conference.

This year's itineration of the Falcons was dominant right from the opening tip-off to start the season and their 58-22 record established a new regular season mark for victories in a season. Toronto finished a whooping 22 games ahead of second place Detroit atop the West Division and after a first-round bye eliminated the Mustangs in six games in the best-of-seven semi-final series.

The Falcons then met East Division power Boston, which won an impressive 55 games during the season, in the league finals. Home court advantage was crucial in the series as the home squad won all seven games with the Wolves pulling out victories in the final two contests after falling three times at Denny Arena.

Game six saw Fred Lillard, a cast-off from Washington won was the most improved player in the loop this season, score 22 points and Bryce Kirk add 19 as the Wolves downed Boston 75-67 at Dominion Gardens to even the series at three. It was more of the same in the seventh game as Kirk poured in 27 points and Lillard added 23 as the Wolves overcame a 7 point first half deficit to win 87-79 and claim their first league title.

The Toronto Falcons are FBL Champions for the first time in their history. It was the Falcons fourth trip to the Finals, but they lost on their three previous trips with the most recent appearance occurring nine years ago. This is also the first league title by a Canadian club since the advent of major professional basketball in 1937. For a Falcons team that was in the dark ages for the last few years, this was a revival of a dormant fan base and a city’s newfound love in the sport of basketball.
After taking a two-games-to-none lead with home wins over Boston, Toronto gave way to the Centurions when the series moved across the border to Denny Arena in Boston. Boston dominated Game Three, 84-59, and it was a combination of stellar play from the Centurion starters and poor shooting from the Falcons. George Stevens led Boston with 20 points and Steve Barrell was an assist shy of a triple-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds. In Game Four, Boston tied the series, Boston broke open a 67-67 tie entering the fourth quarter with a 21-13 run to end the game and tie the series. Bert LaBrecque set a playoff high and tied a season high with 30 points on the night on 14-for-27 shooting. Boston jumped ahead early and pulled away late in Game Five to take a 3-2 lead in the series, 97-70. It was Wally Moorehead’s turn to lead for the Centurions, scoring 21 points with 16 rebounds and matching teammate Stevens with four blocked shots.
Boston fans were treated to three wins in three games and the Centurions were in control, only having to win one out of two games in Toronto to win it all. Toronto used 14 steals to help force 24 Boston turnovers in Game Six in a defensive-laden 75-67 win to knot the series. Fred Lillard had four of those steals to go with a game-high 22 points and Bill Spangler added five more steals.
Toronto and Boston played to the very last quarter of the last game of the season with the outcome in doubt. Boston led through three quarters, 63-58, largely on the strength of T.J. Grimm, who ended up leading the Centurions with 26 points. But it was the frontcourt that made the difference in Game Seven and was responsible for bringing the title to Toronto. Bryce Kirk had a breakout season in 1961-62 with a 16.2-point scoring average, which was more than twice his previous personal best. Although Kirk is a six-year pro, this is the first year where he started consistently. Kirk scored 27 points in the most important game of his life and Lillard chipped in with 23 points, as the frontcourt outscored Boston’s two big men, 50-15. Toronto nearly doubled Boston’s output in the final stanza and came from behind in front of the Falcons home fans in an 87-79 victory.
Lillard led all players in playoff scoring at 21.6 points per game and Kirk was fifth at 17.1 points per game. The MVP of the playoffs was Jim Bromberg, and the All-League and All-Defensive First Team honoree went beyond the box score with his elite defense, highlighted by six steals in Game Two. The MVP could have been Lillard, Kirk, or Spangler, but it was another indicator of the total team effort by the Falcons.

Pioneers, Cougars Build Three Game Lead in Early Pennant Race

It's never too early to talk about the pennant race, and when you're off to a 24-8 start and your best player's appeared in just 13 of your 32 games (41%) to start the season. In Bob Bell's (.383, 7, 15) absence rookie Danny Davis has really stepped up. .Like Bell, Davis was in the Opening Day lineup, and the former top ranked prospect has seemed to gotten quite comfortable with stars Jerry Smith (.327, 7, 25, 3) and Bill Bather (.310, 4, 11, 3) in the outfield. The 22-year-old has looked good in Bell's three spot too, slashing .347/.415/.562 (147 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, 23 RBIs, 25 runs, and 13 walks. Davis' 156 WRC+ is second to just Bell (242) and Smith (179), and the trio are joined by Steve Schultz (.295, 6, 22) as players with five or more homers. St. Louis ranks among the top three teams in the Fed for runs scored (3rd, 181), average (2nd, .288), OPS (1st, .813), WAR (1st, 6.9), and homers (2nd, 38).

As dangerous as that all is, the rotation is why they could run away with the Fed, as ace French Mack improved to 6-0 with two 1-run victories. The first started the week in Pittsburgh, where he allowed just 7 hits and 3 walks with 8 strikeouts in a casual 7-1 complete game. An early rain delay made it so he only finished five frames in a windy 10-3 win over the Eagles, but the young southpaw still delivered 9 strikeouts, maintaining a 1.79 ERA (251 ERA+) and 0.89 WHIP in seven starts. Mack's 64 strikeouts are way ahead of the next best pitcher -- who just happens to be his co-ace Billy Hasson (48). Hasson has an even lower 1.33 ERA (339 ERA+), though he did lose a nailbiter to the Miners on Tuesday. It was one of two games they lost this week, but it certainly wasn't his fault. Hasson completed 8 innings on the road, allowing just 4 hits, a run, and 2 walks with 7 strikeouts. The only issue is, his talented offense couldn't solve Pat Simon (2, 6 IP, 3 H, 4 K) and Ted Mickiewicsz (SV, 3 IP, 3 H, 4 K), so the 3-Time Allen winner was tagged with an undeserved loss. As his luck would have it, the offense bailed him out to finish the week, as Davis (2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, HR), Schultz (2-5, R, RBI), Sean Ruggles (2-5, R, RBI), and even Hasson himself (2-4, RBI) contributed to a 7-4 win over the Los Angeles Suns. Hasson went all nine, and despite the four runs, it was a really strong start. He allowed 6 hits and 3 walks with 11 strikeouts, and if it wasn't for a Mickey McClure (.254, 4, 17) "triple" he'd have thrown his seventh consecutive quality start.

St. Louis gets the expansion Suns (11-21) two more times this week, and then they'll head back home for three with their counterpart Millers (14-18). After the Minneapolis team leaves town, they'll get a nice home day off, allowing them to prepare for a three game set with the Minutemen (15-17). With a weak schedule ahead, they can really distance themselves from the pack, and with how the off day works they'll get their two aces a start early next time around. They say the good teams are the ones that are able to win the games they should, and so far this season that's exactly what they've been able to do.

Turning to the Continental Association, the Chicago Cougars success seems harder to sustain. They don't have anywhere near the star-power of the Pioneers, but they do have an elite bullpen and defense, allowing them to win close games and hold the leads they manage early. The Cougars are also the hottest team in baseball, ripping off back-to-back 6-1 weeks, and through 20 days in May they're 15-4. I'm still skeptical they can hold off a team like Cleveland (19-13), Kansas City (18-14), or Los Angeles (19-13), but they've been able to outperform those high powered offenses with their longshot Allen candidate.

A few seasons ago, thinking Pug White could win one of those awards wouldn't be too far out, as the former 5th ranked prospect was expected to be an ace, and he was a very reliable member of the Cougar rotation from 1955 to 1960. In those bookend years he led the CA with 37 and 35 starts, starting 34 or more appearances in each of those six seasons. Last year, however, Pug's rotation struggles found him in the pen, where his career seemed to gain new life. As a former innings eater, he's been able to finish off a ton of games for the Cougars, and with 33.2 innings in 32 games, his 1.60 ERA (276 ERA+) is the lowest qualified mark in the Continental Association. A perfect 3-0 with 6 saves and a hold, Pug has finished half of his 18 appearances, working to an excellent 2.80 FIP (63 FIP-) and 0.92 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and 9 walks. The 31-year-olds stuff has been dominant, and despite playing in the cozy Cougars stadium, he's surrendered just a single home run. Pug's pitched in 12 of the team's 22 wins, and with support from Arch Wilson (4-1, 2, 0.60, 8), Bob Burdick (2-1, 3, 3.22, 15), and Phil Means (1-1, 1, 2.78, 12), almost every lead a Cougar starter leaves with, they get credit for said win.

Known more for a top rotation then pen, the Cougars have had mixed results in that department, and ace Andy Logue (3-2, 3.89, 21) has actually been charged with their last two losses after he started the year 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA. He allowed 7 runs (6 earned) in losses to the Kings (7-1) and Cannons (8-2), but since the offense didn't show up anyways it didn't matter too much. His first five starts were great, and with him and John Mitchell (3-1, 3.08, 27), they have the start of a playoff rotation. Offensively, they're just tied for 5th in the CA in runs scored, but star outfielder Jerry McMillan is looking to surpass the 30/30 mark this season. The Canadian has slashed .341/.411/.566 (151 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 3 triples, 6 homers, 6 steals, 16 walks, 30 runs, and 18 RBIs, on pace for a career high 8 WAR in year five. He could use some more help in the lineup, as Gene Case (.322, 4, 18, 4) and Jim Barton (.331, 4, 22) are the only other above average hitters. Catcher, second, and third have been huge weaknesses in producing runs so far, but even the guys who aren't hitting are providing quality defense to help keep their opponent off the board.

The Cougars may be able to keep up their pace setting play, but things will start to get tougher on Sunday. That's when they start a three game series with the Stars in Chicago, before heading to Cleveland for three with the Foresters. Both get the Imperials and Cannons before facing the Cougars, but Cleveland and their new GM start the week with a tough matchup with the Kings to start the week.

Cleveland won the opener at home, 6-4, which allowed them to entre a tie with Kansas City for first. Veteran Rufus Barrell (6-1, 3.60, 22) kept the dangerous Kings lineup in check, scattering 7 hits, 4 runs, and a walk in the complete game win. Sherry Doyal (.324, 7, 27) had a big 3-for-4 game win a 2-run double, while John Low (.341, 4, 24) drove in three despite reaching base successfully just once in the game. Aside from a Charlie Rogers (.259, 3, 13, 3) homer in the 3rd, the Kings didn't get much going for them, but they'll now have a chance to have Frank Washington (2-3, 4.22, 25) and Curly Anderson (2-1, 4.70, 25) lead them to victories. Statistically, KC has the matchup advantage, but no one is going to claim that Anderson is better then Adrian Czerwinski (2-3, 5.25, 31). Again, the "Mad Professor" was solved, this time the Wolves taking advantage of stuff below his norm. They got to him for 9 runs (8 earned) and 8 hits, chasing out the 5-Time Allen winner before he could finish the 4th. In his 478 FABL starts, I don't think the Wolves have ever been able to get to him like that, and he should be poised to deliver a bounce back start. In his two previous eight run outings, he followed them up with just a single run, but he has not faced a lineup like Kansas City's this year.

It's impressive that the Continental only has two teams below .500, whereas the Fed has just three teams over. Only two of those teams are within six games of first, the deficit between the Continental leading Cougars and the two-team tie for 7th place. Detroit would still be second in the Conti, as their 21-11 record is a game worse than the leader, but they are playing over .650 ball and could find themselves quickly left behind. The offense has gotten off to a sluggish start, with little support outside of Ray Waggoner (.319, 8, 24), Cecil Gregg (.328, 5, 28), Joe Reed (.290, 6, 18), and Dick Tucker (.350, 3, 22). What they've done well is hit clutch homers, as many have led to wins for their sterling front four. Paul Anderson (4-0, 1.67, 22) is looking to win his first Allen, while John Jackson (5-1, 2.77, 31) and Jim Norris (5-2, 3.95, 24) are looking to increase their number of All-Star selection. Can't forget about Howie French (3-2, 3.11, 24) either, even if he has looked mortal in his last two starts. Both the Gothams and Minutemen got 5 on him, and he'll have a good chance against the 14-18 Miners this week to right the ship. For now all the Dynamos can do is win the games on their schedule, as they don't get a shot at the leaders until the first full week of June. It's the finale of a twelve game stretch that starts on the 27th, with both teams likely fatigued from their play.

Could we be witnesses a season with the first-ever father-son homerun kings? Bobby Barrell led the Federal Association in longballs six times during his Hall of Fame career with the Philadelphia Keystones. Now his son Ralph, just 22 years old but coming off a 35 homer campaign for the Los Angeles Stars, has 11 already this season and is tied with Cincinnati's Dallas Berry for the Continental Association lead in that category.
Another Barrell, Cleveland pitcher Deuce, is closing in on his 350th career victory. Deuce went the distance to beat Kansas City 6-4 yesterday and run his season record to 6-1. Hard to believe he will turn 45 years of age in two weeks and is tied for the FABL lead in pitcher victories this season. With 348 career wins, only Hall of Famers Allan Allen (514) and Charlie Sis (395) stand ahead of Barrell.
St Louis shortstop Paul Watson drove in his 1,000th run last week making him the 98th player in FABL history to reach the 1000 RBI plateau.

RECENT KEY RESULTS

Guy Williams is a middleweight considered by many to be the best fighter to come out of New Orleans since the legendary Hector Sawyer, although that may be more a statement on the dearth of fight talent being produced in Louisiana rather than Williams prowess in the ring. Williams had a great start to his career but now has dropped four of his past six outings following a unanimous decision loss to a journeyman fighter by the name of Jed Brownlee. Williams record now sits at 22-6-2
In a heavyweight tussle in Hartford, CT., Jack Girard scored a fourth round knockout of Mike Wagner. Girard, a 25-year-old originally from Holly, MI., who now fights out of Detroit, improved his career mark to 22-5-1 with the win.
In Brooklyn, Bronx born heavyweight Will Hatcher (23-12-3) knocked out Robert Peters (11-13-2) in the first round of their bout which was scheduled for 10.
Veteran heavyweight Joe Jones, a Buffalo, NY, native, scored a unanimous decision over Allen Blackwell in Boston on the weekend. Jones, 29, is now 33-16-4 for his career.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

June 1- New York City: Dan McMullan will make his first defense of the welterweight title he won from Lonnie Griffin with a first round TKO in April. McMullan, a 24-year-old Columbia, South Carolina native, will face Englishman Lenny Shafto at Bigsby Garden June 1. It will be Shafto's North American debut. His record in Europe is 45-7-1.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 5/20/1962

President Kennedy has challenged labor and management to propose specific solutions to the Nation's economic problems instead of just complaining about his administration's policies. The President noted that complex problems of the modern economy "cannot possibly he solved without your good will and your ideas."
Kennedy's tax reform bill came under fire from the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, who cited several provisions as unacceptable including withholding 20 percent of the income from interest and dividends, as taxes on wages are now withheld. Closed-door deliberations on the measure begin this week but a committee vote is nearly a month away.
The American Medical Association also has issues with the President, countering Kennedy's plea for support of is medical care for the aged plan with an attack on the measure as a "cruel hoax" that would "heartlessly ignore millions" who need coverage.
Three American servicemen and eight Viet Namese were injured by a grenade explosion on the streets of Saigon in front of US military housing. It is the second such incident in the past four days.
US Marines sent to bolster Thailand's defenses arrived in that country despite contending with a monsoon in the region.
Soviet Premier Khrushchev branded Kennedy's order to land the Marines in Thailand "an unwise decision" and predicted the Americans would ultimately be thrown out of Southeast Asia.
Dutch civilians are being evacuated from New Guinea following an invasion by Indonesian paratroopers.

Tiger Fan · 12-18-2024, 09:43 AM

MAY 28, 1962
PIONEERS EXTEND FEDERAL ASSOCIATION LEAD

The St Louis Pioneers may have seen their 15-3 run come to an end yesterday with a 6-5 extra innings loss to the hard-charging Boston Minutemen but the Pioneers look like they may be threatening to run away with the Federal Association flag race. The Pioneers lead on second place Detroit is now up to five games and with the best starting pitching in the Fed and the most productive offense, St Louis may be impossible to stop.

Billy Hasson threw a 3-hit complete game shutout of expansion Minnesota on Friday to run his record to 7-1 on the season with an ERA so small you practically need a magnifying glass to see it. The 27-year-old already owns three Allen Awards and has to be the early favourite to add to that total. His partner in crime, 24-year-old Frenchy Mack (6-1, 2.27), has been nearly as impressive although Mack did stumble for the first time this season, surrendering all 5 runs in a 5-1 loss to the Millers the day before Hasson's gem. Everyone in the Federal Association knew St Louis pitching would be terrific, but the offense has outperformed expectations in the early going as the Pioneers led FABL in runs scored and their .289 team batting average tops the Fed.

While St Louis has been on a roll, the Dynamos and the Chicago Chiefs have fallen off the pace. Detroit's troubles began when they were swept in a three game series in St Louis early in the month and seem to be getting worse with seven losses in their last eleven outings to fall five games back. The Chiefs, after falling 2-1 in 11 innings in Los Angeles yesterday, are on a 6-12 slide that has dropped them out of third place. The only club that seems to be matching the Pioneers run of late is the Boston Minutemen, who have leaped into third place, 8 games back, after a 9-2 run that includes yesterdays 6-5 win in St Louis -Boston's fifth consecutive victory- courtesy of a 10th inning Bill Newhall homerun.

While just 3 of the 10 Federal Association club's own a record better than .500, eight of the ten teams in the Continental Association are at least at the breakeven mark. The Chicago Cougars stubbed their toes a bit with back-to-back losses to Dallas and San Francisco but since May 4 the Cougars are rolling at a 18-4 clip. Included in that stretch is a perfect 5-0 record in extra innings, dispelling the old notion the Cougars could never win the tight games.

The Cougars lead is far from secure as the Cleveland Foresters, winners of six of their last seven, appear to be heating up and trail Chicago by just two games. The Foresters and Cougars will stage a three-game battle on the shores of Lake Erie beginning Wednesday. The only previous meeting between the two came in the Windy City to start the month and the Foresters took two of three with both their wins coming in extra innings. That was just before Chicago began its 18-4 run.

Bob Bell made his presence felt in his first game back in the lineup for the St Louis Pioneers after missing a little over three weeks with a back issue. The reigning Federal Association Whitney Award winner had 5-hits in his return to the lineup, including a homerun as the Pioneers eclipsed the Los Angeles Suns 16-0. What is interesting is that in Bell's last full game the day before his injury, April 28, he also had 5 hits in a win over Boston.
24-year-old George Hoxworth deserves much of the credit for the Toronto Wolves resurgence. The righthander improved to 5-2 on the season with a 2-hit shutout of struggling Montreal last Tuesday. That 5th win for Hoxworth equals his total for the entire campaign a year ago, when he went 5-16 for the Wolves.
Boston is on a five game winning streak but the news is not all good for the Minutemen after the club learned that two time All-Star outfielder Bill Tutwiler will be sidelined for two months after tearing up his ankle. The 29-year-old was off to a great start this season with a .331 batting average.
Pittsburgh was also bit by the injury bug as 24-year-old lefthander Jimmy Blair (2-1, 2.57) is done for the season after suffering a knee injury in a game over the weekend. Blair had nearly cut his era in half from a year ago when he went 9-16 for the Miners.
There is no slowing Dallas Berry down. The Cannons slugger was named CA player of the week after socking 4 homers and driving 8 in the previous seven days. On the season the 30-year-old two-time Whitney Award winner is batting a robust .397 with 15 homers and 38 rbi's. Those latter two categories each lead FABL. Buddy Miller of Washington claimed the Fed player of the week honours.
The one triple crown category that Berry is not leading the league in belongs to Tom Reed of Toronto who is hitting .424 after going 'just' 9-for-27 last week. It is hard to call a 4-time all-star underrated but playing in Toronto his entire career has certainly kept the 31-year-old out of the national spotlight. A 1952 third rounder out of Duncan, OK., Reed has found a home in the Dominion Stadium outfield and it would be nice to see him garner a little more attention if the Wolves can continue their fine play.

FBLheader
FBL HANDS OUT CAGE AWARDS

It comes as little surprise that the Federal Basketball League champion Toronto Falcons were well represented as the loop handed out its postseason awards. The Falcons, who nipped the Boston Centurions 4 games to 3 in a thrilling league final after setting a new single season record for victories, placed both of their guards on the loop's first all-star team while also seeing center Fred Lillard named the Most Improved Player in the league.

Lillard, who finished second to St Louis forward Bill Melton in scoring, is a 28-year-old who was originally drafted out of Lane State by Chicago in 1955. He did not make his pro debut until last season when he appeared in two games for the Washington Statesmen before being released. Toronto signed him last summer and he was perhaps the missing piece the Falcons needed, starting 74 games and adding another dimension to a Toronto offense that had relied on its backcourt duo of Bill Spangler and Jim Bromberg.

Spangler, who was named for the third time in his career, was the only member of the first team to have been named an all-star before. Bromberg, a 24-year-old second year guard who was taken first overall in 1960 out of Detroit City College, joined Spangler on the first team along with fellow debutants Melton of St. Louis, Chicago's Bob Christensen and center Ed Morrison of the New York Knights.

Morrison, who was in the top eight in both points and rebounds, was named the Federal League's most valuable player in his first season as a starter after spending each of the past three years in a reserve role - two in New York after debuting with Toronto in 1958-59.

The Second All-Star team featured the legendary Luther Gordon - the Chicago Wildcats legend who is now 34 years old and has been named league MVP a record five times. Gordon is not quite the dominant force he was in his twenties, but he continues a streak that sees the two-time Barette Award winner from Liberty College make his 12 consecutive appearance on either the first or second all-star team. Joining Gordon on a veteran laden second team are a trio of Detroit Mustangs in forward Frank Black along with guards Lew Bayne and Erv Corwin. Howie Farrell, the 29-year-old four-time postseason all-star from the New York Knights, rounds out the second team.

RECENT KEY RESULTS

West coast middleweight Arnie Keller improved to 28-7-5 with a 9th round TKO over Paul Jones in a bout slated for 10 rounds.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

June 1- New York City: Dan McMullan will make his first defense of the welterweight title he won from Lonnie Griffin with a first round TKO in April. McMullan, a 24-year-old Columbia, South Carolina native, will face Englishman Lenny Shafto at Bigsby Garden June 1. It will be Shafto's North American debut. His record in Europe is 45-7-1.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 5/27/1962

The stock market declined again Friday with trading so heavy that the lag in the high-speed ticker tape set an all-time record. This fall follows the sharpest drop in 30 years last week.
Communist forces are pushing to take Laos government-held Houei Sai near the Thailand border. It was abandoned two weeks ago but reoccupied by government troops when the Communists did not attempt to occupy the city.
The US exploded another nuclear device in the Pacific test area yesterday. It was the 14th such test announced by the government since the series began April 25.
John Glenn Jr. got all the glory but the second orbital flight, that of Scott Carpenter last week, was probably more productive of good scientific results.
The State Department has informed Senate investigators it has censored the word "victory" from anti-Communist speeches of defense leaders because this "implies an 'all or nothing' approach leaving no room for accommodation." Senator Thurmond of South Carolina inspired the investigation, charging that the elimination of such words reflects a "no win" policy in the State Department.

10-11-2024, 01:57 PM	#1021
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	As we prepare to embark on a trip through the 1960's, the Figment Universe can expect much to change between now -the dawn of the sixties- and we when go back to live weekly simming in each of the four major professional team sports for the start of the 1969 campaign. Expansion will be the biggest change and the live sim is expected to resume with four new baseball teams conducting their expansion draft following the 1968 season. That is nine years from now and in that time it is expected that baseball, with four new teams slated to debut in 1962 in addition to the four in advance of 1969, will increase in scope from 16 to 24 clubs. The American Football Association, which presently counts 12 members, the North American Hockey Confederation with six and the Federal Basketball League which at the moment houses 8 franchises, all are expected to double size by the time we return to weekly simming with human General Managers in each of those sports. While a lot will change in nine years, some of the top young players active today will emerge as stars over the coming years and could still be among the top performers in their respective sports as they hit their early to mid-thirties as we approach the 1970's. Today, as we wait for the 1960 results, TWIFS takes a look at ten names you might want to watch closely over the next decade as each could still play a key role in his respective sport when the weekly sims return. HOBIE BARRELL The Barrell reach extends to all sports and hockey is no different. Hobie is the youngest of two hockey playing sons of former Brooklyn Kings catcher and Toronto Wolves manager Fred Barrell. Older sibling Benny is 21 and made his NAHC debut with the Detroit Motors in 1958-59 after being selected fourth overall in the 1956 amateur draft. By all accounts Hobie is a far better player than his brother, perhaps a generational type talent, but as of this writing he has just turned 18 and is still playing in the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association for the Halifax Mariners. In a league dominated by 19 and 20 year olds, Hobie amassed 90 points in 61 games in 1958-59 and was named a second team all-star. His NAHC future will become much clearer when the draft results are released. The left winger may be bound for Chicago as the Packers finished last in the league this past season and own the first selection in the draft. RALPH BARRELL Ralph made his big league debut in 1959 at the age of 19 and hit 19 homeruns in just 85 games, evoking memories of his famous father Bobby Barrell. The Philadelphia born teen is one of two Barrell's on the Los Angeles Stars, joining his 29-year-old cousin Charlie. Injuries, caused perhaps by a number of years playing both professional baseball and basketball, may help Charlie's career end well before 1969 but odds are pretty good that Ralph may be well on his way to joining his father as one of the most feared power hitters the game has ever seen. That is a lot of pressure to put on a 19-year-old but he appears ready to handle it. STEVE BARRELL As mentioned above with his cousin Hobie, the Barrell reach is all encompassing and Dan Barrell's youngest son Steve seems well on his way to a terrific pro basketball career. A two-sport star at Chicago Poly, where his father Dan - the former FABL player and briefly league president- now serves as Athletic Director, Steve turned down a chance to play pro football with the Los Angeles Tigers because they wanted to convert the former quarterback to a halfback. Instead he decided to concentrate on basketball after being chosen second overall by the Boston Centurions in the 1958 Federal Basketball League draft. The 22-year-old guard averaged over 14 points a game his debut season and was named FBL rookie of the year for the 1958-59 campaign MILLER BOGERT The 23-year-old quarterback led the Chicago Wildcats to their first AFA title in a decade as rookie. What is even more impressive is Bogert was a mere afterthought in the 1958 AFA draft, being selected in the 7th round by the Wildcats out of Bluegrass State. A decade long career is a lot to ask for any football player but Bogert may just buck the odds, and if he does the Wildcats may win a few more titles over the next nine years. HUGO DYAL Obviously none of the players participating in college football or basketball will be in the AIAA nine years from now but there is a good chance that Hugo Dyal will still be winning football titles. The 62-year-old head coach of the Northern California Miners football team has built his club into a powerhouse. Under Dyal's guidance the Miners have gone 99-17-1 since 1950, winning 8 West Coast Athletic Association titles including 4 straight as well as each of the past four East-West Classic games. Under Dyal, the Miners are 6-3 all-time playing in Santa Ana on New Years Day. What has eluded the veteran coach, at least so far, is a national title although they have finished in the top five each of the past four years and were ranked second in 1960 and 1958. GEORGE HOXWORTH The Toronto Wolves have been a bad baseball team for what feels like forever. They have been fortunate enough over the years to have some good pitchers and we feel George Hoxworth has a chance to be one of the best in the game. Selected 7th overall in 1956 out of high school, he made his big league debut at 18 and now, four years later, has already won 50 games while still a few months shy of his 22nd birthday. FABL has seen three players win their 300th game in the past three seasons (Al Miller, Deuce Barrell and Ed Bowman) and it may be a while for the next one but we feel come 1969 there may be talk about Hoxworth approaching 300. Toronto will have to turn things around as a team for that to happen but OSA sees the 6'2" righthander playing a major role in that as they tout Hoxworth as someone who could win an Allen Award or two. ALEX MONETTE The 26-year-old center of the Detroit Motors has etched his name alongside Quinton Pollack and Tommy Burns as one of the top players in the North American Hockey Confederation. Monette led the NAHC with 82 points in the recently completed 1958-59 season, ending a seven year stretch when only Pollack or Burns could claim that honour. After scoring 4 goals in the Challenge Cup clinching game as a rookie in 1953 the Motors knew Monette was something special. He had over 100 points in each of his final two years of junior and has accumulated 451 points in 433 career NAHC games. Monette, will be 36 when we go "live" again but may still be playing a key role in the Motor City. He has already helped the Motors win three Challenge Cups and it seems just a matter of time before he breaks Pollack's hold on the McDaniels Trophy as the NAHC MVP. THE BOSTON MINUTEMEN We could name the two 23-year-old pitchers from Boston in Don Griffin and Dick Wilson, each twenty-game winners in 1959, but truth is this group looks like it might just be the next powerhouse in the Federal Association. It is hard to find a better pair of young pitchers anywhere and the Minutemen offensive core led by 29-year-olds Rick Masters and Joe Kleman along with Jack Denis, 28, and Ed Wise, 27, looks like it could be around for a while. Topping the Detroit Dynamos six pennants in seven seasons during the 1950s seems unlikely but if allowed to stay together, we may be looking back in 1969 at several Minutemen titles. HANK WILLIAMS Just 26-years-old, the Kansas City Kings outfielder has already won back to back Whitney Awards and Continental Association batting titles including hitting .406 in 1959. It is the first .400 season FABL has seen since Mel Carrol did it with Washington in 1937. Williams has 493 hits in just 328 big league games and the local product (he is from Liberal, KS) looks to be on a pace, if he stays healthy, to be one of the best pure hitters the game has ever seen. Don't sleep on his power either as Williams hit 34 homers in 1959 and became just the second player ever to smack 60 doubles in a season. The first was Hall of Famer Dave Trowbridge. JIM YORK This one might be a little bit of a reach compared to most of the others but we feel York is a carbon copy of another former collegiate lefthander. He reminds us Detroit's 3-time Allan Award winner Jim Norris. York, 22, does not have an Allen Award yet but he did win the Christian Trophy his junior season at Chesapeake State before being drafted in the second round (same as Norris was) to Cincinnati in 1958. York made his big league debut in 1959, posting a 13-10 record and even threw a no-hitter, something else he shares in common with Norris. OSA feels he still has room to grow and could be a true #1 starter. We are anticipating a long career from the Cannons rising star. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

10-21-2024, 10:03 AM	#1022
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,715	1960 End of Year Report 1960 IN FIGMENT SPORTS EXPANSION COMING TO BASEBALL Ever since it was formed way back in 1892, FABL has consisted of 16 ballclubs with both the Continental and Federal Associations represented by 8 teams. That number will swell in a little over a year from now after word leaked that FABL is set to expand by four clubs, adding two teams to each of its associations. The Continental Association will return to the Big Apple for the first time since 1953. That was when the New York Stars moved to Los Angeles, joining the Philadelphia Sailors on a trip west. Since then, New York City has been the exclusive domain of the Federal Association Gothams but that will change for the 1962 season as the Continental Association will return to New York with a team slated to be called the Imperials. Joining the Imperials as newcomers to the CA for 1962 will be the Dallas Wranglers. The Federal Association is also expanding to ten teams including the loop's first west coast entry. It will be based in Los Angeles and known as the Suns. Joining the Suns will be a new team based in Minneapolis dubbed the Millers. Here is a look at preliminary logo designs for each of the four newcomers. Before expansion ushers in a whole new era for baseball we still have the just completed 1960 campaign as well as the 1961 season to look forward to in the final years of a 16-team loop. With baseball expansion a certainty, it feels like it will just be a matter of time before the other three major professional team sports also look to broaden their reach across North America. On the playing fields it was the city of Boston that had the most to celebrate in 1960. The Boston Minutemen won the World Championship Series for the second year in a row, once again downing the Cleveland Foresters in five games. Boston's basketball team -the Centurions- have never won a Federal Basketball League title but came close last June as they ended a four-year playoff drought by reaching the finals for just the second time in franchise history. They lost, falling to the same organization they did the first time around but instead of the Rochester Rockets it was the St Louis Rockets who ended the Centurions title hopes. Boston also had quite a season on the ice and if you wanted drama in 1960 look no further than the NAHC playoffs. It was not one but two amazing comebacks for the Boston Bees hockey team. Boston dropped each of the first three games of its semi-final series to the New York Shamrocks and trailed 2-0 after forty minutes in game four before roaring back to take that game in overtime and win the next three as well to complete one of the greatest playoff comebacks in hockey history. The Bees were not done as they fell behind in the Challenge Cup finals as well, trailing the Chicago Packers 3 games to 1 before winning three straight including the last two on Oscar James shutouts, by scores of 3-0 and in game seven 1-0, to win their 9th Challenge Cup. College Football saw its national champion hail from the state of Georgia for the fourth consecutive year. The first two it was Noble Jones College coming out on top but for the second straight season the Georgia Baptist Gators emerged as the best AIAA grid squad in the nation. Here are the champions in each of the sports for 1960. It took just two days of 1960 for the first trade involving FABL players, as the Chicago Cougars picked up 30-year-old outfielder Bill Irvin from the Wolves for a pair of prospects. Irvin, who spent parts of seven seasons with the Toronto Wolves, made a career high 388 trips to the plate in 1959. Expected to play a more crucial role on the Wolves this season, he'll instead head to the Windy City after hitting .237/.356/.412 (110 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 14 homers, and 47 RBIs in 121 games. The former 8th pick will enter the 60s with a career .255/.353/.446 (121 OPS+) triple slash in 1,160 FABL PAs. The outfielder tallied 48 doubles, 45 homers, 168 RBIs, 139 runs, and 148 walks, spending all his time at either first or left. As a non-obvious fit, you would think Chicago got a discount, but the Wolves were able to pry away the 76th ranked prospect Red Richards from the Windy City Kitties. Taken 10th in the 1959 draft, he made 7 starts between 3 levels last year, at times dealing with control issues. Just 21, the young righty has a really good curveball, and his low 90s sinker is excellent at generating groundballs. That skillset is usually in demand at Cougars Park, making it even more shocking they parted with a promising rotation member for a corner-only bat. They could be worried about his control, which could lead to future issues, but the movement he gets on his pitches should lead to plenty of whiffs and weak hits. Not an ace unless his stuff and/or control improve, but still a potential reliable middle of the rotation arm. Toronto also picked up a former Keystone 2nd Rounder in George Ewing, who came over in 1956 in exchange for Tom Buchanan. Ewing has now transitioned into a pen role, and is more filler, but could give the Wolves an extra arm for '60 or '61. Though just over a week later, the landscape of the 60s changed, as the reigning Fed champs made a huge add. Already boasting one of the top lineups, the Minutemen made a major upgrade in the rotation, adding a third ace-quality pitcher to supplement Don Griffin (20-7, 3.09, 199) and Dick Wilson (22-6, 2.51, 116). That would be 26-year-old Bud Henderson, who like Boston's double Ds, is a former 20-game winner. The now- former Sailor was 20-16 in 1958, leading the Conti in wins, as he finished with a 3.60 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 183 strikeouts in an outstanding season. It was his third of now four seasons with an above average ERA+, as the former 3rd Rounder is coming off an unlucky 12-15 season despite a solid 4.05 ERA (105 ERA+), 3.90 FIP (91 FIP-), and 136 strikeouts. He did walk a career high 107 batters, producing a BB% above 8 (9.9) for the first time in his career, but with his age, effectiveness, and durability, the win-now Boston club was willing to throw in some major chips to acquire the 3-Time All-Star. The extreme groundballer is one of the top arms in the game, and if the Minutemen weren't already the favorite for the start of the 60s, they surely are now. For the Sailors, it's tough parting with such a good pitcher, especially considering their lack of depth and potential 37-year-old ace Duke Bybee (4-10, 3.88, 94) coming off elbow surgery, but they picked up a promising young FABL hurler and two exciting prospects. The FABL pitcher is 24-year-old Gary Pike, who probably would have held a spot in the Boston rotation had they not acquired Henderson. Acquired just last offseason from the Pioneers, the former 7th Rounder made his big league debut last season. Throwing 62.1 innings between 2 starts and 28 relief outings, the 6'4'' righty was 4-1 with 4 saves, a 1.59 ERA (270 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 33 walks, and 30 strikeouts. A hard throwing groundballer, his off-speed pitch is a cutter, as he blows fastballs and sinkers by hitters. The sinker generates a lot of grounders too, which is key considering his command (or lack of it) lead to a lot of traffic on the bases. With his pure stuff, he can overpower, but he's got a lot of moving parts in his windup and that could make it tough for him to ever walk fewer than average hitters. Pivoting to the prospects, the headliner was last year's 12th pick Jim Cruel. Ranked 65th among prospects, "Slim" got hit pretty hard in Class C last season (5-7, 7.59, 59), as he walked 85 hitters in 85.1 innings pitched. A five-pitch pitcher, he's clearly a development project, but there is a ton of upside hidden inside. He's got a nice sinker that he leans on to get outs in the field, and he mixes all his pitches well. The stuff may never be better then average, but it's already pretty polished. He likes to live on the corners to make up for the lack of stuff, and the Sailor's staff will now work on refining his repertoire and control. They'll also pick up former Toronto 3rd Rounder Mike Logan, who was drafted last year, traded to Boston in October, and now joins his third organization in less then a full calendar year. Clearly in demand, the top 150 prospect was a solid college hitter, and he produced WRC+ of 209, 152, and 141 in Class C, B, and A. Set to be a fast riser, he could crack San Fran's quite quickly, and with his excellent plate discipline he has a nice high floor of a useful off-the-bench bat. The defense at second isn't very good, limiting his overall ceiling, but so far the bat has played well. Many off seasons, this would be the end of the notable moves, but FABL teams were still active come February. It started with an interesting swap of top 100 prospects, where Washington picked up lefty Carl Levy (51st) from the Cougars for catcher Chappy Sanders (95th) and veteran outfielder Hugh Pate. Levy debuted at 19 for the Cougars just over a year and a half after being selected as a 4th Round high schooler. It went as you might expect more walks (15) then strikeouts (10) and an elevated 6.86 ERA (62 ERA+), but he flashed a ton of potential on the mound. A four-pitch pitcher who projects to be a starter, he's got amazing stuff and solid command. He's got a reliable low 90s fastball that pairs with a strong change, and with his age he could still have opportunities to add velo. And with such a weak staff in the nation's capital, Levy gives them a promising young arm to eat innings in what's likely to be another season towards the bottom for the Eagles. For the Cougars, Chappy is the headline, as the son of former Cannons catcher Earl Sanders will leave the organization that took him 17th in 1958. 23 in May, he's got an exciting bat, even before adding the "for catcher" qualifier that you usually have to mention. The power is just a projection, like it was at one point for current backstop Stan Czerwinski, but he has a patient approach and makes at worst average contact at the plate. When developed, he could hit around 15 homers with a few more walks then strikeouts, all while maintaining a solid batting average. The defense could use some work, but it's no surprise the Cougars were interested in him. With Hugh Pate, there's some, as they just got Irvin and already boast a deep and talented outfield. Still, Pate hit .360/.407/.514 (146 OPS+) in a bench role last year and owns a .298/.375/.468 (126 OPS+) career line. He can cover all three outfield positions and is a solid clubhouse figure who provides value off the field as well. Up next was a swap of veteran infielders, with shortstop Cecil LaBonte heading to St. Louis from New York for third basemen Dan Finch. LaBonte, now 34, was once one of the top young shortstops in the game, but since the 1952 season he has failed to produce a WRC+ or OPS+ above 100. This has dropped his career line down to a just-above-average .287/.354/.409 (102 OPS+) in almost 1,700 (1,698) games in a Gothams uniform. With age he's been relegated to a bench role, as he started just 6 games in 1959 after 67 in 1958, which was second to just his rookie season where he got called up a month after being drafted. St. Louis does have Paul Watson (.265, 15, 80) who plays a lot of third and short, but LaBonte could secure the job and shift Watson to third long-term. On the flip side, Finch started a career high 63 games and hit a respectable .261/.386/.376 (106 OPS+) in an also career high 264 PAs. This accounted for a bit less then half of his 599 FABL PAs, and once he appears in a game for the Gothams it will be his third FABL team since his 1950 debut. But neither of those moves come anywhere close to the deal the Chiefs made, as they added 6-Time All-Star and 1948 Kellogg Winner Irv Clifford from the Miners for a trio of youngsters. After trading Paul Williams, perhaps it shouldn't be too unexpected they'd move on from Clifford too- another mainstay in their lineup. Since his debut, he's been one of the top offensive middle infielders, producing a WRC+ and OPS+ above 100 in all but his 1952 season, and even then, it was 96 and 94 and he was on base early and often. 34 as of this January, Clifford is coming off another excellent season, hitting .281/.365/.420 (111 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 22 triples, 2 homers, 58 RBIs, 27 steals, 73 walks, and 98 runs. His 6th 4+ WAR season (4.1), Clifford will finish his Miners career with a .303/.381/.410 (116 OPS+) career line in 1,794 FABL games. The former 2nd Pick managed to log 430 doubles, 172 triples, 725 RBIs, 915 walks, 206 steals, and 1,201 runs, all while hitting less homers (18) in his career then new teammates Rod Shearer (31) and Mickey Tucker (21) hit in 1959 alone. Tasked with the leadoff spot, Clifford could lead the Fed in PAs for the third time in his career and seems like a lock to surpass 650 like he has in every season since 1949. 1959 was his first season at second base, a position he'll likely maintain when he goes to the Chiefs, and it's a shrewd move by the baseball's original club to take a run at the defending champion Minutemen. A common entrant on the Miners' career record books, he's top 10 in OBP (10th), WAR (9th, 45.9), games (3rd, 1,794), runs (2nd), hits (3rd, 2,145), triples (3rd), RBIs (9th), and walks (3rd) while the leader in doubles. His time in Pittsburgh will be remembered fondly, but now he'll have a shot for an elusive post season at bat. The cost for Chicago was huge, two top 100 prospects and a former top 100 prospect, but one that should make them a legitimate contender for the 1960 season. The guy they might miss most is the towering 6'4'' catcher Eddie Thomas, who the Chiefs took in the 2nd Round of the 1958 draft. Arguably the top catching prospect in FABL, Thomas split his '59 between Class C and B, dominating the lesser competition before looking somewhat overmatched against older pitchers. A skilled defender, he's already at least average behind the plate, which should make it easier for the young catcher to earn and hold a big-league role. The bat needs some work, his swing isn't that pretty, but oh boy! When he gets a hold of one?!?!?! Man does it go far! His good swings look majestic and captures the attention of all in the crowd, and even when he doesn't make solid contact, he can still muscle a mistake over the outfield walls. On top of all that, he's got a ton of athleticism, allowing him to shag balls on the outfield grass too. If he can't kick it behind the plate, he could handle either three spots on the outfield, and he's already spent some time at first too. While no George Cleaves, Thomas certainly has loads of talent, and it would be very fitting for the Miners to again have the top catcher in all of baseball. That is of course, if Thomas is able to reach or even pass his already lofty ceiling. Joining Thomas is fellow top 100 prospect John Moreland, a 23-year-old shortstop, and Tom Sexton, a 24-year-old-outfielder, both of which celebrate their birthdays in May. Moreland, the Chiefs 3rd Rounder in 1954, may not see his last of the organization, as after trading him to the Eagles in February 1958, they quickly re-acquired him that same October. Another tall position player, the 6'3'' infielder went 2-for-13 in a cup of coffee with the Chiefs last year and is believed to have the inside edge on one of the middle infield spots now that Clifford is in Chicago. A capable athlete nicknamed "Bullets" due to his arm strength, he's a viable defender at short, but he doesn't have the speed you like to see at premium defensive positions. He makes up for that with his reactions and instincts, both in the field and on the base path. He has a crisp smooth swing and should hit for a high average, and like Clifford he's more discipline and put the ball in play. Don't get me wrong, he has way more power, but even 10 in a season would still be a stretch. Tom Sexton could join him in the Miner lineup as well, as he got a smaller cup (0-for-2) with the Chiefs in September himself. Projected as a useful bench piece, he's capable at all three outfield spots and second base, and he has big league pop from the right side. The Miners did well to infuse their system with high end, high pedigree talent, even at the cost of a franchise icon. From that point out, it was back to the usual quiet of the preseason, as teams prepared for the start of the new campaign. After making their big offseason moves, the Chiefs and Minutemen were the favorites in the Fed according to OSA, but they still expected a good season from the former dynasty in Detroit. The Conti looked more open, with a lot of love given to the Kings, Foresters, and rather surprisingly, the Cougars, with the Cannons also in the mix for an 80+ win season. Only really the Miners, Eagles, and Saints look to be eliminated in April, but FABL fans know just how crazy a baseball season can get. * Miners Surprise Team of Fed in Early Going * Despite trading Paul Williams and Irv Clifford in the offseason, the Pittsburgh Miners started the season red-hot, finishing 8-3, tied with the Chicago Chiefs for the top April record in the Fed. Those two would meet for the first time on May 3rd, in a move that could separate the pretender from the contender. The reason? Partially Roy Sneddon, who looked to put the .222/.309/.300 (65 OPS+) he hit last year behind him. The almost 30-year-old hit .371/.450/.629 (171 OPS+) as the everyday third basemen, tallying 4 doubles, a triple, a homer, 5 walks, 6 runs, and 7 RBIs. Bill Wise (.357, 6, 1) got off to a nice start too, and Clifford return piece John Moreland (.323, 3) completed the unlikely trio that led the Miners lineup. Alex Vaughn (1-0, 1.38, 7) and Joe McDowell (0-0, 2.57, 8) headed the mound staff although in McDowell's two starts his decisions went to Don Honeycutt (1-2, 5.59, 10). It's hard to believe the hot start for Pittsburgh, so it's fitting they'll get a real test after finishing off the Gothams in a double header before an off day they'd use for travel. Chicago's record was to be believed, as the addition of Irv Clifford has seemingly jump-started the ballclub. The Chiefs shiny new leadoff hitter produced a respectable .306/.346/.449 (104 OPS+) line, but it helped lead to production from Doc Zimmerman (.279, 1, 8, 1), Dave Price (.325, 1, 5), Ed Bloom (.270, 3), and of course, Rod Shearer. Hoping to earn his elusive Whitney, the 31-year-old star hit .286/.375/.643 (158 OPS+), launching 4 homers with 12 RBIs. "Hot Rod" is on track to be just the tenth man to record 350 FABL home runs, needing just 23 more to meet the lofty metric. New starter Jack Halbur (2-0, 2.79, 12), acquired from Detroit, is off to an excellent start to his season, as ace Vern Osborne (3-0, 2.29, 12) showed exactly why he sits atop a contender's rotation. After a double header and off day of their own, Osborne will be the one to welcome the Miners to Whitney Park. It may not feel like a big game to them, but early games like this are critical if you want to nudge middle-of-the-pack teams away from contention. Set to face Osborne for Pittsburgh is former top 20 prospect Mike Blackham (1-0, 3.75, 5), who debuted at 19 last April. All but one of his league leading 78 appearances came out of the pen, as the young lefty finished 11-5 with 14 saves, a 4.49 ERA (97 ERA+), and 3.84 FIP (88 FIP-) in 122.1 innings pitched. He struck out 90 and walked just 51, and he won one of the many rotation spots behind Ed Power that were up for grabs in the spring. Skipper Clyde Matthews has liked the early returns on him in the rotation so far, as his mid 90s fastballs have been able to overpower in small samples. He's yet to be built up, and in the big game with Chiefs Blackham left after 109 pitches through 6.2 innings. It could have been avoided, as an error is the only thing that stopped it from being seven, as the youngster did a good job bouncing back from a rough first. He surrendered home runs to Mickey Tucker (4) and Rod Shearer (5) and kept the Chiefs at three until they reclaimed the lead in the 6th. This might have been the sign to go to the pen, as the very unreliable Don Honeycutt was the one called upon to strand the bases loaded. It started good, as pinch hitter Willie Martin was quickly down 0-2, but a wild pitch let Ed Bloom score from third. After a foul ball, Honeycutt then hit Martin, promptly reloading the bases for Elmer Walters. Walter chased a 2-0 pitch, popping up harmlessly to end the inning, but the avoidable damage was done. Pittsburgh went up without a whimper in the top half, and then Honeycutt replacement George Kollock decided to load the bases again with a double and two walks. This led to trouble, as after just missing a tough pitch, Ed Bloom was able to lock on, clearing the bases with a 366 foot wall scraper. To the Miners credit, they battled back for two runs in the ninth, but they just ran out of outs and fell out of the first place tie. With ace Ed Power on against big strikeout arm Joe Cipolla, the Miners would need something from their offense, but they were held scoreless through five. They got finally got two in the 7th, moving within one of the association leaders. Mother nature decided to interrupt the comeback, as with one out in the 8th, lightning was seen, and play was paused. The 67-minute rain delay ended Cipolla's night too (7.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K), but they couldn't mount a rally on the replacement. Even worse, the Miners had to do the same for Power (7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, 6 K), who aside from allowing homers to Dave Price (3) and Rod Shearer (6) was as good as it gets. Don Honeycutt is not, and after getting a quick ground out he showed exactly why. He walked both Bloom and Shearer on four pitches, and after getting Mickey Turner down 0-2, he threw three wide and the catcher eventually worked an eight-pitch walked. Bases now loaded, he faced young outfielder Dave Price, getting a quick and shallow flyout that kept the veteran Bloom at third. An out away from weaseling his way out, his old nemesis, the wild pitch, came back. That allowed Bloom to score on a 1-1 pitch, and he followed that with two more balls to again load the bases. After looking silly with the bases loaded the following day, the epitome of an easy out Elmer Walters looked like a man out for revenge, staring menacingly at the pitcher he felt wronged him. Of course, the look didn't do much, his monster swing quickly led to a dribbler on home plate, but lucky for him that meant he got another chance. The wild Honeycutt missed wide trying to get him to chase, which seemed to only increase the rage Walters felt inside. Using that feeling, the defensive specialist unleashed the power of all glove-first guys before him, launching one 425 feet to give the Chiefs their second 8th inning grand slam in as many games. Mercifully, Willie Martin was disposed of quickly to end the frame, but the Miners dugout was dejected, and they realized that any hope they might have gained over the past few weeks was just the foolishness of buying a tiny sample size. The Chiefs used this series to build momentum, while Pittsburgh quickly retreated towards .500. After the first place deciding Fed series, the Conti was even tighter, as the Cougars (10-7) and Cannons (11-8) were both within a half game of the Foresters (11-7). It was the Cougars who made the first move, as they took first on the 5th of May and didn't look back. After sweeping Montreal they did the same to the Kings and Cannons, and used their patented pitching to hold the lead the rest of the month. Sure, the Foresters got within a half game towards the end, but an 18-12 May allowed Chicago to lead both Ohio teams by two before the new month. The bullpen was amazing, led by David Molina protégé Arch Wilson (3-1, 5, 2.54, 18) who pitched 28.1 innings in just over half (16) of the Cougs May games. When he couldn't go, Bobby Crooks (1-0, 3, 1.54, 7) and Ken Stone (1-1, 1, 2.31, 4) filled in fine, and both Dick Greenlaugh (0-0, 0.46, 7) and Roy Ellis (1-1, 2.29, 12) were excellent in their six relief appearances and single start. Of course, with guys like Hank Walker (5-1, 2.65, 16), Pug White (4-2, 4.20, 26), and Ollie Norris (2-1, 2.75, 16), significant relief isn't always needed. And with young stars like Jack Gibson (.330, 5, 21, 1), Jerry McMillian (.248, 5, 14, 4), and maybe now Jim Barton (.318, 2, 12), they could sustain a pennant run for the first time since 1952. I can't remember the last time both Chicago teams were atop the standings, as the Cougars haven't been there in ages, but the Chiefs (28-14) held a slightly larger 2.5 game lead over the Pioneers (23-14). They relied heavily on their rotation, namely Joe Cipolla, who was a perfect 5-0 with a 1.99 ERA (222 ERA+), 1.01 WHIP, 13 walks, and 35 strikeouts. Cipolla and Dick Champ (2-0, 1.07, 25) both were outstanding, while the pen got good innings from veterans Mel Haynes (2-2, 3.18, 12) and Carl Potter (1-1, 1, 3.06, 8). For a while, things just stayed close, but on June 12th the Foresters broke the Chicago-only association lead. They didn't hold it outright, matching the Cougars 31-23 record, as the top two teams traded decisions for the next three games. An emphatic 11-0 win over the Saints put the Foresters in front, as Chicago dropped the opener in Cincinnati. They went on to drop the next three, which brought the teams into a tie for 3rd, three and a half behind the first place Foresters (36-24). * Cannons Stay in Thick of CA Race as Calendar Turned to June * Expected to compete, Cleveland has hit and pitched well, and after an off day they would start a critical 14 game road trip that starts with the Cannons (33-28) and Kings (34-28). The Foresters would open with the now 43-year-old Rufus Barrell, with buddy Adrian Czerwinski and a potential spot starter in the final two starts of the series. Cleveland got off to a fast start, with Tom Carr's speed (BB, SAC, SB, WP) manufacturing an early 1-0 lead. Unfortunately for any of the fans who made the 250 mile trek, that's really the last thing they enjoyed in the game, as Fred Lainhart (2-5, 2 R, RBI, 2 2B), Al Farmer (2-5, 2 R, RBI, 2B), and Johnny Elliot (3-4, R, RBI) led the Cannons to an easy 7-1 lead. The hosts then piled 15 hits on the Mad Professor in an outing where he didn't finish the 6, exiting with 7 runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, and 2 outs. 1957 Whitney Winner Dallas Berry made some noise after a 1-for-5 in the opener, 3-for-4 with a walk, triple, RBI, and two runs scored. Five players recorded two hit games, with Fred Lainhart (2-5, R), Art McKinney (2-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI), Larry Lewis (2-3 R, RBI), Willie Watson (2-4, 2 RBI), and Nick Remillard (2-4, R, 2B) all getting in the fun. Aside from some late inning runs, Jimmy Block (8.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) was excellent, and it was his own error that led to an "unearned" run. In position to sweep, a win here would put Cincinnati a half game out of first. The pitching matchup of Johnny Britton and Hal Miller didn't do justice to the standing implications, but the game delivered early excitement. After two quick outs, the always difficult Dallas Berry worked a seven-pitch double, extending the inning for Al Farmer. Despite going down 0-2, the veteran remained cool and composed, lining a double of his own. Unable to recover, the spot-starting Britton walked Art McKinney on four pitches, at least setting up the force for both runners. Still a bit uneasy, the young righty missed two more times, before Larry Lewis hit the third double of the inning, plating both runners. It was another walk, this time to Willie Watson, and the Cannons stretched the lead to four with a Nick Remillard single. Thankfully, opposing pitcher Hal Miller was easy enough for Britton, but things were not looking good in the visiting dugout. Wise words from pitching coach Tom Martin and the Mad Professor himself seemed to calm the young righty, who battled for back-to-back 1-2-3 innings. Just two more Cannons reached base, and after the misstep in the first he fired off four scoreless innings. But when he was pinch hit for in the 6th, his team was in reach of making it a game. Otis O'Keefe opened the scoring with a one out single earlier in the inning, followed by John Low beating out a double play attempt to allow Sherry Doyal's run to count. Now with runners on first and third, Johnson was the go ahead run and could give his pitcher a win with one swing of the bat. Homers aren't his thing, just eight in the past three years, but a line drive past the second basemen put the tying run on second. Down 4-3, the lineup turned over to Tom Carr, who was quickly down 0-2. Not changing his approach, he thwacked a grounder past the shortstop, sending Jerry Hubbs to round third and try to score. Fielded cleanly, "The Can-Do Kid" Dallas Berry unleashed his cannon, catching the tortoise Hubbs before he could make his slide. With how the series went, that felt like a huge miss, but Frank Young (IP, H) and Lynn Horn (2 IP, H, BB, 4 K) kept the Cannons at the 4, providing the lineup opportunities to tie it up. But once the struggling Joe Smith entered the game, Cleveland showed little resistance, sprinkling a hit and a walk between 4 Ks in 2.2 innings. His first save as a Cannon, he ended the game with a Sherry Doyal strikeout and Hal Kennedy double play, putting themselves in striking distance of first place. Meanwhile, the 1960 draft class was beginning to fill the low minors rosters, including #1 pick Dixie Turner. Son of former Pittsburgh Miner (and GWL Dallas Centurion) Ed Turner, Dixie has a chance to debut for the team that picked his dad in the 1937 Rule-5 Draft. A versatile high schooler, he played games at second, third, short, center, left, and right, but Pittsburgh views him as their new second basemen of the future. Already a top 10 prospect, Turner hit 14 homers as a senior, and projects to have light-tower power at the plate. Paired with excellent plate coverage, a patient approach, and a nifty contact tool, the younger Turner has the chance to be everything his father wasn't. A potential multi-year All-Star, Turner was both best overall and filling a need, as with no more Irv Clifford there's a massive hole he filled for a season. With his youth, his best day's might not come until Clifford had his worst, but Dixie is almost an ideal prospect. His versatility makes him easy to make room for, as aside from catcher and pitcher he shouldn't have many issues. Though some would argue that 2nd Overall pick Miguel Paniagua was the better option, as the 6'3'' Dominican was placed in the top 5. Further ahead than Dixie, there's thoughts of placing Paniagua in A ball, as the catcher/outfielder impressed in the Caribbean before moving to Florida for college. A patient hitter with extra base pop and a quality contact tool, Paniagua is the type of hitter you want in big opportunities. His weakness is his speed, and the more he catches the less outfield he can play, providing an interesting decision for the Stars front office to make. Other notable prospects include 5th selection Bobby Phelps, another talented outfielder with elite power, an outstanding eye, and a swing that should translate to averages well over .300. The only issue is his defense has not been good. Natural catcher Tom Brizzolara was taken 7th by the Gothams, and they aggressively placed the 21-year-old catcher in AA. Lew Mercer has been a reliable starting catcher after George Cleaves left, but the Brooklyn native could break the Gothams catching trend that has seen the starter start one fewer season then the rest. Pete Casstevens was there for 8 years, Cleaves for 7, and now Mercer in his 6th could be replaced next season. He hits for average and power all while providing excellent defense behind the game, with his Midwestern University teammates praising his ability to call a game. Just two pitchers were selected, but all sixteen members of the first round cracked the top 100 in a strong draft that skewed batter heavy, causing some talented pitchers to slip to the 2nd and 3rd. As much as Cincinnati tried, they just couldn't pass Cleveland in June, a month that saw the Fed leader change on multiple occasions, including three times in the last three days. The Chiefs, Pioneers, and Keystones all held first at some point, while the Minutemen finished the month as one of the four teams within one game of first. Even Detroit was still in it at 2.5 out, as everyone was taking games from the Miners (29-43), Gothams (27-43), and Eagles (25-45). With little separation, it was still anyone's game, but as the league got closer to the all-star break, the Keystones started to gain some ground. They took three of four from the Pioneers in St. Louis, split a double header with Detroit, and won three of five from the Miners to enter the break 47-32. For a team that hadn't had a winning record since Buddy Miller's rookie season, it was a huge accomplishment, and they held 2.5 game leads over St. Louis (45-35) and Detroit (46-36), with the Chiefs (45-37) and Minutemen (46-38) an extra game back. Star rookie center fielder Harry Dellinger was the main reason the Keystones were on top, as the Kellogg favorite exploded in June, taking home the Rookie and Batter of the Month award. The 21-year-old top five prospect hit an excellent .438/.485/.802 (231 OPS+), mashing 11 homers, 5 doubles, and 3 triples in 132 trips to the plate. The former 2nd Pick scored 31 runs, drove in 40 more, and swiped 4 bases, making him 16-for-18. With Dellinger, Miller, and Lloyd Coulter, they have a trio of serious sluggers, and for once the pitching staff some young talent that can be relied on. There's still a long season ahead of them, but it's an exciting position that is unfamiliar to many Keystone fans that are still yearning for the days of success under Bobby Barrell. The Conti began to separate at the break as well, with the Foresters pulling out a 4 game lead over the Cougars, who were the only team within five. While the Fed had five teams all closer to first then the Cougars, the Conti had only four teams within ten games of the Foresters, and were threatening to run away with the first pennant of the 60s. Czerwinski, Jake Pearson, Hal Kennedy, John Low, Tom Carr, and Paul Williams all represented the division leaders at the mid-summer classic, and with the top offense and second best pitching staff, smart money would bet on Cleveland holding the lead the rest of the way. ALL-STAR GAME The 28th annual All-Star Game was an offensive display at Cleveland's Forester Stadium. The two sides combined for 30 hits as the Continental stars held off their counterparts from the Federal Association by a 9-8 score. The CA leads the series 16 wins to 12. Among the hitting stars were Charlie Barrell of Los Angeles, who enjoyed a 3-for-5 day for the CA and Cleveland catcher Hal Kennedy, who had two hits including the only homerun of the game. TRADE DEADLINE While Cleveland carried their momentum after the break, the Keystones could not, as they lost big series to the Pioneers (1-3), Minutemen (0-3), and Chiefs (1-2), only picking up multiple wins against the Eagles. On the 23rd, four teams were within a half a game of their miniscule lead, and by July 24th the Dynamos (53-40) were the first of that group to claim the top spot. At that point, only the Chiefs, who were a game out at 51-40, had made any deals of note. The first one was about as shocking as it gets, as they sold low on last year's Kellogg winner Dave Price (.248, 5, 34, 3) who was struggling through one of the worst sophomore slumps you could imagine. After hitting .313/.366/.480 (126 OPS+) with 33 doubles, 14 triples, 14 homers, 84 RBIs, and 107 runs, he's scuffled to a .248/.267/.352 (59 OPS+) line in 82 games. The 1959 hit leader (193) saw his WRC+ more then halve from 127 to 61, due in large part to a stark BB% decline from 8.2 to 2.9. The talented 23-year-old was still excellent out in center, but his bat was so big of a black hole that they felt they needed a new center fielder. Of course, there are options like optioning him to AAA or move him into more of a 4th outfield role, both of which are significantly better options then trading him to Montreal for a 33-year-old starter-turned-stopper in Tom Fisher (4-5, 12, 3.43, 36), especially considering Paul Magee was doing a solid job himself. Fisher has been excellent, but his 4.84 FIP (109 FIP-) is over a full run higher then his ERA, and for the first time since 1952 he was walking (39) more guys then he struck out (36). He does serve as decent rotation depth himself, but it seems like a deal could have gotten done without Price. A few days later they picked up another pen arm in Lee Loeffler (3-7, 8, 5.12, 41). A long-time Chief who made 174 appearances between 1953 and 1959 with them. He was DFA'd during the season and unclaimed last year, deciding not to refuse his outright assignment. It paid off, as at the Rule-5 draft the Eagles decided to take a risk on him, and despite his high ERA (5.12, 86) and FIP (4.91, 111) he'll now get to pitch in a pennant race. Unlikely to pitch many high leverage outings, he's a good guy to soak up unimportant innings or even the occasional spot start in a double header. The cost was minimal too, a pair of young first basemen, making it a reasonable deal. The more talented prospect is a first basemen only Wally Fontaine, who ranks inside the top 200, but doesn't really have the bat to play every day at first. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Steve Oleson can play some outfield, but he's a former 12th Round pick whom might top out as a AA player. Still, for a team supplying the rest of their association with wins, it's a useful pickup for a guy you gave up nothing to get. Trade seasons first major domino fell on the 26th, with both association leaders acquiring a bat from the Gothams. Despite a 7 game lead and a lineup as good as any, the Cleveland Foresters continued their outfield addiction by picking up star center fielder Earl Howe. The 1955 Whitney Winner is one of the game's most feared sluggers, and one of the only six humans to homer at least 50 times in a season. He has just 18 this year, but in his previous six seasons he's hit at least 30 or more, and his 247 home runs will remain 4th behind Walt Messer (430), one of the other five guys to hit 50+ in a season, Red Johnson (386), and long-time teammate Hank Estill (317). Just 28, Howe had a legitimate chance to pass all three, but will now have to add to his totals in a new uniform. A veteran of seven seasons, Howe appeared in 1,008 games for the Gothams, slashing a healthy .288/.369/.538 (142 OPS+) in 4,350 trips to the plate. Worth just shy of 40 WAR (39.2), Howe logged 712 runs, 159 doubles, 772 RBIs, and 473 walks, spending three seasons at the Gothams right fielder and three and a half in center. One of the leagues most valuable players, he'll join an outfield of Tom Carr, Otis O'Keefe, Armando Estrada, and Sherry Doyal, while they have another outfield option in Paul Williams. Already arguably the best lineup overall, there's little doubt now, as Stan Kleminski, Hal Kennedy, John Low, and Jerry Hubbs are all excellent hitters. With no holes and a strong rotation, there was a reason Cleveland has managed to pull away from the pack, and this move shows they have no thoughts about taking the foot off the gas. New York's four prospect package wasn't particularly deep, but it featured a clear headliner in Les Freedman. A top-50 prospect who is trending upward, Freedman went in the 3rd Round of the 1958 draft, and has quickly worked his way from the classroom to A ball. Just 20, 15 of his 19 starts this year came with the Foresters Class A affiliate in Wilmington, an unlucky 3-7 despite a 3.45 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, and 102 strikeouts in 101.2 innings pitched. A refined four pitch pitcher, his signatured is a wipeout curve, and if you're sitting on it he can push a mid 90s fastball by you. His change and splitter warrant respect as well, and with his strike throwing abilities and horizontal movement, he'll generate plenty of whiffs. Future ace may be a stretch, as the curve is the only plus-plus pitch at this time, but he'll quickly settle into the middle of a FABL rotation. The Gothams farm is lacking top arms like that, and they've done a poor job supplement Jorge Arellano and the grizzled Ed Bowman in the rotation. Acquiring Freedman as well as borderline top-100 prospect Chuck Ayers is a step forward, as the duo will become the top two ranked pitchers in the system. A lefty who turns 19 on the final day of August, Ayers was Cleveland's 1st Round selection last year, and after a respectable 15 start showing Class C last year, they kept him back until July before letting him debut with their Class B affiliate. It's just 5 starts, and he has a much better FIP (4.21, 87) then ERA (5.29, 91), but New York isn't acquiring him for the pitcher he is now. What they're excited about is the velo, as his sidewind whip of an arm slings 98 mph fastballs. You can't sit on it either, he has six other toys to work with, and he has the foundational pieces in place already. What determines his big league success is his strike throwing ability, as to succeed he'll have to locate his offerings well. Not all the pitches are great, so unless he refines the weak spots there are mistakes waiting to be punished. A high-risk, high-reward type prospect, he's the perfect #2 in a deal for a star, and all the angry Howe fans may get over it if the mid-to-late 60s teams are anchored by the Freedman/Ayers trade partner tandem. Finishing off the package is a pair of position prospects, but neither have the upside of the pitchers. Outfielder Howie Taylor is still a quality piece in his own right, as the top-200 prospect is a quality defensive outfielder in the corners who can steal bases and hit a few homers. What stands between him and a starting role is himself, as he's not the brightest bulb and he doesn't have the raw talent to make up for it. He does draw a fair amount of walks, but he strikes out too much and struggles to pick up singles. A bench role seems likely, but he has an easily identified weakness that can be worked on. Chubby Smith then was a throw in, as his use was quickly discovered after the next deal. Despite being a former first rounder, Chubby never garnered much attention as a prospect, and that includes this season where he hit .314/.389/.573 (164 OPS+) with the AAA Rochester Rooks before getting word of the trade. He's got 16 homers in 59 games, but he's a slow, unathletic guy who occasionally hits home runs and not much else. Chubby's upside is limited, but since he's an able bodied catcher who's got youth on his side (23), he became the Gothams' new starter after they parted ways with Lew Mercer. Mercer, 32, will officially finish with one less season starting then his predecessor, fulfilling the role 7-year starter George Cleaves did to 8-year starter Pete Casstevens. I wouldn't necessarily bet on Chubby (or whoever ends up starting next year) going 5, but I would bet on Mercer hitting better in Detroit than current starter Dan Smith's .245/.329/.306 line. One of the better offensive catchers, Mercer is on track for surpassing the 100 WRC+ mark for the sixth time in seven season. Currently at 119, Mercer has continued to provide production behind the plate, hitting .286/.382/.427 (108 OPS+) with 8 homers and 29 RBIs. It's a nice boost to a Dynamo team that's trying to survive an all-out battle for the Fed, and an even nicer reunion for the team's former 2nd Round pick. He got into 11 games across 3 seasons in Detroit, but he was DFA'd on Opening Day in 1954 and spent three months in the unemployment line. Finally, Mercer caught on with the Gothams, and even though he got a minor league deal he went straight to the Big Apple. He exploded with a .290/.387/.483 (135 OPS+) triple slash, knocking 10 double and 6 homers with 22 runs, 31 RBIs, and 20 walks. That earned him the starting job until the trade, and in 796 games with the Gothams he hit a productive .265/.361/.416 (109 OPS+) batting line with 131 doubles, 78 homers, and 392 RBIs. Mercer is expected to hit in the bottom half of a solid lineup that features Dick Tucker, Bill Morrison, Joe Reed, Pat Petty, and Dick Estes. 21-year-old outfielder Cecil Gregg has started to get settled, and the addition of Mercer lengthens an already tough lineup. In return, Detroit parted with a pair of infielders, headlined by top-100 prospect Phil Mattis. A natural first basemen, Mattis doesn't have an obvious fit in the Dynamos future, as they have a lot of corner bats and are looking to give top prospect and Edwin Hackberry return piece Ray Waggoner time there in the future. Known as "The Hornell Hammer," it would be awesome for the Hornell, New York native to make it big with the Gothams, and he's got the power they may have just lost with Howe. Well developed for a recent high school pick, he seems to be the heir to Estill at first, and a valuable future asset for a team that loves guys who can hit it a mile. Despite all the congestion in the standings, just one more major trade was made, as on the 28th the second place Cougars added lefty Andy Logue to the #1 pitching staff. Taken in the 2nd Round of the 1951 draft by Montreal, Logue debuted for the Saints in 1956, and became a full time rotation member with 26 starts (11-5, 3.61, 86) for Montreal last season. Chicago must think they can fix the 27-year-old, as his 21 starts this year were awful. Just 3-8, he sported an elevated 6.25 ERA (71 ERA+) and 1.77 WHIP, walking batters at a career high 9.2%. When paired with a career low 12.9%, it was a recipe for disaster, but he showed a lot of promise last season. The Boston native uses his sinker and curve to set up hitters, putting them away with a nifty slider that's great for strikeouts. The stuff is still hittable, which is why his previously stout command allowed him to succeed. Instead, he's allowing homers at an alarming rate (1.5 per 9), and if that continues his time in Chicago won't be long at all. Though the fact they parted with a talented prospect in Ham Flanders makes it seem likely that the Cougars have identified a flaw in Logue's delivery that has led to the poor results. A former 2nd Rounder, Flanders is a 22-year-old second basemen who may now be stuck behind slugger Jack B. Gibson, who has seen a bit more second then his natural short. A bat-first prospect, Flanders doesn't offer much with the glove, and if Gibson is who Chicago envisions at the keystone long-term, there's now way Flanders can push him off. As good as he is, the 38 homers Gibson hit last season are more then Flanders' minor league number to date, and at a homer friendly park Flanders can't really take full advantage. He does have a nice hit tool, which plays way better at the Parc Cartier, and since he'll be Rule-5 eligible in the offseason he could be an immediate factor in 1961. They have a few other middle infield prospects, but both guys in the majors are in their 30s, with shortstop Bill Elkins 35 and in his worst pro season. Losing pitching depth is tough, but if the Saints don't believe that Logue can return to the pitcher he was last year, they got paid like he will. This could be a nice win-win trade if both players pan out, but it was funny that one of the only deadline trades was a pair of teams trading from a relative weakness to solidify a strength. * Hot August Boosts Boston's Repeat Hopes * By rattling off nine consecutive victories to end August, the preseason favorite Boston Minutemen were right back to first place, 2.5 above Detroit and 3 above the Chiefs, with the Pioneers (3.5) and Philly (4) still in the mix. Boston's next win would be there 60th, as a second consecutive .600+ month gave them some much needed separation from their competition. They ran that streak to 11 before Detroit's 3-Time Allen Winner Jim Norris (9 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K) mystified the Minuteman lineup with a 1-0 shutout, but they picked right back up with series wins on the road against the Gothams (3-1) and the Keystones (2-1). In fact, they lost just one series, a three gamer hosting the Chiefs. That finished their three game losing streak, the only part of their 20-9 month where they didn't follow up a loss with a win. The Boston pitching was immaculate, with Don Griffin (4-1, 0.65, 37) and Dick Wilson (3-1, 1.75, 11) picking through lineups with ease. Griffin captured the Pitcher of the Month award, as not only did he have a sub-0.75 ERA and WHIP (0.68), but Doc had a pristine 37-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He's yet to walk double digit hitters in a month, something Wilson (15) and three other guys did this month. That's not always a bad thing, as Bud Henderson (3-1, 2.87, 28) was outstanding like Wilson, but the command Boston's ace has shown makes him a shoo-in for the Allen. The offense was excellent too, with stars Rick Masters (.326, 6, 28, 1), Joe Kleman (.359, 4, 23, 1), and Marshall Thomas (.319, 3, 14, 2) providing the staff with plenty of support. When rosters expanded, just the Chiefs (74-54, 4.5 GB) and Pioneers (71-54, 6 GB) were within ten games, as the five team race faded to just three. Chicago has rode hot too, and don't forget they were the team to win a series against Boston. Offseason pickup Jack Halbur was starting to pitch like the guy they thought they acquired, 3-1 with a 2.65 ERA (166 ERA+) and 1.04 WHIP. Fellow offseason pickup Irv Clifford led the offense in OPS for August, hitting an impressive .368/.438/.535 (151 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers,15 RBIs, and 15 walks, and 29 runs. Doc Zimmerman (.342, 7, 23) led the team in homers and RBIs, Ed Bloom (.283, 2, 21, 2) walked (16) more then he struck out (12), and rookie shortstop Guy Johnson (.253, 6, 18) doubled his season output in a single month. All that's left is to get Rod Shearer (.192, 3, 13) going, as with two homers remaining for 300 he's started to press. A relaxed Shearer and quality outings from the rotation are a must, but the Chiefs have kept themselves close enough to claim their first crown since 1949. St. Louis has a tougher challenge, but with the young dream rotation of Billy Hasson (26), Frenchy Mack (23), and George Blake (22) and reigning Whitney candidate Jerry Smith, the Pioneers cannot be underestimated. It's a bit surprising the Pioneers didn't make a move at the deadline, though their midseason upgrade came the way of #1 prospect Bob Bell. The 22-year-old second basemen debuted on July 23rd, and was quickly named Rookie of the Month. Already the team's second best hitter, Bell slashed an outstanding .303/.379/.551 (164 OPS+) in August, knocking 6 homers with 24 RBIs, 21 runs, and 30 walks. His July time was pretty great too, 13-for-31 with another home run, and you can't blame the prospect pickers for saying this guy was the best FABL farms had to offer. A potential star in the making, he's got lethal power with one of the best approaches, walking in over 20% of his plate appearances so far. The Missouri native is also a weapon defensively, able to fill the middle infield and all three outfield spots. The early marks at second have been great, and he seems to have found his spot secured on the lineup card for seasons to come. Unfortunately, the Fed looked to be the only pennant race in the new decade, as the Cleveland Foresters (78-46) were double digit games ahead of everyone else. That didn't hold, but the eventual second place Cannons never got to get within seven of them. The clear best team in the Conti, they scored 170 more runs then they allowed, finishing 1st (878) and 2nd (708) respectively. Ironically, blockbuster acquisition Earl Howe was awful, hitting just 5 home runs in 259 trips to the plate. That's a HR% of just 2%, a third of the 6% he hit in his career with the Gothams. The low home run output prevented Howe from hitting 30 homers for the first time in his career, stuck with just 23 between the spots. His .262/.328/.399 (83 OPS+) line in Cleveland was poor, with the lone saving grace solid defense in his two familiar positions. Of course, it didn't matter, as despite battling a five week injury, Paul Williams was back to being the sparkplug he's known to be. The first year Forester hit an outstanding .359/.469/.562 (160 OPS+), totaling 32 doubles, 14 homers, 72 runs, and 77 RBIs in 102 games. He boasted an absurd 74-to-25 walk-to-strikeout ratio, and would have posted his fourth consecutive 100 walk season had he stayed healthy. A now 7-Time All-Star, Williams anchors a dangerous lineup with Tom Carr (.335, 8, 99, 18), Stan Kleminski (.276, 3, 52, 17), Hal Kennedy (.295, 25, 93), Sherry Doyal (.290, 9, 77, 6), John Low (.328, 17, 106), and Jerry Tubbs (.305, 8, 76). Their is no reprieve on the mound either, as Adrian Czerwinski (15-8, 3.68, 140) delivered another great campaign, while Jake Pearson (13-9, 3.86, 126) and Frank Young delivered consistent starts behind him. Future Hall-of-Famer Rufus Barrell (12-10, 4.25, 97) remained effective even at 43, producing his 19th FABL season with an ERA+ above 100 (106) and 20th with a FIP- below 100 (87). The pen is capable too, and they'll be a handful for the survivor on the other side. Not only was Cincinnati the only team within 10 games (8 GB) of the Foresters, but at 85-69 they were the only other team to win 80 games. Aside from that, there was plenty to be excited about, as their best hitter and best pitcher were elite. Keen readers would be able to glean the pitcher, but even the most casual fans could tell you that Dallas Berry is the best player on the team. You could make the argument for the best in the league, and at least this year, he was the best in the association. The obvious unanimous Whitney Winner (spoiler alert: the Allen is controversial!), Berry hit a ludicrous .326/.461/.657 (182 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 42 homers, 151 runs, 133 RBIs, 128 walks, 14 steals, and a 10.6 WAR that came second to just his first Whitney season in 1957. The offensive environment wasn't as high in '57 as it was this year, but so despite the higher OPS (1.118 to 1.084), he had a lower OPS+ and WRC+ (188) this time around. Compared to the Conti, he led in runs, walks, OBP, slugging, WRC+, wOBA, WAR, and of course OPS, and his run total was tied for the 8th most in a FABL season yet. No Allen for the Cannons, but 23-year-old southpaw Jim York led the Conti with 20 wins in his first full seasons as a starter. The sophomore Cannon did it in the association high 35 starts, working to a 3.64 ERA (123 ERA+) and 3.41 FIP (76 FIP-) with a 1.39 WHIP, 93 walks, and 165 strikeouts. The new ace of the staff, no one behind him came close, and one of the guys they expected to rely on saw a complete 180 in his production. That would be Doc Clay, who followed up his impressive 1959 (15-12, 3.22, 119) with his first FABL season with an ERA above 4 and a WHIP above 1.40. In both cases, it was WAY above, as his ERA swelled to 5.62 (80 ERA+) with an equally poor 5.35 FIP (119 FIP-). His 32 starts just lasted 149 innings, and for the first time he walked (90) more hitters then he struck out (75). His decline has made a mess of the rotation, but they have a great pen and deep lineup. Paul Williams (6-11, 25, 2.62, 80) led the Conti in saves, the first time a non-Cougar led since 1955, and despite the high loss total he was effective in the late innings. Fred Lainhart (.307, 7, 54, 27), Al Farmer (.312, 15, 86), Charlie Ham (.283, 20, 60), and Johnny Elliot (.300, 8, 47) did a good job to surround "The Can-Do Kid" and even guys like Larry Lewis (.284, 8, 80, 9) and Art McKinney (.264, 25, 107) had above average WRC+, and there's a lot of talent in the state of Ohio. Late season collapses happen far too often for the Chicago Cougars, who went from a contender for first to barely staying over .500. It makes sense, considering they scored and allowed the fewest runs, as despite being able to record hits, homers, and steals, the Cougars just didn't get on base enough to score runs. The exception, however, was whenever Jack B. Gibson batted, as the 25-year-old superstar hit 43 homers in his 3rd big league season, good for the 2nd most in team history. Already 9th in total homers and 100 within the Cougar record, he shoulder's none of the blame for the low scoring, as he drove in 134 runs and scored 95 times. His .307/.351/.572 (137 OPS+) batting line was well above average, and he's the oldest of the team's young stars. Jerry McMillian (.321, 15, 70, 25) is just 23, Jim Barton (.338, 17, 86) 24, and versatile rookie Henry Watson (.340, 20, 76, 5) 22. And while not stars, Mooney Vetter (.297, 18, 83) and Stan Czerwinski (.242, 13, 42) are both 26 and former 1st Round picks. The pitching has some vets, with quality arms Pug White (17-11, 3.91, 134), Ollie Norris (8-11, 4.83, 71), and Hank Walker (14-10, 4.49, 104) all 28-and-up, and they managed to fix the 27-year-old Andy Logue (1-4, 3.34, 43; 3-8, 6.25, 63). They do have a talented 23-year-old in John Mitchell (7-7, 4.30, 101) too, and their roster is filled with plenty of guys younger then the star Gibson. It was a rough decade in the 50s, and the 60s haven't started better, but the future is starting to look bright for title starved franchise. The two west coast teams finished tied for 4th, both an even 77-77, which is actually the best season for the Stars since they moved to LA. That's in large part due to Charlie Barrell, who for the second straight year was healthy enough to play 151 games. Now 30, the 6-Time All-Star hit an impressive .322/.382/.493 (121 OPS+) with 41 doubles, 7 triples, 18 homers, 105 RBIs, and 96 runs. Nephew Ralph was even better, as the 20-year-old youngster hit a pristine .325/.395/.541 (140 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 4 triples, 21 homers, 67 runs, 88 RBIs, and a 151 WRC+ in an injury-shortened season. If for 1961, both can be healthy, things will look good in Hollywood, as they got big years from young outfielders Charlie Sax (.346, 8, 65, 13) and Don Hall (.284, 28, 86, 10), as well as the guy who should have 100% without any question absolutely positively won the Continental Allen, Dewey Allcock. Perhaps the puritan voters held him accountable for things outside of his power, but the 22-year-old righty was the best pitcher in the CA this year. Also not an All-Star, all he did was go 19-10 with a 3.31 ERA (133 ERA+), 3.22 FIP (72 FIP-), 1.20 WHIP, and 167 strikeouts. Allcock led the association in wins, ERA, starts (35), WHIP, K/BB (3.7), FIP- (72), and WAR (7.2), and its an absolute travesty he did not earn an Allen for his efforts. Accolade or not, the Stars found their overpowering ace, and all that's left is to give him someone else who can prevent runs. Aside form second basemen Vern Reynolds, who didn't allow any of the three batters he faced (two outs, one walk) to score, no Star had an ERA below 4.50, and no Star with more then 10 starts had an ERA below 5.25. If it's any consolation, one of those guys was 23-year-old righty Floyd Warner (8-11, 5.30, 136), and as a rookie in 1958 he was 12-14 with a 3.28 ERA (123 ERA+), 1.27 WHIP, and 112 strikeouts. 21-year-olds Cal Johnston (4-8, 12, 4.93, 86) and Sy Dunn (7-8, 3, 4.84, 52) both look in-line for longer looks in the rotation, and like the Cougars they have a great collection of youth. It's been 7 years since the Stars finished above .500, but if this trio of young pitchers can take a step forward next season, they have a chance to not only break the .500 mark, but compete for 13th Continental pennant. San Francisco's future doesn't look as bright, especially in a rotation led by 38-year-old Duke Bybee (5-3, 3.81, 37) and 1959 Rule-5 pick Larry Knez (5-14, 3.79, 79), but at least the top of the order is tough to navigate. Leading is the still talented Edwin Hackberry (.281, 10, 72, 17), even if he did recently turn 34 and take a step back at the plate, and they have the top young shortstop Carlos Jaramillo (.293, 7, 77, 21), who is starting to look like a young Skipper Schneider. And while not household names, John Kingsbury (.315, 15, 89, 6), Ron Turner (.289, 21, 79), Ben Crawford (.275, 20, 99, 10), and Rip Rogan (.294, 11, 57) all provided quality at bats. They have some reinforcements on the farm, but it's all on the position player side, the current strength of the big league club. The young pitching they have is already in San Francisco, as the now 25-year-old Gary Pike (12-13, 4.36, 115) impressed, putting together 34 solid starts after coming over from Boston in the Bud Henderson deal this January. A useful #4 or #5, the same goes to Larry Knez, who scuffled through a rookie season last year and pitched better then that 5-14 record. The George's McDaniel (5-4, 2.77, 39) and Fuller (7-2, 1, 3.21, 55) did well in the pen and rotation, and could earn long-term spots next year. Both project more as back-end guys as well, and may end up being fillers until they can find someone better. After finishing the 50s with just one sub-.500 season, the Kansas City Kings had a shocking fall from grace, finishing two games under .500 after eight consecutive 80+ win seasons. The culprit was the defense, evidenced best by Beau McClellan's (15-11, 4.46, 171) 4.46 ERA (99 ERA+) being a full run higher then his 3.46 FIP (77 FIP-). When even a pitcher of his caliber has issues keeping runs off the board, they were in trouble, as young stopper Del Lamb (13-11, 14, 3.69, 96) was the only pitcher to throw more then 100 innings and keep an above average ERA. Former Dynamo Jack Miller (8-6, 1, 6.34, 88) was even in worse in year two, Mike Thorpe (6-6, 5.69, 33) again saw his season end early with injury, and now graduated top-100 prospect Fred Myers (5-12, 5.33, 75) was victimized by the poor defense as well. The only plus was Fred Washington (12-7, 4.47, 111) go from awful to average, but any of that was offset by Tony Britten (5-12, 5.77, 76) flop of a season. It may be tough to solve the defense issue too, as they have a lot of good bats. Improving the middle infield is crucial, but the outfield of Hank Williams (.324, 40, 127), Charlie Rogers (.325, 11, 70, 21), and Bryan Jeffries (.284, 17, 67) will likely remain unchanged. With corner bats Ken Newman (.328, 25, 103, 7) and Bill Guthrie (.302, 39, 119) producing a ton of runs and the always reliable Dutch Miller (.267, 11, 55) continuing to provide a stabilizing force behind the plate, they can really emphasize the defense. Canada's two teams were again at the bottom, as both the Toronto Wolves (68-86) and Montreal Saints (62-92) failed to finish with more then 70 wins. Lucky for Wolves fans, there new young superstar got an undeserved Allen. No, I'm not talking about 22-year-old George Hoxworth (12-11, 3.75, 173), who was named to his second consecutive All-Star game, but the 20-year-old Arnie Smith. Perhaps the voters were enamored with his good looks, or perhaps a league leading 213 strikeouts was enough, but in every other way Smith didn't hold a candle to Dewey Allcock. He was just 13-13 with a 3.44 ERA (131 ERA+), 1.23 WHIP, and 85 walks, all worse then Allcock. That's not to say Smith wasn't outstanding, he certainly was, it's just aside from giving Wolves fans something to cheer about, naming him the 14-2 winner makes zero sense. Aside from Smith and Hoxworth, not much else went right, as even though young center fielder Sid Cullen (.332, 20, 78) was amazing at the plate and on the grass, he only got into 92 games due to injury. Not much else went right, but they can hope that the solid seasons put together by Tom Reed (.289, 18, 80, 8), Carl Clark (.289, 18, 80), Hank Lacey (11-10, 4.30, 119), John Wells (.270, 15, 76, 13), and Roy Demonbreun (.284, 8, 43) attract outside interest in the offseason. In similar fashion to the Kings, Montreal was plagued with the worst pitching staff in the association, as not even one of the nine pitchers to make a start for the Saints this season had an above average ERA+. In fact, the only pitcher to throw an inning with one was the guy they traded at the deadline, Tom Fisher. Phil Murry (9-14, 5.05, 114) underwent his worst season as a starter, loss leader Eddie Martin (8-17, 5.30, 85) had his worst season period, and last year's win leader Jim Montgomery (9-13, 5.68, 119) just could not catch a break. The reinforcements in the farm are too far away to contribute, and the offense isn't strong enough to make up for all their pitchers sucking. Harry Swain (.306, 21, 81, 6) was the only guy to have a WRC+ above 120, and aside from catcher Garland Phelps (.291, 11, 79), Art Robbins (.267, 17, 102) surpassing the 100 RBI mark, and Ralph Hanson (.304, 8, 82, 36) leading the Conti in steals, there wasn't too much to write home about. Just when the Saints were starting to turn things around, putting together three 80 win seasons in four years, and they'll hope to regain that form as soon as possible. So now who faces the Foresters? Boston would be the house bet, but with how hot they've been perhaps they'd regress back to the mean. Boston has gone 57-29 (.663) in their last 86 games, well on their way to back-to-back 90-win seasons. They started out with a quick test, hosting the St. Louis Pioneers for three games in Boston. It wasn't a pretty shutout, but Foster Sherman (5 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 5 K) was the first of three pitchers to combine for a series opening 5-0 shutout. Win 81 was a 5-3 walk-off courtesy of Marshall Thomas, who finished his 5-for-5 night with a game-winning two-run homer. Before the walk-off, his first four hits were singles, but that big hit built momentum for a sweep with Don Griffin on the mound. As he often does, Doc delivered, coming two-outs away from a 9-2 complete game win. This quickly brought their lead over the Chiefs to 6.5, and the Pioneers were now nine back. It was at this point, the breaks stopped coming, as after winning game one of a double header in Washington 11-1, they got embarrassed 16-8. They then got swept by the Gothams in New York, and after a sweep of the Dynamos, they dropped five of their next six. With the lead down to 5.5 games, they had a big home series against their closest competitor, the Chiefs. The two teams split a pair of one run games, and with seven to play, things were looking quite good for the reigning champs. But for some reason, the dominant Minutemen couldn't handle the lowly Eagles, who should have had the 1st pick wrapped up by now. They lost all three in the nation's capital and had to go to the Windy City for two more with the Chiefs. One win was all they needed to clinch, but the Chiefs pen threw 5.1 scoreless innings during a tidy 8-7 win. That was followed up by a big 5-run 7th, where the Chiefs stayed alive for one more night, winning 8-6 to complete the sweep. Unfortunately, they had three with the third place Pioneers, while this Minutemen were again in Washington with the last place Eagles. Boston was pulling out all the stops, putting Don Griffin on for what would be his last game of the regular season. All it took was a Pat Todd solo homer in the 2nd, and in his next at bat Rick Masters scored from third on a wild pitch. Griffin dealt for 8 innings, keeping the hosts off the board, allowing 6 hits and a walk with 6 strikeouts to solidify his triple crown. The obvious and clear Allen winner was an elite 21-6 with a 2.01 ERA (220 ERA+), 0.92 WHIP, and 186 strikeouts, but the most impressive part had to be his 6.2 K/BB. It's the third year in a row he's led in that category and his second straight season breaking the Minutemen single season record. For a guy who doesn't turn 24 until the 6th of October, it's remarkable he's already been named to 4 All-Star games, and along with his Allen he has 2 ERA crowns, threw WAR leads, and three WHIP leads. It's fitting that the game's top pitcher pitches for a pennant winner, and it's even more fitting he's the one that earned the clinching win. Chicago lost the same day, so the win didn't end up mattering, but it allowed them a chance at 90 wins, which they got with a Dick Wilson start that evened his record to 7-7 and brought his ERA to average at 4.41 (100 ERA+) with 75 walks, 79 strikeouts, and an elevated 1.56 WHIP -- a stark contrast from last season where he was 22-6 with a 2.51 ERA (171 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts. His wins and ERAs were best in the Fed, but even with his struggles Boston still boasted the top staff. Obviously, Doc was a major factor, but Bud Henderson (14-6, 4.05, 120) had a solid, if slightly less than expected, level season, while Foster Sherman (13-13, 3.86, 123) has really settled into his role as a mid-rotation starter. In the pen will be Bob Hollister (6-8, 11, 3.50, 47) who pitched a few solid starts and a lot of excellent high leverage innings, and at 25 he could end up being a full-time starter. The fact he's able to pitch in the pen is a testament to the depth of their pitching staff, though nothing compares to the lineup. Rick Masters (.336, 34, 117) appeared in all but five of the team's games, finishing with his six consecutive 30+ home run season. Like any top offense, the whole is worth more than the parts, and Masters was surrounded with quality hitters in Joe Kleman (.345, 19, 108), Jack Denis (.304, 19, 80), Marshall Thomas (.291, 20, 62), Ed Wise (.250, 32, 85), Sam Walker (.284, 6, 57), Bill Tutwiler (.266, 8, 45, 6), and Del Filo (.291, 23, 67, 6). That's a really good group, and easily the best lineup the Foresters will see all season. Rematches aren't always exciting, but these two are the clear best teams at the moment. Finishing September and October just 12-12, the Chiefs couldn't take advantage of the Minutemen's late season stumbles, but at 87-67 they were still a high quality team. The addition of Irv Clifford was a plus, as the 6-Time All-Star did a good job lengthening the lineup, batting .304/.379/.424 (108 OPS+) with a 119 WRC+, 4.3 WAR, 38 doubles, 13 triples, 3 homers, 49 RBIs, 68 walks, and 110 runs. Surprisingly, he had a higher WRC+ then Rod Shearer (109), who prior to this season never produced one below 124, with the rest 130 or higher. This year Shearer hit just .259/.360/.469 (113 OPS+), and his 26 homers were tied for a low since his Kellogg winning campaign in 1951. If Shearer hit anywhere near his career .294/.377/.558 (151 OPS+) line, Chiefs fans would be celebrating a pennant, but instead the most excitement they got was his 350th career home run. Shearer was overshadowed by Doc Zimmerman (.329, 22, 102, 11) and Ed Bloom (.327, 10, 91, 18), both of which produced WRC+ above 145, and their pitching staff kept them in every game. All six guys with double digit starts had ERA+ above 100, led by high strikeout arm Joe Cipolla (16-6, 3.35, 171), who put together the best season of his young career. Vern Osborne (14-9, 3.74, 144) and Dick Champ (12-5, 3.64, 98) provided a steadying force atop the rotation, and despite an up-and-down season Jack Halbur (13-10, 4.23, 99) was overall successful in his first season with the Chiefs. Even though they came up short, it was an excellent season at Whitney Stadium, and with an upgrade or two in the offseason the Chiefs may be able to break their decade plus long pennant drought. Just two games behind them were the Pioneers, who despite having an elite rotation, finished 4th in runs against. Ace Billy Hasson (15-11, 3.52, 176) wasn't able to secure his 3rd consecutive Allen, but the 26-year-old will be in those conversations for many years to come. Frenchy Mack (14-11, 4.34, 142) saw his ERA rise and his strikeouts drop, but the occasionally erratic 23-year-old posted a career best 8.7 BB%. Rounding out the top three is another 23-year-old in Charlie Blake (14-8, 3.52, 173), who was named to the All-Star game in his first season as a starter. With the talent and youth from these three, as well as a dominant stopper in John Gibson (8-9, 23, 2.98, 62), they're just going to need to hit a little, and maybe find a 4 better then 39-year-old John Thomas Johnson (7-6, 4.11, 60). At the plate, reigning Whitney winner Jerry Smith (.280, 39, 107, 17) had another big season, but he was quickly passed up by #1 prospect Bob Bell. The 22-year-old came up late July and hit an absurd .328/.447/.582 (162 OPS+) with 16 homers, 45 runs, 50 walks, and 50 RBIs in 64 games. The issue moving forward is there isn't much to support those two talented sluggers, as just veterans Larry Gregory (.281, 9, 50) and Dixie Hutchings (.274, 14, 74) provided above average hitting, and that classification felt like more of a technicality then a reflection of their skillsets. But above all, winning 85 games was huge for a team that hadn't done that since their last pennant in 1951, and like the Chiefs, they're just a piece or two away from another pennant. Philadelphia was the last team in the Fed to win more then 80 games, finishing 83-71 and 7 games out of first. For 8-year vet Buddy Miller (.327, 30, 117), it was the first time since he became a regular that the Keystones managed to even finish above .500. Most interestingly, is the fact that the elite outfielder wasn't even the best player on his team, as rookie sensation Harry Dellinger captured both the Kellogg and Whitney in a Miller-like season. 22 as of August, Keystone fans are salivating at their new star duo, as Dellinger hit a robust .350/.395/.568 (150 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 12 triples, 31 homers, 118 runs, 125 RBIs, and 24 walks. The former 2nd pick led the Fed in at bats (651), hits (228), runs, RBIs, average, slugging, and WAR (7.3), making him the easy pick for both awards he was eligible for. With his speed, the defense in center should be excellent too, as aside from a sort of small 6.2 BB%, there isn't a weakness in his game. Dellinger, Miller, and Lloyd Coulter (.264, 33, 103) all bashed 30 homers, helping lead the team to the 2nd most runs scored in the Fed. Even better, they've started to churn out some pitching for the first time in a while, as William Davis (15-8, 3.82, 124) and Jim Cooper (15-7, 3.96, 69) provided plenty of quality starts. And despite the lofty ERA, 21-year-old Joe Kienle (10-13, 5.17, 108) could lead a rotation, as his 3.81 FIP (87 FIP-) was much more palatable. That's a solid 1-2-3, and the 4th spot could be filled by the just turned 23-year-old Don McKeown (5-8, 13, 4.68, 111), who after spending his first two FABL seasons in the pen, made 9 starts and could be a capable back-end guy. Like the two teams ahead of them, they're almost there, likely just one bat and one Kienle rebound season away from posing a serious threat. Detroit may have held first for a while in July, but a miserable 12-18 August pushed them into the second division, and a 10-15 finish ended their season early. Still, they managed 78 wins, extending their winning season streak to ten seasons, matching the 1937 to 1946 Cougars. Of course, they had a single pennant to show for while Detroit has four titles, but like the Chicago club, eleven doesn't seem likely. Sure, they were a contender most of the season, but the offense got cold and has taken a ton of hits. Dick Tucker's (.259, 13, 55) amazing 1958 (.355, 32, 120) is looking more and more like an outlier, especially in the power department as his 32 homers in '58 is one more then he's hit over the past two seasons combined. Joe Reed (.261, 22, 96, 7) put together his 4th consecutive 20+ homer 90+ RBI season, as well as his normal plus defense at short, but his WRC+ plummeted from 141 last year to 96 -- the first time he failed to surpass 120. Lew Mercer (.188, 3, 16; .252, 11, 45) was awful in his homecoming, and aside from outfielders Bill Morrison (.281, 13, 53, 11) and rookie Cecil Gregg (.288, 14, 57, 9), consistent offense was hard to come by. The pitching was still good, if not the elite Dynamos fans are used to, as Jim Norris (13-9, 3,38, 158) was as good as usual, and veteran John Jackson (10-11, 3.23, 101) was one of the few Dynamos to pitch better this year than last. Former top pitching prospect Bob Allen (10-4, 3.43, 86) was a revelation in the five spot, but fellow 1928-born vets Paul Anderson (6-10, 4.13, 102) and Larry Beebe (5-12, 4.65, 71) frequently found themselves on the wrong side of decisions. Add on the mess of a pen, and for the first time in a decade, the Dynamos are no longer going to be considered in my list of contenders. That all could chance if 1961 is finally the season the Dynamos unleash former #1 prospect Ray Waggoner (.379, 6), who used up his last option year. His .379/.419/.517 (141 OPS+) line in 62 PAs was elite, and if they let him unleash his power at Thompson Field, all this talk about not enough offense will be quickly forgotten. The bottom three were bad. Real bad. But at least the New York Gothams prevented their loss total from reaching 90. 71-83 isn't too bad, but it's their lowest win total since 1945, where they were 65-89 in a second consecutive 7th place finish. Known for big trades, stars, and all-or-nothing approaches, the Gothams now have to adjust to life without pennant winner Earl Howe. There may be more sales in the future, but for now they have a lot of depth in the corner positions. Hank Estill (.309, 39, 106) will be 34 in November, but no Fed hitter hit more homers than him, and he's now hit 35 or more in a season four times. Even at his age, he'd fetch a huge return, but the Gothams could try to retool around him, Rex Pilcher (.262, 30, 88), and Johnny Taylor (.272, 17, 55). Though from the outside, their best bet looks to be getting as much as they could for these corner guys on the wrong side of 30. The only guy I wouldn't entertain trading is Ed Bowman (10-16, 4.69, 102), but aside from Jorge Arellano (7-14, 4.28, 132) they don't have many big-ticket assets. They made their big strike at the deadline and will hope their expansive collection of top 100 prospects will be enough. Bowman will be back for year 20 as he continues his quest to 350 wins. It may be tough, he's at 314, recently passing Hall-of-Famer and former teammate Jim Lonardo for 13th All-Time. He's already the team leader, has been for almost 100 wins, but perhaps the Gothams have a soft spot for Bowman like I do, and will surround him with bats to continue his ascent up the record books. He's just 30 wins away from 3rd outright, (though he's chasing Rufus Barrell), and that could just be two or three more productive seasons. The youth movement did them well, going 19-9 after rosters expanded, and they were regularly using at least four starters 23 and under. There could be a fifth next year in Frank Arnold (.400, 2, 11), who was great off the bench. Most impressive were 22-year-old center fielder Otto Pilkerton (.333, 5, 17) and 19-year-old shortstop Isaiah Redbird (.300, 1, 6, 1), who should be in line to earn a starting job. With a few step forwards from the young guys, Bowman and the staff may be able to add more wins to their total, and the front office can delay any major subtractions. Pittsburgh and Washington were mirror images of poor play, with the Miners 6th in runs allowed and 8th in runs scored, while the Eagles were 8th and 6th respectively. On the bright side, neither team expected to compete, and they saw young players get comfortable in their potential roles. The Miners saw instant returns with their big offseason deals, as Paul Williams package member Mike Whisman (.262, 16, 70) emerged as an option in center and Irv Clifford trade return John Moreland (.289, 8, 50) was a borderline top 5 shortstop as a rookie. Plus, potential offseason trade pieces Bill Newhall (.305, 7, 47) and Bob Gaines (.286, 13, 77) both well. Not much to be excited about with the pitching, but 21-year-old Mike Blackham (8-9, 3.28, 123) was named to the All-Star game in his first year as a starter, and him and Ed Power (9-14, 3.63, 116) make a pretty solid 1-2. If you don't look past that, you'd think they were in good shape, but there's a reason they lost 92 games. 94 losses was where Washington ended up, but holy cow they had a talent gap in their rotation. The top two was brilliant, as it's really a shame that Bob Ball wasn't either brought up earlier or just a rookie in a different season, as he was Kellogg worthy in a 21-start sample. Don't get me wrong, he's not beating Dellinger even with a full season, but the former 3rd Round pick may be the ace the Eagles organization has been searching for since, well, forever? A six-pitch righty, he hurls mid 90s fastballs and sinkers by guys, and the off-speed pitches make him infinitely tougher to time up. As a 21-year-old, he was 13-5 with a 2.75 ERA (161 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, and 83 strikeouts in 150.2 innings pitched. Along with fellow midseason callup and former Miners 7th Rounder Jim Stewart (5-7, 2.97, 72), they were really tough for opposing hitters. A potential third to join that group is the 20-year-old lefty Carl Levy, who was picked up from the Cougars in the offseason and threw 178.1 FABL innings before he'll get his first drink of alcohol. While not as dominant as those two, he was with the team all year, going 10-13 with a 4.31 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.47 WHIP, and 106 strikeouts in 158.2 innings across 35 appearances (22 starts). It's been a while since the Eagles had young pitching to be excited about, and they have some bats to match. Tom Lorang (.285, 20, 91) held his own at 18, but right when he turned 19 in August, he posted back-to-back 130+ WRC+ months. He's one of five lineup members to start the season 25 or younger, with the now 23-year-old Joe Holland (.286, 21, 62, 5) hitting well enough to represent them at the All-Star game. It's been a rough four seasons in the nation's capital, but with this collection of youth it's hard not to get excited about the future. 1960 World Championship Series The Boston Minutemen and Cleveland Foresters met for the second year in a row in the World Championship Series. The Minutemen had prevailed a year ago, proving to be far too much for the Foresters and taking the series in five games. For Cleveland this would be their seventh trip to the WCS in the past dozen years while the Minutemen won back-to-back Federal Association pennants for the first time since they ended a run of five in a row in 1906. GAME ONE: BOSTON 6 CLEVELAND 3 Adrian Czerwinski made his 15th career WCS start on the mound for the Foresters, tying him with Woody Trease for the most all-time. Czerwinski would break the record in game four but what he really wanted was to win his 11th WCS game. The 35-year-old Cleveland ace failed to beat the Minutemen in last year's series but things looked promising when the Foresters took a quick 2-0 lead on Boston hurler Bud Henderson. The opening inning pair of runs came courtesy of a 2-run homer off the bat of Sherry Doyal after Stan Kleminski had drawn a 1-out walk. The score would remain 2-0 until young Boston outfielder Del Filo launched a solo blast off Czerwinski in the bottom of the fifth inning. Frank Young would take over on the Cleveland mound in the seventh inning and Filo, who hit 23 homers during the regular season, launched his second round-tripper in his WCS debut. This one was a two-run shot and put the Minutemen up 3-2. Before the inning ended it was 4-2 as Bill Tutwiler added an rbi double. Cleveland would close to within a run in the eighth inning when Paul Williams homered but the string of longballs continued with Joe Kleman delivering a two-run blast in the top of the ninth and the Minutemen would claim a 6-3 victory. GAME TWO: CLEVELAND 9 BOSTON 2 Just as they did in the series opener the Cleveland Foresters scored twice in the bottom of the first inning. The Foresters runs, which were generated by 3 singles, came after Boston missed a glorious opportunity in the top of the first inning when the Minutemen had runners on second and third with one out. Cleveland starter Jake Pearson got out of the jam with a pair of ground outs before the Foresters greeted Boston starter Don Griffin with a cope of early runs. The game was tied 2-2 at the seventh inning stretch before Cleveland bats lit up Chet Baker, who had taken over in the bottom of the seventh for Don Griffin. Singles by Jerry Hubbs and Otis O'Keefe set the stage for a 1-out, 2-run double from Tom Carr and then, after Stan Kleminski drew a walk, the Foresters went up 7-2 on a 3-run homer from Paul Williams, marking his second straight game with a longball. Cleveland would add two more in the bottom of the eighth to make the final 9-2 and the series shifted to New England tied at one. GAME THREE: BOSTON 6 CLEVELAND 3 For the third game in a row the Foresters scored a pair of runs in the opening inning, but Boston answered with four off of Foresters veteran starter Deuce Barrell in the bottom of the second. The big blows were back-to-back doubles off the bats of Sam Walker and Boston hurler Foster Sherman. Deuce Barrell may be the winningest active pitcher in the game today, but he was chased in the third inning when Boston added two more runs to go up by a 6-2 score. Del Filo, who homered twice in the opener, delivered a rbi double while Sherman smoked a 2-run single that ended Barrell's night very early. It was a big game for Sherman, who not only had a pair of hits but also earned the win despite exiting in the sixth inning. GAME FOUR: BOSTON 8 CLEVELAND 3 As they in each of the first three games, the Cleveland Foresters scored in the first inning but this time it was just a single run which came on a Hal Kennedy single off Dick Wilson that plated Stan Kleminski, who had also singled for the visitors. Kennedy drove in another run with a third inning single to put Cleveland ahead 2-0 but the lead was erased quickly in the bottom of the fourth frame when Rick Masters smashed a 2-run homer off of Foresters starter Jerry York to tie the game at 2. Cleveland quickly regained the lead a half inning later when Tom Carr doubled and Kleminski followed with a rbi single. York had been pitching very well and surrendered just 2-hits through five innings, but he was lifted for a pinch-hitter and the Cleveland bullpen immediately landed in hot water. Frank Young took the hill to start the bottom of the sixth and he would retire just one Boston batter as 3 walks, an error and 5 Boston hits including doubles from Rick Masters and Del Filo led to 6 runs and proved the difference in a 8-3 win for the Minutemen. GAME FIVE: BOSTON 2 CLEVELAND 0 After some high scoring games we finally were treated to a pitching duel in game five as Czerwinski made his record-breaking 16th career WCS start for Cleveland against his game one rival Bud Henderson. Cleveland had runners on the corners with two-out in the opening inning but failed to score. The Minutemen did get a run as Czerwinski, who allowed a homerun in the series opener, served up another longball. This time it was veteran Marshall Thomas with a solo shot to make it 1-0 for the Minutemen. The score would stay 1-0 until the bottom of the 8th when Boston added an insurance run on a sacrifice fly from Ed Wise after Joe Kleman and Rick Masters had each singled. Cleveland threatened to extend the series with a 1-out double from Hal Kennedy in the top of the ninth, but Boston reliever Bob Hollister closed out the shutout victory without further incident and the Minutemen celebrated their second straight World Championship Series title. OFFSEASON Boston got the job done again, copying their 4-1 WCS win over the Cleveland Foresters from the previous year. Shortly after Boston finished celebrating, one of their Fed challengers-the St Louis Pioneers- made a pair of pitching moves to shore up their staff. Neither are game changing moves, but they picked up swingman Dixie Gaines (5-4, 3.61, 68) from the Cougars and veteran reliever Gene Amico (6-5, 6, 3.81, 44) from the Dynamos. Solid depth pieces, Gaines will fight for the 5th spot in St. Louis' rotation, while Amico can help set up John Gibson (8-9, 23, 2.98, 62), and provide high leverage innings if they decide to move one or both of their 21-year-old pitchers Al Grabner (4-1, 5, 3.31, 38) and Steve Madden (5-1, 2, 3.56, 51) into the rotation. The price to get Gaines was affordable, just a filler level prospect in second basemen Delos Smith, but the Amico trade made a little less sense. While not a top prospect, Loren Patterson ranked 186th on the prospect list, and you can never have too much pitching. 23 in October, he's got a solid five pitch mitch and looked solid in his 18 starts (8-4, 3.53, 52) with St. Louis' AA team. Between the two Pioneers moves, the Gothams and Cannons hooked up for an interesting trade, as New York traded effective young stopper Hal Adams to the Cannons for vet Aaron Jones (.328, 1, 12) and borderline top 250 prospect John Power. Adams, 25, is the clear best player involved, and it's a bit surprising the Gothams were willing to part with him. Finishing 11-6 with 18 saves, Adams was lockdown in his second FABL season, working to a 3.34 ERA (133 ERA+) in 107.2 innings. He does have some walk issues, allowing 63 to 57 strikeouts, and it led to a high 1.53 WHIP. The Gothams may think his big year was more luck than skill, but getting a 34-year-old bench guy and, Power isn't really a prospect most teams are looking at. 24 in March, he projects as no more then a below average second basemen, but there is a somewhat interesting power/speed mix. In 111 A ball games this year he hit 14 homers and stole 12 bases, but it came with a middling 102 OPS+ and 99 WRC+. The first major move of the offseason came between a pair of Continental teams, as the Kansas City Kings might have acquired the middle infielder they were looking for. That would be former #1 overall pick John Wells, who unfortunately for Toronto, was rushed to the majors and never reached his lofty potential. Debuted at 19 in 1950, he hit just .269/.302/.339 (78 OPS+) before seeing that plummet to .251/.260/.280 (48 OPS+) in 427 PAs the next season. Wells continued to struggle early in his career, but the bat somewhat came alive in 1955. The then 24-year-old hit a solid .275/.357/.402 (107 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 9 triples, 10 homers, 66 RBIs, 63 walks, and 81 runs. This set up a run of five average or above average offensive seasons, though he couldn't get either his OPS+ or WRC+ to even 110. At 29 in 1960, the streak ended, as his line dropped to .270/.341/.397 (86 OPS+), though he added 26 doubles, 15 homers, 13 steals, 76 RBIs, and 100 runs, with a just-below-average 99 WRC+. With solid defense, he was worth 2.2 WAR, and he'll look to revive his career in Kansas City. In exchange for Wells, Toronto added 23-year-old outfielder Frank Hardin, who debuted for the Kings this September. A former 3rd Round pick, Hardin dominated the Dixie league, batting .318/.412/.616 (169 OPS+) in parts of four seasons with the Kings AA affiliate. That includes this season, one of his two with over 100 games, where he hit an excellent .322/.421/.609 (159 OPS+) with 36 doubles, 26 homers, 92 runs, 97 RBIs, and a 72-to-43 walk-to-strikeout ratio. This earned him a quick AAA callup before his debut with the Kings. It was almost as good as his AA time, and the Texas native hit a powerful .286/.297/.743 (158 OPS+). Half of his ten hits left the yard, and that power is something Toronto has not seen often. Just two Wolves ever, Tom Reed (31, 34) and Walt Pack (31) have hit more then 30 homers in a season, so if Toronto decides to give their new bat a full season, he could join that small group. Toronto made a second move a few days later, dumping the contract of 32-year-old rookie Bob Burdick (2-3, 3, 3.86, 49) on the Cougars, providing them with top 200 prospect Bruce McInturf. Taken in the 2nd Round by the Foresters in 1956, he was a former top 100 prospect who came to Toronto in the Lynn Horn deal back in 1957. Now Rule-5 eligible, they might not have wanted to commit a 40-man spot to a guy who hasn't gotten past A-ball, even if he has great raw stuff. The command isn't there, likely preventing him from being more then a spot-starter, and they'll get an unranked teen in John Gates to try to develop. A 3rd Rounder of the Cougars last season, he's the opposite of the outfielder they got from the Kings. He's a high contact, low power guy, who has great speed and an excellent ability to track the ball in the outfield. But that was all Toronto ended up doing, but their little trade spree started to heat things up. What came next was as shocking a deal as any, as after parting with Dave Price at the deadline, the Chiefs targeted him in their three-player return for top 100 prospect Grady Smith. Price, who hit just .248/.267/.352 (59 OPS+) with the Chiefs, was much better in Montreal, as the 1959 Kellogg winner hit .304/.340/.422 (96 OPS+). Between his two stops, he gathered 21 doubles, 5 triples, 9 homers, 58 RBIs, and 50 runs scored. A talented defender, he was still valuable even with the poor bat, and he looks to fit back right between Doc Zimmerman (.329, 22, 102, 11) and Rod Shearer (.259, 26, 120, 12). Another outfielder will join the mix, as the almost 24-year-old Marty Hanna will come over as well. A former 11th overall pick by the Miners, this is now the third trade he's been involved in, first as a part of the Bill Wise trade in 1955 before traded in a minor league only deal in 1959. This time, Hanna is traded as an official FABL player, as he struck out in his only plate appearance for the Saints this year. The rest of his time came in AA, where he hit .284/.383/.427 (110 OPS+) with a solid 121 WRC+. A disciplined hitter, he gives good at bats, but a starting role may be hard for him to come into. The last piece was 25-year-old righty Norm Van Dyne, who ranks inside the top 200 as a relief prospect. He was added to the 40, and could assist vets Tom Fisher (4-4, 13, 4.26, 31; 8-9, 25, 3.79, 67) and Paul Magee (5-8, 16, 3.18, 55) in the pen. On the flip side, Montreal was able to add the 47th ranked prospect Grady Smith, who the Chiefs took 9th in the 1960 draft. Still 18, the lefty swinger has a big bat, featuring a sweet swing that launces baseballs into the outfield. He's got above average power and ability to drive the ball, making him a feared hitter if he can reach his potential. He comes with plenty of risk considering his age and distance from the majors, but after not hitting much in Class C, he hit better after a surprising promotion. In 43 games Smith hit a strong .276/.326/.466 (115 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 8 homers, and 16 RBIs. With such a high ceiling, Montreal is expected to focus a lot of development effort on their new outfielder, and he's likely to remain among the Saints top 5 prospects come Opening Day. With their last place finish, some expected more subtraction from the roster, but after back-to-back 80-win seasons, they might instead hope that a lot of what went wrong this year, goes their way in the next. Yet no move will have bigger impact on the pennant race then the surprise blockbuster between the Minutemen and the Keystones, where Boston parted with star second basemen Marshall Thomas. Since the now 32-year-old debuted in 1951, Thomas has only produced above average offensive numbers, hitting an excellent .314/.378/.494 (136 OPS+) in 1,275 games as a Minuteman. "The Experimental Man" will now join an upstart Keystones team, batting ahead star outfielders Harry Dellinger (.350, 31, 125, 24) and Buddy Miller (.327, 30, 117), giving veteran slugger Lloyd Coulter (.264, 33, 103) a chance to hit a ton of grand slams. Thomas has seen his production drop a little in recent seasons, hitting "only" .291/.367/.472 (115 OPS+), but it came with 27 doubles, 20 homers, 62 RBIs, 58 walks, and 83 runs scored. Another well rounded season, Thomas did miss time with injury for the third straight year, so perhaps the Minutemen are worried that these concerns may limit how often he plays for them. On top of that, Ed Wise (.250, 32, 85) offers a ton of power from second or third, and they have gotten reliable, if unspectacular, performance from Pat Todd (.304, 4, 47). Todd would likely be on the bench had Thomas stayed, and Boston will add a young prospect and a pair of big leaguers to improve their depth on a threepeat quest. Neither major leaguer heading to Boston is a real impact player, but just a few seasons ago the now 33-year-old Sal Nigro (.267, 5, 21) was a reliable everyday guy, with excellent seasons in 1955 (.309, 25, 84) and 1956 (.307, 19, 75) that made him look like a legitimate building block. Instead, he saw his production and playing time dip the next two seasons, before settling into reserve roles the last two seasons. All told, he's got 93 homers and a .291/.363/.461 (122 OPS+) triple slash in 806 games with Philly. The other major leaguer was more interesting, as 23-year-old Ray Gonyea (11-9, 4, 4.18, 157) impressed in a split role between the pen and rotation as a rookie. A former 12th Rounder-turned-top-100-prospect, Goneya started 21 of his 41 games this season, but was much better as a reliever. He was still average as a starter, but with a front four of Allen winner Don Griffin (21-6, 2.01, 186), Bud Henderson (14-6, 4.05, 120), Foster Sherman (13-13, 3.86, 123), and Dick Wilson (7-7, 4.41, 79), there's not too much room for another starter. Regardless, Gonyea is the headliner, a potential middle-to-back of the rotation arm, and a worthy addition to the staff. Rounding out the return is catcher Larry McLean, but the 23-year-old is a former Kings 1st Rounder that has yet to show why. After 2 games in AA in 1958, he's yet to return, and won't function as more then catching depth unless Boston can unlock his potential. After such a big and surprising deal, the baseball world was in shock, but the Fed teams still made a few more November trades before the league got quiet again. Detroit picked up veteran outfielder Charlie Phillips (.223, 1, 10, 2; .267, 2, 19, 6) and a prospect from the Gothams for two prospects. Sent to the Foresters from Detroit last offseason, Cleveland waived him midseason, and before he could get to Detroit, the Gothams were able to claim him. Able to re-acquire their outfielder, Phillips gives Detroit some extra outfield depth, and he could look to reclaim the center field spot he made home in 1959. Later, the Miners sent depth arm Carl Prichett (1-0, 3.52, 4) to their in-state rivals for 20-year-old outfielder Buck Russell, who they took in the 2nd in 1958. Neither of these deals seem to make a big impact, but it will be interesting to see how the 1961 season goes, with news of expansion coming to FABL. Since the 1892 season, FABL has held consistent with 16 teams, but with recent relocation seeing the game capture new markets, expansion has felt like a foregone conclusion. Whether you respected the GWL talent or not, the rebel league showcased that baseball would be watched anywhere, and the west coast was an untapped market. First it was the Kings, moving from Brooklyn to Kansas City, followed by the Sailors and Stars leaving the colonies for California. As early as next season, those western teams could see travel become a little easier for them, with Dallas and LA on the shortlist for a fledgling franchise. Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Seattle, Denver, and even a return to New York have been floated, bringing excitement to baseball fans who don't have a team near them. For the other 16 teams, 1961 could be the last season that feels regular, classic, even correct, and knowing that the baseball landscape could be thrown on its head, teams may approach the coming season differently. If expansion would occur, the new franchises would be able to select players directly from the historic organizations, meaning that each year prior to expansion could be the most talent you have on your squad. Will we see big trades trying to capture one more title? Or will teams become more conservative, trying to keep their options open in case their organizational depth is pillaged by the newcomers? But one thing is for sure: once the expansion cat is out of the bag, baseball can never return to being same old game it once was. And you know what? I think that's a good thing! Let's bring baseball to more fans everywhere! The baseball Hall of Fame expanded by two with word that Red Johnson and George Cleaves had each received enough votes for induction in what was the first year of eligibility for each of them. Johnson, who hit 535 homeruns in his career and was aptly known as "Big Timber", began his career with seven seasons in Detroit before being dealt to the New York Gothams in 1943 and won 4 Whitney Awards. Cleaves, who won two Whitney Awards, began in Pittsburgh before moving on to New York and was a teammate of Johnson's. Cleaves was selected to the all-star team 13 times, trailing only Bill Barrett in that category and had one more all-star game appearance than Johnson. Speaking of Bill Barrett. The 41-year-old made the All-Star game for the 15th time in his career. He played in 153 games for the Gothams this season, batting .333 but announced his retirement after the campaign. Code: MOST ALL-STAR SELECTIONS 15* Bill Barrett Retired 13 George Cleaves Retired 13 Bobby Barrell Retired 12 Red Johnson Retired 12 Ed Bowman New York 11 Al Miller Retired 11 Adam Mullins Retired 11 Deuce Barrell Cleveland 10* Adrian Czerwinski Cleveland 10 Skipper Schneider Retired 10 Harry Barrell Retired 10 Tom Bird Retired selected to 1960 ASG Deuce Barrell is now 43 and says he will return for the 1961 season after going 12-10, 4.25 for Cleveland in 1960. He now has 329 career victories. If Barrell wins 12 more again in 1961 he will be tied for third all time wins with Aaron Wright and would trail only Double Al and Charlis Sis. Barrell and another 300-game winner, New York's Ed Bowman, each recorded their 2,500th strikeout just a week apart in August. They rank 4th and 5th all-time in that category with Deuce sitting at 2,531 career K's, three more than Bowman. Only Charlie Sis, Bill Temple and Mike Marner -all Hall of Famers- have fanned more FABL hitters. Other milestones reached this season include Edwin Hackberry, Charlie Rogers and Sherry Doyal all crossed the 2000 hit threshold and Hank Estill, Jerry Smith and Lloyd Coulter all joined the 300 homer club while Rod Shearer of the Chicago Chiefs hit his 350th career round-tripper. Stan Kleminski played in another WCS and became the first to appear in 50 WCS games and surpass 200 postseason at bats. Kleminski has taken part in 8 WCS in the past 9 years: six with Detroit and each of the past two seasons while playing for Cleveland. TWIFS baseball guru Archie Irwin calls it a controversial Continental Association Allen Award selection with 20-year-old Toronto sophomore Archie Smith. "Pretty Boy" was just 13-13 with a solid, but not dominant, 3.44 ERA (131 ERA+). Smith did lead the Conti with 213 Ks, but Irwin adds he has no idea how the Stars' Dewey Allcock didn't win. Unless voters just didn't want to write "Allcock" on their ballot. He struck out "just" 167 hitters, but had a better record (19-10), ERA (3.31), ERA+ (133), and pretty much everything else. Allcock led in not only ERA, but WHIP (1.20), K/BB (3.7), FIP- (72), and WAR (7.2) while a win shy of the lead. The only edge for Smith is one extra inning, more strikeouts, and less hits allowed. Even crazier might have been the 14 to 2 first place split for Smith, who even played for a sub .500 team while Allcock's Stars won more then 75 games for the first time since 1953. Quite a rookie season for Keystones 22-year-old Harry Dellinger, who led the Fed in batting average (.350) and rbi's (125) while winning both the Whitney Award as MVP and the Kellogg Award as rookie of the year in the Federal Association. Dellinger also had two long hitting streaks this season: the first was 22 games in length and the second was 26. Boston may have Griffin, Sherman and Henderson on the mound but it seems to me that the St Louis Pioneers pitching staff is going to have a huge decade if they stay healthy. The Pioneers have three top-20 pitchers in Billy Hasson, Charlie Blake and Frenchy Mack and only Hasson, at 26, is older than 23. In addition there is a wagon full of young talent in St Louis. OSA says 24 year old Butch Abrams is at least a #2 arm, 21 year old Steve Madden is potentially a #1, 21 year old Al Grabner can "anchor a rotation", 25 year old Doc Carver is a middle of the rotation arm and 22 year old Danny Daniels also should settle in the rotation someday according to the scouting service. They also have #32 prospect Harry Johnson, who is 18 and their 1960 first round pick that OSA says can anchor a rotation along with 1958 3rd rounder Joe Lee who the scouting service feels could be a solid starter. They were known for their "3-H Club" when we last watched the Pioneers close up. I have a feeling we may need a new nickname for the 1960s St Louis rotation. There were two FABL no-hitters this season. Jake Pearson threw one for Cleveland against Kansas City in June while in September Slick Willie Davis of the Philadelphia Keystones tossed a no-hitter against Detroit. Pearson's effort for Cleveland was the first Foresters no-hitter since 1917 and just the second in team history. Del Filo might have been a playoff hero for Boston with two homers in his first career WCS game but the 24-year-old does not feel quite as comfortable navigating stairs as he does facing Cleveland pitching. In December, the 1954 first round pick, fell down a flight of stairs in his house and separated his shoulder. The Minutemen expect he will be ready to go when spring training gets underway. Notable retirements at the end of the season included Rats McGonigle and, as previously mentioned, Bill Barrett. The top pick of the 1960 FABL draft went to Pittsburgh and the Miners selected a high school middle infielder out of Florida by the name of Dixie Turner. Turner finished the season in Class B and cracked the OSA top ten prospect list. Headlining the OSA prospect pipeline are a pair of St Louis Pioneers in 22-year-old second baseman Bob Bell and 21-year-old outfielder Danny Davis. FOOTBALL STARS SHINE BRIGHTEST IN AFA ONCE MORE* Baseball may no longer be king in New York as the ball Stars and Brooklyn Kings have long since left town and the New York Gothams seem far removed from their glory days. New York has also had some tough times on the ice with the Shamrocks continuing to languish at the bottom of the North American Hockey Confederation. But there is one team shining brightly in the New York City night. That would be the New York Stars football team - a club that has made the playoffs seven times in the past nine seasons, reached the title game five times and won three of them including a dominating 38-20 win over a rejuvenated Kansas City Cowboys squad in the 1960 title tilt. What is interesting is the fact the Stars success this season came with a rookie quarterback and without star running back Bryan Mire. Mire, who was offensive player of the year in 1957 and league MVP the following season, announced his retirement at age 30 prior to the start of the season while quarterback Charlie Coons was released after Orlin Youngs was drafted 11th overall out of Oklahoma City State. Youngs started all 12 games, threw for nearly 2,000 yards and was named the offensive rookie of the year. The running game was also not a problem as Mire's longtime backup Larry Moen stepped up and the 7th year pro enjoyed the first 1,000 yard rushing season of his career. Moen and Youngs each were named to the East roster for the All-Pro Classic. The New York offense was solid but it was the Stars defense that truly excelled, allowing the least yards against in the league and surrendering the fewest points. Five Stars defensive starters were named All-Pros led by veteran linebacker Tom Keeney, who led the league in tackles. New York finished with the best record in the league at 10-2 and really had no competition as the second place Philadelphia Frigates, who finished at 8-4, were 3-3 before putting things together in the second half of the season. The Frigates also made a major change at quarterback, electing not to resign veteran Pete Capizzi after missing the playoffs in back to back seasons, ending a string of five straight trips to the postseason. Capizzi was replaced by Jack Osterman, who was drafted 8th overall out of College of San Diego. Osterman had his ups and downs in the early going but really found his stride with in a November win over Cleveland in which the rookie threw 5 touchdown passes and put an end to any hopes the Finches might have had of overtaking the Frigates for the second playoff berth in the East. Cleveland was 6-6 and their biggest problem was an inability to stop the run with opposing teams rushing for an average of nearly 210 yards per game against the Finches. Boston was also 6-6 as the Americans struggles continued. The Yanks have not won a playoff game since 1945 and somehow, despite a five game winning streak this season, still managed to only finish with a .500 record. Fifth place Pittsburgh might be in even worse shape than the Americans, as the Paladins struggled through a 4-8 season and have not made the playoffs since 1952. Pittsburgh has another new quarterback in Landon Peek, who was selected 5th overall out of Detroit City College but he struggled with several nagging injuries. About the only good news for the Paladins was veteran halfback Dean Turgeon ran for a career best 1,186 yards after missing the entire 1959 season with a knee injury suffered in training camp. Rounding out the East Division was the Washington Wasps, who had a terrible collapse. The Wasps won back to back titles in 1957 and 1958 and made the playoffs a year ago but a 5-game losing skid to end the season left the 3-9 Wasps under .500 for the first time since 1952. Nobody stood out in the West Division but the Kansas City Cowboys finished 7-5 and that was good enough for a playoff berth. It ended a long run of suffering for the once proud franchise which made four straight appearances in the title game to start the decade but had gone 16-56 between 1954 and the end of last season. Wins over Cleveland, Chicago and Detroit to start the season gave the Cowboys confidence and they won the division with a tiebreaker over the Maroons. Detroit, also 7-5, overcame a 2-4 start and made the playoffs with three straight victories to finish the season including a dominating 48-14 road win in Chicago in the season finale to leapfrog the Wildcats and finish second. The mini-quarterback controversy continued in the Motor City as Tom Griffin, a 1958 fourth rounder, again earned the starting job while Sled Hicks, who was a first round pick that same year and had an impressive rookie campaign, spent his second consecutive season as Hicks' backup. Despite some objections from team owner Rollie Barrell, the move must be working as the Maroons had the top passing offense in the league. Back to back losses in St Louis and at home to Detroit to end the season cost the Chicago Wildcats a playoff berth despite the fact that Chicago led the West Division with 348 points. Second year quarterback Miller Bogert was terrific, passing for an AFA best 2,393 and 27 touchdowns so there certainly is something to build around in the Windy City. San Francisco missed the playoffs for just the third time in the past seven years but a season ending win at home over Washington assured the Wings of a .500 record, marking the 9th consecutive season they have finished with at least six victories. Just one win in their final six outings doomed the Los Angeles Tigers to fifth place after a 4-2 start. The Tigers defense had plenty of problems, especially against the pass, and they allowed opponents to average more than 30 points a game against them. Last place St Louis had the league's Most Valuable Player in gifted running back Jim Kellogg, who gained 1,424 yards, but not much else as the Ramblers bumbled their way through a 3-9 season. AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS Offensive rookie of the year Orlin Youngs started all 12 games at quarterback for the East Division leading New York Stars but he was forced to miss there playoff opener after he was injured late in the regular season finale against Philadelphia. That meant the Stars would be forced to go with untested backup Harris Kummer, also a rookie, under center in the rematch with the Frigates. Kummer had thrown just 6 passes all season but the fifth round pick out of Miami State looked like a seasoned veteran in throwing a pair of first half touchdown passes as the Stars opened a 17-7 lead on the visiting Frigates at the break. Kummer did not slow down, adding a third touchdown toss in the final minute to conclude a game winning drive as the Stars pulled out a 27-20 victory. Meanwhile the West Division playoff proved that the Kansas City Cowboys may just be for real. The Cowboys have been searching for success ever since Pat Chappell retired and longtime quarterback Scott Greenwell finally managed to win his first playoff game. It was in resounding fashion as the Cowboys blasted the Detroit Maroons 54-10 in a game that Greenwell went 20-f0r-28 for 214 yards and three touchdown passes while veteran halfback Mike Peel carried the ball for 135 yards. Any celebration in Kansas City was short-lived as the New York stars dominated the final, opening a 35-3 lead at the break and then coasting to a 38-20 victory. Orlin Youngs was healthy enough to return to action and the Stars quarterback threw four first half touchdown passes while veteran halfback Larry Moen was named playoff MVP after rushing for 164 yards against the Cowboys a week after he went off for 168 yards in the win over Philadelphia. GATORS CLASS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL ONCE AGAIN The Deep South Conference, or more specifically the state of Georgia, remained the capital of collegiate football as the Georgia Baptist Gators completed a perfect 11-0 season to win their second straight AIAA national grid title. This after their rivals from Noble Jones College had celebrated the previous two crowns following back to back undefeated seasons. The Gators had early season non-conference victories over Abilene Baptist, Red River State and Maryland State in a game that required overtime to beat the South Atlantic Conference champions and one that would prove to be the Bengals only loss all season. The Gators also had some tough contests in section play, needing a late touchdown to beat Alabama Baptist by a single point and surviving close calls against Cumberland, Mississippi A&M and Central Kentucky. The Gators did have the luxury of not playing Noble Jones College for a change, as the 12 team Deep South Conference only plays seven games against its section opponents. Noble Jones lost to Bayou State and was surprisingly upset by Northern Mississippi in late November to finish as one of four schools tied for second in the Deep South at 5-2. The others were the Bayou State Cougars, Cumberland and Western Florida with its first-ever five win showing in conference play. Only two Deep South schools in Georgia Baptist, which returned to the Oilman Classic to face the Southwestern Alliance champion Lubbock State Hawks, and the Cougars, who were tabbed for the Cajun Classic and a meeting with Charleston Tech, received invites to play on New Years Day. Missing out on a New Years date was especially hard to swallow for the Colonels as Noble Jones College expected a huge year with its three big offensive stars playing their final seasons. Quarterback Garrett Snyder, halfback Jeff Zwiefel -who won the Christian Trophy as a freshman- and end Don Bernard all had strong campaigns but a season opening 7-point loss to West Coast Athletic Association powerhouse Northern California hurt and a heartbreaking 19-16 defeat at home to Bayou State on a last second field goal made matters worse. Any dreams of a new years game came crushing down when Northern Mississippi (5-5) upset the Colonels 27-20 Thanksgiving weekend. Maryland State emerged as the class of the South Atlantic Conference, going 7-0 in section play and 10-1 overall with the lone blemish being that early season overtime loss to Georgia Baptist. The Bengals kicked a field goal to go up 10-7 with just under two minutes remaining but Gators senior quarterback Jim Henson completed three big passes to put his club in position for a game-tying field goal in the closing seconds. Henson then worked his magic in overtime with a 10 yard touchdown pass to Jim Pukas and when the Bengals drive was stopped the game ended 17-10 in favour of the Gators. Despite the lose to Georgia Baptist, it was a special year for the Bengals who celebrated their first collegiate basketball title the previous April and then won the SAC football crown for the third time in the past four years. * MINERS COME CLOSE TO NATIONAL TITLE ONCE AGAIN * The Northern California Miners must be wondering just what else they have to do to win a national title. The Miners won their fourth straight West Coast Athletic Association title and are 26-2 in section play over that span. They have also finished second twice, including this year, third once and finally fifth in the national rankings the past four years. This year Northern Cal, led by sophomore quarterback Charlie Watson's AIAA leading 1,429 yards passing, went 10-1 with the lone loss being a bad stumble, falling 38-9 in Bigsby Garden in a late season neutral site showdown with Rome State. The Miners rebounded the next week with a late rally to nip California rival Redwood 17-16 and secure their 7th New Years Day trip to Santa Ana in the past ten years. Northern California's opponent would be a Central Ohio Aviators squad that entered the game with a perfect record and expectations of winning their first college football national title. It would have been very interesting to see how the voting would have gone had the Aviators prevailed but Northern California won quite easily and the perfect season was over for Central Ohio which dipped to fourth in the final rankings. The Aviators had a couple of close calls, nipping Coastal California 12-10 on a last minute field goal and needing overtime to beat another non-conference foe in Western Florida but they were dominant in their 27-17 win over Detroit City College to complete a perfect 7-0 record in Great Lakes Alliance play and earn a second trip in three years to face Northern California in the East-West Classic. Among other schools perhaps the two biggest surprises were Huntington State and College of San Diego. The Huntington State Miners were one of nine teams that were kicked out of the South Atlantic Conference a decade ago and a formed a loose alliance of their own. The Miners were led by Christian Trophy winning halfback Rick Fisher who rushed for an AIAA best 1,748 yards and 17 touchdowns as Huntington State went 10-1 on the regular season and earned an invitation to play on New Years Day for just the second time in school history. College of San Diego went 10-1 and also earned a classic invite. The Friars lone loss came to CC Los Angeles and the classic invite was their first since 1947. NEW YEARS CLASSIC RECAPS The 45th annual edition of the East-West Classic ended in the exact same way as the previous three, with the Northern California Miners celebrating a victory over the Great Lakes Alliance representative. The Miners dynasty has certainly changed the landscape of the greatest New Years Day game, as prior to the Northern California run the GLA representative was on a six game winning streak. This loss had huge implications for Central Ohio, which entered the game ranked number one in the nation and was looking for its first collegiate national title. Nerves perhaps got the best of both teams early as the first period was filled with penalties but the Miners did strike first with a field goal midway through the period. An unnecessary roughness call on Miners defensive lineman Del Upperman proved costly late in the opening quarter as it prolonged a Central Ohio drive that culminated in a 2-yard touchdown run for Aviators back Joe Cress. As it would turn out that would be all the scoring Central Ohio would manage and the game turned quickly in the closing minute of the first half. First it was the culmination of a 14-play, 55 yard drive that ended in a 5-yard Gil Cooper touchdown to put the Miners up 10-7 and two plays later Aviators end Ed Kuntz fumbled as he was tackled and that set up a late field goal to put Northern California ahead 13-7 at the break. The Miners defense was too much for Central Ohio after the break and the Aviators never came close to scoring while Northern California tacked on an additional 13 points in the second half to secure the 26-7 victory and put an end to any title hopes Central Ohio might have had. With Central Ohio's perfect season in shambles that left just Georgia Baptist looking for perfection and a second straight national title. All that stood in the Gators way was their Oilman Classic opponent Lubbock State. It was the Hawks third straight appearance in the Oilman Classic and they struck first, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown plunge from Tom Pennington to conclude an opening drive that lasted nearly eight minutes. The Gators responded with a long drive of their own but it stalled at the Hawks 11-yard line and Georgia Baptist was forced to settle for just 3 points on a Mike Mannion field goal. After a Lubbock State punt the Gators put together another long scoring drive, this one traversing 81 yards and concluding with Roger Harris scoring on a 3-yard run to put the Gators up 10-3. They would never trail again and while Lubbock State did make it close with a late touchdown to cut the deficit to 25-20, the Gators with halfback Harris leading the way with 133 yards rushing, never seemed in danger of losing. The most notable of the other new years contests saw Maryland State rally with a 4th quarter touchdown to improve to 10-1 with a 22-15 victory over Oklahoma City State. The win moved the Bengals to third in the final rankings, behind the Gators and Northern California and one slot ahead of Central Ohio with Huntington State, winners of Desert Classic in overtime, claiming the fifth slot in the final rankings. MARYLAND STATE WINS FIRST COLLEGE CAGE CROWN Overshadowed for years by South Atlantic Conference rivals Carolina Poly and North Carolina Tech, the Maryland State Bengals basketball team finally enjoyed its moment in the sun as they defeated another conference rival -Charleston Tech- in the title game to win the Bengals first-ever AIAA cage championship. The recent turnaround for Maryland State has been nothing short of miraculous over the past three seasons as the Bengals, who had never won a tournament game prior to the spring of 1958, reached the quarterfinals a year ago and went all the way this time around, downing the Admirals 70-58 in the title game behind a 15 point effort from junior forward Beryl Towne. Maryland State finished the season with a 27-5 record, establishing a new school record for wins in a season but they finished second to Charleston Tech in the South Atlantic Conference record, losing on a tiebreaker after both schools finished section play 11-3, one game better than defending national champion Carolina Poly. West Coast Athletic Association champ Redwood entered the tournament as the number one ranked team in the nation and the Mammoths were assigned the top seed in the West Region. Another WCAA school, Coastal California was handed the top seed in the South while Carolina Poly headlined the East Region. The Bengals were sent to the Midwest as a second seed behind Great Lakes Alliance winners Central Ohio. The Bengals opened with a game against 19-11 Custer College, champions of the lightly regarded Rocky Mountain Athletic Association. Sophomore forward Pepper Whitney, who led the Bengals in scoring with an 11.5 ppg mark had the hot hand in the tournament opener as the forward shot 7-for-10 from the field and scored 19 points in a 69-42 victory for his Bengals. Next up was a talented Western Iowa team that had gone to the national title game a year ago but the Canaries were not match for Maryland State and absorbed a 77-48 thrashing from the Bengals. That set up a showdown with Central Ohio in the only regional file that followed script by matching its top two seeds. The Bengals led by two at the half and pulled away after the break to advance to Bigsby Garden and the national semi-finals for the first time in school history with a 53-46 grounding of the Aviators. Redwood breezed through the West Region including a 12 point victory over third seeded Mississippi A&M in the regional final. The South Region saw third seeded Charleston Tech handle top seed Coastal California by a 59-49 score while the East drew plenty of attention as Dickson, the Academia Alliance champ that had not won a tournament game since the spring of 1917, was the surprise bracket winner after downing Liberty College 61-50 in the title game. The Bells had eliminated Carolina Poly, winners of three of the past six tournaments, in the second round. Redwood was the tournament favourite and the Mammoths were playing in Bigsby Garden for the second April in the past three years. Redwood has advanced to at least the quarterfinals for six straight seasons but the Mammoths only national title came in 1947-48. They would fall short again this time as Charleston Tech, led by 18 points from senior forward Joe Satterfield, held on for a 64-62 victory to give the Admirals their first ever appearance in the national championship game. Maryland State halted Dickson's run, dumping the Maroons 68-53 with sophomore Mark Robinson scoring 21 points to pace the Bengals attack and set up a third meeting with their conference rivals from Charleston. The Admirals had won each of the previous two, but the Bengals got their revenge in the biggest game for the pair all season, claiming a 70-58 victory and their first AIAA cage title. HAWKS FLY HIGH AT COLLEGE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES It was a long time coming but the Lubbock State Hawks finally won their third college baseball World Championship Series. The Hawks, who were the best AIAA baseball team in the country in 1922 and again six years later, emerged unscathed from the field of 16 hopefuls that gathered in Cleveland in early June. The Hawks finished the regular season with a 39-23 record, good enough to claim their third Southwestern Alliance title in the past four years and then won the five more games necessary to hoist the AIAA baseball championship trophy. The Hawks start the tournament off with back to back shut out victories, blanking Pittsburgh State 7-0 in the opening round before nipping Mississippi Tech 1-0 in the second round as hurlers Logan Mantica and Chris Paulsen combined on a 3-hitter. The lone came in a wild seventh inning in which the Hawks loaded the bases with three straight singles and then with two-out third baseman Adam Wagner drew a full count walk which plated the only run of the contest. Wagner, the Hawks lead-off man, had 3-hits and scored three times to lead Lubbock State past Wisconsin Catholic 11-5 and give the Hawks their first appearance in the AIAA finals since the old feeder days when the Hawks were led by catcher Jack Flint and beat a loaded Liberty College squad that included Tommy Wilcox and Jake Shadoan. Deep South Conference champion Opelika State was the Hawks opponent in the finals after the Wildcats, who were making their fourth tournament appearance in the past five years, eliminated West Coast Athletic Association c-champs Portland Tech in the semi-finals with an 8-5 decision. Homeruns by Charlie Hess, John Williams and Jim Smith staked Opelika State to a 5-0 lead after two innings of the opening game in the best-of-three final and the Wildcats breezed to a 6-4 victory. It was a much different story in game two as Lubbock State busted open what was a scoreless game with 9 runs in the third inning and the Hawks would add five more in the fifth as they tamed the Wildcats 16-2 to even the series. Game three was a pitching duel as the Hawks Logan Mantic and three Opelika State hurlers dueled to a 1-1 draw after eight innings. Lubbock State would get a pair of key hits in the top of the ninth as Billy Fuston led off with a double and John Case followed with a 2-run homer off Opelika State's Harry Rowland. That would prove the difference as Lubbock State reliever Chris Paulsen set the Wildcats down in order in the ninth to clinch the 3-1 victory for the Hawks. ANOTHER ROOKIE GOALIE LEADS DUKES For the second year in a row the big story in the North American Hockey Confederation was a surprise breakout season from a rookie goaltender in Toronto. A year ago it was Mike Connelly, a career minor leaguer who started his NAHC career with 4 consecutive shutouts and would go on to lead the Dukes to both the best regular season record and their record 11th Challenge Cup win. Now 28, Connelly found himself spending most nights on the bench as Toronto found another rookie with a hot glove in 26-year-old Justin MacPhee. MacPhee, who was twice named Canadian Amateur Hockey Association goaltender of the year in junior with the Halifax Mariners, went undrafted and spent the past four seasons playing for the Tacoma Lions of the Great Western Hockey League, two rungs below the NAHC. MacPhee was signed by the Dukes, presumably to be Connelly's back up but he did not take long to wrestle away the starting job. MacPhee played in 56 games, winning 32 and his 11 shutouts were just one shy of another former Duke Scott Renes 1954-55 record. The Dukes finished with 86 points, good for a 7 point bulge on second place Boston but well off their record-setting 97 point showing of a year ago. Toronto still scored the most goals in the league and surrendered the fewest but they were not as effective as a year ago in no small part due to the fact that star center Quinton Pollack (27-31-61) missed 18 games due to injury and while the legendary Tommy Burns (17-23-40) did dress for all 70 contests, but his now 40-year-old body showed signs of breaking down with the lowest point total of his career. Thirty year old Ken Jamieson (27-29-56) had another strong season and often supplanted Burns as the second line pivot while the all-star duo on the blueline in Bobby Fuhrman (9-35-44) and Tim Brooks (8-17-25) anchored the stingiest defense in the league. The Dukes did slow in the second half of the season, playing just .500 hockey from late January until the end of the regular season but were still favourites to repeat as Cup champions. Chasing Toronto were four teams that battled much of the season for the remaining three playoff spots. The Boston Bees were the hottest team down the stretch, going 11-2-1 over the final month to ensure they would finish in second and claim home ice advantage for the opening round of the playoffs. If there were any lingering doubts about whether Jimmy Rucks was the new big star in Boston, they were erased this season as the 26-year-old right winger was named to the first all-star team for the second consecutive season and his 54 points, including 20 goals, paced the Bees and was the fifth highest total recorded in the loop this campaign. Boston might still be looking for a top center now that Wilbur Chandler is long gone but the Bees appear set on the wing with 27-year-old Jean Lebel (13-30-43), 26-year-old Gabe Vigneault (17-23-40) and 24-year-old Pierre Paquette (21-21-42) all playing key roles. 36-year-old Oscar James (24-16-7, 2.78) continues to guard the crease for Boston. A late slump cost the New York Shamrocks second place but 75 points and a third place finish is a big win in the Big Apple, as the Shamrocks qualified for the playoffs after missing the post-season each of the previous five seasons. Marc Huot, a 25-year-old who was cut by Boston, joined the Shamrocks part way through last season and had a breakout year in his first season of fulltime NAHC duty. The Montreal born right winger scored 26 goals and finished with 57 points, third best in the league behind only Alex Monette of Detroit and Toronto's Pollack. Newcomer Mathew Garbowsky (20-16-36) also reached the twenty-goal plateau for the Shamrocks and 25-year-old Corb Maybury (16-28-44) took on a bigger role in his third full season on Broadway. New York did not match the offensive firepower of Toronto, Boston and Chicago but the Shamrocks did win a lot of tight games and edged out the Chicago Packers club for third place by a single point. The Packers barely held off Detroit for the fourth and final playoff spot, finishing two points ahead of the Motors. Chicago seems to have moved on from the Tommy Burns era as a host of players in their early to mid-twenties, along with eight-year veteran rearguard Guy Bernier (13-35-48) who is still just 28, give Windy City fans plenty of hope for the future. The biggest hopes are pinned on Archer Cook (28-26-54), a 23-year-old 1955 second round pick who won the McLeod Trophy two years ago and this season became the first Packers forward to be named to the first all-star team since Burns and Max Ducharme earned the honour five years ago. Ducharme, by the way, once a fixture in Chicago but now 36 years of age, spent most of the season in Pittsburgh as the Packers fully embraced their youth movement. Left winger Ray Weller (23-29-52) made the league's Second All-Star team along with blueliners Bernier and first-time winner Mike Homfray (6-29-35). Other key pieces were forwards Ken York (20-27-47), Conn Maguire (16-25-41) and J.P. Morissette (15-25-40). Iron man goaltender Henri Chasse (30-28-12, 2.72) played every minute of every game for Detroit for the third year in a row but it was not enough to keep the Motors from missing the playoffs for the first time since the 1951-52 season. Detroit's Alex Monette (30-43-77) won his second straight scoring title and claimed the McDaniels Trophy for the first time his career but the 27-year-old missed 7 games with various injuries and Detroit lost six of them in his absence, which proved the difference between finishing fourth and fifth. Detroit did receive secondary scoring from veterans Nick Tardif (23-23-46) and Lou Barber (15-27-42) and career best point production from 25-year-old Alex Guindon (15-33-48). Another 25-year-old in defenseman Anthony Beauchemin (8-16-24) shows plenty of promise on the backend. Beauchemin is hardly a new face as the he has been playing for the Motors since he turned 19. It was another awful year for the Montreal Valiants, who won just 11 of 70 games and their 34 points broke the record for futility in a 70 game season, finishing with one point less than the awful 1950-51 Chicago Packers. After back to back playoff appearances, most in Montreal thought the gloomy days of the 1950's, where the Vals went six seasons without a sniff of playoff action, where over but this year set new lows. Montreal had trouble scoring with only veteran Jocko Gregg (22-32-54) and youngsters Mathew Muir (22-26-48) and Roy Forgeron (11-25-36) enjoying much success, but there biggest problem was keeping the puck out of their net. The Valiants allowed a record 254 goals against, smashing their old record of 235 set 8 years ago and allowing 56 more against than any other NAHC team surrendered this season. Nathan Bannister (5-26-9, 3.53) and Tim Burrows (6-20-2, 3.34) are not considered to be bad goaltenders and there is some talent on the blueline but for some reason the Valiants have just never been able to do the job and for the second time in just over two years they are looking for a new coach after Andrew Stymiest was fired following the season. He lasted 79 games behind the Montreal bench. 1959-60 NAHC PLAYOFFS The Toronto Dukes had cause for worry when they found out their semi-final opponent would be the Chicago Packers. Despite Toronto finishing 12 points ahead of the Packers, Chicago dominated the season series between the two clubs with the Packers winning 9 of their 14 meetings. Like they did a year ago, the Dukes put their fate in the hands of a rookie goaltender but this time it was Juneau Award winner Justin MacPhee instead of Mike Connelly. Chicago's J.P. Morissette beat MacPhee with one minute remaining in the third period of the opener to tie the game at 3 but it would be the hometown Dukes who came out on top as Tim Amesbury notched the game winner after nearly 24 minutes of extra time. Chicago rebounded with a 3-2 win in the second game to head to the Lakeside Auditorium with the series tied at one. They would split the two games in the Windy City. Chicago took game three by a 3-2 score as Mark Milot scored the winner in overtime after ex-Packer Tommy Burns had tied the contest late in the third period. The Packers outshot the Dukes 40-25 in the game. Game four was all Toronto as Ken Jamieson and Mitch Moran each had a goal and an assist to pace the visiting Dukes to a 5-2 victory. For the third time in the series overtime was needed to decide a winner as game five was deadlocked at four after sixty minutes. Archer Cook, the Packers talented young winger, was the hero when he beat Toronto netminder Justin MacPhee 18 minutes into the extra frame. Ken York had scored twice for the Packers while Toronto defenseman Jimmy Cooper had a goal and two helpers while Jamieson scored twice in a losing cause. Back home for game six, the Packers wrapped the series up with a 5-2 victory as Ken York had 3 assists while Conn Maguire scored twice to pace the Packers. In the other semi-final series the New York Shamrocks were hitting the ice in Boston for their first taste of playoff action since 1954. The Greenshirts got off to a fantastic start, sweeping both games at Denny Arena to start the series. The opener saw New York goaltender Dalton Duco record a shutout in his playoff debut as the Shamrocks skated to a 3-0 victory with Corb Maybury scoring twice and assisting on the third New York tally. Game two was much tighter as the Shamrocks opened a 3-1 lead in the second period but goals from veteran rearguard Mickey Bedard and Luc Fournier allowed Boston to tie it. Jim Macek was the overtime star with a goal just shy of 13 and a half minutes into the extra period. After dropping the first two games at home, the Boston Bees problems grew even larger with a 2-1 loss in the third game. Alex Sorrell, who was a surprise starter in game two after Duco's shutout in the opener, was called upon again in the third game and was outstanding, turning aside all but one of the 37 shots Boston fired at him. Simon Savard and Alex Breen scored the New York goals with Byron Redmond assisting on both. There was no margin for error for the Bees, who trailed 3 games to none but then completed a most-improbable comeback with four straight victories to take the series. The Bees were up against the wall in game four, trailing 2-0 after two periods but Jack Gariepy and Gabe Vigneault scored in the third period to force overtime and Jonathan Poirier needed just 4:30 of overtime to end the game, scoring on the powerplay to keep the Bees alive. Jake Stockman scored once and added two assists as the Bees doubled New York 4-2 in game five and then battled back after the Shamrocks scored twice in the opening 96 seconds of game six to beat New York 5-2. Jimmy Rucks had 3 points while Ben Jacobs scored twice for the Bees who had knotted the series after losing each of the first three games. * Bees Complete Comeback * Boston has done nothing the easy way this series so when the Shamrocks scored three times in a span of less than four minutes to take a 3-1 lead just over six minutes into the second period there was likely far less alarm on the Boston bench than one might have expected. The Bees tied the game with goals from Ben Voyechek and Neil Wilson before the period had ended and then added three more in the third period before the defeated Shamrocks meekly responded with one late goal. One of the biggest comebacks in NAHC history had been completed as the Bees, who trailed 3 games to none and by two goals entering the third period of the fourth game, rallied to win four straight and advance to the Challenge Cup Finals. BOSTON AND CHICAGO FINALS The Bees and Packers were meeting in the Challenge Cup finals for the second time in four years. They were far from strangers in post-season action as Chicago and Boston were facing off for the fourth time in the last 14 years. Boston had won two of the three previous meetings including the battle from four years ago. The Bees entered the series on a 4-game winning streak and stretched it to five straight but not before requiring overtime to dispose of Chicago in game one. The final score was 3-2 with Boston rookie Brad Lowenberger being the unlikely hero, saving his first career playoff goal to be an overtime winner. Chicago goaltender Garrett Topping made 35 saves two nights later as the Packers left Boston with the series knotted at one following a 5-2 victory in the second game. Charlie Bowman paced the Chicago attack, setting up three first period goals to stake the Packers to an early lead. Game three saw the Bees jump out to a 3-0 lead but the Packers scored five unanswered goals over the final 37 minutes to claim a 5-2 victory and take a 2-1 lead in the series. J.P. Morissette and Ray Weller each had a goal and two assists to lead Chicago while Pierre Paquette had the same for the visiting Bees. Topping made 27 saves as Chicago blanked Boston 5-0 in game four. * Bees Stage Another Comeback * It was time for another Boston comeback as the Bees, after overcoming a 3 games to none deficit in the semi-finals, looked to rally after trailing 3-1 in the finals. Game five in Boston saw Mathieu Harnois and Jean Lebel each scored in the final 13 minutes to lift the Bees to a 3-1 victory. Back to Chicago, where they had been defeated twice, the Bees relied on veteran goaltender Oscar James and he delivered with a 29 save shutout in a 3-0 Boston win. Tommy Elliott opened the scoring for the Bees in the second period before Jean Lebel and Neil Wilson added insurance markers in the third stanza. Game seven was a terrific goalie showdown between James and Topping. Neither team scored in the opening period despite the Bees enjoying a pair of power play opportunities. The only goal of the middle period came courtesy of Boston all-star winger Jimmy Rucks, who notched his playoff leading 6th goal midway through the frame. The third period was tight checking as the Bees held the Packers to just seven shots while managing only four of their own. Neither team could score and the game ended 1-0 giving James back to back shutouts and the Bees another amazing comeback. Much like baseball, which has confirmed it will add four more franchises in 1962, the Federal Basketball League has had discussion of expanding but, having been burned once before, the loop started by Rollie Barrell in 1946 seems content, at least at the moment, with 8 stable clubs. The Federal League had been big dreams in its infancy and quickly went from eight to seventeen teams by 1948 only to see most flounder. Since the 1955-56 campaign the league has been a stable group of eight teams with only the move of the Rockets from small-market Rochester, N.Y., to St Louis marking any changes. Whether they were based in Rochester or St Louis the Rockets have been the class of the FBL's West Division, winning six of the last seven division regular season titles including each of the past two seasons after their move to the shores of the Mississippi. They won 50 games for the second consecutive season, something that has only been accomplished five times in FBL history and three of them were by the Rockets. Their leader this season was an unlikely hero by the name of Rick Sims. A 29-year-old center, Sims was a back-up behind Billy Bob McCright for each of his first six seasons in the league but as McCright showed signs of slowing down Sims seized his opportunity. Sims started all 76 games and was one of just three players to average more than 20 points per game while also providing dominant defense for the Rockets. He was rewarded with the FBL's Most Valuable Player Award and combined with fellow all-league first team forward Wayne Wyrick to give St Louis a team that dominated at both ends of the court thanks to a stellar supporting cast in vets Danny Rachor and Verle Schoonmaker along with first year starter Jerry Kosior. Second place Detroit finished 5 games back of the front-running Rockets. The Mustangs, led by the backcourt duo of Erv Corwin and Lew Bayne and a slowing but still effective Ziggy Rickard, actually outscored St Louis but could not match the Rockets defensive intensity. It was a long way back to third place as the Chicago Panthers finished a full 15 games behind the second place Mustangs. Luther Gordon was once more first team all-league and his 22.8 points per game was good enough to win his 7th scoring title but even a breakout year for 30-year-old Chris Rogerson, who more than doubled his previous career best in averaging just shy of 20 points per game, was not enough to allow the Panthers to keep pace with the big two in the West Division. The Toronto Falcons finished last in the West and missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season with the lone bright spot being the play of Bill Spangler. The 3rd year guard out of CC Los Angeles had a breakout season and was named first team All-League. A 10-game winning streak late in the season helped the New York Knights hold off both Boston and Philadelphia to finish with the best record in the East at 44-32. It marked the first time New York led the division since 1954-55 and the big reason was Howie Farrell. Unlike a year ago Farrell did not win the scoring title but his 22.5 ppg was good for second place and he was named to the All-League Second Team. The Boston Centurions were battling with New York for top spot in the East Division all season but stumbled down the stretch with just three wins in their final 14 games. They did manage to hold on to second place, claiming a tiebreaker over Philadelphia after both the Centurions and Phantoms ended the season with identical 39-37 records, good enough to put an end to Boston's 4-year playoff drought. The Centurions scored the fewest points in the league, but they had the best defense and led the loop in both rebounds and blocked shots. Guard Steve Barrell followed up his rookie of the year season with a strong sophomore campaign but a mid-March concussion cost him 26 games and coincided with the Centurions late slump. Mel Turcotte continues to be the leader in Philadelphia as the Phantoms veteran center led the loop in rebounds, averaging 13.7, while also scoring at 16.5 point per game clip. The surprise team left without a playoff chair in the East Division when the music stopped was the Washington Statesmen. It marked a first as the FBL's most successful team was coming off a season when it won its FBL record fourth title and had made the playoffs each of the first 13 years of the league. In fact, going back to the old American Basketball Conference, the Statesmen had not missed the playoffs since their inaugural season of 1937-38. A serious knee injury to Jack English, who along with Ernie Fischer and Hank Adkins were the leaders of the most recent title winner hurt the team as English was limited to just 10 games. Fischer was his usual solid self as the big man in the middle, but Adkins struggled and eventually lost his starting guard job. A dreadful stretch beginning in mid-January when the Statesmen won just once in a dozen outings stated with an exclamation point that a 19-year playoff streak was coming to an end in the nation's capital. FEDERAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS ST. LOUIS GETS ITS TITLE While Washington was not invited to the playoff party to defend its title, six teams were gearing up for the second season to figure out who would succeed the Statesmen. New York won the East and waited for Boston and Philadelphia to sort out the make-up of the Eastern Divisional Final, while St. Louis was treated to a bye in the Western Divisional Playoff. Familiar foes kicked off the playoffs in the Western Divisional Semifinal, as Detroit and Chicago renewed acquaintances. It was a contrast of styles, with Detroit’s power coming from its back court tandem of Lew Bayne and Erv Corwin, while Chicago is still led by Luther Gordon and center Chris Rogerson. Bayne and Corwin were a thorn in Chicago’s side all series. Bayne dished out 13 assists to go along with 16 points in Game One, scored 30 points in Game Two, and after the Mustangs squandered their 2-0 lead in the series, Bayne was named Player of the Game in the deciding Game Five, scoring 25 points and adding nine rebounds. Corwin had a great game in Game Two, with 29 points in the Mustangs 116-90 win. The only game decided by less than ten points was the final game and while the home team won all five games in the series, the last one for Detroit was not easy. The Mustangs won, 84-81, and had to hang on against Chicago, as the Panthers chipped away at Detroit’s nine-point edge heading into the fourth quarter. St. Louis inherited a solid team, a league champion, when the Rockets relocated from Rochester, and the “little engine that could” still had its stars from the Rochester championship, though the torch has been passed. Billy Bob McCright comes off the bench now and Marlin Patterson was a spare player who did not even see action during the regular season. They were simply insurance behind the new stars of the club with Rick Sims and Wayne Wyrick. Sims was the MVP of the regular season and picked up right where he left off when the Western Divisional Final started. St. Louis built a quick three games-to-none series lead over Detroit with a couple of close wins at home, 75-74 and 72-69. Sims scored 24 points in Game One and Wyrick poured in 22 points in Game Two. Sims and Wyrick combined for 59 points in the 108-95 win in Game Three that pushed Detroit to the brink. Corwin and the Mustangs tried to claw their way back and they were able to force a sixth game. Corwin averaged 21.3 points in the series and played better as the series went on, scoring 26 points and adding 15 rebounds in Game Four. The Rockets, specifically Rick Sims, were just too much for Detroit. Sims averaged 25.8 points in the series, including 30 points in the Game Six, which was the clincher. The Eastern Division Semifinal was not nearly as dramatic, though the teams who tipped off against each other had the same regular season record (39-37). Boston defeated Philadelphia in three straight to move on and face New York. Bert LaBrecque, who has come into his own in his third season, arrived in Boston’s first playoff run in years. LaBrecque scored 23 in Game One and 25 more in Game Two. To complete the sweep, Boston had to win it in overtime on the road. It was Boston’s guard play of Charlie Stark (25 points) and Steve Barrell (22) that pushed the Centurions to victory. Mel Turcotte was quiet in the first two games of the series, but he had 27 points and 15 rebounds in Game Three to give Philadelphia a chance. New York won the opener of the East Final behind a former Playoff MVP, Howie Farrell, and his 26 points, but LaBrecque was at it again to steal a split of the two games in New York. Game Two saw Boston come from behind in the fourth quarter to win, 77-75, as LeBrecque scored 26 points, offsetting 24 from Farrell. Boston went home and win both games to take a commanding three games-to-one lead. Boston could not close the series out in New York, but won it at Denny Arena, 94-62. LaBrecque scored 16, but the star of the game was center Wally Moorehead, who is known more for his fearsome defensive presence than his offensive traits. Moorehead led all scorers with 22 points in the victory. The momentum carried over into the FBL Finals between St. Louis and Boston. Boston drew first blood with a 100-80 win in St. Louis, getting off to a 28-14 first-quarter lead and managing the game from there. LaBrecque scored 26 points and Stark (18 points, 10 assists) missed a triple double by a single rebound. Boston shot an unsustainable 47% from the floor as a team. St. Louis collected itself and won Game Two to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole, 87-76. Sims once again led the way with 28 points and Wyrick added 19 points while St. Louis was the hotter shooting team. The series moved to Boston and, for the Centurions, the momentum that helped in Game One came back to bite them. Boston’s hot shooting ran cold and St. Louis won the battle of the front court. The Centurions managed only 66 points in Games Three and Four. Sims scored 30 points in Game Two and 28 points in Game Three, both victories for St. Louis that gave the Rockets a two games-to-one series lead. Boston came so close to tying the series in Game Four, but the team suffered a fourth-quarter collapse, managing only six points to turn an 18-point fourth-quarter lead into a heart-breaking 68-66 loss to push them to within one game of elimination. St. Louis had to work for it, but the damage to Boston was done. Game Five went to overtime in a game that was tight throughout. Rick Sims set a personal best with 40 points in Game Five in the 78-76 victory, as he carried the Rockets on his back to deliver St. Louis a championship. Sims had a playoff scoring average of 26.9 points to double up his regular season MVP award with Playoff MVP hardware. ELLIS BUILDING LEGACY IN WELTER DIVISION Eugene Ellis continued his dominance of the welterweight class in 1960 as the 29-year-old added three more victims to his impressive resume - one which has seen him involved in every title fight in the division since 1956. The Seattle native is now 42-4-1 and slowing no signs of slowing down although he had a close call early in the year when he faced Dan Hampton in Baltimore. The battle was the toughest Ellis had been involved in since he lost a split decision to Lonnie Griffin nearly three years ago as Hampton just keeping coming despite being knocked down twice by the champ in their bout. Those knockdowns proved the difference as Ellis prevailed after 15 rounds, but only in the minds of two of the three ringside judges. With the close call behind him, the Seattle native returned to the west coast where he would have far less trouble in his other two title fights in 1960. Brogan Cattlin travelled all the way from Ireland to Los Angeles, toting with him a big reputation and an impressive 41-1-2 record but Ellis made short work of the challenger, knocking him out in the 6th round of their July tussle. Four months later in his hometown of Seattle, Ellis toyed with Michael Wheeler much of the fight and claimed an easy unanimous decision. The middleweight belt also did not change hands in 1960 as Canadian George Quisenberry, who had won the title from the now retired Mark McCoy in September of 1959, retained control of the division. British challenger Oscar Woodings did fight Quisenberry to a stalemate in the champ's hometown of Toronto in April but Quisenberry scored a unanimous win over the Englishman in a rematch three months later. His final fight was a duel with former champ George Hatchell at the famous Bigsby Gardens and it was a clean decision for the Canadian. Dave Courtney's brief fling with the heavyweight title ended quickly as, while he did score a unanimous decision over Ezra Frishman in January, he was badly beaten by George Gallashaw, a hard throwing puncher from Syracuse who knocked out Courtney in their May bout to take the title. The 24-year-old Gallashaw would improve to 31-1 for his career with a 7th round TKO of Norm Robinson in his first title defense in October. Gallashaw's only blemish was a title fight loss to former champ Brad Harris a year and a half ago, in a bout that might have just been a little too ambitious for the youngster at that point in his career. A new decade is dawning and, with it, a sense of renewed optimism. Youth will be served, sooner or later. The War years are in our rear-view mirror, the Red Scare has faded. The future is coming. It is the same brilliant hue of a sunrise. In the sport of boxing, youth has been served. George Gallashaw is the Heavyweight Champion of the World at the age of 24. George Quisenberry has owned the Middleweight Champion’s belt for the entire calendar year, won his title last year when he was 24 years of age. Eugene Ellis is the old man of the trio of champions, as the Welterweight Champion is 29 with 47 professional fights to his name. Gallashaw had a title shot in June 1959 as a 23-year-old against then-champion Brad Harris. The moment was too big for Gallashaw, as he suffered his only professional loss to date in a third-round TKO. Harris would drop his next fight to Dave Courtney and Courtney was champion until Gallashaw had his second shot at the belt. Courtney kicked off the year in January with a fourth-round knockout against a lesser opponent, journeyman Ezra Frishman, but Gallashaw was awarded the next fight. Gallashaw, who hails from Syracuse, New York, went west to Cleveland’s Lake Erie Arena with nothing but confidence. He was ready for this chance. Gallashaw was effective, efficient, and he did not let Courtney permeate his excellent defense. Gallashaw built an early lead, having his way with the champion and barely taking any punches for the first couple of rounds. Courtney was knocked down in the fourth round and by the middle rounds, Gallashaw was in excellent shape. Courtney had his best round in the eighth, but it barely registered. Gallashaw out-pointed Courtney is every round until he made it official with a knockout in the tenth round. It is hard to remember a title fight this one-sided. After winning the belt in May, his first defense was a successful one, as he defeated Norm Robinson in October by technical knockout in the seventh round. Robinson is only a year older than the young champion Gallashaw, and started the bout well, holding his own through the first four rounds. Gallashaw earned a quick knockdown in the fifth before dropping Robinson in the seventh, where he rained incessant blows upon the challenger, causing referee Frank Garcia to call the fight with only a few seconds remaining in the round. The heavyweight division was the only division in professional boxing where a title belt changed hands, but it was close. In the middleweight ranks, George Quisenberry fought to a draw against Oscar Woodings in April before winning by unanimous decision in the July rematch. In the draw, Quisenberry had to contend with a nasty cut inside his left eyebrow, which he suffered in the ninth round and hampered him for the rest of the evening, but it was not enough to lose the fight. Quisenberry was cut again in the rematch, this time in the fourth round. However, he persevered, scoring both knockdowns in the fight and he was ahead at the end of 15 rounds by all three judges. Quisenberry also exorcised a demon, as he defeated George Hatchell, who had beaten him for his only previous loss in 1958, taking away the middleweight title in the process. Hatchell was already a two-time champion but failed in his quest to win the belt a third time in what may be the sunset of his career. Eugene Ellis has become “Ol’ Reliable” of boxing, as his exploits in the welterweight division have made him one of the great championships of the weight class. Except for a loss in 1958 to Lonnie Griffin, Ellis has held the title consistently since 1956. This year, Ellis had three fights and two went the distance, but the most harrowing bout for Ellis was his February match against Dan Hampton, the 28-year-old Scranton, Pa. native. The margin of error was razor-thin throughout. Each fighter scored a knockdown with Hampton dropping Ellis in the fourth round and Ellis returned the favor in Round 12. Each fighter also had a point deducted for illegal maneuvers. The fight went to the end and, luckily for Ellis, two of the three judges had Ellis as the victor. The split decision win for Ellis gave him a reprieve and let to a relatively easy time of it against lesser competition for the rest of the year to end the year with his title reign intact. George Quisenberry won the Bologna Boxer of the Year for 1960 with his 2-0-1 record and the vanquishing of George Hatchell, the only opponent to beat him. FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS WLCOME BACK! Continental Association Set to Return to NYC in'62 If reports are to be believed the Continental Association is returning to New York City. After abandoning Manhattan and Brooklyn nearly a decade ago, Continental fans have had the choice of switching over to the dreaded Gothams in Queens, following another CA ball club, or sitting home and catching up on other sports. But that it all to change in about one year's time. If all goes according to plans an expansion draft will take place next winter to create a brand new team for the Big Apple. Granted, your new team will be rostered with cast-offs and those with little prospect, but it's a start. You may begin to dream. After some digging and a few late night beverages I can report two bits of interesting information. The new teams name will be the New York Imperials. I can just see the headlines now as the "Imps" challenge the Gothams for the hearts of New York fans. Where will the Imperials play, you ask? Ah, well that's the other bit of information. It will be right here in Manhattan, where a not so ancient ball park sits vacant. Dyckman Field, opened 1934, sits at the northern tip of Manhattan. I'm told that with a fresh coat of paint it will be ready for the 1962 season. I hope you're all looking forward to a new era in Figment Baseball as the league expands for the first time in the modern era, bringing baseball to cities, new and old. I plan to be here with all the information and reporting on the New York Imperials. Tales From The Manor- Dukes Fine Regular Season Leads to Disappointing Postseason -- The Toronto Dukes again proved to be the class of the NAHC from October-March as once more they finished first with 38-22-10 record for 86 points, seven more than second place Boston. The season was two stories: one good but the other raising questions of the future for Jack Barrell's charges in the Sixties. The good story was between the pipes where the Dukes found an unexpected hero in Justin MacPhee, 25. MacPhee who went undrafted after a 5 year career in junior with the Halifax Mariners, eventually signed with Tacoma in the GWHL in 1955. MacPhee spent 4 seasons toiling for the Lions with limited success before winning Goalie of the Year in 1959 for Tacoma. The Dukes scouting staff convinced Barrell to invite him to camp on a tryout in which he was impressive enough to garner a contract with the Dukes. The $1800 deal may prove to be the one the biggest steals in NAHC history. MacPhee went on to lead the league in wins, 32, GAA, 2.22, save percentage at 92.1% not bad for a player who was plying his trade in the low minors last season. He was backed up by last year's goaltending phenom, Mile Connelly, giving the Dukes a solid crease tandem for the next few years. The concern going forward for the Dukes fans could be in the club's ability to put pucks into the net. Quinton Pollack, 37, again finished second in the scoring race to Detroit's Alex Monette with 27-34-61 despite playing only 52 games after suffering a broken jaw on Feb 9th in practice when Pollack, while working on deflections, took a shot to the face. The team only had two twenty-goal scores in '59-60, with the other being Ken Jamieson with 27 to go with 29 helpers for 56 points, numbers good enough to place Jamieson 4th in the scoring race. Tommy Burns, 40, failed to score twenty for the first time in 16 seasons. Burns ended up with 17 goals and 40 points for his lowest total since collecting 33 points (in just 48 games) as a 22 year old in 1943. Troubling is the fact that Burns managed to score only one goal on the power play. Given their ages along with Pollack's injury history the Dukes are hoping that Jamieson can take on a larger scoring role along with Tim Amesbury to take some of the pressure off Burns, Pollack. After cruising to the league title, leading the NAHC in goals scored while surrendering the fewest goals against, the Dukes faced the Chicago Packers in the semi-finals. The Packers held off a late season charge by Detroit to secure the final playoff spot by two points over the Motors. Toronto found out quickly that Chicago was playing for keeps even though they finished 14 points behind the Dukes. The Dukes won the first game in the second overtime period on a goal by Tim Amesbury after J.P. Morissette had tied the game at 3 with a minute to play in regulation. Chicago took a surprising 2-1 series lead with back to back 3-2 wins. The second one in overtime before 16,920 in the Auditorium who were seeing their first playoff action in years. Toronto evened the series at two with a 5-2 win in Chicago leaving the fans thinking that the Packers were a mere bump in the road before advancing to the Challenge Cup final. The Gardens, with 14,235 on hand, witnessed a rally then a collapse by the Dukes in Game Five. Down 2-1 after twenty the Dukes scored three in less than 4 minutes in the second, including one by Pollack who returned for the playoffs, to take a 4-2 lead. Enso Eckler narrowed the gap to one before then end of the second and Ken York sent the game to overtime with a goal in the third setting the stage for Archer Cook's game winner at 18:15 of overtime. That 5-4 loss crushed the Dukes who went out meekly two nights later in Chicago. Packers skated to a relatively easy 5-2 victory to eliminate Toronto. Coach Barrell- "No excuses, we took the Packers far too lightly. Defensively we appear to be fine going forward. I have find the proper line combinations to spread the scoring around with the load moving off Tommy, Quinton even if just a little. Ken Jamieson has found his scoring touch, i need to find the proper wingers for him." Tales From The Den- More Of The Same Another Non-Competitive Season --The Wolves starts the Sixties the way they ended the Fifties, losing more than they win. They have now stretched their consecutive streak of sub .500 seasons to 12 with a 68-86 record in 1960. The team extinguished any hopes for the fans of progressing in the CA by going 31-53 between June 1st to August 31st after staying at .500, 21-21, through April, May. At the plate, where there had been signs of hope in recent seasons, the team regressed to start the new decade finishing in the bottom half of the CA in all hitting statistics. There biggest bat, Tom Reed, slumped to .289/.363/.453 18 HR 80 RBI which would be a good season for most FABL players but not for those of Reed's stature. John Wells was a consistent bat in lineup over the summer posting a line of .270/.341/.397 15 HR 76 RBI while providing above average defense at second base on a team that again was poor in the field. Fans will not see Wells in a Wolves uniform any longer as he was dealt to Kansas City in October for a young OF prospect by the name of Frank Hardin, 23, after spending eleven seasons in Toronto. With the exception of new shortstop Jesse Taylor, 24, who led the team in RBI with 87, the rest of the bats were anemic. Taylor's glove while not outstanding at least gave the Wolves the dependable fielder at short they have not seen since the days of Charlie Artuso, a name few of the new generation of fans even recognize from the Wolves' glory days of the early Forties. On the mound the Wolves again get effective starting pitching but once more dealt with the problem they have had for years, an ineffective bullpen coupled with porous defense. Wilson Pearson, who was supposed to be the shutdown man to secure late inning leads blew almost as many games, 12, as he saved, 15. Arnie Smith, who was the controversial winner of CA Allen Award with 13-13, 3.44 record, led the CA in strikeouts with 213 followed by teammate George Hoxworth with 173. Whitey Stewart suffered through a second subpar season at 6-13, 5.18. The highly touted pitcher who went first overall in 1953 is starting to remind longstanding fans of Les Ledbetter who is still plying his trade in Buffalo. The Wolves have not been successful in developing talent for the last decade which shows in their record. Fans who might hope the club's future is the minor league system will probably be disappointed as the system again ranks in the bottom half of the FABL. Change up top has happened again as the team fired GM George Thomas in October after three seasons at the helm. His record was an undistinguished 217-245 with a 5th, 6th and 7th place finish in the CA. Owner Bernie Millard handed the keys to the front office to an unproven Dan Atwater, 38, which most fans believe will lead to more losing as the new GM attempts to implement his plans for a new direction for the Wolves. Atwater spent 11 years in the FABL as a pitcher for New York Stars, Boston and San Francisco putting together a 95-105, 4.03 record. The Year That Was Current events from 1960 Jan 2- US Senator John F. Kennedy announces his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. Jan 19- The United States and Japan sign a treaty of mutual cooperation and security. Adolph Coors III, chairman of the brewing company, is kidnapped and his captors demand a ransom of $500,000. He is later found murdered. Mar 6- The United States announce that 3,500 American soldiers will be sent to Vietnam. May 1- A Soviet missile shoots down an American U-2 spy plan and pilot Gary Powers is captured. May 6- President Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights act of 1960 into law. May 16- Khrushchev demands an apology from Eisenhower for the Spy Plane. The incident cuts the 1960 Paris summit short. Jul 13- John F. Kennedy wins the Democratic presidential nomination. Two weeks later Vice President Richard Nixon earns the Republican nomination. Aug 6- In response to a U.S. embargo against Cuba, Fidel Castro nationalizes American and foreign-owned property in the nation. Aug 19- In Moscow, downed American pilot Gary Powers is sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage. Sep 26- Candidates Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy participate in the first televised presidential election debate. Oct 14- Kennedy first suggests the idea for the Peace Corps. Nov 8- In a close race Kennedy is elected over Nixon, becoming (at 43) the youngest man elected President. Dec 2- President Eisenhower authorizes the use of $1 million for the relief and resettlement of Cuban refugees, who have been arriving in Florida at the rate of 1,000 a week. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles

11-02-2024, 07:57 PM	#1023
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,715	1961 End of Year Recap 1961 IN FIGMENT SPORTS "Doubling Up" can be considered the theme for the past year in sports. The city of Philadelphia celebrated titles in two sports as the baseball Keystones ended a long pennant drought and the cage Phantoms were the class of the Federal Basketball League. The American Football Association New York Stars doubled up by winning their second consecutive AFA title while the Mississippi A&M Generals accomplished a very rare feat - winning national titles in two sports in the same year as the Generals won their first AIAA basketball tournament in April and followed that up two months later with their first Collegiate World Championship victory. Even a college athlete got in on the doubling theme as Brunswick shortstop Dick Vitt became the first to win back to back Christian Awards as the top college baseball player since Tom Miller did it in 1947-48. 1961 was the end of an era, as this season would be the last time a FABL season saw 16 teams compete for a World Championship Series. For 1962, the Fed and Conti will each see two new organizations, with the Los Angeles Suns and the Minneapolis Millers joining the Fed, and the New York Imperials and Dallas Wranglers join the Conti. An expansion draft is scheduled to kick off 1962, with the new teams getting raid the original eight teams in their association for talent. Before that, however, we have a season to get through, and the start of the new year sparked a second trade season. In total, five trades involving FABL players were conducted in the year's initial month, starting with a three player trade between the Kings and Sailors. Kansas City added the big leaguer, picking up outfielder Ben Crawford for a pair of prospects. A four year vet who has experience in all three spots, the now 31-year-old Crawford is coming off his best season yet, hitting .275/.349/.479 (116 OPS+) with 26 doubles, 9 triples, 20 homers, 99 RBIs, 81 runs, 61 walks, and 10 steals. Worth a shade below 4 WAR, Crawford has a nearly average career batting line (.243/.312/.409, 97 OPS+, 98 WRC+), but he has solid power and does well logging doubles and home runs. The speed is good too, leading to some triples and steals, but he has big strikeout issues that usually keep his average low. To acquire Crawford, the Kings sent out their recent 1st Round pick Mike Potter to San Francisco, who was a Southeastern League champion and with great power and an intriguing bat. He's young, 19 in February, so as intriguing as that bat is, he has a lot of development ahead of him, and the Kings want to win now. They tend to have a lot of outfield depth, and considering the second prospect, former 15th Rounder Harry Russell, was nothing more then a thrown in, they sacrificed some future outfield talent to supplement Hank Williams (.324, 40, 127), Charlie Rogers (.312, 16, 94, 12), and Bryan Jeffress (.284, 17, 67). Crawford wasn't the only outfielder on the move, though he was the only one that had to find a new apartment. That's because Frank Reece (.246, 110, 533, 84) went from the Cougars to the Chiefs, only slightly adjusting his commute to work. The headliner of the axed Red Johnson deal nearly ten years ago, Reece ended up paving out a solid career in Chicago, spending eight seasons as the Cougars everyday center fielder. A former 2nd Round Pick, 1961 will be his 11th season, and the 33-year-old owns a respectable .246/.312/.394 (95 OPS+) batting line with 220 doubles, 57 triples, 110 homers, 533 RBIs, 617 runs, and 84 steals. A skilled defensive outfielder, last season was the first year he produced a sub 1.000 efficiency, and as recently as 1958 he produced a career high 20.5 zone rating (1.076 EFF) in 150 starts in center. In fact, all but two of his nearly twelve hundred FABL starts have came in his typical center. Stability like that hasn't been found since another former Cougar John Moss started six straight seasons, and he'll join 5-Time All-Star Rod Shearer (.259, 26, 120, 12) and former Cougar draftee Doc Zimmerman (.329, 22, 102, 11) in a very capable alignment. Coming off a 2nd place finish, the Chiefs continued to add quality veterans to a roster that is ready to win now. This made it easier to part with top 100 prospect Ricardo Castillo (and throw in outfielder Blackie Morrison), who the Chiefs made the 25th selection in the 1960 draft. The versatile Panamanian hit well in both Class B (.275, 3, 10, 1) and C (.335, 3, 15, 18) after the draft, playing far better then a guy who turned 19 a week after the season. A really talented hitter, he's already driving the ball consistently, relying on a quick and fluid swing. He hits to all fields and can steal a ton of bases, so whenever he's on base he can cause issues. He projects to have good plate discipline, and even walked at a 18.2% clip, but after the promotion he only got 8 walks in 139 trips to the plate. Playing five positions allowed him to stay in the lineup all season, and his versatility will be appreciated in his new organization. Toronto then added a pair of top 100 prospects, receiving Bob Campbell (85th) from the Stars for Jackson Scott and Red Richards (114th) before sending a trio of prospects to the Foresters for the 99th ranked Fred Tollefson. Despite the rankings, Tollefson might be the more valuable one, as the 18-year-old backstop is a recent 1st Round pick and catcher is a very thin position. He's among the better prospects, and since he's almost ten years younger then current starter Dixie Williams (.247, 17, 58), there's no one blocking his eventual claim on the starting role. At least 4 or 5 seasons away, Tollefson is a strong defender and solid hitter, one of the few guys who can handle both aspects of the game. He won't hit for much power, maybe 10 or so a season, but he can hit for a high average and has shown strong plate discipline. Pitchers will love to throw to him, and that may include Bob Campbell, who threw a no hitter less then a year after he was drafted in 1958, and has transformed from 6th Rounder mid rotation starter. The 20-year-old groundballer has great raw stuff, but it's far too often that he's missing the zone. Tollefson can help with that, as lesser catchers have struggled with Capmbell's wicked mid 90s sinker. It was a concerted effort by Toronto to trade older prospects for younger ones, as perhaps the rebuilding organization was making decisions with the upcoming expansion in mind. * OSA Likes Cleveland, But Not Boston * For the rest of the preseason, there was little action, and come April OSA made the bold prediction that the Boston Minutemen would not only not threepeat, but win just 73 games in 1961. Instead, they expected the Pioneers to runaway with the crown, as talented Chiefs and Keystones rosters fought for 2nd. In the Conti, Cleveland continued to be the favorite, as they looked to prove that third time's truly a charm. The Kings will give them a lot of trouble, and I'm sure the Cougars will pretend to be a threat for a portion of the season, but OSA thinks them and the Stars will crack 80 wins as the league feasts on the poor Canadian teams competing to stay out of the gutter. A late start to the season meant some teams only played five games in April, and the season didn't really feel like it got going until June started. At this point the CA was feasting off the Wolves (15-21), Saints (16-22), AND Cougars (16-23), as the Foresters (26-15) looked to put some distance between themselves and the Stars (21-15) and Kings (21-16). In the Fed, the other Chicago team (21-12) was threatening to runaway with the association, as no one else was more then two games over .500. In fact, Philadelphia (18-16) was the only other team over .500, and they were the only team within four games of the leaders. With it still being very early, the pennant was far from settled, as three teams sat at .500 and a fourth was just one under. And instead of pulling away, they settled around the .500 mark. After getting swept by the second place Keystones, their lead shrunk to half a game, but they managed to hold at least a share of the lead until the 28th of June. St. Louis (39-28) became the new leader, and opened July their new association lead. The Chiefs (35-27, 1.5 GB), Keystones (35-29, 2.5), and surprisingly, the Eagles (34-31, 4 GB), were all within five games. On the flip side, the Foresters held the top spot for all of June, but a slow start to July let the surprise Stars seize control of first. Led by the Barrell's Charlie and Ralph, they were scoring a ton of runs, and the almost 26-year-old Lou Allen making Stars fans wonder why the organization kept him in AAA for most of the last two seasons. Cleveland quickly reclaimed the game, as the Stars' reign lasted a grand total of one day, and the Foresters (53-31) held the lead to the All-Star game. It got as big as four, halved to two after the Stars (50-32) beat them in the last two games of the first half. The Conti was looking like a two-team battle, as the Kings and Sailors were both 9 out at the break. In fact, the Stars were the only team in either association that was less then four out, as the Pioneers (50-32) held a 4.5 game lead over the Chiefs (44-35) and Keystones (45-36). Both teams would need hot starts after the break, or the pennant race could quickly become out of reach. ALL-STAR GAME The 29th edition of FABL's midseason classic returned to the site of the initial all-star game as venerable Whitney Park, host of the first contest back in 1933, once more welcomed the best the sport had to offer. The Chicago sporting mecca played witness to not only the 1933 game, won 8-5 by the Federal stars, but also the 1948 contest in which the Continental Association dominated by an 11-3 score. This time around the Continental Association prevailed by an 8-5 score to take a 17-12 lead in the series. It was the second consecutive win for the CA and its sixth triumph in the last seven years. The game also saw Cleveland pitcher Adrian Czerwinski selected for the 11th time. The star righthander did not pitch in the game- he had started for the Foresters the previous day in Los Angeles- but his selection makes the Mad Professor one of just nine players to be named to the all-star team at least 11 times. The game itself saw the Continental stars score three times of Detroit's Paul Anderson in the top of the first inning and they never trailed although the Feds did knot the game at 4 in the fourth inning before the CA pulled ahead for good on an rbi double from Lou Allen in the top of the sixth. The young Los Angeles Stars outfielder would round out the Continental scoring with a 2-run homer in the eighth inning and Allen's two extra-base hits to go with 3 rbi's earned him the player of the game award. Flag Race Over By All-Star Break For Defending Champs The pennant race was over. That's how the defending champs felt, as at 37-47 they announced that they were going to sell once play resumed. Most teams didn't take that literal, but sure enough, before the Minutemen played the Eagles in Washington on July 21st, they told Foster Sherman (7-2, 4.12, 60) to go to the home team dugout. A staple of the Minutemen rotation, all but 10 of his FABL innings came in Boston, where he went 71-52 with a 3.79 ERA (112 ERA+), 1.50 WHIP, 683 walks, and 714 strikeouts, Sherman was now an Eagle. Known for some command issues, he led the Fed with 118 walks last season, though that was actually his fewest since his first full season in Boston. Equipped with more talented, younger pitching (though for some reason they've moved reigning Allen winner Don Griffin to the pen), they felt like they would use their lost season as an opportunity to retool. This first deal, which also saw them move a young catcher, brought in 19-year-old John Swift, who ranked 63rd on the league's prospect list. Taken 3rd by the Eagles in 1960, he hasn't lived up to that hype yet, and there were some in the league who thought the athletic star would give it a go in the outfield too. Instead, Swift has stuck to the mound, where he profiles as a potential #2 pitcher. The six foot lefty has a deep arsenal with an excellent change and curve, while his low 90s sinker generates more grounders then you can count. He worked his way up to A ball, where he was 3-3 with a 3.78 ERA (96 ERA+), 1.54 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts in 9 starts. An advanced pitcher for his age, we may just be two or three seasons away from the young lefty surpassing Sherman in terms of overall ability. Washington made another reinforcement that day, but they weren't able to make it to Columbia Stadium in time for the game. The surprise over .500 team, the Eagles improved their depth with righty Walt Staton (2-2, 2.68, 20) and catcher/infielder Del Gaines (.232, 3, 13, 2) coming over from Detroit. While on paper that's not a bad idea, what was is trading the just turned 24-year-old Bill Follis (5-2, 1, 3.83, 59), who was excellent in 12 starts and 4 relief outings. Originally a 7th Round pick of the Dynamos, Fouls didn't last long in that organization, cut less then a month after the draft, and he eventually got to Washington in last year's Rule-5 draft. The rookie was a respectable 9-12 with 2 saves, a 4.63 ERA (92 ERA+), and 83 strikeouts in 138 innings, though he had a high 1.59 WHIP in his 42 appearances (19 starts). Just before being given a second chance in the Motor City Follis was looking like a diamond in the rough, and you could make the case he was better then Staton at this point in his career. Though it could be the appeal of Gaines, who at 24 hit .249/.319/.404 (92 OPS+) parts of three seasons in Detroit, that drew the Eagles to the deal. Mostly as a pinch hitter, he started just 31 of his 162 games, but with his versatility Washington may have thoughts of using him as a rotational guy who can give days off at first, third, short, and even catcher. The power is nice too, and he's already paid Detroit back for taking a chance on him in the 15th Round back in 1954. What came next possibly rewrote the future for two franchises, as the second place Keystones shipped three top-75 prospects to the Gothams to acquire the ace they've wanted since Lloyd Stevens was dispatched to the Sailors in 1951. That move helped bring a pennant to Philadelphia- but to the Sailors and not the Keystones- and and with adding the highly-skilled Jorge Arellano (9-7, 3.17, 68), the Keystones upgraded the best rotation they've had in years. Just 30, Arellano was once ranked as the top pitching prospect in FABL, and in his mid 20s he showed everybody exactly why. His biggest season came in 1957, where he went 21-8 with a 3.13 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.12 WHIP, and Association high 202 strikeouts in 279.1 innings pitched. He was named to the All-Star game that season, with this year's inclusion surprisingly his only trip back. In 242 FABL games "Georgie" has gone 102-78 with a 3.78 ERA (113 ERA+), 3.59 FIP (83 FIP-), and 1.33 WHIP. A big strikeout arm, he's set down 1,079 hitters in 1,632.1 innings, and since he's not a power guy, just a guy with great stuff, he keeps the walks manageable (8.5%). Worth an impressive 35.9 wins above replacement, no pitcher taken before or after him (24th) in 1949 has cracked 30, and in the class just the Chiefs duo of Vern Osborne (Gothams, 6th) and Dick Champ (Miners, 22nd) have a chance to take the top spot from him. Now a member of the Keystones, Arellano will get supported by Harry Dellinger, Marshall Thomas, Buddy Miller, and Lloyd Parker, and with midseason callup Andy Parker looking like a Kellogg contender in limited time, he gets to go from one of the worst offenses to one of the best. New York will feel well compensated, and hope that 19-year-old Charlie Walker can develop into a similar pitcher. Taken in the 3rd Round of the 1960 draft, he was off to a 2-1 start in 4 Class C starts, but the Gothams have aggressively moved him to their Class B affiliate. The hard throwing groundballer has explosive stuff, and I'm sure members of the Gothams lineup would have trouble with his curve. The sinker gets grounders and he does a good job using all five of his pitches. The command will continue to be a work in-progress, but even with no improvements he could be a back-end starter. Best part is, he's the Glenn Johnson (the fourth prospect in the trade) of the package, as Joe Anderson and Johnny Nelson could be All Stars in the making for the Gothams. Anderson has come close to cracking the top-10, sitting at 17th, and the former 6th pick was crushing it in AA New Orleans. 22 in August, Anderson hit .307/.419/.460 (138 OPS+) in 360 trips to the plate, adding 14 doubles, 7 triples, 6 homers, 34 RBIs, 49 runs, and 53 walks. Eligible for this year's Rule-5 draft, he was blocked at second and the outfield in Philly, and as talented as he may be, he can't help with this year's pennant chase. Still, it's hard to give away batting title potential and his perfect swing, but Keystone GM Frank York understood the price aces fetch. Nelson was another tough pill to swallow, as the Keystones don't have a long-term option behind the plate. Initially a 2nd Rounder of the Gothams, he was used to acquire Sam Ivey, in a deal that did not go well form the Gothams. Like Nelson, Ivey is back with his original team, as after struggling with the Gothams (10-16, 4.86, 115), he's been good back home. With the better player back, the Gothams regain a quality prospect even if they're one of the few teams set at catcher. He entices enough with huge home run potential. With good discipline and a solid contact tool, the thing determining his big league potential is his defense. 68 of his 91 games have game in AA, where the 22-year-old hit .249/.373/.498 (134 OPS+) with 13 doubles, 16 homers, and 56 RBIs. You don't see many catchers hit like that, and since he'll need to go on the 40 with Anderson, he could be on the big league roster next season. Starting catcher would be surprising, as their incumbent is the graduated #5 prospect and two months younger. Nelson has played at first, however, and with Hank Estill showing some age at 34, they may view him as an option to play first long-term. With Philadelphia's big acquisition of Arellano, it would have made sense for the St Louis Pioneers to make a move to counter, but the Fed leaders held through the deadline. They led the Keystones by 2 and Washington by 3, and Washington did link up with the Minutemen for a small deal. A few days later, Boston made their fourth move of trade season, moving on from 27-year-old Bud Henderson just a year and a half after acquiring him from the Sailors. It's back to California for Henderson, but further south to Los Angeles where he was sent to the Stars along with 51st ranked prospect Bobby Garrison, for #2 prospect Frank Kirouac. Kirouac, who was expected to anchor the Stars offense for years to come, is an intimidating 6'4'' slugger who LA took 3rd in 1956. A consistent top-10 prospect, Kirouac has almost ascended to the spire, and was crushing it in 80 AAA games. That's where he's spent most of the season, slashing a strong .275/.404/.498 (146 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 15 homers, 45 RBIs, and 56 runs. He walks (59) more then he strikes out (50), and even swiped 7 bases in a 3.5 WAR effort. The defense was decent in center too (3.0, 1.016), and it's easy to see why Boston was so interested. Along with the big power, he'll hit around .300 with an OBP around .400, and as good as Boston has been, they don't really have a natural center fielder. Bill Tutwiler is an amazing hitter, but his defense is excellent in right and pretty poor in center. Kirouac would be a defensive upgrade, and if the Minutemen want to be aggressive, they can roll out a Masters-Kirouac-Tutwiler outfield once he gets all his bags packed. It's a big loss for the Stars, but Lou Allen has emerged as an excellent slugger in center, and if they want defense, 23-year-old Ed Moore is going to be ready in a season or two and he's a much better defender. They have plenty of offense, but aside from the robbed Allen winner Dewey Allcock (who actually tore his rotator cuff in the Stars first post-trade inning) and first year starter Sy Dunn, there are a lot of holes in the rotation. Henderson, now in his third organization, is in the middle of what should be his sixth consecutive season with an above average ERA+ and FIP-. This started when he went 17-12 with a 2.79 ERA (133 ERA+) and 2.75 FIP (74 FIP-) as a rookie, where despite a 1.27 WHIP, 93 walks, and an association leading 189 strikeouts, he came up short in the Kellogg race. Two years later he led the Conti with 20 wins, and with better run support he could have came close to that this year. An unlucky 7-9, Bud has a tidy 3.65 ERA (120 ERA+) and 3.76 FIP (85 FIP-), making 20 starts with a 1.37 WHIP, 51 walks, and 73 strikeouts. Him and Allcock will form a lethal 1-2 punch, and with potentially seven 20+ home run hitters, they are going to be a legitimate contender this season and in the near future. * Keystones Make Move During Dog Days * Fueled by their big acquisition of Jorge Arellano, the Philadelphia Keystones were on a mission in August. The team went 6-0 in his starts -Arellano himself was 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA (167 ERA+), 0.98 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts- and didn't lose a single series as the wins kept coming. An outstanding 23-6 for August, they actually didn't reach first place until the second half of the month, as the Pioneers didn't lose a series until the end of August. Unless of course, you count the one game they played (and lost) on the 22nd in Philly. That was an Arellano start, as he (6.1 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 4 K) matched Billy Hasson (7 IP, 4 H, ER, 3 BB, 7 K) and put the game in the hands of his pen. They held up, John Gibson of St Louis didn't, as Lloyd Coulter led off the 9th with a single, got to second on a bunt, and then scored on Al Coulter's walk-off single. Not only did that put the Keystones back in first, but it let them stay there, and they finished August with a three game lead. The rest of the Fed couldn't keep up with the red hot hopefuls, as just the Eagles (68-55, 9.5 GB) were within 15 of first. Lucky for baseball fans, the Fed was still likely to have a pennant race, and the Conti is razor thin. The Foresters (73-51) and Stars (70-49) were neck-and-neck, separated by just half a game at months end, and while not close, the Sailors (67-55, 5 GB) and Cannons (64-56, 7 GB) were at least within double digits. LA got off to a hot start, seizing first with a quick series win, but after losing their ace in his first August start, they lost their replacement ace in his first September start. That would be deadline pickup Bud Henderson, who was not only off to a poor start (2-4, 5.57, 28), but will now have the lengthy rehab process involved with torn elbow ligaments. A game and a half lead would be tough to protect, and the gap between Bud and whoever they'll decide to replace him with is about as large as some of the homers the Barrell boys can hit. Making matters worse, LA stumbled into a three game set in Cleveland with three straight losses, causing them to enter the crucial series down a game. With the injury it meant an unfavorable pitching matchup too, as Earle Wright to take on 44-year-old Rufus Barrell, who was still going strong despite having teammates that weren't even born when he made his FABL debut. That didn't stop Don Hall from getting the scoring going early, as the former #2 pick hit his 19ht homer of the season. That 1-0 lead would have been nice, but the Cleveland offense quickly backed up their beloved vet. Tom Carr got a first pitch double and then walks loaded the bases for Paul Williams. He just missed one, popping up to the second base side of the outfield, and a double play could help the Stars come out unscathed. The twin-killing did not happen and instead a wild pitch was what they got, as the first pitch to Earl Howe scooted away from Joe Cook, and the lead disappeared. Howe then doubled, scoring the last two on base, and just like that Cleveland was up 3-1. Hal Kennedy matched Howe with a double of his own, and Kennedy made it 5-1 when he scored on a Don Hall error. Wright finally got out of the inning, but he couldn't finish the second. He game up two more before leaving, and Cleveland added a pair of runs in the 3rd, 6th, and 8th too. The game ended up looking closer then it was, as Vic Richardson had a major league debut that could have been worse then his worst nightmare. Cleveland's 3rd Round selection in 1956, he ranks outside the top 250, and was ambushed for a walk, 6 hits, and 5 runs. Richardson recorded just one out, before 21-year-old rookie Johnny Ogden had no issues getting the last two outs of a 13-7 win. Now 73-54, LA had the same amount of losses as the Foresters, just with four less wins. First-time All-Star Lou Allen had no trouble early in game two, homering off spot starter Johnny Britton in his first two at bats, and the 26-year-old was responsible for all but one of the Stars runs in an early 4-1 lead. Those were his 32nd and 33rd home runs, and his RBI total got up to 103. But the 4th was an issue for Floyd Warner, who after a leadoff single and fly out, he allowed five consecutive batters to reach. This led to a huge five run inning, quickly flipping the score to 6-4. Cleveland got five more in the six, with three coming on a big swing from Paul Williams during an at bat with Ted Ferguson. Again, with the game out of reach, LA got more runs, this time 3 in the 7th and 2 in the 9th, making their 11-9 loss look closer then it felt. Now 3 out, LA needed a win to avoid the sweep, and it might have been good they didn't score in the first. This time it was Cleveland who struck first, with Paul Williams' double making it 1-0 early. It felt like it was more of the same, but this time they had their only healthy and effective pitcher, Sy Dunn on the mound. The 22-year-old struggled with his command, walking ten in his start, but he left the game with a 7-4 lead. Homers from Allen and Charlie Barrell were helpful, but Dunn himself had one of four Stars doubles. With two outs in the 8th he handed it off to Hank Myer, who went from being terrible (2-1, 1, 5.14, 44) to almost automatic in the pen. A double play erased his only baserunner, a Cecil Cummings single, and allowed him to lower his ERA to 2.44 and record his 16th save. Avoiding the sweep, the Stars got back within two -- the same amount of games they had remaining with Cleveland. Those came in over two weeks, meaning they had to at least keep pace with the talented Cleveland squad, but with those teams focused on each other, the San Francisco Sailors decided to start making things interesting. Reeling off wins in 11 of 15 September games, the Sailors got within two games of the leading Foresters. They swept Cleveland in San Francisco, winning a tight 2-1 game before exploding for 14 in the finale. Led by a talented young cast, they had two series against the teams ahead of them, allowing them an opportunity to steal the pennant in the final week. They end their season in Cleveland (3) before home series against the Stars (2) and Foresters (3), setting up an exciting photo finish at the end. Cleveland and LA were within a half game of each other, and had a series of their own in the last week of September. By the time those teams met, the Sailors (82-63) scooted ahead of the Stars (81-63), who were 2.5 games behind the leading Foresters (84-61). In need of a better performance, the Stars had over 20,000 in the opener, which could be an excellent pitching duel between Jake Pearson and Sy Dunn. That's not how it started, as both offenses got two in the first, and a two-out double from Ralph Barrell in the 2nd made it 3-2 LA. Finally settled in, the starters traded zeros until a Tom Car double tied the game in the 7th. Dunn was able to get out of the inning, finishing his night with 7 strong innings (7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K), but he'd now have to rely on his defense if he wanted his 17th win. Jake Pearson worked around a double in the 7th, and unlike his opponent, he started the 8th. It would have been 8 full innings (6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 5 K) for the 30-year-old, but a Johnny Neal error extended the inning. As punishment, Neal was the one to be taken out in the double switch, as the young Johnny Ogden was brought on to finish the 8th and later start the 9th. His task was retire young leadoff hitter Charlie Sax, something he did on just three pitches. Hank Myer, who delivered a perfect 8th, got off to a rough start, as Herm Ford singled on the first pitch of the ninth, but after defensive replacement Gene Curtis fouled off a bunt, his second attempt ended up with Ford forced out at second on an excellent play by Ralph Barrell. Stan Kleminski's hustle paid off, as he got on with an infield hit, bringing up slugging shortstop John Low. After taking two pitches wide, he unloaded on a fastball, blasting it 414 feet to right. Though if you thought that was impressive, Paul Williams' encore was even better, as he pounded a get me over fastball 458 feet to left. Dejected, the young Myer was removed from the outing, as September callup Len Trautman was called upon for the final out. He got it, retiring defensive replacement Bob Allie, but the hosts at their work cut out for them. Ralph Barrell leading off the inning helps, especially if it was a tie game. Down four, they needed more then a leadoff walk. Both Jim Berrien and Lou Allen fell down in the count and each had poor results. Berrien struck out, and Allen erased the lead runner with a dribbler to the pitcher, bringing up breakout infielder Virgil Ewing as the last chance. He pounced on a first pitch breaking ball, singling to the left field gap, with the pitcher's spot ready next. Former Forester Manager Charley McCullough went to Emil Grenier, who gave Ogden all he had. Working the count to 3-2, he fouled off three pitches before grounding to third to end the game. Desperate for the win to avoid a sweep, Los Angeles went to Carl Johnston, who had the tough task of facing CA win leader Adrian Czerwinski. Making that tougher was a Paul Williams RBI double (1st) and a Gus Melvin home run (2nd), putting Cleveland ahead 2-0 before the Barrell's got to bat. Ralph ended up cutting the lead in half, getting hit on a 2-2 pitch before scoring on a Virgil Ewing double. The run of support seemed to calm Johnston down, as the 23-year-old southpaw finished his night off with five scoreless frames. LA finally broke back through in the 7th, as the Stars were able to bring home Charlie Barrell after his leadoff double. Johnston didn't go back out for the 8th, finishing with 5 hits, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts, although most importantly free from an undeserved loss. Hoping for a bounce back after last night's debacle, Hank Myer was brought in for the 8th, stranding a two-out single to keep the game tied. Czerwinski made his way out for the 8th, but perhaps he should have had his night end with 7 strong innings and a no decision. Lou Allen reached on a Gus Melvin error, and after an intentional walk to set up the force. the Foresters relieved their multi-time Allen winner. On again was the young Johnny Ogden, who got Ralph Barrell to roll one over to short. Lucky for the Stars, he beat the throw to first, setting up his cousin to give the Stars a lead. After taking a close pitch, Charlie locked in, and hit the next one right over the left field fence. Unrattled, Ogden got the following two batters to strike out, but that big home run could reshape the pennant race. Myer did allow a two out walk, but it was an overall painless 9th inning, and were back within three games of the Cleveland. The Sailors were a game and a half back, and after a pair of off days they opened their "final gauntlet" a game and a half back. With six games against the leaders, three on the road and three at home, the Sailors controlled their own destiny in the Continental race. ** Sailors and Foresters Final Weekend Showdown The race to the finish started with a nice late September Friday in Cleveland, where San Francisco's first time All-Star George Fuller took on 11-Time All-Star Rufus Barrell. Both arms had their missteps early, with Barrell charged with one in the first and the Foresters claiming the lead with a Jerry Tubbs three run homer in the second. Both pitchers settled down, but high-stress, high-pitch innings pushed Fuller out after 5 (4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 2 K), and after Barrell allowed the first man in the 7th (who later scored) to reach base, his night ended with 6+ innings of decent work (4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K). No win for him, as Johnny Ogden couldn't hold the lead, as after retiring the first batter he faced, Chet Harris took him deep to tie the game at three. With a clean inning, Ogden was able to keep San Francisco off the board in the 8th, but the Foresters offense couldn't get anything going either. Neither team scored in the 9th, so extra innings was needed to decide this all important matchup. Kicking things off was talented young shortstop Carlos Jaramillo, who worked Lynn Horn to a full count before hitting a hard grounder past short for a single. Playing for one, veteran outfielder Edwin Hackberry did something he'd never do in Detroit, bunt over a runner, but with Jaramillo's speed they increased their winning potential exponentially. To the surprise of some, no intentional walk followed, with second year outfielder John Kingsbury forcing Horn to throw six pitches before surrendering the walk. With the force set up, pinch hitter Carl Matthews rolled up what should have been a routine double play ball for the always reliable John Low, but he booted the grounder, his second error in the game. With the bases now loaded, Ray Rogan pounced on the first pitch, breaking the tie with a one run single. The lead expanded when Herbert Crawford Jr. did the same, though the second out came after when Roy Rutter struck out. The book was closed on the earned runs, but because of the Low error, Horn still needed one more out. His opponent would be Larry McLaren, who after going down 1-2, added another single. Matthews scored and Rogan followed, beating Tommy Henry's throw from center. Horn's night was over, swingman Frank Young entered, but the scoring continued as early game hero Chet Harris made it 8-3 with the fifth single of the inning. Both runners advanced on the throw home, and the lineup turned all the way back to Jaramillo, who scored the go-ahead run. This time his 3-2 count ended in a flyout, but the damage was done and five runs was tough to overcome. Cleveland did try, even loading the bases with two outs, but 25-year-old lefty Zeke Blake got Bob Allie to flyout and end the game. With the win, the Sailors were just a game behind the Foresters in the win column, a half game away from holding first place. Now with the chance to take over, the Sailors relied on rookie swingman Eddie Chapman to take on third year swingman Sonny Stoyer. Cleveland got off to a hot start, getting runs in the 3rd and 5th, before a leadoff single ended his night. Perhaps another batter would have worked out well, as former Whitney winner Earl Howe welcomed Roy Rice into the day with a double, increasing the lead to 3-0. On the other end, Stoyer was dominant through seven, putting up zero after zero. Then came the 8th, where a leadoff single sparked some light in the Stars. Quickly, Stoyer retired the next two hitters, but Edwin Hackberry extended the inning with a single, and they got on the board with a John Kingsbury RBI single. Both runners advanced on the throw, moving to third and second, and bringing in the oft-used Johnny Ogden for the final out. He got Heinie Spitler down 1-2, but the rookie second basemen tied up the game with a clutch liner through the left side. Ogden was able to bounce back, getting Rogan to fly out, but just like that the miracle Sailors were right back into it. They sent Davey Chamberlain in for the 8th, using just five pitches to set down the Foresters before some fans returned from a quick late-game concession break. Ogden was back out for Cleveland in the 9th, getting a ground out and strike out before rookie catcher Larry McLaren extended the inning with a single. This brought up the pitcher's spot, and an obvious substitution, with former first rounder Ray Hughes tasked with turning the lineup back over. Like the Foresters in the previous half inning, he wasted no time, pouncing on a first pitch that he drilled to left. Going all the way to the wall, even the tortoise that is McLaren was able to score from and Forester stadium was so quiet you could hear Hughes' roar of excitement as he popped up from his slide at third. Again, Ogden countered allowed run with an easy out, but now the hosts were down to their final three outs. Tasked with getting those was Gary Pike, as their top two arms Chamberlain and Roy Rice were already used. Pike got a quick ground out, but walked pinch hitter Larry Curtis after he worked the count full, turning the lineup around for Tom Carr, who already had two doubles on the night. As the go-ahead run, Carr singled. With the winning run on base, Pike was in trouble, but he needed just one pitch to get Stan Kleminski to fly out. The game came down to star shortstop John Low, 2-for-4 with an RBI, and a chance to pick up #108 on the season. Pike got ahead of him, getting a whiff and a foul out, before forcing Low out of the zone with a 60-foot sinker. It didn't get far enough away from McLaren, who was able to complete the put out at first and push San Francisco a half game ahead of Cleveland. A sweep at home would be devastating for the Foresters, who had just one other game (in Chicago on the 3rd) against a team who wasn't the Sailors, and those final three games would be at Golden Gate Stadium. Making matters worse, Cleveland had to face rookie ace Charlie Lawson, who was not only named to the All-Star game, but led the Continental in earned run average. Cleveland had a dependable arm of their own, Jake Pearson, but the offenses couldn't do much against weaker pitching. A pitching duel was expected, and it certainly lived up to it. Both pitchers were scoreless through four, but while Pearson made it five, Earle Howe fire the opening salvo with a homer off Lawson in the 5th. Howe got to him again in the second, doubling home Paul Williams, who led the inning off with a double of his own. Still, the Sailors ace was advertised, allowing just 5 hits and a walk with 3 strikeouts in 8 solid innings. His only hope for a ninth is his offense producing with runners on base. Despite getting ten base runners (6 H, 4 BB) in the first eight innings, they couldn't score a single run. Again in the ninth, runners got on, as down to their final out Chet Harris got himself a pinch-hit double to turn the lineup back over one more time. Carlos Jaramillo kept things going with a single, but Harris held up cautiously as he did not want to get thrown out at home to end the game. Looking to get the platoon advantage, the righty Ron Turner hit for the lefty Edwin Hackberry. Turner held a share of the team RBI leader with John Kingsbury (92), who was waiting on deck. Pearson jumped ahead of the new entrant, and got him to chase a 1-2 pitch, finishing off a huge 8-hit shutout to reclaim first place. San Francisco got a day off to regroup, and they got an off day to travel home for the last time this year. Half a game back, they had five games against the third and first place teams at Golden Gate Stadium. The Stars came to town 84-65, just a single game behind the Sailors. Both had five games remaining, but LA would need a little help from their hosts to reach Cleveland. They obliged early, as the 23-year-old southpaw Cal Johnston put up zero after zero in a veteran like start. Deadline acquisition Eddie Whitney didn't have the same luck, as Charlie Barrell started the scoring with a solo shot in the 3rd, and the Stars lineup added single runs in the 4th and 5th too. For the 6th the Sailors turned to the pen, and in the 8th Vince Ewing hit his 20th homer of the season. Johnston continued to deal and was looking to complete his first career shutout. Herbert Crawford Jr. had other ideas, pouncing on a get me over pitch, doubling down the left field line. This triggered Charlie McCullough to make the move, turning things over to young stopper Hank Myer. Myer got Bob Gray to fly out to left, keeping the quick Crawford at second, but rookie catcher Larry McLaren got him there with a line drive to right-center. Up again in a big pinch hitting opportunity was Ray Hughes, this time with one out instead of two. The result was worse, as after taking the first pitch, he grounded into a routine 6-4-3 double play, Meanwhile, San Francisco lost to the Cougars 3-1, as George McKee (2-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B, 3B) solved The Mad Professor's pop quiz. With Cleveland off on the 4th, whoever won the finale of the Stars/Sailors would enter a tie for first with three games to go. The win may mean more for Los Angeles, but there's no doubt that San Francisco is the one that needs the win more. With it, pretty much all they have to do is handle the Foresters. Win three and they're in, win two and anything but a sweep form LA and they're postseason bound. From this point on, every start made would be the pitcher's last, so George Fuller finishes his first full season starter with 32 as a Sailor, as he took on former All-Star Floyd Warner. Fuller was the one that pitched like it, as while he limited damage, Wagner was tagged for three in the second while Ray Rogan and Bob Gray went back-to-back in the third. He did end up finishing six, but 7 hits, 5 runs, and 3 walks is tough to win with. On the flipside, Fuller fired off six scoreless, allowing just 5 hits and 2 walks with 5 strikeouts. Carlos Jaramillo made it 6-0 in the 7th with a solo homer, and perhaps mercifully, Don Hall's 25th homer gave the Stars a 9th inning pity homer. With the Sailor win, they entered the last series of the regular season tied with the Cleveland, setting up the storybook finish to the season every fan dreams that their team can come through in. Almost a playoff before the playoff, the winner of this series would likely win the Continental, as the scrappy San Francisco team had a chance to spoil the dominant Foresters threepeat effort. It would be no easy task, but with home field and a team that refused to lose, I'm sure the mighty Foresters were far more nervous then they showed. In a rematch of October 1sts game, Jake Pearson once again took on Charlie Lawson, as the Sailors looked to get ahead with their ace. The only issues was their defense was abysmal, as the hosts made four errors in the first five innings. This led to six runs, three of which were earned, and put the Sailors in an early 6-1 hole. They did get two in the six, a Heinie Spitler RBI single and Bob Gray bases loaded walk, but after the runners were promptly stranded. Tom Carr then tripled and scored in the 8th, making it 7-3, as Pearson (8 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 3 K) once again provided his club with a huge victory. And with Buddy Byrd's walk-off sac-fly in Chicago, the Stars loss too, meaning all the Foresters had to do to make the playoffs was win one more game. Easy enough, right? With a 5-Time Allen winner like Rufus Barrell, it might be, and his lineup gave him an early 1-0 lead. He would need more support, as Larry McLaren doubled and scored to tie the game and then take the lead. Herm Ford battled back with an RBI triple to tie the game backup, but the hosts had a quick answer. Bob Gray launched his 20th homer of the season, doubling the Sailors run total, and allowing starter Eddie Chapman (5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 7 K) to exit his start in line for the win. Though win he did not, as after a scoreless frame, Roy Rice allowed Barrell to single to start the 7th. Bringing the lineup back to the top, Tom Carr added a single of his own, and Stan Kleminski bunted both of them over. After a called strike, John Low replaced his pitcher on third, tripling to tie the game up at 4. Low was stranded there, with both Paul Williams and Hal Kennedy flying out, but Rufus was back out for the 7th, but after walking McLaren and Chet Harris he was quickly replaced with Jonny Ogden. Carlos Jaramillo's sac-bunt put both runners in scoring position, giving Edwin Hackberry a chance to retake the lead. He got ahead 3-1, and then lined one past the second basemen to give San Fran the lead. Harris quickly followed McLaren, sliding past the Hal Kennedy tag to make it 6-4. Ogden then caught the talented John Kingsbury looking, but hope was back in the Sailor dugout. Entering form the pen was Davey Chamberlain, who was tasked with getting the final six outs. He ran into little resistance, even striking out Carr and Kleminski to end the game. And since the Stars lost once again, game 154 would officially determine who won the Continental Association. Smart money was on the back-to-back pennant winners, as they had none other then Adrian Czerwinski, arguably one of the top-5 if not top-10 pitchers of all time, in the deciding game of the season. They would have loved to have him in Game 1 of the World Series, but instead he had to win today to ensure he'd make his 17th career postseason start. Manager Jim Whitehead wouldn't outrightly state it, but everyone knew that game 154 was all on Czerwinski, who was set to lead the CA with 13 complete games and 4 shutouts. Unusual for him, he found himself in an early deficit, as Carlos Jaramillo started the inning with a single, stole second, got to third on a grounder, and scored on Heinie Spitler's two out single. Cleveland responded quickly with a two-out run of their own, with Jerry Tubbs hitting his 7th to tie the game at 1. Both starters settled in, with the Eddie Whitney completing 5 solid innings with just 3 hits, a walk, a run, and 2 strikeouts. It was a bold decision to turn it to the pen, as both Roy Rice and Davey Chamberlain threw 2 innings each the previous day. Perhaps scoring a run in the 5th is what made the decision, as with a 2-1 lead they might have felt like they had to protect the lead. Rice again threw a scoreless frame, but Hal Kennedy's 24th homer tied the game back up at 2. That led off the 7th, and Rice did manage to keep the game where it was, but a tie game between Czerwinski and Davey Chamberlain did not seem to favor the home team. The durable vet gets outs and gets them quick, and he can throw 140+ pitches if he absolutely must. Chamberlain entered the 8th, and he had to deal with the top of the Continental's top lineup. Tom Carr got things going with a walk, and as he tends to do, Stan Kleminski bunted the runner over. With John Low up and a runner in scoring position, the pressure was at an all-time high. After going down 1-2, he fought back with four foul balls in five pitches, before lacing the 9th pitch of the at bat to center. With Carr's speed, scoring was easy, and the Foresters were now six outs away from their third consecutive pennant. Cleveland wasn't ready to stop either, as Paul Williams was a run producer himself. He got down 0-2, fouling off two pitches after, before taking four straight wide ones to reach base. Now on second, Low was pinch ran for in Gene Curtis, a more skilled baserunner. It turned out it wasn't needed, after getting ahead 0-2, Chamberlain hit the catcher Kennedy to load the bases. Though when Earl Howe hit his 0-2 pitch to deep center, perhaps the skipper Whitehead breathed a little easier, knowing Curtis could easily score to stretch the lead to two. Finally, Chamberlain finished off an 0-2 count, striking out Jerry Hubbs to end the inning. With the season on the line, the Sailors now needed to score two runs off one of the most experienced and talented pitchers in baseball history, and they had just six outs to work with. After a myriad of defensive moves, the battle-tested ace actually made the cardinal sin of baseball, allowing rookie sensation Heinie Spitler to reach with a leadoff walk. The vet did get the next two guys quick, but he put the tying run on base with a walk of Herbert Crawford Jr. That brought up Larry McLaren, who seems to always be the right guy at the right time. Now with the opportunity to bring his team to the playoffs, he knew he had to come through, and he put a jolt into a 1-0 fastball. It looked good off the bat, but it curved just foul, nearly retaking the lead with a huge homer. Hoping to do it again, he put a good swing into the next pitch, but the professor was prepared, and got him to weakly ground out to short. Before their final chance, the Sailors had to keep the score where it was, and Chamberlain was asked to do what he couldn't do in the previous inning. More composed, he cut through the 8-9-1 hitter, including a strikeout of Czerwinski, who had no intentions of letting someone else hit for him. With the game on the line, he knew he had to be out there, and more then anything, he wanted to be the guy to get things done. As it has been in September, Ron Turner was there to pinch hit for the pitcher in the 9th, but after a pair of foul balls he was set down on strikes. The lineup turned over for Carlos Jaramillo, who not only scored both Sailor runs, but was 4-for-4 and a homer away from the cycle. That big hit would have been huge, but he was probably just happy to get on, singling on a tough 3-1 pitch. That made Edwin Hackberry the tying run, going ahead 1-0 before fouling off two pitches right back behind the plate. Starting to lock in, he drove the next pitch to center, but right at the well positioned center fielder Jaramillo remained at first making John Kingsbury the Sailors last chance. Kingsbury took a change low to start the at bat, but then beat the second one in the dirt, right to defensive replacement Johnny Neal at short. Smooth as silk, he unloaded a laser to first, causing the visiting dugout to spill out with an array of ecstatic Forester players and coaches. Down to the last game, with the tying run up, their star did what he did best, and sent his team to their third consecutive World Championship series. * Cleveland Continues as Class of Continental * It wasn't as easy at it was the previous two seasons, but the Cleveland Foresters were still clearly the best team in the Continental. Not only did they score the most runs and allow the fewest, but they had players win the Allen and Whitney too. For the Allen, it was a common winner, as regular season hero and 11-Time All-Star Adrian Czerwinski won the award for the 6th time in his career. You could make the argument that teammate, runner-up, and staff-ace Jake Pearson (17-7, 3.37, 140) was actually more deserving, but it's hard to argue with the guy that led the association in wins (18), WAR (6.4), complete games (14), and FIP (3.51). A strong 18-9 in what was tied for an association leading 34 starts, "The Mad Professor" worked to a 3.54 ERA (126 ERA+) with a 1.21 WHIP, 74 walks, and 163 strikeouts. His second win in three seasons, and he completed his 13th consecutive season with 33 or more starts, at least 235 innings, an above average ERA+, and a FIP- of 85 or lower. Regardless of whether he wins his 4th championship or not, the run Czerwinski has continued is legendary, and it's truly going to be a shame when the crafty veteran decides that baseball is no longer for him. Once can only hope it comes after 300, if not 350, wins, as through 13 seasons he has 265 to go with a 3.25 ERA (126 ERA+), 3.19 FIP (77 FIP-), 99 WAR, and 2,122 strikeouts. Despite his propensity for errors, John Low captured the Whitney, the first in his impressive 10-season career. Selected to his 9th consecutive All-Star game, Low finally earned the elusive accolade. An outstanding hitter and fielder, Low cracked the 7 WAR mark or the third time in his career, worth 7.4 in 149 games. The 32-year-old shortstop slashed an outstanding .331/.419/.530 (142 OPS+) with an elite 152 WRC+. Low logged 80 runs, 48 doubles, 10 triples, 14 homers, 111 RBIs, and 87 walks in a sterling all-around effort. Low's rare mix of offensive and defensive prowess at short is a true rarity in the game, and he's just one of the cogs in the elite lineup. A full season of him, Paul Williams (.307, 28, 111), and Earl Howe (.263, 22, 103, 7) led to 862 runs, but top to bottom everyone could produce. Tom Carr (.283, 6, 61, 32) and Stan Kleminski (.289, 8, 68, 14) excelled at setting the table, and if the 3-4-5 couldn't get it done Hal Kennedy (.285, 24, 84), Cecil Cummings (.281, 11, 62), Sherry Doyal (.298, 15, 64), and Jerry Hubbs (.240, 7, 36) came through when needed. And with the rotation of Pearson, Czerwinski, and Rufus Barrell (13-11, 3.94, 104), beating this team is no easy feat. San Francisco came about as close as they could, and while still disappointed, rookie manager Walt Zecher should be proud of what his team accomplished. For the first time since 1954, they surpassed the 80 win mark, and with their young talent they might be able to start a streak going. Leading the youth charge is graduated top-50 prospect Charlie Lawson, who made a serious case for the Kellogg. Being 13-8 may have been his undoing, but Lawson led the CA in ERA (2.91) and WHIP (1.07), striking out 165 with 73 walks and 29 homers in 238.1 innings pitched. Lawson had a meteoric rise, going from 3rd Rounder last season to a top-10 pitcher, and he was the lone stabilizing force in a rotation that saw a lot of movement. Only George Fuller (12-10, 4.34, 118) started more then 20 games, but seven pitchers made double digit starts. The effectiveness varied, as Duke Bybee (3-5, 5.79, 35) looked like a 39-year-old coming off elbow surgery, and George Reynolds (4-5, 5.27, 71) and Gary Pike (3-5, 3, 5.77, 40) were banished to the pen. On the flip side, young guys like Eddie Chapman (15-4, 8, 3.26, 91) and Clem Pranger (7-5, 6, 3.48, 51) pitched their way into the rotation. If those two can fix up the rotation, they can focus on adding some bats. Heinie Spitler (.302, 9, 87, 11) was a nice development, he rounded out a solid top four. Carlos Jaramillo (.313, 12, 68, 40) would be the best shortstop if John Low didn't exist, and Edwin Hackberry (.243, 16, 70, 18) and John Kingsbury (.335, 18, 93, 14) are capable corner outfielders. Despite his poor end of season pinch hitting, they may want to make room for home run leader Ron Turner (.326, 24, 92), but for now he's stuck rotating from first, left, and right. They may have surprised teams this year, but expect this Sailors squad to have their hand in the pennant race once again. Los Angeles will hope to be there too, as even after an embarrassing season ending sweep in Chicago, the Stars still finished with their best record since their pennant winning season in '52. If not for fatal injuries, they probably would have won, as losing ace Dewey Allcock (10-4, 3.63, 87) and deadline pickup Bud Henderson (2-4, 5.57, 28; 9-13, 4.08, 101), both of whom might not be ready for Opening Day, spoiled their season. Without those two, they just didn't have the pitching to compete. On the bright side, they have a third quality arm for next year, as 22-year-old Sy Dunn impressed in his first season as a starter. Making 29 starts, Dunn was 16-5 with a 3.34 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, and 136 strikeouts. Wild at times, Dunn is a live armed righty that hurls six tough pitches at you, some of which can graze triple digits. His sinker is usually in the 96-98 range, and he can roll up a ton of grounders, and assuming the health of Allcock and Henderson, LA will have a lethal 1-2-3. With a lineup that slugs as many homers as they do, even average pitching overall might be enough, as seven guys hit over 20 homers. Leading the charge was Lou Allen (.287, 39, 119) and his 39, and Ralph Barrell (.267, 35, 103) passed 30 too. Rookie middle infielder Virgil Ewing (.329, 21, 112) was a revelation at 26, and guys like Charlie Barrell (.315, 28, 88), Don Hall (.271, 25, 80), Jim Berrien (.306, 22, 61), and even Joe Cook (.221, 23, 68) could change the game with one swing of the bat. With 240 total homers, the clobbered the previous CA home run record, blowing the 1955 Foresters (183) out of the water. It's very early to make 1963 predictions, but if they can keep their pitchers healthy, I'd wager the Stars be the team to finally stop the Foresters' pennant streak. A little bit further back were the Cincinnati Cannons, who at 80-74 finished 8 behind Cleveland. With a -39 run differential, they didn't really deserve their record. A lot can be blamed on their rotation, as ace hopeful Jim York (7-11, 5.07, 97) fought injury and poor performance, and Jimmy Block (7-11, 5.14, 88) had similar stats without the injury. On the plus side, young guys like Red Cunningham (10-8, 4.51, 87), Charlie Warren (7-3, 3, 3.19, 73), and Jack Meeks (9-12, 1, 4.14, 105) held there own, and the trio is in-line to fill the back of the rotation next season. Steps forward there would be huge, and if the organization has faith in their young pitching, they can shift their offseason focus to fine-tuning the squad. The outfield is strong, with 2-Time Whitney Winner Dallas Berry (.282, 29, 94, 10) the undisputed star, and elite play by former 5th pick and #4 prospect Bonnie Chapin, who also kind of got screwed out of the Kellogg. 24 as of June, Chapin hit a robust .345/.421/.574 (153 OPS+), capturing the batting title and launching 47 doubles, 7 triples, and 22 homers with 111 runs, 84 RBIs, and more walks (70) then strikeouts (55). That duo is among the best in the bigs, which made up for Fred Lainhart's (.265, 4, 47, 12) stark decline in production. They have a ton of power, even if not at the Stars level, with a 30+ homer season from Art McKinney (.259, 34, 101) and big blasts from Al Farmer (.304, 18, 61) and Charlie Ham (.272, 21, 82). The key now is hitting with runners on, and hoping for no more automatic outs, and with just one more table-setter, they could finish among the top three CA teams in terms of run production. The last Continental team above .500 was the Kansas City Kings, who at 79-75 were back over he breakeven mark after their 8 season stretch was snapped a year ago. 79 wins was still likely a disappointment, but they got to add another Kellogg to an award they've dominated since its inception. 214 hits, 124 RBIs, and 33 steals were what it took for Pat Davis to win the award, as the highly touted top-15 prospect became the 5th King to win the award. The 23-year-old hit a solid .343/.380/.543 (137 OPS+) with 94 runs, 33 doubles, 17 triples, and 19 home runs, turning into a fourth deadly lefty in the KC lineup. A lot of Davis' RBIs were because Hank Williams (.326, 39, 121, 7) batted in front of him, and the duo spent plenty of time driving in Ken Newman (.255, 28, 108, 6), Charlie Rogers (.312, 16, 94, 12), and whoever else managed to get on. As good as those four were, the rest of the lineup really struggled. The always reliable and former Kellogg winner Dutch Miller (.217, 11, 75) had his first bad showing since he won back in '54, and his backup Bob Burge (.290, 6, 32, 4) was the only other above average hitter with more then 200 PAs. The pitching staff had a similar situation, as Beau McClellan (11-11, 3.99, 135), Fred Myers (10-14, 3.73, 119), and Gordon McDonald (9-4, 1, 3.63, 34) all impressed, but the rest of the staff seemed to have prolonged cold spells. Even All-Star stopper Del Lamb (10-6, 18, 4.36, 97) wasn't his normal dominant self, so with a return to form from some of their better pitchers they could push for a pennant. They're probably one solid starting pitcher and one quality regular from being a top team, but the foundation is there to make a sustained run. The Chicago Cougars never got going, as a 10-18 May threatened to sink their season. The final nail came on June 6th, where star middle infielder Jack Gibson (.290, 15, 44) ruptured his MCL. A devastating injury from someone who has had injury issues in the past, cynical Cougar fans will draw parallels to Billy Hunter, another talented young infielder who could never get past his knee issues. Gibson's loss was irreplaceable, as the 26-year-old will enter 1962 with the 5th most home runs (123) in team history, despite having appeared in less then 500 FABL games. Coming off back-to-back 5 WAR seasons, the former 2nd Rounder was on track to break the team's single season home run record of 47, and with him gone the offense was never quite the same. They finished second to last in runs scored, despite solid seasons from Jerry McMillan (.314, 28, 81, 23), Gene Case (.288, 21, 77, 8), and Henry Watson (.302, 26, 90). Jim Barton (.303, 9, 68) might have taken a step back, going from an All-Star to an average bat with out power, but he's just 25, the oldest of the bunch. Add in a solid rookie season from 22-year-old shortstop Tom Holliday (.291, 4, 57), and the beginning of a young core is forming. They've got the pitching, as Andy Logue (15-11, 3.40, 139) seems to have put it all together, while John Mitchell (8-3, 3.74, 45) and rookie Henry Henderson (9-6, 2, 3.72, 66) are looking like solid young pitchers. Barring a combination of breakouts next season, this team is still ways from contention. As expected, the Canadian teams were at the bottom, with Montreal (62-92) "winning" the Battle of the Great North. They didn't do much scoring or preventing runs, with very little going right. Eddie Martin (9-14, 3.88, 93) was the only pitcher with an ERA below 4.25 among pitchers with a start, and even in the pen only deadline pickup Chet Baker (5-3, 6, 3.78, 40) was able to get many outs. Offensively they had a little more luck, as Harry Swain (.328, 20, 101, 6) and Andy Gilman (.275, 25, 85) put together solid seasons. With Swain it was expected, but the 92 starts Gilman made were more then his previous three seasons combined. Now 24, the former 4th pick is starting to live up to the hype, and Montreal could quickly be his team. Meanwhile, the Toronto Wolves finished 59-95, and they saw their 21-year-old ace and Allen winner Arnie Smith (6-2, 2.81, 70) tear his labrum in June. Even worse, George Hoxworth (5-16, 5.14, 124) was awful, so what was once expected to be a decades long duo of dominance could fizzle out already. There's more of course, as Sid Cullen (.310, 19, 69) fought injuries again, making Tom Reed (.299, 28, 91, 10) the only above average hitter with more then 450 PAs. Canadian baseball is at a new all-time low, and with expansion set to take talent away from FABL organizations, these two cellar dwellers may not be able to stave off the expansion teams. * Fed Flag Race Decided Early * Suspense was lacking from the Fed finish, but in early September the Philadelphia Keystones and St Louis Pioneers were neck-in-neck. From the 8th to 10th, the top two teams squared off in St. Louis, and when the Pioneers took two-of-three, they opened up a one game lead. St. Louis ripped off three more wins, adding an extra half game to the lead, giving them a week and a half to stay on top before a big series in Philadelphia. Philly then started to get hot, winning 7 of 8 to take a two game lead over the ice cold Pioneers. With a two game lead and a four game series, St. Louis still had a chance to put themselves in the driver's seat. They got off to a great start, roughing up Jorge Arellano (4 IP, 11 H, 8 ER) in the opener, as homers from Bill Bather (19) and Bob Bell (36) pushed the Keystone ace out early. Bather hit another homer off Sam Ivey in the 6th, helping the guests cruise to an 11-3 win. With the lead cut to one, the Keystones needed to end their struggles against St. Louis, and with a huge outing from Tom Robinson (8 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K), they were able to hold onto a tight 2-1 lead. A double header followed, and while the two teams would play once more in October, this game had huge pennant implications. For St. Louis, a sweep would put them into a tie for first, while a Philly sweep would bring them ever-so-close to their first pennant since 1945. Runs came often in game one, with scoring in four of the first six innings, as the Keystones opened up a nice 5-1 lead. Neither team scored in the 7th, but the Pioneers were making a push in the top of the 8th. Starter Joe Kienle was cruising through 7, but after a leadoff ground out, pinch hitter Steve Schultz made it 5-2 with one swing of the bat. Looking to rebound, Kienle got Bill Bather to hit a grounder, but first basemen Andy Parker booted it, allowing Bather to reach. He got to second on a walk, and with the dangerous Bob Bell up, advanced on a wild pitch. With two runners in scoring position and a feared slugger at bat, momentum was starting to change, and with one swing from the eventual Whitney winner, it was a brand new game in Philly. Bell tied things up with a 383 foot homer to left center, ending Kienle's night, and producing a sort of uneasiness at Broad Street Park. Reliever Don McKeown was up next, working around a pair of singles, managing to keep the score where it was. The Keystones got to face a new pitcher too, with John Gibson brought in to keep the game tied, but he failed in about as spectacular fashion as you could. Tom Cooprider was his first test, and he hit a solo homer to right center, quickly returning the lead to the home side. Next was a walk to Sam Gallick, and he only got an out after since Ed Thompson bunted him over. Gibson wanted nothing to do with reigning Whitney winner Harry Dellinger, walking him intentionally to bring up second basemen Marshall Thomas. Up 2-1, he lined a single to right, loading the bases for the young Andy Parker. With a chance to make up for his error, he hit one right back to Gibson, allowing him to get the force at the plate. Bases still loaded, now it was another Whitney winner in Buddy Miller, and there was nowhere to put him. Miller fouled off the first offering, but then hit one harmlessly to short. Or at least it should have been, but defense was optional today, and the 4th Pioneer error made it 7-5 as Cal Randall, who just moved from third to short, couldn't field it cleanly. Bases still loaded, the dangerous Lloyd Coulter had a chance to make things happen, but he rolled over a 3-1 pitch, grounding out meekly to second to strand the runners. McKeown needed five pitches to get the first two outs of the 9th, but Bill Bather worked a eight pitch walk to keep the game alive. With a chance to make up for his error, Randall became the tying run, but all he could muster was a dribbler to Coulter at third, which he casually tossed across the diamond for the win. Normally after a tough loss, you have a day to regroup, but instead the teams had about 30 minutes to prep for a rematch. At this point, St. Louis had to win, so putting up zeros for the first six innings was a big no-no. Thankfully, all Philly mustered up on 40-year-old John Thomas Johnson was Dick Christian's 2nd inning RBI single, so 1-0 wasn't a tough deficit to overcome. Still, another zero in the 7th was brutal, and opposing pitcher Jim Cooper decided he needed more run support. With one out and two on, the 27-year-old did something he had never done before: hit a home run. That big blast made it 4-0, so when Cooper left with one out in the 8th, he was inline for his 11th win of the season. In came a second Jim, 20-year-old Jim Elliot, who let St. Louis get on the board with Bob Bell's 38th home run. It was a good start, and St. Louis did get two more in the 9th, but any hope of winning was stamped out when the Bell homer was answered by Lloyd Coulter, who matched Cooper's three-run blast with one of his own. The 7-3 win put Philly 4 up, and with 7 wins in their last 10 games to end it, they cruised to a 97-57 record that put them seven clear of a really good Pioneers team. For the first time maybe ever, it was pitching and defense, not the high octane offense, that carried the Keystone team. Among qualified hitters, just Harry Dellinger (.306, 36, 96) even hit above .300, but with him, Miller (.298, 36, 113), and Coulter (.263, 35, 91) they had a trio of 30+ homer and 90+ RBI mashers. Rookie Andy Parker (.324, 13, 52) came up late and impressed, with the graduated 6th ranked prospect producing a 148 WRC+ in 112 games. Picking up Arellano (7-2, 2.89, 62; 16-9, 3.05, 130) at the deadline was massive, and likely won them the pennant, but the Keystones had a 3.43 rotation ERA and every member at the end had a sub 4 ERA. Joe Kienle (16-7, 3.25, 100) dropped his ERA almost two points, while William Davis (16-11, 3.47, 149), Tom Robinson (13-9, 3.45, 97), and Jim Cooper (12-4, 3.68, 83) were all excellent. They're all young too, as Arellano is the only one over 30, so this group can stick together for the long haul. Stopper Don McKeown (12-11, 26, 3.05, 117) is another young guy who could start, but he emerged as a clutch game finisher, leading the Fed with 26 saves. This team is deep and seemed to find the missing piece, and should be the odds on favorite even if Cleveland has the postseason experience most teams can only dream of. St. Louis is probably the 2nd best team in FABL, but they had the unlucky occurrence of catching an outstanding Keystones team in a year they were at their best. 90-64 is usually good enough to win a pennant, and the best they've done since going 91-63 and capturing the 1951 pennant. I alluded to how good Bob Bell could be last year, as a then 22-year-old hit .328/.447/.582 (176 OPS+) after a late July callup, and he somehow managed to match that with a lethal .345/.435/.635 (173 OPS+). The clear Whitney winner led the association in OBP, slugging, OPS (1.070), WRC+ (176), wOBA (.447), and WAR (9.8), as well as more traditional stats like runs (117), homers (39), and RBIs (128). No one could come close to what he did, and on top of all the offensive output, he even swiped 10 bases and won the Diamond Defense award for second base. As long as this guy is in St. Louis, they're going to compete, and it helps having another Whitney winner in Jerry Smith (.289, 34, 103, 14) to compliment him. Add in the elite 1-2-3 of Billy Hasson (19-8, 2.85, 188), who won his third Allen in four seasons, ERA leader Frenchy Mack (7-8, 2.83, 131), and pitching WAR (7.5) leader Steve Madden (14-6, 3.17, 166), and it's honestly mind boggling they aren't a postseason team. Aside from catcher, this team doesn't have any real weakness, and will be one of the early favorites for the 1962 pennant. There's a rather significant drop after the top two, but the Washington Eagles were still way closer to the top then the bottom. In fact, there were 13 games between them and Philly and them and the Gothams and Chiefs, who finished tied for 4th. At 84-70, the Eagles had their best finish in over a decade, ending a stretch of four straight seasons finishing 7th or 8th. They did so with a strong offense, scoring more runs then any of the non-Keystone teams in the association. A balanced approach, they don't have a true star in the lineup, instead getting production from guys like Jack Thompson (.314, 16, 97), the guy who refuses to walk (2.9 career BB%), 20-year-old sophomore Tom Lorang (.305, 18, 62), who might be a star in the making, and Al Marino (.255, 9, 76, 6), who has emerged as a real quality shortstop. The pitching has a lot of holes, but Jim Stewart (13-8, 3.32, 137) looked like an ace, and Foster Sherman (7-5, 3.79, 45; 14-7, 3.97, 105) provided a stabilizing veteran presence. If Washington is confident in young guys like Bob Ball (13-16, 4.35, 127), Wally Phillips (8-4, 3.53, 66), Carl Levy (12-6, 20, 3.93, 84), and Otto Caudill (10-12, 1, 4.95, 104), they might not need to make a big move, but a second veteran like Sherman could do wonders for their postseason probability. After an 87 win finish last season, dropping to 71-83 was devastating for the Chicago Chiefs, who seemed like one of the tougher competitors before the season started. A lot of the decline can be attributed to Rod Shearer (.260, 15, 77), who battled middling production and injury in a year where he set many career lows. Though aside from Ed Bloom (.315, 23, 104, 17) and Irv Clifford (.312, 2, 49, 8), he was actually their best hitter. Doc Zimmerman (.267, 8, 81, 13) saw his WRC+ drop 60 points, posting a below average mark (93) for the first time in a full season, and none of the supporting cast stepped up in his place. They did pitch a bit better, with nice seasons from Vern Osborne (10-15, 3.50, 152) and Jack Halbur (12-10, 3.84, 99), but Joe Cipolla (7-12, 4.71, 130) saw his walk and strikeout rates go in the wrong direction, and Dick Champ (12-9, 4.41, 129) was more average then good. The pen was reliable, led by 23-year-old rookie Joe Lancaster (8-4, 15, 3.31, 56), and they have plenty of other talented young arms ready for more of a role next season. Despite the bad record, they don't really need much legwork in the offseason, and can perhaps bank on Rod Shearer being Rod Shearer again to return to contention. New York however, does have much to do, as despite being tied in the standings with Chicago, they're in a far different spot then the Chiefs. Shedding stars in recent years, the Gothams will be without Ed Bowman (8-16, 4.25, 78) next year, who decided to hang up the spikes after cracking FABL's top-10 win list. With 322 wins, he finished 1 above Rabbit Day, but he still provided average results. I think he had a year left in him, and with 11 wins he could have moved up to 6th All-Time, but instead he'll have to settle for a slew of Gothams records. This includes wins and WAR (141.7) and pretty much every counting stat you could think of. In total, the former #1 prospect hurled 5,418 innings, working to a 3.31 ERA (121 ERA+), 1.24 WHIP, and 2,606 strikeouts. A 2-Time Allen winner and 12-Time All-Star, he'll go down among the greatest pitchers of all time, leaving a gigantic hole in a mediocre rotation. Left at the top is the now 25-year-old Clarence Reimer (12-12, 4.15, 158) a former 15th round pick who was quickly released by the Keystones, and every arm behind him is either young and raw or a middling vet they are hoping they can increase the value of. The offense is thin, and I would expect them to shop Hank Estill (.248, 15, 71) and Rex Pilcher (.260, 21, 64), as they already have young guys contributing there. Otto Pilkerton (.261, 13, 55, 14) looked great in center, capturing the Diamond Defense award and providing average offense, exactly what Frank Arnold (.297, 5, 65) get at the hot corner. Young catcher Tom Brizzolara (.313, 12, 57, 6) has emerged as a top-5 backstop as well, giving them a trio of talented starters 24 or under. The roster is still a work in-progress, but big '62 seasons from this group could push up their contention timeline. No team was more disappointing this year then the Boston Minutemen, who followed up back-to-back titles with a deadline sell-off. Finishing 69-85, they had their worst year since 1951 where they failed to reach the 60 win mark for the first time since the turn of the century. Everything that went wrong, did, as Rick Masters (.274, 12, 49) was barely replacement level, Ed Wise (.209, 21, 58) barely hit over .200, and Joe Kleman (.262, 10, 72) was a full five runs worse as he didn't do much hitting and produced a negative zone rating (-2.2) for the first time since his rookie season. My vote is that it was the baseball gods punishing them, as for reasons unknown to the baseball community, reigning 20-game and Allen winner Don Griffin (6-7, 25, 3.07, 74) was banished to the pen. Easily their best pitcher, and maybe one of the bests in the game, it was a shocking move that left many around the game stunned. I mean sure, guys like Ray Gonyea (11-16, 4.09, 153) and Bob Hollister (10-11, 3.63, 76) are solid, but there was plenty of room in the rotation behind them. At this point, it seems like he'll remain their stopper, but word around the league is teams are very interested in adding the recently turned 25-year-old to their staff instead. Rounding out the Fed at 67-87 are the Detroit Dynamos and Pittsburgh Miners. For Detroit, it was a surprise, as they had finished above .500 ten consecutive seasons, and actually had a +4 run differential. Funny enough, it's the offseason sell-off moves that helped them win games, as veteran John Jackson (11-13, 3.15, 121) pitched like an ace at 37, and former top prospect Ray Waggoner (.317, 30, 100) took home this season's Kellogg award. The 25-year-old showed exactly why they parted with Hackberry to get him, as he mashed to the tune of .317/.372/.566 (141 OPS+) and won the team triple crown. He anchored a lineup with a good amount of power, as Bill Morrison (.276, 14, 75, 9), Dick Tucker (.281, 19, 71), Cecil Gregg (.302, 25, 97), Joe Reed (.299, 23, 87, 10), and Lew Mercer (.295, 16, 56, 9) are all threats to go deep. The offense as constructed is pretty solid, and with Jackson, Jim Norris (9-15, 4.08, 137), and Paul Anderson (18-7, 3.27, 113) the rotation looks pretty good too. They're really just one starting pitcher away, and I'd be willing to bet this team finishes much better in 1962. Pittsburgh was a more fitting last place team, as they finished with fewer then 70 wins for the fifth time in six years. Arguably the worst pitching staff in the game, Ed Power (8-18, 6.13, 86) saw his ERA increase by almost three full runs, and they didn't have a single pitcher throw more then 200 innings. Joe McDowell (15-7, 4.29, 90), the "best" starter on the staff, got close, only two outs away, but there just weren't guys who could give them good innings early in the game. They had the 8th and 9th locked up, as 24-year-old George Kollock (6-7, 22, 3.21, 92) was superb, making it surprising they never gave the former starter a chance in the rotation. They did show more life at the plate, as Frank Selander (.351, 12, 72, 14) won the batting tile and is starting to look like the top-20 prospect he once was. Youngsters Chuck Draper (.263, 14, 63, 16), John Moreland (.328, 10, 109), and Mike Whisman (.269, 15, 84, 9) got on plenty ahead of Selander, and veteran Bill Newhall (.280, 12, 56) put together another good season. The bottom three in the lineup needs some work, but until they can shore up the pitching staff, it won't matter too much. One guy to watch on that end is Jimmy Blair (9-16, 4.37, 107), who had a really nice 3.67 FIP (82 FIP-), but there just isn't enough in hand to expect a postseason run in the near future. 1961 World Championship Series It's been quite some time since the Philadelphia Keystones played in the World Championship Series. You have to go back 16 years since the Keystones last pennant in 1945. It was the second of two straight flags for Philadelphia and they split back to back WCS appearances against the Cincinnati Cannons with Cincinnati winning in 1944 and the Keystones prevailing the following year. There have been some lean years in the City of Brotherly Love since then as the Keystones went 14 years of never been less than double-digits out of first place until the 1960 season when they trailed front-running Boston by seven games but still ended up fourth. That changed this time around as the Keystones won a franchise record 97 games, one more than the previous mark established by their 1933 championship team. Like the '33 club which featured Rankin Kellogg in his prime and young Bobby Barrell, this edition of the Keystones has plenty of power. Outfielders Buddy Miller and Harry Dellinger each socked 36 homers with third baseman Lloyd Coulter chipping in with 35. Unlike the long wait the Keystones had before returning to meaningful October baseball, the Continental Association has pretty much belonged to the Cleveland Foresters over the past decade and a half. The Foresters led the CA for the third year in a row and have won 8 pennants in the past 13 years. Four of the five seasons the Foresters did now lead the Continental Association they finished in second place and their 1958 third place showing was the worst the Cleveland fans have seen since 1949. That is a far cry from the early history of the franchise as Cleveland did not win its first WCS until 1934, beating only the Brooklyn (now Kansas City) Kings in that regard. For most of the 1940's the Foresters were the bottom of the barrel in the CA, spending nine consecutive years in the second division and finishing higher than seventh place just once. That turned around with a surprising worst to first run in 1949 and the Foresters, led the entire time by Adrian Czerwinski and Sherry Doyal, have never looked back. While Philadelphia clinched its pennant with nearly two weeks to spare, finishing 7 games ahead of the second place St Louis Pioneers, the Foresters needed every game to prevail in the Continental Association flag race. Cleveland and San Francisco entered the final day of the season tied for first and needed two runs in the top of the 8th inning and a complete game from Czerwinski to hold of the Sailors in the season finale. Los Angeles was also very much in the mix until the Stars were swept in a 3-game season ending weekend series by the Chicago Cougars and finished 3 games off the pace. GAME ONE: CLEVELAND 5 PHILADELPHIA 3 The first ever meeting between the Keystones and Foresters came with plenty of pressure on the visitors from Cleveland. The Foresters were playing in their third consecutive WCS but had lost in five games to Boston each of the past two years. With Adrian Czerwinski needing rest after pitching the regular season clinching game on Sunday, the Foresters had a solid backup option in 17-game winner Jake Pearson. Philadelphia countered with their number one starter Jorge Arellano, who was the only Keystones hurler with previous WCS experience, having won two starts for the Gothams in the 1956 classic. Pearson had a tough first inning, walking in the games first run when he issued a free pass to former Forester Lloyd Coulter after a single, a walk and an error. In the third Coulter made his former mates pay again when he delivered an rbi double to plate Andy Parker and put the Keystones up 2-0. Arellano would cruise along until the top of the sixth when the Foresters bats erupted with three runs. CA Whitney Award winner John Low hit a 1-out triple and after Paul Williams worked Arellano for a free pass, bringing Cleveland catcher Hal Kennedy to the plate. The second pitch to Kennedy was wild and Low raced home to score with Kennedy adding an exclamation point in the form of a 2-run homer to give the Foresters a 3-2 lead. The Foresters added some insurance with two runs in the top of the ninth off Philadelphia reliever Tom Robinson. A walk, an error and singles off the bats of Otis O'Keefe ad Tom Carr did the damage increasing Cleveland's lead to 5-2. With Johnny Ogden on the hill trying to close out the win for Cleveland the Keystones made a strong effort at a comeback, scoring once and having the bases loaded with two out but Ogden fanned Dick Sheehan to end the game and give Cleveland a 5-3 victory to start the series. GAME TWO: PHILADELPHIA 7 CLEVELAND 6 16-game winner William Davis took the hill for the Keystones against the winningest lefthander in FABL history. That would be 44-year-old Deuce Barrell, who went 13-11 and now has 342 career FABL wins. Deuce was making his 16th WCS start, one more than teammate Adrian Czerwinski for the all-time lead, but has had his struggles in recent Octobers, going 0-3 with a 10.98 era in four WCS starts over the past two years. Barrell's postseason problems persisted as he did not make it through the fourth inning as the Keystones scored at least once in each of the first four frames and led 5-2 when Barrell was sent to the showers. Buddy Miller drove in a run in the first inning after Harry Dellinger and Marshall Thomas led off with back to back singles off of Barrell. The damage could have been worse than 1-0 but Cleveland centerfielder Earl Howe threw out a runner at the plate. Barrell surrendered three more singles in the second inning resulting in another Philadelphia run and then two more on two hits in the third put the Foresters behind 4-0. Cleveland did score a pair in the top of the fourth but Philadelphia answered with Buddy Miller's second rbi single of the game to make the score 5-2. That marked the end of Barrell's day and the Keystones were finally held scoreless for an inning in the fifth frame. It did not last long as the lead was up to 7-2 when Cleveland reliever Sonny Stoyer gave up 3-hits including a two-run double from Lloyd Coulter in the sixth inning. The score would remain 7-2 until the Foresters rallied in the top of the ninth inning. They scored four times with Paul Williams' 2-run homer doing most of the damage. Down 7-5 wth two out and runners on second and third the Foresters nearly forced extra innings as pinch-hitter Gary Romeo smacked a single. Earl Howe scored from third and Armando Estrada, who represented the tying run, was waived home after starting on second base. Philadelphia rightfielder Buddy Miller delivered a perfect strike to catcher Tom Cooprider and Estrada was gunned down at the plate to end the game and preserve the 7-6 Philadelphia victory. GAME THREE: PHILADELPHIA 5 CLEVELAND 4 (16 innings) It would be hard to top the drama of a game-ending play at the plate that evened the series in game two, but the two clubs were up for the challenge as the series shifted to Cleveland for the third game. Adrian Czerwinski made his first start of the season for the Foresters and allowed just 2 singles over the first 7 innings as the hosts built a 3-0 lead. All of Cleveland's scoring came in the bottom of the sixth inning when Keystones reliever Don McKeown walked two batters and then allowed doubles from Paul Williams and Earl Howe. Czerwinski, tiring, retired the first batter to start the eighth inning but then allowed back to back line drive singles from Dick Sheehan and Tom Cooprider. The Mad Professor induced a fly ball out from Dick Christian and then seemed to be out of the jam when Harry Dellinger hit a ground ball to Foresters shortstop John Low. Low booted the ball and the bases were loaded setting the stage for a Marshall Thomas grand slam that put Philadelphia ahead 4-3 with one swing of the bat. The Foresters tied the game at 4 in the bottom of the eighth when Hal Kennedy hit a solo shot for his second homerun of the series. The game would remain tied at 4 until the top of the 16th inning when Buddy Miller led off with a single off of Cleveland hurler Earle Turner. Turner then went to a full count on Lloyd Coulter before walking the ex-Forester but was aided by a double play when another former Clevelander in pinch-hitter Jim Urquhart popped out while trying to sacrifice the runners. The play left Lloyd Coulter unable to get back to first base in time and he was doubled up. Dick Sheehan was issued an intentional walk leaving runners at first and second and Philadelphia catcher Tom Cooprider at the plate. Cooprider deliver an rbi single to plate Buddy Miller from second and that run would stand up, giving the Keystones a 5-4 victory and a two games to one series lead. GAME FOUR: PHILADELPHIA 6 CLEVELAND 4 Another game with plenty of offense early as both teams scored in the first inning. Back to back doubles from Marshall Thomas and Andy Parker off Cleveland starter Hank Berkowitz gave the Keystones a quick run but a pair of walks issued by Philadelphia hurler Jim Cooper followed by an rbi single off the bat of Hal Kennedy allowed Cleveland to tie it at one in the home half of the first. Cooper aided his own cause when the Philadelphia pitcher smashed a 2-run homer in the top of the second to give the Keystones a 3-1 lead but Cleveland again responded, this time with 3 runs in the bottom of the third inning on three singles, a walk and a hit batsman to put the Foresters up 4-3. The scoring was rounded out in the top of the fifth inning when Philadelphia plated three runs. The first came on a lead-off solo homerun from pinch-hitter Turk Ramsey and the other two came after a pair of walks when Lloyd Coulter delivered a 2-run double. Both bullpens did their jobs after that and the game ended 6-4 for the Keystones, leaving Philadelphia one win away from winning the WCS. GAME FIVE: CLEVELAND 7 PHILADELPHIA 2 The Foresters did not want to lose the series at home and it would mark the third consecutive season they fell in five games. The game, a rematch of the series opening pitching matchup of Jorge Arellano for the Keystones against Cleveland's Jake Pearson, was tight for five innings with the Foresters holding a 3-2 lead thanks to Paul Williams second homerun of the series. The Foresters added a run in the sixth inning when a wild pitch allowed Earl Howe, who had doubled to score to go up 4-2. Philadelphia's best chance to pull even in the game came in the top of the seventh when Dick Christian led off with a double and moved to third on a Harry Dellinger single but Marshall Thomas hit into a 2-4-3 double play to end any hopes of a big inning. Cleveland made sure of a return to trip to Philadelphia by plating three more runs in the bottom of the seventh and the Foresters were still alive following a 7-2 victory. GAME SIX: PHILADELPHIA 5 CLEVELAND 0 Unlike in other WCS starts over the past three years, Deuce Barrell was outstanding for Cleveland for seven innings, scattering 7 hits and making just one mistake - a gopher ball that pinch-hitter Turk Ramsey sent over the rightfield wall in the sixth inning. Barrell left trailing 1-0 as Philadelphia's William Davis was equally good. Davis allowed 6 hits before giving way to reliever Don McKeown. The pair combined on a 7-hit shutout as the Keystones clinched the series with a 5-0 victory. Barrell was replaced with nobody on and one-out in the eighth and Cleveland reliever Lynn Horn immediately landed in hot water. Harry Dellinger greeted Horn with a single. Marshall Thomas followed with a double to put runners on second and third and a free pass to Andy Parker loaded the bases. For the second time in the series we had a grand slam homerun with this one courtesy of Buddy Miller to put the Keystones ahead comfortably by a 5-0 score. It would end that way and the Keystones had won their franchises 4th World Championship Series while the Foresters had lost in the WCS for the third consecutive season. Buddy Miller, who hit .375 with a homerun, 6 rbi's and 6 runs scored, was named the series MVP. It was the first taste of post-season action for the 31-year-old three time Whitney Award winner. OFFSEASON After the Keystones debunked the "third times a charm" myth, all the focus in the baseball world was on expansion. 1962 would bring the first ever expansion draft, as the 16 FABL organizations that competed for the crown in 1961 had a few months to prepare for one of the biggest advancements of the league. Deemed profitable enough to move to 20 teams, it's a bold move by the league, but one that has been long overdo. Baseball has quickly grown into a national game, and it was clear that there were markets to be tapped. The GWL sparked an interest on the west coach in more competitive baseball, and the relocation of three east coast teams was basically a trial run of viability of baseball on the west of the Mississippi. All three of those teams finished above .500 this season and top-6 in attendance, a resounding success story the league off. Joining the fray are the Minneapolis Millers, Los Angeles Suns, Dallas Wranglers, and New York Imperials. The first two will compete in the Fed, the last in the Conti, so teams now have to compete against nine others to make it to the postseason. Before all that, the four teams will get to select players from their competitions FABL and AAA rosters. Teams can protect players of course, so don't expect Buddy Miller or Jake Pearson putting on another uniform any time soon. But guys like Bobby Crooks and Charlie Phillips? Who knows! Stars may be born, careers changed, but more importantly, us fans get more of what we love. We get more baseball! With the shift in the landscape, GMs will go about their business differently, so the trade market was on the quiet side. The Fed runner ups kicked things off, looking to fill their catchers spot with a bounce back candidate. That would be 2-Time All-Star Dutch Miller, who's '61 batting line of .217/.330/.348 (76 OPS+) was nowhere near his .263/.357/.421 (113 OPS+) career line since his debut in 1954. A reliable bat in the seasons prior, as Miller's 84 WRC+ was the first time he produced one below 100. Even in a down year, Miller still drew 79 walks, and despite his personality guys like throwing to him. He's a useful veteran add to the Diamond Defense winner this year Sam Ruggles (.243, 7, 47), who also had the worst season of his career. Then to entice the Kings, they sent infielder Cal Randall (.284, 13, 68) and top-200 prospect Whitey Gates. Randall did start for them some, but with Steve Schultz (.289, 20, 76) and Paul Watson (.245, 12, 52) able to play third and short, they figured it was best to move him instead of one of their top prospects. Always looking to fill their shortstop position, Kansas City will hope the 25-year-old Randall is the answer. A former 1st Round Pick, "Bucky" ranked as high as 25th on the prospect lists, and 1961 was the first season he got a regular role with the Pioneers. In parts of three seasons he has hit .274/.334/.383 (87 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 17 homers, and 91 RBIs. 598 of his 845 PAs came this season, where he came close to hitting league average (99 WRC+) and developed as a captain on the infield. He could end up having a better season then Miller, and with Bob Burge (.290, 6, 32) hitting really well as the backup for Miller this year, KC might hope he can keep it up in a full-time role. Then with Gates they got a 6'4'' lefty who won't be 21 until next June. His 10 starts in Class B (3-6, 3.64, 51) were excellent, and with a deep five pitch arsenal he could work his way into a big league rotation. Kansas City then went to upgrade their pen, sending a 20-year-old righty Marty Bean to Toronto for CA save leader Whitey Stewart. Stewart, 30, started all but four of his previous 192 outings, before making an association high 74 appearances this year. His 2-14 record was more about the Wolves being bad then him, as his 4.49 ERA (99 ERA+) was perfectly respectable. He did walk a ton of guys, 67 to be exact, but he hadn't had control issues since he was in his early 20s. In each of the last four seasons he walked less then 10% of hitters, but that jumped to 13.7 in 104.1 innings. A sad outcome for a former #1 pick and prospect, Toronto must think Stewart's best days are behind him. At best, Bean looks like a back-end starter, and Toronto's staff has plenty of holes. Of course, there's always the added factor of the looming expansion draft, and they relied on a lot of young pitchers that they won't want to leave unprotected. Boston continued to make trades, though the Minutemen fanbase almost rioted when it was announced team home run leader Rick Masters would no longer be wearing a Minutemen jersey. Taken 2nd way back in 1949, the former #1 prospect is just one season removed form winning World Championship Series MVP and hitting .336/.413/.565 (162 OPS+) with 34 homers and a tied for career high 117 RBIs. A former batting title and home run leader, Masters did struggle in 1961, with his .274/.355/.407 (97 OPS+) batting line the worst since his rookie season. His struggled caused his playing time to decrease, and he failed to hit 20 homers for the first time since his 27-game 1952. One of his 12 homers this year was #300, a beautiful blast off Jack Halbur in the first inning of a 3-2 loss. As disappointing as he was this year, it's still a huge shock Boston would even continue parting ways with him, as he just turned 31 and produced six consecutive 5 WAR seasons before this. In his career, Masters has slashed an outstanding .303/.367/.500 (133 OPS+), selected to 6 All-Star games with Boston. Players like that don't come along very often, and the player they got back has no chance of becoming Masters. In fact, he's almost three years older, as the Minutemen decided to swap one veteran corner outfielder for another. Sure, Bill Newhall hit better this season and has been a quality hitter his whole career, but his peak isn't anywhere near Masters. "The Hollis Hotshot" is more solid then good, with a 122 WRC+ in 457 PAs this year and a 122 WRC+ in 6,063 PAs with the Miners. As productive as that is, Newhall has never hit more then 15 homers in a season, and if you list the top ten seasons between Masters and Newhall there's a lot more for the new Miner then the old one. The advantage he does have is defense, he's good in both corners and can handle center, but when you move on from a fan favorite you send a bad message. And that bad message is amplified when it's perceived as nothing better then a lateral move. Just a week later the two teams hooked up for another trade, with the Minutemen going after stopper George Kollock with eyes on making him a starting pitcher. Taken 27th in the 1955 draft, Kollock debuted just three years later, and he hasn't gone down since. Primarily a leverage reliever, he did make starts in 1959, though he's been far more effective as a reliever. 1961 was his big breakout, as the just turned 25-year-old made a Fed high 77 appearances. He worked to a 3.21 ERA (138 ERA+) and 1.42 WHIP with 22 saves, 62 walks, 92 strikeouts, and a 6-7 record. One of the hardest throwers in the league, his fastball hits 97, but the real treat is his slider. Righties can't touch it, and he's frozen plenty of lefties from the back door as it clips the zone as it winds by. The stuff is good overall, but in the pen it really shines. The transition back to the rotation may be tough, but with lean years expected they can give him plenty of leeway. Pittsburgh picks up a pretty solid prospect, adding Boston's recent 1st Round pick Ed Reeves, who sits in the bottom fourth of the top 100 prospect list. After the draft, 53 of his 67 games came in Class C, but he was better in a late season promotion. It was just 52 PAs, but Reeves hit .326/.404/.457 (117 OPS+) with the Class B Arlington Patriots. He has good speed, a good swing, and a good eye, and it's an exciting development project for Pittsburgh. He may never be a star, but he's got the tools to develop into a reliable every day outfielder. Boston also finished trade season, adding another arm to compete in their rotation. That was World Champion Fred McKnight, who won it with the Keystones. Making an identical 13 starts and relief outings, the now 25-year-old went 8-5 with 2 saves, a 3.87 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 34 walks, and 69 strikeouts. A veteran of four seasons, McKnight has gone 21-16 with 11 saves, a 4.22 ERA (100 ERA+), 1.45 WHIP, 126 walks, and 223 strikeouts. A former 4th Rounder, McKnight is a six pitch groundballer who excels at keeping the ball in the park. He's more back then middle of the rotation, but the staff finished 7th in runs allowed, and has plenty of room for improvement. joining McKnight is outfielder Howie Taylor, who recently turned 24. Another former 4th Rounder, he's quick and has a good eye, and could quickly replace the guy that will go to Philly. The Keystones got former 9th pick Del Filo, who sandwiched a 426 PAs season with two below 100. Perhaps pushed out of a role in Boston, he's currently lined up to join Harry Dellinger (.306, 36, 96, 38) and Buddy Miller (.298, 36, 113). That's about as good of a pair as it gets, so even average production from Filo will be a plus. He's got a nice .290/.320/.516 (121 OPS+) batting line, adding 36 homers and 99 RBIs in roughly one full season. Between those two deals the Saints and Pioneers made a prospect swap. Montreal gets the higher ranked prospect, grabbing 94th ranked outfielder Bill Gilman. Coming along way since being a 14th rounder, Gilman has an advanced feel for the zone and should hit for a solid average. He's a strong kid who could end up hitting more home runs, but with his speed he can do damage just by putting the ball in play. That will play well at the Parc Cartier, and he could be a nice table setter at the top of the order. In return, St. Louis picked up lefty slugger Grady Smith, as well as long-time bench warmer Walter Medlin (.255, 1, 6). Smith is the interesting piece, as the 19-year-old ranks just outside the top-100. A former 9th pick, he's now part of his second trade, as he went from the Chiefs to the Saints in the second Dave Price deal. He's lost a little of his prospect shine, but he has a really good swing and projectable power. He's not hitting many homers right now, but St. Louis sees something in him they like, and will look to get that power unlocked. Change is now on the horizon, with expansion ready and waiting, and the next big move will be the expansion draft itself. Baseball is about to change, hopefully for the better, as teams are ready to march into the grand unknown. New stars will be born, older ones may shine even brighter, and what happens next may surprise even the keenest of baseball minds. Good bye 16 teams, hello 20! Boone County did not add anyone this year as none of the eligible players earned the 80% required to be added to baseball's Hall of Fame. Walt Messer, the longtime New York Gothams outfielder who was in his first year of eligibility came closest but the 8-time All-Star still fell well short, appearing on just 65% of the ballots cast. Joe Hancock, a 294 game winner who played for 4 WCS winning clubs in Toronto and Detroit, headlines the list of 1962 newcomers to the ballot. Here are the 1961 voting results. Deuce Barrell is still going strong at the age of 44 and after a 13-11 season for the Continental Association pennant winning Cleveland Foresters says he will be back for another year. Barrell is now the winningest lefthander in FABL history and third all-time in victories with a career record of 342-213. He is also fourth all-time in strikeouts with 2,635. Deuce continues to impress during the regular season but he has had three successive awful Octobers, going 0-5 in the WCS with an 8.11 era over that stretch including 2 more losses this season to Philadelphia. The 5-time Allan Award winner is just 5-11 in WCS play. Barrell and teammate Adrian Czerwinski are tied with 17 WCS starts, more than any other pitcher. Barrell is the loss leader as his 11 are now three more than Woody Trease was tagged with during his career while Czerwinski, at 10-3 in October, is the winningest post-season pitcher. Adrian Czerwinski recorded his 250th career win and 2,000 strikeout two weeks apart in May. Other milestones reached this year include Irv Clifford collecting his 2,500th hit, Ken Newman notching his 2,000 hit while Buddy Miller and Rick Masters each surpassed the 300 homerun mark. Czerwinski won his record 6th Allan Award this season while Billy Hasson of the St Louis Pioneers won the Federal Association Allen for the third time. The Whitney winners were both first timers as Bob Bell of St Louis earned the nod in the Fed while veteran Cleveland infielder John Low claimed the CA Whitney. Czerwinski was also named to the CA all-star team for the 11th time. Only 5 players have been selected more often that the Cleveland ace. Here are the players with the most All-Star game selections. Code: MOST ALL-STAR SELECTIONS** 15 Bill Barrett Retired 13 George Cleaves Retired 13 Bobby Barrell Retired 12 Red Johnson Retired 12 Ed Bowman Retired 11* Adrian Czerwinski Cleveland 11 Al Miller Retired 11 Adam Mullins Retired 11 Deuce Barrell Cleveland 10 Skipper Schneider Retired 10 Harry Barrell Retired 10 Tom Bird Retired 10* Ken Newman Kansas City selected to 1961 ASG Ed Bowman, one of the names on the All-Star appearance list above, was the most notable retirement announcement. The 42-year-old who spent his entire 20 year career with the New York Gothams called it quits after an 8-16 season. Bowman finishes with a 322-253 record, good enough for 10th on the all-time win list, one ahead of Rabbit Day. Bowman won a pair of Allen Awards and was a member of three Gothams pennant winning clubs including the 1956 team that won the WCS. The lone no-hitter thrown in 1961 came in September with 20-year-old Philadelphia rookie Jim Elliott, making just his second big league appearance, turned the trick in a 9-0 win over Detroit. It would be Elliott's only big league start as 1959 second round draft pick's two remaining big league appearances came out of the pen. It was extra special for the rookie as he was born in the Motor City. Second year outfielder John Kingsbury (.335,18,93) of the San Francisco Sailors enjoyed a 30-game hit streak that came to an end in late August. The 1955 first rounder, a Canadian-born player from the Toronto area, finished third in the CA batting race behind two other 24-year-olds in Bonnie Chaplin of Cincinnati and Kansas City's Pat Davis. Kingsbury's 30-gamer is the longest since Jim Jenkins hit safely in 35 straight games for the Washington Eagles in 1945. Cleveland skipper Jim Whitehead won the Theobald Award as top manager in the Continental Association for the third consecutive season. The Fed award also went to the pennant winning bench boss, with Don Fox of Philadelphia winning his first. The Washington Eagles had first pick in the annual FABL draft and they selected George Whaley, an 18-year-old high school third baseman from Providence, RI. Scouts see Whaley, who split his first pro season between Class A and B, as a potential elite big league player. OSA had Whaley 9th in its top prospect list. Heading the prospect parade is Frank Kirouac, a 24-year-old outfielder who hit 26 homers and batted .294 splitting the season between AA and AAA. Originally selected third overall out of an Ohio high school by the Los Angeles Stars in 1956, Kirouac was dealt to Boston at the deadline in exchange for pitcher Bud Henderson and 19-year-old first base prospect Bobby Garrison. EXPANSION COMES TO AFA* FABL and the Federal Basketball League are each eyeing expansion in 1962 but it was the American Football Association that became the first to grow as the AFA, which had been at 12 teams since 1951, added two more members in the Buffalo Red Jackets and Houston Drillers. The loop also increased its schedule to 14 games from 12, which had been the standard for decades. For Buffalo it was the city's first American Football Association club but they did have a team in the old Continental Football Conferences for its four year run immediately after World War II. The Red Jackets nickname was after a famous Seneca tribe chief who negotiated with George Washington. The Houston club, known as the Drillers, is the first major league sports team for the city since its short-run in baseball's Great Western League. As one might expect from an expansion team, it was tough sledding for both of the newcomers as each finished with a 3-11 record and in last place in their respective divisions. The New York Stars continued their dominance of the East Division despite the fact that last year's playoff MVP, halfback Larry Moen, announced his retirement before the season began. Rookie Reid McDuffy, a first round pick out of Cumberland proved a more than able replacement and was named offensive rookie of the year after rushing for 949 yards. Second year quarterback Orlin Youngs also had a huge season, throwing for more than 2,500 yards and was named league MVP after guiding the Stars to a 13-1 record, best in the AFA. It marked the third consecutive season that New York had made the playoffs and eighth time in the past ten years. New York which scored more points than any other team in the East Division and surrendered the fewest in the league, finished the season with 12 straight victories after suffering their only loss in week two to Pittsburgh by a 9-6 score. The Washington Wasps earned the second playoff berth in the East Division, bouncing back from a disappointing 3-9 season a year ago after making the postseason each of the three prior years. The Wasps, who won back to back titles in 1957 and 1958, finished tied with the Pittsburgh Paladins for second at 9-5 but Washington earned the tie-breaker after sweeping their two games with the Paladins during the season. Second year quarterback Robin Hornick had a solid season, especially when connecting with veteran end Jim Edmonds who had 41 catches in his 9th year in the league. The Paladins got off to a quick 6-2 start but struggled somewhat down the stretch and it was the two poor showings against the Wasps that prevented Pittsburgh from ending a playoff drought that has stretched to 9 years. It was the first winning season in four years for Pittsburgh. Cleveland, at 7-7 was the only other East Division team without a losing record this time around as the Finches finished strong with victories in each of their final three games. Cleveland struggled on offense despite another strong season from veteran halfback Erskine Rizzuto, who ran for more than 1,300 yards for the second straight season. Philadelphia and Boston each finished at 6-8. The future looks bright for the Frigates as second year quarterback Jack Osterman had a strong season, throwing for a league high 2,780 yards and topped the loop with 24 touchdown heaves. The downfall in Philadelphia was the defense which was arguably the worst in the league. As for Boston, the Americans have been a middle of the pack team for well over a decade and especially struggled in the second half of the season, dropping five of their last six games including a 23-17 defeat to expansion Buffalo. The last place Red Jackets won just three times but two of their wins came against the playoff bound Washington Wasps. Quarterback Jim Rizzi joined the club after six years in Cleveland and provided veteran leadership while passing for 2,452 yards and 16 touchdowns. Rizzi's favourite target was end Don Ishmael, who spent 8 seasons as a backup in Boston but thrived as a starter with Buffalo, leading the division in receptions with 65. Buffalo landed a gem late in the rookie draft, nabbing St. Magnus linebacker Gary Scruggs in the seventh round. Scruggs went on to be one of the best defenders in the league as a rookie, leading Buffalo with 92 tackles and was named to the All-Pro Classic. * Maroons Lead Way In West * After finishing second in the West Division last year the Detroit Maroons led the West for just the second time since 1946. Hoping to rebound from a humiliating defeat in last years West Division playoff when Kansas City pounded the Maroons 54-10, Detroit raced out to a 10-0 start and had the division title clinched by mid-November. Led by veteran halfback Art Heal, who ran for a league-high 1,627 yards and rookie quarterback Dee Cann, the Maroons put up a whooping 411 points on the season while their defense was the best in the loop at stopping the run. Chicago won its first five games but could not keep pace with the Maroons. The Wildcats did hang on to claim second with an 8-6 record despite some struggles down the stretch. Late season losses to Kansas City and New York cost the Los Angeles Tigers a shot at the playoffs and they settled for third with a 7-7 mark one game worse than second place Chicago. Los Angeles boasts an impressive offense led by quarterback Garton Bird (2,476 yards passing) and veteran back Dick Drum (1,529 yards rushing) but their defense continues to be the Tigers weak link. Kansas City won the division a year ago, ending a six-year post-season drought, but the Cowboys failed to build on that as a slow start -one which saw the Cowboys drop 6 of their first 8 ballgames- doomed the club to a fourth place finish at 6-8. They made the surprising decision not to resign veteran quarterback Scott Greenwell, handing the job to rookie Pete Fairfield instead. The Kansas City running game was among the best in the league with both Elvin McGoldrick and long-time star Mike Peel surpassing the 1,000 yard mark but the passing game under Fairfield sputtered. St Louis, San Francisco and expansion Houston brought up the rear. The fifth place Ramblers missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year while the Wings, who finished sixth with a 4-10 mark, were under .500 for the first time in a decade. Expansion Houston, 3-11, has a lot of work to do but the Drillers have some building blocks on defense as rookie linebacker Jim Griffin was named defensive rookie of the year and was joined by fellow rookie John Padgett, a defensive end, as Drillers selected to the All-Pro Classic. AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS No team has won more games over the past decade than the 78-40-2 regular season record of the New York Stars and they topped the AFA with a 13-1 season in the loop's first year with a 14-game schedule. New York was the heavy favourite over the second place Washington Wasps in the East Division playoff game, a contest marking the fourth straight season of playoff football and eighth appearance in the postseason since the league went to a 4-team playoff eleven years ago. Washington stayed with the defending champs for all of 15 minutes. The first quarter ended with the Stars holding a 3-0 as both defenses came up with some key plays. The second quarter was a different story as the Stars put up 24 points to turn the contest into a rout. New York's second year quarterback Orlin Youngs had some trouble in the first quarter due to a persistent Wasps pass rush but on the first possession of the second quarter Youngs connected for back to back passes of at least twenty yards to drive the Stars to the first touchdown of the game. Rookie halfback Reid McDuffy, who ran for a game high 102 yards on the afternoon, finished off the 13 play drive that traversed 98 yards with a 7-yard run around the right end to account for the first major of the afternoon. Three plays later the Stars were given a gift when Washington quarterback Robin Hornick threw an interception that veteran Stars defensive back Vic Morrell returned 19 yards to set up a first goal for his club. Two plays later it was suddenly 17-0 as Youngs found end Matt Center on a 4-yard touchdown strike. Before the period ended the New York lead had ballooned to 27-0 as Youngs and Gil Cooper hooked up on a 20-yard touchdown throw and Cornelius McAlpin was good on a 31-yard field goal attempt as time expired in the first half. The break did nothing to help the Wasps as their offense never did get untracked against the Stars, managing just 198 yards of total offense, barely half that which was accumulated by New York. The final score was 34-3 moving New York to within a victory of repeating as AFA champions. * Another Dismal Day For Detroit * The Detroit Maroons had a whole year to think about their humiliating showing in the 1960 West Division playoff game, one which saw the Maroons stage a complete collapse in the most lobsided post-season game in AFA history: a 54-10 loss to the Kansas City Cowboys. The Cowboys sputtered this season but the Maroons used that playoff debacle as inspiration, posting a 12-2 record to finish 4 games ahead of second place Chicago in the West Division. Unfortunately for the Thompson Field faithful, they had to endure a second straight playoff collapse from their local heroes as the visiting Wildcats mauled the Maroons 30-7. Chicago fullback George Hornback rushed for just 30 yards on 12 carries but three of those touches were touchdown runs and all came in the second period as the visitors from the Windy City built a 24-0 lead at the break and coasted to a 30-7 victory. Detroit fans should have anticipated problems when the Maroons first play from scrimmage resulted in an interception and set up a Wildcats field goal. Like the East Playoff, the West game was just 3-0 after 15 minutes but the game was blown open in the second quarter when the Wildcats scored 21 points. Detroit turned the ball over twice, resulting in Chicago points each time and the Maroons All-Pro back Art Heal could never get untracked. Heal carried the ball 25 times but averaged barely two yards a pick-up and never had a gain of more than 8. The Wildcats were not overly impressive on offense but they did not make mistakes and took advantage of their opportunities leaving the Maroons with plenty of unrealized potential once again. Detroit has not won the AFA title since 1936 and has gone 0-7 in playoff games since then. * Stars Shine in Title Tilt * The AFA title game matched up the two winningest teams in league history with the Chicago Wildcats own 8 titles including a win in 1959 and the New York Stars six, with their most recent league crown coming last year. It would be New York's third straight appearance in the title game and their fifth meeting for the AFA championship with the Wildcats. Chicago prevailed in 1959, 1948 and 1941 while the Stars only championship game win over Chicago came in 1946 title game. The Wildcats built an early 10-0 lead on a first quarter field goal from Paul Chestnut and a second quarter 42-yard touchdown run by George Hornback, who had scored three majors in the win over Detroit last week. Hornback's run came a play after Stars quarterback Orlin Youngs was intercepted by Wildcats cornerback Ben Kromer. Chicago seemed to have all the momentum as New York's next series saw Youngs sacked twice and the Stars forced to punt from deep in their own territory. Chicago appeared to be driving again when halfback Fred Gunther raced for 12 yards on the Wildcats first play and Gunther was off for a big gain on the second play. Then the game turned. After a 17 yard gain Gunther had the ball punched loose by New York defender Vic Morrell and the Stars Rich Hewlett came up with the recovery. The Stars suddenly took over as Youngs found Britt Panos for a 25-yard catch and Gil Cooper for 12 more. Before you knew it New York fullback Ephraim Stanek bulled his way into the endzone from a yard out and the Stars were on the scoreboard. The first New York score came with 2:24 remaining in the half and it took just 24 seconds for the Stars to score again and take a 14-10 lead. Stars linebacker Galen Cossey, a two-time AFA defensive player of the year, forced a fumble on Chicago's next play from scrimmage and after Cossey recovered the ball, New York half back Reid McDuffy carried the ball twice with the second run being a 19-yard jaunt into the Chicago endzone. New York was not down as after the Wildcats had a three-and-out the Stars navigated into field goal position in the final minute and Cornelius McAlpin connected from 33 yards out to put New York ahead 17-10 at the break. In a span of 2:22 a 10-0 Chicago lead had turned into a 17 point deficit. Cossey recovered his second fumble of the day early in the third quarter and that led to another New York touchdown- this one a 16-yard pass from Youngs to Ryne Hardy making the score 24-10. Chicago made it close with a field goal early in the fourth quarter and a long touchdown pass late in the game but could not get into position for a game-tying field goal and the Stars had won their second straight AFA title. The Stars second consecutive title and fourth championship in the past ten years to go along with 2 other appearances in the title game places them in consideration as one of the best American Football Association teams of all-time. They may not quite yet match the powerhouse Detroit Maroons of the late 1920s and early 1930s or the Wildcats of the late 1930s and 40s that appeared in 8 title games over a 12 year stretch but the current edition of the New York Football Stars is certainly closing in on those two legendary squads. MARYLAND STATE CLASS OF COLLEGE GRID It has been quite a couple of years for Maryland State as the Bengals, after winning their first ever AIAA basketball tournament title in the spring of 1960, claimed their first National Title in football in the winter of 1961. Maryland State, with 4 baseball crowns including the most recent in 1943, is one of a select group of schools that now has won national titles in all three major team sports. The Bengals title this season came after a pair of close calls in recent years as Maryland State was 10-1 in 1960 but finished third behind Georgia Baptist and Northern California. The Bengals also finished third in the 1958 rankings. This year's club, like the squad a year ago, went 10-1 but emerged as the number one ranked team after 48-6 drubbing of Plains Athletic Association champion Oklahoma City State in the Sunshine Classic. The Bengals were led by the highest scoring offense in the entire AIAA, one which averaged nearly 34 points a game in starting the season with nine consecutive victories. The Bengals calling card was a powerful running game led by junior halfback Mike Moran (1,174 yards) and bruising fullback Bob Butters, who spent most of his time clearing a path for Moran and carried the ball himself just 15 times all season but 13 of them were for short touchdown runs. Maryland State's most impressive win would be a late September 26-14 triumph over eventual Great Lakes Alliance champion Detroit City College. After non-conference wins over Mile High State and George Fox, the Bengals breezed through their South Atlantic Conference slate until the season finale when it appeared their title hopes may have vanished with a shocking 31-6 loss on the road at Coastal State. The showing in Miami at the Sunshine Classic proved enough to convince the pollsters to place Maryland State at the top of the charts. As is often the case, the poling system left several schools feeling like they received the short end of the stick. Most notably was Annapolis Maritime, which was 10-0 but struggled to beat Southern Border Conference champion Canyon A&M 25-20 in the Desert Classic. The knock on the naval academy was it played a soft schedule and ended up facing just one team ranked in the final top 25 - #23 Pittsburgh State who the Navigators beat 34-13. Despite missing out on their first National Title the season was a resounding success for Annapolis Maritime in that it included a 44-41 victory over rival Rome State and was a reversal of the Navigators awful 0-10 season from when this senior class were freshman. Spokane State and Penn Catholic also felt shortchanged by the final ranking as each, like Maryland State, finished with just one loss. The Indians ended Northern California's four-year hold on the West Coast Athletic Association title by defeating the Miners 34-23 and finishing 6-1 in section play. The lone loss was to Rainier College but the Miners also lost their rivalry game with Redwood. What perhaps should have enhanced the Indians case was a thrilling comeback to defeat Detroit City College 27-24 in the East West Classic. The Knights entered the game ranked second and coming off a big win over rival Central Ohio but Spokane State scored 10 points in the final two minutes to pull out the New Year's Day victory. Penn Catholic was also very impressive on New Year's Day, as the Crusaders had little difficulty with Great Lakes Alliance runner-up Central Ohio in the Bayside Classic, posting a 30-10 victory. The Crusaders only loss was an early season defeat at the hands of Miami State and they, like fellow independent Annapolis Maritime, may have been penalized by a schedule that sorely lacked in high end opponents. In the end the late season loss to Coastal State did not hurt Maryland State as much as one might expect and the Navigators ended up second with the Indians and Crusaders holding down the third and fourth slots. We have to go all the way down to five before we get a Deep South Conference school, marking the first time since 1949 that the Deep South did not place at least one team in the top four. Fifth this year would be the two-time defending champion Georgia Baptist Gators, who ended up 9-2 after a perfect 11-0 season a year ago. The Gators were one of four schools that finished 5-2 in section play but the conference crown went to Bluegrass State for the first time. The Mustangs went 6-1 in section play, but just 8-3 overall, and may have been aided by a section slate that left both Georgia Baptist and Noble Jones College off their docket this year. The lone section loss for the Mustangs was 38-7 thrashing administered on them by Cumberland. The Explorers finished 6th in the final rankings and 9-2 overall but they dropped successive section games on the road to Georgia Baptist and Northern Mississippi late in the schedule. Recent history has dictated that the conference champions of the Deep South and Southwestern Alliance would meet in the Oilman Classic but the selection committee bucked tradition and opted to invite Cumberland to face SWA winner Arkansas A&T meaning the Mustangs had to settle for a trip to New Orleans and a meeting with Coastal State in the Cajun Classic. Both Cumberland and Bluegrass State would win their classic games and Georgia Baptist nipped Lubbock State in the Lone Star Classic to make it perfect 3-0 New Years Day for the Deep South Conference. It is also worth noting that Jack Dobbins became the first two-time winner of the Christian Trophy after the American Atlantic senior halfback won the award that he first claimed as a freshman in 1958. Dobbins led the nation with 1,672 rushing yards for the Pelicans this season and finishes his career as the all-time rushing leader in AIAA history with 6,763 yards. The Harrisonville, Mo., native ran for a single season record 2,300 yards as a freshman. NEW YEARS CLASSIC RECAPS Entering the East-West Classic in Santa Ana on January 1, the Spokane State Indians and Detroit City College Knights each felt they had a shot at the national title. Maryland State may have entered its Sunshine Classic against Oklahoma City State as the number one ranked team but a loss to Coastal State in their South Atlantic Conference finale opened the door for a number of schools including the duo battling in college football's longest running classic game. The Indians had ended Northern California's four-year reign as West Coast Athletic Association champs and the Great Lakes Alliance schools were likely relieved as the Miners had won the East-West Classic in each of those four years. Spokane State had never won the big game, losing to Minnesota Tech in their only appearance in 1952. The DCC Knights had never lost in Santa Ana, entering the game with a perfect 4-0 mark with their most recent victory in 1955. The game was a tight battle with DCC holding a 7-point lead until the Indians staged a 14-play 80-yard drive to tie the game at 24 with just over 2 minutes remaining in regulation. With just 23 seconds left and the ball on the Spokane State 49 yard line the Knights opted to go for it on fourth and three, but were stopped. The game appeared headed to overtime but a penalty on the DCC defense with 9 seconds left but Spokane State in position to attempt a long field goal. It was a 40-yarder but Indians kicker John Vaughn had just enough leg to force the ball over the upright and the Indians had pulled off a 27-24 victory. They would learn later than Maryland State did more then enough to retain the number one ranking with a 48-6 corralling of the Oklahoma City State Wranglers in the Sunshine Classic. The Deep South Conference had three teams playing on New Years Day and each of the three came up with victories. The Cumberland Explorers had a strong second half and led by halfback Ron Filas, won galloped for 148 yards, beat Southwest Alliance champion Arkansas A&T 31-21 in the Oilman Classic. Georgia Baptist and Lubbock State met for the third year in a row. Each of the two previous seasons saw the Gators prevail in the Oilman Classic. This time around the venue was different - the Lone Star Classic in Austin- but the result the same as a late field goal lifted Georgia Baptist to a 23-21. Bluegrass State, which won the Deep South for the first time, settled for a trip to New Orleans where the Mustangs beat Coastal State 24-10. Mustangs junior quarterback Bruce Fitzgerald had a big day in the win. He threw for 37 yards but it was his legs, not his arm, that gave the Eagles fits with Fitzgerald running for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Elsewhere, six Steve Eilrich field goals help Annapolis Maritime complete a perfect season with a 25-20 victory over Canyon A&M in the Desert Classic and 23 second half points lifted Penn Catholic to a 30-10 victory over Central Ohio in the Bayside Classic. Two Crusaders backs in Rick Fowler and John Hay each topped the 100 yard rushing mark in the game. MISSISSIPPI A&M WINS COLLEGE CAGE CROWN The Mississippi A&M Generals had a close call three years ago when they reached the AIAA championship game only to come up short against Detroit City College but this time around the Generals went all the way, topping Lane State in the semi-finals before having no trouble prevailing over another West Coast Athletic Association foe Rainier College in the championship game to win their first AIAA tile in any of the major team sports. It also meant the collegiate basketball tournament had seen a first-time champion crowned in four of the past five seasons. For much of their existence the Generals were a bottom rung team, winning just a single tournament game in their first 38 years but the past decade has seen basketball take off in Jackson, MS. as the school qualified for the tournament in eight of the last ten and reached the quarterfinals twice in that span in addition to their near miss in April of 1958. The Generals spent much of the season chasing Redwood for top spot in the rankings after an early season loss to South Atlantic Conference power Carolina Poly. As freshman forward Rich Edwards began to gain experience the Generals started to string wins together -17 in a row to be exact- including victories over ranked teams in Indiana A&M, Rainier College and Deep South Conference rival Alabama Baptist. A mix of youth and veterans jelled with Edwards and fellow frosh forward Bill Goscha complimenting a pair of players who played small roles on the first Generals team to reach the title game. They were center Mike Lyons and guard George Stevens but the leader of the club was the fifth member of the starting unit in junior guard Dave Simons. The San Antonio, TX., native spent his first two seasons as a backup but took on the leadership role in 1960-61 and led the Generals in scoring with nearly 14 points per game. Mississippi A&M lost twice in section play but their 14-2 conference record was enough to claim their second consecutive Deep South cage crown, although it did require a 60-41 win over Noble Jones College in the regular season finale as the teams entered that contest tied for top spot. At 26-3 entering the tournament the Generals were ranked second in the nation behind WCAA champ Redwood, which was 29-2. The Mammoths were given the top seed in the West Region while the Generals had similar standing in the South. Rounding out the number one seeds were Great Lakes Association co-champions Whitney College in the Midwest Region and the always strong Carolina Poly Cardinals in the East. As it would turn out the only number one seed that reached the semi-finals was the Generals. Redwood was knocked off by Indiana A&M in the second round, ending a season in which the Mammoths, following two straight appearances at Bigsby Garden, seemed destined to win it all. The Reapers would then fall to Lane State in the West Region final. Carolina Poly also bowed out in round two as the CC Los Angeles Coyotes feasted on the Cardinals before nipping St Blane 50-49 in the East final thanks to a last second bucket from Ralph Peck. Whitney College was humbled in the Midwest final, falling 79-41 to Rainier College which meant there would three schools from the West Coast Athletic Association in the Emeralds, Coyotes and Majestics joining Mississippi A&M in the final four. Simons scored a game high 16 points as the Generals opened the tournament with a 55-42 victory over 8th seed and Southern Border Conference champion Abilene Baptist. Round two brought a stronger foe in defending national champion Maryland State but the Bengals were no match for Mississippi A&M and were defeated 61-52. The regional final would be Mississippi A&M's first chance to face Detroit City College since the Knights defeated the Generals in the spring of 1958 with the national title at stake. This time it was a trip to the national semi-finals that was up for grabs and number seed Mississippi A&M, led by 11 points from Simons and 10 each from seniors Stevens and Lyons, built a 13 point lead at the half and went on to down the second seeded Knights 64-55. The semi-final game with Lane State was noted as a showdown between a pair of senior centers who were touted to be Federal Basketball League draft picks a few months later. Sam Pisani of the Emeralds was considered the best big man in the draft but he was being pursued hotly by the Generals Mike Lyons. Pisani exploded for 19 points while Lyons had just 4 but the Mississippi A&M team balanced approach, with freshman Edwards and Goscha each netting 10 points, carried the Generals to a 43-40 victory. The other semi-final was even tighter as Warren Richardson was fouled in the closing seconds while attempting a game winning shot for Rainier College over CC Los Angeles. Richardson sank both of his shots from the charity stripe and the Majestics prevailed 61-59 over the West Coast Athletic Association rivals in a game that saw top ranked pro prospect Jim Stoner score 25 points for the winners. Stoner had a much tougher time two nights later as the Generals held him to 13 points. Mississippi A&M had a hot start and led by a dozen at the break before going on to a 56-43 victory in the title game. Simons had a game high 15 points while FBL hopeful Lyons left a good final impression on pro scouts with 9 points and 11 rebounds in his final college game. GENERALS PREVAIL ON DIAMOND It turned out to be a double celebration for Mississippi A&M as the Generals followed up their first collegiate basketball national title with another first for the school - a College World Championship Series title. It also meant that seniors George Stevens, a starting guard on the Generals cage club and a backup middle infielder on the ball team, along with sophomore Tommy McCaulley, a backup forward on the basketball team and pitcher on the Generals baseball team, became what is believed to be the first athletes to win AIAA national titles in two different team sports in the same year. Neither are considered solid pro prospects in either sport. ROOKIE PHENOMS LEAD MOTORS AND VALS TO SUCCESS A year ago the Montreal Valiants endured the worst season an NAHC club has completed since the schedule expanded to seventy games as they finished with just 34 points. The one benefit to their collapse after making the playoffs each of the two previous seasons is the Valiants were rewarded with the first overall pick in the NAHC amateur player draft. It was an ideal year to be drafting number one as two of the best prospects the game has seen in years were available in Halifax Mariners forward Hobie Barrell and offensively gifted rearguard Mark Moggy, who played his junior hockey in Sherbrooke for the Industrials. The toughest decision for the Valiants was deciding which of the two super prospects to select with the first pick and which to leave to the Detroit Motors, who slumped to fifth in 1959-60 after making the playoffs each of the previous seven years. In the end, Montreal decided to build around the blueline and drafted Moggy, leaving the playmaking winger Barrell to the Motors. Both teams prospered with the newcomers in the lineup as each made the playoffs this time around. It was Toronto, however, that once more was the class of the league during the regular season. Longtime coach Jack Barrell - who is new Detroit winger Hobie Barrell's uncle- had moved on, opting for retirement but Ari Bear, promoted from the HAA's Cleveland Eries, guided the Dukes to an 86 point campaign, identical to the total Toronto accumulated in Barrell's final season. Mike Connelly (28-22-9, 2.77) reclaimed the starting job in net after struggles a year ago as a sophomore but the real strength for the Dukes was its blueline that featured Dewar Trophy winning defenseman Jimmy Cooper (13-29-42) and fellow first team all-star selection Tim Brooks (8-22-30) along with steady veteran Bobby Fuhrman (11-9-20) even though the later missed 15 games with an injury. Up front Quinton Pollack (34-49-83) continued to build his impressive resume as the 38-year-old ended Detroit's Alex Monette's two year hold on the scoring title by leading the NAHC in points for the seventh time in his career and also claimed his seventh McDaniels Trophy as the loop's Most Valuable Player. Tommy Burns (29-25-54) had a terrific year as well, but at age 40 the NAHC's career scoring leader deciding to walk away, announcing his retirement after the season. The Montreal Valiants, led by rookie rearguard Moggy, finished a surprising second with 78 points, 8 behind the Dukes. It marked the Valiants highest placing in the standings since they finished second a decade ago before going on to win their second consecutive Challenge Cup. There would be no Challenge Cup win this time around, but the future looks might brighter in "la belle province" with the arrival of Moggy. Just 19, he won the McLeod Trophy as top rookie and was also named a second team all-star following a 38 point regular season. With Moggy, along with veterans Jean Tremblay (10-11-21) and Gil Thibeault (8-21-29), patrolling the blueline and a strong showing from 31-year-old netminder Nathan Bannister (28-22-9, 2.77) another Cup win may not be far off. Veterans Jocko Gregg (34-39-73) and Jean's brother Yan Tremblay (26-26-52) along with the emergence of 24-year-old Roy Forgeron (16-46-62) in his second season in the NAHC give the Vals some offensive pop. Detroit finished third, three points back of the Valiants as once more the big story was Alex Monette (40-42-82). The 28-year-old failed to win his third straight scoring title -he finished a point back of Toronto's Pollack- but Monette found himself a sidekick as rookie Hobie Barrell was very impressive even though his NAHC debut was delayed until January. Barrell (20-19-39) was limited to just 30 games because of a shoulder injury suffered in training camp but once he was pronounced fit for duty he quickly showed why he was considered to be the best offensive player to join the league since Pollack. Once Barrell arrived the Motors caught fire, posting a 15-7-8 with the rookie in the lineup and easily secured themselves a playoff berth. Barrell, who grew up in Detroit while his father Fred, the former FABL catcher, was scouting for the Detroit Dynamos, had a familiar face in the Motors dressing room as his 23-year-old brother Benny Barrell (17-30-47) had a career best point title in his third season in Detroit. Sprinkle in 35-year-old captain Nick Tardif (15-29-44) and young center Zach Roy (14-24-38) and the Motors have the most offensive depth they have seen in years. They were also very good in their own end as well even if 38-year-old Henri Chasse did not play every game for the fourth consecutive season. Chasse (27-17-9, 2.39) had played nearly 300 consecutive games but clearly benefited from the rest this time around, leading the NAHC in goals against average and was rewarded with the third Juneau Trophy of his career. The Chicago Packers snuck into the playoffs with their second consecutive fourth place finish. They needed a 4-3 victory over the defending champion Bees in Boston on the final day of the regular season to nose out the Bees for the final playoff slot. Lakeside Auditorium was buzzing all year as the Packers "Kid Line" of 23-year-old John Trumbull (22-35-57) between a pair of 24-year-old wingers is Ken York (31-31-62) and Archer Cook (18-30-48) gave the club its best trio since the Burns brothers and Marty Mahoney over a decade ago. A Challenge Cup hangover plagued Boston as the Bees never could get untracked. They were looking like a playoff berth would happen until mid-March when leading scorer Jimmy Rucks (30-28-58) went down with back troubles. Boston stumbled with out their all-star winger, going 1-6-1 in their final eight games and allowing Chicago to overtake them for the final playoff slot. There was hope in New York after the Shamrocks made the playoffs a year ago for the first time since 1954, but they endured an awful season and finished in last place for the fourth time in the past six years. Goaltender Alex Sorrell (14-34-7, 3.59) had little support but it is looking increasingly obvious that the 35-year-old's best days are behind him. New York surrendered far and away the most goals against and had little in the way of offense, a combination that clearly leads to a dreadful 44 point season. 1960-61 NAHC PLAYOFFS For the second year in a row the Toronto Dukes finished with the best record in the NAHC and opened the playoffs as heavy favourites to defeat the fourth place Chicago Packers. A year ago the Packers shocked Toronto and won the series in six games. Dukes star forward Quinton Pollack seemed to determined to ensure that would not happen again as the league MVP scored twice and added two assists in a 6-2 Toronto victory in the series opener. Chicago did rebound to take the second game by a 2-1 score after Conn Maguire found the back of the net with a shot six and a half minutes into overtime but the Dukes answered with a 7-3 victory in game three, one in which Pollack had two more goals and added an assist. Game four saw the Dukes take a 3-0 lead early in the third period on a goal by former Packer Tommy Burns but Chicago responded with 5 unanswered goals in the final 16 minutes to even the series with a 5-3 victory. Two nights later the Packers went up 3 games to two in the series with a 4-2 victory on the road at Dominion Gardens. Toronto forced a seventh game after Mike Connelly stopped all 34 Packers shots in a 3-0 Dukes win in game six but Chicago completed its second straight series upset of Toronto with a 6-3 doubling of the Dukes in game seven. Ken York scored twice to lead the Chicago attack with John Trumbull adding three assists. The other semi-final saw the second place Montreal Valiants facing the Detroit Motors. It was highly anticipated as a showdown between the two stellar rookies in Montreal's all-star teenage defenseman Mark Moggy and Detroit's new scoring sensation Hobie Barrell. Barrell got the upper hand in the series opener, assisting on both Detroit markers as the Motors prevailed 2-1. Moggy had also picked up a point, setting up Jocko Gregg's first period powerplay tally that had given the Vals an early lead. Game two was another tight battle but once more Barrell played a major roe. Hobie assisted on two goals from Alex Monette, including the game winner with less than three minutes to play, to give Detroit a 3-2 victory and a sweep of the opening two games in Montreal. The series shifted to Detroit for game three and the Motors dominated, winning 5-1 as Hobie Barrell had another goal and his older brother Benny Barrell also scored and added an assist for Detroit. Montreal did stay alive in the series with a third period rally in game four. Matt Mercier and Matthew Muir each scored in the third period to give the Valiants a 2-1 win and send the series back to Quebec. The Valiants hopes would be dashed at home as Hobie Barrell set up all three Detroit goals, including two from Monette, in a 3-1 series clinching win for the visitors. In all, Hobie Barrell had seven points in the seven game series but he was just getting started. * Challenge Cup Finals: Detroit vs Chicago * This was Chicago's second straight trip to the finals but the Packers, who have only ever won the Challenge Cup once -in 1952- had never faced Detroit with the Cup on the line. The Motors were looking for their fourth Cup win in the past eight years. The matchup was a bit of a shock as it did not include either the first or second place team from the regular season. The series opener was surprisingly wide open with five goals scored in the opening period and after sixty minutes the teams were tied at five. Louis Rocheleau thought he notched the game winner with 3:46 left in regulation but Archer Cook replied for the Packers less than a minute later. Veteran Detroit center Alex Monette had a five point hight and set up the game winner just over eight minutes into overtime when he fed Hobie Barrell for the winning goal. Detroit had fired 51 shots on Chicago goaltender Andrew Bomberry including nine in the extra frame. The hosts also prevailed in game two as Hobie Barrell had a goal and two assists while Robert Kennedy scored twice in another dominating offensive performance by the Motors, who won 5-2. Chicago evened the series with two wins at Lakeside Auditorium. Game three was a 3-2 Motors victory in a game that should have been easier than that for the visitors as Detroit outshot the Packers 34-17 but Motors goaltender Henri Chasse seemed to be fighting the puck. Monette and Hobie Barrell each had a goal and an assit to pace the Detroit offense. The fourth game also saw the Windy City squad badly outshot but they claimed a 6-3 victory to stay alive in the series. Chicago's winning effort was bolstered behind the strength of a two-goal evening from Ken York. Up 3 games to one the series shifted back to Thompson Palladium in Detroit for the fifth game with the Motors looking to celebrate a Cup win on home ice. Detroit goaltender Henri Chasse had his difficulties in the two games in Chicago but he was stellar on this night, turning aside all 24 Packers shots for his first shutout of this playoff year after notching five of them when he last saw post-season action two years ago. Detroit once more dominated play, outshooting Chicago 47-24 in a convincing 6-0 victory. Benny Barrell scored his second of the playoffs just over a minute into the game and the Motors would score twice in each stanza and celebrations began in the stands at the Palladium very early. Winning never gets old, even for rabid Detroit sports fans who in the past decade have witnessed their hockey heroes win 4 Challenge Cups and their beloved baseball club claim six pennants. The baseball Dynamos may be heading for a rebuild but the hockey team looks like it may be the cause of plenty of championship parades in the coming years thanks to the emergence of Hobie Barrell, who paced all playoff performers with 17 points in 10 games, to partner with 28-year-old pivot Alex Monette. HOCKEY NOTES The league bid farewell to Tommy Burns as the great Chicago and Toronto center announced his retirement. Longtime Montreal Valiants forward Ian Doyle also called it quits. There have been some talented brother combinations in the NAHC with the best known duo likely being the Burns brothers, Tommy and Wes, in Chicago. Detroit has what could be a brother act to rival the Packer pair in rookie Hobie Barrell, who led the NAHC in playoff scoring as a 20-year-old and his 24-year-old brother Benny, who showed solid improvement in this, his third season with the Motors. They are the sons of former big league baseball catcher Fred Barrell. Hobie & Benny Barrell are not the only relatives of a former NAHC star to make his mark this season. Barrell's, nephews of former Toronto Dukes star and later coach Jack Barrell, are teammates in Detroit. Meanwhile Charlie Oliphant Jr., son of the long-time Toronto Duke by the same name, appears to have finally established himself as a key piece with the Montreal Valiants. The 25-year-old has bounced back and forth between the Vals and Syracuse of the HAA the past couple of season but maybe in Montreal full-time now after scoring 10 goals and 18 points after being promoted for the final 29 games of the regular season. Toronto may have had a disappointing end with a second straight semi-final loss to the Chicago Packers but it perhaps can be explained a bit more when news leaked after the playoffs that second line center Ken Jamieson was playing with a broken hand and veteran top-four defenseman Bobby Fuhrman was skating pretty much on one leg due to an ankle problem. The Syracuse Lancers beat Pittsburgh in six games to win their second Hockey Association of America playoff title in the past three years. Justin MacPhee, who had an outstanding rookie season at age 26 in net for Toronto a year ago, one in which he won both the McLeod Trophy as rookie of the year and the Juneau Trophy as top goaltender, found himself back in the minors with Rochester where he claimed the Harry Seymour Trophy as the top netminder in the HAA. Toronto still owns his NAHC rights but it appears the Dukes have decided to go with Mike Connelly instead of MacPhee despite the fact the Rochester goalie has now won goalie of the year in all three professional leagues (the Great West Hockey League being the third) and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. He was goalie of the year in the CAHA in 1953-54 and twice won the GWHL nod while playing for Tacoma. The Seattle Emeralds ended the Portland Ports two-year reign as GWHL champs, knocking off the Ports four games to two in the best-of-seven league final. On the strength of the scoring of the "Killer B's", 20-year-old forwards Charles Bozek and Graham Beaton, the Kitchener Roosters won their first CAHA title. The Roosters finished with the best regular season record in the league and then went on to down the East Division leading Verdun Argonauts in 5 games in the best-of-seven Canadian junior championship series. Bozek led all playoff performers with 27 points in 10 games while Beaton finished second with 21 points. Both are undrafted by NAHC clubs and eligible to be signed as free agents. There is no player that compares to last year's top two draft picks Mark Moggy and Hobie Barrell that will have an immediate impact in the NAHC but there are a couple of talented forwards in this year's draft class. The favourite to go first overall is winger Earl Muirhead of the St. Thomas Pachyderms but Kingston Cadets center Julian Mooney may overtake him. Both have high potential but neither is considered close to being ready for regular duty in the NAHC next season. ROCKETS SOAR AGAIN IN 60-61 For the third consecutive season the St Louis Rockets owned the best regular season record in the Federal Basketball League. The defending playoff champs have set the pace in the loop's West Division for seven of the past eight seasons, going back to their days in Rochester before the club was moved to the larger market in the Midwest. A hard working defense that led the FBL in steals and forced turnovers, the Rockets also boasted a pretty solid offense led by veteran center Rick Sims (21.4 ppg) and forward Wayne Wyrick (13.9 ppg). Joining the mix this season were a pair of newcomers in Bill Melton and Charlie Glidewell. Both were rookies in the eyes of the league but neither were new to the pro game. Melton was 26 years old and was originally drafted out of Coastal California in 1958 while Glidewell was 29 and had been cut in training camp five times by four different teams before finally catching on in St Louis. A star at Carolina Poly in the early 1950s, he had played only semi-pro league games since 1954 but the point guard ran the Rockets offense with the ease of a seasoned veteran. The only team that has challenged the Rockets in the West in recent years has been the Detroit Mustangs and once more the Mustangs were the only outfit to stay close, finishing 5 games behind the Rockets league best 55 wins. The Mustangs have had some success against the Rockets in the post-season but have not led the division during the regular campaign in a full decade. The key to Detroit's success was owning the most productive offense in the league led by the backcourt duo of Erv Corwin and Lew Bayne. Corwin averaged 20 points per game for the first time in his seven year career while Bayne, a local Detroit product who went to Chicago to play his AIAA ball at Whitney College, averaged nearly 17 points per contest in his fifth season as a pro. As has been the case for three years now the Chicago Panthers and Toronto Falcons were left in the dust, and forced to battle it out for the third and final playoff berth in the West Division. The Panthers, who have not missed out on postseason action since the spring of 1952, finished the regular season on a dreadful 4-12 run but it was still enough to nose Toronto out by two games in a race that moved at a snail's pace as the Falcons closed the season with just 7 victories in their final 22 outings. The woeful Falcons finished with a 28-52 record -worst in the loop for the sixth consecutive season. Chicago still revolves around 33-year-old Luther Gordon, who was named league MVP for the fifth time despite averaging a career low 18.8 points per game while the Falcons seem to finally have some pieces to build around as after years of dreadful draft day decisions they finally look like they landed a winner in first overall pick Jim Bromberg. The 23-year old was a second team All-American at Detroit City College as a senior and averaged 11.1 ppg and 4.8 assists in his debut with the league's lone Canadian entry. Bill Spangler, another former first overall, also had a big year north of the border with a career best 21.8 points per game earning him a spot on the All-League first team. While the West Division has been strictly a two-team race between St. Louis and Detroit in recent years, the East has witnessed three different teams finishing atop the division over the past three years. This time it was the Philadelphia Phantoms, who last topped the section four years ago, taking their turn. The Phantoms dominated their three eastern rivals, finishing with a 52-28 record and a 13 game lead over second place Boston. Just like the West Division pace setters in St Louis, the Phantoms did not place a player on the All-League first team but veteran center Mel Turcotte (17.7 ppg, 13.1 rpg) headed up the second squad. The offense was solid, but no team surrendered fewer than the 71.7 points the Phantoms allowed their opponents to average. The Boston Centurions finished second for the second year in a row as the arrival of guard Steve Barrell three years ago continues to pay dividends. The Centurions had finished last in the division four straight seasons and had not finished with a .500 or better record since 1951-52 until Barrell's breakout year as a sophomore. The second overall pick of the 1958 draft was bypassed in the draft by Toronto but has been a huge reason for the turnaround in New England. T.J. Grimm was somewhat surprisingly waived by Philadelphia prior to the season and immediately fit in perfectly as Barrell's backcourt mate in Boston with Grimm, a two-time first team All-American and AIAA champion at Rainier College nearly a decade ago, averaging more than 15 points a game in his debut campaign with the Centurions. The Washington Statesmen finished third, returning to the postseason after missing out on a playoff berth last year for the first time ever as a member of the Federal Basketball League. Washington was led by league scoring leader Fred Lillard (24.0 ppg) and a breakout season from Doc Daniels (19.8), a 29-year-old who was an everyday starter for the first time in his career. That left the New York Knights on the outside looking in as they finished last in the East Division, 3 games back of Washington. New York, as always, was led by star forward Howie Farrell (22.5 ppg) but lacked secondary scoring. FEDERAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS The Washington Statesmen defeated Boston in a meaningless game to end the regular season but had no luck against the second place Centurions in the opening round of the East Division playoffs. Boston swept the best-of-five series beginning with a 76-61 victory in the opener behind a 27-point effort from forward Bert LaBrecque. Game two was a little closer, finishing 72-60, with LaBrecque continuing his hot play. The Centurions fourth year forward scored 28 points. A shift to the nation's capital for the third game did little to slow LaBrecque, who scored 29, or the Centurions who completed the sweep with a 78-72 win. Boston found the second round against Philadelphia much more challenging as the Centurions dropped the opener 83-67 but did battle back with three straight victories and were on the verge of reaching the league finals for the second year in a row. Boston never managed to get that fourth win of the series as the Phantoms took game five 71-58 thanks to Mel Turcotte's 15 point, 12 rebound effort. Game six was all Turcotte as the veteran center had 33 points and Philadelphia thumped Boston on their home court by a 77-64 margin. With back to back wins forcing a seventh game, Keystone Arena in Philadelphia was buzzing in anticipation as the Phantoms were on the verge of their first trip to the league finals since the spring of 1957. The Centurions defense held Turcotte in check, limiting him to 12 points on the night, but Philadelphia still took a 14 point lead into the half and would go on to win 79-73. The Detroit Mustangs and Chicago Panthers had squared off in the playoffs for six straight seasons with Detroit winning five of them so it came as little surprise that the Mustangs took the opening West Division series in four games. The opener at Thompson Palladium was a shooting gallery as Detroit, led by Lew Bayne's 33 points, outscored the Wildcats, paced by Luther Gordon's 28 points, 104-96. Game two saw both defenses tighten up and it went right down to the wire with the visiting Panthers winning 74-73 thanks to a late basket from Bob Christensen, who had 17 points on the day. That would prove to be the high point of the series for the Panthers, who dropped the next two games at home to lose the series. Game four was a 79-71 Mustangs win despite 26 points from Luther Gordon while the fourth game ended 89-76 for Detroit with Mustangs center Jack Briones setting the pace with 28 points. That set up for the third year in a row a West Division final between St Louis and Detroit. The Mustangs had prevailed two years ago but the Rockets came out on top last season before going on to defeat Boston in the championship series. St Louis took a quick two games to none lead with a pair of wins at the St Louis Event Center. The opener was 90-82 behind 33 points from Rockets center Rick Sims and a wild fourth quarter that saw the two teams combine for 62 points in the period. Erv Corwin led game two scorers with 24 points but his Mustangs came up on the short end of an 83-76 result with Sims scoring 22 and adding 11 boards while his front-court partner Wayne Wyrick scored 21 and collected 13 rebounds in the victory. A series shift to Detroit did nothing to slow the Rockets as St Louis, led once more by 30 points from Sims, tamed the Mustangs 80-72. Detroit prevented the sweep with a 98-90 win in the fourth game despite another 30 point showing from Sims but any hopes of a comeback disappeared early in game five when St Louis outscored Detroit 34-14 in the opening quarter and went on to win by seven to secure a return to the finals. * Championship Series * The Philadelphia Phantoms and St Louis Rockets had never met in the playoffs before game one, but each had finals experience over the past decade. The Phantoms won their only title in 1952-53 and made the finals four years later only to come up short against Chicago. St Louis won it all last year and also in 1954-55 while losing to Washington in the spring of 1956. The series was primarily a showdown between two of the top centers in the league in Philadelphia's Mel Turcotte and Rockets pivot Rick Sims. Both brought their A-game in the opener as Turcotte scored 20 points and added 15 rebounds but he was overshadowed by Sims as the St Louis star scored 30 points and contributed 17 boards. However Turcotte got the last laugh as his Phantoms stole the series opener in St Louis by a 74-69 score. Game two would also go to the visitors but it was a surprise switch that caught the Rockets off guard. Turcotte shifted to forward and scored 11 points while hauling in 17 rebounds but the man he swapped positions with - Dan Holland- was the story of the night. The 23-year-old rookie from Carolina Poly had the night of his young career, scoring 38 points to pace the Phantoms to a 94-85 win and allowing them to return to Philadelphia up two-nothing in the series. Holland stayed at center for game three and scored 23 points while Turcotte had 21 and the Phantoms had the Rockets on the ropes with a 79-62 triumph. However the win was tempered when Turcotte was injured late in the game. The diagnosis was a broken finger and he would not return in the series. There would be no title celebration at Keystone Arena following game four as the Rockets, led by 23 points from Sims, avoided the sweep with an 83-63 victory over a Philadelphia team struggling to adapt without Turcotte. Byrd Summers and Freddy Timms split Turcotte's minutes with Summers having some success but Timms was overmatched. Game five saw the Rockets feeling they might have a chance to comeback as Turcotte was again sidelined. St Louis entered the fourth quarter with a 4-point lead before Dan Holland took over, scoring 11 of his game high 27 points in the final eight and a half minutes of the game to lead the Phantoms to a 74-66 victory. Holland also had 19 rebounds in the contest and his 18.9 ppg and 12.7 rpg during the post-season earned the rookie the Federal Basketball League playoff MVP award and led the Phantoms to their second ever FBL title. A MOST UNLIKELY CHAMPION The biggest story in the world of boxing in 1961 was perhaps the biggest upset the sport had ever seen in a heavyweight title fight. A middle of the road 25-year-old Los Angeles native by the name of Bert Parks went from being a near unknown to the holder of the greatest individual title in professional sports when he shockingly knocked out defending champion George Gallashaw in the 7th round of their fight in Chicago. Entering the fight it is unlikely that even Parks himself expected to win. Gallashaw, a 25-year-old from Syracuse that some were classifying as at least an equal of Joey Tierney in his prime and perhaps could one day be mentioned in the same breath as Hector Sawyer, was 34-1 and had not needed to go the distance in his previous six fights. Most expected another short night for champion as Parks was merely a warm body to fill a spot when negotiations with several other prominent fighters fell threw. Somehow, no one told Parks as the challenger, who was 28-8-2 but other than Norm Robinson the previous January, had not beaten any fighter of high standing. Parks actually looked very good early, winning each of the first three rounds as Gallashaw got off to a very sluggish start. That changed in round four as Gallashaw started to find his rhythm and in the fifth round he had Parks in big trouble, prompting many to suspect the fight would be over very shortly. It was, but not how anyone expected. Galleshaw dominated the sixth but Parks hung on and then continued to do the same in the early moments of the seventh round. One moment changed everything. Galleshaw, sensing a chance to end things, loaded up for a big hook but ended up walking into a Parks uppercut and was out before he hit the ground. Referee Johnnie Addie's count had reached nine before Galleshaw even showed signs of stirring and a second later Parks was a very improbable world champion. The other two divisions were much more predictable. Canadian middleweight George Quisenberry continued his dominance but nearly stumbled in May when he faced a veteran Dutch fighter by the name of Ferdinand De Best. De Best nearly lived up to his name on this night but the 35-year-old could only manage a tie. Shockingly, rather than remain in North America for a rematch, De Best returned to Europe where he fought once more before announcing his retirement. Quisenberry scored an easy win over Italian turned New Yorker Huge Canio in his final fight of the year and has held the title since the fall of 1959. Seattle welterweight Eugene Ellis finally lost his belt, as his longtime rival Lonnie Griffin got the best of him in a title fight for the second time. The pair have battled four times, three of them with the title on the line, and each has one twice. Odds are good there will be a fifth meeting sometime in 1962. If 1960 was a vote for the youth movement, 1961 was a swing of the pendulum back to expertise and grizzled experience in at least one weight class. The welterweight division had been owned by Eugene Ellis through seven successful title defenses and at the age of 30, he was still the king of the welterweights. Lonnie Griffin was the last welterweight to hoist the belt before Ellis and that was three years ago. In fact, the belt has passed between Griffin and Ellis exclusively since Griffin defeated Lewis Kernuish in 1956. Griffin and Ellis clashed for the fourth time in their storied histories. Ellis had won two of the previous three and since their last fight, neither has lost with Griffin winning all eight of his recent fights and Ellis has gone 7-0. Between the two of them, they have won 80 of 91 prior professional matches. The bout took place at Bigsby Garden, appropriate for the importance of the fight. Griffin started fast and landed a key uppercut in the first round that set the tone. Ellis staggered backwards, but Griffin could not take further advantage. Ellis threw a solid hook that rattled Griffin late in the second round, but that was all Ellis could muster before the end of the round. The third round continued the pattern of one crowning punch late in the round to decide the round, as well as the inability to turn that punch into a sequence that led to more. Griffin took control of the bout in the tenth round where he showed how little the first nine rounds affected him. Griffin kept his feet light as he dipped and darted all around the ring but stood his ground as he ripped an uppercut to Ellis’s head, knocking him to the canvas. Ellis reached his feet after a seven-count but made it to his corner just 15 seconds later. Only 19 seconds after the 11th round began, Ellis had to pick himself up off the floor again after another uppercut. Those two punches from Griffin sealed Ellis’s fate. The fight went the distance and referee Barry Yeats called Griffin’s name first to announce the new champion. It was a feeling Griffin felt three times before, as he set a record by being the first boxer of any weight class to acquire a title belt four different times. Griffin was unencumbered by Ellis as he disposed of journeyman Ernie Black with a ninth-round TKO before a “Christmas Eve-Eve” battle with Carl Rondinelli and the Italian showed very well. Griffin (40-5-1) was up on the cards through 13 rounds and the champion dominated the 14th round, peppering Rondinelli upstairs and downstairs, scoring a knockout at 2:56 of the round. In the heavyweight division, George Gallashaw had a head of steam coming into the year and looked like he would breeze through his opponents this year. First up was Bill Mosley, who had eight losses coming into his title shot. The bout was closer than expected and in the eighth round, Mosley floored Gallashaw with a right cross. Gallashaw woke up in time to win the fight in the 14th round, earning two separate knockdowns and referee Laurence Cole stopped the fight in the final seconds of the stanza. Gallashaw faced former Heavyweight Champion Steve Leivers, who last visited the Champion’s corner four years ago. The fight did not last long, but not because Gallashaw was so devastating. Gallashaw won by disqualification on a blatant low blow in the fifth round that was seemingly triggered by nothing in particular. A rematch against Dave Courtney was next for an August date at Thompson Field in Detroit. Gallashaw had his finest bout of the year as he used a cross and an uppercut to knock Courtney down in consecutive rounds and referee Frank Blakeslee had seen enough in the fifth round, calling a technical knockout for the champion. December opened with Gallashaw’s last fight of the year against virtual unknown Bert Parks, the 25-year-old Los Angeles native who had a 28-8-2 record entering the bout. Gallashaw took the fight to Parks early, but Parks announced his arrival in the sixth round with a right hand that stunned the champion early in the round and another right that almost had Gallashaw’s knee touching the canvas. Gallashaw tried to reassert himself in the seventh and all was well until Parks connected with a hook that snapped Gallashaw’s head back. In boxing, all it really takes is one punch. The right punch could change everything. With 1:38 gone in the seventh round, Parks unleashed a vicious cross that hit Gallashaw just right. Referee Johnny Addie started counting and it took Gallashaw to a count of nine to start moving, which was way too late. Parks knocked out the champion and picked up one very special present under his Christmas tree: a heavyweight title belt. George Quisenberry was the only champion to hold on to the belt the entire year, and therefore won the Bologna Boxer of the Year Award for 1961. Quisenberry is the second two-time winner, joining Eugene Ellis, who won it for the second time last year. Quisenberry is the first back-to-back winner of the award. Cases could have been made for Lonnie Griffin, for his long pursuit and his victory over Ellis, as well as Bert Parks and his out-of-nowhere upset victory, but this award is for the best boxer for the entire year and only Quisenberry was truly the best from January to December. Quisenberry won early thanks to an accidental head butt against Johnny Barton that went to the cards in the fifth round, as Barton was unable to continue. In May, Quisenberry battled Ferdinand de Best to a draw and as fight fans awaited the inevitable rematch, the 35-year-old de Best decided to return back to Holland. The final fight of the year for Quisenberry was an October win against Hugo Canio, who was in his third title fight without tasting a middleweight championship. The fight went the distance, and it will almost definitely be Canio’s final major bout. The bright spot for Canio was the fifth round, where he pummeled Quisenberry and knocked him down twice, including a nine-count that came very close to ending Quisenberry’s reign. Those were the only two times either fighter fell to the canvas. Quisenberry was accurate and his punches caused Canio to develop a mouse under his right eye very early in the fight. After a year that saw two longtime rivals fight again, a major upset in another title fight and a champion that just barely held on to his belt all year, it was an unpredictable year in boxing. FROM THE LOCAL PAPERS Tales From The Manor: Dukes Again Finish First Bow Out in the Semi-Final -Toronto hockey fans knew this season was going to be different after Jack Barrell retired as head coach in June. The Dukes reached into their system to promote Ari Bear, 56, to be the bench boss after spending the last half of the 1959-60 in Cleveland. Bear inherited a strong team from Barrell, he also brought in a game with a little more edge to it for the Dukes witnessed by their 738 PIM in the regular season: only Detroit with 755 had more time in the sin bin during the season. Bear also revamped the power play with the Dukes leading the league by a wide margin in power play goals with 54, 10 more than Montreal, converting on better than 1 in 5 chances with the man advantage. The Dukes were again led offensively by Quinton Pollack, 38, who led the NAHC in scoring putting together a 34-49-83 season to edge out Alex Monette by a single point after Monette led the league in goals with 40. Pollack again missed 6 games due to injury. Tommy Burns, who has announced his retirement at 41 following the season, had another fine year playing against many players half his age with 29-25-54 which was good for 7th in goals, a tie for 10th in points. Going forward Burns' presence on the ice and in the room will be missed by Bear and his staff. More of the burden down the middle will fall to Ken Jamieson, 31, who seems ready for a bigger role after a 1960-61 season where his 22-39-61 placed him 6th in scoring race. In a head scratching move in many way the Dukes let last year's star in net, Justin MacPhee leave the team as a free agent. No team in the NAHC, inexplicably, signed MacPhee the First Team All-Star goaltender in 1959-60, who ended up signing the HAA's Rochester Robins where he had a 38-20-9 record with a 2.18 GAA. He is again a free agent who might be a hot commodity this summer. It was not all gloom and doom between the pipes as Mike Connelly held down the fort leasing the NAHC with 33 wins in 60 starts with a 2.71 GAA a 91.1% save percentage. He was spelled occasionally by Charlie Dell leaving the Dukes as one the strongest tandems in the league. After losing their season opener 3-1 in Montreal to the surprising Vals, who finished second in the regular season with 78 points, the team won 10 of the next 11 games. The Dukes only had one small bump on the trip to first place in the regular season with a 39-23-8 record good for 83 points. Between January 29- February 5th they loss 4 in a row including two to Detroit, who finished 3rd then rode a hot playoff streak to the Challenge Cup. Toronto went into the playoff to face the Chicago Packers who finished 4th with 70 points, 3 more than the Cup defender from Boston. The series started with the Dukes dominate in the first game when a 4 goal third period led to a 6-2 win. The second game was probably not what Bear wanted from his charges when the Packers got some life with 2-1 win in OT thanks to a 34 save performance from rookie Andrew Bomberry, a former Dukes farmhand, with Conn Maguire's winner in the first extra frame. Toronto seemed to reestablish control of the series with hot start in the Lakeside Aud scoring three in the first skating to an easy 7-3 victory solving Bomberry early and often in game three. Things got ugly for the Dukes in the fourth game with a collapse in the third. Leading 3-0 with 16 minutes to go the Packers struck for 5 straight markers including a natural hattrick from Ken York to drive the 16920 on hand into a frenzy tying the series at 2. The hangover from that game seemed to affect the Dukes in the fifth game as the visitors got out to 4-0 lead in the Gardens before making it close with two in the last seven minutes. Back to Chicago with Packers looking to win the series at home. Connelly brought his A game, despite being outshot 34-22 the Dukes forced a deciding game with a 3-0 whitewash. Toronto fans believed that the team would wrap up the series then go on to face the Motors in the final, but the young Packers had other ideas. Ken York opened the scoring at 23 seconds setting the tone for the game. Riding a 3-1 lead after 20 the Packers held off the Dukes' Pollack who twice brought the team back to with one goal by scoring a pair in the third, but Chicago went on to claim game seven 6-3 with two goals in the third which silenced the Gardens crowd, sent the Dukes to the sidelines for the summer. Coach Bear- "A successful regular season, the guys bought into my changes to the system at both ends of the ice. For some strange reason we changed our style in the playoffs. We have to be a tough team on the puck, we tried to finesse our way through Chicago. Losing Tommy to retirement opens an opportunity for a young guy to step into the lineup. In camp I will stress being a tough team to play against each and every night, we will take away open ice in all zones by finishing every check. We will have an edge to our game." Tales From The Den: Wolves Continue Freefall to FABL Cellar in 1961 --If there are any redeeming features of the 1961 Wolves someone else will have to point them out to this writer. The team went through the season, finishing 59-95, without a winning month and ended up with the worst record in baseball. The closest the Wolves got to a breakeven month was a 4-5 record in April followed by 11-16, 10-19, 11-16. 10-18, 12-15. 1-6 in October when the season could not end fast enough for the fans. At the plate the team was abysmal with lowest numbers in the FABL in all three categories that contribute to the slash line with a team line of .242/.312/.377 scoring only 634 runs over 154 games or 4.1 runs per game. At the plate the leader once more was Tom Reed, an All-Star, with a season of .299/.377/.540 28 HR 91 RBI. Reed, 30, seems destined to suffer through a career as big bat on a lousy team, many fans wonder how much better he would be with some support from teammates. The only other bat worth mentioning was CF Sid Cullen, 25, who started the season in Buffalo then fought off a back injury in May that cost him two months to post a .310/.371/.545 line with 19 HR in 95 games along with solid defense in CF. If they had pitching the team may be able to be at least competitive in the CA. That was not the case as the Toronto staff ERA was just slightly better than their Canadian counterparts, the seventh place finishers Montreal Saints. Phil Colantuono led the staff a 15-10, 4.35 while leading the CA in strikeouts with 172. The rest of the starters struggled with high touted George Hoxworth never getting untracked (5-16, 5.14) while walking almost as many as he sent down on strikes. Whitey Stewart, 30, was moved the bullpen where he led the CA in saves with 22 despite a record of 2-14, 4.49 with 10 blown saves. Stewart has since been dealt to Kansas City. If there was one glimmer of hope in a dismal summer it was that the team improved slightly in the field going from horrid to just bad. This is of small consolation if the team is neither scoring runs nor preventing the opposition from crossing the plate. Expansion is coming to the FABL in 1962 with new CA teams coming to New York and Dallas. The team now has to set its protected roster for the upcoming expansion draft. With Minneapolis, Los Angeles joining the FA the FABL will go through its first expansion from 16 to 20 teams. Wolves fans are hearing rumours of a major shakeup in the front office in which Bernie Millard make do a complete cleaning of the decision makers after 13 straight losing seasons. The team has fallen upon hard times with improvement required throughout the system to bring the team back to respectability, the feeling amongst the faithful is that they are going hear the refrain they heard far too often over the last decade, "This going to take time to fix the problems." Fans are secretly hoping that Wolves will be able to finish at least ahead of the newcomers but many think this not a lead pipe cinch. Most feel there are far too many areas that the Wolves are below FABL standard to insure they can finish ahead of New York and Dallas if either of those two draft wisely to stock their new teams. The Year That Was Current events from 1961 Jan 3- President Eisenhower announces the United States has severed all diplomatic relations with Cuba. Jan 17- In his farewell address, President Eisenhower warns of the increasing power of a "military-industrial complex and how it can shape public policy. Jan 20- John F. Kennedy is sworn in as the 35th President of the United States and Lyndon B. Johnson as his Vice-President. Feb 15- President Kennedy warns the Soviet Union not to interfere with United Nations efforts in the Congo. Apr 17- The Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba begins, but fails two days later. May 5- Alan Shepard becomes the first American in space aboard Mercury-Redstone 3 May 25- Kennedy announces to Congress his goal to put a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. Jun 4- Kennedy and Khrushchev meet for two days in Vienna, discussing nuclear tests, disarmament and Germany. Sep 25- Black voting rights activist Herbert Lee is murdered by a Mississippi state representative. Oct 27- A standoff between Soviet and American tanks in Berlin heightens Cold War tensions. Nov 18- President Kennedy sends 18,000 military advisors to South Vietnam. Dec 11- The Vietnam war officially begins, as the first American helicopters arrive in Saigon along with 400 U.S. personnel. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles

11-15-2024, 11:31 AM	#1024
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,715	January 29, 1962 The fast forward is over and Figment is back to a regular sim schedule as we dive into the 1962 season. It is presently late January 1962 and the baseball expansion draft -adding four new teams- was conducted by the AI General Managers. Immediately after which, our human GM's were called back to work and are now back to running our teams. GOOD NEWS. THERE ARE SOME OPENINGS If you have been following along with this dynasty now is your chance to be a part of the story. With expansion we have a few openings, but they are not just for expansion teams as few of the original 16 GMs opted for a new challenge. As a result there is I believe five openings and they include an expansion team if you want a challenge but also the mighty Cleveland Foresters, led by veteran pitching greats Deuce Barrell and Adrian Czerwinski, if you want to jump right in and control a winner. Send me a PM if you want to find out more and I will put you in touch with our commissioner. Baseball is back to human GMs and the other three sports will follow soon. The plan is to let the AI GMs finish out the 1961-62 basketball and hockey schedule before human GMs take charge once again when we hit the off-season. I believe both are full but if you are interested in running a team in either of those sports (in conjunction with a baseball team or just as a hockey or basketball GM only) our commissioner is willing to add expansion clubs a few years earlier than real life. The American Football Association, which has been around since the early 1920s, and using Draft Day Pro Football since 1950, will also welcome human GMs as we approach the 1962 grid season. There is a companion league using the college game that will provide the draft pool for our football team. If you want to be a part of Figment sports, rather than just an avid reader, this is the perfect time to apply for a GM job with one or as many as four teams in the various sports. TWIFS issues will be sporadic over the next couple of in-game months as with baseball the only one with human GMs at the moment we will likely be simming a couple of weeks at a time to get us to spring training and the much anticipated 1962 season- a new era of FABL in a new decade and with, for the first time ever, 10 teams in each of the Continental and Federal Associations fighting it out for the chance to compete in the World Championship Series. JANUARY 29, 1962 BIG WEEK AHEAD FOR NAHC LEADERS It is hard to call any games in late January or early February crucial but the Detroit Motors and Chicago Packers have a big home and home series this Wednesday and Thursday as the two battle it out for first place in the NAHC. The two clubs are separated by just a single point atop the league standings with the Motors owning the lead will also in possession of a game in hand on the Packers. The two clubs have met eight times already this season and their is little to separate the pair, with each winning three games and the remaining two contests ending in ties. Chicago has reached the Challenge Cup finals each of the past two years but came up short on both occasions including a 4 games to one loss to the Motors last spring. Detroit is led by twenty-year-old sophomore sensation Hobie Barrell (25-26-51), who trails only veteran Toronto pivot Quinton Pollack in the scoring race. Barrell has spent some time skating on a line with his older brother Bennie Barrell (10-26-36) after the Motors number one center Alex Monette (8-10-18) missed more than twenty games with knee and elbow issues. Monette is healthy, at least for the moment, so the Motors offense should be firing on all cylinders. Scoring was expected from the Detroit club, but what comes as a big surprise is the goaltending after longtime star Henri Chasse announced his retirement last summer. Chasse, who had played every Detroit game for nearly half a decade, was spelled on occasion by former Boston farmhand Sebastien Goulet for 16 games a year ago. The 28-year-old Goulet had his struggles as a rookie a year ago but without the safety net of Chasse, has excelled this season and is chasing another late bloomer in Toronto's Justin MacPhee for the Juneau Trophy as top netminder in the league. The Packers strength is their balanced offense which already boasts eight different skaters in double-digits for goals this season led by Ken York (16-18-34) and J.P. Morissette (14-31-45), who tops the club in points. It is far from a two-horse race as the Toronto Dukes are just five points back of Detroit and the Boston Bees a single point behind the Dukes. Toronto is led, as always, by the ageless Quinton Pollack who shows no signs of slowing down at the ripe old age of 39. Justin MacPhee is also back as the top option in net and boasts the lowest goals against average in the loop. The 28-year-old burst on to the scene as rookie two years ago, winning both the Juneau Trophy as a top netminder and the McLeod Trophy as rookie of the year but was exiled to the minors a year ago in favour of Toronto's other top tender Mike Connelly. The fourth place Bees lack the star power of Toronto and only 25-year-old Jack Gariepy (9-24-33) cracks the league top ten in scoring but Boston has managed to stay in the chase for top spot. The Bees shutout Montreal 4-0 last night with veteran Oscar James turning aside all 32 Vals shots in a game that allowed Boston to open up a 5 point lead on the Valiants in the race for the final playoff berth. The New York Shamrocks, who have made the playoffs only once in the past eight years and have not won a playoff series since the spring of 1950, are enduring another difficult campaign and have little hope of ending their playoff drought as they trail fourth place Boston by 21 points. FALCONS FINALLY TAKE FLIGHT It feels like forever but fans of the Toronto Falcons are finally witnessing winning basketball again. The past decade has been tough on Toronto as the Falcons finished dead last in the West Division each of the last six years and have won just one playoff series since 1950. Now the club, which flew north from Pittsburgh in 1945, is perhaps dreaming of the first Federal Basketball League title in franchise history. The Falcons are off to a 31-10 start, best record in the entire FBL and even a slight slump in which they dropped two of three to division rivals Detroit and St Louis last week, has not been a cure for basketball fever in a city where the local cage club has long been overshadowed by the most successful hockey team in the NAHC. A recent ten game winning streak seems have to have reaffirmed that times have indeed changed at Dominion Gardens and it boosted the Falcons win total to 31 on the season. The season is just past the halfway point but the Falcons have already won more games than they did in the any of the past six full seasons. After so many awful seasons the Falcons just had to improve because of repeated first overall draft picks. They may have made some errors on passing on players like Steve Barrell, who is starring for East Division leading Boston, but Toronto also landed some gems, although it took a few years to polish them up. Those gems would include the backcourt duo of Bill Spangler and Jim Bromberg. Each was selected first overall with Spangler coming in 1957 from CC Los Angeles and Bromberg three years later from Detroit City College. Spangler is third in league scoring, averaging 21 points per game, while Bromberg is following up his rookie of the year award win a year ago with a strong sophomore campaign. The two Toronto forwards, Bill Hash and Bryce Kirk were also first overall selections but the surprise piece that may have allowed the Falcons to put everything together is a 28-year-old center who was waived by two teams before finding a home on the shores of Lake Ontario. That would be Fred Lillard. Originally a 1955 second round pick of Chicago where he had no chance of replacing the great Luther Gordon, Lillard ended up playing semi-pro ball for four years before making his FBL debut with Washington a year ago. He suited up for just 2 games as an injury replacement with the Statesmen, and averaged 24 points but was cut and finally landed in Toronto for training camp. An impressive camp earned Lillard the starting job with a team in need of a big center and the rest has been like a fairy tale. Lillard is averaging 21.5 points per game, second highest in the league, and is among the top dozen rebounders in the game as well. The Falcons still have a long flight ahead of the them, but it seems very clear they are poised to end the three year old on the West Division lead that the St Louis Rockets have held. The Rockets lost just 25 games all of last year and are still in second place, but they are two games under .500 and have already tasted defeat 22 times in 42 games this season. DENNING HAS COLONELS BACK IN CHARGE Al Denning has Noble Jones College back in a spot the Colonels have not been in since the days of Charlie Barrell. Noble Jones College is the top team in collegiate basketball, leading the polls with a 17-1 record including a perfect 4-0 start in Deep South section play. Denning, the Georgia born and bred senior guard who was named National Freshman of the Year in 1959, is the biggest reason why the Colonels are dreaming of their first national cage title since Barrell led the club to back-to-back trips to the national championship game and a win in the spring of 1950. Denning had 23 points in a recent victory on the road at Opelika State as the Colonels swept a two-game sojourn through Alabama last weekend, following up a 9-point win over the Wildcats Thursday with another 9-point victory over Alabama Baptist Saturday. Denning's 16.2 points per game average places him among the league leaders in the entire nation and makes him one of the most feared shooters in the Deep South Conference. Denning, who hails from Conyers, is not the only Georgia born product leading the Colonels this season as he has teamed with fellow senior Jim Glick, a forward out of Decatur, to give the Colonels one of the most lethal one-two scoring punches in the nation. Glick is averaging 13.5 points per game. Come tournament time there is expected to be plenty of competition for the Colonels from the usual college powers as Carolina Poly, Maryland State and Whitney College are all ranked in the top ten and the Lane State Emeralds, who reached the national semi-final game a year ago, are also making noise out west. The Emeralds stumbled in their West Coast Athletic Association opener against Coastal California, but have won five straight section games since and are ranked second with a 17-2 overall record. EXPANSION IMPERIALS QUICK TO DEAL It did not take one of baseball's newest franchises long to make its first trade. The New York Imperials, just two weeks after stocking their team with players from the expansion draft, dealt away a pitcher who was expected to be near the top of their rotation with news that former Detroit Dynamos hurler Bob Allen was heading to Chicago. It will be a homecoming for the 33-year-old righthander who returns to the Cougars, the team that drafted him in the first round in 1946. Allen was considered the top pitching prospect in the game for several years, but his career never quiet lived up to expectations. He debuted with the Cougars at the age of 23 in 1951 to the highest of expectations but won just 34 games over six seasons in the Windy City before he was traded to Detroit for a prospect by the name of Monty Brown, who is now 26 and recently was selected by the Minneapolis Millers in the expansion draft. Allen had some success in Detroit, posting a 53-39 record in the Motor City but enjoyed the most success out of the bullpen when the Dynamos were in the tail end of their dominant years. He saved a Federal League best 20 games in 1959 but with Detroit on the downswing he returned to the rotation the past two years. There was some surprise Detroit exposed Allen in the expansion draft but perhaps even more surprise that the Imperials, who look to be very weak on the mound, would opt to move him even before seeing Allen in spring camp. New York management appears committed to a long-term youth movement and the Imperials hope that Delos Smith, a 24-year-old acquired in return for the veteran hurler, will be part of their future. OSA feels the move will heavily favour the Cougars, who always seemed to win trades when their current GM was in charge prior to the fast-forward. The scouting service appears to call this one another big win for the Windy City Kitty's, noting Allen "should have no trouble filling a role in the middle or back half of any rotation" while noting Smith plays "capable and reliable defense" but he is more of a "supplement than a star." Former Chicago Cougars ace Peter "The Heater" Papenfus is back in the game five years after his retirement. Papenfus posted a 153-133 record from 1938-54 with the Cougars before playing one final season with the Los Angeles Stars. The two-time Allen Award winner had spent four seasons coaching in Japan but has returned to the United States and will become the pitching coach for the Newark Aces - the AAA affiliate of the Detroit Dynamos. There were several FABL teams busy making staffing changes including the Cougars who replaced nearly their entire coaching staff It was a busy week for the Washington Eagles returning GM. 19 players were released from the organization and 25 newcomers were signed to minor league contracts. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 1/28/1962 Postponed last week due to low-hanging clouds, astronaut John Glenn will attempt to rocket three times around the earth sometime this week. The Mercury countdown, set for Saturday, was called off 20 minutes before blastoff. Ranger 3, another spacecraft, is more than halfway to the moon but there is no hope of the craft hitting the moon. It was launched yesterday on a lunar collision course but its big Atlas booster rocket gave it just a bit more speed than it should have had, and it will not achieve its mission of landing on the moon. Budget Director David Bell told the Senate Appropriations Committee to not be surprised if the Federal budget passes the $100-billion a year mark within a few years. He was testifying in a closed session on the requirements of the 1963 budget which calls for spending of nearly $92.5 billion. At a meeting in Uruguay, the foreign ministers of the American states agreed in principle to "suspend" Fidel Castro's Cuban regime from hemisphere family councils. The 39-month old three-power nuclear test ban talks broke up in complete disagreement today as after a stormy 135-minute session, delegates from the United States, Britain and Russia failed even to agree on ho to end the conference. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles

11-19-2024, 10:51 AM	#1025
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,715	February 12, 1962 FEBRUARY 12, 1962 MEET THE NEWEST FABL TEAMS With the expansion draft completed and teams preparing for Spring Training, the team at TWIFS decided to take a look at a few players of note on each expansion team: Dallas Wranglers One for Now: RHP Hank Berkowitz 1961 Stats: 5-3, 3.00 ERA (148 ERA+), 3.76 FIP (84 FIP-), 84 IP, 28 BB, 46 K, 1.25 WHIP, 1.6 K/BB, 1.4 FIP- FABL Career: 57-47, 73 SV, 4.20 ERA (100 ERA+), 4.00 FIP (95 FIP-), 678.2 IP, 252 BB, 424 K, 1.43 WHIP, 1.7 K/BB, 5.7 WAR A long time reliever of the Cleveland Foresters, there are plenty of teams out there who would have been comfortable giving Hank Berkowitz a rotation spot. Acquired from the Stars in the ill-fated trade that sent Richie Hughes to the Big Apple for Berkowitz, Joe Wood, Larry McClure, and Bill Grove, the former 8th Rounder has been part of three World Champion teams and was selected to the 1954 All-Star game. That was one of his most productive seasons, where he finished 12-7 with a CA high 23 saves. Berkowitz worked to a 3.96 ERA (107 ERA+) and 1.48 WHIP in 91 innings, second only to the 92.1 he threw in 1958. A minor league starter, it took until 1958 for his first FABL start, but in each of the three seasons that followed he started two or more of his appearances. That includes the most recent season, where he was at his best. In 26 outings (7 starts) he went 5-3 with a 3.00 ERA (148 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, and 46 strikeouts, turning 34 last July. With the Foresters depth, a swingman role would likely have continued, but on a brand new Dallas team with little to get excited for, Berkowitz is now the best pitcher on the staff. His stuff is decent, headlined by a really nice splitter, but what makes Berkowitz so good is his control. He always keeps the ball away from the center of the plate, allowing him to get outs without overwhelming stuff. For a young team like Dallas, he'll be tasked with eating a ton of innings, and if he looks like the pitcher he was for Cleveland last season, he could net them a pretty promising prospect or two. If not, he can be a useful mentor as the Wranglers carve out their identity, as many of his former teammates commented on his work ethic and the respect his teammates have for him. One for the Future: RHP Butch Abrams 1951 Stats: 0-0, SV, 2.84 ERA (155 ERA+), 2.57 FIP (58 FIP-), 12.2 IP, 6 BB, 11 K, 1.42 WHIP, 1.8 K/BB, 0.3 WAR FABL Career: 49-56, SV, 4.35 ERA (98 ERA+), 3.96 FIP (93 FIP-), 960.1 IP, 337 BB, 563 K, 1.36 WHIP, 1.7 K/BB, 16.1 WAR It feels weird calling a guy with 143 FABL starts one for the future, but considering all of those starts came before his 25th birthday, the towering 6'6'' righty Butch Abrams certainly fits that mold for Dallas. Until last season, Abrams was a mainstay in the Pioneer rotation, as the 17th overall pick in 1955 debuted less then a year after he was drafted. Just 19, he posted a productive season (8-9, 4.14, 93), joining young stars Billy Hasson (19-8, 2.85, 188) and Frenchy Mack (7-8, 2.83, 131), with Hasson actually two years older then Abrams and Mack just under a year younger. While never as highly touted, Abrams was still a top-100 prospect in his short and expected to be a suitable middle rotation arm. At times he's shown that, but right now his five pitch is undeveloped. The fastball and change are both plus to plus-plus offerings, but his curve and slider don't get many whiffs, and his sinker can get hit hard. Sure, a lot of times that's right into the ground, but it's not reliable enough of a pitch to get a double play on command. I think that's the key to his success, as he's an extreme groundballer who sits comfortable in the mid 90s. If Dallas' pitching staff can polish that pitch, they might have uncovered a gem, but right now his best skill is his ability to eat innings. With an option left, they have a lot of possibilities for where he starts the season, as he could fill the rotation or pen in Dallas, as well as a rotation spot down in AAA Denver. As you'd expect with an expansion club, they don't have many pitchers with upside, but Abrams is a guy that a lot of organizations would be happy to have. One for the Past: 2B Chuck Lewis 1951 Stats: 95 G, 354 PA, 38 R, 14 2B, 4 3B, 7 HR, 38 RBI, 42 BB, 8 SB, .223/.316/.361 (76 OPS+), 81 WRC+, 1.5 WAR FABL Career: 1,930 G, 7,588 PA, 777 R, 289 2B, 85 3B, 159 HR, 863 RBI, 665 BB, 94 SB, .237/.303/.373 (87 OPS+), 83 WRC+, 28.3 WAR There were plenty of choices here, especially on the pitching staff, but with the focus on two pitchers already, I decided to hone in on veteran middle infielder Chuck Lewis. Known best for his 14 seasons with the Kings, it's easy to forget that's not where he started his career, as the Chicago Chiefs took him in the 2nd Round of the 1947 draft, and called him up to the big league club when rosters expanded. That 14 game sample is all he did in FABL with a team that wasn't the Kings, as that offseason the Chiefs sent him to Brooklyn in a 1-for-1 swap for outfielder Joe Rutherford. Lewis started his Kings career in AAA, but until a rehab assignment in 1961, the rest of his time came in FABL. Appearing in over 1,900 games in a King uniform, Lewis played a ton at both middle infield spots, hitting an okay .237/.303/.373 (87 OPS+) with 285 doubles, 85 triples, 159 homers, and 861 RBIs. A strong eye, good speed, and quality defense kept him in the lineup almost everyday, as he started 140 or more games in 10 of his 14 seasons. Now 36, he's not really the guy you want doing that anymore, but he was a valued member of the Kings organization that some of the fans may miss. He won't hold the record for much longer, as both Ken Newman (.255, 28, 108, 6) and Charlie Rogers (.312, 16, 94, 12) should both pass him, but Lewis' 1,916 appearances are the most by any King ever. His 6,811 at bats are second to Rogers (7,703), and he's top 10 in runs (10th, 775), hits (10th, 1,611), total bases (6th, 2,543), doubles (6th, 285), homers (4th, 159), RBIs (6th, 861), and walks (4th, 662). With such a storied career for the franchise, it's a surprise they were willing to let him go, but when you have your eyes on a pennant and younger replacements, he was expendable. Now he'll get to lead a rag-tag group of Wranglers, expected to bat first and man second on a team that might be able to compete for a Century League lineup. With his age, he's likely not to garner much trade value unless he hits like he did 20s, but he's a skilled defender and decent roster filler for a team with holes everywhere. Los Angeles Suns One for Now: C Stan Czerwinski 1961 Stats: 134 G, 472 PA, 41 R, 6 2B, 3B, 15 HR, 54 RBI, 24 BB, 2 SB, .211/.254/.331 (67 OPS+), 41 WRC+, -0.3 WAR FABL Career: 666 G, 2,374 PA, 253 R, 53 2B, 5 3B, 90 HR, 301 RBI, 93 BB, 6 SB, .241/.272/.389 (79 OPS+), 69 WRC+, 5.4 WAR It's not all that often an expansion team is able to select a former #1 pick on the right side of 30, but with the way Stan Czerwinski has hit so far, Suns fans may want to temper expectations. Among the games top prospects, the Chiefs never got the future star catcher they desired, eventually including the brother of future Hall-of-Famer Adrian Czerwinski (18-9, 3.54, 163) in a quantity-over-quality package that sent Doc Zimmerman (.267, 8, 81, 13) from one side of Chicago to the other. Despite never playing above A-ball, the Cougars inserted Czerwinski right into the starting lineup, and it went almost exactly as you would think. The 23-year-old hit just .215/.245/.371 (76 OPS+) with a 63 WRC+, but he showed promise behind the plate and with his power. In 135 games he launched 20 home runs, and quickly asserted himself as one of the premier pitch framers. Since his debut, he's been worth 15.7 runs above average, with his lowest a still solid 1.5 in 1959. 1959 also happens to be his only above average offensive season, producing a 105 OPS+, but his 94 WRC+ was still below. This is due to high K rates and miniscule walk rates, not a good combo for a slugging catcher who doesn't put the ball in play. Still, he brings tremendous value to a team with an awful pitching staff, as Czerwinski does everything well behind the plate. Few catchers can frame, throw, or block as well as he does, and there really isn't anyone out there who can do everything better then him. In a stress-free environment, the offensive potential could be extracted, but for now the expectations are just for Stan to make their staff look better then it is. One for the Future: RHP Red Burtch 1951 Stats: N/A FABL Career: N/A There were very few exciting prospects available in the expansion draft, but the Suns were able to get a useful young pitcher in Red Burtch. Just 24, he's gone a long way from being a 12th Round pick by the Gothams. In fact, he was cut six times before finally sticking with the Foresters, the team that left Burtch unprotected. Currently ranked 4th in the Suns system and 217th overall, he's one of four top 350 pitching prospects in the system, and he's the guy that's furthest along. A hard throwing righty, Burtch's fastball is nothing short of elite, and with great conditioning he's able to maintain his velocity deep into games. The fastball leads his four pitch mix, with a decent slider, curve, and change, and he gets solid marks for his movement and control too. Yet to debut, Burtch made 22 of his 29 starts in AAA, going 5-4 with a 3.37 ERA (110 ERA+), 3.16 FIP (85 FIP-), and 1.20 WHIP, walking 40 with 93 strikeouts in 147 innings. Without a rotation spot available in Cleveland, being selected could help spark his career, as there are a lot of spots available in what could be one of the league's youngest rotations. As it shapes out now, he could join Doc Carver (26), Grant Davis (26), and Paul Debo (25), all within two years of the 24-year-old righty. Any of those guys could fit here, Debo in particular due to his stellar sutff and elite fastball, but Burtch has the feel of a big leaguer. With three options left, the Suns could delay the start of his career, but if I'm in charge of an expansion team, I'd rather lose with talented young guys then 30 something year old vets that most clubs would barely consider worth hanging onto as AAA depth. One for the Past: 1B Danny Taylor 1951 Stats: 39 G, 44 PA, 5 R, 2 2B, HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, .317/.341/.439 (103 OPS+), 110 WRC+, 0.2 WAR FABL Career: 719 G, 1,591 PA, 197 R, 52 2B, 10 3B, 53 HR, 230 RBI, 135 BB, .289/.349/.449 (114 OPS+), 114 WRC+, 7.3 WAR There was a time in Boston when Danny Taylor was supposed to be part of an elite outfield that contained Rick Masters (.274, 12, 49) and Yank Taylor. Now, none of them are left in Beantown, and only Masters can be considered to have a successful FABL career. In Taylor's defense, Boston never really gave him a chance, as after hitting a solid .305/.332/.464 (113 OPS+) as a rookie, he spent three seasons almost strictly in the minors. He got more time in 1955 at 27, hitting a productive .289/.377/.453 (118 OPS+) as he got his strikeouts under control and his walks back up while providing some power. It then looked like he was finally ready to play regularly, but the Minutemen shipped him to the Cougars, who returned Taylor to a bench role. In six seasons he started just 61 of his 420 appearances, and it's no surprise he was left unprotected by Chicago. Now with his third organization, Taylor has a chance to add to his 53 career home runs, a shockingly low tally considering he had multiple 20+ home run stints in the minors. Sure, playing time has always been a struggle for him, but the projected elite power hitter has only been average compared to his peers. "Dynamite Dan" is now better at not striking out then slugging, and the former outfielder is now strictly a first basemen only. OSA thinks the 34-year-old is their second best player behind Czerwinski, so perhaps he can finally get the playing time he deserves, and have a nice little late career resurgence out west. Minneapolis Millers One for Now: RHP Joe McDowell 1961 Stats: 15-7, 4.29 ERA (103 ERA+), 4.21 FIP (94 FIP-), 199.1 IP, 60 BB, 90 K, 1.44 WHIP, 1.5 K/BB, 3.2 WAR FABL Career: 47-51, SV, 4.77 ERA (91 ERA+), 4.27 FIP (98 FIP-), 828.2 IP, 285 BB, 446 K, 1.45 WHIP, 1.6 K/BB, 11.6 WAR A guy who not only should not have been protected, but also probably the guy who should have went #1, Joe McDowell is not your typical expansion pitcher. Perhaps the $85,000 salary scared away some teams, but McDowell has started an association high 33 games two years in a row, and since he's became a regular rotation member in 1958, he's been as consistent as it gets. While far from an ace, there's not a single rotation that couldn't use him, as the soft-tossing groundballer has excellent control and a near spotless injury record. He's coming off his best season too, as the 29-year-old went 15-7 with a 4.29 ERA (103 ERA+), 1.44 WHIP, and 90 strikeouts in a career high 199.1 innings pitched. I'd expect McDowell to break that this year, as it seemed like the Miners staff was always looking to keep his inning total down. The question now for Minneapolis is whether they build around McDowell or try to entice a contender in the next few seasons to overpay for their new ace. The farm is almost completely empty, just one prospect in FABL's top 250 (and he's 247), and with McDowell and the upcoming draft the new staff has a chance to restock the farm quickly. With his track record, control, and ability to keep the ball on the ground, the only thing stopping teams may be the previously mentioned salary, but that's something the Millers can help with. They have very little on the books, making retention that much easier, and I'm curious to see what route they end up taking with the former 4th Round selection. One for the Future: 2B Clarence Jackson 1951 Stats: N/A FABL Career: N/A Just 22, it was a relatively surprising the Toronto Wolves left infielder Clarence Jackson unprotected, and of little surprise that the former 7th Rounder was selected. Making it up to AA this season, Jackson appeared in 93 of his 129 games there, hitting a solid .249/.386/.364 (103 OPS+). 21 for most of the season, he had a nice 114 WRC+ with 14 doubles, 8 homers, 11 steals, and 22 RBIs, drawing 77 walks to just 39 strikeouts. An extremely disciplined hitter, he's got a great eye, and projects to hit around .280. An excellent athlete, he's quick, a superb baserunner, and a gifted fielder, outstanding at second and third and above average at short. A perfect clubhouse presence despite his youth, he's a true leader with the will to win, and he's got the ability to impact the game in multiple ways. For a poor team like the Millers, that type of presence in the clubhouse is huge, as despite his youth he can do a lot to help keep the group together. Projected to be the Opening Day second basemen, at worst an excellent utility infielder, but with his age there has to be some untapped potential. With a low stress environment and regular at bats, his bat can really shine, and with his eye he'll always give tough at bats. Add in the hit tool, his speed, and his athleticism, and he's got a lot of tools that work in his favor. The only questions is how impactful he'll be when he makes contact with the bat, as there's no shortage of slap hitting singles hitters who don't do much more then get to first base or move a runner up. One for the Past: RHP Don Hillshire 1951 Stats: N/A FABL Career: 3-1, 2 SV, 3.09 ERA (141 ERA+), 4.25 FIP (99 FIP-), 32 IP, 9 BB, 16 K, 1.25 WHIP, 1.8 K/BB, -0.1 WAR One of the most controversial first round picks of the 1950s, the Philadelphia Sailors made Don Hillshire the 9th pick of the draft, despite having no experience in organized baseball. At first, the questionable picked looked okay, as the league put him in the ends of the top 100, but his stay there was short. He struggled to get much traction in the minors, and it took until 27 for him to debut. That came in just one inning, where he got a save with a homer, walk, and strikeout, and he made three appearances for San Francisco over the next two seasons. Traded at the '58 deadline to the Miners, he went straight to their pen, going 2-1 with a save, 3.97 ERA (110 ERA+), and 1.37 WHIP, striking out 7 with just 4 walks. While solid, Pittsburgh didn't want to keep him on the 40, and until the expansion draft, that's where he stayed. Now 33, Hillshire will have a chance to carve out a late career renaissance with the Minneapolis team that's far close to his Springfield home then San Francisco. The stuff isn't great, but aside from former Miner teammates Joe McDowell and Ed Power (8-18, 6.13, 86), the rotation is barren as can be. Hillshire provides the team with a level headed vet who can get his team through the early innings, and is currently in line to be the #3 starter. He's yet to make a FABL start, but all 312 of his minor league and CWL appearances have been starts, so it's not like he can't handle pitching multiple innings. Whether he can keep runs off the board is another thing, but at this stage in the Millers history, they can afford to take a risk on a former 1st Round pick. New York Imperials One for Now: RHP Jim Cooper 1961 Stats: 12-4, 3.68 ERA (117 ERA+), 4.62 FIP (107 FIP-), 154 IP, 81 BB, 83 K, 1.40 WHIP, 1.0 K/BB, 1.5 WAR FABL Career: 46-32, 7 SV, 4.17 ERA (101 ERA+), 4.63 FIP (109 FIP-), 654 IP, 315 BB, 307 K, 1.49 WHIP, 0.9 K/BB, 4.6 WAR Another guy who probably shouldn't have been left unprotected, Jim Cooper is a 28-year-old starter fresh off a World Championship. On top of that, he's had an above average ERA+ in each of his three full seasons in the rotation, and in 1958 where he started (14) and relieved (24) for the Keystones, he had a 4.29 ERA (99 ERA+) and 3.77 FIP (89 FIP-). Aside form his rookie season in 1957, he's been a very reliable pitcher, but his control is bad and the Keystones do have a lot of depth. Still, I feel like there had to have been a better guy to leave unprotected, but the Keystones loss may now be the Imperials gain. Originally the 6th pick of the 1952 draft, the Cleveland Foresters sent him to the Keystones in a big deal for Sid Moulton (8-7, 4.22, 72), who was another guy taken in the expansion draft. Cooper quickly entered the top 100 prospect lists, even if he never got in the top half, and looked to be a quality middle rotation starter. To this point, he's lived up to it, as despite his command issues he doesn't allow many base hits. Not quite effectively wild, but he does keep batters on their toes with five pitches, even if none of them stand out. But by generating weak contact, he allows himself to compete and keep his game close, making him a very useful asset for a team that doesn't enter the season with much value. Already having traded Bob Allen, Cooper could be out the door before the season starts, as there are plenty of contenders who could use an arm like. One for the Future: 1B Turk Ramsey 1951 Stats: 82 G, 125 PA, 2 2B, 9 HR, 27 RBI, 4 BB, .308/.328/.550 (127 OPS+), 130 WRC+, 0.6 WAR FABL Career: 109 G, 195 PA, 6 2B, 3B, 14 HR, 40 RBI, 8 BB, .290/.318/.559 (129 OPS+), 123 WRC+, 0.8 WAR Another member of the champion Keystones to make his way to the Big Apple, you could argue that Cooper and Turk Ramsey are the two best players on the new squad. A former 6th Rounder, the 26-year-old Ramsey didn't have much of a role on the Keystones, though he did appear in 82 games during their title winning season. Only 16 were starts, but he hit a strong .308/.328/.550 (127 OPS+) with 9 homers and 27 RBIs. As you can tell from the home run numbers, he can hit the ball far, and there are very few FABL sluggers who can hit it harder and farther then Ramsey. In 122 AAA games last season, he slugged 37 home runs, and while hitting around .300 won't happen for long, he might be able to sit in the .260 range. As a lefty swinger, Dyckman stadium is one of the easier parks to hit homers in for the Conti, but he's the type of guy built for Broad Street Park. Granted, with his power he can hit the ball out of any park, as even the Parc Cartier and Dominion Stadium can't hold in the force that is Turk Ramsey. Getting to start with the Imperials from day one, he has a really good chance to be the early franchise home run leader, and if he stays his career in the Big Apple there's a legitimate chance he holds it for multiple seasons. The only thing stopping him from being a great slugger is his poor eye, but scouts think he's getting more patient at the plate. With little protection, teams may be comfortable going right at him, allowing him the opportunity to see plenty of balls in the zone. One for the Past: RHP Eddie Webb 1951 Stats: 1-1, SV, 4.12 ERA (106 ERA+), 6.08 FIP (138 FIP-), 19.2 IP, 10 BB, 16 K, 1.47 WHIP, 1.6 K/BB, -0.3 WAR FABL Career: 48-37, 6 SV, 4.02 ERA (101 ERA+), 3.81 FIP (93 FIP-) It's crazy to think Eddie Webb is just 29, but considering how far he's fallen since leading the CA in ERA back in 1958, it would make more sense if he was 39. Not only was he kicked out of the rotation, but he threw under 20 innings this season with a FIP north of 6. A shell of the guy that went 13-11 with a 2.86 ERA (150 ERA+), 1.22 WHIP, and 155 strikeouts in an All-Star season, Webb likely won't crack the Imperials rotation, as his curve no longer fools anyone, and his sinker/fastball combo is not good enough to go through the order more then once. There's rumors that his poor work ethic have contributed to his downfall, and encouraged LA to trade him, and that's something the Imperials new staff may want to monitor. Expected to be the closer, Webb could thrive in that role, as he got big strikeout numbers last season even with the decline in stuff. His 18.2 K% in FABL was actually better then the 15.5% he posted in AAA, but both are well above average even out of the pen. His command has slipped recently, but it should be at least average, and he's always done well maintaining K/BBs above 1.5. And as a former starter, he can go multiple innings, with a legit chance to crack 100 innings if he pitches reasonably effective. For someone who doesn't like to try too much, pitching for an expansion team may be rewarding, and he could rebuild some of his past value before he turns 30 in September. A New Spring As players gather here in St. Petersburg, Florida as much to introduce themselves as to get in shape for a new season I caught up with Imperials Manager Ed Ziehl to get his perspective on his expansion club. As expected the Ol' Lion pulled few punches. "Ed, how do you feel about this squad that's been cobbled together for you?" Ziehl-"Ah Al, it is Al? Well it kind of reminds me of my days in Los Angeles. Lots of sunshine, palm trees and just a few ball players. The old clubs haven't done us any favors and we're going to be in a tough spot here. I'm thinking I may have to suit up and bring Bud and Walt with me to add some professionalism to the occasion." "You don't see many likely candidates out there?" Ziehl"Now don't be putting words in my mouth. I got plenty of them already. We've got a few likely candidates." Here Ziehl takes a look around the field. Players stretching and tossing. He sighs and continues, "Scotty McDonald can keep the ball in the park, so that's good. If that kid Webb can find the plate, he'll strike out a bunch. The new fellow, Woods he can hit 'em a long way. There's a couple more. It's just we have a problem of too old or not young enough. Most of these guys have been around long enough to know what they're not." "So, you're saying fans should be patient." Ziehl"Hell, everyone should be patient. We'll coach 'em up the best we can. I'll make sure they play hard and give our fans the best show they can. Fans in New York have been without Continental League ball for a long time. They want a team to be proud of so they can face up to the Gothams fans who have had it easy for so long." "Do you still have any connections over in Queens?" Ziehl"Nope. Not ties at all. Can't say as Jameson or even Messer do either." Here the aging baseball giant stares off towards the outfield perhaps remembering his days with the Gothams. "Damn shame. Ok I have to go tell these guys a few things. Maybe inspire them. You take care. You're the new guy?" "Yes, this is my first team assignment." Ziehl"Maybe you'll get better along with the team." And that was my first interview with Ed Ziehl. We'll have a better feel for the available talent when games get started. Then a full run down of the club as cuts are made. It's sure to be a busy season." Entering his age 34 season Ed Bloom is 9th all-time in walks with 1457, just 315 away from equaling Max Morris' career record. He's led the FED in walks in nine of his eleven full seasons and has averaged 126 walks/season over that eleven year span. If he were to average 126 walks for the next two seasons then he would pass Morris in less than three seasons. The Kansas City Times tells us that outfielder Charlie Rogers is still going strong for the Kings at age 32. He has amassed 2,398 hits and already has 482 doubles. The current league record for doubles is 601 and with Rogers hitting 50 last year he seems to be a shoe in for 3,000 hits and also over 600 doubles. If he has a healthy 62 season, he should be well over 2,600 hits and probably in the top 12 in doubles all time with 525+. He is also the only active player who is top 50 (at #50) in hits. If healthy he should have a very real opportunity to be top 5 all time in hits and #1 in doubles. Back in the 1940s a catcher by the name of Woody Stone was in the right spot at the right time to collect a big paycheck. Stone was released by the them Philadelphia based Sailors and became the subject of bidding war with some FABL teams and clubs from the old Great Western League during its brief stint as a major league. Stone ended up signing a then record contract for nearly $100,000 per year and was paid more than even Bobby Barrell for a stretch. Now it is a 27-year-old career minor leaguer by the name of Howie French that is likely going to land a huge payday. French happens to be a rare species - a player scouts like who happens to be a free agent- and as a result a number of teams are making overtures. It is doubtful bidding will approach the $200,000 per annum that Adrian Czerwinski, Dallas Berry and Jerry Smith will each collect for 1962 but French could top the 100 grand mark despite the fact he has never thrown a big league pitch. The righthander was a fifth round pick of Montreal's in 1956 but was quickly released and signed with the Minneapolis Lumberjacks, an unaffiliated club. The Lumberjacks folded up shop with the arrival of the Minneapolis Millers so French was set free after going 77-52 with a 2.74 era over half a dozen Triple A seasons. The expansion Minneapolis Millers are hoping some very familiar baseball names will help with attendance as the club signed both John Stallings and Ralph Johnson to contracts. The 36-year-old Stallings was the first overall pick in the 1946 draft and went on to make three all-star teams and post a 157-149 record with the Chiefs, Gothams and Washington. He was 1-2 out of the Eagles bullpen a year ago before being released last month. Johnson, 37, was a 4-time Whitney Award winner with the Brooklyn Kings and won 4 WCS titles with Detroit but was cut last August after playing sparingly for the Dynamos the past few seasons. PACKERS TAKE OVER TOP SPOT IN NAHC The Chicago Packers took three of a possible four points in first place showdown with Detroit to begin the month and continued to roll through the opening two weeks of February. Chicago has lost just one of its past six games and with a 14-6-5 run since Christmas the Packers have pulled ahead of Detroit by four points in the race for first place in the North American Hockey Confederation. Veteran rearguard Phil Stukas, a two-time first team All-Star selection, had a goal and an assist to lead the Packers to big a 4-2 victory over the Motors at Lakeside Auditorium and in the rematch the Packers held on for a 3-3 tie with the Motors the next night at Thompson Palladium. From there the Packers went on to win three and tie one of their next five games with the lone blemish being a surprising loss to the lowly New York Shamrocks. While the Packers prospered after the head-to-head battles, the Motors stumbled, losing three of their next five games, a stretch which also included a defeat at the hands of the last place Shamrocks. The other team heading the wrong way quickly is the Boston Bees, who have won just five games since Christmas and are 1-5-1 in their last seven outings. The Bees still own a 3-point lead on Montreal in the battle for the final playoff berth which makes this Wednesday's meeting between the two at Denny Arena a fairly important contest. NO SLOWING FALCONS DOWN The Toronto Falcons, long-time doormats of the Federal Basketball League, continued their dream season with five straight victories over the past two weeks. With 16 wins in their last 18 outings the Falcons have increased their lead over second place St. Louis to 13.5 games. The strong showing the past dozen days included 4 consecutive victories over the reeling Chicago Panthers. Chicago, which will have to suffer through five more dates with Toronto over the next three weeks, has dropped 13 of its last 14 games and are on track for the worst season in franchise history. There is some good news in the Windy City as third year forward Bob Christensen, who is leading the FBL in rebounds per game, looks close to be able to return to the lineup. The 24-year-old out of Western Iowa has been sidelined with a broken finger since January 21. Speaking of tough seasons, the Washington Statesmen are on their way to setting a franchise record for futility. The Statesmen, who have 5 league titles under their belt, have dropped 35 of 45 games this season and are almost assuredly going to miss the playoffs for just the second time in FBL history. With both Washington and Chicago struggling their appears to be very little uncertainty about the playoff participants this year, despite the fact there are more than two months remaining in the regular season. The only suspense may well be if St Louis can hold off Detroit for second place in the West Division and whether the East Division leading Boston Centurions, presently 3.5 games up on Philadelphia, can hold off the Phantoms. If so, it will be the first time in franchise history - going back to 1937 and the old American Basketball Conference- that the Centurions finished a season in first place. ADMIRALS RISING IN SAC Overshadowed in the South Atlantic Conference for most of their existence, the Charleston Tech Admirals may well be continuing a dominance only known by Carolina Poly. The Admirals are looking for their third consecutive conference title and are now 6-1 in section play after recent wins over both Maryland State and Carolina Poly. The 49-41 victory over the mighty Cardinals Saturday afternoon also caught the eye of national pollsters, as the Admirals cracked the top five for the first time this season. Charleston Tech, which had never won an SAC title until they started this current streak, still has a tough path ahead with road games at both the second ranked Bengals and fourth ranked Carinals as well as a home game against #8 North Carolina Tech, which is the only SAC school to beat the Admirals so far this season. The SAC may dominate the polls with four of its member schools in the top ten but the number one ranking once belongs to Deep South Conference leader Noble Jones College. The Colonels dropped to number two last week after stumbling 50-48 at home against Alabama Baptist but regained the top spot with lobsided victories over Georgia Baptist and Opelika State last week. RECENT KEY RESULTS ]32-year-old Bill Sanderson, who had a couple of shots at the middleweight title but came up short against Mark McCoy in 1953 and George Hatchell 3 years later, needed less barely 2 minutes to score a TKO victory over journeyman Ed Taylor in Sacramento, CA., last week. The New York City native now sports a 42-6-2 record and remains hopeful for a third chance at the world title. In Chicago last weekend, Windy City favourite Andy Barnes (29-4-1) scored an unanimous decision over Artie Wilson in a heavyweight clash. The 23-year-old is considered one of the top 15 fighters in his weight class. Former World Heavyweight champion Steve Leivers improved to 47-3-1 after a 10th round TKO win over fellow Brit Trevor Treleaven in a bout in Liverpool. Leivers beat Joe Brinkworth to win the title in 1956 and successfully defended it against Joey Tierney before losing the belt a year later to Brad Harris. The 32-year-old also had a title shot against George Galleshaw just under a year ago but lost by disqualification. Italian welterweight Carl Rondinelli made his return to the ring, claiming a fourth round TKO win over Brad Evans in a bout in England. Rondinelli's last outing was a title shot against Lonnie Griffin but the champ knocked out Rondinelli in the 14th round of a spirited tussle in Bigsby Garden in December. UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS Mar 3 in Boston: new heavyweight champion Bert Parks will make his first title defense since upsetting George Galleshaw to win the World Title. Parks will face Houston Harry Pratt, 27, in a bout at Denny Arena. Parks shocked the boxing establishment with a 7th round KO of Galleshaw in Chicago in their December bout. The Los Angeles native is 28-8 and ruined what was expected to be a fairly easy evening for Galleshaw. Pratt, a 26-year-old Texan, owns a 28-4 record but, other than a win over Dave Courtney, has not beaten any big name opponents. Apr 12 in Las Vegas: Longtime welterweight champion Lonnie Griffin defends his crown against Dan McMullan. The 30-year-old Griffn (40-5-1) has held the title on four different occasions and his bout against McMullan will be his third defense this time around. McMullan (22-1) is a 23-year-old rising star from South Carolina and is getting his first shot at the welterweight title. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 2/11/1962 Released American U-2 spy pilot Francis Gary Powers will face a grilling from the CIA now that he has been returned to American soil following a prisoner exchange with Russia. In a letter received by President Kennedy, Russian Premier Khrushchev has proposed that eighteen heads of government meet in Geneva March 14 to open the conference on general disarmament. This after talks between the US, Britain and Russia on nuclear disarmament fell apart two weeks ago. Tensions are increasing rapidly in France as the danger of an attempt to overthrow the government of Charles de Gaulle by force and the possibility of a civil war in that country loom large. A leftist demonstration against the right wing Secret Army started quietly in Paris, as more that 30,000 French policemen were on hand, many in full riot gear armed with submachine guns to watch over some 200,000 protesters. US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy arrived in Indonesia yesterday for a six-day visit. African Americans demanding desegregation of Macon city buses have called for a boycott of the transit system in the Georgia city and urged all "to walk in dignity rather than to ride in disgrace." Everything is a "go" but the weather as the orbital flight of Mercury astronaut John Glenn continues to wait for a safe flight window. Weather and some minor technical issues have delayed the launch more than two weeks. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles

11-20-2024, 08:23 AM	#1026
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,715	February 26, 1962 FEBRUARY 26, 1962 HANCOCK WELCOMED TO BOONE COUNTY The baseball Hall of Fame added one new member to its ranks recently with news that former Toronto and Detroit pitcher Joe Hancock will be the lone member of the 1962 Hall of Fame class. The Massachusetts native, one of just a handful of hurlers to win an Allen Award in each association, was named on 92% of the ballots in his first year of eligibility. Walt Messer, the long-time New York Gothams slugger was second in the balloting but finished well short of the 80% required for induction, being named on just over 65% of the ballots. Hancock made his big league debut with the Toronto Wolves at the age of 23 in 1936 and would lead the Wolves to a World Championship Series victory in 1940. He was dealt to Detroit at the trade deadline in 1951 with the expectation that the now 38 year old would wrap up his career in a pennant quest with the Dynamos. He stuck around for six seasons in Detroit and was a part of four pennant winning clubs and 3 more WCS champions. Hancock was waived early in the 1957 season at the age of 44 and immediately retired. An eight-time all-star, he finished with a career record of 294-210 to go along with a 5-1 mark in WCS play. Hancock won his first Allen Award with the Wolves in 1949 and would follow it up with a second one 13 years later following a dominant 22-9 season with a 1.77 era for the 1952 World Champion Dynamos. PACKERS EXTEND NAHC LEAD It has been a decade since the Chicago Packers finished with the best regular season record in the North American Hockey Confederation but with a month to play in the regular season the current edition of the Packers look well positioned to finish in first place. Chicago is enjoying a 7 point lead on the second place Toronto Dukes with 10 games remaining on their schedule (the Dukes have 12 to play) and the Packers could go a long way towards wrapping up top spot with a win at Dominion Gardens over the Dukes on Wednesday. The Packers have been red-hot of late with five wins and a tie in their last seven games and are 11-3-3 in their last 17 outings. Much of that success can be credited to the emergence of goaltender Andrew Bomberry. The 24-year-old second year netminder has been very good of late with possibly his best effort of the season coming in a 5-2 win in Detroit last week, a game in which he made 49 saves as the Packers completed a sweep of back to back games against the spiraling Motors. * Pollack Collects 500th Goal * Toronto has also played well of late and the Dukes continue to be lead by another dominant season out of Quinton Pollack. The 39-year-old center already has 73 points in 58 games this season and is on a pace to finish with 88 points. If he gets to anything over 85 it will be at least the fourth highest point total in NAHC history. The top three, including a record 99 points in 1952-53, all belong to Pollack. The veteran center became just the second player in NAHC history to reach the 500 career goal plateau. Pollack scored 5 times last week to pass Detroit's Hobie Barrell for the goal lead and now sits at 30 on the season and exactly 500 for his career. The milestone marker came in the Motor City last night and was the game winner, a second period powerplay tally in a 2-1 Toronto victory. Pollack trails only former Chicago and Toronto star Tommy Burns, who lit the lamp 564 times in his career. Pollack also is second in points with 70 so far this season giving him 1,1,65 for his career. Burns leads the way with 1,215 career points. As Detroit and Boston continue to struggle, the Montreal Valiants have overtaken the Bees for fourth place and have their sights set on Detroit, which is just three points ahead of the Vals. Detroit has lost its last five games and the Bees are just 3-14-7 in their last twenty four games. Injuries have played a role in the struggles for both teams as the Motors have been forced to play for stretches without each of their three top scorers with Alex Monette (13-17-30) being the hardest hit with the 29-year-old being sidelined for 21 of Detroit's 58 games. The Toronto Falcons (41-12) are running away with the Western Division and Toronto has the best record in the league by 5-1/2 games over the best team in the East, the Boston Centurions (36-18). How have the Falcons done it? The Falcons lead the league in scoring, as they average 86.8 points, and they have done so with the league’s finest shooting percentage in the league at 42.0%. The Falcons have the best home record, carrying a 25-2 mark at Dominion Gardens. Toronto is also the only team in the circuit with a pair of 20-point scorers in C Fred Lillard and SG Bill Spangler. Lillard is second at 21.3 points per game, while Spangler is right behind Lillard in third place, averaging 20.8 points. Meanwhile, the race for second place in the West is heating up, as the Detroit Mustangs (26-30) are trying to catch the defending champions, the St. Louis Rockets (26-27), for second place and home court advantage in the first round. Both teams are even in wins, but Detroit has played three more games. However, Detroit is making its case, going 3-1 over the past two weeks against the Rockets. Detroit roared back with a 28-10 run in the fourth quarter to win the opening game of the fortnight against St. Louis, winning 93-82. St. Louis ripped open a tie game with a fourth-quarter runaway, 88-77, in their next matchup. This past week, Detroit turned a three-point halftime deficit into a ten-point win, 87-77 but fell to St. Louis on a tough 32% shooting night, 75-59. League-leading scorer Bill Melton averaged 27.0 in the first three games of these recent matches – all losses – but only scored 14 in the only win for St. Louis last Wednesday. The race has tightened to a game-and-a-half between both teams, and there are nine games remaining in their regular-season series, including a home-and-home to close the regular season schedule in mid-April. As the season is now two-thirds complete, the fight in the Eastern Division is not about second place versus third place. Second-place Philadelphia (31-21) still has designs on the top spot, as the Phantoms trail the Centurions by four games. However, Philadelphia leads New York (25-29) by seven games and the Knights are comfortably in front of last-place Washington (14-38). This will be a fight for the division title. So far, Boston has gotten the better of Philadelphia, winning 12 of 18, including a narrow 78-76 victory on Friday night. Mel Turcotte was uncharacteristically held to nine points on 2-for-11 shooting while Bert LaBrecque won star of the game honors with 20 points to lead all scorers, keying Boston’s fourth-quarter comeback. Boston trailed by seven points entering the final quarter. The two teams face each other six more times before the playoffs begin. BIG RECRUITING WIN FOR BENGALS Maryland State may have come up short against Charleston Tech Saturday afternoon, falling 48-35 to the South Atlantic Conference leading Admirals but despite the loss on the court there was plenty of good news for Bengals basketball fans last week. The Bengals, who are 22-4 on the year and ranked second in the latest AIAA Top 25, seem well positioned to earn a number one seed in the annual tournament and look to follow up their national title of two years ago with a second crown. That is not the big news of the week for the Bengals. Instead, the excitement surrounds the current recruiting class for Maryland State which seems assured of being ranked number one in the nation. The Bengals secured a commitment from Jack Bicknell, a center out of Philadelphia's Frankford High School, who is considered the top high school senior in the nation. Bicknell joins national number two John Brantner, a Hickory, NC, born forward who committed a couple of weeks ago. It is a big coup for the Bengals to land the two best recruits in the country after struggling on the recruiting front last year. As if the haul was not big enough this time around, the Bengals also landed New York City point guard Randy Highfill, who is ranked 5th at his position and 40th overall by the OSA. The Bengals rounded out their class with another top 100 prospect in Fort Royal, Va, native Chet Maitland, a 6'5" forward ranked 81st overall. BERT PARKS TO DEFEND TITLE IN BOSTON RING DEBUT BOSTON — The heavyweight division’s most improbable champion, Bert Parks, is set to make his first title defense next week at Denny Arena. Parks, a relative unknown until his shocking upset of George Galleshaw last year, will face off against Houston Harry Pratt in a bout that promises plenty of action, if not prestige. Parks, who hails from Los Angeles, claimed the crown in dramatic fashion. Against all odds, he landed a stunning right hand in the sixth round that sent the previously dominant Galleshaw reeling. Though Galleshaw managed to stay on his feet, the punch altered the course of the fight. In the following round, Parks delivered another crushing blow, sending the reigning champ to the canvas for the full count. Parks, then 25, celebrated with unrestrained joy, the unlikely victor and new heavyweight champion of the world. But questions remain about Parks’ legitimacy as a champion. His career record, 29-8-2, hardly reads like that of a world-beater, and critics have been quick to point out that his resume is light on marquee opponents. Now on the cusp of his 26th birthday, Parks will need to prove that his victory over Galleshaw was no fluke. His challenger, Harry Pratt, brings a 28-4 record to the fight. The Texan burst onto the professional scene with 20 victories in his first 21 bouts, and for a time, seemed destined for greatness. However, a trio of defeats — including a loss to then-undefeated Norm Robinson — derailed his meteoric rise. Since that rough patch, Pratt has rebounded with eight consecutive wins, including an impressive showing against former champ Dave Courtney. Yet, skeptics question whether Pratt, like Parks, is truly deserving of a title opportunity. While neither fighter boasts the credentials of a traditional heavyweight champion, both enter the ring with something to prove. Parks hopes to silence his critics and cement his status as a legitimate titleholder, while Pratt seeks to fulfill the promise of his early career and capture the ultimate prize in boxing. The stage is set for what promises to be an intense clash of wills on March 3 at Denny Arena. Both men are hungry for validation, and if nothing else, their desperation to prove themselves should make for a compelling night of boxing. UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS Mar 3 in Boston: new heavyweight champion Bert Parks will make his first title defense since upsetting George Galleshaw to win the World Title. Parks will face Houston Harry Pratt, 27, in a bout at Denny Arena. Parks shocked the boxing establishment with a 7th round KO of Galleshaw in Chicago in their December bout. The Los Angeles native is 28-8 and ruined what was expected to be a fairly easy evening for Galleshaw. Pratt, a 26-year-old Texan, owns a 28-4 record but, other than a win over Dave Courtney, has not beaten any big name opponents. Apr 12 in Las Vegas: Longtime welterweight champion Lonnie Griffin defends his crown against Dan McMullan. The 30-year-old Griffn (40-5-1) has held the title on four different occasions and his bout against McMullan will be his third defense this time around. McMullan (22-1) is a 23-year-old rising star from South Carolina and is getting his first shot at the welterweight title. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 2/25/1962 Astronaut John Glenn roared into space in a Mercury capsule last Tuesday and orbited the earth three teams before safely splashing down in the North Atlantic just shy of five hours later. More than 250,000 would line the streets of Washington DC today in a parade to honour Glenn Soviet Premier Khrushchev proposed that the United States and Russia pool their resources to explore outer space. The proposal was part of his message to President Kennedy congratulating American on Glenn's orbital flight. Kennedy's refusal to start the Geneva disarmament talks at summit level next month caused Khrushchev to state that must mean the United States "is not ready to negotiate agreement." The President has stated he prefers to have the talks begin at the Foreign Minister level and has suggested a readiness to go to summit later, if some progress is made at a lower level. As the week closed, Kennedy reiterated his position that talks must be opened with foreign ministers, not by heads of government as Khrushchev continues to propose. Kennedy's Urban Affairs bill was defeated in the House but is expected to become a lively issue in the congressional elections next fall. Red China has warned the United States to get out of Viet Nam, claiming American military aid support of South Viet Name "seriously affects" the security of Red China and Communist North Viet Nam and threatens "the peace of Asia." China also stated that the United States "is already in an 'undeclared' war in South Viet Nam." Washington's unofficial but unequivocal answer to Peiping's sharpened warnings against US military intervention in Viet Nam was: "We'll stop if you stop." This amid increased calls for China to pull its military support of North Viet Nam. The French government poured 20,000 troops into jittery Algiers following a terrorist bloodbath that left 20 Moslems and at least 11 Europeans dead in the populous European quarter of Bab-el Oued. Authorities blame the bloody attack on a Secret Army plan to dash peace hopes in a racial war. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles

11-25-2024, 01:19 PM	#1029
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,715	With expansion in baseball and football about to become an online league there are openings if you want to be a part of the Figment Universe. Here is more information: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=359004 Nice cross-section of available teams too. Cleveland has won the last 3 Continental Association pennants and boasts two of the greatest pitchers in FABL history. The New York Gothams, Pittsburgh Miners and San Francisco Sailors each have very rich histories, and the Los Angeles Suns are one of the four expansion teams for someone looking for a real challenge. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles

11-28-2024, 07:59 AM	#1031
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,715	April 2, 1962 APRIL 2 , 1962 LANE STATE AND LUBBOCK STATE TO MEET IN AIAA CAGE TITLE GAME Two schools looking for their first ever AIAA basketball tournament championship will square off tonight at New York's Bigsby Garden in the deciding game of the 52nd annual AIAA cage championships. The two combatants will be the Lane State Emeralds and Lubbock State Hawks after each prevailed in Saturday's semi-final tilts. The Emeralds, top seed in the West Region and ranked fourth in the nation entering the tournament, were champions of the West Coast Athletic Association and relied on accurate shooting to down the Indiana A&M Reapers Saturday evening in the first semi-final. During the regular season the Emeralds were one of the most accurate teams in the nation from the field and lived up to that billing by connecting on 52% of their field goal attempts in a 61-52 victory over the Reapers. Senior guard Harry Epstein, who went 5-for-7 from the field and 5-for-6 from the charity stripe, paced Lane State with 15 points in the victory. The Emeralds, who reached the national semi-finals a year ago, have played in the title game twice previously but came up short on both occasions. In the spring of 1940 they lost to WCAA rival Rainier College in the finals while back in the 1929 tournament it was Columbia Military Academy that spoiled the festivities for the Oregon school. * Dramatic Finish Sends Lubbock State to Title Game for First Time Since 1918 * Lubbock State, champions of the Southwestern Alliance, missed the tournament entirely last year and have not won a post-season game since the 1953-54 season. The Hawks lone title game appearance prior to the one coming up this evening was way back in 1917-18, when they lost 22-15 to Brunswick College. The Hawks, who were the 5th seed in the East Region and upset top seed Charleston Tech as well as number two Wisconsin State, found themselves trailing Great Plains State 37-32 at the half in Saturday's second game. The second half was a different story as the Hawks opened with a 12-0 run to take the lead before the Buffaloes got back on track. Great Plains State was ahead by 3 points with 40 seconds left in regulation but Lubbock State pulled to within one on an Earl Holmes 12-footer. Dave Paul made one of two free throws to put the Buffaloes back up by two at 59-57 but just as time expired Tommy Johns, who led the Hawks with 15 points, drove for a game tying layup and was fouled on the play. Johns made his pressure packed free throw with no time left on the clock to send Lubbock State to the title game with a 60-59 victory over Great Plains State. HOME TEAMS DRAW FIRST BLOOD IN NAHC PLAYOFFS Teams battle for 70 games during the regular season in order to gain an extra home game in the playoffs and that certainly paid off for both the Toronto Dukes and Chicago Packers as the post-season got underway over the weekend. The Dukes, who finished atop the NAHC standings won a laugher Saturday night, blasting fourth place Montreal 7-0 at Toronto's Dominion Gardens. A day later the second place Chicago Packers welcomed third place Detroit to the Lakeside Auditorium. That game required overtime but in the end the hosts prevailed, claiming a 3-2 victory. Montreal had lost two of its final three regular season games but still managed to nose out the Boston Bees by a single point for fourth place. Toronto was not at the top of its game down the stretch either as the Dukes finished out the season with three wins and three losses in their final six games. Toronto was embarrassed 7-0 on home ice by Detroit the previous Saturday but rebounded by ending Boston's season, and securing a playoff berth for Montreal, by thrashing the Bees 9-1 in their regular season finale. Clearly, the Dukes did not use up all of their offense in Boston, as Toronto scored twice in each of the opening two periods and then lit the lamp three more times in the final stanza to draw first blood in their best-of-seven semi-final series with the Valiants by clubbing Montreal 7-0. As one might expect, regular season scoring champ Quinton Pollack played a major role in the offensive outburst as the 39-year-old scored once and added three assists in the contest. Defenseman Bobby Fuhrman scored twice and added an assist while young winger Nick Landry also enjoyed a 3-point evening for the Dukes. Justin MacPhee turned aside all 22 Montreal shots for the 28-year-old's first career NAHC playoff shutout. The visiting Detroit Motors arrived in Chicago as the hottest team in the loop, riding an 8-game unbeaten streak that included a win and a tie against the Packers in the previous seven days. Chicago, on the other hand, limped into the playoffs with 3 straight losses - results that cost the Packers first place. The playoffs are a new start and both teams were cautious out of the gate. The first period was scoreless and saw the clubs combine for just 10 shots on goal including 6 from the Motors. Detroit took control in the middle frame, outshooting the Packers 18-7 and taking a 2-1 lead on goals by Alex Monette and Jack Doctorow. The lone Packer tally was a powerplay marker by Matt McGrath with Doctorow in the box for hooking. Detroit carried the play in the third, again outshooting the Packers but the Motors could not put another puck past Chicago's second year goaltender Andrew Bomberry. Ken York, who led the Packers with 26 goals during the regular season, scored the only goal of the third period -just past the midway point- and that was enough to send the contest into overtime. Overtime games have a tendency of ending quick or dragging on for an awful long time. This one was an example of the former as just over a minute into the extra period Chicago defenseman John Lucas creeped into the slot from his point position and ripped a wrist shot over the shoulder of Detroit netminder Sebastien Goulet to give the Packers the 3-2 victory. Lucas was an unlikely overtime hero, a rookie defenseman who had scored just twice in 32 regular season games found the back of the net in his first NAHC playoff contest. Game two of the Chicago-Detroit series will be Wednesday in the Windy City before it shifts to Detroit for the third game on Saturday. The Toronto series continues at Dominion Gardens tomorrow night before the two clubs board a train for Montreal and Friday's third game. Been a tough spring on pitchers with three of them already suffering season ending injuries. First it was 25-year-old Toronto lefthander Jim Jackson who blew out his shoulder. Jackson started a dozen games for the Wolves last season and went 4-7 with a 5.14 era. He was likely to make the pitching starved club in a bullpen role this season had he not been injured. Yesterday 21-year-old Washington Eagles hopeful Johnny Davydov suffered a back injury that has likely ended his season. The 1958 fifth rounder split last season between A and AA. He is not a high end prospect, slotting in at 364th on the latest OSA rankings. Between the two of them it was Duke Bybee of the expansion Dallas Wranglers who suffered a season, and possibly career ending injury. The 39-year-old was once a top prospect in the game, and won 21 games for the Chicago Cougars as a 25-year-old in 1948 but never quite lived up to the lofty expectations. If it is the end of the line for Bybee, he finishes with a 147-140 career record accumulated with 4 different teams. Dallas Berry appears to be in mid-season form. The 30-year-old Cincinnati Cannons outfielder leads or is tied for the spring lead in all three triple crown categories. Berry won the CA Whitney Award twice (1957 & 1960) and is a 6-time All-Star Game participant. Cincinnati is one of two Continental Association teams that made recent changes in the front office with San Francisco being the other one. The Cannons have had some lean years trying to recapture the success the club had shortly after moving from Baltimore with three straight pennants and a pair of WCS triumphs from 1943-45. The Sailors last pennant win was a little more recent, as they claimed a WCS title in 1951. San Francisco's new management team inherits a club that OSA predicts is the team to beat in the CA this year. 20-year-old Ed MacNaughton appears to be embracing the confidence Detroit manager Verlin Alexander has put in the #46 prospect according to OSA. Told the starting centerfield job in the Motor City was his to lose, the 1959 16th overall draft pick is enjoying a terrific spring- batting .404 with a homerun and 7 rbi's in 47 spring at bats. MacNaughton's arrival will shift incumbent Bill Morrison from center to right field. It might be April Fool’s Day, but news of Chicago suddenly leaping into contention for a playoff spot has many people in disbelief. However, it is true. Chicago is on a ten-game winning streak to pull to within four games of a playoff spot with nine games to play. It is still a tall order, but one thing that works in the Panthers favor is that there are two teams four games ahead: the Rockets and the Mustangs. Chicago needs to keep winning, but the Panthers have two chances to sneak into the playoffs. Wins against both the Mustangs (91-69) and the Rockets (104-81) this week helped get them to within range. Chicago still somewhat controls its destiny, and the Rockets are in the crosshairs. Chicago will face St. Louis four times in the final nine games, but the Panthers are done with Detroit. The Panthers have four games against top-ranked Toronto and one against Washington to close out the schedule. Meanwhile, Detroit and St. Louis, which are in a flat-footed tie at 32-39, will tip off four times in their final nine contests. It will be St. Louis’s playoff spot to lose, and they also control the potential of a home-court advantage in the Divisional Semifinal. St. Louis has eight consequential games left to determine who gets in and who finishes in second, as the Rockets have four against Chicago and four against Detroit. Both Detroit and St. Louis have lost four of five, but St. Louis has been on a tougher streak, losing nine of eleven. Detroit will face Toronto three times, and the Mustangs had its hands full in its last game on Sunday night against the Falcons. The Mustangs had a three-point lead as the fourth quarter began, but ran out of gas in the final period, as Toronto had a 22-8 advantage and won by 11 points, 89-78. Detroit had 17 more field goal attempts but made the same number of shots (36) as Toronto. The Falcons got to the free throw line 15 more times and made 11 more shots, which was the difference in the game. It is time to count down Boston’s magic number to clinch the Eastern Division. Over the past week, the standings have barely moved, and this is where it will settle. Boston (49-23) leads Philadelphia (40-29) by 7-1/2 games and while Philadelphia has three games in hand, the Centurions are still six ahead in the loss column with nine to play, which earns Boston a Magic Number of three to clinch the division. Any number of Boston wins and Philadelphia losses that add up to three will give Boston the Eastern Division title. Philadelphia is locked into second place, though, as the Phantoms are 7-1/2 games ahead of New York (33-37). Philadelphia’s Magic Number on New York is four because the Phantoms are eight ahead in the loss column with 11 to play. RECENT KEY RESULTS In Brooklyn, veteran Bronx born heavyweight Will Hatcher improved to 22-12-3 with a unanimous decision over another New York City area fighter in Chris Deal. Charlie McMichael, a welterweight starting to garner some attention, hurt his title hopes somewhat after settling for a majority draw in Miami against Florida native Jed Long, who is 17-20-4 for his career. McMichael, a 27-yer-old New Yorker, entered the bout on a 20 fight win streak and with a 27-2-1 overall mark. The New York native should have handled Long easily, and outpunched him by a wide margin, but had an awful time trying to connect with the wiry Long and missed the mark on nearly 90% of his punches. There had been talk of a title shot for McMichael but that is now likely on the back burner for at least a little while. UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS Apr 12 in Las Vegas: Longtime welterweight champion Lonnie Griffin defends his crown against Dan McMullan. The 30-year-old Griffn (40-5-1) has held the title on four different occasions and his bout against McMullan will be his third defense this time around. McMullan (22-1) is a 23-year-old rising star from South Carolina and is getting his first shot at the welterweight title. May 10- San Francisco: Middleweight champion Lyman King (39-0) makes his first title defense against Steve Bradshaw (30-8-2). King, a 24-year-old Oakland, CA. native claimed a 5th round TKO victory over now-former champ George Quisenberry at New York's Bigsby Garden in January. King has never lost a fight and only went to the judges cards twice in his last 9 outings. Bradshaw, 25, originally hails from Pittsburgh, PA. and is coming off an impressive victory over Bill Sanderson but has lost in recent years to some top names such as George Hatchell, Davis Owens and Hugo Canio. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 4/01/1962 Steel negotiators announced a new two-year labor agreement that was immediately hailed by President Kennedy as fulfilling his appeal for an early and responsible settlement. The President named Warren Howard, former All-American and AFA halfback as well as Rhodes scholar, to succeed Justice Charles Whitaker on the Supreme Court. The announcement came a day after Whitaker, on doctor's orders, announced his retirement. Senate candidate Ted Kennedy, youngest brother of the President, disclosed he was asked to leave Dickson University in his freshman year after he had a friend take an examination for him in a course in which he had some difficulty. South Viet Nam has launched a military operation involving some 1,500 troops near the Cambodian frontier. Army officers in Northern Syria proclaimed a rebellion against the Syrian military junta and demanded reunion with President Nasser's United Arab Republic. Violence continues in Algiers and Oran, cities with large European populations, but most of the countryside in Algiers is now under the control of Algerian nationalists. Glum faced Jose Maria Guido, humbled by the watchful eye of Argentina's military leaders, formally assumed the presidency this week. Former President Arturo Frondizi was removed in a bloodless coup and sent to an isolated island for detention last week. In the first of its kind ever undertaken with an Iron Curtain country, the United States will finance an unprecedented $2 million dollar medical research program by Polish and American scientists. The 5-year study will provide for collaboration by research scientists of both countries. 15 are dead and scores of others injured as a tornado plunged from a black cloud without warning and left widespread damage in northwest Florida. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles

11-30-2024, 10:16 AM	#1032
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,715	April 9, 1962 APRIL 9, 1962 JOHNS LEADS LUBBOCK STATE TO FIRST CAGE CROWN Behind the strength of a 22 point outing from senior forward Tommy Johns, the Lubbock State Hawks downed Lane State 63-55 to win the school's first-ever AIAA basketball tournament championship. The title win also makes the Hawks, winners of three of the last four Southwestern Alliance league titles, the first school from that conference to ever win an AIAA cage championship. The Hawks downed Lane State, which won the West Coast Athletic Association title and finished the regular season ranked fourth in the nation, denying the Emeralds what would have been their first title in the 52 year history of the AIAA basketball tournament. Johns, a native on San Angelo, Tx., who was named the Southwestern Alliance player of the year, led the Hawks in scoring with a 14.5 points per game average. He had 10 points and three rebounds in the opening 16 minutes of the game as the Hawks opened up a 26-16 lead before a late rally from the Emeralds cut the Lubbock State lead to six at the break. Lane State, which saw three players led by Harry Epstein's 16, score in double-figures, briefly took the lead at 39-37 with just under nine minutes remaining in regulation and was tied with 5:59 to play but the Hawks outscored the Emeralds 20-12 the rest of the way to pull out the victory. The final 8 of Johns' 22 points came in that late push for Lubbock State. It was quite a run for Lubbock State team which missed the tournament entirely last year and five of the previous seven seasons. The Hawks had not advanced past the second round of the tournament since the 1949-50 season. The Hawks finished the regular season with a 27-5 record, ranked 17th in the final TWIFS poll of the regular season. Seeded 5th in the East Region they upended fourth seed Liberty College 55-41 behind 17 points from Johns for their first tournament victory in nine years. The Hawks followed that up by shocking top seed and number two in the nation Charleston Tech 53-40 with Johns once more leading the way with another 17 point outing. The regional final saw Artie Pugh score 11 and Johns add 10 as they survived 57-55 over second seeded Wisconsin State. The semi-final was another tight game as the Hawks, with Johns scoring 15, nipped Great Plains State 60-59 to advance to the championship game for the first time since the spring of 1918. VALS, MOTORS FLIP SCRIPT IN NAHC PLAYOFFS After the top two regular season teams in the Toronto Dukes and Chicago Packers drew first blood against their opponents in the NAHC playoff openers, the third and fourth place clubs turned the tables in both games two and three. The result sees the Dukes trailing the Montreal Valiants two games to one in their best-of-seven semi-final series while the Packers now have to overcome the same disadvantage in their tussle with the third place Detroit Motors. The Vals were embarrassed 7-0 by Toronto in their series opener but looked like a much different team three nights later on Dominion Gardens ice as the visitors from Montreal evened the series with a 5-3 victory. Toronto struck first as Tim Amesbury scored just over two minutes into the game and some were thinking it may be another rout. Montreal changed that line of thinking quickly when Matt Muir, who would later add two assists, scored Montreal's first goal of the playoffs just two and a half minutes after the Amesbury opener. Rookie Nick Poulin made it 2-1 Toronto early in the second but the Vals evened the score on Charles Hamblin scored on the powerplay with Poulin in the penalty box. It marked a quick stretch in which Montreal exploded for three goals, 2 by Hamblin, in a span of less than two minutes and Montreal took a 4-2 lead into the dressing room after forty minutes. Quinton Pollack got his second of the series midway through the third period but that was as close as the Dukes would get and Roy Forgeron sealed the Montreal win with an empty net marker in the closing seconds. The series shifted to Montreal for game three Friday evening and the Vals jumped out to a 4-0 lead after forty minutes on a pair of goals from Forgeron and singles off the sticks of Jim Drury and Jean Tremblay. Quinton Pollack scored for the third straight game to give Toronto a brief glimmer of hope in the third period but his goal was the only puck to elude Vals goaltender Nathan Bannister, who stopped 27 of 28 Toronto shots in the 4-1 Montreal win. Game Four will be tonight in Montreal. * More Overtime For Packers and Motors * The Chicago-Detroit series has been as close as one could imagine through the three games. Each was decided by a single goal including the opener which the Packers won on home ice 3-2 in overtime. Game Two also went into overtime but it was Detroit that pulled out the victory to even the series. Robert Kennedy got the game winner just over six minutes into the extra frame to give the Motors a 5-4 victory after Chicago had rallied with a pair of goals in the final minute of regulation to tie the game. Detroit led 1-0 after twenty minutes with Alex Guindon scoring the only goal of the first period but after forty minutes it was tied at two with Archer Cook and Ken York finding the back of the net for the Packers sandwiching a Jake Clark goal for the Motors. Nick Tardif and Darcy Sill gave Detroit a 4-2 lead in the third period before Chicago scored with 38 seconds left and goaltender Alex Bomberry on the bench for an extra attacker. Conn Maguire notched the goal to make it 4-3 and just 7 seconds later the Packers tied the game when Maguire set up JP Morissette who split the Motors defense and scored on the breakaway. It was all for naught as the Motors evened the series with Kennedy's overtime winner but the victory came at a price as Detroit captain Nick Tardif suffered a shoulder injury late in the game and is likely out for the duration of the playoffs. The series shifted to the Motor City for game three and while it did not require overtime, it certainly came close. Mark Milot opened the scoring for Chicago six minutes into the opening period but before the frame was done the Motors had a 3-1 lead as first Benny Barrell followed by two goals from Emmett Hargreaves put the hosts ahead. Chicago pulled even with second period goals from Ray Weller and Matt McGrath and it appeared overtime would again be required as the minutes slipped away without a goal in the third period. That changed when Detroit's Benny Barrell notched his second of the game, a wrister from the top of the circle that Bomberry probably wanted to have back and Detroit pulled out the 4-3 victory to take a 2 games to one lead in the series. Game four is set for tomorrow night at Detroit's Thompson Palladium. FINALISTS NAMED FOR NAHC AWARDS The North American Hockey Confederation has revealed the names of the three finalists for each of its major season ending awards. It comes as no surprise that league scoring champ Quinton Pollack of the Toronto Dukes headlines the shortlist for the McDaniels Trophy, presented annually to the loop's Most Valuable Player. The 39-year-old center already has a full mantle, with seven scoring titles and a record 8 McDaniels Trophy's on his resume. He is the odds-on favourite to win a ninth with the other two finalists being a pair of 20-year-olds in Detroit winger Hobie Barrell and Montreal Valiants defenseman Mark Moggy. Moggy is a finalist for the Dewar Trophy, presented to the top defenseman along with a pair of Detroit Motors in Anthony Beauchemin and Jack Doctorow. This will mark the first time in the 4-year history of the award that a Toronto Dukes player did not claim the Dewar Trophy. Toronto's Justin MacPhee is the favourite to win the Juneau Trophy presented to the top goaltender. If successful it will be his second Juneau win as MacPhee claimed the trophy as a rookie in 1959-60. MacPhee led the NAHC in goals against average and save percentage this season. His competition for the Juneau is Nathan Bannister of Montreal and Detroit's Sebastien Goulet, neither of whom have ever won the Juneau before. The nominees for the rookie of the year award - the Harvey McLeod Trophy- are James O'Reily, Matt McGrath and Nick Poulin. O'Reily, a 24-year-old New York Shamrocks winger, had 17 goals and 43 points in his debut season. McGrath, 25, had 49 points including 21 goals in 62 games for the Chicago Packers while the 25-year-old Poulin finished a distant second behind Pollack in scoring for the Toronto Dukes. Poulin had 16 goals and 39 points for the regular season champions. Finalists for the Yeadon Trophy for gentlemanly play are Brad Lowenberger Boston, Montreal's Jean Tremblay and Ray Weller of the Chicago Packers. The winners will be announced after the conclusion of the Challenge Cup finals. Any excitement over seeing the Toronto Wolves with the best spring record in the Continental Association has been heavily tempered due to a pair of pitching injuries. The Wolves lost Jim Jackson for the season with a shoulder injury last month. That was not a crushing blow as while the 25-year-old was expected to claim a job in the pen, he was not believed to be a key part of the staff. This week's injury news is far more crushing with word that Phil Colantuono, also 25, will be sidelined until August with an issue with his throwing arm. Colantuono had the best spring era in either association and was the club ace a year ago with a breakout 15-10, 4.18 season for a team that won just 59 games. There are a ton of question marks in the Toronto rotation as Arnie Smith, the 22-year-old who burst on to the scene while still a teenager in 1959 and won the Allen Award the following year, is hoping to come back from a torn muscle in his shoulder that cost him most of last season. The Los Angeles Stars narrowly missed out on their first pennant since the move west from New York last season, finishing 3 games back of front-running Cleveland. The Stars feel they are close but need an upgrade at shortstop and are actively shopping to fill the void. With nine prospects in the OSA top 100 the Stars do have some attractive young prospects including outfielder Miguel Paniagua and righthander Harry Stout, both ranked in the top 15. Russ Hawkins handled most of the work at shortstop a year ago, but he did not hit well and was selected by the cross-town Los Angeles Suns in the expansion draft. That really leaves just 25-year-old rookie Mike Forst, who has some defensive skills but has yet to play above Class A or long-time utility infielder Alberto Acuna as the only options, and neither are a good choice for a team with pennant aspirations. The Kansas City Kings have won three pennants since the 1952 move from Brooklyn but finished in the second division each of the past two years. Kings management suggests the club is pretty much set with just really one battle left -who will be the #5 SP on the club? Will it be veteran P Elmer Sullivan or will it be youngster 23-year old Frankie Sawyer. Sawyer has a slight edge based on spring performance. It will come down to the last outing that both will toss this week. If Sawyer wins the #5 spot then Sullivan goes to the pen and Stan Reinert will go to Seattle to start games. If Sullivan wins, Sawyer goes to Seattle to start and Reinert will be a middle reliever. To get the roster set for opening day, Kansas City will DFA 1B Chuck Collins and IF Billy Bryant. Two long time Kings that go back to the Brooklyn days but just don't seem to have a role on the club this year. Collins and/or Bryant may find a home with an expansion team and there is likely to be a lot of waiver claims by the new clubs. The Los Angeles Suns got an early start on the proceedings, claiming six players last week including four cut loose by the San Francisco Sailors. Much of the established teams trash will be treasures with the four new clubs. Among the players claimed by the Suns include 34-year-old righthander Bill Kline, who was a 17-game winner for St Louis back in 1956 but has accomplished little since them. What do we make of the Detroit Mustangs? Are their fans glass-half-full optimists or glass-half-empty pessimists? Detroit is a game-and-a-half behind St. Louis for second place in the Western Division. If you are an optimistic Mustangs fan, you could hope for a late push in the final six games of the season, especially when half of the remaining games are against the Rockets. Pessimistic Mustangs fans might be worried about setting themselves up for heartbreak. If those games are anything like Saturday night’s game in St. Louis, Mustang followers would be right to be worried. Detroit had no answer for St. Louis’s front court of Wayne Wyrick (27 points) and Bill Melton (21 points), who combined for 48 points. Not many teams have had answers for Melton, the league’s leading scorer at 23.4 points a game. Another reason for Mustangs fans to be pessimistic is the fact that Detroit has not clinched a playoff spot yet. Chicago is still hanging around, three games back with six to play. Chicago’s schedule is not easy, with three against the first-place Toronto Falcons and a pair against St. Louis. Detroit has three against St. Louis and two against Toronto. The sixth game on the schedule for Detroit is New York, which is third place in the East. Chicago will close the regular season at home against last-place Washington. If it gets to the last game of the year, there may not be nails left to bite. Chicago had its ten-game winning streak snapped against St. Louis, but the Panthers still took two of three consecutive games against the Rockets. The league leaders are almost set in stone for who will pace the circuit in major statistical categories, but there are a couple of races that should go down to the wire. We know that Bill Melton of St. Louis will lead the league in scoring, as he is more than a point better than Toronto’s Fred Lillard, who is in second place at 22.1 points per game. Philadelphia’s Dave Woods will lead the league in assists, as he is at 9.2 per contest, which is eight-tenths of an assist more than any other qualifying player. Ed Morrison of the Knights is trying to be the only player this season to average more than 50% from the field and the Falcons’ Jim Bromberg will lead the league in free-throw shooting. Bromberg is currently at 92%. However, for rebounds, steals, and blocks, the final games will determine the winner. Bromberg (2.24/g) and New York’s Simon Fausey (2.22/g) are virtually tied at 2.2 steals per match. Boston teammates George Stevens (2.39/g) and Wally Moorehead (2.35/g) are also in a virtual tie at 2.4 blocks per game. Finally, Philadelphia’s Mel Turcotte has a slim rebounding lead on Detroit’s Gary Moore, 13.1 to 12.9. RECENT KEY RESULTS Middleweight Davis Owens, who came up short in a pair of shots at the title losing to Mark McCoy in 1953 and George Hatchell six years later, was back in the ring last week at the age of 38. The Cleveland native scored an unanimous decision over Chris Herbert (24-4-1) in a midweek bout in Atlantic City. Owens, who says he has no plans to retire, is now 52-10-3. It was his first fight since losing a non-title rematch with Hatchell last November. UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS Apr 12 in Las Vegas: Longtime welterweight champion Lonnie Griffin defends his crown against Dan McMullan. The 30-year-old Griffn (40-5-1) has held the title on four different occasions and his bout against McMullan will be his third defense this time around. McMullan (22-1) is a 23-year-old rising star from South Carolina and is getting his first shot at the welterweight title. May 10- San Francisco: Middleweight champion Lyman King (39-0) makes his first title defense against Steve Bradshaw (30-8-2). King, a 24-year-old Oakland, CA. native claimed a 5th round TKO victory over now-former champ George Quisenberry at New York's Bigsby Garden in January. King has never lost a fight and only went to the judges cards twice in his last 9 outings. Bradshaw, 25, originally hails from Pittsburgh, PA. and is coming off an impressive victory over Bill Sanderson but has lost in recent years to some top names such as George Hatchell, Davis Owens and Hugo Canio. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 4/08/1962 The United Nations censured Israel for an attack on Syrian territory in mid-March. The 11-nation Security Council voted 10-0 in favour with France abstaining. Cuban exile negotiators will fly to Havana this week in hopes of inducing Fidel Castro to reduce the $62 million set as the ransom for those captured at the Bay of Pigs. Communist pressures are likely to increase during the coming year, Secretary of Defense McNamara told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. McNamara was testifying in support of the administration's request for $1.5 billion for foreign military assistance in the fiscal year starting July 1. It has been confirmed that President Kennedy will be on hand at Columbia Stadium April 19 to throw out the first pitch before the Washington Eagles home opener against the St Louis Pioneers. The season will open two days prior and the Eagles begin on the road with a 2-game series in Minnesota against the expansion Minneapolis Millers. The steelworker strike was averted but the west coast shipping strike enters its third week, with Kennedy poised to invoke the Taft-Hartley law to end the dispute in efforts to ease the situation in Hawaii, while has been cut off from vital food and other supplies. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles

12-10-2024, 11:05 AM	#1037
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,715	May 7, 1962 MAY 7, 1962 EXPANSION TEAMS ASSIST DYNAMOS, KINGS IN QUEST FOR FIRST PLACE They say the secret to being a good team is beating the bad ones, and right now it's pretty clear the expansion teams are going to be bad this season. In the Fed, the Detroit Dynamos took advantage of the Los Angeles Suns and the Minneapolis Millers as both came to visit Thompson Field for the first time. The hosts were not too kind to their visitors, sweeping the Suns out of town before sending the Millers below .500 by taking two of three. The 5-1 week allowed the Dynamos to put two games between them and the Pioneers. The pitching was outstanding, getting brilliant complete game wins from Howie French (9 IP, 8 H, ER, 5 K), John Jackson (9 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K), and Jim Norris (9 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K). Larry Beebe gave the Dynamos 8 shutout (2 H, 2 BB, 5 K) against the Suns, though he was responsible for the only loss. It wasn't all his fault, as 7 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs, and 4 strikeouts can be good enough to win, but somehow the struggling Bill Parkhurst (1-2, 6.45, 13) twirled a 1-hit shutout where only backup catcher Ed Holt (.286) was able to put the ball in play and reach safely. Now 15-4, the Dynamos will have to head to St. Louis for a big three game series, as a sweep would allow their hosts to reclaim first. Howie French (3-0, 1.71, 14) will open up the series against the struggling top prospect Danny Daniels (1-2, 7.16, 10), and unlike the potential young star, the highly paid #5 has been the team's most effective pitcher. He's won all three starts, but it's not like the other guys are struggling. John Jackson (3-1, 2.81, 20) and Paul Anderson (3-0, 2.51, 14) have been dominant, while Jim Norris (3-1, 3.94, 12) has been good when he's not allowing home runs. St. Louis will have the pitching advantage in the other two games, as Frenchy Mack (4-0, 2.10, 37) and Billy Hasson (4-0, 1.03, 24) are the two best pitchers in baseball. If Detroit wants to stay in first, the opener is a must win, and they'll need Ray Waggoner (.357, 4, 16), Cecil Gregg (.303, 3, 19), and Joe Reed (.306, 2, 7, 4) at their best. They may also hope that Danny Taylor (.400, 2, 3) and Dick Tucker (.389, 2, 12) keep up their strong starts, as the two vets are crushing it early on. For Taylor, it's a huge turn events, as he was not only taken in the expansion draft, but then later waived. Detroit took the risk, and in his first week with the team he was 4-for-10 with a walk and three homers. This has certainly earned him more at bats, and he has a chance to make a difference in this early big series. On the flip side, the Kings took two of three from both the Dallas Wranglers and New York Imperials. The wins with the Wranglers came in Kansas City, while they knocked off the Imps in the Big Apple. Their wins weren't as commanding as the Dynamos, but Elmer Sullivan (7.2 IP, 5 H, BB, 8 K) and Del Lamb (1.1 IP, H, BB) combined for a 3-0 shutout against Dallas and then Pat Davis' (.342, 12, 6) 2-run single helped the Kings hold off the Imps 7-6 in 12. Wins like this are big regardless of the opposition, and they've been exceptional at scoring and preventing runs. Ranked 2nd in both, KC has a solid group, led by superstar Hank Williams (.371, 7, 16), who's one of the many sluggers tied for 2nd in FABL with 7 homers. Offseason acquisition Al Farmer (.325, 5, 16) has been revitalized leading off such a talented lineup, but they have been dealing with an ailment to one of their top players in Ken Newman (.311, 2, 17, 3). The 33-year-old and 10-Time All-Star sprained his elbow in the spring and has been trying to play through it, and it may be limiting his power. It's something to watch as the season goes on, but they could take it to a higher level with a healthy Newman. CUP CHAMPS LEAD NAHC FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS Three members of the back-to-back Challenge Cup champion Detroit Motors headline the list of first team all-stars, announced last week by the NAHC. 21-year-old winger Hobie Barrell along with the defenseman tandem of Anthony Beauchemin and Jock Doctorow were the Motors who comprised half of the first team. They were joined by a pair of Toronto Dukes in center Quinton Pollack and goaltender Justin MacPhee with Chicago right winger Ken York rounding out the top team. Barrell, who finished second to Pollack in regular season scoring and is a finalist along with the veteran Toronto pivot for the McDaniels Trophy as NAHC most valuable player, makes his debut as a post-season all-star as does 26-year-old blueliner Docotorow and the Packers winger York, a 25-year-old who tallied 51 points in 68 games this season. Beauchemin was named to the second team a year ago before graduating to the top squad this time around. MacPhee was a first team all-star and rookie of the year two seasons ago but spent last season in the minors before returning to all-star form for Toronto this season. The 39-year-old Pollack has been selected to the first team nine times in his career and was a second team choice on four other occasions. Montreal goaltender Nathan Bannister and 20-year-old defenseman Mark Moggy make the second team for the second year in a row. The other four spots went to Chicago Packers with defenseman Phil Stukas, who was a first eam all-star twice in his career, being joined by forwards Ray Weller, JP Morisette and rookie Matt McGrath. Only Weller, who was a second team selection each of the previous two seasons, had been previously named to a post-season all-star team out of the Chicago forward trio. Both division winners are one game away from a date in the FBL Finals. Toronto and Boston have each played five games in their divisional final matchups with both top seeds trying to close their series out in a Game Six scheduled for Tuesday night. If either series must go to a seventh game, they will be played on Thursday. Fred Lillard is the leading scorer in these playoffs, but the Toronto center has had a hard time controlling the Mustangs Gary Moore. Lillard is the playoff leader in points (22.0) and rebounds (12.6), all while playing the most minutes among qualifiers (42.4) in his five games. Toronto took Game One behind 30 points and 17 rebounds from Lillard to set the tone. The Mustangs earned a split in Toronto to start the series where Lillard was bested by his opposite number, Moore. Lillard’s 25 points and 12 boards helped keep it close, but Detroit won down the stretch and came from behind in the fourth quarter to win, 87-85, with Moore pacing Detroit with 22 points and 18 rebounds. Game Three belonged to guard Bill Spangler and his 26 points in Toronto’s 70-62 win. Lillard was only 4-for-19 from the field, but points were at a premium in the game. Lillard and Moore had another great clash in Game Four – a Mustangs win to even the series – with Lillard leading all scorers with 30 points and Moore winning Player of the Game honors with 23 points. Toronto took a 3-2 lead in the series thanks to forward Bryce Kirk, who set a new personal playoff best with 23 points in a 96-66 romp to put the Falcons one win away from advancing. Boston had a chance to win the series against New York in five games but stumbled at Denny Arena in overtime to give the Knights a reprieve. New York won Game Five, 80-78, despite matching 20-point efforts from star forward Howie Farrell and playoff performer Lenny Olsen. The 31-year-old Olsen has playoff averages that surpass his modest regular season performances. In nine games this postseason, Olsen has averaged 8.1 points and 3.7 assists, a season removed from 9.0 points per game in six playoff games. His best scoring season in the regular season was 7.4 points per game in 1959-60. In his 11-year pro career, he has averaged only 4.3 points a game. But there was Olsen, setting a career-high with 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting in the win. Boston allowed the Knights to come in and split the first two games of the series, but the Centurions wrestled home court right back in Game Three with their defense lighting the way. George Stevens stands six feet, ten inches tall and his six blocks made a huge difference in the 73-70 win for Boston to go up in the series, two games to one. Wally Moorehead picked up three blocks and the teammates are one-two among all players in the playoffs in blocked shots. For the game, Boston had the edge in blocked shots, 11-1. Game Four provided the same stifling defense but added an offensive element that gave the Boston fans that came down from New England scream with delight. The team shot 48% from the floor and had another 11 blocks, holding New York to 32% shooting. Bert LaBrecque, who has taken a back seat in this series, led Boston with 18 points. LaBrecque (13.6 ppg) is the third-leading scorer on the Cents in the postseason after Stevens (15.6) and Moorehead (15.2) after pacing Boston with 17.3 points per contest during the regular season. RECENT KEY RESULTS Matt Leach, a successful welterweight out of New York City, scored a one-sided unanimous decision over Stan Thomas in a mid-week bout in Massachusetts. The 28-year-old ran his record to 31-6-2 with the victory. Thomas is 21-19-3. 32-year-old welterweight Ernie Black, who lost a title bid against Lonnie Griffin last year, came up short last week in Sacramento, CA., when he was knocked out in the 6th round of a scheduled 10-rounder against Peter Kjolbye, a run of the mill Dane who spent much of his pro career fighting in North America. Black, who hails from Toledo, sees his pro record dip to 40-9-1. Heavyweight Ed Drake rebounded from a loss to contender Norm Robinson, with a unanimous decision win over Dave Adams in Pittsburgh. Drake, who is 29 and hails from Peoria, IL., has squared off against many of the big heavyweights of the past decade including Brad Harris, Joey Tierney, Tommy Cline and Max Bradley but always came up short, is now 41-12-3. UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS May 10- San Francisco: Middleweight champion Lyman King (39-0) makes his first title defense against Steve Bradshaw (30-8-2). King, a 24-year-old Oakland, CA. native claimed a 5th round TKO victory over now-former champ George Quisenberry at New York's Bigsby Garden in January. King has never lost a fight and only went to the judges cards twice in his last 9 outings. Bradshaw, 25, originally hails from Pittsburgh, PA. and is coming off an impressive victory over Bill Sanderson but has lost in recent years to some top names such as George Hatchell, Davis Owens and Hugo Canio. June 1- New York City: Dan McMullan will make his first defense of the welterweight title he won from Lonnie Griffin with a first round TKO in April. McMullan, a 24-year-old Columbia, South Carolina native, will face Englishman Lenny Shafto at Bigsby Garden June 1. It will be Shafto's North American debut. His record in Europe is 45-7-1. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 5/06/1962 The Navy said it considered its first test firing of a Polaris nuclear missile with its warhead a complete success. The test conducted in the Pacific saw the warhead fired from a submerged submarine, hit its target close to 1,400 miles away. It was also announced that five of the Polaris submarines have been assigned to NATO, and that more are coming to patrol the Atlantic Ocean. The United States announced it expects more Soviet nuclear tests to be conducted in the near future. Chancellor Konrad Adenauer arrived in Berlin and warned against any steps in current United States-Soviet contacts that could lead to recognition of Communist East Germany. "Nobody in the world believes in the sovereignty of the East Zone" the West German leader told a news conference. After heavy fighting Pro-Communist forces captured Nam Tha, a Loas provincial capital 20 miles from Red China's border that the Royal Laotian government had vowed to defend to death. A revolt to overthrow the government in Venezuela was crushed in Caracas. The Federal Trade Commission has been given jurisdiction to handle complaints against deceptive advertising in the multi-million dollar mail order insurance business. It had previously fallen into a grey area between state and federal regulation. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles

12-17-2024, 05:15 PM	#1039
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,715	May 21, 1962 MAY 21, 1962 FALCONS BRING CANADA IT'S FIRST CAGE CROWN The Toronto Falcons rallied from a three games to two deficit to beat the Boston Centurions and win their first ever Federal Basketball League championship. The Falcons had come up short in each of their three previous trips to the league finals with the most recent one being in 1952-53 before rallying past Boston to end a title drought for the franchise that begin 1945 when the club was based in Pittsburgh and played in the old American Basketball Conference. This year's itineration of the Falcons was dominant right from the opening tip-off to start the season and their 58-22 record established a new regular season mark for victories in a season. Toronto finished a whooping 22 games ahead of second place Detroit atop the West Division and after a first-round bye eliminated the Mustangs in six games in the best-of-seven semi-final series. The Falcons then met East Division power Boston, which won an impressive 55 games during the season, in the league finals. Home court advantage was crucial in the series as the home squad won all seven games with the Wolves pulling out victories in the final two contests after falling three times at Denny Arena. Game six saw Fred Lillard, a cast-off from Washington won was the most improved player in the loop this season, score 22 points and Bryce Kirk add 19 as the Wolves downed Boston 75-67 at Dominion Gardens to even the series at three. It was more of the same in the seventh game as Kirk poured in 27 points and Lillard added 23 as the Wolves overcame a 7 point first half deficit to win 87-79 and claim their first league title. The Toronto Falcons are FBL Champions for the first time in their history. It was the Falcons fourth trip to the Finals, but they lost on their three previous trips with the most recent appearance occurring nine years ago. This is also the first league title by a Canadian club since the advent of major professional basketball in 1937. For a Falcons team that was in the dark ages for the last few years, this was a revival of a dormant fan base and a city’s newfound love in the sport of basketball. After taking a two-games-to-none lead with home wins over Boston, Toronto gave way to the Centurions when the series moved across the border to Denny Arena in Boston. Boston dominated Game Three, 84-59, and it was a combination of stellar play from the Centurion starters and poor shooting from the Falcons. George Stevens led Boston with 20 points and Steve Barrell was an assist shy of a triple-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds. In Game Four, Boston tied the series, Boston broke open a 67-67 tie entering the fourth quarter with a 21-13 run to end the game and tie the series. Bert LaBrecque set a playoff high and tied a season high with 30 points on the night on 14-for-27 shooting. Boston jumped ahead early and pulled away late in Game Five to take a 3-2 lead in the series, 97-70. It was Wally Moorehead’s turn to lead for the Centurions, scoring 21 points with 16 rebounds and matching teammate Stevens with four blocked shots. Boston fans were treated to three wins in three games and the Centurions were in control, only having to win one out of two games in Toronto to win it all. Toronto used 14 steals to help force 24 Boston turnovers in Game Six in a defensive-laden 75-67 win to knot the series. Fred Lillard had four of those steals to go with a game-high 22 points and Bill Spangler added five more steals. Toronto and Boston played to the very last quarter of the last game of the season with the outcome in doubt. Boston led through three quarters, 63-58, largely on the strength of T.J. Grimm, who ended up leading the Centurions with 26 points. But it was the frontcourt that made the difference in Game Seven and was responsible for bringing the title to Toronto. Bryce Kirk had a breakout season in 1961-62 with a 16.2-point scoring average, which was more than twice his previous personal best. Although Kirk is a six-year pro, this is the first year where he started consistently. Kirk scored 27 points in the most important game of his life and Lillard chipped in with 23 points, as the frontcourt outscored Boston’s two big men, 50-15. Toronto nearly doubled Boston’s output in the final stanza and came from behind in front of the Falcons home fans in an 87-79 victory. Lillard led all players in playoff scoring at 21.6 points per game and Kirk was fifth at 17.1 points per game. The MVP of the playoffs was Jim Bromberg, and the All-League and All-Defensive First Team honoree went beyond the box score with his elite defense, highlighted by six steals in Game Two. The MVP could have been Lillard, Kirk, or Spangler, but it was another indicator of the total team effort by the Falcons. Pioneers, Cougars Build Three Game Lead in Early Pennant Race It's never too early to talk about the pennant race, and when you're off to a 24-8 start and your best player's appeared in just 13 of your 32 games (41%) to start the season. In Bob Bell's (.383, 7, 15) absence rookie Danny Davis has really stepped up. .Like Bell, Davis was in the Opening Day lineup, and the former top ranked prospect has seemed to gotten quite comfortable with stars Jerry Smith (.327, 7, 25, 3) and Bill Bather (.310, 4, 11, 3) in the outfield. The 22-year-old has looked good in Bell's three spot too, slashing .347/.415/.562 (147 OPS+) with 6 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, 23 RBIs, 25 runs, and 13 walks. Davis' 156 WRC+ is second to just Bell (242) and Smith (179), and the trio are joined by Steve Schultz (.295, 6, 22) as players with five or more homers. St. Louis ranks among the top three teams in the Fed for runs scored (3rd, 181), average (2nd, .288), OPS (1st, .813), WAR (1st, 6.9), and homers (2nd, 38). As dangerous as that all is, the rotation is why they could run away with the Fed, as ace French Mack improved to 6-0 with two 1-run victories. The first started the week in Pittsburgh, where he allowed just 7 hits and 3 walks with 8 strikeouts in a casual 7-1 complete game. An early rain delay made it so he only finished five frames in a windy 10-3 win over the Eagles, but the young southpaw still delivered 9 strikeouts, maintaining a 1.79 ERA (251 ERA+) and 0.89 WHIP in seven starts. Mack's 64 strikeouts are way ahead of the next best pitcher -- who just happens to be his co-ace Billy Hasson (48). Hasson has an even lower 1.33 ERA (339 ERA+), though he did lose a nailbiter to the Miners on Tuesday. It was one of two games they lost this week, but it certainly wasn't his fault. Hasson completed 8 innings on the road, allowing just 4 hits, a run, and 2 walks with 7 strikeouts. The only issue is, his talented offense couldn't solve Pat Simon (2, 6 IP, 3 H, 4 K) and Ted Mickiewicsz (SV, 3 IP, 3 H, 4 K), so the 3-Time Allen winner was tagged with an undeserved loss. As his luck would have it, the offense bailed him out to finish the week, as Davis (2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, HR), Schultz (2-5, R, RBI), Sean Ruggles (2-5, R, RBI), and even Hasson himself (2-4, RBI) contributed to a 7-4 win over the Los Angeles Suns. Hasson went all nine, and despite the four runs, it was a really strong start. He allowed 6 hits and 3 walks with 11 strikeouts, and if it wasn't for a Mickey McClure (.254, 4, 17) "triple" he'd have thrown his seventh consecutive quality start. St. Louis gets the expansion Suns (11-21) two more times this week, and then they'll head back home for three with their counterpart Millers (14-18). After the Minneapolis team leaves town, they'll get a nice home day off, allowing them to prepare for a three game set with the Minutemen (15-17). With a weak schedule ahead, they can really distance themselves from the pack, and with how the off day works they'll get their two aces a start early next time around. They say the good teams are the ones that are able to win the games they should, and so far this season that's exactly what they've been able to do. Turning to the Continental Association, the Chicago Cougars success seems harder to sustain. They don't have anywhere near the star-power of the Pioneers, but they do have an elite bullpen and defense, allowing them to win close games and hold the leads they manage early. The Cougars are also the hottest team in baseball, ripping off back-to-back 6-1 weeks, and through 20 days in May they're 15-4. I'm still skeptical they can hold off a team like Cleveland (19-13), Kansas City (18-14), or Los Angeles (19-13), but they've been able to outperform those high powered offenses with their longshot Allen candidate. A few seasons ago, thinking Pug White could win one of those awards wouldn't be too far out, as the former 5th ranked prospect was expected to be an ace, and he was a very reliable member of the Cougar rotation from 1955 to 1960. In those bookend years he led the CA with 37 and 35 starts, starting 34 or more appearances in each of those six seasons. Last year, however, Pug's rotation struggles found him in the pen, where his career seemed to gain new life. As a former innings eater, he's been able to finish off a ton of games for the Cougars, and with 33.2 innings in 32 games, his 1.60 ERA (276 ERA+) is the lowest qualified mark in the Continental Association. A perfect 3-0 with 6 saves and a hold, Pug has finished half of his 18 appearances, working to an excellent 2.80 FIP (63 FIP-) and 0.92 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and 9 walks. The 31-year-olds stuff has been dominant, and despite playing in the cozy Cougars stadium, he's surrendered just a single home run. Pug's pitched in 12 of the team's 22 wins, and with support from Arch Wilson (4-1, 2, 0.60, 8), Bob Burdick (2-1, 3, 3.22, 15), and Phil Means (1-1, 1, 2.78, 12), almost every lead a Cougar starter leaves with, they get credit for said win. Known more for a top rotation then pen, the Cougars have had mixed results in that department, and ace Andy Logue (3-2, 3.89, 21) has actually been charged with their last two losses after he started the year 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA. He allowed 7 runs (6 earned) in losses to the Kings (7-1) and Cannons (8-2), but since the offense didn't show up anyways it didn't matter too much. His first five starts were great, and with him and John Mitchell (3-1, 3.08, 27), they have the start of a playoff rotation. Offensively, they're just tied for 5th in the CA in runs scored, but star outfielder Jerry McMillan is looking to surpass the 30/30 mark this season. The Canadian has slashed .341/.411/.566 (151 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 3 triples, 6 homers, 6 steals, 16 walks, 30 runs, and 18 RBIs, on pace for a career high 8 WAR in year five. He could use some more help in the lineup, as Gene Case (.322, 4, 18, 4) and Jim Barton (.331, 4, 22) are the only other above average hitters. Catcher, second, and third have been huge weaknesses in producing runs so far, but even the guys who aren't hitting are providing quality defense to help keep their opponent off the board. The Cougars may be able to keep up their pace setting play, but things will start to get tougher on Sunday. That's when they start a three game series with the Stars in Chicago, before heading to Cleveland for three with the Foresters. Both get the Imperials and Cannons before facing the Cougars, but Cleveland and their new GM start the week with a tough matchup with the Kings to start the week. Cleveland won the opener at home, 6-4, which allowed them to entre a tie with Kansas City for first. Veteran Rufus Barrell (6-1, 3.60, 22) kept the dangerous Kings lineup in check, scattering 7 hits, 4 runs, and a walk in the complete game win. Sherry Doyal (.324, 7, 27) had a big 3-for-4 game win a 2-run double, while John Low (.341, 4, 24) drove in three despite reaching base successfully just once in the game. Aside from a Charlie Rogers (.259, 3, 13, 3) homer in the 3rd, the Kings didn't get much going for them, but they'll now have a chance to have Frank Washington (2-3, 4.22, 25) and Curly Anderson (2-1, 4.70, 25) lead them to victories. Statistically, KC has the matchup advantage, but no one is going to claim that Anderson is better then Adrian Czerwinski (2-3, 5.25, 31). Again, the "Mad Professor" was solved, this time the Wolves taking advantage of stuff below his norm. They got to him for 9 runs (8 earned) and 8 hits, chasing out the 5-Time Allen winner before he could finish the 4th. In his 478 FABL starts, I don't think the Wolves have ever been able to get to him like that, and he should be poised to deliver a bounce back start. In his two previous eight run outings, he followed them up with just a single run, but he has not faced a lineup like Kansas City's this year. It's impressive that the Continental only has two teams below .500, whereas the Fed has just three teams over. Only two of those teams are within six games of first, the deficit between the Continental leading Cougars and the two-team tie for 7th place. Detroit would still be second in the Conti, as their 21-11 record is a game worse than the leader, but they are playing over .650 ball and could find themselves quickly left behind. The offense has gotten off to a sluggish start, with little support outside of Ray Waggoner (.319, 8, 24), Cecil Gregg (.328, 5, 28), Joe Reed (.290, 6, 18), and Dick Tucker (.350, 3, 22). What they've done well is hit clutch homers, as many have led to wins for their sterling front four. Paul Anderson (4-0, 1.67, 22) is looking to win his first Allen, while John Jackson (5-1, 2.77, 31) and Jim Norris (5-2, 3.95, 24) are looking to increase their number of All-Star selection. Can't forget about Howie French (3-2, 3.11, 24) either, even if he has looked mortal in his last two starts. Both the Gothams and Minutemen got 5 on him, and he'll have a good chance against the 14-18 Miners this week to right the ship. For now all the Dynamos can do is win the games on their schedule, as they don't get a shot at the leaders until the first full week of June. It's the finale of a twelve game stretch that starts on the 27th, with both teams likely fatigued from their play. Could we be witnesses a season with the first-ever father-son homerun kings? Bobby Barrell led the Federal Association in longballs six times during his Hall of Fame career with the Philadelphia Keystones. Now his son Ralph, just 22 years old but coming off a 35 homer campaign for the Los Angeles Stars, has 11 already this season and is tied with Cincinnati's Dallas Berry for the Continental Association lead in that category. Another Barrell, Cleveland pitcher Deuce, is closing in on his 350th career victory. Deuce went the distance to beat Kansas City 6-4 yesterday and run his season record to 6-1. Hard to believe he will turn 45 years of age in two weeks and is tied for the FABL lead in pitcher victories this season. With 348 career wins, only Hall of Famers Allan Allen (514) and Charlie Sis (395) stand ahead of Barrell. St Louis shortstop Paul Watson drove in his 1,000th run last week making him the 98th player in FABL history to reach the 1000 RBI plateau. RECENT KEY RESULTS Guy Williams is a middleweight considered by many to be the best fighter to come out of New Orleans since the legendary Hector Sawyer, although that may be more a statement on the dearth of fight talent being produced in Louisiana rather than Williams prowess in the ring. Williams had a great start to his career but now has dropped four of his past six outings following a unanimous decision loss to a journeyman fighter by the name of Jed Brownlee. Williams record now sits at 22-6-2 In a heavyweight tussle in Hartford, CT., Jack Girard scored a fourth round knockout of Mike Wagner. Girard, a 25-year-old originally from Holly, MI., who now fights out of Detroit, improved his career mark to 22-5-1 with the win. In Brooklyn, Bronx born heavyweight Will Hatcher (23-12-3) knocked out Robert Peters (11-13-2) in the first round of their bout which was scheduled for 10. Veteran heavyweight Joe Jones, a Buffalo, NY, native, scored a unanimous decision over Allen Blackwell in Boston on the weekend. Jones, 29, is now 33-16-4 for his career. UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS June 1- New York City: Dan McMullan will make his first defense of the welterweight title he won from Lonnie Griffin with a first round TKO in April. McMullan, a 24-year-old Columbia, South Carolina native, will face Englishman Lenny Shafto at Bigsby Garden June 1. It will be Shafto's North American debut. His record in Europe is 45-7-1. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 5/20/1962 President Kennedy has challenged labor and management to propose specific solutions to the Nation's economic problems instead of just complaining about his administration's policies. The President noted that complex problems of the modern economy "cannot possibly he solved without your good will and your ideas." Kennedy's tax reform bill came under fire from the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, who cited several provisions as unacceptable including withholding 20 percent of the income from interest and dividends, as taxes on wages are now withheld. Closed-door deliberations on the measure begin this week but a committee vote is nearly a month away. The American Medical Association also has issues with the President, countering Kennedy's plea for support of is medical care for the aged plan with an attack on the measure as a "cruel hoax" that would "heartlessly ignore millions" who need coverage. Three American servicemen and eight Viet Namese were injured by a grenade explosion on the streets of Saigon in front of US military housing. It is the second such incident in the past four days. US Marines sent to bolster Thailand's defenses arrived in that country despite contending with a monsoon in the region. Soviet Premier Khrushchev branded Kennedy's order to land the Marines in Thailand "an unwise decision" and predicted the Americans would ultimately be thrown out of Southeast Asia. Dutch civilians are being evacuated from New Guinea following an invasion by Indonesian paratroopers. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles

12-18-2024, 09:43 AM	#1040
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,715	May 28, 1962 MAY 28, 1962 PIONEERS EXTEND FEDERAL ASSOCIATION LEAD The St Louis Pioneers may have seen their 15-3 run come to an end yesterday with a 6-5 extra innings loss to the hard-charging Boston Minutemen but the Pioneers look like they may be threatening to run away with the Federal Association flag race. The Pioneers lead on second place Detroit is now up to five games and with the best starting pitching in the Fed and the most productive offense, St Louis may be impossible to stop. Billy Hasson threw a 3-hit complete game shutout of expansion Minnesota on Friday to run his record to 7-1 on the season with an ERA so small you practically need a magnifying glass to see it. The 27-year-old already owns three Allen Awards and has to be the early favourite to add to that total. His partner in crime, 24-year-old Frenchy Mack (6-1, 2.27), has been nearly as impressive although Mack did stumble for the first time this season, surrendering all 5 runs in a 5-1 loss to the Millers the day before Hasson's gem. Everyone in the Federal Association knew St Louis pitching would be terrific, but the offense has outperformed expectations in the early going as the Pioneers led FABL in runs scored and their .289 team batting average tops the Fed. While St Louis has been on a roll, the Dynamos and the Chicago Chiefs have fallen off the pace. Detroit's troubles began when they were swept in a three game series in St Louis early in the month and seem to be getting worse with seven losses in their last eleven outings to fall five games back. The Chiefs, after falling 2-1 in 11 innings in Los Angeles yesterday, are on a 6-12 slide that has dropped them out of third place. The only club that seems to be matching the Pioneers run of late is the Boston Minutemen, who have leaped into third place, 8 games back, after a 9-2 run that includes yesterdays 6-5 win in St Louis -Boston's fifth consecutive victory- courtesy of a 10th inning Bill Newhall homerun. While just 3 of the 10 Federal Association club's own a record better than .500, eight of the ten teams in the Continental Association are at least at the breakeven mark. The Chicago Cougars stubbed their toes a bit with back-to-back losses to Dallas and San Francisco but since May 4 the Cougars are rolling at a 18-4 clip. Included in that stretch is a perfect 5-0 record in extra innings, dispelling the old notion the Cougars could never win the tight games. The Cougars lead is far from secure as the Cleveland Foresters, winners of six of their last seven, appear to be heating up and trail Chicago by just two games. The Foresters and Cougars will stage a three-game battle on the shores of Lake Erie beginning Wednesday. The only previous meeting between the two came in the Windy City to start the month and the Foresters took two of three with both their wins coming in extra innings. That was just before Chicago began its 18-4 run. Bob Bell made his presence felt in his first game back in the lineup for the St Louis Pioneers after missing a little over three weeks with a back issue. The reigning Federal Association Whitney Award winner had 5-hits in his return to the lineup, including a homerun as the Pioneers eclipsed the Los Angeles Suns 16-0. What is interesting is that in Bell's last full game the day before his injury, April 28, he also had 5 hits in a win over Boston. 24-year-old George Hoxworth deserves much of the credit for the Toronto Wolves resurgence. The righthander improved to 5-2 on the season with a 2-hit shutout of struggling Montreal last Tuesday. That 5th win for Hoxworth equals his total for the entire campaign a year ago, when he went 5-16 for the Wolves. Boston is on a five game winning streak but the news is not all good for the Minutemen after the club learned that two time All-Star outfielder Bill Tutwiler will be sidelined for two months after tearing up his ankle. The 29-year-old was off to a great start this season with a .331 batting average. Pittsburgh was also bit by the injury bug as 24-year-old lefthander Jimmy Blair (2-1, 2.57) is done for the season after suffering a knee injury in a game over the weekend. Blair had nearly cut his era in half from a year ago when he went 9-16 for the Miners. There is no slowing Dallas Berry down. The Cannons slugger was named CA player of the week after socking 4 homers and driving 8 in the previous seven days. On the season the 30-year-old two-time Whitney Award winner is batting a robust .397 with 15 homers and 38 rbi's. Those latter two categories each lead FABL. Buddy Miller of Washington claimed the Fed player of the week honours. The one triple crown category that Berry is not leading the league in belongs to Tom Reed of Toronto who is hitting .424 after going 'just' 9-for-27 last week. It is hard to call a 4-time all-star underrated but playing in Toronto his entire career has certainly kept the 31-year-old out of the national spotlight. A 1952 third rounder out of Duncan, OK., Reed has found a home in the Dominion Stadium outfield and it would be nice to see him garner a little more attention if the Wolves can continue their fine play. FBLheader FBL HANDS OUT CAGE AWARDS It comes as little surprise that the Federal Basketball League champion Toronto Falcons were well represented as the loop handed out its postseason awards. The Falcons, who nipped the Boston Centurions 4 games to 3 in a thrilling league final after setting a new single season record for victories, placed both of their guards on the loop's first all-star team while also seeing center Fred Lillard named the Most Improved Player in the league. Lillard, who finished second to St Louis forward Bill Melton in scoring, is a 28-year-old who was originally drafted out of Lane State by Chicago in 1955. He did not make his pro debut until last season when he appeared in two games for the Washington Statesmen before being released. Toronto signed him last summer and he was perhaps the missing piece the Falcons needed, starting 74 games and adding another dimension to a Toronto offense that had relied on its backcourt duo of Bill Spangler and Jim Bromberg. Spangler, who was named for the third time in his career, was the only member of the first team to have been named an all-star before. Bromberg, a 24-year-old second year guard who was taken first overall in 1960 out of Detroit City College, joined Spangler on the first team along with fellow debutants Melton of St. Louis, Chicago's Bob Christensen and center Ed Morrison of the New York Knights. Morrison, who was in the top eight in both points and rebounds, was named the Federal League's most valuable player in his first season as a starter after spending each of the past three years in a reserve role - two in New York after debuting with Toronto in 1958-59. The Second All-Star team featured the legendary Luther Gordon - the Chicago Wildcats legend who is now 34 years old and has been named league MVP a record five times. Gordon is not quite the dominant force he was in his twenties, but he continues a streak that sees the two-time Barette Award winner from Liberty College make his 12 consecutive appearance on either the first or second all-star team. Joining Gordon on a veteran laden second team are a trio of Detroit Mustangs in forward Frank Black along with guards Lew Bayne and Erv Corwin. Howie Farrell, the 29-year-old four-time postseason all-star from the New York Knights, rounds out the second team. RECENT KEY RESULTS West coast middleweight Arnie Keller improved to 28-7-5 with a 9th round TKO over Paul Jones in a bout slated for 10 rounds. UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS June 1- New York City: Dan McMullan will make his first defense of the welterweight title he won from Lonnie Griffin with a first round TKO in April. McMullan, a 24-year-old Columbia, South Carolina native, will face Englishman Lenny Shafto at Bigsby Garden June 1. It will be Shafto's North American debut. His record in Europe is 45-7-1. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 5/27/1962 The stock market declined again Friday with trading so heavy that the lag in the high-speed ticker tape set an all-time record. This fall follows the sharpest drop in 30 years last week. Communist forces are pushing to take Laos government-held Houei Sai near the Thailand border. It was abandoned two weeks ago but reoccupied by government troops when the Communists did not attempt to occupy the city. The US exploded another nuclear device in the Pacific test area yesterday. It was the 14th such test announced by the government since the series began April 25. John Glenn Jr. got all the glory but the second orbital flight, that of Scott Carpenter last week, was probably more productive of good scientific results. The State Department has informed Senate investigators it has censored the word "victory" from anti-Communist speeches of defense leaders because this "implies an 'all or nothing' approach leaving no room for accommodation." Senator Thurmond of South Carolina inspired the investigation, charging that the elimination of such words reflects a "no win" policy in the State Department. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles Last edited by Tiger Fan; 12-18-2024 at 09:48 AM.