All things Figment - from the pages of The Figment Sporting Journal - Page 24

Jiggs McGee · 07-01-2022, 12:08 PM

DECEMBER 7, 1942

FABL ROSTERS HIT HARD BY ENLISTS & SELECTIVE SERVICE

Most teams were reeling a year ago at this time with news breaking almost daily of players joining the war effort in response to the devastating Japanese sneak-attack on Pearl Harbor. Now as we mark the one year anniversary of that tragic day the losses to FABL starting line-ups only seem to have accelerated and there will be a lot of teams with a large number of holes to fill come Opening Day. There is also worry that several minor leagues may not even have enough players available to field the full complement of teams. Transportation issues also remain a big worry but FABL vows there will be a season in 1943 although one filled with patchwork rosters for many of it's 16 clubs that comprise the Federal and Continental Associations.

The task of filling those roster holes will hopefully begin to be addressed in spring training - assuming the ODT gives ball teams to go-ahead to convene in Florida in mid-March. In a two-part report TWIFB takes a look at what each team has lost this off-season. It should be noted this is only looking at players that were on active rosters (either in FABL or as top minor league prospects) in 1942 so the many players -like Fred McCormick and Pete Papenfus- who missed the entire 1942 season are not factored in. We will start this week with the Federal Association as we examine how each club has changed since the end of September and what their outlook might be going forward.

FEDERAL ASSOCIATION

BOSTON MINUTEMEN LOST: Pitchers Ray Dalpman, John Edwards, Bobby Montefusco, Art Myers and Fred Nelson. Second baseman Buddy Schneider, infielder Charlie Reed and outfielders Bill Burkett, Dave Henry and Red Samuel.

Boston was hit hard the past two weeks with the loss of Dalpman and Schneider. Dalpman did have his struggles as a sophomore after being the top rookie in baseball and helping the Minutemen to win the 1941 WCS, but with his absence for '43 there is now a major hole in the Boston rotation. The bullpen got hit hard as well as Montefusco (7-5, 3.77) was a steady reliever who had 17 saves and appeared in 59 games last season. Losing both Schneider (.264,1,81) and center fielder Burkett (.263,8,74) will be tough to overcome and it doesn't help that backups Charlie Reed (.254,3,17) and Red Samuel (.318,4,12) are also gone. Hit harder than most teams, it is not difficult to imagine the Minutemen taking a step back next season.

CHICAGO: LOST: Pitchers Bob Crowley, Milt Fritz and Sam Vaughan, catchers Joe Brown and Solly Skidmore along with outfielders Bill May, Joe Rutherford and Skeeter Gray.

The Chiefs lost a lot of quality young talent in Crowley, Skidmore and Rutherford but aside from center fielder May (.310,2,28), they got off much easier than many of their Fed rivals as far as veteran losses go. They actually have experience playing without May as the 29 year old missed much of last year with an injury. The Chiefs dealt away Hank Barnett in October with the eye to Solly Skidmore taking over the catching duties and Tom Bird shifting to first base. That plan is on hold as Skidmore is now with the Coast Guard. Bird may be extra busy behind the plate as his backup Joe Brown is also now in the service. Veteran Milt Fritz (4-9, 4.21) and 25 year old Sam Vaughan (4-5, 4.20) combined to start 22 games last season but the Chiefs were hit much less in pitching losses compared to some of their rivals when you consider their top four starters -Al Miller, Rabbit Day, Red Hampton and Les Zoller- all return, at least so far.

DETROIT LOST: Pitchers Charlie Ashmore, Lou Barker, Charlie Wheeler and Johnny Witt. Infielders Rich Conway, Rabbit Mudd and Constantine Peters along with outfielder Ollie Williams.

Last year was a nightmare for the Dynamos with most of the blame falling on their pitching staff. The Dynamos likely had visions of trying to rebuild around Ashmore and perhaps Witt while also hoping Wheeler and Sergio Gonzales could rebound. Only Gonzales remains in the picture now and he is dealing with arm troubles so unless the likes of Joe Shaffner, Mike Murphy and Frank Crawford can turn it around next season this might be another rough one in Detroit. As bleak as the pitching outlook might appear, the good news is the Dynamos offense did not take much of a hit. Red Johnson and Sal Pestilli are both still here, although there are rumbles both considered enlisting. The loss of Peters will be felt as he was likely ready to move from second base and takeover for 40-year Frank Vance at the hot corner.

NEW YORK LOST: Pitchers Sammy Alger, Harry Carter, Bunny Edwards, Harry Frenette and Charlie Sutton. Second baseman Roosevelt Brewer, shortstop Mule Monier and first baseman Frank Bunch Jr. and Bill Murname along with outfielders Bobby Boone and Hub Parks.

The defending champs will have their work cut out for them if they plan on repeating and judging by the losses it might be too big of an ask. It is hard to say if they will miss the doubleplay tandem of Brewer (.282,0,50) and Monier (.295,6,49) or the pitching losses of Carter (16-14, 4.17) and Sutton (0.67, 13 sv) more. With young first base prospects Bunch and Murname both exiting it puts pressure on Bud Jameson to get one more solid season out of his what will be 39-year old frame next year.

PHILADELPHIALOST: Pitchers Abe Abingdon, Bud Canfield, Henry Shaffer and Lloyd Stevens. Infielders Al Hess and Lee Scott along with outfielders Jeff Cochran, Tony Pestilli, Davey Robicheaux and Jack Smith.

Stevens (17-7, 2.71) and Robichaeaux (.239,10,55) are the two big losses but the absence of Abingdon might be felt as well. The 22 year old with 2-2 with a 2.92 era in a late season call-up and certainly had Keystones fans excited. If Chuck Hood can step up in the outfield to replace Robicheaux and some more of the young pitching, perhaps even 21 year old Ray Montgomery, proves ready then the Keystones might be in a pretty good position. The club has a deep group of pitchers -or at least had one until the war- as they have lost a lot of very good young arms in Ernie Espanoza, Sid Moulton, Joe Quade and now Abingdon to the war effort.

PITTSBURGH Pitchers Sonny O'Callaghan, Charlie Porter, Tony Puccinello and Charlie Stedman, catcher George Cleaves and infielders Al Cox, Gary Ely and Hans Stiles.

The big losses are of course Cleaves and Stedman. Cleaves has been the heart of the team for close to a decade and is a 7-time all-star catcher. Stedman will turn 41 early next season but after a 16-14, 3.41 showing last season he did not appear to be slowing down. While Ely is a nice infield prospect none of the others that left are considered major hits. There is a good chance the Miners can withstand the loss of Stedman, especially if Speed Brown can return from his injury and Gene Stevens shows he can be a dependable pitching asset at the back of the rotation.

36 year old Tom Aiello has spent most of his career stuck behind all-star catchers, and complaining about it. Now it is time for Aiello to prove that he does deserve to be a FABL regular. If he can approach his .277 career batting average he might just be a very acceptable replacement for Cleaves. If Aiello has a solid season at this point I would suggest the Miners might once again be the team to beat, even without their superstar catcher.

ST LOUIS LOST- Pitchers Mal Bianco, Dick Long and Dan Rivard, catchers John Kennedy, Mike Logan and Tucker Ness, first basemen Bob Johnston Jr and Zip Sullivan and second basemen Ira Armstrong and Abel Gardner.

The Pioneers were not going to contend in 1943 but they took a big hit in their plans to continue to build for the future. Ness, Johnston Jr, Bianco and Long are all key youth pieces that will miss out on valuable experience while serving in the military.

WASHINGTON LOST- Pitchers Jim Birdwell, Lou Johnson, Tommy Trott and Hal Weston along with first baseman Bob Mark, middle infielders Henry Bush and Pat Reed and outfielder Gene Zavala.

The Eagles did not have enough pitching to begin with and now to see Birdwell (15-10, 3.50) leave as well as Johnson, Trott and Weston - all of whom spent time with the Eagles last season - is a big blow. Further complicating matters is the fact that most of the Eagles top pitching prospects were already in the services, players like Buckeye Smith, Jackie Yates and Juan Tostado. It looks like it is going to be another long year in Washington so it is likely time to give the youngsters that remain in the organization a chance to learn on the job in DC. Pitcher Bob Brown and 19 year old outfielder Jesse Alvardo are two that quickly come to mind.

EARLY PREDICTION

Based on how the rosters look right now - but one can likely be sure there will be more losses- here is how TWIFB sees the Federal Association race shaping up in 1943.

The Fed, as always seems to be the case, will likely once again be a dog fight even though each of the contenders has suffered some losses. At this stage we would suggest the Pittsburgh Miners are best equipped to overcome those losses and are the early favourite for the 1943 season with the Philadelphia Keystones a close second. The Chicago Chiefs pitching staff remained for the most part intact, and that is not something any of the other Fed challengers can boast. The big question in Chicago is not war related as it hinges on their ability to replace Hank Barnett's production now that the veteran third baseman has been moved to the cross-town Cougars. Rabbit Day needs another big year but if he delivers the Chiefs will challenge. Boston and New York both took big hits in player personnel and seem, at least at this point, to be a step back of the top three. Detroit could surprise and they certainly did last season but for all the wrong reasons. The Dynamos need to figure out their pitching situation but certainly have the offense to contend. St Louis and Washington are just not quite good enough to matter in the Fed race in '43.

1- Pittsburgh Miners
2- Philadelphia Keystones
3- Chicago Chiefs
4- New York Gothams
5- Boston Minutemen
6- Detroit Dynamos
7- St Louis Pioneers
8- Washington Eagles.

Next week we look at the Continental Association clubs.

THOMAS GIVES UP BASEBALL TO FOCUS FULLY ON GRIDIRON

St. Louis Pioneers pitcher Del Thomas has decided to retire from baseball to concentrate on his career as a professional football quarterback. Thomas has largely been a pitcher for the Pioneers' top minor league affiliate in Oakland. Though very little of the baseball and football seasons overlap, Thomas, who plays for the American Football Association's Boston Americans, found the travel schedule "wearying beyond measure."

To be fair, Thomas has found much more success on the gridiron than on the diamond. His career stats with the Pioneers at the FABL level include a record of 9-17 with 1 save and a 5.58 earned run average. His numbers in the Great Western League are not that much better: 28-29 with a 4.04 ERA. Conversely, Thomas is arguably the best quarterback in pro football: he leads the AFA in passing yardage this season and is second in touchdown passes. Since joining the Americans in 1937 he has been in the top two in passing yardage every season but one. He is also a stellar punter and an excellent defensive back.

"I'll miss the fellas," Thomas said, referring to his team mates in Oakland and St. Louis. "But coach has been after me for years to give up baseball," he explained, referring to Americans coach Bunky O'Neill. "I know this will make him happy, at least. I just wish I had been able to perform better for the great fans in St. Louis."

The Brooklyn Kings parted ways with long-time coach Danny Goff. The 57 year old, who won 252 FABL games including 124 in two separate stints with the Kings, had been the club's bench coach and Powell Slocum's right-hand man since 1933. No explanation was given and Goff was clearly upset when informed of the decision. Brooklyn quickly announced that Ted Dougherty, a 36 year old with no FABL experience either as a player or coach, will step into the role. Dougherty spent 7 seasons in the minors and is a Detroit City College grad who was a 22nd round pick of St Louis in 1927.
You have to think Goff will not stay unemployed for long. Perhaps the Chicago Cougars might be a good destination as his son Danny Jr debuted for them last year but is now in the Navy. Danny Sr. has already coached the other son Jack in the big leagues. That was with Brooklyn but Jack, like Danny Jr., is also in the Navy.
Saints pitcher Jake DeYoung might have started a new fad in Montreal. He and a number of teammates, as well as manager Homer Moore, along with some local celebrities, staged a charity softball game last week. Wait a minute. Softball in Montreal in December? How could that be? Well, they actually used the Montreal Arena, home of the NAHC's Valiants and were joined by several Valiants players. By all accounts, the game was a grand success and raised funds to benefit local youth baseball and hockey leagues in the Canadian city.

PERFECT! WILDCATS FINISH 11-0

More than one expert voiced concern when news broke that long-time Chicago Wildcats coach Carl Boon was leaving the club in mid-season to take a post with the Navy. Boon was so revered and such an innovator as a coach it actually took two men to replace him as his assistants Marv Englert and Bill Youngberg were promoted to be co-head coaches in Boon's absence. The change went as smoothly as it possibly could with the Wildcats not missing a beat and going to complete the first perfect season in the modern history (post-1935) of the American Football Association.

Code:

PERFECT SEASONS IN AFA HISTORY
YEAR   TEAM		
1920 - Youngstown Reapers
1922 - Youngstown Reapers
1923 - Pittsburgh Pros
1924 - Toledo Tigers
1927 - Detroit Maroons
1928 - Chicago Wildcats
1929 - Detroit Maroons
1942-  Chicago Wildcats

Chicago capped it's regular season run with a 28-7 victory in Cleveland over the Finches. Dutch Hoffman was the player of the game this time, with 6 catches for 112 yards and a pair of scores, but as has been the case all season the Wildcats -with their many threats- spread the offense around. The Wildcats performance this season was nothing short of dominating. They outscored their opponents 330-86 on the season and only once did they fail to win by double digits. That was on October 18th when they beat a pesky New York Stars team by a 21-13 count.
*** HOLT SETS RUSHING MARK ***

Dominating is also the phrase to best describe the season put up by St Louis Ramblers rookie back Bob Holt. The All-American from Eastern State became the first to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season since Magnus Norman of Boston did it in 1932 and Holt's 75 yards against Detroit on Sunday gave him 1,035 on the campaign- which is a new all-time record encompassing both the modern era and the early days of the sport.

Unfortunately for Ramblers fans, Holt's efforts this season were not enough to prevent another losing campaign for the franchise and yesterday's contest had a bitter ending as St Louis led 17-7 entering the fourth quarter in Detroit but surrendered 17 unanswered points in the final stanza to fall 24-17. Troy Renton was the hero for the hometown Maroons, notching all 17 points on a pair of running touchdowns, a 22 yard field goal and two extra-points. While Holt's rushing record garnered much of the attention the game also saw Detroit quarterback Dewey Burnett throw for 188 yards, giving him 1,886 passing yards on the season which is also a new modern record. Interesting to note that 1,218 of those yards were on passes to Stan Vaught, who is clearly the best pass catching end the sport has ever seen.

Code:

      FINAL AFA STANDINGS
EASTERN		W  L  T  PCT
Boston		9  2  0   .818
New York	8  3  0   .727
Brooklyn	5  6  0   .455
Washington	5  6  0   .455
Philadelphia    3  8  0   .273

WESTERN		W  L  T  PCT
Chicago	       11  0  0  1.000
Detroit		6  4  1   .600
St Louis	4  7  0   .364
Cleveland	2  9  0   .182
Pittsburgh	1  9  1   .100

AFA SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
SUNDAY December 6
New York 7 Brooklyn 3
Detroit 24 St Louis 17
Chicago 28 Cleveland 7
END OF REGULAR SEASON

Sunday December 13
AFA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Boston (9-2) at Chicago (11-0)

Code:


AFA LEADERS
SCORING		PTS
Vaught, Det	134
Stein, Bkn	 98
Holt, StL	 66
Milatz, NYS	 57
Renton, Det      54
Hooper, Bos      50
Kelly, Bos	 48
Frum, WAS	 48

PASSING		COMP-ATT  YDS   TD INT
Burnett, Det	165-310  1,886  21  16 
Thomas, Bos	164-300  1,776  17  12
Boetcher, Cle   145-356  1,523   9  35
Proos, Was      108-255  1,430  11  40
Fuchs, Chi	 64-159  1,141  15  22

RUSHING		 YDS  TD
Holt, StL	1037  10
Stein, Bkn	 885   7
Fitzgerald, Bos	 643   5
Garecht, NY	 592   5
Ramsey, Bkn      559   1
Sadowski, Was	 528   6
Hartley, Chi     527   7

RECEIVING	CAT  TD
Vaught, Det	 84  17
Kelly, Bos	 36   6
Hooper, Bos      30   4
Douglas, Was	 28   2 
Kurtzman, Cle    28   5
Smithberger, Cle 28   1

INERCEPTIONS	#
Stein, Bkn	11
Vaught, Det     10
Murphy. Det      9
B McLean, Chi    9
Spagna, Det	 8
Kurtzman, Cle    8

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREVIEW

With all of Chicago's regular season accomplishments it is now time to turn their attention to the 9-2 Boston Americans, who the Wildcats will host in Sunday's championship game. Before everyone goes and just hands the championship trophy to the Wildcats for the second year in a row it is probably worth mentioning that Chicago is just 1-5 since 1937 against Boston including an upset loss in the 1939 title game. The two did not meet this season and it will be interesting to see how the league's top passer in Del Thomas does against the swarming Chicago defense.

Boston's hopes hinge on a big game from Thomas, who enjoyed his most productive season as a passer despite the fact his top receiving threat in Tom Bowens spent the season in the Army. Thomas established a new AFA single-season mark for passing yards by throwing for 1,776 but watched on Sunday as Detroit's Dewey Burnett surpassed him to raise the record to 1,886 yards. At 28 years of age, and now fully committed to football following his decision to hang up his baseball spikes, Del Thomas seems to just be hitting his stride as a quarterback and may one day reach the 2,000 passing yard total in a single season. For now the present is the focus, and Thomas will be heavily counted on by the Boston gridders to lead them to their second American Football Association championship next weekend when they square off against the unbeaten Chicago Wildcats.

NOTES -Quite an accomplish by the Wildcats to go 11-0. Of course it will all mean nothing unless they make it 12 straight. It is interesting the Boston Americans have won 5 of their last 6 meetings with the Wildcats.....Even if Chicago wins the title game they won't be able to match the 1929 Detroit Maroons for wins. That club went 13-0...This is the second time a Wildcats team had a perfect season. Old-timers will quickly point out Chicago's unbeaten 1928 squad was led by Jack Barrell at quarterback. His brother Joe was also on the team in 1927 but had retired when the '28 season rolled around.

Code:

	DEL THOMAS CAREER STATS
		PASSING
YEAR  TM  COMP-ATT  PCT   YDS  TD INT  RAT  TEAM REC
1937 BOS   73-184  39.7   932   8  14  39.0   7-3-1
1938 BOS   80-194  41.2   993   7  17  33.3   3-8
1939 BOS   54-121  44.6   631   7  14  40.7   8-3*
1940 BOS  129-215  60.0  1370   8  12  67.8   5-6
1941 BOS  162-242  66.9  1417   6  17  61.3   7-3-1
1942 BOS  164-300  54.7  1776  17  12  74.5   9-2
*won AFA championship

	RUSHING
YEAR TM   ATT  YDS  AVG  TD
1937 BOS  112  545  4.9   4
1938 BOS   24   99  4.1   0
1939 BOS   11   49  4.5   0
1940 BOS   13   51  3.9   0
1941 BOS   15   52  3.5   0
1942 BOS   13   49  3.8   0

Code:

   AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION TITLE GAME RESULTS
YEAR      RESULT	  	 VENUE
1941  Chicago 10 New York 7    Whitney Park
1940  Brooklyn 20 Detroit 7    Thompson Field
1939  Boston 21 Chicago 14     Whitney Park
1938  Brooklyn 9 Pittsburgh 7  Kings County
1937  New York 34 Chicago 0    Bigsby Oval
1936  Detroit 24 Pittsburgh 7  Thompson Field

CC LOS ANGELES CLAIMS EAST-WEST INVITE

It came as no surprise to learn the City College of Los Angeles will participate in the New Year Day East-West Classic at Santa Ana. The Coyotes made the berth in the big game against 11-0 Noble Jones College official with a 28-0 shutout win over Idaho A&M. The victory improves CCLA's record to 7-1-1 overall and 5-1 in West Coast Athletic Association play. The Coyotes are a half game back of Redwood, which is 6-1 in conference and 7-3 overall with the Coyotes handing the Mammoths their only section-loss of the season, a 24-13 defeat on Halloween. CCLA can still pull even and claim the conference crown as the Coyotes have one more game remaining before the New Years clash. That would be next Saturday against Coastal California (5-3-1). The Dolphins also play on December 19th against Golden Gate Pre-Flight but those would be the only two games remaining involving major schools before the New Years Classics.

St Blane (7-3-1) saw it's 8 game unbeaten streak come to an end with a 17-7 loss to Great Lakes Navy in the final contest for each.

WEEKEND COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD
Great Lakes Navy 17 St. Blane 7
CC Los Angeles 28 Idaho A&M 0
Daniel Boone College 27 Iowa Pre-Flight 17
Northern California 31 Golden Gate University Pre-Flight 0
Jacksonville Naval Air Station 23 Spence Field 3
California Catholic 14 Colorado Valley State 6
Tempe College 14 Flagstaff State 0
Northern Mississippi 41 San Francisco Tech 9
Red River State 14 Texas Gulf Coast 6
Valley State 31 Second Air Force (WA) 14
Coastal California 54 Custer College 0
Darnell State 27 Spokane State 0
Golden Gate University 13 Northern Minnesota 3

UPCOMING GAMES
DECEMBER 12
Coastal California vs CC Los Angeles
DECEMBER 19
Golden Gate University Pre-Flight at Coastal California

JANUARY 1, 1943 (CLASSIC GAMES)
Noble Jones College (11-0) vs CCLA (7-1-1) East-West Classic
Alabama Baptist (6-3-1) vs Commonwealth Catholic (7-1-1) Sunshine Classic
Detroit City College (9-1) vs Bayou State (7-3) Desert Classic
Cumberland (9-1) vs Payne State (9-1) Cajun Classic
Georgia Baptist (8-1-1) vs Travis College (6-2-2) Lone Star Classic

The college Classic games are on, but word from the sponsors of the 5-major New Years contests is locals-only. The Office of Defense Transportation laid down the law, requiring written confirmation from the organizers of each event confirming they understand and will comply with the ODT's edict to restrict ticket sales to residents of the immediate areas in which the games will be played.

ODT Director Joseph B. Eastman mentioned no precise geographical limitation in his request, but proposed an arrangement similar to that which applied to the recent Annapolis Maritime-Rome State game. That contest was staged at Annapolis, with attendance limited to persons living within a ten-mile radius of the small Maryland town. The ODT did admit it really had no way to police the ticket sales or to actually check the identification of everyone who entered each of the stadiums on game day. Eastman said the request was aimed primarily at discouraging "long distance travel of fans and team followers."

The big issues, Eastman added was that the bowl games are played at a holiday time when there are likely to be increased troop furlough movements and that "current passenger train shortages" demand travel be minimized and ticket distribution confined to the area where the games are played.

LIBERTY TAKES OVER TOP SPOT

The defending AIAA national tournament champions from Liberty College have taken over top spot in the college basketball ranks after improving to 7-0 with a pair of decisive victories last week. The Bells continued their domination of Academia Alliance schools with a 54-30 drubbing over Grafton, coming after having little issues with Pierpont or Brunswick in their two previous games. Liberty College finished the week out yesterday with a 57-37 win in Saginaw over Michigan Lutheran. Ron Berner led the way with 14 points in that win and his 12.1 ppg on the season continues to lead the Philadelphia school with center Robert Grant, a second team All-American selection a year ago, close behind averaging over 11 points per contest.

The Bells moved into the top spot after St Ignatius was tripped up by Smithfield College last Wednesday and fell from 1st to fifth in the rankings. The Lancers did regroup and finished off what was a busy week for them with wins over West Corners and Bronx Tech.

Code:

AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP TWENTY-FIVE
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Liberty College (59) 7-0 1787 2 Northeast Conference
2. CC Los Angeles (11) 6-0 1736 3 West Coast Athletic Association
3. Detroit City College (2) 4-0 1661 4 Great Lakes Alliance
4. North Carolina Tech 5-0 1552 5 South Atlantic Conference
5. St. Ignatius 4-1 1487 1 Great Lakes Alliance
6. Coastal California 5-1 1466 6 West Coast Athletic Association
7. Carolina Poly 4-0 1373 7 South Atlantic Conference
8. Lane State 2-0 1270 8 West Coast Athletic Association
9. Minnesota Tech 6-0 1172 13 Great Lakes Alliance
10. Chesapeake State 6-1 1155 15 South Atlantic Conference
11. Alabama Baptist 6-0 1136 11 Deep South Conference
12. Western Iowa 3-1 881 14 Great Lakes Alliance
13. Central Ohio 4-1 823 19 Great Lakes Alliance
14. Rainier College 3-1 815 17 West Coast Athletic Association
15. Coastal State 4-0 755 25 South Atlantic Conference
16. Lubbock State 4-0 680 20 Southwestern Alliance
17. Whitney College 3-1 605 18 Great Lakes Alliance
18. St. Patrick's 5-1 540 9 Northeast Conference
19. Texas Gulf Coast 4-0 492 NR Southwestern Alliance
20. Portland Tech 3-0 329 NR West Coast Athletic Association
21. Orrville 5-0 295 NR Independent
22. Tinker 4-0 235 NR Eastern Eight
23. St. Magnus 3-0 217 NR Great Lakes Alliance
24. Lawrence State 5-0 198 NR Plains Athletic Association
25. Mobile Maritime 5-1 165 12 South Atlantic Conference

RESULTS INVOLVING TOP TEAMS
Monday November 30
#19 Texas Gulf Coast 47 North Carolina Atlantic 39
#22 Tinker 46 Bay State 34
St Blane 47 NW Pennsylvania 44
Wisconsin State 39 Kit Carson University 38
Great Plains State 44 Daniel Boone College 18
Tuesday December 1
#16 Lubbock State 48 Charleston Tech 32
#24 Lawrence State 45 Hampden 27
#25 Mobile Maritime 41 Bliss College 30
Annapolis Maritime 51 Hamman 43
Commonwealth Catholic 38 Narragansett 36
Wednesday December 2
Smithfield College 53 #5 St Ignatius 51
#10 Chesapeake State 41 Lambert College 40
#22 Tinker 44 Manhattan Tech 39
#23 St Magnus 38 Poweshiek 22
Redwood 55 Eastern State 39
Rome State 47 Columbia Military Academy 37
Thursday December 3
#7 Carolina Poly 55 Opelika State 49
#11 Alabama Baptist 62 Alexandria 49
St Blane 44 Western State 27
Ferguson 46 Georgia Baptist 30
Maryland State 40 Mississippi Tech 32
Friday December 4
#1 Liberty College 54 Grafton 30
#2 CCLA 58 Springfield State 39
#4 North Carolina Tech 54 St Matthew's College 51
#5 St Ignatius 48 West Corners(NY) 43
#6 Coastal California 55 Flint 25
#15 Coastal State 63 Potomac College 43
#21 Orrville 50 Mahoning Valley State 41
Indiana A&M 45 Oklahoma City State 34
Saturday December 5
#13 Cental Ohio 50 Queen City 34
#20 Portland Tech 39 Bluegrass State 38
#24 Lawrence State 57 Wisconsin Catholic 47
Noble Jones College 54 Bulein 38
Rome State 40 Baton Rogue State 24
Annapolis Maritime 55 Frankford State 38
Sunday December 6
#1 Liberty College 47 Michigan Lutheran 37
#2 CCLA 58 Valley State 40
#5 St Ignatius 50 Bronx Tech 37
#6 Coastal California 64 El Paso Methodist 39
#9 Minnesota Tech 55 Dakota College 25
#15 Coastal State 44 #18 St Patrick's 33
#16 Lubbock State 39 Bayou State 34
#19 Texas Gulf Coast 41 #25 Mobile Maritime 38
#21 Orrville 41 Central Maryland 25

The Detroit City College Knights had no games last week but that did not stop them from moving up a spot in the polls and even picking up a couple of votes for the number one ranking. The Knights stepped up from #4 to third after Michigan rival St Ignatius slipped from top spot and ended up fifth this week. Liberty College (7-0) and CC Los Angeles (6-0) are the two teams ahead of Detroit City College (4-0).

THE WEEK AHEAD
The Knights have two games this week starting with a meeting with Armstrong of the Keystone Alliance this evening in Detroit. Armstrong is 3-4 on the season with their most recent game being a 53-33 loss to Queen City in Cincinnati last Monday. On Saturday it should be a little tougher challenge for Detroit City College to remain unbeaten as the Knights entertain the Lambert College Stags. The Stags, who play in the Midwestern Association, hail from Columbia, Missouri and reached the National quarter finals a year ago in what was just the second tournament appearance in school history. This will be a rematch of that quarter final game as it was the Knights who eliminated the Stags last March and if that score is any indication (78-55) this should be a high scoring game.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 12/06/1942

Allied troops continue to have the Nazis pinned down in North Africa and begin to bombard the old forts ringing Tunis.
Nazi subs are blamed for the sinking of 5 US transports off the coast of Morocco. German Navy vessels are also credited with sinking the giant British aircraft carrier Avenger, as well as several smaller ships in an all-out attempt to maintain a foothold in North Africa.
The R.A.F. continues it's assault on Italian targets in night time bombing raids. Benito Mussolini confirmed that 11,883 buildings were destroyed or damaged in Genoa alone in British raids.
American Naval forces frustrated a new Japanese attempt to land troops on Guadalcanal and a desperate enemy bid for a lightning victory in the Solomons in advance of the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. Despite the current success, there is growing concern a larger Japanese offensive on the Solomons is imminent.
On the anniversary of the attack, the United States officially listed the count as 8 US battleships and 11 other vessels along with 177 planes were crippled in the attack on Pearl Harbor last December 7.
Russian forces continue to push back the Germans in the Stalingrad area.
The death tolls is expected to be around 500 after a fire destroyed a nightclub in Boston Saturday evening, prompting the Governor of Massachusetts to call for the closure of all such entertainment venues until they pass a full fire and safety inspection.
The film Casablanca starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman premiers to rave reviews at the Hollywood Theater in new York City. The release in select theatres was rushed to capitalize on the Allied invasion of French North Africa.

Jiggs McGee · 07-05-2022, 12:25 PM

DECEMBER 14, 1942

BIG CHANGES TO CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION SQUADS FOR '43

Last week we took a look at the key losses each of the Federal Association teams suffered due to military enlistments and Selective Service orders. This time we turn our gaze on the Continental Association sides. Here is a look at the changes for each club.

BROOKLYN KINGS LOST: Pitchers Effa Bancroft, Stumpy Beaman and Willie Gonzalez Jr., catchers Jack D Davis and Eddie Miller, infielders Duke Evans and Howard Rivers along with outfielders Frank Lighbody, Rats McGonigle and John Moss.

The Kings lost Joe Herman in the middle of the season and now another starting outfielder in McGonigle is gone. Beamon is a back of the rotation piece and Davis had appeared poised to take take the starting catching job away from Fred Barrell. The Kings looked to be heading the wrong way before the latest player losses. This might sink even closer to the bottom of the CA table next year.

CHICAGO COUGARS LOST: Pitchers Danny Goff Jr., Donnie Jones and Ed Wilkerson along with first basemen Ray Ford and Jocko Pollard and third basemen Otto Christian and John Lawson. Also outfielder Carlos Montes.

Not again is the refrain in Chicago with the news that Donnie Jones is following Pete Papenfus as an outstanding young pitcher to join the war effort. Add in Danny Goof Jr. and the pitching losses hurt even more. The other big question mark beyond mound depth is center fielder where Orlin Yates will be asked to step in for the departed Montes. Chicago had a huge addition in the trade that brought Hank Barnett from the cross-town Chiefs so they are fine to withstand the loss of John Lawson and promising young third base prospect Otto Christian. If Johnnie Jones can pick up the slack left by his brother leaving the Cougars should be okay on the mound and as a result will likely be the favourite in the CA.

CINCINNATI CANNONS LOST: Pitchers Art Edwards and Glenn Payne, catchers Cliff Smith, John Wicklund and C/3B Rick York, middle infielders Terry Cox and John Langille along with outfielders Dick Blaszak, Levi Redding and Ruben Sanchez.

Despite losing the number 2 overall prospect in the sport in outfielder Dick Blaszak the Cincinnati Cannons were not hurt too badly by enlistments this winter, unlike a year ago when they were slammed with Bill Sohl, Mike T. Taylor and Charley McCullough leading the way. Cincinnati lost some depth and there may be worries about the outfield and the back of the rotation but aside from now desperately searching for a back-up catcher the Cannons did not lose a lot off their current team.

CLEVELAND FORESTERS LOST: Pitchers Dick Lamb, Bart Schneider and Jim Taylor, first baesmen Walt Knight and Lorenzo Samuels, infielders Jim Klingberg and Walter Morgan and outfielders Eli Harkless, Charlie Nathan and Pete Sigmund.

Losing Dick Lamb is a huge blow and seeing Harkless and Morgan go as well will also leave big holes in the Foresters lineup. 21 year old Pete Sigmund might have been ready for the big leagues and the loss of valuable learning experience for 20 year old Lorenzo Samuels also hurts. The Foresters were quite likely a last place team before the war losses started to mount and nothing here changes that but it is a tough pill to swallow seeing some valuable pieces of their future leave the game for the duration of the war.

MONTREAL SAINTS LOST: Pitchers Wally Doyle, Whitey Griffin and Jose Waggoner, first baseman Red Bond and outfielders Heinie Billings, Gordon McCarley and Ernie McCoy.

Losing Doyle and Bond are both big hits and it is too bad McCarley and McCoy will not get a chance in Montreal this season but overall the Saints may not be in too bad of a shape in '43. They will need one or both of Wally Reif and Pt Weakley to step up and replace Doyle and there is a good chance Vic Crawford can easily cover Bond's rather limited production last season at first base. The outfield might be a concern but if Bert Lass and Bill Greene can step it up the Saints might just contend, which is saying something for a team hit very hard in prospect losses to the war with Otis Parker and Ernie McCoy -both top 11 overall and second and third among outfielders- gone.

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 TOP 25 PROSPECTS NOW IN MILITARY
 #   NAME	    AGE	POS  ORGANIZATION
 2 Dick Blaszak	    21	OF   Cincinnati
 5 Ernie Espanoza   24	P    Keystones
 6 Otis Park	    23  OF   Montreal
 8 Mark Smith       22  C    Sailors
11 Ernie McCoy      21  OF   Montreal
14 Bob Johnston Jr  24  1B   St Louis
17 Duke Bybee       20  P    Cougars
20 Hal Hackney	    21  P    St Louis
22 Solly Skidmore   22  C    Chiefs
24 Bob Crowley      21  P    Chiefs

NEW YORK STARS LOST: Pitchers Jim Baker, Chuck Cole, Lou Robertson and Jake Wood, second baseman Del Huddleston, shortstop Joe Angevine, third baseman Andy Gross and outfielder Bill Barrett.

Knowing since the middle of the summer that Bill Barrett and Joe Angevine were leaving does not make it any easier to deal with in New York. Take away Cole, Robertson and Wood and this might be a long year for fans at Dyckman Stadium. Remember Lew Seals left mid-season as well so there is another hole. The feeling is this is just too much to overcome and the Stars will be regretting their game seven loss to the Gothams even more when they struggle this season. Potentially, all the losses might make even a .500 season be a stretch for the Stars in '43.

PHILADELPHIA SAILORS LOST: Pitchers Slim Cook, Al Duster, David Molina and Dutch Sheldon along with catcher Mark Smith, infielders Hal Entwhistle, Bruce Lucas and Jim McCarthy and outfielders Eddie Heaton and Lou Williams.

Losing top catching prospect Mark Smith is tough but the Sailors won't be affected by that this season as Woody Stone is still around. Pitching depth took a bit of a hit with Molina and Duster going and some might add Sheldon to that list but the 33 year old has not pitched a lot since missing over a year with arm troubles. The biggest loss may prove to be veteran outfielder Lou Williams, who hit .283 last season and has been a key piece in Philadelphia for a decade.

TORONTO WOLVES LOST: Pitchers George Garrison and Red More along with shortstop Pat Reed and outfielder Tom Frederick.

While the Wolves did not lose quantity, they did part with a lot of quality led by 20-game winner George Garrison who was runner-up in Allen Award voting last season. Red More is also a big loss when one considers he might have been the most likely replacement for Garrison in the rotation. Frederick was a two-time all-star in centerfield and will be tough to replace. The Wolves seem to be leaning towards giving P/OF Juan Pomales a chance to fill in for both Garrison and Frederick but perhaps Toronto decides to fast track 1942 first round pick Jerry York to the big leagues. The 21 year old out of Noble Jones College split his first pro year between Class B and A.

EARLY CA PREDICTION

Based on how the rosters look right now - but we are sure there will be more losses and as such changes to this list- here is how TWIFB sees the Continental Association race shaping up in 1943. The New York Stars look to be in a lot of trouble and might even slip below the Sailors and into 6th based on how things look now but the good news is there is still plenty of time to make changes and plug some of their holes before the season starts. That opens the door for the Cougars to return to the WCS as while Cincinnati, Montreal and Toronto each have some pieces in place, it would be tough to see any of those three surpassing the Cougars no matter how well Deuce Barrell, Jake DeYoung and Joe Hancock pitch. The Sailors might surprise a few teams while Brooklyn and Cleveland seemed destined to fight it out to avoid last place.

1- Chicago Cougars
2- Cincinnati Cannons
3- Montreal Saints
4- Toronto Wolves
5- New York Stars
6- Philadelphia Sailors
7- Brooklyn Kings
8- Cleveland Foresters

According to the latest tally organized baseball raised over $1.2 million this year for various war funds. The game certainly did it's part in other ways too, supplying well over 600 men to the war effort and on the field by providing wholesome fun for millions of soldiers and sailors. In the first year of World War II for the United States, the game of baseball amply fulfilled the obligations imposed on it by President Roosevelt, when he flashed the green light to the sport. The Presidential okay came January 16, in the form of a letter from the chief executive to FABL President Sam Belton stating: "I honestly feel it would be best for the country to keep baseball going."
Lou Clark is one of the many minor league veterans who may get a shot at the big leagues because so many of the players have joined the war effort. The 35 year old outfielder was once a hot shot prospect -selected in the first round, 12th overall by Cleveland in 1929- but he has played in just 101 career FABL games and none since 1940. Injury played a big role as Clark missed all of the 1933 season when he blew out his knee in spring training. At that point one would not have blamed Clark for taking his fancy Dickson College degree and going into another line of work but he stuck with baseball and eventually made it to the bigs with Baltimore back in 1935. He had just a brief taste over pasts of two seasons with the Cannons in their old home and then a trial with Cleveland a couple of years ago. Now, as he approaches his 36th birthday Clark will get another opportunity as the Cannons, now Cincinnati-based, are very worried about Moxie Pidgeon's ability to rebound from a terrible 1942 campaign. Clark is no stranger to fans in Cincinnati as he spent four seasons with the AAA Steamers during his early days in the Foresters system.

AMERICANS UPSET WILDCATS TO WIN AFA CROWN

The Boston Americans mastery of the Chicago Wildcats continued as the Yanks put an end to Chicago's dreams of a perfect season and a second straight American Football Association title with a 24-21 come-from-behind victory. Chicago was a perfect 11-0 during the regular season -the first unbeaten, untied regular season for an AFA team since 1929- but a pair of late turnovers proved the difference and allowed Boston to beat Chicago for the second time in AFA championship play and the 6th time in their last seven meetings overall.

The deciding score was a 35 yard field goal by Boston kicker Eric Balfour with 1:56 remaining in regulation time. Balfour's kick was set up just over two minutes earlier when it seemed Chicago had been gifted the game after Boston back Leon Fitzgerald fumbled the ball on his own 32 yard line with the score tied at 21 and just 4:44 remaining on the clock. However, the Wildcats quickly returned the favor as Gus Brown attempted a long pass to Freeman Stahlberg on first down only to see Boston's John May haul in the interception at his own 15 yard line. Given a second chance Fitzgerald and quarterback Del Thomas, aided by a pair of Chicago penalties, led the Yanks down the field. The big play was a 32 yard heave from Thomas to Chet Hooper that allowed the Americans to get into Balfour's kicking range. When the drive petered out at the Chicago 28 with less than 2 minutes to play, Balfour stepped up and put his 35 yard kick perfectly between the uprights to give Boston the lead.

Chicago had one more change to comeback and were driving -despite losing Freeman Stahlberg to a late injury- but once more a turnover proved costly as Gus Brown's desperate pass attempt on 4th and 22 at the Boston 40 yard line was picked off by Myles Seaburg and one play later the Americans were celebrating their second AFA crown in 4 years, with both wins coming on the road in Chicago.

Chicago dominated the time of possession and had exactly double the total offense (354 yards vs 177 for Boston) but three turnovers on their final four possessions of the game was their undoing. Chicago led 21-14 midway through the fourth quarter but faced with starting from their own 6 yard line after Del Thomas dropped a near-perfect punt, Wildcats back Stahlberg coughed up the ball on first down and it was quickly scooped up by Boston lineman Jim Faircloth who stepped into the end zone to tie the contest with less than 6 minutes to play.

Boston's Del Thomas was named the Most Valuable Player of the game and at age 28 may have taken the steps this season to be considered the best quarterback in the sport. Thomas, who recently quit baseball to focus fully on football, threw for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns while also contributing an interception and 6 tackles on the defensive side of the ball and handling the punting duties. Thomas did throw 3 interceptions as well - just as Chicago quarterback Gus Brown did - including one that Chicago's Steve McKnight returned for a touchdown in the second quarter but when he was needed most, in that final drive for the game-winning field goal, Thomas delivered and accomplished something no other AFA team could do these year: beat the Chicago Wildcats.

PAST AFA CHAMPIONS
YEAR TEAM
1942 Boston Americans
1941 Chicago Wildcats
1940 Brooklyn Kings
1939 Boston Americans
1938 Brooklyn Kings
1937 New York Stars
1936 Detroit Maroons
1935 Pittsburgh Paladins
1934 Pittsburgh Paladins
1933 Rhode Island Reds
1932 Cleveland Finches
1931 Detroit Maroons/Rhode Island Reds co-champs
1930 New York Stars
1929 Detroit Maroons
1928 Chicago Wildcats
1927 Detroit Maroons
1926 Chicago Wildcats
1925 Cleveland Finches
1924 Philadelphia Hornets
1923 Pittsburgh Pros
1922 Evansville Lions
1921 Chicago Wildcats
1920 Youngstown Reapers

BOCKHORST WINS CHRISTIAN TROPHY AS ALL-AMERICANS NAMED

Senior back Bill Bockhorst of the Noble Jones College Colonels has been named the 1942 winner of the Christian Trophy as college football's Most Outstanding Player. Bockhorst, the driving offensive force behind the Colonels perfect 11-0 season and likely number one ranking, was also named to the All-American team. While the McKee's Rock, PA. native won the Christian Trophy, he did not lay claim to the other major award for which he was eligible. That is the Bryan Award, which is presented to the Best All-Around Player and it went to quarterback Charley Morrison of Henry Hudson. The final individual award is the Ipswich Trophy, which is presented to the Best Lineman in honor of two-time All-American lineman Ed Ipswich, who was killed in action during the first World War. The Ipswich Award was presented for the first time last year and went to Jerry Rand of Dickson College. This year's winner is Cassius Howard, a junior guard for Detroit City College.

DOLPHINS BEAT COYOTES

CC Los Angeles will limp into the East-West Classic after absorbing a sound beating from their cross-city rival Coastal California Dolphins, falling by a 21-3 count. The loss cost the Coyotes the West Coast Athletic Association title as they are forced to settle for second place at 5-2 in section play, a game back of Redwood. It marked the second year in a row the Dolphins topped the Coyotes, as Coastal California prevailed 19-9 a year ago. Coastal California will close out the college football regular season next Saturday with a game against Golden Gate University Pre-Flight.

WEEKEND COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD
Coastal California 21 CC Los Angeles 3

MOST OF TOP RECRUITS HAVE COMMITTED TO SCHOOLS

All of the top 15 and 23 of the top 25 high school seniors have confirmed where they plan on playing their college basketball next season. The last of those ranked in the top ten decided this week as Marlin Patterson and Long Werth each made their decisions known. Patterson, who is a center from Charleston, Mississippi has decided to play for the Alabama Baptist Panthers next season with Werth, a Miami native, is going to stay home and play for the Miami State Gulls.

That leaves just guard John McAuley, an Ohio native, and California born forward Jon Marino undecided among the those considered to be the 25 best high school basketball players in the nation. McAuley is being wooed by St Patrick's and Chicago Poly but is said to be heavily leaning towards going to Los Angeles and playing for Coastal California. Marino, a 6'5" forward from Whittier, California is thinking about Golden Gate but is also rumoured to be considering Western Iowa or Ohio Poly.

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AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP TWENTY-FIVE
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Liberty College (65) 8-0 1793 1 Northeast Conference
2. CC Los Angeles (6) 7-0 1723 2 West Coast Athletic Association
3. Detroit City College (1) 6-0 1668 3 Great Lakes Alliance
4. North Carolina Tech 7-0 1562 4 South Atlantic Conference
5. St. Ignatius 6-1 1527 5 Great Lakes Alliance
6. Coastal California 5-1 1436 6 West Coast Athletic Association
7. Lane State 3-0 1342 8 West Coast Athletic Association
8. Chesapeake State 7-1 1224 10 South Atlantic Conference
9. Minnesota Tech 6-0 1220 9 Great Lakes Alliance
10. Alabama Baptist 6-0 1144 11 Deep South Conference
11. Western Iowa 5-1 1079 12 Great Lakes Alliance
12. Central Ohio 6-1 1040 13 Great Lakes Alliance
13. Carolina Poly 5-1 965 7 South Atlantic Conference
14. Rainier College 3-1 828 14 West Coast Athletic Association
15. Whitney College 3-1 731 17 Great Lakes Alliance
16. St. Magnus 5-0 677 23 Great Lakes Alliance
17. St. Patrick's 5-1 676 18 Northeast Conference
18. Portland Tech 4-0 587 20 West Coast Athletic Association
19. Great Plains State 7-2 508 NR Independent
20. NW New York State 4-0 478 NR Central Athletic Alliance
21. Garden State 3-2 322 NR Northeast Conference
22. Coastal State 4-1 204 15 South Atlantic Conference
23. Lubbock State 4-1 160 16 Southwestern Alliance
24. Hamman 7-1 157 NR Independent
25. Opelika State 5-1 107 NR Deep South Conference

RESULTS INVOLVING TOP TEAMS
Monday December 7
#3 Detroit City College 67 Armstrong 38
#4 North Carolina Tech 61 Western Florida 40
#19 Great Plains State 55 Campion 39
#20 NW New York State 42 Adirondack State 41
#25 Opelika State 57 American Atlantic 56
Rome State 47 Bulein 37
Tuesday December 8
#8 Chesapeake State 53 Springfield State 50
#21 Garden State 45 Empire State 30
Wednesday December 9
#1 Liberty College 52 Noble Jones College 47
#11 Western Iowa 50 College of Cairo 41
Western Florida 61 #13 Carolina Poly 53
#16 St Magnus 53 Plover College 33
George Fox 52 #22 Coastal State 49
Annapolis Maritime 55 Oklahoma City Bible College 36
Troy State(NY) 34 Tinker 32
Thursday December 10
#7 Lane State 43 Brunswick 32
#19 Great Plains State 42 Cumberland 33
#21 Garden State 60 Brooklyn Catholic 30
Friday December 11
#4 North Carolina Tech 38 Brooklyn State 24
#5 St Ignatius 53 Ohio Poly 49
#11 Western Iowa 43 Colorado Poly 30
#12 Central Ohio 57 Grafton 53
#16 St Magnus 55 Baton Rogue State 30
Strub College 38 Mobile Maritime 35
Saturday December 12
#3 Detroit City College 65 Lambert College 61
#24 Hamman 45 Bethlehem College 31
Georgia Baptist 52 Central Carolina 41
St Blane 39 Three Rivers State 20
Commonwealth Catholic 53 Western State 28
Maryland State 59 George Fox 46
Sunday December 13
#2 CCLA 45 Golden Gate 42
#5 St Ignatius 51 Granville 23
#12 Central Ohio 57 Kansas Agricultural 47
#18 Portland Tech 48 Cache Valley 33
#20 NW New York State 57 Penn Catholic 51
Rome State 44 Miners College 28
Brooklyn State 64 Canton State 61
Pierpont 46 Jersey City Tech 37

JOE HAMPTON UPDATE

We continue to track the progress of Joe Hampton at Western Iowa. The 19 year old gave up a minor league baseball career in the St Louis Pioneers organization to go to college and play for the Canaries. Western Iowa, part of the Great Lakes Alliance along with our feature team Detroit City College, is now 5-1 on the season and ranked 11th in the latest poll.

Hampton is starting at guard as a freshman, averaging a little over 27 minutes a game and 6.5 points per game. You might recall he scored 12 points in each of his first two games but has slowed since then. Last week the Canaries played twice, winning both. First up was a 50-41 win over College of Cairo in which Hampton notched 7 points and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field. He also added 3 rebounds, an assist and a steal. The Canaries finished the week in Denver with a 43-30 victory over the Colorado Poly Redbirds. Hampton had 6 points, hitting on 3 of his 9 shot attempts while also hauling in 4 rebounds and picking up two helpers.

Next week there will be just one game for Hampton and his mates, against the 4-5 Springfield State Tigers.

After a week off the Knights did not look rusty at all in a 67-38 dismantling of the Armstrong Aces (4-5). Roman Sollars, who remains among the leaders in the entire AIAA in scoring, once again led the way with 20 points while center Jack Kurtz chipped in with 11.

Next up was a motivated Lambert College(7-4) club as they were seeking revenge on the Knights for eliminating them in the quarterfinals of last year's AIAA season ending tournament. Like that one, this game was a high scoring affair as the Knights led 34-26 at the half and would go on to a 65-61 victory. Kurtz led the club in scoring with 15 while Sollars had 13 and forward Andrew Bennett added 10.

The wins improve the Knights record on the season to 6-0 and they remain third in the polls behind Liberty College and CCLA.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Just one game this week and we are back to facing another Pennsylvania squad from the Keystone Alliance. This time it will be Three Rivers State and the game will be played on their home court in Beaver Falls. The Beavers, as they of course are known, are 2-4 on the season and coming off a 39-20 loss to St Blane. Note- The Fighting Saints are a football power but not quite as dominant on the hardwood. As for Three Rivers State they have not finished at .500 or better since 1934-35 and have not reached the tournament since 1929-30. There top player is a senior forward by the name of Andy Real, who is averaging over 13 points a game.

Speaking of scoring, a quick glance at the AIAA leaders shows that Sollars is now second in the nation.

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     # PLAYER                  POS   MIN   PTS  TEAM                       
----------------------------------------------------------------------
     1 Lowell McKinzie          SG  33.3  18.0  Cowpens State              
     2 Roman Sollars            SG  31.2  17.0  Detroit City College       
     3 Jamie Marquez            SF  34.0  16.5  Tempe College              
     4 Kevin Davis              SG  31.7  16.2  Western Florida            
     5 Lionel Rice              PG  32.8  16.0  Whitney College            
     6 George Daley             SF  32.8  15.5  Elyria                     
     7 William McBride          SG  32.7  15.3  Henry Hudson               
     8 Chris Cahill             SG  34.3  15.2  Lawrence State             
     9 Gary Moreno              PF  32.0  15.0  Northern California        
    10 James Bejarano           PF  32.2  14.9  Great Plains State         
    11 Lon Porter                C  32.7  14.8  Alabama Baptist            
    12 Clay Ballentine          PG  35.9  14.8  Strub College              
    13 Gary Harrison            SF  33.3  14.8  Rainier College            
    14 Kevin Campbell           SG  34.2  14.6  Wisconsin State            
    15 Brent Bell               SG  29.0  14.6  Baton Rouge State

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 12/13/1942

The French did not successfully destroy all their ships in Toulon as it appears at least 15 warships, including 4 submarines under construction fell intact into German hands.
A blizzard swept the Stalingrad battle front while hard-riding Russian Cossacks dashed over the snow cutting down stragglers from Germany units bogged in deep snow drifts.
The Allies report they have captured a vital Japanese base in the Gona area of New Guinea.
British bombers blasted Italy again much of the week, including another prolonged attack on Turin, a northern Italian industrial center.
A Senate probe suggests the nationwide gasoline rationing is "abundantly justified" and the fuel oil rationing in the East most grow even more and more stringent, going as far as to suggest the elimination of all pleasure driving for the duration of the war.

Jiggs McGee · 07-05-2022, 03:51 PM

DECEMBER 21, 1942

A 40% cut in baseball transportation is the aim of the two associations, Washington owner William Stockdale has revealed. Stockdale discussed the transportation angle in connection with reports his club would forego Florida as a spring training base. He declared if the Washington ballclub was asked by the Office of Defense Transportation to train nearer home he would choose either Chattanooga or Charlotte as a spring base. "At present the plan is Orlando," said Stockdale, "but if Mr. Eastman from the ODT requests we eliminate such a trip, we'll be only too glad to comply."
More than one FABL mogul expressed confusion with the letter the league received from the ODT last week. Owners to man seemed to agree the letter was very polite, even friendly, considering it came from one of the Washington bureaucrats, but it also had a certain vague quality about it. The suspicion is that if the director had been a little more gruffer and a little more specific the nabobs now would be happier over the whole thing. They, like most humans, would perhaps prefer bad news in one lump rather than to be subjected to a tease. And the bigwigs of baseball really seem unsure of what actions they should be taking.
Baseball's rule 5 draft is just a few days away and some are speculating this might be the busiest one on record. War losses means most teams have a number of open spots on their 40-man secondary rosters and perceived holes that need to be filled. Not sure the answer is going to be found in many of the rule 5 eligible players but that likely won't stop teams from selecting a large number.

PRO GRID LOOP TO OPERATE IN '43 - IF POSSIBLE

The wartime future of professional football was left in doubt today although the American Football Association club owners voted unanimously to continue operations if possible. They failed, however, to come up with the manpower the game will need next Fall because the annual draft of college players was postponed until April when a definite decision on the 1943 season will be reached.

"We are generally optimistic," said Detroit Maroons owner Rollie Barrell following the meeting. "The owners voted unanimously to try and continue, subject to further regulations and conditions."

However, the decision to postpone the draft, which normally occurred in late December, until April was taken because the status of most college players is in doubt. Most of them probably will be in the armed services, but if there are enough left they will be selected at the April meeting and the league will try to carry on. But all of the clubs will need many new men and what that vote actually meant was the club owners were not yet ready to decide what their future course should be. When the armed services gets through with some of the squads there will be only seven or eight men left to a team.

There is the possibility that a curtailed 1943 program will be mapped out before the April session. The present 33-player limit may be reduced as one attempt to field enough players. The schedule also might be shortened and changed in order to cut down travelling. One possibility suggested was that the teams confine their games to opponents in their geographical division.

BOCKHORST AND MORRISON SAY THEY PLAN TO JOIN MARINES

The winners of the two major college football awards have both stated that they will likely join the Marines in the near future. Noble Jones College star halfback Billy Bockhorst, who last week was announced as the winner of the Christian Trophy, says he will join the marines immediately after his team completes it's quest for a perfect 12-0 season with a matchup in California on New Year's Day against CC Los Angeles in the East-West Classic.

Charley Morrison, who led the Henry Hudson eleven this season before winning the Bryan Award, says he also plans to enlist in the marines in the new year. Both admitted they would have turned pro if circumstances were different. "Sure - I'd have loved to give professional football a go next year if it wasn't for the war," admitted Morrison.

"Pro football gives a college player a chance to make a little nest egg for himself while he's trying to get started in the profession he prepared for at school," Bockhorst added.

When asked if he preferred running or the passing game better Bockhorst, who looks much smaller than one would imagine replied: "I like the running game better. Even when I was in high school my coach told me I'd never be a good passer. But I did the best I could at Noble Jones. I did more passing this season than ever before. But fortunately, we got so many big leads early this season I didn't have to concentrate on pitching the ball much. Yes, I do like the running game a lot better than passing."

Reporters tried to press Bockhorst for a prediction on how the Colonels would do in Santa Ana but he refused to bite, saying only he expected it to be quite a game.

WEEKEND COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD
Coastal California 37 Golden Gate Pre-Flight 0

JANUARY 1, 1943 (CLASSIC GAMES)
Noble Jones College (11-0) vs CCLA (7-2-1) East-West Classic at Santa Ana CA
Alabama Baptist (6-3-1) vs Commonwealth Catholic (7-1-1) Sunshine Classic at Miami FL
Detroit City College (9-1) vs Bayou State (7-3) Desert Classic at El Paso TX
Cumberland (9-1) vs Payne State (9-1) Cajun Classic at New Orleans LA
Georgia Baptist (8-1-1) vs Travis College (6-2-2) Lone Star Classic at Austin TX

Liberty College remains the team to beat as the defending National Champion Bells ran their record to 10-0 with a pair of victories this week. The Bells started with a 59-47 win over Brooklyn Catholic before finishing their week with a 59-49 win over El Paso Methodist. Detroit City College leapfrogged idle CC Los Angeles to take over second place in the polls. The Knights are 7-0 following a decisive 51-35 victory on the road over Three Rivers State. North Carolina Tech took the biggest fall among the top ten schools, dropping from 4th to 9th after losing their first game of a busy week, falling 45-35 to Topeka State. The Techsters did win their next two games and head into their Christmas break with a 9-1 record.

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AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP TWENTY-FIVE
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Liberty College (71) 10-0 1799 1 Northeast Conference
2. Detroit City College (1) 7-0 1718 3 Great Lakes Alliance
3. CC Los Angeles 7-0 1667 2 West Coast Athletic Association
4. St. Ignatius 6-1 1564 5 Great Lakes Alliance
5. Coastal California 6-1 1504 6 West Coast Athletic Association
6. Lane State 6-0 1440 7 West Coast Athletic Association
7. Chesapeake State 9-1 1318 8 South Atlantic Conference
8. Minnesota Tech 8-0 1291 9 Great Lakes Alliance
9. North Carolina Tech 9-1 1233 4 South Atlantic Conference
10. Western Iowa 6-1 1187 11 Great Lakes Alliance
11. Central Ohio 7-1 1074 12 Great Lakes Alliance
12. Rainier College 4-1 1016 14 West Coast Athletic Association
13. St. Patrick's 7-1 914 17 Northeast Conference
14. Whitney College 4-1 793 15 Great Lakes Alliance
15. Great Plains State 9-2 729 19 Independent
16. Alabama Baptist 8-1 685 10 Deep South Conference
17. Portland Tech 5-0 644 18 West Coast Athletic Association
18. St. Magnus 5-0 571 16 Great Lakes Alliance
19. Garden State 5-2 512 21 Northeast Conference
20. NW New York State 6-0 505 20 Central Athletic Alliance
21. Carolina Poly 6-2 379 13 South Atlantic Conference
22. Coastal State 5-1 341 22 South Atlantic Conference
23. Annapolis Maritime 12-2 236 NR Independent
24. Mobile Maritime 7-2 123 NR South Atlantic Conference
25. Elyria 6-1 117 NR Independent

Others Receiving Votes:
Brooklyn State 6-3 25 Northeast Conference
Canton State 3-1 13 Central Athletic Alliance
Oklahoma City State 9-2 2 Plains Athletic Association

RESULTS INVOLVING TOP TEAMS
Monday December 14
#2 Detroit City College 51 Three Rivers State 35
#6 Lane State 47 Grafton 31
#16 Alabama Baptist 53 Huntington State 42
#19 Garden State 51 St Gordius 50
#22 Coastal State 39 Ohio Poly 39
Central Carolina 60 Cumberland 43
Tuesday December 15
#5 Coastal California 57 Hartford Wesleyan 44
#7 Chesapeake State 42 College of Cairo 41
#8 Minnesota Tech 58 Rock Island 56
#10 Western Iowa 54 Springfield State 36
#14 Whitney College 52 Armstrong 23
#15 Great Plains State 49 Northern Mississippi 36
#20 NW New York State 45 Needham 30
#23 Annapolis Maritime 39 Henry Hudson 30
#25 Elyria 39 St Blane 28
Bronx Tech 47 #21 Carolina Poly 45
Wednesday December 16
#11 Central Ohio 57 George Fox 33
#13 St Patrick's 42 Eastern Kansas 32
Georgia Baptist 44 North Carolina Atlantic 42
Redwood 41 Baton Rogue State 33
Thursday December 17
#1 Liberty College 59 Brooklyn Catholic 47
#6 Lane State 46 Erie 44
#7 Chesapeake State 54 Brunswick 44
#8 Minnesota Tech 50 Iowa A&M 47
#9 North Carolina Tech 48 Kansas Agricultural 46
#17 Portland Tech 47 St Blane 35
#24 Mobile Maritime 60 Oklahoma Bible College 57
Commonwealth Catholic 42 Spokane State 34
Charleston Tech 60 Rome State 54
Friday December 18
#13 St Patrick's 47 Bronx Tech 41
#15 Great Plains State 45 Lubbock State 44
#21 Carolina Poly 52 Armstrong 36
#23 Annapolis Maritime 47 Petersburg 38
#25 Elyria 54 Tallmadge State 34
Saturday December 19
#9 North Carolina Tech 48 Utah A&M 38
#12 Rainier College 55 College of Omaha 43
#19 Garden State 54 Topeka State 43
#20 NW New York State 55 NW Pennsylvania 45
Noble Jones College 61 Wisconsin Catholic 41
Sunday December 20
#1 Liberty College 59 El Paso Methodist 49
#6 Lane State 75 Springfield State 34
#16 Alabama Baptist 56 College of Cairo 52
#23 Annapolis Maritime 46 Bigsby College 34
#25 Elyria 55 Queen City 45
Rome State 45 Meade 39
St Blane 57 Grant (IN) 29

The Detroit City College hoopsters moved up a spot in the rankings and are now #2 behind only Liberty College after running their record to 7-0 with a 51-35 win over Three Rivers State. Roman Sollars and Andrew Bennett each had 14 points to lead the Knights with Jack Kurtz chipping in 10 along with 7 boards. That game took place last Monday and the Knights will not play again until a Christmas day matchup with Erie.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Next up for Detroit City College is another Keystone Alliance team. This time it is the Erie University Anchors, who are presently 3-5 on the season. One of Erie's key players is a Detroit native in senior guard Amos Lee.

The conference games do not begin until the middle of next month but here is a look at how the Great Lakes Alliance teams are faring so far:

Code:

		1942-43 Great Lakes Alliance Standings
 TEAM                               CW  CL   Pct  W  L    Pct  RPI  
--------------------------------------------------------------------
 #8 Minnesota Tech Lakers            0   0  .000  8  0  1.000    1   
 #2 Detroit City College Knights     0   0  .000  7  0  1.000    9    
 #11 Central Ohio Aviators           0   0  .000  7  1   .875   11   
 #10 Western Iowa Canaries           0   0  .000  6  1   .857   47  
 #4 St. Ignatius Lancers             0   0  .000  6  1   .857   55   
 #18 St. Magnus Vikings              0   0  .000  5  0  1.000   90  
 Indiana A&M Reapers                 0   0  .000  4  2   .667   12   
 #14 Whitney College Engineers       0   0  .000  4  1   .800   71   
 Wisconsin State Brewers             0   0  .000  4  2   .667  190  
 Lincoln Presidents                  0   0  .000  3  3   .500  150

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 12/20/1942

Japanese inactivity the past week is being watched warily, with a feeling it is simply a prelude to a major offensive either on Guadalcanal or some other strategic point in the Pacific.
Reports of a secret U.S. weapon being close to deployment as the Allies continue to ramp up their air attacks in Italy and Nazi Germany.
German forces in both Stalingrad and North Africa have launched offensives in a last-ditched effort to salvage their positions on each of those fronts.
Eleven of the United Nations and the French National Committee condemned Germany's "bestial policy" of mass slaughter of Jews and resolved that those responsible would not escape retribution.
A year after retreating to India, the British Imperial Army has moved back into Burma, occupying two towns and forcing the Japanese back.
A third huge fire in Boston this month. No deaths this time but 42 were injured as fire roared through two business blocks of the city's shopping district. The official death count from the biggest of the blazes - 16 days ago at the Cocoanut Grove Night Club- now stands at 488.
The urgent gasoline shortage is resulting in the halting of all pleasure driving in the 17-state Atlantic Coast area. Further rationing of civilian meat consumption is also anticipated due to war related shortages.

Tiger Fan · 07-06-2022, 01:05 PM

DECEMBER 28, 1942

ALTERNATE SITES FOR FLORIDA CAMPS ADVISED

FABL Clubs Promised Definite Ruling from U.S. by February 8

The 16 FABL baseball clubs will be given a definite ruling on their spring training programs by February 7 but in the meantime clubs which had planned to condition in California, Florida and Texas should have alternate sites in mind. This information was reported just before Christmas by William Stockdale, owner of the Washington Eagles, to FABL President Sam Belton after Stockdale conferred with Joseph B. Eastman, defense transportation director. Stockdale's conference represented the first direct step taken by Organized Ball to ascertain from government headquarters at Washington whether it's program meets federal requirements, after the game had wrestled with transportation, manpower, gas and tire problems without known whether official sanction would be forthcoming for it's plans. Stockdale was empowered by the FABL office to get a more definite expression from Eastman than was given in the letter the government executive addressed to the majors just prior to their annual meeting in Chicago in conjunction with the Rule Five draft.

In the letter, Eastman requested that the game's officials consider how basic travel requirements can be met "without waste in space or mileage" and suggested among other things that "subject to suitable weather conditions, the selection of a spring site as near as possible to the permanent headquarters of the team would save transportation."

Typically FABL clubs barnstorm in late February and early March, such as a year ago when the Brooklyn Kings went to Cuba and several other clubs to California, before all gathering in Florida to play tune-up games against each other for several weeks leading up to the mid-April openers. This season four clubs - the Chicago Cougars and Chiefs, St Louis Pioneers and Cincinnati Cannons - had planned to condition in California for two weeks before heading to Florida but are now all in the process of cancelling that portion of their camps.

While the plan now is to wait until a clearer outline comes in February, FABL is said to be looking at three different options. The ideal scenario would see the 16 teams all convene in Florida in mid-March as usual with only those pre-Citrus League barnstorming trips falling by the wayside. A second option may be a reduced spring training not commencing until early April and be contested with teams in several groups so the two Chicago teams and St Louis might meet in Oklahoma for a couple of weeks, with -weather permitting- two other pods be located in Tennessee and South Carolina for teams to head to the nearest center and all train in the same area. The third, and least preferred, is teams all stay home and train indoors on days that the early April weather does not co-operate. That would benefit the two-team cities as they will be permitted to play each other but the remainder may well be forced to scrimmage on their own or face college clubs and not play any real major league competition until Opening Day.

RULE FIVE DRAFT A BUSY AFFAIR

A total of 30 players were selected in baseball's annual rule five draft of minor league talent. Entering the draft the feeling was a fair number of players would be selected simply because so many organizations had numerous openings on their 40-man secondary rosters and holes to fill due to players leaving to join the war effort. The Cleveland Foresters led the way with 5 selections including third baseman Jack Blanton who was selected with the first pick in the draft. Blanton spent last season in AA, hitting .300 for Knoxville in the Brooklyn Kings system. The 26 year old was a 1935 18th round pick of the Kings. Blanton's father Bill also played minor league ball and is currently a coach in the independent Lone Star Association.

With concerns about depth, FABL clubs again selected a fair number of veteran players. Those with previous big league experience include:
DAN ROGERS -OF Chicago Cougars a former first round pick of the Kings who appeared in 10 games for Brooklyn over a 3 year span.
JIM FEDOROV -P Washington Eagles went 2-1 in 15 appearances with the Chiefs last season and the 28 year old has pitched 63 FABL innings overall.
GEORGE SMITH -P Chicago ChiefsLooked very good in 3 starts for Brooklyn last season after spending most of the past six seasons in the minors.
ART MCMAHON- OF Montreal SaintsThe 31 year old has appeared in 325 FABL games for the Stars and Sailors, batting .259. Was a first round pick, selected 8th overall in 1930 a year after he was drafted in the 11th round but refused to sign with the New York Gothams.
JOHNNY WILLIAMSON- C Cincinnati Cannons Rainier College grad has spent most of his time as a pro in AAA but the 29 year old did manage to appear in 27 games for the Cougars over parts of 3 seasons.
PINKY CONLAN- P Chicago Chiefs 33 year old is 42-71 overall in FABL and spent several seasons in the Baltimore Cannons rotation before injuries hit him pretty hard. He had a brief stint with St Louis in 1940 and after being out of baseball entirely in 1941 spent last season in the Dynamos system but now with all of the players gone to the war Conlan gets another chance.
ED SALA- C Cincinnati Cannons Not expected to be retained by the Cannons since they also acquired Williamson, but the 31 year old Brooklyn native has played 23 games with his hometown Kings over his long pro career.
BOBBY BOND- OF Chicago Chiefs Now there is a name from the past as the 35 year old gets one more chance at the big leagues. Bond is a .293 career hitter who played 1,126 FABL games primarily with the Sailors but also a brief stop in 1940 in Detroit. He has been in the minors since then but was a participant in the very first FABL all-star game back in 1933 and won a WCS with the Sailors as a rookie in 1930, although he did not appear in the series.

The hardest hit team in terms of sheer numbers was the Brooklyn Kings who lost a total of 7 players in the rule five draft including former first rounder Dan Rogers to the Cougars. Other now former Kings are catchers Joe Robbins and Ed Sala, 3B Jack Blanton and pitchers George Smith, Angel Lopez and Manny Franco.

Each of the players selected must spend the entire season on the major league roster of the club that selected them or be returned to their original organization. Here is the complete draft list.

A new concern for FABL magnates to worry about. There are well over one hundred big league ballplayers who have taken war plant jobs during the off-season. That causes the baseball bigwigs to wonder "Will those players be permitted to leave those jobs to play baseball?" The answer seems to be how invaluable the player is at his war job and whether baseball is to be recognized as a war industry for it's morale value.
Reports indicate the league is no longer considering the idea of a 'shared player pool' to help alleviate the war time losses. The idea, which called for FABL President Sam Belton to have the power to move players from one team to another should a club, or several clubs, run into player shortages at certain positions -most notably catcher and pitchers. While in many ways it made sense to ensure the league would continue to prosper the overall feeling from the magnates was fans would not embrace the idea of suddenly losing a player to a rival just because that rival had a hole that needed to be filled. Those arguing against the measure correctly pointed out that there will always be players available in the low minors - certainly not necessarily big league quality but still bodies that could be added in a pinch.
The plan to dismantle the Federal and Continental Associations and go with an East-West structure for the duration is one that will not go away, despite the fact that to a man the FABL big-wigs despise the idea. It would make the ODT happy, although transportation boss Mr. Eastman still insists he is not encouraging the concept. What is gaining traction is the idea of training camps being held in more northern locations to minimize travel so expect Virginia or the Carolinas to likely 'pinch-hit' for Florida as Citrus League hosts this March and early April.
Never mind New York as the towering metropolis that makes Chicago feel like a second-class city. As Archie Irwin of the Chicago Daily News pointed out recently- in sports at least, the role of Chicago-killer seems to have fallen to the city of Boston. Bostonians must be in the minds of the Windy City gang when you consider the fact that Beantown is 3-0 in big league championships vs Chicago the past four seasons. You of course have the Minutemen rallying to beat the Cougars in a 7 game World Championship Series in '41 and now for the second time in 4 years the grid Boston Americans walked into Whitney Park and waltzed out with an American Football Association title. Boston won 21-14 over the Wildcats in 1939 and just a couple of weeks ago rallied for a 24-21 win that crushed Chicago's dreams of a second straight title and a perfect season. It's not just restricted to the pro ranks either as Boston's St. Patrick's University knocked off Chicago Poly in the quarterfinals of the AIAA college basketball championship a year and a half ago. Next time we get a Boston-Chicago tilt in any sport I think I know on which side my money is going. Luck of the Irish I guess.
Speaking of Chicago, Herald-Examiner Sports Editor Percy Sutherland is working the numbers once more. The renowned Windy City sportswriter has come up with a list -and numbers to back his choices- of who he feels are the best hitters since 1915. He is using a stat called "Batting Runs" and notes since it is cumulative that is a very good measure of the top batsmen over the 27 years. Hard to argue with anyone on this list:
1-Max Morris (1,192.2)
2-Rankin Kellogg (821.6)
3-Al Wheeler (564.8)
4-Fred McCormick (552.5)
5-John Lawson (546.9)
6-Pete Layton (505.3)
7-Frank Vance (496.5)
8-Dave Trowbridge (468.6)
9-T.R. Goins (458.1)
10-Bobby Barrell (410.0)
Sutherland also notes that Chiefs lefty Red Hampton is just two wins shy from the century mark for his FABL career. The 36 year old went 14-13 a year ago and is 98-95 overall. Says Sutherland: "That prompted me to dive into the history. There are 1760 total players listed as pitcher. Of those, 12 players have at least 300 wins, 53 players have at least 200 wins, and 239 players have at least 100 wins. That's about 13.5%. 100 wins is not a Hall of Fame level accomplishment, but it is an accomplishment nonetheless. If I try to limit this to players who started their careers after 1915, the number of players with at least 100 wins drops to 90.
More from Sutherland: I restricted to players listed as Pitcher, because if you open it up to batters also, there are only 2 who made it to 100 wins. And no, Max Morris is not one. Morris had 83 career wins. Jason Young had 135 and Jeff Greene had 114. Cap Young debuted with Boston as a pitcher in 1878 and converted to a full-time shortstop in 1885 (with the Gothams). Young went 42-33 in 1881 for the Boston nine.

MORE THAN 200,000 EXPECTED FOR FIVE GAMES

More than 200,000 Americans will be spending their New Year's Day at five major football games as the college ranks put a bow on the 1942 season. The East-West Classic is back home in Santa Ana, Cal., after a 1942 shift to New York City because of war conditions. Estimates say close to a capacity crowd of 80,000 is expected for the big game between unbeaten Noble Jones College and CC Los Angeles. Add another 50,000 believed to be set to watch the Cajun Classic in New Orleans and it certainly appears to ODT edict to restrict travel may not be being fully followed.

JANUARY 1, 1943 (CLASSIC GAMES)
Noble Jones College (11-0) vs CCLA (7-2-1) East-West Classic at Santa Ana CA
Alabama Baptist (6-3-1) vs Commonwealth Catholic (7-1-1) Sunshine Classic at Miami FL
Detroit City College (9-1) vs Bayou State (7-3) Desert Classic at El Paso TX
Cumberland (9-1) vs Payne State (9-1) Cajun Classic at New Orleans LA
Georgia Baptist (8-1-1) vs Travis College (6-2-2) Lone Star Classic at Austin TX

Until it rises again in those Classic Games sprawling under sunny skies from Miami, Fla., to Santa Ana, Cal., the roar of the football crowds has died down. But the tumult of the 1942 season aftermath will continue to keep the followers of the game in a hubbub long after the New Year's Day extra-curricular fiestas have heard their final whistle.

They will be talking about this 1942 campaign for many years to come - certainly in Georgia where the Noble Jones College- Georgia Baptist game was the hottest show in Atlanta since the fires of the Civil War. They will be talking in Michigan about what might have been if only the Detroit City College Knights found a way to get past St Blane. Of course Fighting Saints supporters across the country will be lamenting the fact it took their club two weeks to wake up and get on-track. In the Boston area it will be many years before fans can forget the heartache of a Commonwealth Catholic loss to Brooklyn State in what has to be the biggest upset of this season, and likely in many years. And in Tennessee, they lament how Cumberland's hopes of a perfect season and maybe the Explorers first national championship in any of the major sports vanished with a 21-20 season-ending loss to their rivals at Bluegrass State. For the Mustangs of Louisville that win, to drive a dagger into the hearts of the Cumberland eleven, made a 3-loss showing in Deep South section play feel like a resounding success.

The professional ranks gave us incredible moments as well. How about the Chicago Wildcats perfect season - the first such occurrence since 1929 - and then the Wildcats collapse late in the title game against Boston.. There was excitement in St Louis too, as former Eastern State star Bob Holt took the city and the league by storm, destroying the single game rushing record with 254 yards in his professional debut and then topping that with a 264 yard rushing game less than a month later. Between Holt, who set a modern single-season rushing mark, and Stan Vaught of Detroit -the best end the game has ever seen- this is an exciting time in professional football. I hope you enjoyed it will you could. Because odds are when the calendar rolls around to the fall once again many big names will not be back.

College football seems assured of continuing, with a fresh supply of young men arriving each year to spend a few years in the college ranks and the reserves, but the pros have no such luxury. Most of the top graduating college talent will be enlisted, if they are not already, and the dwindling supply of talented grid stars is shrinking fast on the American Football Association.

CC LOS ANGELES MOVES INTO NUMBER ONE

A nice belated Christmas present for CC Los Angeles as the Coyotes were elevated to number one in the polls following wins over Mississippi A&M and Bronx Tech last weekend. The California school has long been one of the most dominant teams in the nation and generally has it's pick of west coast high schoolers. CCLA recently notched it's 800th career win in AIAA play including a 49-27 record in tournament play. The Coyotes have made the semi-finals of the national tournament 8 times including last season when they fell to Liberty College in the title game. CCLA has won the national championship three times with the most recent one coming a decade ago.

They have a veteran team with 4 senior starters but their leader is the lone junior starter in Joseph Quintana. The forward out of Duncan, Arizona is leading the team in scoring averaging 11.2 ppg and has started all 3 of his seasons in Los Angeles. Supporting Quintana is the other half of the Coyotes Arizona connection in Phoenix native Perry Field, a senior guard who is also scoring in double-digits this season. Field had 14 points to lead the win in a 61-47 win over Mississippi A&M on Monday and was the high man once again on Saturday when he notched 12 in a hard-fought 46-40 victory over Bronx Tech.

The Coyotes still have 5 games left before the tough West Coast Athletic Association schedule kicks in and everyone will be gunning for CCLA after the school went 16-0 a year ago to become the first WCAA five to ever run the table with a perfect record in conference play.

Code:

AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP TWENTY-FIVE
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. CC Los Angeles (43) 9-0 1767 3 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Liberty College (18) 10-0 1718 1 Northeast Conference
3. Detroit City College (11) 8-0 1699 2 Great Lakes Alliance
4. Coastal California 7-1 1570 5 West Coast Athletic Association
5. Lane State 7-0 1485 6 West Coast Athletic Association
6. North Carolina Tech 10-1 1372 9 South Atlantic Conference
7. Chesapeake State 10-1 1321 7 South Atlantic Conference
8. Western Iowa 8-1 1266 10 Great Lakes Alliance
9. St. Ignatius 6-2 1217 4 Great Lakes Alliance
10. Central Ohio 9-1 1193 11 Great Lakes Alliance
11. Minnesota Tech 9-0 1176 8 Great Lakes Alliance
12. St. Patrick's 7-1 963 13 Northeast Conference
13. Great Plains State 11-2 961 15 Independent
14. Garden State 8-2 784 19 Northeast Conference
15. Alabama Baptist 9-1 763 16 Deep South Conference
16. Whitney College 4-1 690 14 Great Lakes Alliance
17. Portland Tech 7-0 688 17 West Coast Athletic Association
18. Carolina Poly 9-2 625 21 South Atlantic Conference
19. St. Magnus 6-0 565 18 Great Lakes Alliance
20. Rainier College 4-2 415 12 West Coast Athletic Association
21. Mobile Maritime 8-2 290 24 South Atlantic Conference
22. Elyria 7-1 284 25 Independent
23. Brooklyn State 7-3 283 NR Northeast Conference
24. NW New York State 6-1 158 20 Central Athletic Alliance
25. Coastal State 7-2 113 22 South Atlantic Conference

Others Receiving Votes:
Wisconsin State 7-2 13 Great Lakes Alliance
Annapolis Maritime 13-3 8 Independent
Johnston Tech 9-2 7 Independent
Darnell State 6-2 3 Southwestern Alliance
Northern California 5-3 2 West Coast Athletic Association
College of San Diego 7-2 1 California League

RESULTS INVOLVING TOP TEAMS
Monday December 21
#1 CCLA 61 Mississippi A&M 47
#11 Minnesota Tech 56 Plover College 42
#13 Great Plains State 60 Red River State 52
#17 Portland Tech 38 Kit Carson University 35
#18 Carolina Poly 59 Cumberland 38
Bluegrass State 52 Miami State 42
Tuesday December 22
#7 Chesapeake State 53 Kansas Agricultural 29
#15 Alabama Baptist 41 Texas Gulf Coast 29
Rome State 40 Bethlehem College 31
Darnell State 47 Oklahoma City State 46
Wednesday December 23
#14 Garden State 63 Hartford Wesleyan 44
Noble Jones College 50 Jersey City Tech 38
Thursday December 24
#5 Lane State 47 Western Florida 37
#8 Western Iowa 42 Wichita Baptist 40
#10 Central Ohio 60 Grange College 47
#18 Carolina Poly 42 College of Cairo 34
Annapolis Maritime 67 West Corners (NY) 51
St Blane 42 Eastern Virginia 41
Friday December 25
#1 CCLA 46 Bronx Tech 40
#3 Detroit City College 62 Erie 29
#13 Great Plains State 42 Dudley 41
#14 Garden State 53 Springfield State 37
#17 Portland Tech 63 Quaker College (CA) 43
#21 Mobile Maritime 56 Wisconsin Catholic 34
Georgia Baptist 55 Charleston Tech 40
Saturday December 26
#4 Coastal California 52 Sunnyvale 26
#6 North Carolina Tech 46 Henry Hudson 43
#8 Western Iowa 47 College of Omaha 34
#19 st Magnus 45 Wyoming A&I 34
#22 Elyria 36 Granville 35
#23 Brooklyn State 54 Tinker 35
#25 Coastal State 58 Western Florida 52
Sunday December 27
#10 Central Ohio 57 Sadler 38
#14 Garden State 49 College of Cairo 41
#18 Carolina Poly 60 Ferguson 54
St Blane 40 #24 NW New York State 32

The schedule-maker did not treat the Knights too kindly. They only had one game this week but it required them to travel to Erie and play on Christmas Day. There were plenty of presents for Detroit City College shooters as the put a lump of coal in the Lakers stockings to the tune of a 62-29 result. Senior guard Roman Sollars was the chief grinch once again as far as Erie fans were concerned. Sollars had a season high 26 points (just 2 shy of his career best) and is now averaging 17.8 ppg on the season, which is tops in the entire AIAA. He was named the National freshman of the year in 1939-40 and if he keeps it up should be in the running for the top college player and All-American status.

THE WEEK AHEAD

A pair of games next week for the Knights. First up is Orrville, an independent team from Ohio. The Oaks have not been to the tournament since 1925 and never won a tournament game but they started this season with 5 straight wins including a victory over Cumberland. They have cooled of late and are 6-5 entering our game slated for Wednesday. Their top player is a junior guard from Everett, Pa., by the name of Ted Greico. On Saturday the Knights face another indy school in College of Cairo. The Pharaohs are just 2-12 on the season but have had a tough slate of games, with losses to 6 top twenty-five teams already this season. Their only tournament appearance came in the spring of 1919.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 12/27/1942

On the heels of great success in Stalingrad Red Army forces are continuing to advance in an attempt to take the key rail city of Millerovo.
There are reports that Hitler might have been in Munich when British bombers started multiple large fires with a "great weight" of bombs being dropped on the city that is the birthplace of the Nazi party.
The German Africa corps under the lead of Rommel is said to be retreating at an average rate of 15 miles a day.
A US firm has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the Federal Government of approximately $6 million. The Department of Justice says the Anaconda Wire & Cable Company plot also endangered the lives of American soldiers and sailors.
In a Christmas appeal, Pope Pius called for a new order and denounced godless authoritarian government and "Marxist socialism" during his annual message to the world.

Jiggs McGee · 07-07-2022, 01:08 PM

JANUARY 4, 1943

FLAG RACE OPENINGS MAY BE POSTPONED

Florida Exodus May Cause Change

While nothing has been officially decided, baseball men today were of the opinion that the evacuation of Florida training bases might cause postponement of the opening of the 1943 FABL races. It is believed that most of the teams have embraced the possibility of changing their training plans and are considering setting up shop either in Georgia or the Carolinas to reduce the spring travel requirements somewhat. However, if such a change does get the go-ahead it is possible that all may start the regular season grind a week or two later than originally planned for the Florida Citrus contests. The decision on a later opening will be likely left for the major league meetings in February, but many well-informed sources are of the opinion that the magnates really have no choice in the matter.

Six clubs are said to now be in line with unofficial recommendations they not travel as far south, following an official request from the ODT. They are the Kings, Stars, Pioneers, Gothams and Sailors, who all are considering training in the Carolinas, as well the Keystones who say they will hold their camp in Savannah, Georgia if necessary. The expectation is if the plan continues to hold, all 16 clubs will train along the eastern seaboard rather than the typical locations in Florida. If that change does occur the result is likely that spring camps will be delayed by one week in order to hope for slightly warmer weather and as a result the season openers will also be bumped back, not commencing until likely April 20. The plan had been to start the season on April 13 but that date is looking less and less likely every day.

FABL President Sam Belton and Washington Eagles owner William Stockdale are set to meet with ODT boss Joseph Eastman later this week in an effort to firm up plans for the 1943 season. It appears the idea of switching to an East/West structure for the regular season is now dead in the water but the matter of season length and spring training plans remains up in the air with time fast running out for decisions on those matters to be firmed up. Belton is expected to update the team magnates on the weekend following his sit-down with government officials.
In the meantime baseball's other big worry - lack of players - is also still a serious concern. While no key major league players left last week a large number of minor leaguers including 8 who were currently on the secondary roster of a big league team joined the military last week. Heading that list is 29 year old Gothams outfielder William Walker, who played 9 games for the World Champions last year.
Just because no key players left last week does not mean the big league teams have stopped worrying. Far from it as each club GM tenses weekly for more bad news. And there may be very bad news on the horizon for a Federal Association club as there are rumours circulating that at least one more very prominent Federal Association star is heavily considering enlisting. Few facts have been exposed but the news is coming out of New England, although the source states it is not a member of the Boston Minutemen.

BOCKHORST LEADS NOBLE JONES TO PERFECT SEASON

The best of the west proved no match for the Noble Jones College eleven as the Colonels easily handled the CC Los Angeles Coyotes 20-3 in the East-West Classic before nearly 82,000 fans at the big stadium in Santa Ana. The Coyotes learned what everyone in the south and east already knew: that Christian Trophy winning back Billy Bockhorst and his Noble Jones College teammates are simply too good for everyone else. In going 12-0 on the year the Colonels outscored their opponents by a 384-82 margin and will most assuredly be named the 1942 National Champion when the votes are tabulated this week.

It may well be the state of Georgia is 1-2 in the polls as the Georgia Baptist Gators (9-1-1) made a case for the second spot with a 23-17 victory over Travis College in the Lone Star Classic. It was a big day for the Deep South Conference on more than just those two fronts as Cumberland, Bayou State and Alabama Baptist all won as well, making the Deep South squads a perfect 5-0 on New Years Day. Cumberland won a shoot out over Payne State, claiming a 34-26 victory on the Desert Classic. Bayou State and Alabama Baptist both pulled off upsets over teams that had national title dreams had Noble Jones College stumbled. Instead it was Detroit City College and Commonwealth Catholic that were left wondering what went wrong with the two schools - both using the moniker Knights- came up short. Alabama Baptist humiliated the Boston-based Knights to the tune of 31-0 while Detroiters fell 27-17 to the Cougars.

*** GATES EXCEED EXPECTATIONS ***

Despite wartime restrictions on transportation, some 230,000 fans attended the five post-season football classic games and saw what may be the last and best-balanced gridiron program for the duration. Ranging from the 82,000 fans who watched Noble Jones College turn away CCLA in the East-West Classic to the 14,000 at El Paso that witnessed Bayou State's upset of Detroit City College in the Desert Classic, the take at the turnstiles far exceeded expectations. New Orleans' Cajun Classic, in which Cumberland topped Payne State, attracted 70,000, the second best attendance; 36,000 packed into Austin to catch the Lone State Classic between Georgia Baptist and Travis College and just over 30,000 saw Alabama Baptist outscore Commonwealth Catholic at the Sunshine Classic in Miami.
*** FUMMBLE LEADS TO FIRST SCORE IN SANTA ANA ***

Despite playing with a tender ankle and spending much of the second half on the bench, Christian Trophy winning back Billy Bockhorst led Noble Jones with a pair of first half touchdowns. The opening score by Bockhorst came just 3 minutes into the game despite the fact the Colonels lost the coin-toss and kicked first. But on it's second play from scrimmage CCLA put the ball on the ground and the alert Noble Jones defense took advantage. Following the recovery Bockhorst had 3 runs including what would prove to be all the offense they would need with a 2 yard scoring run. He would score another touchdown - this one on a 14 yard scamper - late in the first quarter to increase the Colonels lead to 14-0. On the day the Colonels picked up 24 first downs to CCLA's five and gained 212 yards rushing to 97. The Colonels also out-passed the Coyotes- 161 yards to 62.
*** ONE SIDED AFFAIR IN MIAMI ***

The biggest shock of the day was the ease in which Alabama Baptist handled Commonwealth Catholic, blanking the Knights 31-0. It had the makings of a tight contest early but after a scoreless opening quarter the Panthers rolled like an express train with 3 second period scores. All-American center Larry Castleman had himself a day and was a thorn in the side of Knights backs all afternoon. In addition to being credited with 7 tackles, Castleman also forced 3 fumbles including two from Commonwealth Catholic's big fullback Stan Whitman.

While not as one-sided the outcome in El Paso was equally shocking to that in Miami. Most had felt the heavily favoured Detroit City College squad was just too fast and too strong for Bayou State but the Cougars - who at 7-3 were a questionable choice to participate in the game and were only invited after several other schools declined- scored a pair of late touchdowns to pull out a 27-17 victory.

WEEKEND COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD
Noble Jones College 20 CC Los Angeles 3 at the East-West Classic (Santa Ana CA)
Alabama Baptist 31 Commonwealth Catholic 0 at the Sunshine Classic (Miami FL)
Georgia Baptist 23 Travis College 17 at the Lone Star Classic (Austin TX)
Bayou State 27 Detroit City College 17 at the Desert Classic (El Paso TX)
Cumberland 34 Payne State 26 at the Cajun Classic (New Orleans LA)

BIG TEST FOR LITTLE ELYRIA

Nestled in the top 25, amidst all the big schools from traditional power conferences and larger independent outfits such as Great Plains State, is a tiny school out of Ohio by the name of Elyria University. The Pioneers campus, a short distance from Cleveland, is abuzz this week as their basketball heroes are a nationally ranked team and preparing for a trip to Columbus and a game against the 10th ranked Central Ohio Aviators. It goes tomorrow night and will be just the second time in a decade the two schools have met. The first one, in the 1939-40 season, nearly resulted in a major upset but the Aviators pulled out a 38-36 victory. The Pioneers are hoping they can be successful with an upset bid this time around, which will be the first time the schools have ever met with both of them in the top twenty-five.

"It means a lot to all of us," said Pioneers senior forward George Daley. "A lot of the guys in this room dreamed of playing for them as kids, but I think we are all pretty happy here now." Daley is from Florence, Kentucky and counts the basket he scored as a freshman at the Central Ohio campus 3 years ago as a career highlight, but he is aiming to get a lot more of them this time around.

Led by Daley, a 4-year starter who is averaging 14 points per game this season, Elyria is heading in the right direction and as hopes of making the National Tournament for the first time in 9 years. Despite playing just two tournament games- both losses- since 1915 there is a fair bit of AIAA hoops history at the tiny school. Elyria was the first "Cinderella Team" as back in 1914-15 the Pioneers somehow reached the National Semi-Finals before falling to eventual champion CC Los Angeles in the finals. Daley and his teammates hope to create some tournament memories of their own for Elyria come March.

JOE HAMPTON UPDATE

The ex-St Louis Pioneers pitching prospect remains a key piece as a freshman at Western Iowa. The Canaries are 8-1 and ranked 9th overall in this week's poll with Hampton, a 6'2" guard, averaging 6.3 points per game and 2.2 assists per contest.

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AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. CC Los Angeles (52) 11-0 1779 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Liberty College (12) 12-0 1711 2 Northeast Conference
3. Detroit City College (8) 10-0 1694 3 Great Lakes Alliance
4. Coastal California 8-1 1566 4 West Coast Athletic Association
5. North Carolina Tech 12-1 1424 6 South Atlantic Conference
6. St. Ignatius 8-2 1409 9 Great Lakes Alliance
7. Chesapeake State 11-1 1339 7 South Atlantic Conference
8. Minnesota Tech 10-0 1287 11 Great Lakes Alliance
9. Western Iowa 8-1 1267 8 Great Lakes Alliance
10. Central Ohio 9-1 1174 10 Great Lakes Alliance
11. Lane State 8-1 1132 5 West Coast Athletic Association
12. Great Plains State 14-2 1005 13 Independent
13. St. Magnus 9-0 958 19 Great Lakes Alliance
14. Carolina Poly 10-2 879 18 South Atlantic Conference
15. Rainier College 6-2 748 20 West Coast Athletic Association
16. St. Patrick's 9-2 739 12 Northeast Conference
17. Brooklyn State 8-3 612 23 Northeast Conference
18. Whitney College 6-2 516 16 Great Lakes Alliance
19. Alabama Baptist 9-2 511 15 Deep South Conference
20. Portland Tech 7-1 472 17 West Coast Athletic Association
21. Garden State 8-3 436 14 Northeast Conference
22. Elyria 9-2 299 22 Independent
23. Mobile Maritime 8-3 190 21 South Atlantic Conference
24. Coastal State 8-3 92 25 South Atlantic Conference
25. Northern California 7-3 84 NR West Coast Athletic Association
Others Receiving Votes:
Hamman 11-3 28 Independent
Oklahoma City State 9-3 14 Plains Athletic Association
Annapolis Maritime 14-4 11 Independent
Wisconsin State 8-3 9 Great Lakes Alliance
Richmond State 8-3 6 South Atlantic Conference
Johnston Tech 10-3 6 Independent
Ellery 8-3 1 Academia Alliance
Indiana A&M 7-3 1 Great Lakes Alliance
College of San Diego 7-3 1 California League

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS
MONDAY DECEMBER 28
#2 Liberty College 60 Tinker 39
#6 St Ignatius 43 Bliss College 25
#13 St Magnus 49 Armstrong 33
#15 Rainier College 63 Sunnyvale 38
#22 Elyria 49 Campion 33
Annapolis Maritime 42 #23 Mobile Maritime 30
#25 Northern California 57 San Francisco Tech 56
TUESDAY DECEMBER 29
#11 Lane State 53 Oklahoma Bible College 24
Commonwealth Catholic 36 Northern Minnesota 35
Georgia Baptist 49 Alabama Gulf Coast 48
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 30
#1 CC Los Angeles 55 Hartford Wesleyan 33
#3 Detroit City College 49 Orrville 34
#5 North Carolina Tech 40 Cuyahoga University 31
#12 Great Plains State 56 Bluegrass State 36
#14 Carolina Poly 51 Springfield State 43
#17 Brooklyn State 49 Bethlehem College 34
THURSDAY DECEMBER 31
#2 Liberty College 43 Cumberland 37
#8 Minnesota Tech 51 Redwood 45
#13 St Magnus 36 #11 Lane State 34
#15 Rainier College 66 El Paso Methodist 39
#16 St Patrick's 41 Middlesex 34
#24 Coastal State 63 Noble Jones College 56
Miami State 51 Western State 38
St Blane 47 Canton State 44
FRIDAY JANUARY 1
#6 St Ignatius 52 Capital (MS) University 25
#12 Great Plains State 53 Eastern Kansas 31
Sadler 44 #18 Whitney College 37
Iowa A&M 50 #19 Alabama Baptist 33
#22 Elyria 54 Flint 43
Richmond State 48 Annapolis Maritime 38
Rome State 51 Cleveland 33
SATURDAY JANUARY 2
#3 Detroit City College 68 College of Cairo 45
#4 Coastal California 58 St Martin's College 33
#5 North Carolina Tech 54 El Paso Methodist 47
#13 St Magnus 35 Canton State 34
#25 Northern California 63 Sunnyvale 49
SUNDAY JANUARY 3
#12 Great Plains State 43 Amarillo Methodist 41
Ellery 46 #16 St Patrick's 44
#18 Whitney College 56 College of Omaha 40
Eastern Virginia 50 #22 Elyria 41
Rome State 51 Provo Tech 29

KNIGHTS RUN RECORD TO 10-0

The Detroit City College Knights started the New Year just as they finished the previous one - with a victory over an independent school. The Knights are 10-0 and remain third in the national polls behind CC Los Angeles and Liberty College following their two wins last week. The week started with a 49-34 victory over Orrville in which 3 Detroit City College players hit double-figures in points. Center Jack Kurtz paced the team with 13 while Roman Sollars chipped in with 11 and Andrew Bennett added 10. Orrville did keep it close for a while and gave the Knights a bit of a scare as Detroit City only led by two at the break.

The Knights followed that game up with another win at home, this one by a 68-45 margin on Saturday against College of Cairo. The Knights ruined a big game from Pharaohs forward Joseph Farmer, who had 18 points in a losing effort. Kurtz once again was the high scorer for Detroit City College with 17, while Sollars chipped in 15 and Adolph Duckworth added 12.

Roman Sollars still leads the nation in scoring. Here is an updated top ten:

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	AIAA SCORING LEADERS
 1 Roman Sollars	Detroit City College	16.8	 
 2 Gary Harrison	Rainier College		16.6	 
 3 Lowell McKinzie	Cowpens State		16.3	 
 4 Kevin Davis	        Western Florida		15.6	 
 5 Jamie Marquez	Tempe College		15.6	 
 6 James Bejarano	Great Plains State	15.4	 
 7 Joseph Kellerman	Charleston Tech		14.8	 
 8 Chris Cahill	        Lawrence State		14.5	 
 9 Ray Burdett	        Granville		14.4	 
10 Kevin Campbell	Wisconsin State		14.3

THE WEEK AHEAD

A big game awaits on Wednesday as the Knights face Garden State for the second time this year. DCC beat the Redbirds 46-41 in their season opening tournament but this time will need to face 8-3 Garden State in New York City as part of the weekly doubleheaders at the Bigsby Oval. (the early game will be George Fox against Manhattan Tech). The Redbirds are coming off a disappointing 49-46 loss at Bronx Tech on New Years Day but are still one of the teams expected to make noise in the year end tournament. They have reached the title game three times but their only tournament title came in 1938-39. There top player is senior guard Daniel Purnell, a Buffalo-area native who was a starter as a freshman on their title club and is averaging nearly 10 points a game this season. Speaking of freshmen, the Redbirds have one of the best in the nation David Bobo, a forward who is leading the team in scoring this season.

DCC finishes out the week with a home game against Canton State on Saturday. The 4-5 Bulldogs play out of the Central Athletic Alliance and have lost three straight including a narrow 1-point loss on Friday at St Magnus. Canton State has not played in the year end tournament since 1914-15 and is 0-2 all-time in tourney play. They are led by a pair of Ohio natives in seniors Ronald Govan and Keith Miller.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 1/04/1943

In a white book release of secret and open diplomacy of the decade proceeding Pearl Harbor, Secretary of State Hull revealed that the United States had been warned of a potential attack on the Hawaiian naval port. He confirmed that information received from diplomatic agents abroad accurately forecast the war policies of Japan, Germany and Italy, even to the warning of a surprise mass attack upon Pearl Harbor.
The British War Office calls the end of October the turning point in the war, noting that Allied forces have held the initiative in all war theatres since that point. It notes that Japan is fully occupied and on the defensive in it's own sphere, isolated from Germany and Italy, and European members of the Axis are on the strategic defensive with Italy threatened by the Allies in Africa.
Soviet forces continue their advance, moving from Stalingrad and retaking towns to the southwest of the city including important rail positions.
US factories set production records in November, showing the greatest monthly gain since the United States began to rearm in the summer of 1940.
A new wave of rationing coming February 1 prompted a rash of panic buying this week. Canned goods and other groceries will be subjected to stricter quantities. The wife of President Roosevelt said it was useless for people to hoard canned goods at this time because no one can buy enough to last through the emergency.
In New York City burglars got away with 22,000 pounds of butter stolen from a Manhattan warehouse.

Jiggs McGee · 07-09-2022, 11:25 AM

JANUARY 11, 1943

BASEBALL'S TRAVEL WEARY OFFICIALS FAVOR RIGID MILAGE CONSERVATION PLAN

Later Season Start Deemed Solution of Training Problem

CHICAGO, JAN 11-- Straggling into the Palmer House today for FABL President Sam Belton's emergency parley, travel-weary baseball officials were more determined that ever to draw up a rigid mileage conservation plan after getting a personal taste of the transportation difficulties their teams will face this season. Most of the 'lobby-talk' consisted of mutterings of train delays rather than speculation of what the league President has up his sleeve for a 1943 wartime program after conferring recently with ODT Director Joseph B. Eastman. Representatives of the 16 FABL clubs agree the baseball situation would be disclosed as it really exists, and they expected a short, cut-and-dried conference with Belton putting the cards on the table.

It was a relief for the magnates to know their problems were finally coming to a head. Only a month ago they closed their annual meetings here with the little matter of 1943 baseball drifting in the air with their cigar smoke. During the past month there have been mostly rumours as to where and when clubs will hold spring training -lengthy trips to California, Florida, Texas and elsewhere cancelled in accordance with Eastman's suggestions for clipping rail miles. Only the Boston Minutemen, who will condition at their Class B affiliate's ballpark in Arlington, Va., appeared to have definitely solved their spring conditioning plans before coming to the meeting. To a man the magnates were saying all the right things today - that they were 'in', no matter if Florida remains an option or Belton calls for the teams to train a little closer to home or requires then to stay in their home cities and train indoors if need be. If the rest of FABL goes elsewhere, the Minutemen say they will play tune-up games against Virginia college and military base teams.

Other clubs have held off from making definite plans until after the meeting, although many are said to have tentatively reserved accommodations and ball facilities in various Carolina, Georgia and Virginia towns. It is looking as that will become the likely solution although some, like Detroit Dynamos Assistant General Manager Mike Walton, do not rule out training at home if the season start is delayed by two or three weeks. "We've got two or three alternate sites as Lakeland is likely out," says Walton. "In fact, if the opener is postponed there is a good chance we likely will stay at home and train in Detroit."

"As for all this talk about merging the two Associations for the duration," Walton added, "and then divide them into East-West sections -- that won't do at all. The Federal Association and Continental must keep their identities."

*** TWIN BILLS WOULD BE HELPFUL ***

Other problems expected to be discussed today all hinge around the spring training discussion outcome - such as delaying the season's inauguration to provide better weather for training in camps nearer home. Once the opening date is settled, the next issue is whether to continue the standard 154-game schedule or trim it closer to the 1919 proportions of 126. The 154-game program could be dovetailed into the shorter season by cramming in double-headers. The flexible scheduling of additional twin bills could take care of extra games arising from longer series to eliminate one-day stands and from open dates proposed between long swings to allow more travel by day coaches. There is clearly much on the agenda today for Sam Belton to update owners with.

FORESTERS SET TO LEAD-OFF FABL DRAFT

While the FABL rookie draft has been overshadowed of late with all of concerns about getting spring training and the actual 1943 campaign sorted out, FABL General Managers are busy making final preparations for the amateur player draft which should see selections being announced over the next few weeks. Finally, after enduring so much bad news with player after player joining the war effort, the 16 clubs will actually get a chance to restock those now threadbare shelves with the best of the high school and college talent available. Of course there is no guarantee that Selective Service may decide to wrestle a number of those top picks away from the ball magnates as soon as they graduate in the spring.

The top pick will belong to the Cleveland Foresters for the second time in three years. In 1940 the Foresters chose New York High School pitching phenom Hiram Steinberg, who single-handedly rewrote the prep pitching record books, with the first selection. Now 20 years old, Steinberg split last season between Class B and A and, as the third best prospect in the game according to OSA, is projected to make his big league debut in 1944.

There is no clear-cut number one like Steinberg was two years ago but in August TWIFB ranked the potential first rounders this way.

Code:

 #  NAME		POS AGE  SCHOOL			HOMETOWN
 1 Homer Mills		SS  20  Wesson College	  	East Chicago, IL
 2 Jim Adams Jr.   	SS  20  St Ignatius		Philadelphia, PA
 3 Bill Gifford		3B  17  San Diego (CA) HS	San Diego, CA
 4 Jim Carter		RHP 20  Ellery College		Quincy, MA
 5 Bob Newcomer		C   20  Ceasar Rodney		Auburn, ME
 6 Hoppy Johnson 	RHP 20  Charleston Tech		Birmingham, AL
 7 Sid Kling		OF  17  McKinley HS, Buffalo    Buffalo, NY
 8 Ed Haynes Jr.	C   17  Austin (TX) HS		Austin, TX
 9 Roy Baker		RHP 16  Key West (FL) HS	Miami, FL
10 Wally Boyer		CF  17  Hokendauque (PA) HS     New York, NY
11 Walt Harris		SS  21  Georgia Baptist		Los Angeles, CA
12 Al Hill		3B  17  Allderdice HS, Pittsb.  Pittsburgh, PA
13 Frankie Gonnella	3B  20  Canton State		Newark, NJ
14 Jim Waters		OF  20  Maryland State		Brooklyn, NY
15 Frank Wood		C   17  Bell (CA) HS		Los Angeles, CA
16 Jimmy Snyder		SS  20  Central Illinois Univ.  St. Paul, MN

As for the Foresters this will be the fifth time they select first overall. If one ignores 1926 top pick Karl Stevens, the Foresters certainly have made out very well with the top selection landing the greatest slugger in the history of the sport in Max Morris and a likely future Hall of Fame shortstop in Harry Barrell.
FORESTERS FIRST OVERALL SELECTIONS
1940 Hiram Steinberg P
1931 Harry Barrell SS
1926 Karl Stevens OF
1913 Max Morris P/OF

NO SURPRISE AS NOBLE JONES COLLEGE IS #1

The polls confirmed the obvious as 12-0 Noble Jones College was named the AIAA football National Champion. It marks the third time in Colonels history that their grid squad has been named the nation's best with the previous two coming in 1910 and then again just 4 seasons ago. The state of Georgia factored very heavily in the polls with the Georgia Baptist Gators, who's lone loss was to Noble Jones, placing second and Georgia Pre-Flight holding down the fourth spot and the highest placing among the military squads, just ahead of Great Lakes Navy.

Here are the final rankings.

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[b]	1942 COLLEGE FOOTBALL NATIONAL RANKINGS
1	Noble Jones College (12-0)
2	Georgia Baptist	(9-1-1)
3	Detroit City College (9-2)
4	Georgia Pre-Flight (7-2)
5	Great Lakes Navy (10-2)
6	Cumberland (10-1)
7	Miami State (8-0-1)
8	Central Ohio (8-2)
9	Commonwealth Catholic (7-2-1)
10	Boulder State (8-1)
11	St. Patrick's (8-1-1)
12	Brooklyn State (6-3)
13	Jacksonville Naval Air Station (9-3)
14	Daniel Boone College (10-2)
15	Bayou State (8-3)
16	Payne State (9-2)
17	Bluegrass State (7-3)
18	Sunnyvale (7-0-2)
19	St. Blane (7-3-1)
20	Alabama Baptist (7-3-1)

No changes at the top of the college basketball heap as CCLA, Liberty College and Detroit City College continue to hold down the top three spots.

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AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. CC Los Angeles (32) 12-0 1753 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Liberty College (30) 14-0 1739 2 Northeast Conference
3. Detroit City College (10) 12-0 1692 3 Great Lakes Alliance
4. St. Ignatius 10-2 1512 6 Great Lakes Alliance
5. Coastal California 10-1 1444 4 West Coast Athletic Association
6. Central Ohio 11-1 1364 10 Great Lakes Alliance
7. Minnesota Tech 12-0 1353 8 Great Lakes Alliance
8. Chesapeake State 12-1 1323 7 South Atlantic Conference
9. Lane State 11-1 1313 11 West Coast Athletic Association
10. Great Plains State 16-2 1216 12 Independent
11. Western Iowa 9-1 1050 9 Great Lakes Alliance
12. St. Magnus 11-0 1035 13 Great Lakes Alliance
13. North Carolina Tech 13-2 979 5 South Atlantic Conference
14. Carolina Poly 11-2 873 14 South Atlantic Conference
15. St. Patrick's 11-2 769 16 Northeast Conference
16. Whitney College 8-2 685 18 Great Lakes Alliance
17. Alabama Baptist 11-2 684 19 Deep South Conference
18. Brooklyn State 9-3 573 17 Northeast Conference
19. Rainier College 8-3 527 15 West Coast Athletic Association
20. Garden State 8-4 375 21 Northeast Conference
21. Hamman 14-3 342 NR Independent
22. Elyria 10-3 276 22 Independent
23. Richmond State 9-3 163 NR South Atlantic Conference
24. Northern California 8-4 89 25 West Coast Athletic Association
25. Wisconsin State 9-3 85 NR Great Lakes Alliance
Others Receiving Votes:
College of San Diego 10-3 78 California League
Portland Tech 8-3 59 West Coast Athletic Association
Bardney 8-3 29 Independent
Central Kentucky 8-3 17 Deep South Conference
Coastal State 9-4 2 South Atlantic Conference
Lawrence State 11-4 1 Plains Athletic Association

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS
MONDAY JANUARY 4
#2 Liberty College 49 Sadler 27
#4 St Ignatius 46 Queen City 38
#5 Coastal California 38 Quaker College (CA) 28
#7 Minnesota Tech 52 Portland Tech 42
#9 Lane State 48 Eastern Kansas 36
#11 Western Iowa 54 Topeka State 32
Utah A&M 36 #19 Rainier College 28
TUESDAY JANUARY 5
#8 Chesapeake State 58 Henry Hudson 42
#10 Great Plains State 58 Lambert College 48
#12 St Magnus 55 Iowa A&M 41
#16 Whitney College 52 Erie 44
#23 Richmond State 54 NW New York State 44
#24 Northern California 46 Kit Carson University 34
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 6
#1 CC Los Angeles 52 College of Cairo 35
#6 Central Ohio 52 #22 Elyria 28
#7 Minnesota Tech 50 Poweshiek 40
#15 St Patrick's 56 Jersey City Tech 49
#17 Alabama Baptist 56 Perry State College 39
#21 Hamman 39 Western State 27
#25 Wisconsin State 58 Fond du Lac 30
THURSDAY JANUARY 7
#3 Detroit City College 49 #20 Garden State 35
#4 St Ignatius 56 Holland 49
#9 Lane State 43 Golden Gate 36
#10 Great Plains State 55 Berwick 47
#12 St Magnus 50 Rock Island 43
Queen City 51 #13 North Carolina Tech 43
#19 Rainier College 50 Colorado Poly 30
Georgia Baptist 33 Capital(MS) University 31
Brunswick 49 Annapolis Maritime 37
Commonwealth Catholic 47 St Blane 38
FRIDAY JANUARY 8
#16 Whitney College 67 Daniel Boone College 64
#21 Hamman 50 Harrisburg State 31
SATURDAY JANUARY 9
#2 Liberty College 42 Henry Hudson 27
#5 Coastal California 63 Lincoln 43
$6 Central Ohio 41 St Matthew's College 37
#13 North Carolina Tech 58 Armstrong 50
#14 Carolina Poly 55 Georgia Baptist 45
#15 St Patrick's 47 Troy State (NY) 40
#17 Alabama Baptist 44 Ferguson 38
#18 Brooklyn State 45 Annapolis Maritime 33
#18 Rainier College 53 Kit Carson University 46
#22 Elyria 45 Pittsburgh State 38
Commonwealth Catholic 45 Grafton 38
SUNDAY JANUARY 10
#3 Detroit City College 58 Canton State 39
#9 Lane State 48 Mobile Maritime 40
#21 Hamman 58 Sunnyvale 42
Michigan Lutheran 50 Noble Jones College 38
Rome State 45 Valley State 44

The Knights came up with a strong effort on the big stage at the Bigsby Gardens last Wednesday with a 49-35 win over Garden State. It was the second time the two squads met this season and in both cases Detroit City prevailed. DCC got off to a quick start and led by 9 at the break. Andrew Bennett led the way with 13 points while star guard Roman Sollars and forward Hilton Brogdon each added 12. Freshman David Bobo, with 8 points, was the top score for the Redbirds.

On Saturday the Knights improved to 12-0 on the year with a 58-39 win over Canton State. Sollars had 14 points while Adolph Duckworth added 12 and Andrew Bennett scored 10 in the victory.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Just one more game before the Great Lakes Alliance conference schedule gets underway. Detroit City College will face 4-8 Utah A&M at home in it's final tune-up game. That one goes Friday night and is part of a busy week for the visiting Aggies, who also play fifth ranked Coastal California and South Valley State this week. The Aggies are part of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Alliance and have made the year end tournament 5 times in the past nine years and 8 times overall but have yet to win a tournament game. Their top player is John King, a senior guard out of Winslow, Arizona.

Here is a look at the Knights stats so far this season.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 1/10/1943

In his address to Congress, President Roosevelt says the Allies intend to go on the offensive with 3 major objectives for 1943: 1- the opening of a second front in Europe itself; 2- Major offensive actions against the Japanese; and 3- Relentless aerial attacks against the Axis in Europe and Japan proper.
Little cracks are beginning to appear in the structure of the German home front as the Reich finds itself in the fourth Winter of war. Those cracks can be widened by Allied victories and by additional hardships which the German civilian population must undergo, but British officials feel it would be false optimism to say that structure is in imminent danger of collapse.
The US Navy added a battleship to the list of it's vessels that have made history in the Pacific war. The unidentified battleship is credited with destroying 32 Japanese planes and 4 warcraft in 2 battles and it joins the cruisers Boise and San Francisco in having been cited for distinguished service.
US and Australian troops have wiped out the last Japanese resistance in the Buna area of northern New Guinea.
Nazi forces in Russia are in jeopardy and the British Labor Minister said there is no doubt in his mind that before many weeks Adolf Hitler would be faced with the greatest disaster of the war.
Sicily is the latest Italian city to be blasted by R.A.F. bombers in a large nighttime raid.

Jiggs McGee · 07-11-2022, 10:50 AM

JANUARY 18, 1943

TRAINING ISSUE SETTLED AND 154 GAME SKED APPROVED

Baseball settled it's spring training problem with a decision to hold spring Citrus games and camps in Carolina and Virginia in an effort to reduce the travel that sending 16 clubs to Florida would require. The owners also vowed in their meeting last week to play a full 154-game schedule although it will start a week later than originally planned. That leaves the moguls with their biggest headache - where to get the playing talent.

That was emphasized this week when Sal Pestilli hinted from his family home in Rhode Island that he would not be with the Detroit Dynamos this spring. No other details where available as Pestilli refused to elaborate any further, neither confirming which branch of the military he planned on joining or if he had decided to take a job in a wartime essential industry, perhaps even joining his father, who runs a quarry. Regardless of where Pestilli might end up if it turns out not to be patrolling center field at Thompson Field, it will be a devastating blow to a Detroit team that was already sent reeling over the past year from terrible pitching performances and wartime losses of young arms.

Losing players to the armed services is by no means strictly a Dynamos problem, as the entire league continues to hear news weekly of it's athletes making different arrangements - either by their choice or that of Selective Service- for the upcoming summer. We now know that FABL will play it's entire 154 game set, but what we are unsure of is just what sort of talent will be left on the field as the summer winds down.

CLEVELAND PROSPECT STEINBERG JOINS NAVY

The Cleveland Foresters received a jolt of bad news this week when star pitching prospect Hiram Steinberg announced he was joining the Navy. The 20 year old New York City native, who was selected first overall by the Foresters in 1941, had little choice in the matter as Selective Service also drafted him recently -but for the army. Steinberg instead was granted permission to enlist in the Navy and is said to be off to Great Lakes Naval Academy where he will likely work with legendary catcher T.R. Goins, himself a former Forester, who runs the baseball program there.

Steinberg, the only player to win 3 Adwell Awards as National High School player of the year, had been projected to make his big league debut in 1944 after likely spending most of the upcoming season in AA. That all changes now, of course, but is not a situation unique to Cleveland. Seven of the top ten ranked OSA prospects, including Cincinnati outfielder Dick Blaszek who recently was elevated to number one, are now in the military.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

WOLVES IN 1943 -As winter takes a firm grip on the northern shores of Lake Ontario this paper has decided to add fuel to the hot stove league fires by giving thoughts on the upcoming 1943 season for the Wolves after a disappointing, lack luster 1942. All this rumination is based on the the current state of the Toronto franchise including the system. There is no doubt that pieces of this puzzle will change as more players leave to join the armed forces of Canada or the United States.

Pitching: George Garrison's enlistment will mean that Toronto is without a major rotation piece for the foreseeable future. Joe Hancock is more than qualified to anchor the rotation after deceiving 15-16 record most due to an almost criminal lack of run support, 3.2 runs per game in '42. More on the Wolves offense or lack there of later in this article. A rotation of Hancock, Charlie Wirtz, Bob Walls, Bernie Johnson, Juan Pomales would be far from the FABL's worst but there are at least two questions if Charlie Reed decides to go with these five. 1) Can former first round pick (#3 overall) Bernie Johnson return to form after missing most of the past season with a ruptured finger tendon? 2) Where is Juan Pomales most valuable to the team? The Wolves were absolutely decimated in CF with players going off to war, Tom Frederick's loss, among others, has left a gaping hole in CF that Pomales may have fill. Can he be used as a true two-way player? Red More was thought to have been a good option as a rotation piece but he has also left for the war.

The bullpen, led by Lou Jayson, should provide adequate backup if the SP runs into trouble provided 38 year old Phil English can coax another season out of his aging body and Ron Coles, Billy Crosby stay true to form. There are some arms in Buffalo that could provide innings to the big club but the question will be how quickly prospects Jerry York, Adam Grayson, John Marsh be moved through the system? York has the most potential but with only a half season of professional baseball is it too much to ask for him to be in the FABL in 1943?

Overall the pitching should be above FABL average come the start of the season.

Hitting: The summary will be position by position.
C- Clarence Howerton is the classic superior defense, no hit catcher, also provides clubhouse leadership. He will continue to get the majority of work with Roscoe Zeiler providing relief, Zeiler also adds the benefit of mop-up inning in the 'pen. The minors does not provide much in near ready promise this could be a place to look for an upgrade or a target in the upcoming draft.

1B- Walt Pack. After being forced into the role of replacing legend Fred McCormick Pack has handled the first sack in an adequate manner. He is one of many where more offensive output will be expected in 1943. Al Jensen provides a reliable bat and glove off the bench at 36 years old. Tom Peel will get a look in ST.

2B- Mike Rollinson, before breaking his leg in August, was a leading contender for ROY, there is no question about his bat, there is hope that his glovework will improve in his sophomore year. Frank Huddleston, Hal Wood give the Wolves solid options at second, both can be used as a late inning defensive replacement if Rollinson's fielding does not take a step forward in '43. Middle infield depth is an area of organization strength, in Davenport John Fast, Newt Lessard, Bud House give the team options in the future. Fast may jump up two levels as 19 year old once the dust settles before ST.

3B- Ockie Holliday, mention that name then an immediate debate begins around the hot stove. Was the performance in August, September the true measure of Holliday or is he the player who struggled mightily the first two-thirds of the season? A torrid last 8 weeks brought his stats back to an acceptable season totals, although it was a case of too little, far too late in Wolves land. There is conjecture that the team might be able to move either Holliday or Rollinson for another SP or a CF glove to improve the team overall, Holliday will certainly be under a microscope early on at Dominion Stadium. At 27 the former first overall pick is expected to step up his game immediately or face the wrath of the boo birds.
SS- Charlie Artuso, 'nuff said, Artuso will continue to go about his work quietly and efficiently, one of Charlie Reed's first names on the lineup card will continue to be Artuso. John Fast's path to the big leagues at this position is blocked, so his best hope is at 2B or 3B which gives, as mentioned, some interesting trade chips. Will management utilize these chips?

Overall the outfield is in a state of flux. Enlistments by Hank Giordano, Tom Frederick, top prospects Tom Graves, Dick Penwell have the Wolves in a lurch for 1943. Management has always believed that there were more big league capable outfielders than spots available in the FABL. This theory will be put to the test, expect Toronto to be scouring both the waiver wire and free agency in the hopes of signing on a player who was languishing in another team's system.
LF- To start the season Gus Hull or Larry Vestal will patrol left. Gus Marshall will probably be the 4th or 5th outfielder when the team breaks camp.
CF- This is the question that is the center of most off season debates, is Juan Pomales more valuable as an everyday position player, a SP, or can he provide both to the team? Larry Vestal is an option but many are asking if this fan favourite, 10 year vet has had father time erode his skills to the point that Vestal should be the fourth man in the mix? Wolves will invite many players to camp in an attempt to catch lightening in a bottle.
RF- Reginald Westfall hopes to bounce back from subpar 1942 which included many minor, nagging injuries not severe enough for a DL stint but substantial enough to affect plate performance.

Overall the outfield defense is questionable at best, the Wolves will be looking to take any and every opportunity to shore up this part of the team. The thought of balls bouncing in front of or between Hull, Vestal, Westfall is a bad dream many faithful are having over this winter.

FABL President Sam Belton says he feels a bit sorry for the baseball writers assigned to cover spring training camps of the FABL teams this year. Looking up from his notes, after reading his statement to newsmen on the important actions taken at his recent emergency meeting with club magnates, he said with a wry look: "Gentlemen, I wish you a pleasant spring training - I have a tear in my eye for you because you will not get your Florida vacations this year. I can only hope the weather in the Carolinas will be acceptable for each of you." The listening reporters mostly were baseball writers.
Word is 5 Federal Association clubs were in favor of a 140-game schedule in the FABL meeting last week but the Pioneers, Gothams and Keystones went along with at least seven of the Continental Association sides request to remain at a 154-game slate and a 14-game slice thus was averted.
FABL teams traveled approximately 200,000 miles during the regular season last year. Boston to St Louis, or vice versa, is the longest hop at 1,212 miles. For a group of 30, the cost of that trip one way exceeds $1,500. The shortest jump, from New York to Philadelphia, or vice versa, would cost the same party less than $200.
Considering the mileage covered annually by FABL clubs, it is astounding there have been few accidents in which baseball teams have been involved. Forty years ago the St Louis and Chicago Chiefs teams were tossed around in an overturned sleeper, but the most seriously injured of the group was Sid Mercer, then secretary of the Pioneers and now a baseball writer in New York. He suffered a broken rib. In 1911 the Washington Eagles were on a train that plunged down an 18-foot embankment near Bridgeport, Conn., killing 14 and injuring 47, but the Eagles group merely were shuffled a bit. The Eagles also had a narrow escape a couple of years ago when their train returning from Detroit plowed into a coal truck at a crossing. The engine rammed the truck into a corner store and remained on the track, but the engineer was so certain the train was destined to leave the rails that he shouted to the fireman to jump.

Conference play got underway on several fronts last week although the majority of the sections do not tip-off their conference slate of games until this weekend. Among those that did start was the West Coast Athletic Association with that nations top team, City College of Los Angeles, beating Portland Tech 39-36 for it's WCAA record 26th consecutive conference victory. The Coyotes were a perfect 16-0 last season in conference play, something no other WCAA squad has ever accomplished and last lost to a section rival back on February 21, 1941 when Coastal California beat them.

The Northeast Conference also began it's slate of games with #2 ranked and defending National Tournament Champion Liberty College improving to 15-0 on the year with a narrow 41-40 win over Frankford State.

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AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. CC Los Angeles (66) 15-0 1794 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Liberty College (6) 15-0 1734 2 Northeast Conference
3. Coastal California 13-1 1640 5 West Coast Athletic Association
4. Detroit City College 12-1 1590 3 Great Lakes Alliance
5. Great Plains State 18-2 1475 10 Independent
6. Chesapeake State 14-1 1374 8 South Atlantic Conference
7. Central Ohio 13-1 1347 6 Great Lakes Alliance
8. Minnesota Tech 14-0 1335 7 Great Lakes Alliance
9. St. Ignatius 10-3 1197 4 Great Lakes Alliance
10. Western Iowa 12-1 1186 11 Great Lakes Alliance
11. North Carolina Tech 13-2 1153 13 South Atlantic Conference
12. Carolina Poly 13-2 1018 14 South Atlantic Conference
13. Brooklyn State 11-3 889 18 Northeast Conference
14. Alabama Baptist 13-2 837 17 Deep South Conference
15. Lane State 12-2 779 9 West Coast Athletic Association
16. Rainier College 11-3 758 19 West Coast Athletic Association
17. St. Patrick's 12-3 669 15 Northeast Conference
18. St. Magnus 11-2 590 12 Great Lakes Alliance
19. Whitney College 10-3 517 16 Great Lakes Alliance
20. Hamman 15-3 411 21 Independent
21. Garden State 9-5 343 20 Northeast Conference
22. Elyria 12-4 261 22 Independent
23. Northern California 9-5 134 24 West Coast Athletic Association
24. Lawrence State 12-4 92 NR Plains Athletic Association
25. Darnell State 11-4 87 NR Southwestern Alliance
Others Receiving Votes:
Central Kentucky 9-4 65 Deep South Conference
Annapolis Maritime 16-6 30 Independent
Chicago Poly 13-5 29 Independent
College of San Diego 10-4 25 California League
Bluegrass State 9-4 17 Deep South Conference
Mobile Maritime 9-5 8 South Atlantic Conference
Richmond State 9-4 5 South Atlantic Conference
St Andrews College 10-4 5 Deep South Conference
Gates University 9-4 4 California League
Wisconsin State 9-4 2 Great Lakes Alliance

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS
MONDAY JANUARY 11
#3 Coastal California 47 Utah A&M 41
#6 Chesapeake State 56 Hartford Wesleyan 32
#7 Central Ohio 55 College of Omaha 49
#14 Alabama Baptist 48 Alabama Gulf Coast 31
St Martin's College 43 #17 St Patrick's 34
#19 Whitney College 52 Flint 44
Berwick 47 #22 Elyria 43
Miami State 57 #23 Northern California 45
Georgia Baptist 42 Lincoln 41
TUESDAY JANUARY 12
#8 Minnesota Tech 69 Miners College 66
#10 Western Iowa 51 North Central (NE) 36
#15 Lane State 47 College of Cairo 38
#20 Hamman 49 Potomac College 42
#16 Rainier College 48 Penn Catholic 35
St Blane 47 Cuyahoga University 40
Annapolis Maritime 41 Alexandria 31
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 13
#1 CC Los Angles 61 Topeka State 42
#12 Carolina Poly 59 Hartford Wesleyan 33
#13 Brooklyn State 59 #21 Garden State 52
#14 Alabama Baptist 46 Rome State 37
#22 Elyria 52 NW New York State 31
Grafton 50 Sadler 46
Henry Hudson 63 Pierpont 46
Brunswick 60 George Fox 51
Dickson 55 Ellery 51
Noble Jones College 48 Poweshiek 38
THURSDAY JANUARY 14
#5 Great Plains State 57 Eastern Oklahoma 32
#6 Chesapeake State 46 Central Maryland 47
#10 Western Iowa 42 Northern Minnesota 25
#16 Rainier College 52 Kansas Agricultural 29
#19 Whitney College 67 Three Rivers State 65
#25 Darnell State 52 Valley State 40
FRIDAY JANUARY 15
#1 CC Los Angeles 46 California Catholic 36
#3 Coastal California 62 Mile High State 41
Utah A&M 55 #4 Detroit City College 48
#8 Minnesota Tech 45 Central Kentucky 43
Iowa A&M 54 #9 St Ignatius 52
Annapolis Maritime 49 Lexington State 40
SATURDAY JANUARY 16
#2 Liberty College 41 Frankford State 40
#7 Central Ohio 42 Granville 25
#10 Western Iowa 49 Kansas Agricultural 33
#12 Carolina Poly 60 Lincoln 48
#13 Brooklyn State 60 Commonwealth Catholic 45
#17 St Patrick's 47 St Matthew's College 39
Topeka State 43 #19 Whitney College 39
#21 Garden State 52 St Martin's College 44
#24 Lawrence State 33 Central Illinois 32
Rome State 53 Mahoning Valley State 44
Dickson 52 Brunswick 51
Ellery 60 George Fox 41
SUNDAY JANUARY 17
#1 CC Los Angeles 39 Portland Tech 36
#3 Coastal California 57 #15 Lane State 41
#16 Rainier College 58 Spokane State 50
#22 Elyria 55 Rose Point(PA) 30
#23 Northern California 53 Redwood 36
#25 Darnell State 41 Michigan Lutheran 33

Detroit City College ended the non-conference portion of it's schedule on a down note as the Knights lost for the first time this season falling 55-48 to Utah A&M. The 6-9 Aggies got a 15 point effort from John King, that included a pair of buckets in the final minute as DCC fell apart late to suffer their first loss in 13 outings. The Knights led 48-47 with 57 seconds to play after Hilton Brodgon sank a 12 footer but a pair of turnovers and a missed shot late allowed Utah A&M to pull out the win despite an 18 point game from Andrew Bennett. Knights star guard Roman Sollars was held to just 6 points- his lowest output of the season. The loss also dropped Detroit City College one spot in the polls, dropping to fourth behind CCLA, Liberty College and Coastal California.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Conference play gets underway and the Knights begin with a couple of tough tests next week playing at #19 Whitney College on Thursday and in Columbus Saturday against the 7th ranked Central Ohio Aviators. There are few easy games in the Great Lakes Alliance with 7 of the conferences 10 schools ranked in the top twenty presently. Detroit City is the defending champ, having ended St Ignatius' two year hold on the conference title. The Knight have a long history in the GLA, and were it's inaugural champion back in 1909-10. In all DCC has won 9 conference titles with their big run being a stretch of 6 wins in 7 seasons that began in 1929-30.

The Knights first opponent- Whitney College- has 6 conference titles with their most recent one coming in 1938-39. The Engineers are 10-3 on the season but coming off a 43-39 loss to Topeka State last week. Their top player is a dandy - junior guard Lionel Rice is a junior and having a breakout season. The Tremont, Ill., native is in his first season with Whitney College after attending a junior college the past two seasons. He is averaging 13.2 ppg this season, third highest in the GLA behind only Roman Sollars of Detroit City College and Wisconsin State forward Kevin Campbell. The game should also feature a terrific matchup between two of the best rebounders in the midwest in DCC's Hilton Brogdon and the Engineers senior center Ernie Schnell.

On Saturday the 13-1 Central Ohio Aviators will be the opposition. The Aviators only loss came back in a preseason tournament final to #2 ranked Liberty College and since then they have won 11 straight. This might be the year Central Ohio breaks it's now 31 year conference title drought, as the Aviators won their one and only GLA title way back in 1910-11. They have a balanced attack led by all-conference senior forward Levi Fierro and Vassar, Mi., native Andrew Johnston.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 1/17/1943

President Roosevelt submitted to Congress a total budget of $109 billion, calling it a "maximum effort" war budget and the biggest government budget in the history of the world. Congressional leaders predict that the only way to fulfill the President's budget request would require them to double the 5% victory tax.
Allied forces made a thundering offensive against the Axis in the Mediterranean, striking Naples -one of the principal ports from which supplies and reinforcements are shipped to the Germans and Italians in Tunisia- in a daylight raid.
Russian forces, in a powerful thrust southwest, have advanced to within 25 miles o Smolensk, anchor point of the German defense system on the central front.
23,000 miners in Pennsylvania walked off the job, protesting pay provisions for a six-day work week and increased union dues.
Actress Ginger Rogers married a 22 year old Marine Corps pilot she had met three months earlier while visiting San Diego on a war bond selling tour.

Jiggs McGee · 07-12-2022, 01:30 PM

JANUARY 25, 1943

FABL CLUBS SETTLE ON TRAINING SITES

With the goal of reducing travel during the spring the 16 baseball clubs have taken to invading the Carolinas for the spring Citrus schedule instead of their normal trip down to Florida. Some have taken tubbing it the Long-Underwear League instead of Citrus League this time around out of concerns about just what kind of weather the teams could encounter, especially clubs like Boston and Washington which have selected Virginia sites for their camps. Here are the complete list of 1943 training sites and where the clubs trained a year ago.

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		FEDERAL ASSOCIATION
TEAM:			1943		  1942
BOSTON MINUTEMEN	Arlington, Va     Sarasota, Fl
CHICAGO CHIEFS		Spartanburg, SC	  Pasadena, Ca/ Tampa, Fl
DETROIT DYNAMOS		Greensboro, NC	  Lakeland, Fl
NEW YORK GOTHAMS	Raleigh, NC	  St Petersburg, Fl
PHILADELPHIA KEYSTONES	Savannah,Ga	  Gainesville, Fl
PITTSBURGH MINERS	Winston-Salem, NC Bradenton, Fl
ST LOUIS PIONEERS	Charlotte,NC	  St Petersburg, Fl
WASHINGTON EAGLES	Chesapeake, Va	  Orlando, Fl
		CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION
TEAM:			1943		  1942
BROOKLYN KINGS		Knoxville, Tn	  Havana/Miami, Fl
CHICAGO COUGARS		Columbia, SC	  Los Angeles CA/ DeLand, Fl
CINCINNATI CANNONS	Athens, Ga	  Tampa,Fl
CLEVELAND FORESTERS	Wilmington, NC	  Clearwater, Fl
MONTREAL SAINTS		Fayetteville, NC  Sanford, Fl
NEW YORK STARS		Augusta, Ga	  Anaheim, Ca/ Port St Lucis, Fl
PHILADELPHIA SAILORS	Hilton Head,SC	  Miami Beach, Fl
TORONTO WOLVES		Chattanooga, Tn	  Ocala, Fl

PITCHING REMAINS CANNONS CHIEF CONCERN

Like every team in baseball the Cincinnati Cannons face the 1943 season with plenty of uncertainty although their biggest concern is not a new one created by the loss of talent to the war effort. Don't get me wrong, there were some big losses in that regard but the worry in Cincinnati once more surrounds a leaky pitching staff. It is ironic how much the staff, once considered such a strength that the Cannons could afford to deal both Gus Gouldiing and Rusty Petrick to the Gothams, is now the club's biggest weakness. We all know how the year went for Goulding and Petrick in the Big Apple so there is no sense rehashing how those moves backfired on Cincinnati but the question remains who will join Rufus Barrell in the starting rotation.

Yes Deuce, and his 24-5 record that earned him the Allen Award, is back after concerns that he would join the exodus of players to the military. Perhaps Army officials decided that Deuce's decision to take half of his league high $37,600 salary for 1943 in war bonds made him more valuable to Uncle Sam in Cannons grey and red than army green, but whatever the reason Deuce will at least start the 1943 season in Cincinnati.

As for the rest of the rotation things are not as clear. Bill Sohl is still in Portland training Navy recruits. 23 year old Charlie Griffith, who looked good as a rookie and was counted on to perhaps challenge for the number two starter role this season, is now one of those new Navy recruits so he is out for the duration as is Glenn Payne, who won 15 games in 1941 but had an awful season last year. Vic Carroll is not in the military but the 24 year old 1939 first overall draft pick is hurt once again and may not be ready by Opening Day.

What is left is 35 year old Roger Perry - the ex-Pittsburgh Miner- who has had two decent seasons with the Cannons and 31 year old veteran Butch Smith, who went 9-14 a year ago. They will likely be the second and third starter, at least until Carroll can get -and hopefully stay- healthy. Beyond that all Cincinnati manager Ad Doria can do is hope that one or two of former St Louis pitcher Jake Smith, minor league vets Jim Anderson and Jeese Bowen or rule 5 pickup Red Nokes can show something in spring to prove trustworthy enough to slot into the bottom of the rotation.

The pen still has veteran Larry Brown plus free agent signing Gary Harris, who has not pitched since 1939 but gets another shot with all of the war losses.

*** INFIELD SET, BUT OUTFIELD A WORRY ***

Despite losing promising youngsters Rick York and Cliff Smith along with veteran backup John Wicklund to the Navy there is little concern at catcher as 6-time all-star Adam Mullins is back. To fill the backup role the Cannons selected a pair of veterans in the rule five draft in ex-Cougar Johnny Williamson and Ed Sala from the Kings. The two will battle it out in spring for a spot on the roster with the loser likely being returned to his former organization.

The infield will not change much from last year as Chuck Adams, Charlie Rivera, Jim Hensley and the hot corner combo of Denny Andrews and Frank Covarrubias are all back. The hope is Adams and Hensley, a pair of 26 year old's, continue to improve on very solid 1942 numbers. The team will certainly still miss 1941 all-star Clyde McCullough at second base but they survived last year without him so not much changes in that regard.

Center field will once again be patrolled by Fred Galloway, who made his fourth consecutive all-star appearance last season. Bob Griffith likely showed enough in a 56 game stint last year to take over from a rapidly aging Moxie Pidgeon in left with fellow 26 year old Bill Lewis being the favourite to claim the right field job. With the complete collapse of Pidgeon's batting skills and absence of Mike T Taylor, who spent last season at Great Lakes Naval Academy, the Cannons cornermen struggled last year. Next to the mound worries, power bats in the corner outfield are the biggest concern for the Cannons entering 1943. If Griffith, who is more a contact guy than a power hitter, can prove his .302 average in limited play last season was not a fluke, the Cannons will feel a little more comfortable.

Losing top prospect Dick Blaszak to the Marines certainly hurts although it is highly unlikely the 21 year old would have advanced past AA Erie in 1943 anyway. Dutch Peters was the most likely minor leaguer who might have got a chance but the 22 year old was drafted into the Army in November. That leaves first baseman Vern Wilson, who did play some outfield in college at CC Los Angeles as the only young minor leaguer that might be a candidate for a spot in the outfield should Griffith, Lewis or any one of half a dozen other long-shot candidates with limited big league experience not step up.

What the Cannons really need is a return to form from Moxie Pidgeon, who's numbers (.196,4,22) just dropped off a cliff a year ago at age 35. Pidgeon was nearly released but after accepting a 2/3 drop in his salary the Cannons decided to give him one more chance to return to the form he displayed even two years ago. He will get every opportunity in spring training but privately Cannons brass is not holding out any hopes and feel there is a 50/50 chance he will be released prior to the start of the regular season.
*** PENNANT APPEARS OUT OF REACH ***

There is a lot to look forward to with Deuce Barrell, Adam Mullins and Fred Galloway as established stars and hopes that Chuck Adams and Jim Hensley will join them this year. However, even if they get the corner outfield issues solved, the feeling is Cincinnati lacks the pitching to compete for the Continental Association crown. What the Cannons need, unfortunately, is another elite pitcher like Gus Goulding or Rusty Petrick. Of course we cannot spend our time lamenting those trades as the former helped bring Adam Mullins to town and the latter provided the draft pick used on Bill Sohl. Once the war is over and the Cannons hopefully have a healthy Vic Carroll, Bill Sohl and Charlie Griffith to go along with Deuce, the pitching should be just fine. Until then, the club just has to hope someone comes up big, but there are at least a dozen other FABL teams with the same wartime issues to contend with.

It likely won't be a championship club playing out of Tice Memorial Stadium this summer, but at least we should still be able to watch baseball, a possibility that was in doubt for a good chunk of the past few months.

Apparently Washington Eagles owner William Stockdale met recently with Paul V. McNutt, war Manpower Commissioner but that does not mean he was asking for special treatment for the sport. Stockdale says "Baseball is not seeking and has no promise of preferential treatment from the War Manpower Commission," while adding he met with McNutt not as an emissary of baseball but "independently as the owner of the Washington club. I sat down with Mr. McNutt after he had publicly invited baseball men to discuss the effects of the manpower program on our game with him."
In a radio address the following day, McNutt told of the increasing demands being made upon the manpower resources of the nation by the needs of the armed forces and war industry and said only farm workers and men working in essential war industries will be exempt from military service. Baseball has not requested to be considered as an essential war industry.
We are now up to 892 professional baseball players that have either been drafted or enlisted. Here is a look at the total number of players each organization has contributed to the war effort and how many of those have previous FABL experience. It also includes a list by team of all players from each organization with at least 1000 career FABL at bats or 200 innings pitched:
BOSTON- 54 including 16 with FABL experience
Charlie Reed, Dave Henry, Bill Burkett, Mack Sutton, Buddy Schneider, Bob Arnold, Art Myers, Fred Nelson, John Edwards, Bobby Montefusco, Mike Lee and Ray Dalpman.

BROOKLYN- 61 including 16 with FABL experience
Frank Lightbody, Rats McGonigle, Joe Herman, Jack Goff, Stumpy Beaman.

CHIEFS- 62 including 17 with FABL experience
Bill May, Paddy Smith, Milt Fritz, Max Ploudre and Sam Vaughan.

COUGARS- 66 including 13 with FABL experience
John Lawson, Alex Ingraham, Ray Ford, Carlos Montes, Tommy Wilcox, Pete Papenfus and Donnie Jones.

CINCINNATI- 61 including 19 with FABL experience
John Wicklund, John Langille, Levi Redding, Charley McCullough, Mike T. Taylor, Glenn Payne, Art Edwards and Art Blake.

CLEVELAND- 54 including 11 with FABL experience
Eli Harkless, Rube McCormick and Dick Lamb.

DETROIT- 58 including 19 with FABL experience
Rabbit Mudd, Johnnie Sundberg, Fred Quinn, John Turner, Charlie Wheeler and Jack Snyder.

MONTREAL- 44 including 9 with FABL experience
Red Bond, Heinie Billings, Wally Doyle and Bud Robbins.

NY STARS- 52 including 16 with FABL experience
Lew Seals, Joe Angevine, Bill Barrett, Del Huddleston, Joe Rainbow, Johnny Hopper, Chuck Cole, Dixie Lee, Jack Wood, Robert Curry and Lou Robertson.

NY GOTHAMS- 55 including 20 with FABL experience
Mule Monier, Roosevelt Brewer, John Phillips, Hub Parks, Harry Carter, Bunny Edwards, Charlie Sutton and George Jacobs.

KEYSTONES- 51 including 14 with FABL experience
Billy Woytek, Davey Robicheaux, Lloyd Stevens, Henry Shaffer and Bud Canfield.

SAILORS- 56 including 16 with FABL experience
Lou Williams, Rip Lee, Sandy Grabow and Dutch Sheldon.

PITTSBURGH- 56 including 13 with FABL experience
Joe Owens, George Cleaves and Charlie Stedman.

ST LOUIS- 51 including 13 with FABL experience
Art Cascone, Zip Sullivan and Les Hendrix.

TORONTO- 51 including 9 with FABL experience
Fred McCormick, Tom Frederick, George Garrison and Jim Morrison.

WASHINGTON- 51 including 11 with FABL experience
Karl O'Reilly, Jim Birdwell and Jim Douglass.
As for young talent here are the teams that have contributed the most 'Top 100' prospects to the war effort.
ST LOUIS 5 Tom Buchanan (2), Hal Hackney (31), Bob Johnston Jr (53), Tony Dixon (67), Dick Long (72), Tucker Ness (79)
TORONTO 5 John Fast (5), Jerry York (9), Hank Girodano (33), Harry Phillips (59), John Graves (84)
MONTREAL 5 Otis Parker (13), Ernie McCoy (34), Eric Fiore (56), Gordon McCarley (85), Gordie Irwin (99)
COUGARS 5 Duke Bybee (6), Otto Christian (18), Leo Hayden (64), Danny Goff Jr (88), Eddie Howard (93)
KEYSTONES 5 Ernie Espanoza (10), Charlie Waddell (17), Joe Burns (54), Sid Moulton (57), Abe Abingdon (60)
CINCINNATI 4 Dick Blaszak (1), Win Hamby (36), Rick York (62), Dutch Peters (80)
SAILORS 4 Mark Smith (11), Slick Wesolowski (16), Cotton Dillon (21), Jimmy Chase (87)
STARS 4 Newt Cooper (25), Jerry Decker (47), Andy Gross (49), Flipper Robinson (55)
CLEVELAND 4 Hiram Steinberg (4), Richie Hughes (14), Pete Sigmund (40), Lorenzo Samuels (99)
CHIEFS 3 Bob Crowley (28), Solly Skidmore (37), Joe Rutherford (46)
DETROIT 3 Charlie Ashmore (45), Paul Grell (83), Tony Mullis (98)
PITTSBURGH 2 Gary Ely (81), Al Cox (94)
GOTHAMS 1 Bobby Boone (44)
BOSTON 1 Bob Arman (41)
Only Brooklyn and Washington have not lost a top 100 prospect to war effort

O'CALLAGHAN SEES COLLEGE FOOTBALL VITAL TO WAR EFFORT

Patsy O'Callaghan, the new football coach at Strub College, expressed the opinion today that despite manpower difficulties, the war-time future of college football is not too dismal. "After all," he said, "the most important thing in times like these is to keep our boys in shape. Football will make a vital contribution in that respect. For that reason, I believe football will continue during the war."

"Whether our teams are as good as in the past is not important. Naturally, they won't be. But we're all in the same boat, and I, personally, do not intend to worry too much about the material I'll have to work with next season. I'll do the best I can under the circumstances and I am sure every other college coach will do the same."

O'Callaghan's decision to come to the Pittsburgh school was announced by Strub College athletic director James Hagan, and while both men denied that a major change would be effected in the school's athletic policy, the new coach's acquisition was seen in Pittsburgh as a plan to return the Sycamores to the nation's football spotlight. O'Callaghan, who spent just one season at Maryland State after a long-term tenure with Redwood University, was released from his multi-year contract with the Bengals.

The grey haired T-formation specialist is, in his owns words planning to be "a teacher of football and not a man who has to produce victory after victory." He was credited with revitalizing the Maryland State athletic program by instituting football as an intramural sport and getting nearly 50% of the male population of the university to participate.

Reports indicate he will start a similar program at Strub College and that the new coach would get $20,000 a year -which would make him one of the country's highest-salaried gridiron pilots- but O'Callaghan said such a figure was "entirely out of proportion."

Strub College was 7-3 last season but only had one victory, a 14-10 win over North Carolina Tech, that would be against schools considered of a higher quality. O'Callaghan led Maryland State to a 5-3-1 mark last season after the Bengals were just 1-8 in the season prior to his arrival.

AIAA TOURNEY AGAIN PROVES GARDEN IS CAPITAL OF CAGELAND

The American Intercollegiate Athletic Association has renewed it's agreement to stage the final two rounds of their yearly national basketball championship at the Bigsby Garden in New York. The annual March cage tournament had played it's final weekend at the Bigsby venue each of the past three years and an agreement has been reached for the March event to remain in the city for at least the next five years.

New York City's status as the focal point of college basketball continues to grow. The two preseason tournaments held at the Bigsby Garden are among the best attended of the season-opening showcases and the venue has developed it's midweek doubleheaders into a national spectacle. A great example of that was last Wednesday's sold out crowd to watch a Northeast Conference battle with St Patrick's handing Liberty College it's first loss of the season in a 38-37 thriller decided by a last second bucket from the Shamrocks Richard Holstein after seeing Henry Hudson top Brunswick 61-51 in the opener.
*** CC LOS ANGELES FINALLY LOSES IN WCAA ***

After being perfect in West Coast Athletic Association play last season it did not take long for the CC Los Angeles Coyotes to fall to their first conference opponent in nearly two years. It was their cross-city rival Coasta California Dolphins that put an end to the Coyotes 26 game WCAA winning streak with a 48-42 win on Friday. It was the Dolphins who were the last team to beat CCLA before the streak began, and now find themselves ranked second in the nation behind the Coyotes, who retained the top spot and rebounded Sunday with a 48-37 win at Idaho A&M to improve to 16-1 on the year despite the fact their top player, junior forward Joe Quintana, was hurt in the loss to Coastal California.
*** NO MORE UNBEATEN TEAMS ***

Entering the week there were three schools that had yet to lose a basketball game this season but just like CC Los Angeles, Liberty College and Minnesota Tech each tasted defeat in conference play this week. The defending National Champion Bells, as mentioned above, saw their quest for a perfect season come to an end with a last second loss to St Patrick's on the floor of the Bigsby Gardens Wednesday evening while the Minnesota Tech Lakers dropped both of their Great Lakes Alliance games this week, losing on the road to both St Magnus and Western Iowa. No team in the history of the AIAA has ever won every game in a season with the 1924-25 Whitney College Engineers coming the closest. That Engineers squad went 34-1 with it's lone loss coming in February to conference rival Minnesota Tech. The Engineers did win the National Championship that season - the only one in school history.

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AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
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1. CC Los Angeles (54) 16-1 1780 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Coastal California (11) 15-1 1727 3 West Coast Athletic Association
3. Liberty College (6) 16-1 1671 2 Northeast Conference
4. Detroit City College 13-2 1516 4 Great Lakes Alliance
5. Great Plains State (1) 21-2 1503 5 Independent
6. Central Ohio 15-1 1433 7 Great Lakes Alliance
7. North Carolina Tech 14-2 1324 11 South Atlantic Conference
8. Chesapeake State 16-1 1311 6 South Atlantic Conference
9. Western Iowa 14-1 1248 10 Great Lakes Alliance
10. St. Ignatius 12-3 1235 9 Great Lakes Alliance
11. Brooklyn State 12-3 1005 13 Northeast Conference
12. Minnesota Tech 14-2 997 8 Great Lakes Alliance
13. St. Patrick's 14-3 896 17 Northeast Conference
14. Rainier College 13-3 871 16 West Coast Athletic Association
15. Lane State 14-2 804 15 West Coast Athletic Association
16. Alabama Baptist 15-2 756 14 Deep South Conference
17. Carolina Poly 13-3 686 12 South Atlantic Conference
18. St. Magnus 13-2 621 18 Great Lakes Alliance
19. Hamman 16-3 495 20 Independent
20. Elyria 14-4 418 22 Independent
21. Annapolis Maritime 17-6 316 NR Independent
22. Garden State 10-6 252 21 Northeast Conference
23. St Andrews College 12-4 201 NR Deep South Conference
24. Whitney College 10-5 124 19 Great Lakes Alliance
25. Coastal State 11-5 113 NR South Atlantic Conference
Others Receiving Votes:
Gates University 11-4 53 California League
Lawrence State 13-5 16 Plains Athletic Association
Chicago Poly 14-6 11 Independent
Maryland State 11-5 7 South Atlantic Conference
Central Kentucky 11-5 6 Deep South Conference
Dickson 14-6 3 Academia Alliance
Darnell State 11-5 1 Southwestern Alliance

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS
MONDAY JANUARY 18
#5 Great Plains State 47 Topeka State 32
TUESDAY JANUARY 19
#16 Alabama Baptist 44 Mississippi Tech 28
#20 Elyria 38 Wisconsin Catholic 30
Noble Jones College 51 Alabama Gulf Coast 49
St Blane 59 Central Carolina 47
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 20
#13 St Patrick's 38 #3 Liberty College 37
#22 Garden State 40 Frankford State 31
St Pancras 44 Commonwealth Catholic 35
THURSDAY JANUARY 21
#4 Detroit City College 50 #24 Whitney College 49
#5 Great Plains State 59 Opelika State 44
#6 Central Ohio 58 Wisconsin State 44
#7 North Carolina Tech 64 #17 Carolina Poly 48
#8 Chesapeake State 49 Central Carolina 40
#9 Western Iowa 49 Lincoln 27
#10 St Ignatius 49 Indiana A&M 43
#18 St Magnus 57 #12 Minnesota Tech 52
#20 Elyria 54 Huntington State 41
#25 Coastal State 52 Richmond State 43
FRIDAY JANUARY 22
#2 Coastal California 48 #1 CC Los Angeles 42
#15 Lane State 40 Spokane State 31
#21 Annapolis Maritime 48 Eastern State 39
#23 St Andrew's College 56 East Missouri Seminary 42
St Blane 48 Northern Minnesota 40
Mahoning Valley State 59 Georgia Baptist 57
SATURDAY JANUARY 23
#3 Liberty College 54 St Matthew's College 43
#6 Central Ohio 74 #4 Detroit City College 62
#8 Chesapeake State 48 Potomac College 45
#9 Western Iowa 51 #12 Minnesota Tech 40
#10 St Ignatius 48 Lincoln 43
#11 Brooklyn State 52 St Pancras 33
#13 St Patrick's 40 #22 Garden State 31
#18 St Magnus 52 Wisconsin State 45
#19 Hamman 43 Allentown State 33
SUNDAY JANUARY 24
#1 CC Los Angeles 48 Idaho A&M 37
#2 Coastal California 49 Custer College 39
#5 Great Plains State 55 Oklahoma Bible College 45
#14 Rainier College 42 Redwood 34
#15 Lane State 46 Northern California 28
#23 St Andrew's College 37 Grant (IN) 35

While those in the West Coast Athletic Association and Northeast Conference might disagree, the Great Lakes Alliance is usually the toughest conference in college basketball to win. With so many highly ranked teams the GLA clubs beat up on each other during the month of February and perhaps that is a major reason why the GLA, despite all of it's great teams, has not won a National Title since 1925-26 and it was Chicago Poly -a school no longer in the loop- that last brought the GLA glory.
GREAT LAKES ALIANCE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS
1916-17 Chicago Poly Panthers
1924-25 Whitney College Engineers
1925-26 Chicago Poly Panthers

The 1942-43 GLA schedule got underway on Thursday with 7 of the loop's 10 squads ranked in the top 25. The opener for Detroit City College was a trip to Whitney College and the Knights came away with a 59-49 win behind a 21-point effort from senior guard Roman Sollars, who continues to lead the nation in scoring average and is making a case to become the first GLA athlete to be named National Player of the Year since St Ignatius guard Richard Harvey did so in 1934-35.

Other Thursday GLA contests saw St Ignatius beat Indiana A&M 49-43, Western Iowa thump Lincoln 49-27, Central Ohio beat Wisconsin State 58-44 and St Magnus 57-52 hand in-state rival Minnesota Tech it's first loss of the season by a 57-52 count.

On Saturday the Knights faced a trip to Columbus and played one of the highest scoring games in team history. Sollars had 19 points but it was not enough as Central Ohio won 74-62 behind a 20 point outing from Levi Fierro with Haskell Tucker chipping in with 15. Three other schools joined the Aviators at 2-0 in conference play as Western Iowa handed Minnesota Tech it's second straight loss 51-40, St Ignatius beat Lincoln 48-43 and St Magnus beat Wisconsin State 45. Pat Chappell, the St Magnus three sport star who's best work is done at quarterback for the Vikings grid squad but also plays baseball, led the Vikings with 13 points in this game. Indiana A&M topped Whitney College 44-40 in the final GLC match of the weekend.

THE WEEK AHEAD

After splitting on the road the Knights are home for both of their games this week. They start Thursday with 3-sport star Pat Chappell and his St Magnus Vikings making the trip from St. Paul to the Motor City. The Vikings are ranked 18th nationally and are 13-2 on the season including 2-0 in GLA play. On Saturday it is St Ignatius coming to town in the always exciting battle with their Lansing rivals. The Lancers are 12-3 and coming off wins against Indiana A&M and Lincoln last week. St Ignatius has never won a National Title but did reach the championship game in 1937. They are led by the duo of Gerry Katz and Norm Yates, each averaging over 10 points a game.

AIAA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 1/24/1943

For two nights in a row the Royal Air Force took fight to the heart of Germany, reigning bombs on Berlin as London newspapers called for a similar assault on Rome.
The Germans responded with daylight air raids on the southeast English coast and a lone fighter plane that reached London, blasting machine gun rounds into a crowded city street.
After freeing Leningrad, the Russian armies continue forward in their gigantic offensive on the Eastern Front.
General MacArthur's forces report the final Japanese stronghold in Papua, New Guinea has been overrun.
Tripoli, the Axis' final remaining base in North Africa, appears close to being ready to fall, perhaps even without a fight.
The War Labor Board has asked President Roosevelt to order striking miners in Pennsylvania to return to the job. Some of the locations have been shut for three weeks when the first of 23,000 miners on strike.

Jiggs McGee · 07-13-2022, 11:15 AM

FEBRUARY 1, 1943

FABL PLANS ANOTHER MONSTER WAR FUND PROGRAM

Conferences between FABL President Sam Belton and several owners continued over the past week but for a change they had little to do with the manpower situation. The group instead, concerned itself with the organization of a war effort program for the two Associations. Insofar as baseball's relationship to the Manpower Commission was concerned, Belton said all that need be said at the baseball writers dinner over the weekend.

Virtually charged by Freddie Farhat, Detroit World columnist, with dereliction of duty in failing to lobby Washington for the case of baseball being deemed an essential industry and exempt from the draft, Belton said he could not be placed in the position of looking for special consideration, and preferred to let the 60 million fans do the lobbying for the game, and for him. This left the case for baseball with the people. It does now seem certain that the 1943 season would get underway as advertised, and after being approved by the owners only unforeseen circumstances would result in anything short of the full 154 games being played. As for the manpower issues, Farhat's point was echoed by some in attendance -that Belton and the magnates should have pushed harder to limit the drafting of players- but with the sheer number of enlistments the game would have suffered from a player shortage even without Selective Service callups. However, an important announcement is anticipated next week from the War Manpower Board and it has the potential to have a catastrophic impact on the sport. Belton refused to speculate on the impending news from the WMB, saying baseball would follow whatever the government decided.

The meeting between Belton and the owners was focused almost exclusively on the topic of raising funds for the war effort, something Army Relief had said it would gladly accept. Navy and Air Force relief, did not comment but it was clear they too would be beneficiaries of the baseball program. Nothing official was released by the loop President, other than Belton saying the 16 clubs would be making major contributions to the war effort.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

WOLVES IN THE WAR

Now that it appears the Wolves organization has settled to where they should be in 1943 plans must begin for the season. It appears that the Wolves will end up losing a total of 55 players to the war effort. The questions and answers that had been on all fans minds are as follows:

1: Where the Wolves hit hardest in the FABL? Although they lost an number of marquis FABL players, whose names do not have to mentioned, they were about middle of the road on losses, some teams lost more, other less than Toronto. Management's view down to manager Charlie Reed is that there is no sense crying over spilt milk make the best of what you have left for players.

2: What does the future hold? Everyone wants to know the answer to that question. The basic plan is to run all minor league teams at less than full rosters to both minimize travel costs and allow playing time for all. This maybe a chance to discover players that have been overlooked in the past due to the number of bodies on minor league teams. At the FABL level there will be a lot of experimentation when ST begins in Chattanooga, there will many players who have been languishing in Buffalo invited to Tennessee for a critical evaluation. Most teams in the system will be carrying less than 25 players. The shock of the hit to Toronto's elite prospects has opened the door for others to move up the system at an accelerated pace.

3: Will there be a decline in the quality of baseball? Of course there will be at the Major League level, with the number of star players, those on the cusp of being recognized as stars that have gone to serve their countries heeding a higher calling in their lives. At levels below the top the game maybe in better shape, players will be moved along to prove their abilities at higher levels instead of being caught in the numbers game. The Wolves have also contacted all their players to insure they are not thinking of enlisting but cannot predicted who will be drafted into the service. Toronto has also contacted a multitude of former players throughout Canada and the US about acting as unpaid scouts. This an attempt to find players who have matured later or been overlooked that are now playing on sandlots. Unpaid is a bit of a misnomer as commissions will be paid if the Wolves sign a player.

4: What about the 1943 draft? With early phase of the draft beginning this is an opportunity that youngsters may never have again, with the total number of players declining in the system these players will have a chance to display their talents earlier than previously drafted players. The fear in the back of everyone's mind is how draftees will not report and go off to serve in the conflict.

"BOYS ASKED MILLION QUESTIONS ON GAME," SAYS CLEAVES, BACK FROM HAWAIIAN TRIP

Jack Cleaves had just returned from a journey which took him from Pearl Harbor in Hawaii to his home in Pittsburgh. He was tanned, he was overweight and he clearly had been enjoying himself. Most of all he was enthusiastic. Cleaves had something on his mind. He had concluded a job which truly had been a labor of love. He had volunteered to help the Red Cross during the winter months when he could get away from baseball. He had been sent to the islands in the Pacific. His work finished, now he was home; but he didn't think the job was finished until he had given out a message.

"The chief topic with the boys I saw in the Pacific is sports," he declared. "That's what they want to talk about - sports. They want sports news. They asked me a million questions on baseball. They wanted my impressions of the World Championship Series. They brought up the argument of who was better Lefty Allen or Rabbit Day. How good a hitter was Max Morris they asked? Could the Miners win next season without my brother? Their questions on baseball varied, depending on what part of the country they came from. They get a mimeographed sheet every day from OWI and they eat up the baseball, football and basketball scores."
*** THEY WANT THE SCRIPTURE OF SPORTS***

"Up in some military camp I saw a copy of This Week in Figment Baseball which had been passed around for a month. It had come to a fellow named Elmer Glick and certainly had gone the rounds. They just couldn't get more copies so they did the next best thing - they tried to make the one copy they had last as long and go as far as possible."

"Some fellow phoned me about that. He said he would be willing to handle a batch of copies of TWIFB if I could arrange to have them sent there. The best thing I could do was write Jiggs McGee, the editor, and put him on the job of attempting to see that those soldiers in the Pacific received the "Scripture of Sports," the paper they enjoyed so much.

"My general impression of the soldiers I saw is that, without a doubt, they are the best fed, got the best medical care and are in the greatest condition of any body of men in the world. My trip was sponsored by the Red Cross, which is doing a great job. Whenever there are men in service, the Red Cross has men to assist. When I arrived on the islands, the Red Cross turned me over to the Special Service Branch of the Army, and it was under it's jurisdiction that I made trips to various bases and military hospitals. My headquarters were at Honolulu.

A major announcement is expected this week from the War Manpower Department, one which could have significant impact on professional sports including baseball. It is expected that for a number of occupations deemed 'non-essential' to the war effort all deferment requests - including ones previously granted to married men between 18 and 38 - will no longer apply. The worry for FABL magnates is will baseball be on the non-essential list? If so, it likely means that before Opening Day hundreds of married professional ballplayers who had previously been deferred, may find themselves drafted and in the Army by the end of April. There is a chance baseball, and other sports, are not placed on the non-essential list at this time, but it is also almost assured they will not be on the essential list either so the door could be open for deferments to be rescinded at any time.
It is this refusal to pressure Washington to label baseball an "essential wartime industry' on the basis of what it does for the country's morale that caused several scribes, most notably Freddie Farhat of the Detroit World, to blast FABL President Sam Belton and the writers dinner over the weekend for his inaction on the matter.
Belton, and all of baseball, are just in a very sticky situation and the FABL boss rightly points out how bad a position the game would be in should it push for special treatment. "I don't want a story coming out of Washington that would justify the inference that we are seeking any better treatment or exemptions from the conditions of war," explained Belton.
Privately, the owners whisper that their hope is the general public, and baseball fans specifically, take up their cause and pressure The White House to allow the game to continue. However, the sport is rapidly running out of quality ball players. To date at all levels of professional baseball there are over 950 players now in the armed forces. Next week's announcement could cripple the sport, or provide it with a life line.
The FABL rookie player draft is about to get underway. So time for another mock top five but this time around we are going with the Nickname edition
5- Bobby 'Spuddy' Ritter from Idaho of course
4- Bob 'Dustpan' Taylor a SS so I assume he is not quite a vacuum yet but getting there
3- Ralph 'Hamlet' Grant from Denmark, Wi -impressed any ballplayer would get the reference
2- Charlie K Johnson The Sing Sing Kid from Ossining, NY
#1 Monty 'Salt Water' Taaffe

INJURY TO QUINTANA DERAILS COYOTES

After winning 26 consecutive conference games and starting this season with 15 straight victories the City College of Los Angeles Coyotes have dropped 3 of their last 4 and their tournament hopes just might be jeopardy. It is no coincidence that the losing started in the game junior forward Joe Quintana -their leading scorer and an All-WCAA selection a year ago- went down with an injury after suffering what later was diagnosed as a broken jaw in the first half of their game with Coastal California. Without Quintana for the final 31 minutes of that contest the Coyotes fell 48-42. They did rebound with a win over Idaho A&M in their next game but lost twice this past week -to conference foes Redwood and Rainier College- and have slipped to 2-3 in WCAA play and sixth in the polls. The worry is Quintana could be sidelined up to another 3 weeks and CCLA might be just 2-9 in conference play at that point.

Meanwhile Coastal California and Rainier College are both 5-0 in WCAA play heading into a big showdown between the two schools in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Code:

AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Liberty College (44) 18-1 1771 3 Northeast Conference
2. Coastal California (28) 17-1 1755 2 West Coast Athletic Association
3. St. Ignatius 14-3 1648 10 Great Lakes Alliance
4. Detroit City College 14-3 1568 4 Great Lakes Alliance
5. North Carolina Tech 15-2 1452 7 South Atlantic Conference
6. CC Los Angeles 16-3 1449 1 West Coast Athletic Association
7. Great Plains State 22-3 1408 5 Independent
8. Chesapeake State 17-1 1294 8 South Atlantic Conference
9. Western Iowa 15-2 1224 9 Great Lakes Alliance
10. Rainier College 15-3 1108 14 West Coast Athletic Association
11. Central Ohio 15-3 1072 6 Great Lakes Alliance
12. St. Patrick's 16-3 1023 13 Northeast Conference
13. Brooklyn State 13-4 964 11 Northeast Conference
14. Carolina Poly 15-3 839 17 South Atlantic Conference
15. Alabama Baptist 16-2 782 16 Deep South Conference
16. Minnesota Tech 15-3 744 12 Great Lakes Alliance
17. Lane State 15-3 667 15 West Coast Athletic Association
18. St. Magnus 14-3 614 18 Great Lakes Alliance
19. Whitney College 12-5 479 24 Great Lakes Alliance
20. Annapolis Maritime 19-6 418 21 Independent
21. Elyria 17-4 370 20 Independent
22. Hamman 17-4 232 19 Independent
23. Garden State 11-7 209 22 Northeast Conference
24. St Andrews College 14-4 122 23 Deep South Conference
25. Chicago Poly 16-6 112 NR Independent
Others Receiving Votes:
Brooklyn Catholic 16-6 32 Independent
Gates University 13-4 21 California League
Rome State 17-7 7 Independent
Darnell State 13-5 7 Southwestern Alliance
Queen City 14-8 3 Independent
Central Kentucky 12-5 2 Deep South Conference
Northern California 9-9 2 West Coast Athletic Association
Lawrence State 14-5 2 Plains Athletic Association

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS
MONDAY JANUARY 25
#12 St Patrick's 45 Commonwealth Catholic 36
#21 Elyria 57 Eastern State 48
Western Florida 54 #23 Garden State 45
St Blane 42 Cesar Rodney 41
TUESDAY JANUARY 26
Texas Panhandle 51 #22 Hamman 46
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 27
#1 Liberty College 46 St Martin's College 38
#13 Brooklyn State 56 St Matthew's College 38
#23 Garden State 45 St Pancras 42
#24 St Andrew's College 51 Mississippi Tech 37
St Blane 47 Granville 44
THURSDAY JANUARY 28
#3 St Ignatius 70 #16 Minnesota Tech 59
#4 Detroit City College 53 #18 St Magnus 37
#5 North Carolina Tech 54 Alexandria 41
#9 Western Iowa 51 Indiana A&M 46
#14 Carolina Poly 44 Petersburg 29
#19 Whitney College 50 #11 Central Ohio 40
#20 Annapolis Maritime 43 Pueblo State 33
FRIDAY JANUARY 29
#2 Coastal California 46 Portland Tech 41
Redwood 50 #6 CC Los Angeles 39
#10 Rainier College 48 #17 Lane State 36
#21 Elyria 39 Orrville 30
SATURDAY JANUARY 30
#1 Liberty College 60 Commonwealth Catholic 36
#3 St Ignatius 65 #4 Detroit City College 52
#8 Chesapeake State 55 Cowpens State 42
#12 St Patrick's 48 #13 Brooklyn State 45
#14 Carolina Poly 74 Bulein 64
#15 Alabama Baptist 57 Baton Rogue State 30
#16 Minnesota Tech 59 Lincoln 46
#18 St Magnus 47 #11 Central Ohio 45
#19 Whitney College 50 #9 Western Iowa 46
#20 Annapolis Maritime 43 Jersey City Tech 28
#22 Hamman 44 Tallmadge State 34
#24 St Andrew's College 54 Georgia Baptist 42
#25 Chicago Poly 57 Strub College 51
Noble Jones College 45 Bayou State 44
SUNDAY JANUARY 31
#2 Coastal California 55 Idaho A&M 37
#10 Rainier College 45 #6 CC Los Angeles 37
#17 Lane State 48 Portland Tech 36
#21 Elyria 52 Centerville 42

For the second week in a row the Detroit City College Knights split their two conference games this week. On Thursday the Knights won at home, beating 18th ranked St Magnus 53-37. Roman Sollars again had a quiet game, scoring just 6 points for DCC but Andrew Bennett, with 16, and Adolph Duckworth, who added 14, picked up the slack. Three sport star Pat Chappell led the way for the visiting Vikings with a 14 point outing.

Saturday afternoon brought the Knights cross-state rivals from Lansing to the Motor City. Junior guard Norman Yates stole the show for the visitors as the St. Ignatius guard scored a career high 28 points as the Lancers opened an 11 point lead at the break and then coasted to a 65-52 victory. That win moved St Ignatius up to third in the polls, one spot ahead of Detroit City College. The good news for the Knights was that Roman Sollars got back on track with an 18 point showing. As for Yates and his 28 points, that was just 3 shy of the conference record co-held by Chris Davis of Central Ohio and Jeffrey Biles from Minnesota Tech.

St Ignatius is now 4-0 (14-3 overall) and alone atop the GLA standings with Western Iowa and St Magnus tied for second at 3-1. The 2-2 Knights are one of 4 teams at .500

THE WEEK AHEAD

The Knights head out on the road with stops in Milwaukee on Thursday at Wisconsin State (11-6) and a visit to Minneapolis on Saturday to face Minnesota Tech (15-3).

Wisconsin State would be the least successful team in the Great Lakes Alliance over the years, having made the year end National Tournament just once in their history. The last time the Brewers had a winning record in conference play was when they went 9-7 in 1930-31. Their top player this season is Kevin Campbell, a senior forward who is averaging 10.7 ppg.

Minnesota Tech is a school on the rise. The Lakers made the tournament last season with a 21-9 record, marking their first invite since 1912. They got off to a great start this season with 14 straight wins including victories over ranked opponents Annapolis Maritime and Great Plains State but they stumbled in GLA play with losses in each of their first 3 conference games. All three were ranked and the first two on the road as they lost to St Magnus and Western Iowa in the opening week before dropping their home opener 70-59 to St Ignatius last Thursday. The Lakers did get their first conference win of the season on Saturday when they dumped Lincoln College 59-46 in Springfield. Minnesota State is led by a pair of juniors, each averaging over 10 points per game, in forwards Thomas Cozart and Russell Geisler. Cozart was an All-GWA selection last season as a sophomore.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 1/31/1943

President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill, meeting in Casablanca, are believed to have laid out a master war plan for 1943 designed to bring about the "unconditional surrender" of Axis forces in Europe.
The Russian military estimates that more than 40% of the Axis troops and equipment on the eastern front has been knocked out or badly smashed in the two month long Soviet winter offensive.
On the 10th anniversary of the Nazi accession to power, Field Marshall Goering called on the 80 million people of Germany to sacrifice everything, including life, for the existence of the Reich.
Nazis have arrested 40,000 in the harbor area of Marseilles, Mediterranean port of France, and moved them to a concentration camp because "many state enemies, including many Jews," were active in the district.
Thieves escaped with gasoline rationing coupons calling for over 15 million gallons of gasoline after a break-in at a New York OPA office. There have been a number of reported thefts of ration books but this one was by far the largest.

Jiggs McGee · 07-14-2022, 09:45 AM

FEBRUARY 8, 1943

BASEBALL'S DEATH LOOMS THROUGH McNUTT EDICT

No Assurances Given Draft Won't Catch All Pro Athletes
Puts Scare into FABL and the AFA

by the Associated Press

FABL and other professional sports, already facing stringent travel and other restrictions, escaped what might have been a final crushing blow when they were omitted from the list of activities considered non-essential for draft purposes, but along with thousands of other young wage earners with children, professional athletes have no assurance that their induction will be postponed long.

Although the War Manpower Commission's list skirted the sports field by singling out greenskeepers and the boys who make a living gambling on the races, the play-for-pay athletes were not included among those who face induction after April 1 regardless of their dependents.

*** GAME DESIRABLE, NOT ESSENTIAL ***

WMC Chairman Paul V. McNutt, one time sandlot player who previously has said he considered pro baseball and football "desirable, but not essential," warned that the first list of non-deferrable classifications was "just the beginning." He backed this up with a prediction that 10 out of every 15 men between 18 and 38 -spanning the ages of most athletes- would be in the armed service by the year's end.

Other manpower officials said there hadn't been any discussion of the future lists of non-deferrables and emphasized that it would be "sheer guess work" to speculate on the prospects for professional athletes. Several sports authorities met the new draft order with silence. "No comment" was the two-word response from Sam Belton, President of FABL, while the office of the American Football Association did not issue any reply at all when questioned.

Washington Eagles owner William Stockdale, who has had many discussions with various government officials, declared that baseball is prepared to take whatever orders the Government deems necessary, but added he hoped some means of continuing the sport will be worked out.

Others echoed those sentiments. The Great Western League office issued a statement saying in part "Baseball does not want to be classed as an essential business. The idea of women, physically deficient men and others working in war industries and having able-bodied men playing baseball would seem incongruous."

So baseball, and other professional sports, must once more take a wait-and-see approach. The owners will start the 1943 season. The question remains, however, whether or not there will be enough players left come September to be able to complete it.

FORESTERS TAKE ADAMS JR WITH TOP PICK

Amidst all of the uncertainty over baseball the league continued it's tradition of drafting the top college and high school talent as the first phase of FABL's annual player draft. The Cleveland Foresters, picking first for the second time in three years made shortstop Jim Adams Jr. the top selection. The college star from St Ignatius is the son of Jim Adams, who played a dozen seasons at shortstop for the Keystones and Wolves. Jr. was a second team All-American selection as a freshman. The Washington Eagles followed with the catcher Bob Newcomer, as the second choice. The 20 year old from Cesar Rodney College in Delaware was a second team All-American selection this past season.

Rounds 1 thru 3 continue over the coming days with the remainder of the 25 round FABL draft to be completed in June.

COUGARS HARDEST HIT BY WAR-TIME LOSSES

Percy Sutherland of the Chicago Herald-Examiner recently took a look to see which FABL franchise had lost the most to war effort. Now, of course there are many ways to measure that and some might argue the loss of young prospects is just as big a hit to some teams as that of veteran stars is to others. Percy decided for his study to simply look at the career impact of those that have left for the service. Using one of his newfangled stats concocted along with his nephew- the Whitney College math guru- Sutherland is using as a measuring stick something he calls WaR or wins above replacement. Seems like a fitting name for a stat to measure losses to the military so here are the career WaR totals for players who have left each organization for the military.

From below it certainly looks like the Chicago Cougars, and much of the Continental Association as a whole, has been hit a lot harder than their Federal Association counterparts.

Code:


Team          WAR
Cougars     157.2
Cincinnati   86.0
Stars        84.7
Pittsburgh   81.6
Toronto      76.9
Brooklyn     61.5
Sailors      57.2
Boston       56.7
Chiefs       42.3
Detroit      40.5
Gothams      33.3
St. Louis    27.6
Montreal     24.3
Keystones    18.6
Washington    6.0
Cleveland     3.6

War Manpower Commission head Paul McNutt's statements this week, putting an end to deferments for married men in non-essential occupations has sent a chill through baseball circles. The magnates had always had some degree of worry but I would say the general feeling on the chances of baseball completing the season have never been worse. One of them went so far as to tell me that "we (baseball) are now living on borrowed time."
A Federal Association GM, who declined to be identified, is a little more optimistic: "In a way." he said "I felt encouraged when I read this modified 'work-or-fight' order. I was worried we might not even get off the ground this season but now I feel, that we, at least, will start in April. It's my belief or perhaps I should say it's my hunch that no new occupations will be added to the list for awhile. Yesterday's order will be effective April 1 and there will be 30-day extensions. It may be along about July 1 before the Government decides whether the order has produced enough manpower. By then the season will be half over and we may be able to go through the complete campaign before an order affecting ball players would become effective."
Others are far less confident and feel the blow may come sooner than that and when it does they may, as Gothams Assistant General Manager George Rinkenberger put-it, "close the gates." There aren't enough ball players under 18 or over 38 to man a club in the Lone Star Association much less 16 big league teams.

HEAVIEST ACTION IS DUE IN EAST AS COLLEGES BEGIN STRETCH DRIVE

Here is a quick trip around the college basketball hoop.
EAST - Plenty of excitement in the Northeast Conference with 6-2 St Patrick's holding a slim half game lead on Brooklyn State, Garden State and Liberty. The Bells are 19-2 overall and ranked number one in the nation but both of their losses are to conference foes including a 53-44 defeat last Monday at Garden State. The Bells did get back on a winning note with a victory over St Pancras on Saturday. St Patrick's, which is the other school to beat Liberty this season, tripped up Saturday at Frankford State, falling 43-41.

With wins over Pierpont and Henry Hudson last week, Dickson leads the Academia Alliance with a 6-1 record, good for a 1 game lead on both Brunswick and Grafton.

SOUTH -Big things are expected of Alabama Baptist this season as the Panthers ran their overall record to 18-2 with a pair of Deep South Conference wins last week. Chesapeake State is now 4-0 in South Atlantic play and 19-1 overall after the 6th ranked Clippers won twice on the road last week, at Petersburg and Columbia Military Academy.

MIDWEST - St Ignatius fell 67-62 at home to Central Ohio on Saturday, dropping the third ranked Lancers to 5-1 in Great Lakes Alliance play and 15-4 overall. St Magus is also 5-1 with Central Ohio and Western Iowa a game off the pace. It has been a rough three weeks for Detroit City College as the Knights continue to alternate a win with a loss in conference play and are 3-3 after beating Wisconsin State but losing to Minnesota Tech last week.

WEST -Rainer College made Coastal California fans take notices as the Majestics rode a 14-point game from Gary Harrison to a 39-32 win over the Dolphins Sunday afternoon, leaving both schools deadlocked for the West Coast Athletic Association lead at 6-1. CC Los Angeles dropped another game this week and the Coyotes are one of three teams tied at 4-3.

Code:

AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Liberty College (63) 19-2 1791 1 Northeast Conference
2. Coastal California (8) 18-2 1734 2 West Coast Athletic Association
3. St. Ignatius 15-4 1593 3 Great Lakes Alliance
4. CC Los Angeles 18-3 1539 6 West Coast Athletic Association
5. Detroit City College 15-4 1497 4 Great Lakes Alliance
6. Chesapeake State 19-1 1452 8 South Atlantic Conference
7. Great Plains State (1) 23-3 1390 7 Independent
8. Central Ohio 17-3 1309 11 Great Lakes Alliance
9. North Carolina Tech 16-3 1275 5 South Atlantic Conference
10. Rainier College 16-4 1147 10 West Coast Athletic Association
11. Western Iowa 16-3 1100 9 Great Lakes Alliance
12. St. Patrick's 17-4 970 12 Northeast Conference
13. Carolina Poly 16-3 895 14 South Atlantic Conference
14. Alabama Baptist 18-2 894 15 Deep South Conference
15. Minnesota Tech 16-4 747 16 Great Lakes Alliance
16. St. Magnus 16-3 741 18 Great Lakes Alliance
17. Brooklyn State 14-5 728 13 Northeast Conference
18. Lane State 15-5 518 17 West Coast Athletic Association
19. Annapolis Maritime 21-6 503 20 Independent
20. Garden State 13-7 452 23 Northeast Conference
21. Chicago Poly 19-6 386 25 Independent
22. Elyria 17-5 289 21 Independent
23. Whitney College 12-7 122 19 Great Lakes Alliance
24. Darnell State 15-5 118 NR Southwestern Alliance
25. Hamman 17-5 117 22 Independent
Others Receiving Votes:
St. Blane 16-7 26 Independent
St Andrews College 15-5 20 Deep South Conference
Gates University 14-5 16 California League
Brooklyn Catholic 17-7 14 Independent
Rome State 18-8 7 Independent
Ohio Poly 16-10 5 Independent
Lambert College 16-8 4 Midwestern Association
Central Kentucky 13-6 1 Deep South Conference

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS
MONDAY FEBRUARY 1
#20 Garden State 53 #1 Liberty College 44
#12 St Patrick's 51 St Pancras 44
Rome State 41 Bliss College 33
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 2
#7 Great Plains State 51 Dakota College 43
#21 Chicago Poly 56 Needham 36
St Blane 51 Smithfield College 47
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 3
#14 Alabama Baptist 52 Noble Jones College 44
#17 Brooklyn State 51 Frankford State 45
#19 Annapolis Maritime 44 Central Maryland 43
Orrville 45 #25 Hamman 38
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 4
#3 St Ignatius 46 #23 Whitney College 37
#5 Detroit City College 48 Wisconsin State 31
#6 Chesapeake State 56 Columbia Military Academy 47
#8 Central Ohio 44 #11 Western Iowa 36
#9 North Carolina Tech 58 Central Carolina 49
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5
#2 Coastal California 47 Northern California 37
#4 CC Los Angeles 48 Spokane State 31
Idaho A&M 53 #18 Lane State 41
#21 Chicago Poly 57 Hartford Wesleyan 27
#24 Darnell State 55 Canyon A&M 47
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6
#1 Liberty College 49 St Pancras 36
#6 Chesapeake State 44 Petersburg 40
#8 Central Ohio 67 #3 St Ignatius 62
Bulein 44 #9 North Carolina Tech 43
#11 Western Iowa 64 Wisconsin State 44
Frankford State 43 #12 St Patrick's 41
#13 Carolina Poly 52 Lexington State 49
#14 Alabama Baptist 51 Bluegrass State 31
#15 Minnesota Tech 68 #5 Detroit City College 58
#16 St Magnus 40 Indiana A&M 33
St Martin's College 44 #17 Brooklyn State 35
#19 Annapolis Maritime 60 Bronx Tech 48
#20 Garden State 52 Commonwealth Catholic 40
Lincoln 58 #23 Whitney College 53
#24 Darnell State 50 Travis College 47
Noble Jones College 50 Opelika State 40
St Blane 54 St Matthew's College 52
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 7
#10 Rainier College 39 #2 Coastal California 32
#4 CC Los Angeles 58 Northern California 40
Redwood 33 #18 Lane State 31
#21 Chicago Poly 51 Eastern Virginia 44

The Knights continue to struggle in Great Lakes Alliance play, dropping to 3-3 and their 15-4 overall record sees the slide to 5th in this week's college basketball poll. The weak started well enough with a 48-31 win on the road over Wisconsin State behind a 19 point outing from Roman Sollars. Next up was Minnesota Tech and despite three Knights scoring in double-figures (Jack Kurtz 12, Sollars 11, Adolph Duckworth 10) the Knights were outscored 68-58 by the now 15th ranked Lakers.

THE WEEK AHEAD

A pair of home games this week but neither will be easy as first the Knights welcome Western Iowa (16-3) to the Motor City on Thursday followed by a rematch against 8th ranked Central Ohio (17-3). The Aviators flew past Detroit City College 74-62 last month in Columbus. As for Western Iowa, this will be the first and only meeting with the 11th ranked Canaries this season. Western Iowa is dealing with a couple of injuries but they have an outstanding guard tandem in junior Gerald Carter (13.7 ppg) and freshman Joe Hampton (4.9 ppg). Hampton is the former St Louis Pioneers pitching prospect who gave up the sport and returned to basketball in the fall.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 2/07/1943

President Roosevelt began the week by filling in key Congressional leaders on the outcome of secret meetings with Prime Minister Churchill in Casablanca last week.
Paul McNutt, chairman of the War Manpower Commission announced that beginning April 1, men employed in 19 industries, 8 wholesale and retail trades and 9 services would cease being deferred "regardless of dependents."
Secretary of Navy Knox says that the great battle for the Solomons has not yet developed but could be close as both sides engage in a series of "feeler" skirmishes.
The battle of Stalingrad, one of the bloodiest of the war, nears it's end as Russians killed 900 more of the Germans pocketed in the northern area of the city and made prisoners of others.

Jiggs McGee · 07-15-2022, 09:22 AM

FEBRUARY 15, 1943

FABL DRAFT GOES ON DESPITE MANPOWER UNCERTAINTY

The opening round of the FABL amateur player draft has been completed and for the first time since 1936 a pitcher was not among the top three selections. That year it was Sal Pestilli, Walt Messer and Billy Woytek at the head of the draft with the New York Stars ending the trend by selecting high school hurler Johnnie Jones with the fourth pick. Interestingly, you have to go all the way back to the 1923 draft -in the pre-human GM era- to find a first round that held off until at least the fifth pick before selecting a pitcher. Rabbit Day was the arm that broke the run in the '23 draft.

So here we are 20 years later and it was not until Detroit tabbed New Orleans born high schooler Alf Keeter with the fourth selection did we hear a pitcher's name called. The top pick, as reported last week, was St. Ignatius shortstop Jim Adams Jr., son of the former Toronto and Philadelphia Keystones infielder by the same name, who was chosen by the Cleveland Forsters. Washington followed up with another college choice in catcher Bob Newcomer, out of Cesar Rodney. Next up was the Brooklyn Kings and they may have found their eventual replacement for slugging outfielder Al Wheeler in a Duluth, Minnesota high schooler by the name of Pat Petty.

Most General Managers were in agreement the biggest surprise was the fact that two-time All-American shortstop Homer Mills slipped all the way to sixth in the draft when many of them felt he was the top player available. Mills, a Chicago-area native who plays his college ball at Weston in Ohio, was finally selected by the St Louis Pioneers with the sixth pick and, had Detroit not opted for Keeter, there is a likelihood that Mills may have slid even further.

Here is the complete first round. Round two selections will be announced in the next issue followed by the regional round 3 choices with the remainder of the 25 round draft to take place after the high school and college seasons conclude in June.

Code:

	        1943 FIRST ROUND SELECTIONS
PK  TEAM   PLAYER	  POS  AGE   SCHOOL	       HOMETOWN
 1  CLE  Jim Adams Jr.	   SS  21  St Ignatius	      Philadelphia, Pa.
 2  WSH  Bob Newcomer	   C   20  Cesar Rodney       Auburn, Me.
 3  BKN  Pat Petty	   OF  18  Duluth(MN) HS      Superior, Wi.
 4  DET  Alf Keeter	   RHP 18  Redeemer HS-NewOr  New Orleans, La.
 5  PHS  Hoppy Johnson	   RHP 21  Charleson Tech     Birmingham,Al.
 6  STL  Homer Mills	   SS  21  Weston College     East Chicago, Il.
 7  TOR  Jim Carter	   RHP 20  Ellery College     Quincy, Ma.
 8  CHI  Joe Davis	   1B  18  Copley HS-Boston   Boston, Ma.
 9  MON  Luke Weaver	   3B  20  American Atlantic  Miami, Fl.
10  PHK  Johnnie Porter	   OF  18  Huntington(WV) HS  Huntington, WV
11  CIN  Hal Friedlander   RHP 18  Pelham (NY) HS     Brooklyn, NY
12  PIT  Jim Hawkins       LHP 18  Oakmont (PA) HS    Philadelphia, Pa.
13  CHC  Tommy Seymour     RHP 17  Olathe (KS) HS     Manhattan, Ks.
14  BOS  Frankie Gonnella  3B  20  Canton State	      Newark, NJ
15  NYS  Jock Stone        3B  21  Meade College      Philadelphia, Pa.
16  NYG  Tommy Kelly       OF  18  Dexter (MI) HS     Dexter, Mi.

Baseball magnates and FABL President Sam Belton will be watching closely when the football bosses go to Washington this week. Action on the problem of whether professional football will continue in 1943 or be thrown for a loss by the acute manpower shortage perhaps will be learned in a matter of days after Jack Kristich, President of the American Football Association, heads to Washington to help straighten out matters. Kristich and a few AFA club owners are set to meet with Manpower boss Paul McNutt and Transportation Tycoon Joe Eastman tomorrow afternoon with a goal of firming up the pro football plans for next fall.

DENIED USE OF STUDENT-SOLDIERS, COLLEGE SPORTS WILL CONTINUE

Despite a recent Army ruling against Army-sponsored student-soldiers from participating in intercollegiate sports college officials today expressed a grim determination to carry on. Col. Herman Beukema, director of the Army's specialized training corps in Washington, explained that the soldier-athletes in their new college training program simply wouldn't have time for such extra-curricular activities and added, "We are not sending the men there (to colleges) to participate in big-time athletic programs." Beukema's decision was more stunning because previously the college authorities had hinted that soldiers sent to AIAA campuses would be declared eligible to compete on the teams of those schools.

The Great Lakes Alliance commissioner said in Chicago after studying the order that "I'm sure we always will be able to find 11 boys in every school who want to play football. College football may be hurt, but it won't be killed."

*** COACHES STILL OPTIMISTIC ***

Virtually the same sentiments were expressed by AIAA football coaches across the country. "Of course we will have football," declared Paddy O'Callaghan, who recently moved from Maryland State to Strub College. "Calisthenics develops the boy, but competitive sport develops the man."

One eastern football coach expressed regret at the ruling "because we have felt we could assist materially in the development and training of these younger members of the armed forces. While none went on record, several other coaches said this will be the demise of inter-collegiate athletics at their schools for the duration. Despite the ban on soldier-students for the fall, many colleges are carrying on with plans to hold as reasonable a facsimile of spring training as possible. While disappointed and somewhat surprised over the Army's ruling forbidding soldier-students from playing, a survey by the Associated Press showed most major AIAA schools intend to play football as long as they can field 11 men on a side and can get a man to blow the whistle. Squads will be much smaller next year but there will be football and with that in mind nearly all the big-time programs are set to proceed with their spring camps.

It is estimated that at it's peak about 150,000 soldiers will be attending college and that the men would have to meet the scholastic requirements of the schools to which they were sent. Tests will be given at the end of each 12-week period and the men who fail will be returned to duty with the troops. In addition to 24 or 25 hours of classroom work each week the soldier-students also would be required to participate in five hours of military drill daily, as well as an hour of athletics. Beukema indicated the athletics would be competitive, but of the intramural variety.

"From that schedule," he said, "you can figure out easily whether there is time to put a man in condition for bigtime athletics."

The Navy also will send men to schools for special courses, but it's attitude on intercollegiate competition has not yet been announced.

COASTAL CALIFORNIA TAKES OVER TOP SPOT

The Coastal California Dolphins moved into the number spot in the weekly AIAA college basketball poll. The Dolphins improved to 20-2 overall and 8-1 in West Coast Athletic Association play with a pair of conference wins last week. Idaho A&M gave the Dolphins a scare on Friday before eventually falling 59-58 to the Dolphins in Los Angeles. Coastal Cal had less problems yesterday on the road in Sacramento as they scored a ten point win over the Northern California Miners. Next week will be a tough test for the Dolphins with games against 3rd ranked CC Los Angeles and #20 Lane State.

Liberty College dropped to number two in the rankings as the Bells have lost two of their last three games including a 40-31 defeat at home to 15th ranked Brooklyn State.

Code:

AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Coastal California (64) 20-2 1791 2 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Liberty College (7) 19-3 1729 1 Northeast Conference
3. CC Los Angeles 19-4 1600 4 West Coast Athletic Association
4. Chesapeake State 21-1 1512 6 South Atlantic Conference
5. Detroit City College 16-5 1460 5 Great Lakes Alliance
6. St. Ignatius 16-5 1408 3 Great Lakes Alliance
7. Great Plains State (1) 25-3 1397 7 Independent
8. North Carolina Tech 18-3 1386 9 South Atlantic Conference
9. Central Ohio 19-3 1276 8 Great Lakes Alliance
10. Rainier College 18-4 1197 10 West Coast Athletic Association
11. Western Iowa 17-4 1017 11 Great Lakes Alliance
12. Carolina Poly 18-3 982 13 South Atlantic Conference
13. Alabama Baptist 20-2 977 14 Deep South Conference
14. St. Patrick's 18-4 876 12 Northeast Conference
15. Brooklyn State 15-6 778 17 Northeast Conference
16. St. Magnus 17-4 699 16 Great Lakes Alliance
17. Minnesota Tech 17-5 685 15 Great Lakes Alliance
18. Annapolis Maritime 23-6 551 19 Independent
19. Garden State 15-7 455 20 Northeast Conference
20. Lane State 16-6 446 18 West Coast Athletic Association
21. Chicago Poly 22-6 415 21 Independent
22. Whitney College 14-7 268 23 Great Lakes Alliance
23. Elyria 19-5 258 22 Independent
24. Brooklyn Catholic 20-7 140 NR Independent
25. St. Blane 18-7 69 NR Independent
Others Receiving Votes: St Andrews College 16-5 12 Deep South Conference
Darnell State 16-6 11 Southwestern Alliance
Rome State 20-8 5 Independent

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS
MONDAY FEBRUARY 8
#19 Garden State 41 St Matthew's College 28
#23 Elyria 41 Laclede 34
#24 Brooklyn Catholic 48 Bardney 37
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 9
#7 Great Plains State 55 Wisconsin Catholic 23
#18 Annapolis Maritime 59 Eastern Kansas 27
#25 St Blane 49 Potomac College 47
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 10
#15 Brooklyn State 40 #2 Liberty College 31
#13 Alabama Baptist 65 Georgia Baptist 44
#21 Chicago Poly 56 Grange College 37
#24 Brooklyn Catholic 47 Harper College 38
Rome State 49 Mississippi Tech 42
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 11
#4 Chesapeake State 47 Bulein 42
#5 Detroit City College 51 #11 Western Iowa 46
#6 St Ignatius 53 Wisconsin State 39
#8 North Carolina Tech 49 Lexington State 33
#9 Central Ohio 66 #17 Minnesota Tech 58
#12 Carolina Poly 53 Columbia Military Academy 52
#22 Whitney College 48 #16 St Magnus 37
#23 Elyria 56 Cesar Rodney 41
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 12
#1 Coastal California 59 Idaho A&M 58
Portland Tech 36 #3 CC Los Angeles 25
#10 Rainier College 49 Northern California 35
#18 Annapolis Maritime 50 Hartford Wesleyan 33
#20 Lane State 46 Custer College 37
#21 Chicago Poly 44 Bronx Tech 32
#25 St Blane 57 Plover College 43
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 13
#4 Chesapeake State 56 Alexandria 40
#9 Central Ohio 55 #5 Detroit City College 53
#16 St Magnus 46 #6 St Ignatius 39
#7 Great Plains State 47 Springfield State 27
#8 North Carolina Tech 41 Mobile Maritime 35
#11 Western Iowa 43 Lincoln 35
#13 Carolina Poly 66 Maryland State 56
#13 Alabama Baptist 46 Central Kentucky 43
#17 Minnesota Tech 54 Indiana A&M 48
#22 Whitney College 46 Wisconsin State 35
#24 Brooklyn Catholic 42 Ferguson 40
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 14
#1 Coastal California 50 Northern California 40
#3 CC Los Angeles 61 Idaho A&M 53
#10 Rainier College 44 #20 Lane State 35
#21 Chicago Poly 55 Topeka State 47

The Knights continue to have problems in Great Lakes Alliance play as once again they split their two games this week and are just 4-4 in GLA action and 16-5 overall. They are in a tough stretch, with 9 of 10 games against ranked opponents but that seems to be a normal schedule for schools in the powerful GLA. The Knights beat 11th ranked Western Iowa 51-46 at home on Thursday behind a 14 point effort from Andrew Bennett but then on Saturday they lost for the second time this season to their rivals from Columbus. Central Ohio came into the Motor City and pulled out a 55-53 win over the Knights thanks to a late basket from Levi Fierro, giving the Aviators senior forward a 17-point outing. Roman Sollars also had 17 for DCC in the loss.

With 8 conference games remaining Detroit City College is still very much in the running for the GLA crown but at 4-4 they sit two games back of the three co-leaders: St Magnus, Central Ohio and St Ignatius.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Next week begins with a game at home against 17th ranked Minnesota Tech. The Lakers are 17-5 overall but just 3-5 in GLA play although they did beat Detroit City in Minneapolis a little over a week ago. On Saturday it will be a trip to Lansing for the rematch with St Ignatius, a school that also beat DCC in their opener. The Lancers are 16-5 on the year and ranked 5th in the nation.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 2/14/1943

Prime Minister Churchill revealed in a House of Commons speech that the Allies were scoring encouraging success against German submarines and planned to throw their full weight against Germany on a mass scale within the next 9 months.
Former President Herbert Hoover says a 'Labor Draft' of men to age 65 and women to age 50 is necessary as America faces an "extremely grave" shortage of food, metals and oils unless 1 million workers are shifted from other employment to join on farms, in factories and mines.
Footwear is the latest item expected to be rationed as shoe shortages plague the nation.
The War Manpower Commission announced that 48-hour work weeks will begin in areas of the country with crucial manpower shortages effective March 31st.
Russian troops continue their drive, routing the Nazis in a savage battle near Kharkov.
With Americans attacking by day and British bombing by night the Allies have a non-stop offensive against a wide-range of Axis objectives ranging from the German-held coast of France to the Italian mainland, Sicily and Sardinia

Jiggs McGee · 07-17-2022, 09:49 AM

FEBRUARY 22, 1943

WARTIME BASEBALL LIKELY TO PROVIDE GREAT PENNANT SCRAMBLES

By Jiggs McGee

It is becoming more and more evident that all pennant races for this season, big league or minor, will provide possibly the greatest title scramble that baseball ever has known. Not even the boldest or the goofiest of all prophets can pick this team or that team to win since no one can tell you how many will be left from week to week or month to month. Teams that open their training season around the middle of March with 35-40 men, many of which will be previously untested in FABL circles, may find 5, 10 or 15 more absentees during the season as they answer the roll call of the armed forces. If there are enough left to finish the season, this will gives us at least one of the most interesting FABL campaigns since William Whitney had his ancient dream.

I don't believe any spectator will notice any big slump in class, as long as most of the teams are fairly well matched. The plater can look just as good as the stake horse, until he runs against the stake horse. He can give you just as much excitement - and as many thrills. A year ago around this spot there were 16 big league clubs getting ready for the 1942 show. You could throw out about 9 of these teams as it was the Cougars and Stars in the Continental Association and the big four or five in the Fed. The other nine clubs might as well have gone in for table tennis, or the hop, skip and jump. They never had a chance. The winning material in both leagues was all picked, concentrated in those half dozen clubs.
*** LINE-UPS ARE UNCERTAIN ***

But it is all different today. No manager can tell you how many men he will have left by April's starting date or through the summer run. Bill Barrett is gone, the Gothams double-play duo have left, no more George Cleaves in Pittsburgh. Sal Pestilli appears next out the door. There will be no feeling of any certainty until the War Department and Congress decide about the matter of married men with children. If all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 38 are to be called, regardless of dependents, I can't see how baseball or any other sport can survive, outside of Army and Navy competition. This is a problem that belongs strictly to the War Department and Congress. They must have an answer for this arrangement.

*** TEAMS COULD BE CRIPPLED ***

The Cougars seem like the favourite at the moment in the Continental Association but if all such men are called into some form of war service, they could lose Harry Parker, Hank Barnett and Leo Mitchell. The same thing will happen to all other clubs, major and minor. There still are many fine ballplayers left who have wives and children on the dependent list. It is always tough to pick a team to beat in the Fed but darn near impossible this year. The Chiefs lost the least to the war effort among the eight clubs, but the trading of Barnett to the cross-town Cougars creates a big question mark. And much like their Windy City neighbors, the Chiefs stand to lose big-time if those with dependents are summoned by Uncle Sam. Take away Bob Martin, Ron Rattigan and Tom Bird and what would Chicago be left with? If it stays status-quo, the mid-season loss of someone like Al Miller could cripple the club quickly.

The proper allotment of manpower is, of course, far more important than any single sport. The final decision involving married men with wives and children will have a far greater sweep than sports will face. It will affect many millions. This happens to be a problem, one of many other problems, that is far over our heads. If is something for the Government to handle for a war-winning effort. Until the problem is decided in Washington, baseball must wait to know it's fate.

RUN ON PITCHERS IN SECOND ROUND OF FABL DRAFT

While the top half of the first round of the annual FABL draft did not have it's usual glut of pitchers being selected, that was not the case in round two as six of the first 9 choices of the second round were hurlers. In all 13 of the 32 players selected in the first two rounds were pitchers with 10 of them being high schoolers. 21 of the 32 selections overall came from the high school ranks with the state of Pennsylvania being the top producer of talent. Six of the 32 selections hailed from the Keystone State including #1 overall pick Jim Adams Jr., who was born in Philadelphia but played his college ball in Michigan at St. Ignatius. Here are the second round selections:

Code:

	        1943 SECOND ROUND SELECTIONS
PK  TEAM   PLAYER	  POS  AGE   SCHOOL	         HOMETOWN
17  CLE  Benny Everidge    OF   18  Sandusky(OH) HS      Sandusky, Oh
18  WSH  Ted Davis	  LHP   18  Northgate HS         Pittsburgh, Pa.
19  BKN  Hi Davis	  RHP   20  Oklahoma City St.    Houston, Tx.
20  DET  Eddie Reynolds   RHP   18  Turtle Creek(PA) HS  Tarentum, Pa.
21  PHS  Les Cunha         SS   20  Detroit City Coll.   North Adams, Ma.
22  STL  Bill Parker       OF   18  Oak Ridge (NC) HS    Oak Ridge, NC
23  CIN  Johnny Whitter   RHP   17  Rodeo (CA) HS	 San Francisco, CA\a.
24  CHI  Paul Byler	  RHP   17  Amherst (NH) HS      Amherst, NH
25  MON  Bernie Hamilton  RHP   17  Sheboygan(WI) HS     Sheboygan,Wi.
26  PHK  Rudy Minton       3B   18  Pana (IL) HS	 Pana, Il.
27  TOR  Fred Miles        OF   17  St Paul (MN) HS      Minneapolis, Mn.
28  PIT  Fred Beckum	   1B   18  Oakdale (PA) HS      Oakdale, Pa.
29  CHC  Al Clement	   SS   17  De Pere (WI) HS      De Pere, Wi.
30  BOS  Dick Allen	   SS   21  Freemont State	 Denver, Co.
31  NYS  Jack Shea	  LHP   18  Story City (IA) HS   Story City, Ia.
32  NYG  John Elston	   OF   17  Picayune (MS) HS     New Orleans, La.

CANNONS INTRODUCE DRAFT PICKS

From the Cincinnati Post

The 1943 FABL draft did not go quite as the Cincinnati Cannons had planned but in the end the local nine was very happy with the players they ended up with following the opening two rounds of FABL's annual high school and college player draft. It was no secret the player the Cannons coveted most in this group of young talent was Homer Mills, a 21 year old shortstop from just up the road at Weston College. The two-time first team All-American selection was one the Cannons desperately tried to trade up for, especially as he began to slide in the first round.

"I thought we were close at one point," explained Cannons Assistant General Manager Red Franklin, "but it just didn't quite work out. We talked to a few teams but the price it would have taken to land Mills was just a little more than we could justify spending. In the end it worked out as we are thrilled with who we did select."

Franklin is referring to Brooklyn born high school pitcher Hal Friedlander, who the club selected 11th overall. Not a lot is known of the 18 year old as he did not play high school ball in previous season but will this year for Pelham High in New York state. OSA feels the 5'11" righthander has the ability to front a rotation some day. Cannons scouting director Bill Boshart, in his first draft as the head birddog in the organization after taking over for the retired Rufus Barrell is a little more tempered in his assessment, perhaps not wanting to put undue pressure on the teen.

"Hal has great control and four pitches, three of which can be very good", explained Boshart. "He won't walk a lot of guys and we see him as a mid-rotation starter with the Cannons in a few years."

Cincinnati also went with a pitcher in the second round, giving up a 5th round selection to Toronto in order to move up 4 spots in the draft. They used that pick, #7 of the round, on another pitcher. This time they reached to the west coast and took towering 6'4" Johnny Whitter, a San Francisco born righthander. Like Friedlander, Whitter will be making his high school debut this season.

"We actually have to give Mickey Beavers credit for pointing us in Whitter's direction," said Boshart of the 38 year old pitcher from the Cannons AAA club in Indianapolis. "Mickey worked out with Johnny the past couple of winters back home in California and alerted our scouting staff to take a look at him. All I can say is I think Mickey has a career as a scout when he eventually decides his pitching days are over."

Whitter is raw and needs to bulk up but the Cannons see him perhaps hitting the mid-nineties with his fastball as he matures which could be devastating when combined with an already outstanding change of pace.

CHIEFS DRAFT RECAP

By Percy Sutherland Chicago Herald-Examiner

We spent some time with the Chiefs talking about the draft. GM Ed Peluso: "For a while it looked like the shortstop--Homer Mills--might drop to the Chiefs pick at 8. And then there were some discussions about trading out of that spot, but in the end we went with the player we had targeted all along in 18-year-old first baseman Joe Davis. Davis understands the strike zone very well and is difficult to strike out. He showed the ability to hit doubles in high school, and as he is a big kid at 6'1", 200 lbs, we feel the potential is there to develop some home run power as he grows. The scouts who watched him said he reminded them of Ron Rattigan, which would be a tremendous outcome for Davis."

Scouting Director Hoyt Schmidt had this to say: "We ranked 32 players for the first two rounds. and 7 of those were pitchers. When our spot came up in the 2nd round, 17-year-old Paul Byler was the last pitcher remaining on that list, and so we decided to take him. He has good command and features a cut fastball that limits hard contact. He is obviously young and has plenty of room to grow, but we are excited to have him."

IS LONG ANSWER TO DETROIT PITCHING WOES?

The Detroit Dynamos pitching staff imploded last season but there might be hope this year in the form of a 24 year old former 12th round draft pick. Jimmy Long has risen from the sandlots of Boise, Idaho to being on the cusp of perhaps becoming the ace of the Dynamos staff. An after-thought as a 12th round pick out of Lane State in 1939, where he was overshadowed by 1940 second overall pick Bill Sohl, Long has thrived at each level of the minors the past four seasons and is expected to be in the Detroit rotation when the season begins in mid-April. Certainly there are openings in the Dynamos rotation, just as there are with nearly every team in both Associations, but even if this was a normal year Detroit would have had a tough time keeping Long in Newark.

Players selected after the 10th round rarely appear in the top 25 prospect list but there is Long right now, sitting between Billy Bryant and Bert Cupid -both former first round selections - as the 22nd ranked prospect according to OSA despite the fact FABL clubs liked 190 players better than him when they gathered to call out the 1939 draft class.

The draft has been around since 1911 but in all that time only 6 pitchers selected after the 10th round have gone on to win 50 career games. Milt Fritz is clearly the poster-child for late round mound success but the 50 win club may one day soon have a new member if Long can continue his pattern of success.

PRO FOOTBALL OF SOME KIND SEEN BY KRISTICH

AFA officials were all smiles after Jack Kristich, President of the American Football Association, emerged from a meeting with War Manpower boss Paul McNutt and Transportation Tycoon Joe Eastman this week. The news seemed to be taken as very positive and the expectation is there will be professional football next fall.

While he said little about the meeting specifics, Kristich emerged from his conference with the two Government officials looking happier than a guy who has just inherited a new rubber tire. Yes, the pros might have to curtail travel further, dig deeper for talent to replace drafted men and practice at night with players working in war industry jobs during the day, but thus far Kristich has found nothing to prevent the game from continuing. Neither McNutt nor Eastman met with reporters citing the need to move on to other important business.

While Kristich said little about the outcome of talks, Washington Wasps owner Homer Bentley, who also participated in the meeting, was much more talkative and appeared certain the AFA would be active in 1943.

"The Wasps definitely will have a football team unless there is some specific law against it," said Bentley, who quickly added "Football is no business for a coward. Anybody who would quit now would quit anytime. We can't let the people of Washington down, nor can our league do that to fans in other cities. All industries are having labor problems but I think the fans need football now more than ever and we'll lick our problems to give it to them."

Both Bentley and Detroit Maroons boss Rollie Barrell, who was also present for the meeting, were confident that both the Manpower and Transportation chiefs were in acceptance of the AFA's plan to operate next season.

*** MANY COLLEGES ARE VERY WORRIED ABOUT GRID PROGRAMS****

At the rate college athletes are being summoned to service there won't be enough sturdy specimens around by next fall to stir up a table tennis tiff. Those college authorities who had been waiting to see which way the breeze was going to blow recently have received their answer. Most of the schools are still clinging to their perches on the fence regarding the prospects of football for 1943. They can come down now, for if recent events haven't convinced them they were optimistic they're hard to convince. They haven't tossed in the towel yet, but it would be discrete to be ready for the final fling.

In the past week alone several top football schools have had their rosters raided with North Carolina Tech perhaps being the worst hit with 12 football players, along with 2 basketball players, leaving for the service. Maryland State is another school expecting to have a wholesale turnover on the grid next year. While basketball should survive due to the small roster size, it will not be without pains of it's own. Close to 100 current hardwood participants at various colleges scattered across the country have left school since the New Year to join the war effort. Fortunately, none of the teams with their sights set on a championship run have been seriously affected as of yet, but seems just a matter of time. AIAA baseball is also a worry as teams scramble to ensure they will have enough student-athletes to fill out a lineup card come spring.

Twelve thousand men a day are entering the armed forces. Collegiate sports seems unlikely to be able to stand up against that pace.

TOURNAMENT WATCH

Six Great Lakes Alliance Schools Locks To Make AIAA Tourney

A total of six of the ten schools from the Great Lakes Alliance seem assured to make the AIAA basketball championship tournament, which tips off next month. Those six are Central Ohio (19-5), Minnesota Tech (19-5), St Magnus (19-4), Western Iowa (18-5), Detroit City College (17-6) and Whitney College (16-7). A 7th school, St Ignatius (16-7) also has a strong chance of cracking the 32 team field. If all seven schools make the cut, it would be a new record for a single conference.

Others all but assured berths are top ranked Coast California (22-2), Rainer College (19-5) and CC Los Angeles (19-6) from the West Coast Athletic Association; defending National Champion Liberty College (21-3) and St Patrick's (18-6) from the Northeast Conference; South Atlantic Conference powers North Carolina Tech (20-3), Carolina Poly (20-3) and Chesapeake State (22-2); Alabama Baptist (22-2) from the Deep South and independent Great Plains State (26-3).

15 of the 32 berths in the event go to the champions of each conference with the remainder of the field filled out by at-large invitations. Among the schools that look to have a strong case for inclusion are St Ignatius (16-7), Annapolis Maritime (24-6), St Andrew's College (18-5), Lane State (17-7), Brooklyn State (17-6) and Elyria (22-5).

Code:

AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Coastal California (72) 22-2 1800 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Liberty College 21-3 1725 2 Northeast Conference
3. North Carolina Tech 20-3 1644 8 South Atlantic Conference
4. Great Plains State 26-3 1583 7 Independent
5. Chesapeake State 22-2 1498 4 South Atlantic Conference
6. Detroit City College 17-6 1425 5 Great Lakes Alliance
7. CC Los Angeles 19-6 1332 3 West Coast Athletic Association
8. Carolina Poly 20-3 1267 12 South Atlantic Conference
9. Alabama Baptist 22-2 1133 13 Deep South Conference
10. Central Ohio 19-5 1130 9 Great Lakes Alliance
11. Rainier College 19-5 1125 10 West Coast Athletic Association
12. St. Ignatius 16-7 947 6 Great Lakes Alliance
13. Western Iowa 18-5 942 11 Great Lakes Alliance
14. Brooklyn State 17-6 927 15 Northeast Conference
15. St. Magnus 19-4 844 16 Great Lakes Alliance
16. Minnesota Tech 19-5 821 17 Great Lakes Alliance
17. St. Patrick's 18-6 655 14 Northeast Conference
18. Annapolis Maritime 24-6 497 18 Independent
19. Whitney College 16-7 466 22 Great Lakes Alliance
20. Garden State 17-7 439 19 Northeast Conference
21. Chicago Poly 23-6 372 21 Independent
22. Lane State 17-7 327 20 West Coast Athletic Association
23. Elyria 22-5 284 23 Independent
24. St Andrews College 18-5 124 NR Deep South Conference
25. St. Blane 20-8 63 25 Independent
Others Receiving Votes:
Darnell State 17-6 14 Southwestern Alliance
Brooklyn Catholic 21-8 10 Independent
Rome State 21-8 4 Independent
Mobile Maritime 16-8 1 South Atlantic Conference
Gates University 17-6 1 California League

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS
MONDAY FEBRUARY 15
#14 Brooklyn State 39 Commonwealth Catholic 48
#18 Annapolis Maritime 41 Kansas Agricultural 39
#23 Elyria 55 Strub College 39
West Corners (NY) 38 #25 St Blane 29
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 16
#4 Great Plains State 56 North Central(NE) 41
#21 Chicago Poly 45 Springfield State 32
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 17
#2 Liberty College 50 Frankford State 44
#9 Alabama Baptist 40 Northern Mississippi 18
#20 Garden State 50 St Martin's College 43
#24 St Andrew's College 41 Baton Rogue State 40
Georgia Baptist 58 Bluegrass State 54
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 18
#3 North Carolina Tech 50 Columbia Military Academy 48
#5 Chesapeake State 41 Coastal State 28
#8 Carolina Poly 53 Richmond State 44
#16 Minnesota Tech 59 #6 Detroit City College 52
#19 Whitney College 52 #12 St Ignatius 41
#13 St Magnus 49 #10 Central Ohio 47
#14 Brooklyn State 44 Huntington State 36
#23 Elyria 37 Bardney 24
#25 St Blane 39 Harper College 31
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 19
#1 Coastal California 59 #7 CC Los Angeles 53
#11 Rainier College 48 Portland Tech 33
#22 Lane State 46 Spokane State 38
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20
#2 Liberty College 55 #17 St Patrick's 48
#3 North Carolina Tech 53 Richmond State 30
#6 Detroit City College 44 #12 St Ignatius 34
#8 Carolina Poly 51 Charleston Tech 28
Lincoln College 43 #10 Central Ohio 28
#9 Alabama Baptist 54 Mississippi A&M 29
#15 St Magnus 70 Wisconsin State 64
#16 Minnesota Tech 38 #13 Western Iowa 37
#19 Whitney College 62 Indiana A&M 45
#20 Garden State 52 Frankford State 41
#24 St Andrew's College 53 Opelika State 52
#25 St Blane 54 Huntington State 37
Georgia Baptist 47 Western Florida 53
Noble Jones College 39 Northern Mississippi 33
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 21
#1 Coastal California 50 #22 Lane State 31
Redwood 45 #7 CC Los Angeles 37
Spokane State 47 #11 Rainier College 44
#25 Elyria 57 Needham 43

Another 1-1 week for Detroit City College as the Knights were beaten 59-52 at home by Minnesota Tech before rebounding with a 44-34 win over St Ignatius at Lansing. Roman Sollars had an 18 point game against the Lakers and then added 11 in the win over the Lancers. The senior guard sits third in the nation in scoring with 15.2 ppg, trailing only Western Florida's Kevin Davis (15.7) and Joseph Kellerman (15.2) of Charleston Tech.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Next up for the Knights is a game they should win easily against 11-12 Indiana A&M before the visiting St Magnus on Saturday. The Vikings are 19-4 on the season and lead the GLA with an 8-2 conference record. The Knights are a very disappointing 5-5 and tied for 6th in the ten team loop.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 2/21/1943

In a last ditched stand in North Africa, Rommel's tank forces have pushed US troops back 35 miles in Tunisia.
The Nazi Kharkov Army is fleeing in disorder as the Soviets continue their advance and are close to cutting off all of Hitler's armies remaining east of the Dnieper River.
Pope Pius XII is being urged to leave the Vatican as quickly as possible and establish temporary headquarters in Latin America.

Jiggs McGee · 07-18-2022, 09:56 AM

MARCH 1, 1943

REYES DRAFTED, JOINS ARMY

Pablo Reyes, Pittsburgh Miners six-time all-star outfielder, is the latest high profile major league player to join the war effort. The 31 year old Cuban-American was summoned by Selective Service last week for his his pre-induction physical in Pittsburgh. He will report to training later this week. Reyes hit .297 a year ago and led the Fed in runs, hits, doubles and triples. He has been a star in the Pittsburgh outfield for the past four season after being acquired from Montreal, for whom he spent the first 6 seasons of his career.

Reyes induction puts the total number of professional baseball players to enlist or be drafted at 961 with rumours continuing to swirl that #962 will be Detroit Dynamos outfielder Sal Pestilli. Pestilli gave indications over a month ago he would not be returning to Detroit this season but has yet to contact the Dynamos directly to inform them of any such decision.

*** SAINTS AND MINERS SWAP CATCHERS ***

The loss of Reyes creates another big hole for the Miners, who also saw George Cleaves and Charlie Stedman leave for the military over the off-season. The Miners took steps to try and fill the hole caused by Cleaves departure, making a deal with Montreal last week, although this one far less impactful than the December 1938 move that brought Reyes to Steeltown. This trade saw the Miners acquire veteran catcher Mike Jones from Montreal in exchange for minor league catcher Jimmy Faerber. The 30 year old Jones has some big league experience, including 77 games for the Saints last season, and was added to compete with 35 year old Tom Aiello for the starting job with the departure of Cleaves to the Army Air Corps over the winter.

Centerfield now becomes a major problem in Pittsburgh as without Reyes the club lacks a true center fielder on their big league roster and last season's centerfielder at AAA St Paul, Gussie Almond, is now in the Navy. Barring a trade the Miners will likely have to entrust either veteran Whit Williams, who hit just .187 last season, or Jasper Wright, a 25 year old with 22 FABL games under his belt, at the position. There is a possibility they look at Dick Chamberlain, a 1942 second round pick out of Opelika State who hit .301 with 5 homers in 70 games while rising from Class B to AA last season.

PIONEERS THRIVE ON REGIONAL ROUND SELECTIONS

You might be wise to keep a close eye on Jim Koch. He was the St Louis Pioneers regional round selection this season and likely stands the best chance of making the big leagues soon if we go by past history. The regional round concept- which allows teams to use their third round selections only on players born in their home state or one of it's immediate neighbours- has only been around since 1939 so you would not expect a lot of players to have made their big league debut as of yet. In fact only two have and they are both St Louis pitchers. In 1939 the Pioneers selected St Louis born righthander Harry Sharp out of Red River State with their third round choice and two years later they nabbed Des Moines, Iowa high school hurler Dick Long in the regional round.

Sharp actually made his big league debut in his draft year, as part of a tremendous January draft that season for the Pioneers, one which saw the club also land Mal Bianco and Bob Johnston Jr. in the opening three rounds. The latter two are both in the military now but Sharp, who has spent most of the past 3 seasons with the Pioneers, will be heavily counted on this season and is 28-43 for his career. 1941 regional selection Long made his St Louis debut last summer as a 19 year old and would have likely been a key piece this season had he not joined the Navy. Long is ranked in the OSA top 100 prospect list as is the Pioneers 1940 regional pick Hal Hackney. The 21 year old Hackney, a lefthander from Fulton, Missouri, is ranked #31 on the OSA list and quite possibly would have seen action in St Louis this season had he, like Long, not ended up in the Navy.

What of the Pioneers regional selection last year you might ask? Well, unlike the previous three who were all pitchers, the Pioneers 1942 regional pick was a high school catcher from Iowa by the name of Artie Smith. Smith had a decent scouting report from OSA at the time, with the potential to be a second-division starter according the league service, but Smith had his mind made up on getting an education so he elected not to sign with St Louis and is now preparing for his freshman season of ball at South Valley State in New Mexico. Perhaps if someone had pointed out to Shaw the success enjoyed by Pioneers regional picks the 18 year old might have reconsidered.

Code:

		1943 REGIONAL ROUND DRAFT SELECTIONS
PK TEAM   PLAYER	  POS  AGE   SCHOOL	         HOMETOWN
 1 CLE  Earl Szwed	   SS  21  Spokane State	Youngstown, Oh.
 2 WAS  Mickey Holloway    OF  18  New Freedom(PA) HS   Washington, DC
 3 BKN  Wally Boyer	   OF  17  Hokendauqua(PA) HS   New York, NY
 4 DET  Art Brown	   RHP 18  Denby Tech HS Detr.  Detroit, Mi.
 5 PHS  Vern Ashford       2B  18  Lancaster(PA) HS     Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
 6 STL  Jim Koch	   2B  21  Texas Panhandle      Seminole, Ok.
 7 TOR  Jim Waters         OF  21  Maryland State	Brooklyn, NY
 8 CHI  Len Stewart        3B  17  Algona(IA) HS	Algona, Ia.
 9 MON  Whitey Perry       OF  18  Springfield(MA)HS     Derry, NH
10 PHK  Mario Schilchegger SS  18  Millville(NJ) HS     Philadelphia, Pa.
11 CIN  Charlie Eller      RHP 18  St Xavier HS,Cincin. Cheviot, Oh.
12 PIT  Bob Taylor	   SS  21  College of Waco      Ellwood City, Pa.
13 CHC  Dick Garcia        RHP 18  Geneva (IL) HS       East Chicago, Il.
14 BOS  Virgil Hunter	   SS  17  Lynn(MA) HS		Lynn, Ma.
15 NYS  Mike Scott	   OF  17  Caledonia(NY) HS     Caledonia, NY
16 NYG  Ben Hand	   C   21  Oklahoma City State  Larchmont, NY

The fans support 3-A deferment for players in overwhelming numbers. A recent newspaper survey of fans from across the country left no doubt that fans, including service men, war workers, professional men, women and others representing a real cross-section of public opinion saw them vote by a 6,211 to 172 margin in favor of deferring Class 3-A players to continue baseball this year. The fans were asked the question: "Is baseball sufficiently important to morale to justify continuing 3-1 draft deferments for baseball players with dependents?" to which an answer of "Yes" or "No" was requested. As anticipated the "Yes" supporters were so numerous that it was almost no contest.
How long will it be before Tom Aiello makes his annual trade request now that the Miners dealt for Mike Jones? Pittsburgh brass is hinting the starting catcher job is Jones' to lose and that surely won't sit well with Aiello. You actually have to feel bad for the 36 year old as Tom has never got a break and been stuck behind all-star catchers almost his entire career. He came up in Brooklyn when the Kings had Mike Taylor as their rising young star behind the plate. Then a trade to the Chiefs and Aiello thought he got his break, and he performed fairly well in '34 and '35 when he played a lot. But the Chiefs had the opportunity to add Tom Bird, and you can't blame them for taking advantage of that, so Tom went back to the bench. In six and a half seasons as Bird's understudy, Aiello started a grand total of 122 games so it is understandable that he wanted out. The Chiefs had enough of his bellyaching for a trade and after being unable to find a suitor, they cut him loose last summer. Only Pittsburgh had interest in claiming him on waivers so Aiello went from backing up one all-star in Bird to another in George Cleaves. Over the winter, Aiello finally must have figured he got his break when Cleaves enlisted but the Miners don't feel he is a number one catcher anymore at his age so Jones moves ahead of him on the depth chart.
Word is the Continental Association schedule this summer will feature 96 double-headers. The schedule, delayed because of the many changes brought about by the war, shows that the teams will make only three trips around the circuit, in contrast to the four which had been common in recent years.

DOORS OPEN TO EX-PROS AND GRADUATES TO PLAY AIAA FOOTBALL IN SEPTEMBER

Barring a major turn of events there will be college football next fall thanks to a recent Navy ruling. After the Navy gave the green light for it's student-soldiers to participate in college sports, the Great Lakes Alliance quickly announced that it would play a full slate of football games next fall. Other conferences are expected to follow the GLA's lead, both on the grid schedule and the conferences quick declaration that "all eligibility rules shall be waived with respect to any member of the armed forces of the Untied States the major portion of whose instruction comes from members of the institution's faculty." Prof. Frank Richert, Lincoln College faculty representative, explained this applies to Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps personnel. He said however, that Army men might not be available in view of the Army's recent announcement that it's men in colleges could not compete on varsity teams.

This opens the door for former professional athletes or college graduates to play on varsity teams if they were members of an enlisted reserve sent to a GLA schools for study, provided university faculty members were in charge of most of the instruction work. St Blane, although not represented at the meeting nor a part of the GLA, immediately announced it would also eliminate player eligibility restrictions for student soldiers.

SOLLARS JOINS NAVY - LEAVES DETROIT CITY COLLEGE

One of the top teams in the nation was sent reeling this week with the news it's star player is leaving to join the Navy. Roman Sollars, the Detroit City College senior guard who was among the nation's leaders in scoring average, announced after the contest Saturday that his game against St Magnus was his last as a college basketball player. Sollars, who has already secured enough credits to graduate, went out in style with a 21 point effort in a 56-43 win to improve Detroit City College's record to 19-6 on the year. Since the start of the new year 114 college basketball players have left school to join the military but Sollars is by far the most prominent.

Detroit City College appears to be in no danger of missing the year end tournament but the same can not be said for CC Los Angeles. The Coyotes were 15-0 by mid-January but have gone 4-8 since then and are currently riding a 4-game losing streak to drop their overall record to 19-8. The good news is their top player, junior forward Joe Quintana, is back in the lineup after missing over a month with an injury. The bad news is unless they win their final three games of the season the Coyotes stand a good chance of not making the tournament - something that has happened just once in the past 28 years.

Code:

AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Coastal California (66) 23-3 1793 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Liberty College (5) 22-4 1718 2 Northeast Conference
3. Detroit City College 19-6 1658 6 Great Lakes Alliance
4. Great Plains State (1) 26-3 1550 4 Independent
5. North Carolina Tech 21-4 1525 3 South Atlantic Conference
6. Chesapeake State 23-3 1438 5 South Atlantic Conference
7. Carolina Poly 22-3 1369 8 South Atlantic Conference
8. Alabama Baptist 24-2 1258 9 Deep South Conference
9. Central Ohio 20-6 1217 10 Great Lakes Alliance
10. St. Ignatius 17-8 1034 12 Great Lakes Alliance
11. Rainier College 20-6 1016 11 West Coast Athletic Association
12. St. Magnus 20-5 988 15 Great Lakes Alliance
13. Minnesota Tech 20-6 943 16 Great Lakes Alliance
14. Brooklyn State 19-6 933 14 Northeast Conference
15. Western Iowa 19-6 868 13 Great Lakes Alliance
16. CC Los Angeles 19-8 829 7 West Coast Athletic Association
17. Garden State 19-7 645 20 Northeast Conference
18. St. Patrick's 19-7 519 17 Northeast Conference
19. Annapolis Maritime 24-6 501 18 Independent
20. Lane State 18-8 421 22 West Coast Athletic Association
21. Chicago Poly 23-6 373 21 Independent
22. Whitney College 16-9 304 19 Great Lakes Alliance
23. Elyria 22-5 284 23 Independent
24. St. Blane 21-8 108 25 Independent
25. Mobile Maritime 18-8 47 NR South Atlantic Conference
Others Receiving Votes:
St Andrews College 19-6 32 Deep South Conference
Brooklyn Catholic 21-8 12 Independent
Gates University 19-6 8 California League
Rome State 21-8 5 Independent
Darnell State 18-7 4 Southwestern Alliance

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS
MONDAY FEBRUARY 22
#24 St Blane 48 Georgia Baptist 44
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 23
Ferguson 51 Jersey City Tech 43
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 24
St Matthew's College 50 #2 Liberty College 42
#8 Alabama Baptist 48 Cumberland 35
#14 Brooklyn State 60 St Pancras 53
#17 Garden State 42 #18 St Patrick's 38
Noble Jones College 50 Mississippi A&M 32
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25
#3 Detroit City College 48 Indiana A&M 40
Petersburg 46 #5 North Carolina Tech 43
#6 Chesapeake State 38 Richmond State 37
#7 Carolina Poly 54 Alexandria 47
#10 St Ignatius 46 Lincoln 37
#12 St Magnus 56 #13 Minnesota Tech 50
#15 Western Iowa 62 #22 Whitney College 54
#25 Mobile Maritime 57 Charleston Tech 56
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26
Custer College 64 #1 Coastal California 56
Redwood 51 #11 Rainier College 50
Spokane State 43 #16 CC Los Angeles 37
#20 Lane State 55 Northern California 52
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27
#2 Liberty College 51 St Martin's College 44
#3 Detroit City College 56 #12 St Magnus 43
#5 North Carolina Tech 53 Coastal State 35
#7 Carolina Poly 51 #6 Chesapeake State 44
#8 Alabama Baptist 46 Western Florida 32
#9 Central Ohio 46 #22 Whitney College 36
#13 Minnesota Tech 69 #10 St Ignatius 53
#14 Brooklyn State 45 St Matthew's College 37
Wisconsin State 61 #15 Western Iowa 53
#17 Garden State 56 St Pancras 40
#18 St Patrick's 50 Commonwealth Catholic 31
#25 Mobile Maritime 43 Central Carolina 36
Georgia Baptist 47 Bayou State 40
Noble Jones College 41 St Andrew's College 29
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 28
#1 Coastal California 56 Spokane State 42
#11 Rainier College 56 #16 CC Los Angeles 51

Devastating. Despite the Knights win both conference games in a week for the first time this season the news was distraught all across Detroit. The Knights should have been celebrating their third straight win and a return to #3 in the national poll, but instead all the talk was of the loss of two starters. The first is arguably the best player in the game as senior guard Roman Sollars, who was averaging 15.3 ppg, is off to the Navy. Sollars joins a growing list of college basketball players who have left school early for the war effort. The news was made twice as bad when forward Andrew Bennett got hurt in the 56-43 win over St Magnus on Saturday. Bennett will likely miss three weeks which puts his availability for the opening game of the AIAA tournament in doubt.

THE WEEK AHEAD

The three straight wins improved the Knights conference record to 7-5 and in a 4-way tie for second place - 2 games back of St Magnus. With 4 games remaining the Knights are no longer focused on winning the GLA title, but rather just hoping to find a roster mix that will allow them to enjoy some success in the upcoming tournament. They are home to face Whitney College (16-9) and Wisconsin State (14-11) this week.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 2/28/1943

An American counter-attack has regained almost ten miles of territory lost last week to German armored forces in Tunisia. A shortage of US infantry was blamed as a weak link in the North African fight.
On a scale only matched by last summer's 1,000 plane raid, British four-engined bombers rocked the German industrial center of Cologne in a blockbuster assault.
Despite being advised to leave Vatican City, Pope Pius XII was quoted as saying he intended to stay for at least the next ten days.
The new Finnish government is set to ask for a peace agreement with Russia as soon as it takes office. The Finns also are to said to be hoping that the Germans voluntarily would withdraw their troops from Finland since under present conditions they would have better use for them elsewhere.
The Office of Civilian Supply has warned War Manpower Commissioner McNutt that any attempt to shift nearly 3 million workers from so-called "less essential" to "essential" industries is treading dangerously close to the "bedrock" of the nation's civilian economy.
An implied threat of creeping paralysis in the vital airplane industry was held over the National War Labor Board after a 3-hour strike in Seattle by the local Union of Flying Fortress Workers. The workers are demanding a wage increase from 62 cents an hour to 95 cents an hour, matching the minimum paid to workers in local shipyards.
The can opener gets a rest as all canned goods are frozen on store shelves for the week, in the latest round of rationing. It is becoming apparent that consumers would have to get along on about half of what they used last year.
The House Small Business Committee blames OPA regulations for causing the worst meat 'black market' in history - one which "subjects the population to the risk of eating diseased meat."

Jiggs McGee · 07-19-2022, 11:22 AM

MARCH 8, 1943

PESTILLI TAKES PAY CUT - FROM $24,000 TO $50 A MONTH

JOINS AIR CORPS WITHOUT NOTIFYING DYNAMOS OF DECISION

Sal Pestilli's entry into the Air Corps came as no great surprise. He had been talking of enlisting for many months now. That he would not see action for the Detroit Dynamos in 1943 became certain some time ago, when he told a reporter in his hometown of Narragansett, RI, "I am not going to play professional baseball next season." Word quickly spread to Detroit where club owner Powell Thompson wrote to the centerfielder, asking for immediate word as to his plans. But for some reason, Pestilli did not communicate with the front office. The first word that Pestilli had asked for immediate induction came through the newspaper.

It is conceivable that Pestilli did not like the $24,000 salary he was to receive this season in it's last of a 4 year deal. Some say he is upset that teammate Red Johnson was inked to a deal that will pay the young first baseman over $31,000 this season. Others point to the talk that Pestilli has not got along with Powell Thompson ever since he assumed ownership of the club following his brother's death in 1939.

A third possibility is Pestilli was just sick of baseball. He endured an awful season in Detroit last year as the club -considered by many to be a contender once again in the Fed - sank to the depths of the second division and Pestilli himself hit low points for homers, rbi's and slugging percentage as a 26 year old in his 6th big league season.

Regardless of the reason, Pestilli has now left the Dynamos and for the second time in just over a week a Federal Association club is struggling with how to fill a hole in centerfield. The Pittsburgh Miners lost 6-time all-star Pablo Reyes to Selective Service last week and now Pestilli, who is married with a child and had been classified 3-A, is also in the Army.
*** DIDN'T ASK ANY FAVORS ***

But Sal threw aside the opulent contract; another season in baseball. He threw it aside for immediate service, refusing even the customary furlough after induction. Detroit's big chapeau is off to the man, to whom it had already doffed it's hat so often - although not as much in recent years as it did the first three seasons of his big league career - for his powerful swing and smooth stride in the outfield.

Pestilli had been considering enlisting for some time now and two of his three brothers are already in the service. He had talked often about the off-shore duty which his brother Joe had gone into. He talked about air service and ground crews, retelling tales Joe had passed along in letters. Most in Narragansett had known for some time that Sal's heart was guiding towards an air corps uniform instead of Dynamos garb. He will join Joe, a Cincinnati Cannons farmhand, in the air corps. Brother Tony, who had spent some time with the Keystones prior to enlisting, is in the Navy. That leaves just Alf, at 31 the oldest of the quartet of Pestilli's, in baseball. Alf is with the Chicago Chiefs but struggled last season, batting just .220 although he did contribute 13 homers in 364 at bats.

If you are a FABL club with more than one quality centerfielder on your roster you might get a nice return talking trade with either Pittsburgh or Detroit, as both those clubs are likely in shock after the news of the past couple of weeks. The Miners especially, as any hopes they had of contending once more in the Fed now likely hinge on getting a replacement for Reyes.
No rationing in Moxie Pidgeon's mind as the veteran outfielder says he is certainly not out of gas. However, the numbers would disagree. Pidgeon will be given a lot of spring reps in a bid to keep his job but the 36 year old hit just .196 with 4 homers last season and while they won't say it publicly, Cannons brass do not expect to see Pidgeon as part of the group that opens the season at home against Philadelphia on April 21.
It's a pitchers world. The latest OSA prospect rankings drop Cincinnati outfielder Dick Blaszak from 1st to 6th on the scouting service list. Blaszak does remain the top position player according to OSA but the head of the list is dominated by pitchers with St Louis lefthander Tom Buchanan leading the way. followed by Montreal's Pat Weakley, Hiram Steinberg of Cleveland, the Cougars Duke Bybee and Jerry York of Toronto. We won't see many of them soon as all but Weakley are in the service.

8 of the top ten OSA prospects are in the military. Here is a top ten list only containing players that are expected to play this season (barring more Selective Service handiwork)

Code:


RK  POS  NAME		ORG	AGE
 2  RHP Pat Weakley     MON      22
 9  1B  Bill Barnett    NYS      20
10  LF  Wally Hunter    NYS      21
12  RHP Jimmy Long      DET      24
13  SS  Gordie Perkins  MON      20
17 RHP  Jackie James    MON      20
19 RHP  Ben Fiskars	STL      21
20 RHP  Bert Cupid      MON      20
22 RHP  Wally Reif      MON      23
23 RHP  Charlie Gordon  PHS      20

All I can say about the above is you certainly need to be aware of the Montreal Saints going forward.
While we are at it, here is a list of the top twenty position players and pitchers. 6 of them, as noted below, are presently in the military.

WASPS SUDDENLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT FUTURE OF AFA

The Washington Wasps are jubilant these days over the prospects of their season ahead. Six weeks ago the club brass wasn't even sure the American Football Association should operate next fall because of the apparent lack of playing talent necessary to hold up the circuit's high standard of play. But the letters are flying in lately. "I have never seen such a response from boys that want to play pro ball," said Wasps owner Homer Bentley.

The story goes like this. About a month ago the AFA turned over the names of 1,000 college seniors to the various league members. Each club was given permission to write to all of them, in order to have as much information as possible when the circuit hosts it's postponed "draft" in April.

"We wrote to every one of them," said Bentley. "Usually the college seniors wait until at least May to get interested, but not this year. We heard from all types - seniors waiting to be called into the service and those who had been deferred. We are getting back 100 letters a day and the vast majority are excited about the opportunity to play."[list][*]AFA President Jack Kristich has set April 6,7 and 8 as the dates of the league's annual business meeting. The three-day session, which will be held in the Palmer House, Chicago, will open with the drafting of players, an item of business postponed from last December.[*]Another big topic at the April meeting will be discussions about lowering of the present 33-player limit to 25. Last season several teams finished with less than 33 and, in the early days of the league, clubs operated with as few as 20 men and played on successive days.[*]They owners will also try to firm up plans to have players work in nearby defense industry jobs, practice at night or whenever the men are not at work, and play on weekends.[*]With football games at military stations open without charge to members of the armed forces, Great Lakes Alliance athletic directors and coaches immediately promised to make as many gridiron trips to these camps as possible next fall. These men, meeting in Chicago last week, also began arrangements for ten-game schedules and less travelling substituting games with Great Lakes, Camp Grant and Iowa Pre-Flight instead.[*]Several representatives from independent schools, including St Blane and Strub College, also attended the GLA pow-wow. St Blane was first to cancel a major intersectional game, that against Redwood set for September while Coastal California officials also expressed doubt that their contest against the Saints at Tyrone in November would be played.[*]Cumberland University is concerned it may not be able to field a grid team next September. This after a 10-1 season that included a win in the Cajun Classic. The Chairman of the University just doesn't see how Cumberland could possibly have a team on the field next fall and says he wouldn't want it continued "if it interfered with the war effort in the slightest degree." The Cumberland coaching staff says they have 45 men undergoing spring training but more than half are Army or Naval Reserves who will be gone by the fall. Despite the Chairman's concern, coaches with the Explorers say they can continue even if they only have 20-25 men left.

COLLEGE CAGERS IN SCRAMBLE FOR TOURNEY INVITES

As we enter the final week of the college basketball season there are still plenty of spots up for grabs in the 32-team field that will compromise the AIAA championship tournament. Most of the battles are at the conference level as the champion from each of the 15 sections will earn a berth but there are also a number of teams in a struggle to claim the last of the remaining 17 at-large bids.

Only one of the conferences - the Academia Alliance - holds a post-season conference tournament, so for the remaining 15 groups the regular season champ will earn the invite. All of those with the exception of the Deep South Conference where 7th ranked Alabama Baptist is a perfect 10-0 in section play (25-2 overall) remain up for grabs heading into the final week.

One of the most anticipated games of the coming week will be held in Washington where Rainier College plays Coastal California. The Majestics are 12-3 in West Coast Athletic Association play, one game better than the Dolphins, who have dropped three of their last 4 games and fallen out of the top spot in the national rankings. Both are a lock to make the National Championship Tournament but for the Majestics they have their sights set on a conference title- which, if successful, would be their first WCAA crown since 1915.

Code:

AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Liberty College (56) 23-5 1778 2 Northeast Conference
2. Chesapeake State (3) 25-3 1678 6 South Atlantic Conference
3. Coastal California (7) 23-5 1665 1 West Coast Athletic Association
4. Carolina Poly (1) 24-3 1589 7 South Atlantic Conference
5. Great Plains State (5) 26-3 1550 4 Independent
6. North Carolina Tech 21-6 1345 5 South Atlantic Conference
7. Alabama Baptist 25-2 1293 8 Deep South Conference
8. Brooklyn State 21-6 1285 14 Northeast Conference
9. St. Ignatius 19-8 1203 10 Great Lakes Alliance
10. Detroit City College 20-7 1200 3 Great Lakes Alliance
11. Rainier College 22-6 1123 11 West Coast Athletic Association
12. Central Ohio 21-7 1040 9 Great Lakes Alliance
13. Western Iowa 20-7 985 15 Great Lakes Alliance
14. Minnesota Tech 21-7 840 13 Great Lakes Alliance
15. CC Los Angeles 20-9 813 16 West Coast Athletic Association
16. St. Magnus 20-7 732 12 Great Lakes Alliance
17. Garden State 19-8 586 17 Northeast Conference
18. Annapolis Maritime 24-6 557 19 Independent
19. St. Patrick's 20-8 540 18 Northeast Conference
20. Elyria 24-5 466 23 Independent
21. Whitney College 17-10 352 22 Great Lakes Alliance
22. Chicago Poly 23-6 336 21 Independent
23. Lane State 18-10 212 20 West Coast Athletic Association
24. St. Blane 21-8 147 24 Independent
25. Rome State 21-8 42 NR Independent
Others Receiving Votes:
Brooklyn Catholic 21-8 17 Independent
Texas Gulf Coast 19-8 15 Southwestern Alliance
Gates University 20-7 6 California League
Mobile Maritime 18-9 5 South Atlantic Conference

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS
MONDAY MARCH 1
Daniel Boone College 52 College of Omaha 43
TUESDAY MARCH 2
Hamman 54 Wisconsin Catholic 53
WEDNESDAY MARCH 3
Commonwealth Catholic 44 #1 Liberty College 43
#7 Alabama Baptist 51 Opelika State 42
#8 Brooklyn State 53 #19 St Patrick's 42
Noble Jones College 50 Bluegrass State 42
Northern Mississippi 47 Georgia Baptist 38
THURSDAY MARCH 4
#2 Chesapeake State 57 Maryland State 30
#4 Carolina Poly 48 Coastal State 47
Charleston Tech 55 #6 North Carolina Tech 48
#9 St Ignatius 54 Indiana A&M 48
#10 Detroit City College 63 #21 Whitney College 46
#13 Western Iowa 67 #12 Central Ohio 58
#14 Minnesota Tech 60 Wisconsin State 35
Lincoln 57 #16 St Magnus 50
#20 Elyria 42 Grant(IN) 37
FRIDAY MARCH 5
Portland Tech 40 #3 Coastal California 47
#11 Rainier College 52 Idaho A&M 42
Custer College 50 #15 CC Los Angeles 38
Redwood 43 #23 Lane State 31
SATURDAY MARCH 6
#1 Liberty College 41 #17 Garden State 39
#2 Chesapeake State 41 #6 North Carolina Tech 39
#4 Carolina Poly 38 Mobile Maritime 37
#8 Brooklyn State 59 Frankford State 37
#9 St Ignatius 56 #13 Western Iowa 52
Wisconsin State 56 #10 Detroit City College 47
#12 Central Ohio 40 Indiana A&M 31
Lincoln 38 #14 Minnesota Tech 37
#21 Whitney College 44 #16 St Magnus 39
#19 St Patrick's 49 St Pancras 42
#20 Elyria 47 North Carolina Atlantic 38
Georgia Baptist 58 Cumberland 49
Western Florida 55 Noble Jones College 46
SUNDAY MARCH 7
Redwood 51 #3 Coastal California 48
#11 Rainier College 51 Custer College 38
#15 CC Los Angeles 37 #23 Lane State 36

The Knights extended their winning streak to 4 games with a 63-46 win over Whitney College despite playing without starters Roman Sollars or Andrew Bennett. Bennett will be out at least two more weeks with an injury while Sollars spent last Thursday getting himself settled in at Great Lakes Naval Academy. The win over the Engineers, keyed by a big 21-point effort from center Jack Krutz, was the third straight defeat for Whitney College and put their tournament hopes in jeopardy. The Engineers did rebound with a win Saturday over St Magnus to improve their post-season chances slightly.

DCC should still be a lock for the tournament even after losing 56-47 to Wisconsin State on Saturday. The Knights have two games remaining, playing at Lincoln on Thursday and at Western Iowa on Saturday. The Knights are 20-7 overall, but just 8-6 in GLA play, so a tournament spot seems assured but their hopes of a number one seed are quite possibly gone. There is great worry without Sollars and likely missing Bennett if DCC can survive it's opening round matchup in the tourney.

THE WEEK AHEAD

A share of the conference title is still potentially within Detroit City College's grasp but that is unlikely. St Ignatius with games at Central Ohio and Wisconsin State is the co-leader along with St Magnus with the Vikings also having a pair of road games left, against Western Iowa and Indiana A&M. Here are the conference standings and schedule for the final week:

Code:


 TEAM                                CW  CL   
--------------------------------------------
 #16 St. Magnus Vikings               9   5  
 #9 St. Ignatius Lancers              9   5  
 #12 Central Ohio Aviators            8   6  
 #10 Detroit City College Knights     8   6  
 #13 Western Iowa Canaries            8   6  
 #21 Whitney College Engineers        7   7  
 #14 Minnesota Tech Lakers            7   7  
 Wisconsin State Brewers              6   8  
 Lincoln Presidents                   5   9  
 Indiana A&M Reapers                  3  11

THURSDAY'S GAMES
Minnesota Tech at Whitney College
Indiana A&M at Wisconsin State
St Magnus at Western Iowa
Detroit City College at Lincoln
St Ignatius at Central Ohio
SATURDAY'S GAMES
St Ignatius at Wisconsin State
Detroit City College at Western Iowa
Minnesota Tech at Central Ohio
St Magnus at Indiana A&M
Lincoln at Whitney College

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 3/07/1943

[LIST][*]Hundreds of British bombers blasted the German U-boat base of St. Nazaire, France as speculation grows that the Allies had begun softening Hitler's European fortress for an invasion. A day later Berlin is the target, as bombers wage their heaviest raid of the war on the German capital.[*]The Reich has reportedly sought the Vatican's aid to halt the Allied bombardment of Axis cities.[*]Russian troops continue to retake ground on the Eastern Front but their progress has been slowed this week due to thaw.[*]Fears abound that the Japanese are massing forces in an arc of islands north of Australia in preparation for a major attack on the nation. Allied Flying Fortresses concentrated bombing attacks on Japanese convoys in an effort to disrupt possible invasion preparation.[*]Late in the week the Allies scored a major sea victory, destroying every ship in a 22-vessel Japanese convoy with an estimated 55 Japanese planes and 15,000 troops also destroyed.[*]War Manpower Chief Paul McNutt says that a labor draft bill is not needed at this time and he is determined to solve the manpower problem through voluntary measures. His views are in conflict with those of Secretary of War Stimson, who has endorsed a more robust draft bill.[*]Housewives struggling with the intricacies of the stamp currency which must go with money in purchasing most foods, now face the prospect of the next stage in point rationing as meats (excluding poultry), cheese and butter will be subject to rationing beginning April 1.

Jiggs McGee · 07-20-2022, 09:57 AM

MARCH 15, 1943

The Philadelphia Frigates are leaving no stone unturned in an effort to ensure they have enough players for next season. The American Football Association club has sent letters to college grid coaches saying: "If your school is quitting football, please advise any of your assistant coaches who is in good condition and wants to play pro football to contact the Philadelphia office."
St Blane has confirmed it will definitely be playing football come September. The Fighting Saints got their spring practice under way last week despite the fact the coaching staff accepts the possibility that none of the men who work out with the club will be around come September. "If none of them will us report for football in the fall," said the St Blane coach, "then we have done our part helping them get into fighting shape for the Army and Navy."

The 32 field is complete and ready to start the 1942-43 AIAA college basketball championship tournament this weekend. The opening round will be played Saturday and Sunday with the teams completing the regional portions of the tournament Thursday and Friday March 25 and 26. The four survivors move on to New York's Bigsby Garden for the semi-finals on the night of April 3 and then the championship game will be contested two days later.

Defending National Champion Liberty College finished second in the polls but the 25-5 Bells failed to win the Northeast Conference championship and will have to settle for being the second ranked team in the East Region behind South Atlantic Conference champion Carolina Poly, which finished with a 26-3 record and third in the national polls.

Joining the Cardinals as top seeds will be WCAA champion Coastal California, which finished number one in the polls with a 24-5 record and a pair of Great Lakes Alliance schools in Central Ohio (23-7) and Detroit City College (22-7). They were two of six schools from the GLA that were invited to the 32 team tournament field. The Knights earned their top seed with a pair of wins in the final week despite missing two starters including Roman Sollars, who led the nation with an average of 15.3 ppg and seems to be a likely All-American selection but will miss the tournament after joining the Navy two weeks ago.

Here are the 15 conference champions for this season:

Code:


 1942-43 Conference  Champs          Team                        Record
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Academia Alliance                  Dickson                  21-12 (9-5)
 California League                  Gates University          21-8 (9-3)
 Central  Athletic Alliance         Western State           16-13 (12-4)
 Deep South Conference              Alabama Baptist          26-3 (11-1)
 Eastern Eight                      Constitution State       17-12 (9-5)
 Great Lakes Alliance               Central Ohio             23-7 (10-6)
 Keystone Alliance                  Berwick                 18-11 (10-3)
 Midwestern Association             Lambert College          19-11 (9-3)
 Northeast Conference               Brooklyn State           22-7 (12-4)
 Plains Athletic Association        Daniel Boone College     11-19 (9-3)
 Rocky Mountain Athletic Alliance   Utah A&M                17-12 (11-1)
 South Atlantic Conference          Carolina Poly            26-3 (13-1)
 Southern Border Association        Valley State             16-13 (9-3)
 Southwestern Alliance              Texas Gulf Coast         20-9 (11-3)
 West Coast Athletic Association    Coastal California       24-5 (12-4)

Code:

AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Coastal California (39) 24-5 1731 3 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Liberty College (15) 25-5 1715 1 Northeast Conference
3. Chesapeake State (14) 27-3 1688 2 South Atlantic Conference
4. Carolina Poly (3) 26-3 1607 4 South Atlantic Conference
5. Great Plains State (1) 26-3 1522 5 Independent
6. Detroit City College 22-7 1384 10 Great Lakes Alliance
7. Central Ohio 23-7 1378 12 Great Lakes Alliance
8. St. Ignatius 20-9 1239 9 Great Lakes Alliance
9. North Carolina Tech 22-7 1216 6 South Atlantic Conference
10. Alabama Baptist 26-3 1160 7 Deep South Conference
11. Brooklyn State 22-7 1158 8 Northeast Conference
12. Rainier College 22-7 956 11 West Coast Athletic Association
13. CC Los Angeles 21-9 941 15 West Coast Athletic Association
14. Western Iowa 20-9 852 13 Great Lakes Alliance
15. St. Magnus 21-8 809 16 Great Lakes Alliance
16. Minnesota Tech 21-9 772 14 Great Lakes Alliance
17. Whitney College 19-10 634 21 Great Lakes Alliance
18. Annapolis Maritime 24-6 590 18 Independent
19. Elyria 24-5 506 20 Independent
20. St. Patrick's 20-9 395 19 Northeast Conference
21. Chicago Poly 23-6 385 22 Independent
22. Lane State 19-10 275 23 West Coast Athletic Association
23. Garden State 19-10 254 17 Northeast Conference
24. St. Blane 21-8 152 24 Independent
25. Rome State 21-8 57 25 Independent
Others Receiving Votes:
Brooklyn Catholic 21-8 17 Independent
Texas Gulf Coast 20-9 4 Southwestern Alliance
Mobile Maritime 19-10 3 South Atlantic Conference

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS
MONDAY MARCH 8
Daniel Boone College 56 Oklahoma City State 51
TUESDAY MARCH 9
no games scheduled
WEDNESDAY MARCH 10
#2 Liberty College 59 St Pancras 44
Bayou State 49 #10 Alabama Baptist 46
#11 Brooklyn State 51 St Martin's College 32
Frankford State 39 #20 St Patrick's 25
Noble Jones College 44 Cumberland 31
THURSDAY MARCH 11
#3 Chesapeake State 55 Mobile Maritime 49
#4 Carolina Poly 59 Cowpens State 58
#6 Detroit City College 37 Lincoln 33
#7 Central Ohio 51 #8 St Ignatius 43
#9 North Carolina Tech 58 Maryland State 45
#15 St Magnus 56 #14 Western Iowa 42
#17 Whitney College 50 #16 Minnesota Tech 43
ACADEMIA ALLIANCE TOURNAMENT
Dickson 47 Pierpont 29
George Fox 35 Grafton 34
Ellery 49 Henry Hudson 39
Brunswick 61 Sadler 39
FRIDAY MARCH 12
#1 Coastal California 49 #12 Rainier College 47
#13 CC Los Angeles 49 Northern California 45
#22 Lane State 44 Idaho A&M 39
ACADEMIA ALLIANCE TOURNAMENT
Dickson 52 Brunswick 36
George Fox 56 Ellery 48
SATURDAY MARCH 13
#2 Liberty College 39 #11 Brooklyn State 29
#3 Chesapeake State 57 Charleston Tech 53
#4 Carolina Poly 58 Central Carolina 46
#6 Detroit City College 61 #14 Western Iowa 53
#7 Central Ohio 61 #16 Minnesota Tech 49
#8 St Ignatius 49 Wisconsin State 45
Cowpens State 46 #9 North Carolina Tech 44
Indiana A&M 50 #15 St Magnus 37
#10 Alabama Baptist 53 St Andrew's College 41
#17 Whitney College 43 Lincoln 39
St Matthew's College 57 #23 Garden State 52
Noble Jones College 55 Georgia Baptist 37
ACADEMIA ALLIANCE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
George Fox 45 Dickson 43
END OF REGULAR SEASON

Despite missing Roman Sollars and Andrew Bennett the Detroit City College Knights won both of their games in the final week of the season and finished in a 4-way tie for the conference lead at 10-6 along with Central Ohio, St Magnus and St Ignatius. Central Ohio was awarded the conference crown on tiebreakers but DCC did manage to secure a number one seed in the conference tournament. The Knights will head to the South Region and will open against surprise Academia Alliance tournament winners George Fox University.

As for the final pair of the games the Knights started with a 37-33 win over lowly Lincoln College with center Jack Kurtz once again leading the way. Kurtz had a game high 11 points. Two nights later the Knights were on the road once more and came away with an impressive 61-53 win over Western Iowa. Kurtz had another huge game with 20 points and 8 boards as the senior center is picking up the scoring slack in the absence of Roman Sollars. The win gave the Knights a 22-7 record overall and a share of top spot. St Magnus had a chance to clinch the conference title all to themselves but they lost at Indiana A&M 50-37 and had to settle for the 4-way tie. Had they won it would have been the Vikings first ever GLA title.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Tournament time. Detroit City College draws George Fox in the opening match of the South Region. The Reds were just 16-16 on the year but got hot at the right time with 3 straight wins despite being the 7th seed in the Academia Alliance tournament. The Academia group is the only conference that holds a post-season single-elimination tournament to determine it's automatic representative in the AIAA championships. In the early days the Academia Alliance was the class of the AIAA and George Fox won the 1914-15 tournament. However, following an academic scandal in 1919 the conference instilled rigid academic standards for it's student athletes and the conference - no longer with access to many of the top players - has faded in prestige over the years. Academia Alliance schools won 7 of the first 10 AIAA tournament titles but no Alliance school as advanced to the national semi-finals since 1920. George Fox last made the tournament in 1932-33.

This years edition of the Reds is lead by a pair of seniors in forward Andrew Baker (12.1 ppg), who hails from Philadelphia, and guard Sig Hemphill (10.5 ppg), a Virginia Beach native. It should be a pretty favourable matchup for the Knights as it is unlikely George Fox will have an answer for 6'10" Knights center Jack Kurtz. As mentioned above Kurtz has been on fire since Sollars left for the Navy and boasted his season scoring average to 10.8 ppg. The hope is Andrew Bennett, the senior forward who has missed the past 8 games with an injury may be back for the second round, assuming the Knights survive the opening round test with the Reds.

Speaking of Sollars, the guard ended up leading the nation in points per game with an average of 15.3. The question now is will his 25 games played be enough to earn him a spot on the All-American team and perhaps even National Player of the Year.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 3/14/1943

Maj.Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, Director of Selective Service, has told a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that the pool of single men capable of military service was "practically exhausted" and that "several million" married men face a call to colors.
R.A.F. bombers continue their assault on Nazi targets in Germany and France, bombing several German war factories.
Four Senators, 2 Democrats and 2 Republicans, are calling for a permanent United Nations police force to be established in order to suppress aggression in the post-war world.
Rationing of meat, canned meat, canned fish, butter and cheese has been moved up to being March 28 and on a basis will be giving Americans nearly twice as much meat but only half as much cheese as British consumers are getting.

Jiggs McGee · 07-20-2022, 11:03 AM

MARCH 22, 1943

PLENTY OF QUESTION MARKS AS CAMPS GET UNDERWAY

Perhaps more than any other year since William Whitney concocted the idea of a professional baseball circuit way back in 1876 has there been some much uncertainty surrounding the make-up of club rosters as spring training arrives. Losing 962 professional ballplayers to the war effort, including 129 who appeared in at least one big league game a year ago, will do that. There isn't a team in either Association that does not have a hole to plug and, in many cases, a severe dearth of suitable candidates to fill any openings.

With that in mind and camps now underway with spring training games just around the corner, let's make a quick stop at each of the 16 camps -assuming we can find them as they are no longer in Florida this year- and take a peak at the biggest challenges facing each of the skippers.

BOSTON- While figuring out who will replace 26 year old Ray Dalpman (9-13,3.65) in the rotation is a worry, there are far bigger concerns at second base and centerfield. Buddy Schneider (.264,1,81) was a defensive marvel at the keystone base and Bill Burkett (.263,8,74) was the bat the Minutemen relied on to get rallies started. Right now it looks like veteran Joe Watson takes an outfield spot with Chick Donnelly shifting from left to center to try and fill Burkett's shoes. Second base is a big worry as only 30 year old Joe Nichols, who has spent the past three seasons in Columbus, or 26 year old rookie Henry Warren appear to be the options.

BROOKLYN- The Kings seemed to be in trouble a year ago and now with the departure of Stumpy Beaman (8-16, 3.97) along with outfielders Rats McGonigle (.276,12,70) and Joe Herman (.267,3,28), who actually left midway through last season, things are even worse. All we can say is Al Wheeler and Harry Barrell better have big seasons as things could go bad very quickly in Brooklyn.

CHIEFS- The Chiefs are in great shape and have to be considered the team to beat in the Fed. They lost some good young talent in Joe Rutherford and the newly acquired Solly Skidmore but their biggest loss was through trade and not enlistment as third baseman Hank Barnett (.310,24,107) has moved across the Windy City and is a Chicago Cougar now. Even without Barnett the Chiefs still have the rest of their key offensive pieces and a full rotation as the loss of Milt Fritz and Sam Vaughan can easily be absorbed.

COUGARS- It is a testament to the Cougars pitching depth that they can withstand the loss of Pete Papenfus and Donnie Jones (15-13, 2.48) in successive years and still be considered a serious contender for the Continental crown. They need Jim Lonardo to continue to pitch well despite turning 38 and if Johnnie Jones can fill his brother's shoes in the rotation the Cougars will be in great shape. John Lawson is gone but Hank Barnett more than makes up for that departure and the only other hole is in centerfield but Orlin Yates might fill in for the departed Carlos Montes very nicely. The pitching has suffered to be sure but one would think the Cougars offense will be more impressive in 1943 than it was last season.

CINCINNATI- The Cannons absorbed a big hit in military losses prior to the 1942 season but escaped this year without serious damage at the big league level. A lot of top prospects are gone, including catcher turned third baseman Rick York and young outfielder Dick Blaszak but the only real loss from the big league club is outfielder Ruben Sanchez (.257,4,38) who was being counted on to replace the fading Moxie Pidgeon in left field. Corner outfield bats, unless Pidgeon somehow has a miracle turnaround, are a big worry but the even larger question is who else can pitch beside Allan Award winner Deuce Barrell. The rotation was a mess a year ago and nothing has changed in that regard. The key is for Vic Carroll to be healthy but the former number one overall pick has had injury woes each of the past two seasons.

CLEVELAND- This is going to be another long season on the shores of Lake Erie. The Foresters were hit hard by the enlistments/Selective Service with the loss of a number of good young prospects but none will be missed more than pitchers Dick Lamb, Hiram Steinberg and Richie Hughes. Likely only Lamb would have been in Cleveland this season but the Foresters are looking towards the future, not the present, and the missed development time for Steinberg and Hughes is a major hit.

DETROIT- Pitchers Charlie Wheeler (10-12,4.70) and young Charlie Ashmore are both gone. The staff was injury riddled last season and there are big worries about the health of Frank Crawford and Sergio Gonzales as well as the age of Joe Shaffner. Losing Constantine Peters -who may have been set to replace Frank Vance this season- is tough to absorb and seeing Sal Pestilli leave this week just makes the hole the Dynamos need to climb out even deeper.

MONTREAL- Red Bond (.254,16,81) and Wally Doyle (13-13, 3.71) are now in the service but the Saints should be okay with loads of young talent on the way up, and much of it still in their system and not the Army or Navy. They might still be a year or two away but if Pat Weakley and/or Wally Reif make the big league rotation and get off to a good starts the Saints might just surprise a few teams.

NY STARS- Losing starting pitchers Chuck Cole (18-14, 2.29), Lou Robertson (14-12, 2.69) and Jack Wood (10-7, 2.70) was bad enough but add in shortstop Joe Angevine (.294,1,75), outfielder Lew Seals (.251,16,73) and quite possibly the best hitter in the game in Bill Barrett (.345,27,91) and the Stars have been decimated by the war. New Manager Jerry Kant is saying all the right things but privately you have to think the 59 year old rookie skipper is wondering just what he got himself into. Stars brass says they will contend but with the war losses finishing anywhere in the first division will be a major accomplishment.

NY GOTHAMS- The Gothams are back on top of FABL, and if you didn't know just ask the team's fans as they will be sure to remind you. Yes New York has it's swagger back after slumming in the depths of the second division for over half a decade. The question is can they stay on top? The got a huge break when last years rookie phenom Ed Bowman was declared 4-F but they did lose Harry Carter (16-14, 3.17) Bunny Edwards (5-7, 4.20) and elite reliever Charlie Sutton to the war effort. The hope is they can survive on the trio of Bowman, Gus Goulding and Rusty Petrick with someone emerging from the farm to handle the back of the rotation. Sutton's absence may be felt late in games but the bigger concern is will they survive the loss of double-play duo Mule Monier (.395,6,49) and Roosevelt Brewer (.282,0,50). It appears backups Bill Freeman and Lee Miller will be assigned the task.

KEYSTONES- Outfielder/3B Davey Robicheaux (.239,10,59)is gone but the bigger losses will be felt on the mound in the form of ace Lloyd Stevens (17-7, 2.71) and youngsters Abe Abingdon and Charlie Waddell. If the pitching staff can pick it up and the bats of Bobby Barrell and Hank Koblenz stay hot the Keystones might just make a run at the pennant.

SAILORS- The biggest loss from last season's roster was outfielder Lou Williams (.283,1,55) and seeing young outfielder Eddie Heaton follow him to the military also hurts. Young pitchers David Molina and Al Duster are gone as well but neither contributed much last season. Can Karl Wallace come close to duplicating his 20-win campaign of a year ago and do veteran arms Herb Flynn, Chuck Murphy and Doc Newell still have something left in the tank. The war did not add a lot more questions for the Sailors to address, but they had a fair number entering the season to begin with. If all goes well the Sailors might just stick around in the race for much of the summer but they will need some breaks.

PITTSBURGH- Where does it hurt? Everywhere. First they lose one of the best catchers in the league in George Cleaves (.324,12,88) and now arguably the best center fielder in Pablo Reyes (.297,9,78). Veteran starter Charlie Stedman (16-14, 3.56) is also gone but Miners brass had opined the 40 year old was slowing down anyway. Pittsburgh probably could have still contended without Cleaves but the sudden loss of Reyes is likely too much to overcome unless the Miners can pull off a big trade, and there are not a lot of teams willing to move players -especially of the quality the Miners will need to replace Reyes- right now.

ST LOUIS- The Pioneers are loaded with young pitching prospects but the problem is Uncle Sam has called 'dibs' on a number of them. They also lost young first baseman Bob Johnston Jr., who seemed poised to play a major role this year, and second baseman Abel Gardner. It was highly unlikely the Pioneers would have escaped the second division under normal circumstances this year so perhaps things break right and the war losses of other teams help prop St Louis up. But, just like Cleveland, it is the development time lost for all their young stars in the military that hurts the Pioneers the most.

TORONTO- George Garrison (22-10, 2.52) and Tom Frederick (.292,4,44) are both big losses for a team that has already donated nearly two years of Fred McCormick's prime to the war effort. Add in young outfielder Hank Giordano and 6 prospects, highlighted by Jerry York and John Fast, ranked in the top 100 and the Wolves have to be getting sick of seeing talent leave. That being said they still have a pretty solid club and if two-way player Juan Pomales can break out -either as a pitcher or an outfielder things might not be so bad in Hogtown this summer.

WASHINGTON- Is it a cruel joke that the Army took one of only two or three decent pitchers in the organization in the form of Jim Birdwell (15-10, 3.50)? The Eagles pitching staff was already the worst in the league, and probably weaker than a lot of AAA outfits but things could get very bad in the nation's capital this summer. Washington also contributed the second base duo of Al Gross (.248,3,31) and Henry Bush (.260,6,37) to the war effort. Hey, at least Washington fans have the always entertaining Sig Stofer to watch and how fun would it be to see prize outfield prospect Jesse Alvardo make his big league debut two days before his 20th birthday on Opening Day April 20.

There is no manpower shortage when it comes to the Great Lakes Naval Academy ballclub. Lt. T.R. Goins, one time FABL star catcher in Washington and Cleveland and now the Great Lakes ball team boss, is the most envied manager in baseball after reports he had more than 80 players, nearly half with previous big league experience, at his disposal tying out for positions on the Great Lakes Naval Training Station team.
A pair of minor league pitchers have decided not to report to spring training and are taking the year off to work in essential industries. Don Houghton, a 22 year old former 14th round pick who spent most of last season at Class A Gary, has told the Pittsburgh Miners he will sit out the season as the New York native is working in the Brooklyn shipping yards where he feels his skills are urgently needed to aid in the war effort. 18 year old Foster Smith, who the Chicago Cougars drafted in the 6th round last year, is staying home as well for work reasons. Smith will remain in Henderson, NC, and help run a large family farm.
Aside from the big Hank Barnett move from the Chiefs to the Cougars there has been very little action on the trade front. Pittsburgh and Montreal swapped back-up catchers recently and the only other trade was a very minor deal involving Class C players between Boston and Cincinnati as the two clubs addressed positional shortages in the lower levels of each organization.
A few other teams are looking to move fringe pieces but it certainly has been another quiet winter and there is little indication, at least at this point, of anything big happening on the trade front.
Line of the week: James Doyle of the Cleveland Plain Dealer had this to say after observing some of the Foresters early workouts: "None of Cleveland Foresters has seen action yet on any war front, but their infield is half shot, even so."

When the Pittsburgh Paladins begin plucking football plums in Chicago, April 6-8, during the American Football Association's annual harvest of collegiate gridiron stars, they'll not be first in line under their cellar position privilege. Uncle Sam will have been there before, creaming the crop. In fact, the words 'draft meeting' have a double connotation this year. Owners will not only be looking over available material for their own drafting purposes, but also non-draft timber (armed forces variety).

While most of the executives have been peering only into the 1943 horoscope, Rollie Barrell, owner of the Detroit Maroons, already is thinking ahead and signing up players for post-war action. Barrell, you see, has been scanning the names of men in service and sending them contracts for use when victory has been achieved.

"Just recently I secured a pair of servicemen who will be standouts when world conditions permit them to play," the Maroons founder explained. "I'm ready to sign more of these boys, if they're interested. I even gave them a bonus for signing. Sounds interesting doesn't it? It gives the player in service some ready cash now and guarantees him a job when he's mustered out of the Army or Navy."

Realizing he's taking a long chance on this, Barrell counters with an emphatic statement that should be carefully muddled over by leaders in all sports: "A man who makes profit his chief objective doesn't belong in sports."

* * * * *

AFA President Jack Kristich says he has just received a letter from an old college buddy, Capt. Al Entinger of the Medical Corps in Ne Guinea, asking if there's any truth to that rumour floating around the South Pacific that Boston Americans actually beat Chicago. "News is certainly slow getting to the boys overseas," observed Kristich.

* * * * *

Major colleges are well into spring drills now and for the most part they all now expect to have enough material on hand for football in the autumn, though the smaller schools will be extremely hard hit. Many coaches at those smaller colleges have cancelled spring workouts altogether with the hope they can convene in the summer or early fall with enough players to carry on. Since freshman will play a prominent part on the collegiate fields in the fall, many argue that spring drills, even for the big schools, appear useless since none of the incoming freshman will be around to participate.
* * * * *

The South Atlantic Conference held another of their mythical sob sessions today and pretty generally agreed that business would continue on the gridiron next autumn if they can find 11 male students who will stick their heads through a pair of shoulder pads. One exception is Lexington State where football definitely has been abolished for the duration. A few of the other schools remain with a wait and see attitude dependent upon securing enough players but the vast majority of conference members including Carolina Poly, Charleston Tech, Coastal State and North Carolina Tech vow they will have football. In fact Carolina Poly is "extremely optimistic" of having some "good material being available." The Cardinals led the conference last season with 5-1 mark and were 6-4 overall.

NO MAJOR UPSETS IN OPENING ROUND OF THE AIAA TOURNAMENT

Each of the top three seeds in all four regions advanced through the first round with only a pair of four seeds coming up short against five seeds on the opening weekend of the 32 team year-end college basketball championship. The two #4 seeds to fall were North Carolina Tech and Great Plains State. Here is a look at the results from each section:

EAST
Carolina Poly 48 Western State 40
Annapolis Maritime 46 Brooklyn State 41
Liberty College 47 Berwick 37
Minnesota Tech 55 Gates University 48

Top seed Carolina Poly had little trouble with Western State as senior guard Zach Rudy led the way with 12 points. The Cardinals led 30-21 at the break and the outcome was never in doubt in the second half. Next up for Carolina Poly will be Annapolis Maritime after the Navigators rode an 18 point performance from guard Joe Daugherty to a 46-41 win over Brooklyn State. Defending champion Liberty College opened a 25-13 lead on Keystone Alliance winner Berwick enroute to a 47-37 win over the Bears. The Bells now meet Minnesota Tech after the Lakers beat Gates University, the California League winner, 55-48.

SOUTH
Detroit City College 49 George Fox 35
Lane State 45 Great Plains State 34
Chesapeake State 47 Constitution State 36
Western Iowa 51 Garden State 43

Despite missing two starters the Detroit City College Knights had little trouble with Academia Alliance tournament winners George Fox. The Knights won 49-35 and were led by 12 points from center Jack Kurtz. Lane State will be their next opponent after the west coast school beat Great Plains State by 9 despite being the lower seed of the two. It marked the end of his college career for Jimmy Bejarano, who was among the AIAA scoring leaders this season averaging 15.0 ppg. Bejarano had 11 points in the loss for the Buffaloes. Spencer Brownell had 13 points and Jed Clyde 11 to lead Chesapeake State past Constitution State 47-36 and the second seeded Clippers will now turn their attention to Western Iowa after the Canaries beat Garden State 51-43. Rookie guard Joe Hampton - the former minor pro baseball pitcher- had 6 points and 5 assists for the winners in the contest.

MIDWEST
Central Ohio 44 Daniel Boone College 42
CC Los Angeles 56 North Carolina Tech 53
St Ignatius 46 Elyria 38
Rainier College 47 Lambert College 28

It took an Efrain Sandberg 15 footer with 11 seconds left but the Central Ohio Aviators averted an upset by 8th seed Daniel Boone College with a 44-42 win in what was the closest call of the opening round for a number one seed. CC Los Angeles needed a huge second half to rally from a 38-30 deficit at the break as the 5th seeded Coyotes beat North Carolina Tech 56-53. In other action Gerald Katz led the way with 11 points to help St Ignatius past Elyria 46-38 while Rainier College dumped Lambert College 47-28 behind a 16 point outing from Gary Harrison with Fred Lacombe chipping in 10.

WEST
Coastal California 43 Valley State 33
Whitney College 47 St Patrick's 40
Alabama Baptist 59 Texas Gulf Coast 48
St Magnus 47 Utah A&M 39

All 7 teams from the Great Lakes Alliance have advanced to the second round after Whitney College and St Magnus scored victories in the West Section. The Engineers beat St Patrick's 47-40 and next face top seeded Coastal California. The Dolphins, champs of the West Coast Athletic Association actually trailed at the half to Valley State before a strong showing after the break gave them a 43-33 win over the Gunslingers, who finished atop the Southern Border Association standings. Three sport star Pat Chappell, who's best sport is likely football where he is quarterback of the St Magnus eleven, led the Vikings to a 47-39 win over Utah A&M. Chappell had 17 points in the victory. Next up for St Magnus is a tough test in Alabama Baptist. The Panthers have won 18 of their last 19 games including a 59-48 win over Texas Gulf Coast yesterday. They rely on a pair of big men in Lon Porter and Ike Herrera, who each stand 6'10" tall and make matchups difficult for opponents.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 3/21/1943

The war against U-boats has been given top priority as news breaks that the Nazi fleet is massed off Norway and preparing for increased raids in the North Atlantic shipping lanes.
A look at the resistance expected should Allied forces attempt to secure a foothold into Europe.
Senator Mead (D.,NY) predicts that President Roosevelt will be drafted and elected to a fourth term "to serve for the duration of the war and the securement of peace."
The Army turned down actor Mickey Rooney as a poor physical specimen and thereby gave a jolt to the movie makers who'd cast their top star as a guinea pig in a draft-deferment test case. Faced with losing many top actors the producers planned to appeal Rooney's 1-A stats in hopes of getting the Government to decide if movie stars were essential war workers but instead Rooney was turned down by Army doctors due to high blood pressure.

Jiggs McGee · 07-21-2022, 10:18 AM

1943 PREDICTION ISSUES

JIGGS MAKES HIS 1943 PREDICTIONS

Perhaps it is foolish to even try to handicap the 1943 race after I, and many others including Grantland Rice, have gone on record in recent weeks stating it will be near an impossibility to accurately forecast what will happen in this, the most unusual of all baseball seasons. But really, how can I do any worse than last year when I hitched my wagon to the horse that ended up destined for the glue factory- one by the name of Dynamo who was anything but - and had the eventual Federal derby winners from New York ticketed instead for a sixth place finish in my books. Now I did fair a little better with my Continental calls, getting the Stars and Cougars correct as the top two although I had the order of finish reversed.

But the slate is clean and no one is expecting much accuracy this time around, so that sounds like it is right in Jiggs' wheelhouse. The pressure is off but I am ready to back a winner this time around. I expect a lot can change quickly - just ask the Miners and Dynamos how there center field situation looks compared to just a few short weeks ago- but right now here is how I see things shaping up.

FEDERAL ASSOCIATION

1- CHICAGO CHIEFS : If the Chiefs don't win this thing they have only their management to blame. Trading Hank Barnett for some talented youngsters is still a smart move, but it might end up costing the Chiefs the '43 crown. Had they still been trotting Barnett out at the hot corner I see no way any other Fed nine could stop them. Selective Service took some youth but the Chiefs veteran roster emerged virtually unscathed by the war machine.

2- PHILADELPHIA KEYSTONES: Yes Lloyd Stevens is a big loss but I really like the Keystones offense and feel like Bobby Barrell and Hank Koblenz might just go wild against the less than stellar pitching around the league this season.

3- NEW YORK GOTHAMS: The Gothams could win again if their big three on the mound perform like they did in the tail end of last season and the Series. But I betting there will be a step back from either Goulding or Petrick -and I am not sure Ed Bowman can duplicate his amazing rookie campaign- plus I am expecting it is unprecedented for a championship club to lose both it's starting second baseman and shortstop the following season and still have a winning campaign. Of course nearly everything about this year is unprecedented but I just can't pick the Gothams simply because I don't think anyone in baseball outside of Queens can stand listening to them talk about the success of their rebuild for another year.

4- BOSTON MINUTEMEN: A lot of losses to the war effort will make things tough for the '41 champs to stay in the race this time around. They still have talent and it would not completely surprise me to see them in contention as the calendar turns to September but I have a feeling that will be just a little too much to ask.

5- PITTSBURGH MINERS: Before the loss of Reyes I had them challenging for second place and with a break or two perhaps winning another pennant. Now whether the Federal Association wants to see the Miners embarrassed in a WCS yet again is a different question, but also a moot point now as losing Reyes and George Cleaves likely removes them from title talk.

6- ST LOUIS PIONEERS: Just have a hunch the youngsters are going to start to show a little something. I doubt they will still be in the race after the all-star break but things are slowly looking up in St Louis.

7- DETROIT DYNAMOS: I am not going to let them fool me twice and the loss of Sal Pestilli cements the case for a second division finish out of Detroit. The pitching staff seems as flimsy as the German Eastern Front in the dead of winter and the enlistment losses only make the problem more obvious. There is still plenty of talent but with talk out of Detroit that Red Johnson may be the next one to abandon Detroit's ship I am sensing 1943 could be just a dreadful season for franchise. Not quite on the scope of their mid-1930s teams bad, but still a long ways away from contention. Keep in mind I picked Detroit to win it all a year ago so my track record just might give the more adventurous among you cause to put a few ration cards down on a Detroit pennant this season.

8- WASHINGTON EAGLES: Is it just me or does everyone feel that the only reason we know the Eagles are still in the league is because owner William Stockdale is always in the headlines for a sitdown with a Transportation or War Manpower head. Perhaps Stockdale should get Manpower boss McNutt on his payroll to try and bring some pitching talent to the nation's capital as there is a clear shortage. Management is working on turning things around but this is a long-term rebuild and has a long ways to go.

CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION

1- CHICAGO COUGARS: Remember you read it here first. We will be treated to the first-ever Windy City World Championship Series as the Chiefs and Cougars - who do an annual charity tournament each October- will meet for much higher stakes this October. The Cougars lost Pete Papenfus and Donnie Jones but thanks to an assist from the cross-town Chiefs it says here that the addition of Hank Barnett, plus the Cougars tremendous pitching depth, will send them back to the WCS for the second time in the past three years.

2- CINCINNATI CANNONS: Can the Cannons get anyone of quality to follow up Deuce Barrell in the rotation? The color blind Cannon had the best season by a pitcher the organization has seen since the Rabbit Day era back in Baltimore but the rest of the staff was awful. If Vic Carroll can stay healthy and Roger Perry be a solid number three the Cannons might just challenge Chicago for the pennant, something the organization hasn't flown since 1914.

3- MONTREAL SAINTS: I would not be surprised to see the Saints finish second and if Chicago stumbles perhaps even win the CA crown for the first time since 1921. To do that I think they will need young pitchers Pat Weakley and Wally Reif to come up big but it could happen. More likely they duke it out with Cincinnati, Toronto, New York and Philadelphia in a tight race for the 2-6 slots but Montreal's time is coming.

4- TORONTO WOLVES: The Wolves have some talent but the loss of George Garrison added to continued absence of Fred McCormick will be too much to overcome. There is a tight group between second and sixth and it is easy to envision Toronto slotting into any of those spots.

5- NEW YORK STARS: Bill Barrett, Joe Angevine, Lew Seals and Chuck Cole. Just too much of a loss for the defending champs to overcome and return to the WCS. The first division would be a heady accomplishment for this year's version of the Stars.

6- PHILADELPHIA SAILORS: The Sailors did not lose a lot over the winter to the Army, and if they get breaks might just finish in the first division, but they -like much of the CA- have a long ways to go to catch the Cougars for top spot.

7- CLEVELAND FORESTERS: Probably no sane reason to pick the Foresters to avoid finishing last for the third time in the past four years but it is more a reflection on the direction I see Brooklyn going rather than Cleveland. The Foresters do have a growing collection of young talent, but much of it is in the service and a large chunk is not yet ready for the big leagues. Be patient Cleveland fans. You have a couple of more years to wait before your team might one day resemble the powerhouse it was in the first half of the last decade.

8- BROOKLYN KINGS: Losing talented young outfielder Rats McGonigle to the Army hurts but the truth is the once proud franchise was on the downswing already. It is nothing to be ashamed of, as most powerhouse clubs eventually run into a rough patch. The Kings glory years, with 5 straight 90-plus win seasons and 3 consecutive pennants, were a better run than most teams get to enjoy but the signs are showing that the Kings are now in the early stages of a prolonged down period. Perhaps the time is now to look at seeing what kind of young talent they could reap by dealing Al Wheeler and Harry Barrell away. It might be a little too late to part with Wheeler, but he should still command a solid return. Barrell is not yet 30 and one of the best shortstops to ever play the game so perhaps you hold on to him for a couple of more years unless you get an truly franchise-altering prospect or two back in return. Maybe Brooklyn surprises and challenges for the first division but this Brooklyn squad reminds me very much of the 1932-33 Baltimore Cannons or the 1934-35 Detroit Dynamos. I see things getting a lot worse in the borough before they get better.

BNN CALLS FOR BOSTON-CINCINNATI SERIES IN EARLY PREDICTION

In it's annual prediction released on the first day of spring games, The Baseball News Network says it expects another tight race in the Federal Association and surprisingly sees only the defending champion New York Gothams as the weak link in the loop. In the Continental BNN agrees with TWIFB's Jiggs McGee that Chicago and Cincinnati will finish 1-2 but the order will be reversed.

If you trust BNN's call, things are looking up for Washington and St Louis but the Gothams are destined to collapse and rookie Ed Bowman, who won the Allen Award during a dominating debut season, will endure a terrible sophomore slump. Over in the CA the thinking from the news network is Deuce Barrell will have another outstanding season on the hill for the Cannons and veterans Roger Perry and Butch Smith may deliver career best seasons to lead the club to it's first 100+ win season since 1908.

Here is how BNN calls the '43 season:

Enjoy spring training everyone. It's seems like an incredibly long off-season but the boxscores return tomorrow.

Jiggs McGee · 07-22-2022, 06:35 PM

MARCH 29, 1943

BASEBALL IS BACK! SPRING GAMES UNDERWAY

It is not Florida and the long underwear needed to be broken out for a couple of ballgames but no one involved with baseball was complaining as spring training is officially underway, and that is something that for most of the winter was feared might not happen. The spring camps are now in the Carolinas, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia, as teams train at outdated minor league parks or college sites in an effort to cut back on some of the travel that trips to Florida would have necessitated.

Many of the familiar stars are not here either, unless they happen to pop in for a day because they are stationed at a nearby Army or Navy base, and in their place are many unknown faces, raw rookies who might now get a big league opportunity they likely would never have seen had all been right in the world, or grizzled vets, those who have toiled in some obscure minor league outpost the past few years but now, with the manpower shortage, are suddenly deemed valuable again by the big league magnates. Yes, much has changed this spring but if you squint your eyes just a little bit when you look it is still spring baseball. And that can only mean the real thing is less than a month away. And after all of the turmoil that marred the winter, that is something we can all be thankful for, and we will willingly endure a little chilly weather instead of working on our Florida tans.

Fayetteville, NC- It is not quite their usual stop in Sanford, Florida and to be honest the weather in North Carolina has almost felt like they were training at Parc Cartier on a couple of the days but the Montreal Saints are finally playing baseball again in 1943. One quick glance at the facilities here at Fayetteville Tech, the junior college facility that the 42 hopefuls will call home for the next three weeks, and you would certainly never mistake it for Parc Cartier, or their traditional spring haunts in Sanford, Fl., but with the transportation crack down this was as far south as the Saints were allowed to venture this year in hopes of assembling a team that can figuratively travel 'north' in the Continental Standings once they head literally head north to open the season.

The first week of camp, despite the occasional bit of frost, was still warm with excitement that the sport was back, after so much worry over this most unusual of off-seasons. All eyes were immediately focused on the right arms of Pat Weakley and Wally Reif, two of the much heralded large group of Saints prospects. Each had a good outing in their spring debuts even if both games turn into losses after each youngster was pulled out after few innings.

On the batting side, a big battle is going on in the infield between SS Hank Grant, 2B Bob Jennings, 1B/2B John Cooper, 2B Ted Brown and 1B Pete Frisbie as they all compete to be among the 24 chosen to open the season with the big club. After week #1, Jennings has been a disaster on the batting side, but he has been doing extra work with batting coach Bernie Gurrola to find his swing back for week #2. Rule 5 draft 1B Frisbie had a bad week at the plate as well, meaning if he does not find back his stuff, veteran Vic Crawford will get the starting job at first and Frisbie will be returned to the Philadelphia Sailors, his former team.

The third base battle between Spud Bent and Mack Burns, who split the role a year ago, needs to have someone step up. Both struggled in the opening week and need to find their groove at the bat. With Crawford likely moving back to first base to replace Red Bond, who left for the war, there is also a battle for the job in right field between Art McMahon -another rule 5 pickup- and a pair of players who spent most of last season in AAA Minneapolis in Milt Bennett and Tony Hendricks. So far McMahon is for now in the lead for the starting spot. The reserve OF position should be decided between Bennett, Hendricks and Bob Kaye. Before training camp, it sounds like Kaye was out of the picture because of last season stats line, but he made some extra training during winter to get a marvelous week #1 and having now the training staff scratching their heads.

Just one player was given his walking papers after the opening week of camp. That would 28 year old reliever Bill Stewart, who with an option remaining and a logjam on the mound has been reassigned to AAA Minneapolis. He made 5 relief appearances for the Saints last year and has spent each of the last 3 seasons shuffling between the the Saints and the Lumberjacks. That will leave 41 men in camp to fight it out for the 24 available jobs.

The St Louis Pioneers tend to sit their regulars the first two weeks of spring to give other guys a chance to play. It has the benefit of allowing manager Hugh Luckey a chance to weed out some of the obvious guys that just are not ready to make the trip north. This year all three of the Pioneers rule 5 picks will make it to the second week of camp and the is unusual.

Second baseman Les Draper, taken from the Keystones organization, has had the best camp of the three so far, hitting .455 with five walks. Catcher Joe Robins, from the Brooklyn Kings system, is hitting .364 and has the inside track to earn the job as Heinie Zimmer's back-up behind the plate. Floyd Frost, a 25 year old lefthander taken from the Pittsburgh Miners in the rule five, gave up just two runs in his four innings on the mound.

The club made some roster moves today as pitchers Johnny Kretzshmar and Herb Armstrong, along with catcher Connie Seekford, infielder Bob Wheeler, and outfielder Walter McClure have all been sent to minor league camp after embarrassing themselves in big league camp. That leaves the Pioneers with 38 players remaining in the big league camp, which is being held at the home of their class B Southeastern League affiliate Charlotte Bluebirds.

One of the more interesting situations to watch this spring is in New York where the defending champion Gothams try to determine if Bill Freeman and Lee Miller can replace the departed double-play duo of Roosevelt Brewer and Mule Monier. It's a short sample with just one week of spring but results are mixed in the early going. Freeman, a 26 year old who has seen action as a backup for the Gothams the past 4 seasons, had a nice start going 3-for-8 but shortstop Miller really struggled. The 27 year old, who had a brief trial with the Gothams last season, went 0-for-12 at the plate while making 3 errors in the field.
Moxie Pidgeon homered last week, something the 35 year old only did once after June 20th last season, as he hopes to show the Cincinnati Cannons he still has something left in the tank. Pidgeon has minor league options left but is likely to be unwilling to accept a demotion, having not played in the minors since 1928 and has hinted he might just enlist if things don't work out in Cincinnati. Pidgeon has 290 career homeruns, fifth most all-time, but hit just 4 last season while batting only .196.
Cleveland lost veteran reliever Frank Phillips for much of the season after he hurt his shoulder pitching against Brooklyn yesterday. The 35 year old was pretty effective out of the pen for the Foresters last season, saving 11 games while posting a 5-8 mark with a 3.20 era. Word is Phillips will be sidelined until sometime in August.
Jimmy Long, who is being counted on heavily as a part of the Dynamos rotation this season, had a nice spring debut. The 24 year old rookie went 4 innings against the Keystones, allowing just 2 hits and 1 run. Detroit actually got a really strong week out of their pitching, which was their big weakness a year ago. Only once in their 6 games last week did the Dynamos surrender more than a single run. That was actually the game Long started as they fell 6-0 to the Keystones that afternoon.
Two-way threat Juan Pomales had a big week at the plate for Toronto, batting .562 (9-for-16) while also having an acceptable outing as a pitcher. Pomales went 14-13 on the mound last season for the Wolves while batting .266 and started 11 games in center field. The Wolves are still debating whether Pomales should remain in the rotation or become their everyday centerfielder now that Tom Frederick is the Army air corps.

AFA MAY SHRINK IN SIZE

The American Football Association club magnates are set to meet in Chicago a little over a week from now with the main order of business being to conducted their college player draft. However, there is some talk that the league will shrink to eight teams next fall, and even possibly six. Always the optimist, AFA President Jack Kristich says he expects all 10 teams to return next season but does concede it is a time of great unpredictability. Krisitch is sure the league can survive player shortages and transportation issues but if some of the magnates decline to put a team on the field, mapping out the path of the 1943 season will be complicated further.

What, for instance, will happen to those teams which might asked to be excused until normal times come again? It is a league rule that any team remaining out of the race automatically forfeits it's franchise. But it is hardly possible that the league will adhere to this rule in this emergency. Rather, it is believed that the clubs will vote to freeze the franchises of any teams which can't see their way clear to operate until the war is over.

Even if they make this gesture, what happens to the player draft? The withdrawing teams might insist that they be allowed to select their annual quota of 20 graduating college seniors. The active organizations might be just as insistent that the inactive ones be excluded.

*** CINCINNATI SEEKING FRANCHISE ***

If the league shrinks to six teams it, for once, will be able to compose a representative schedule. This would make it possible for each eleven to meet the others, both at home and abroad, for 10 games in all.

Cleveland leads the list of doubtful teams. But there is a rumour that Cincinnati is out for the Cleveland franchise and wants to operate next season with the Tice family, owners of baseball's Cincinnati Cannons, believed behind the bid. The St Louis Ramblers are also said to be pessimistic about the whole thing, too. Right now they are believed to have no more than a dozen players on their roster. It is also believed that Philadelphia is not too keen about continuing either and Pittsburgh may be wavering in it's decision to carry on.

The stalwarts of the league- The Chicago Wildcats, the Detroit Maroons, the New York Stars, the Brooklyn Kings and Washington Wasps - exhibit no signs of nervousness and the defending champion Boston Americans feel they are in good shape to continue as well. Those clubs will be aligned solidly behind Kristich in his efforts to maintain a solid front.
*** HELPED RAISE $680,000 FOR SERVICES ***

Kristich will be able to give the assembled club owners and coaches an impressive report on the league's contributions last season to war charities. The total amount raised was $680,384.07. What the league will do in this particular next season is dependent upon the Army's football program. Last year the Army's all-star western and all-star eastern teams each played four war charity games with league teams. This competition brought in about half of the total funds raised last season but it is not known whether the Army will follow the same plan again for football.

SEMI-FINALS SET FOR NATIONAL COLLEGIATE HOOPS TOURNEY

The 32 schools invited to participate in this years edition of the annual AIAA college basketball tournament have been whittled down to just four as the field is set for Saturday's National Semi-Finals. Surprisingly none of the top seeds survived but defending champion Liberty College is back for the championship weekend.

The Bells emerged from the Eastern Section after narrowly winning a 44-42 decision over Carolina Poly yesterday. Junior Charles Ashley was the hero of the day for the Philadelphia school, leading both teams with 14 points including a pair of buckets in the final minute that secured the win. Earlier Liberty College had knocked off Minnesota Tech 54-37 while the Cardinals stopped Annapolis Maritime 50-45.

In the Midwest Section Rainier College won a laugher over Central Ohio, grounding the Aviators by a 57-37 count in a game that saw junior Gary Harrison score 18 for the winners. The Majestics had a similar easy time two days earlier when they downed another Great Lakes Alliance school in St Ignatius by a 55-39 margin. Central Ohio reached the quarterfinals with a 41-38 win over CC Los Angeles, a school that was one of the preseason favourites to win the championship but after a fast start to the year, the Coyotes cooled considerably down the stretch.

Out west the second round gave us the biggest upset of the tournament as 4th seeded Whitney College hung on to knock off the number one team in the nation, Coastal California 48-47. Morgan Melcher, the Dolphins talented sophomore guard, had 21 points in the game but he missed a last second shot attempt that would have allowed Coastal California to advance. St Magnus beat Alabama Baptist 53-45 in the other round two matchup in the West Section, setting up an all GLA section final. Whitney College battled hard but came up just short as the Vikings, who had never won a tournament game in school history prior to this year, reached the National semi-finals with a 53-47 win over the Engineers.

The most dramatic game of the tournament came from the South Region as Lane State outlasted Detroit City College 62-61 in double overtime on Thursday. The Emeralds rode the two pronged attack of forwards Jimmy Messinger (18 points) and Aubrey Gibbs (15 points) to victory over a game but overmatched Detroit City College squad. Center Jack Kurtz led the way with 18 points and had really stepped up his game since leading score Roman Sollars left for the Navy but one can't help but think the result would have been much different had Sollars been in the lineup.

The other second round match-up in the South was a very competitive game as well with Western Iowa, behind 15 points from Gerald Carter and 8 from freshman Joe Hampton, trimmed Chesapeake State 35-33. The section final saw Carter, a junior guard who averaged nearly 15 points a game during the season, score 17 points to almost singlehandedly beat Lane State 46-39 and send the Canaries back to the National semi-finals for the second time in four years. Western Iowa came up on the short-end of the score in the championship against Garden State in 1939 but will get another chance to win their first ever AIAA title next week.

NATIONAL SEMI-FINAL PREVIEW

The National semi-finals will be held at the Bigsby Gardens in New York on Saturday with the two winners meeting in Monday's championship contest. It marks the first ever appearance in the semi-finals for the two Great Lakes Alliance schools that will meet in the opening game. The schools played just once during the regular season with St Magnus winning on the road, beating Western Iowa 56-42. St Magnus comes into the game with a 21-8 record, while Western Iowa is 20-9. While the Vikings led by junior guard Pat Chappell, who also quarterbacks the schools football team, are healthy the same can not be said for Western Iowa who will be missing two senior starters as both Fletcher Barnes and Walter Heaton are injured. Junior Gerry Carter, who averaged 14.6 ppg is the leader of the Western Iowa five.

The second semi-final features Rainier College from Washington State, a school that is making it's third trip to the National Semi-finals and won the National Title just 3 years ago. Their opponent will be Philadelphia-based Liberty College, which won it's third National Championship in the past seven years last season. The Bells feature a solid, balanced attack with seniors Ron Berner and Bobby Grant leading the way while the Majestics rely on junior guard Gary Harrison to lead the team. This will be the first meeting between the two schools in nearly two decades.
Here are their all-time tournament records including games from this years event as well as a look at the key players on each squad.

Code:

ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD OF FINAL FOUR SCHOOLS
SCHOOL    	APP   W  L    TITLES
Rainier College  25  26-23    1- in 1940
Liberty College  23  40-19    3- 1936,1937,1942
Western Iowa     14  13-13    0- reached finals in 1939
St Magnus	  4   3-3     0- never won a game prior to this year

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 3/28/1943

Allied forces are having a tough time taking out a key Japanese base at Amboina. Natural conditions make it a tough nut to crack but it's location makes it an important piece of real estate in the South Pacific.
Nazi forces continue to hold in Tunisia as the Allies once more attempt to spring a trap.
Butchers across the northeast are trying to get their hooks into meat as shortages prompt the temporary closure of many grocers. Additional rationing goes into effect this week with each person allowed 16 points per week.

Jiggs McGee · 07-25-2022, 01:03 PM

APRIL 5, 1943

INJURY BUG STRIKES SEVERAL CLUBS

In a season in which teams are already struggling to find major league talent injuries can be even more devastating than usual. Several FABL teams are now dealing with more manpower shortages after being hit with injuries this past week. The biggest hit might have happened to Boston as the Minutemen, already tasked with trying to replace outfielder Bill Burkett, who joined the Army Air Corps, now need to survive at least the first week of the season with Joe Watson. The veteran corner outfielder, who hit .315 while contending with a neck injury much of last season, will be sidelined a month with a knee issue.

The Philadelphia Keystones are already without their ace on the mound as Lloyd Stevens is in the Navy. Now they will have to cope without Herman Patterson, who went 7-9 a year ago while splitting his work between the rotation and the pen. The 28 year old lefthander has a sore shoulder that is expected to keep him out of action until after the all-star break.

There are others too. The Gothams lost 29 year old righthander Bob Adams, who split last season between New York and AAA Toledo, for at least a month. Montreal's Danny Clark, a 28 year old pitcher who spent most of last season in AAA, is done for the year with an arm injury and the Cleveland Foresters will not have the services of third baseman Leon Blackridge for the next couple of week. The Chicago Chiefs will be without two players for an extended time as 2B/OF Ossie Grogan and SS Fritz Reynolds both were hurt last week.

None are considered integral pieces of their respective teams, but rather depth players. The concern is, of course, that most teams have very little in the way of depth to spare anymore.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

As the cold winds blow across Lake Ontario down Bay Street chilling everyone entering Union Station to catch the trains the Wolves have begun spring training in Chattanooga. This is the first sure sign of better weather ahead for Torontonians. The team limited it spring training roster to only 32 players this camp in an effort to both economize along with not having to go through the enormous logistic challenge of getting more players into Tennessee with the current wartime travel restrictions both in Canada and the USA.

Although manager Charlie Reed, along with his staff, would like to get more "eyes on" some of the players that are earmarked for the future he thinks this short roster will allow the Wolves to be more prepared for Opening Day, April 21st in Cleveland. Reed thinks the players in camp will be better utilized, in better shape, along with being more in tune with in-game strategy by getting more repetitions these 26 days before heading north.

The first half of the tune up games has already been completed with a 7-5 record. The lineup has been changing daily during these early days to knock the rust off players before the first series roster reduction moves, expected late next week. The early buzz around camp is the same as it has been all winter long around the hot stove: Juan Pomales. Pomales had an outstanding first week both in the batter's box, .562/.588/1.338, and on the mound giving up only 3 run on 5 hits in his one start. Manager Reed had Pomales batting leadoff in his start something even old timers cannot not ever remember happening in a Wolves lineup.

The question remains of whether or not Pomales will provide at least adequate defense in CF over the long haul of 154 games. The war has claimed many FABL CFers so insiders believe that there will be a noticeable decline in outfield defense this season, routine plays may not be so routine over the summer. Other players making an impression early include Tom Peel, Joe Bell at the bat while Cookie Myers and Jack Smith both have also had good early outings on the mound.

Toronto is in the same position as many teams in the league, final roster decisions may not come down to player performance but more so whom has minor league options left in their contract. With the number of players who have left for war service the shortage of players who have proved themselves in FABL over the years will become the deciding factor when 1943 are set. Many teams will probably keep players on the roster because they know they will not pass through waivers. All GMs will combing the waiver wire in the hopes of finding cast offs from other teams. Who said baseball at the FABL level was a fair game?

The talk of a common player pool for this season came up once again as Cleveland Foresters owner Richard Marshall said he thought it "might not be a bad idea," to have President Sam Belton be given the power to move players from club to club on a temporary basis should teams run short of big league talent. Philadelphia Keystones owner Edward Meachum, speaking from his club's spring camp site in Savannah, Ga., declared "I'm afraid baseball would not last long under such an arrangement." He added not only would it be "unworkable" but also branded it as an "offspring of socialism that has no business in baseball."
Maybe the pitching in Detroit will be just fine after all. The Dynamos are 9-3, and tied for the best spring record in FABL with vets Mike Murphy (2-0, 0.93) and Joe Shaffner (2-0, 0.90). Perhaps Mule Earl will be a surprise addition to the rotation. The 31 year old once had pretty good promise but was derailed by a series of injuries, the most serious of which cost him over a year but he looked solid in a brief trial in Detroit last season and has picked up where he left off this spring.
Ossie Grogan's injury means the second base job with the Chicago Chiefs will go to veteran Sam Orr this season. Right field will come down to a pair of 35-year-olds: Rule 5 pickup Bobby Bond and Hank Jones. Since Bond bats left-handed and Jones bats from the right side, they will likely settle in to a time share. And both Bond (.364/.391/.455) and Jones (.583/.615/.917) are swinging the bat well this spring. Center field is still a wide open competition between: Bob Reid, Dode Foster, and Wayne Newcomb.
Results haven't been great for the Gothams, who sit at 4-8 in spring play, but their focus has been on filtering out those not ready for prime time. So far two pitchers Gothams brass has been watching work their way through the system, Sandy Giles and Monk Adams, are having good spring camps and may be ready to fill open rotation spots left by the war draftees. One will get the 4th rotation spot and one long relief/5th starter for all the twin bills.
From Pioneers camp in Charlotte: SS Jack Helmig, 2B Dick Sanders, C Clyde Farr and OF Ken Smith have been sent to minor league camp. Rule 5 pickups 2B Draper(.484 OB%), C Robins(.333 BA), and P Frost(4.50 ERA) are still in camp but St Louis will need to cut eight more players. The regulars will start getting playing time this week. Seeing their first action will be RF Al Tucker, C Heinie Zimmer, 3B Tommy Wilson, and CF Gail Gifford. If healthy at the end of camp these four are guaranteed spots in the lineup just as Danny Hern and Buddy Long are guaranteed spots in the rotation. It is likely that veteran Sam Sheppard will also start the season in the rotation. Who stays may be decided by who has options. Ed Cornett and Cal Roe have not pitched well this spring but they are both our of options where youngsters Hal Siddoway and Joe Standish Jr. have impressed but each has options.
The Cincinnati Cannons contingent at Georgia Baptist University is a little smaller after 5 players were optioned to AAA Indianapolis and outfielder Nat Drake was put on the injured list. The Cannons still have 11 pitchers in camp and some tough decisions as all of them have been very impressive so far this spring. They also need to cut 3 position players before the season opener against Philadelphia on April 21. Cincinnati is hoping for big things out of 1B Chuck Adams this season and the 26 year old who hit .292 with 19 homers a year ago is having an outstanding spring. Some camp observers feel Adams might well be the breakout star in the Continental Association this season.
Moxie Pidgeon might just keep his job in Cincinnati. After just an awful 1942 campaign the 36 year old is having a solid spring. It is unlikely he will be an everyday player but the 6-time all-star could be a key bench bat for the Cannons.

The once mighty football legions of St Blane have dwindled to a corporal's guard. The effect of the war on collegiate athletics was felt with full force on the campus in Latrobe Saturday when the Fighting Saints gathered for the opening of spring practice. Whereas in past years the coaching has been overrun with 100 or more aspirants for places on the famed Saints gridiron teams, coaches this time around found themselves with just 48 athletes - and 21 already have been summed to report for active duty at the end of the present semester, May 1. That left just 27 possibilities for next fall and almost to a man they said their military status was uncertain.

St Blane staff frankly admitted that the Navy holds the key to Saints football hopes. If special trainees sent here by the Navy are able to play, both in terms of time available and possessing the requisite skills, things might look a lot better in the fall. As it stands now the Fighting Saints have no idea how many players they will have available next fall.

* * * * *

The 1943 professional football picture should be a little less murky this week following the meeting of AFA owners in Chicago. The league plans to conduct it's annual draft of college seniors but there will be plenty of other items on the agenda with the most pressing centering on the manpower shortage and concerns that some teams are said to be considering not fielding a team until the war is over.

ST MAGNUS AMAZING RUN CONTINUES;

VIKINGS TO FACE RAINIER COLLEGE FOR CROWN

Entering this season the St Magnus Vikings basketball team had never won a game in the year end AIAA national championship tournament. They had not even qualified for the tournament since the spring of 1933 and were 0-3 all-time in tourney games. But that has changed this year for the St. Paul, Minnesota school as the Vikings are now 4-3 all-time and, after a 56-38 win over Great Lakes Alliance rivals Western Iowa in semi-final action Saturday, St Magnus is one win away from the National Championship, something a GLA team has not won since 1925-26 when Chicago Poly was still in the conference and claimed the crown that year.

St Magnus will meet Rainier College out of the West Coast Athletic Association in tonight's title tilt, held at that grand cathedral in New York known as the Bigsby Garden. The Majestics advanced with a 45-38 win over defending national champion Liberty College. Rainier has some championship game experience as the Majestics claimed their first national crown in 1939-40 when current starter Fred Lacombe and backup Kent Schreck were on the team as freshmen. Records are spotty from the early days of the sport but it is believed the two schools have never faced each other in a basketball game.

St Magnus played like a team possessed on Saturday, shooting well above their season average with 57% of their attempts finding the netting. For a change it was not junior standout Pat Chappell leading the way but instead the youngsters took charge as a pair of freshman powered St Magnus to the finals. Guard Matt Saez had the best game of his young college career, scoring 16 points and hitting on 7 of his 11 attempts from the field, while fellow frosh Kevin Kennard also came up big with 12 points to double his season average.

In the second game the decidedly pro-Liberty College fans in attendance went home disappointed as the Bells hopes of back to back titles came to an end with a 45-38 loss to west coast power Rainier College. Liberty led by three points at the break and the game was back and forth until midway through the second half when Rainier scored 10 unanswered points to take a lead they would not relinquish. The hero was Mike Hays, a junior guard who only averages 4.5 points per game. He scored just six points in this one but all 3 of his baskets came during that two minute 10-point Majestics rally. Hays also had an assist on a Fred Lacombe bucket and a steal during the big rally. Hays was not much of a factor offensively the rest of the way but he was a force on defense, disrupting the Bells at every opportunity, and was recognized for that effort with the nod as player of the game.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 4/04/1943

A large force of Navy bombers, striking to choke off Japanese supplies at basic shipping points in the Pacific, showered explosives among 13 ships lying of Kavieng Harbor. This as reports continue to circulate from Washington that the Japanese are moving to strengthen all their bases along the great Pacific battle arc, apparently in anticipation of an American offensive.
Below is this week's update from North Africa and the Eastern Front.
Panic over meat shortages at the start of rationing is beginning to subside as allotted shipments begin arriving in New York City and other major east coast cities.

Jiggs McGee · 07-26-2022, 01:55 PM

APRIL 12, 1943

IS CHIEFS HOT SPRING SIGN OF THINGS TO COME?

An argument can easily be made that the Chicago Chiefs were the FABL club to be least affected by the loss of veteran talent to the war effort. In fact one could make a case the Chicago Feds only established player of consequence to depart over the winter was Hank Barnett -and that was only because the Chiefs dealt the the 33 year old to the Chicago Cougars. Uncle Sam certainly took his share of youth from the Chiefs but left their veteran roster pretty much intact and that has meant bad news in the Citrus Circuit this season for their opponents. The Chiefs have been so dominant this spring that perhaps they should be considering abandoning Florida permanently and making Spartanburg, SC their long-term spring home, what with a 16-3 record overall including wins in their last 11 games.

The question now on the minds of FABL fans is whether this is just a team riding a hot streak or a clear indication of what is to come in the Federal Association this summer? In his preseason predictions, TWIFB's Jiggs McGee called on the Chiefs as the team to beat in the Fed and so far they look even stronger than Jiggs predicted.

Al Miller (3-0, 1.50) and Rabbit Day (2-0, 1.29) are reminding observers of the Chiefs glory days when they won two WCS in a 3-year span and the revamped infield with Bob Martin shifting from second base to the hot corner and Sam Orr taking over at the keystone bag looks just fine. There still may be some questions about the outfield and if Red Hampton and George Thomas can handle the back of the rotation but all signs at the moment point to a big year ahead for the Whitney Field faithful.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

Through the first three weeks of spring training the Wolves have given hope to the Toronto fans. With a 12-7 record in the tune-up games the fans are dreaming of another 1940 season in Southern Ontario. These hopes may have to be tempered, with the question being "Did the Wolves decision only invite 32 players to camp inflate their record?" The entire league is in a state of flux as teams trying to determine the best way to present a team to the fans given the over 900 players throughout all levels that have to serve their country overseas.

It seems the big question of the spring has been answered: Juan Pomales will begin the season as a true two-way player as the everyday CF. In 58 times to the plate in Tennessee Pomales is slashing .346/.370/.426 with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 5 RBI, 3 SB. These numbers make it next impossible not to at least begin the season without his bat in the lineup. Extra responsibility has been given to bench coach Dick Dennis to position the OF defense properly for all hitters to give the fielders the best opportunity to make a play given the lack of foot speed in the group. Charlie Reed's decision is now is how to use Pomales as a pitcher, does he go to the bullpen or remain in the rotation starting every 4th or 5th day? Current rumours are is he will be in the rotation which will require lineup juggling to insure proper rest while Pomales performs double duty.

Walter Pack seems poised for a rebound after a sub-par 1942. His spring stats .308/.424/.426 are an encouraging sign. Ockie Holliday has not rebounded in the same way hitting only .250 with only one XBH in 40 spring AB. The surprise of the spring in camp has been Joe Bell with a .419 batting average. Bell was going to Toronto with the team because the previously mentioned numbers-game faced by management. Fans are now thinking he should be given a chance if Holliday's hitting woes continue after the team moves north. Charlie Artuso has had a difficult training period but Reed has stated in public he has no concerns about this slow start. The starting pitching has been outstanding in March, early April. The team appears set to move home with 11 arms which seems like a extremely high number but two of those players -Pomales and Roscoe Zeiler- also serve in other roles.

The roster is almost set as 7 players have been sent to the minors. With one more cut to be made the smart money is saying it will be one of Homer Betts, Roscoe Zeiler, or even aging veteran Frank Huddleston.

DYANMOS PLAN BASEBALL SCHOOLS FOR DETROIT-AREA YOUTH

Mike Walton is one of the younger Assistant General Managers in the league at the age of 39 and the Detroit Dynamos executive has some forward thinking ideas. The Sadler University grad believes the future of baseball depends entirely on what steps FABL takes to foster the game until after the war and that now is the time to make post-war plans. "A great many players who have gone into the armed forces, and who are yet to go, will be lost to the game forever," Walton says. "They may be too old when peace is restored and many of them will be unable to come back even then since a vast Army and Navy will be needed to police the world. If we are to have baseball after the war, we'll have to start right now preparing for the perpetuation of the game. We'll have to develop players for the pos-war era and the players must be lads of 12,13 and 14 years of age. Catch 'em young and team 'em well must be our motto."

To accomplish just that Walton has come up with a plan to hold baseball schools at Thompson Field every day when the Dynamos are playing away from home this summer. The idea is to use some former Detroit players as coaches and invite every schoolboy in town who has ambitions to become a ballplayer. "We have to take steps to ensure the game survives. If the present system continues baseball will die, war or no more. We need to develop the next generation of players as basketball, football and other sports compete with us for young athletes."

The Gothams must be reading the BBN predictions. They are now at the bottom of the Fed spring standings.
The SS situation if far from settled as both Lee Miller and Ed White have struggled with the bat. Manager Zeihl will look at other options this week before making a final decision.
A scorekeeper's nightmare looms as Bill Dalton has had a strong spring and is making a case to be the backup for Billy Dalton in Queens.
A strong week for Harry Clark puts him in the driver's seat for the starting CF spot. Zeihl had been looking at Leon Drake for the position, but no one has stepped up in the RF auditions.
Sandy Giles appears to have locked up the #4 spot in the rotation. With Billy Seawood optioned to Toledo and Monk Adams moved to the pen for the final week, the 3rd round selection in the 1935 draft has taken advantage of the open audition and will make the jump from A ball. Giles has had a mix of strong and struggling seasons as he slowly worked his way through the Gothams system, often passed by as later selections advanced. Now at 25 it will be his big chance to show the team what he can do. Waiting in the wings is #40 prospect Monk Adams.

Sam Belton, President of FABL, when asked about the prospects of the season ahead: "No one knows what will happen in baseball this summer," he blurted. "It would only be a guess. But I have every hope that we will finish the season, as usual, and that the pennant races, in both leagues, will be exciting."
You have to excuse Gothams fans if they are having a few flashbacks to 1936 right now. Fresh off a WCS win the previous October, the New York nine got off to a terrible start in '36 and management dismantled the club. They made it back to the top last fall after six years in the second division but are clearly struggling with some holes this spring. I don't think another tear down is in order, even if the Gothams dismal camp showing carries over to April and May, as the losses to the military hit hard, but with the Gothams you never know what to expect.
Just who is Jocko Goodrum and should Mahlon Strong be worried in Pittsburgh? Goodrum, a 1937 15th round pick out of Gates University is showing Mahlon-like power with 4 homers this spring including a pair in back-to-back games over the weekend. The 28 year old first baseman only has 4 hits in 23 spring at bats so he is hardly setting the world on fire, but all 4 have been of the longball variety. Four, by the way is the same number of homers Goodrum hit all of last year, in 266 AAA at bats. He was homerless in 19 games for the Miners last season when he made his big league debut.
Staying with the Miners they have received a very impressive spring showing thus far from another late round pick. Outfielder Jasper Wright, who was a 20th round pick of the Chiefs out of Minneapolis High School where he was a teammate of Donnie Jones, is hitting .412 with a spring leading 12 rbi's. The 25 year old has had a couple of sips of the big league coffee, but hit just .083 in 24 FABL at bats.
Let's give another late round pick his brief moment of FABL fame. Bill Nettles, a 27 year old Philadelphia Keystones farmhand who was a 13th rounder in 1933, has been all or nothing this spring. He leads with 20 strikeouts in 34 innings of work but has also allowed a spring most 5 homeruns against.
Baseball takes over the spotlight on college campuses as basketball ends it's season. Like other college sports, many schools are short-staffed but all of the major colleges say they are able to field teams. Bluegrass State is the defending champion, having ended the Maryland State Bengals two year old on the title last year.

AFA SAYS IT IS GOOD TO GO IN FALL

As of today the American Football Association plans to operate in the fall, but there is still some question whether or not each of the 10 teams will field a club in September. AFA President Jack Kristich confirmed that the owners have vowed to play next season but would not comment on rumours that several teams have asked to remain in the league but have their franchises 'frozen' until the war is over.

The franchise uncertainty is the likely reason the league has delayed the release of it's schedule until June. While the number of teams is not confirmed to remain at 10, the plan is likely to reduce the schedule by one game so that each squad is expected tp play 10 games in the fall. However, Kristich cautioned that even that is not a certainty.

"We do want to take every step we can to reduce travel, as we have promised Mr. Eastman," explained Kristich in reference to his meeting with War Transportation chief Joseph Eastman two months ago. "With that goal, it has also been decided that all of our clubs will train either in their home cities or a location very close to them."

The other order of business was to try and address the severe manpower shortage. The AFA clubs voted to cut the maximum player limit for each team from 33 to 25, a figure which proved adequate some half dozen yeas ago. The league also adopted the free substitution rule for the war's duration, which permits any number of substitutions and will serve as a physical conservation measure. The league is believed to have conducted it's player draft of college seniors but Kristich was unwilling to elaborate on that matter. The thinking among observers was the loop wanted to ensure all teams planned to operate next season before releasing a list of drafted players for a squad that will not field a club.

RAINIER COLLEGE WINS NATIONAL TITLE

The Rainier College Majestics celebrated as the National Champion of collegiate basketball for the second time, beating St Magnus 54-44 Monday night at the Bigsby Garden in New York to claim the crown. The Majestics, who won their first title 3 yeas ago, led 29-20 at the break and never let St Magnus take over the lead in the second half. The Vikings, who had never won a game in tournament history entering this seasons event, managed to close to within 5 points of Rainier College on several occasions during the second half of the game but failed to get any closer than that.

Gary Harrison led the way for the Majestics with 12 points with center Sam Alvis and backup guard Kent Schreck chipping in with 9 points each. It was a fitting final game foe Schreck and fellow senior Fred Lacombe, both of whom are joining the Navy next month after completing the semester. Schreck and Lacombe were both freshman on the first Rainier College team to win a National Tournament and they finish their collegiate careers the same way they started them - as champions.

It was a disappointing end to an incredible season for St Magnus as the Minnesota school had not appeared in a tournament since the 1932-33 season and had never won a tournament game in it's three previous trips to the event. After going 25-9 and claiming a share of Great Lakes Alliance title with a 10-6 conference record (Central Ohio was declared champion on tie-breakers) the Vikings reeled off tournament wins over Utah A&M, Alabama Baptist and then GLA rivals Whitney College and Western Iowa to reach the title tilt. Junior guard Pat Chappell again led the team with a 14 point effort in the final, and the good news is he will return for his senior season to quarterback both the Vikings hoops squad from his guard position and also their football team in September. In the meantime, Chappell will moving to the diamond where he is also a member of the Vikings baseball team. The future does look bright for St Magnus as Matt Saez and Kevin Kennard, who combined for 14 points in the championship game, are both freshman and plan -unless Selective Service has other ideas- to return to the school next year.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 4/11/1943

American Flying Fortress bombers blasted industrial targets in Antwerp and Naples while British four-engined bombers targeted Germany's big naval base at Kiel.
German and Italian high commands are set to meet in the Brenner Pass to discuss the defense of Italy against an Allied invasion, which the Axis believes may follow close on an Allies victory in Tunisia.
The British First Army has gained "much ground" in northern Tunisia while American and French forces have joined the Eighth Army in relentless pursuit of Marshal Rommel's battered forces in the South according to a report from Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Congress received a sharply-worded warning from President Roosevelt to hold the line against inflation by boosting taxes and limiting individual spending or face the consequences of a runaway economy.
On the first anniversary of the fall of Bataan, General MacArthur issued a ringing tribute to the heroism of Americans who fought in the Philippines.

07-01-2022, 12:08 PM	#461
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	December 7, 1942 DECEMBER 7, 1942 FABL ROSTERS HIT HARD BY ENLISTS & SELECTIVE SERVICE Most teams were reeling a year ago at this time with news breaking almost daily of players joining the war effort in response to the devastating Japanese sneak-attack on Pearl Harbor. Now as we mark the one year anniversary of that tragic day the losses to FABL starting line-ups only seem to have accelerated and there will be a lot of teams with a large number of holes to fill come Opening Day. There is also worry that several minor leagues may not even have enough players available to field the full complement of teams. Transportation issues also remain a big worry but FABL vows there will be a season in 1943 although one filled with patchwork rosters for many of it's 16 clubs that comprise the Federal and Continental Associations. The task of filling those roster holes will hopefully begin to be addressed in spring training - assuming the ODT gives ball teams to go-ahead to convene in Florida in mid-March. In a two-part report TWIFB takes a look at what each team has lost this off-season. It should be noted this is only looking at players that were on active rosters (either in FABL or as top minor league prospects) in 1942 so the many players -like Fred McCormick and Pete Papenfus- who missed the entire 1942 season are not factored in. We will start this week with the Federal Association as we examine how each club has changed since the end of September and what their outlook might be going forward. FEDERAL ASSOCIATION BOSTON MINUTEMEN LOST: Pitchers Ray Dalpman, John Edwards, Bobby Montefusco, Art Myers and Fred Nelson. Second baseman Buddy Schneider, infielder Charlie Reed and outfielders Bill Burkett, Dave Henry and Red Samuel. Boston was hit hard the past two weeks with the loss of Dalpman and Schneider. Dalpman did have his struggles as a sophomore after being the top rookie in baseball and helping the Minutemen to win the 1941 WCS, but with his absence for '43 there is now a major hole in the Boston rotation. The bullpen got hit hard as well as Montefusco (7-5, 3.77) was a steady reliever who had 17 saves and appeared in 59 games last season. Losing both Schneider (.264,1,81) and center fielder Burkett (.263,8,74) will be tough to overcome and it doesn't help that backups Charlie Reed (.254,3,17) and Red Samuel (.318,4,12) are also gone. Hit harder than most teams, it is not difficult to imagine the Minutemen taking a step back next season. CHICAGO: LOST: Pitchers Bob Crowley, Milt Fritz and Sam Vaughan, catchers Joe Brown and Solly Skidmore along with outfielders Bill May, Joe Rutherford and Skeeter Gray. The Chiefs lost a lot of quality young talent in Crowley, Skidmore and Rutherford but aside from center fielder May (.310,2,28), they got off much easier than many of their Fed rivals as far as veteran losses go. They actually have experience playing without May as the 29 year old missed much of last year with an injury. The Chiefs dealt away Hank Barnett in October with the eye to Solly Skidmore taking over the catching duties and Tom Bird shifting to first base. That plan is on hold as Skidmore is now with the Coast Guard. Bird may be extra busy behind the plate as his backup Joe Brown is also now in the service. Veteran Milt Fritz (4-9, 4.21) and 25 year old Sam Vaughan (4-5, 4.20) combined to start 22 games last season but the Chiefs were hit much less in pitching losses compared to some of their rivals when you consider their top four starters -Al Miller, Rabbit Day, Red Hampton and Les Zoller- all return, at least so far. DETROIT LOST: Pitchers Charlie Ashmore, Lou Barker, Charlie Wheeler and Johnny Witt. Infielders Rich Conway, Rabbit Mudd and Constantine Peters along with outfielder Ollie Williams. Last year was a nightmare for the Dynamos with most of the blame falling on their pitching staff. The Dynamos likely had visions of trying to rebuild around Ashmore and perhaps Witt while also hoping Wheeler and Sergio Gonzales could rebound. Only Gonzales remains in the picture now and he is dealing with arm troubles so unless the likes of Joe Shaffner, Mike Murphy and Frank Crawford can turn it around next season this might be another rough one in Detroit. As bleak as the pitching outlook might appear, the good news is the Dynamos offense did not take much of a hit. Red Johnson and Sal Pestilli are both still here, although there are rumbles both considered enlisting. The loss of Peters will be felt as he was likely ready to move from second base and takeover for 40-year Frank Vance at the hot corner. NEW YORK LOST: Pitchers Sammy Alger, Harry Carter, Bunny Edwards, Harry Frenette and Charlie Sutton. Second baseman Roosevelt Brewer, shortstop Mule Monier and first baseman Frank Bunch Jr. and Bill Murname along with outfielders Bobby Boone and Hub Parks. The defending champs will have their work cut out for them if they plan on repeating and judging by the losses it might be too big of an ask. It is hard to say if they will miss the doubleplay tandem of Brewer (.282,0,50) and Monier (.295,6,49) or the pitching losses of Carter (16-14, 4.17) and Sutton (0.67, 13 sv) more. With young first base prospects Bunch and Murname both exiting it puts pressure on Bud Jameson to get one more solid season out of his what will be 39-year old frame next year. PHILADELPHIALOST: Pitchers Abe Abingdon, Bud Canfield, Henry Shaffer and Lloyd Stevens. Infielders Al Hess and Lee Scott along with outfielders Jeff Cochran, Tony Pestilli, Davey Robicheaux and Jack Smith. Stevens (17-7, 2.71) and Robichaeaux (.239,10,55) are the two big losses but the absence of Abingdon might be felt as well. The 22 year old with 2-2 with a 2.92 era in a late season call-up and certainly had Keystones fans excited. If Chuck Hood can step up in the outfield to replace Robicheaux and some more of the young pitching, perhaps even 21 year old Ray Montgomery, proves ready then the Keystones might be in a pretty good position. The club has a deep group of pitchers -or at least had one until the war- as they have lost a lot of very good young arms in Ernie Espanoza, Sid Moulton, Joe Quade and now Abingdon to the war effort. PITTSBURGH Pitchers Sonny O'Callaghan, Charlie Porter, Tony Puccinello and Charlie Stedman, catcher George Cleaves and infielders Al Cox, Gary Ely and Hans Stiles. The big losses are of course Cleaves and Stedman. Cleaves has been the heart of the team for close to a decade and is a 7-time all-star catcher. Stedman will turn 41 early next season but after a 16-14, 3.41 showing last season he did not appear to be slowing down. While Ely is a nice infield prospect none of the others that left are considered major hits. There is a good chance the Miners can withstand the loss of Stedman, especially if Speed Brown can return from his injury and Gene Stevens shows he can be a dependable pitching asset at the back of the rotation. 36 year old Tom Aiello has spent most of his career stuck behind all-star catchers, and complaining about it. Now it is time for Aiello to prove that he does deserve to be a FABL regular. If he can approach his .277 career batting average he might just be a very acceptable replacement for Cleaves. If Aiello has a solid season at this point I would suggest the Miners might once again be the team to beat, even without their superstar catcher. ST LOUIS LOST- Pitchers Mal Bianco, Dick Long and Dan Rivard, catchers John Kennedy, Mike Logan and Tucker Ness, first basemen Bob Johnston Jr and Zip Sullivan and second basemen Ira Armstrong and Abel Gardner. The Pioneers were not going to contend in 1943 but they took a big hit in their plans to continue to build for the future. Ness, Johnston Jr, Bianco and Long are all key youth pieces that will miss out on valuable experience while serving in the military. WASHINGTON LOST- Pitchers Jim Birdwell, Lou Johnson, Tommy Trott and Hal Weston along with first baseman Bob Mark, middle infielders Henry Bush and Pat Reed and outfielder Gene Zavala. The Eagles did not have enough pitching to begin with and now to see Birdwell (15-10, 3.50) leave as well as Johnson, Trott and Weston - all of whom spent time with the Eagles last season - is a big blow. Further complicating matters is the fact that most of the Eagles top pitching prospects were already in the services, players like Buckeye Smith, Jackie Yates and Juan Tostado. It looks like it is going to be another long year in Washington so it is likely time to give the youngsters that remain in the organization a chance to learn on the job in DC. Pitcher Bob Brown and 19 year old outfielder Jesse Alvardo are two that quickly come to mind. EARLY PREDICTION Based on how the rosters look right now - but one can likely be sure there will be more losses- here is how TWIFB sees the Federal Association race shaping up in 1943. The Fed, as always seems to be the case, will likely once again be a dog fight even though each of the contenders has suffered some losses. At this stage we would suggest the Pittsburgh Miners are best equipped to overcome those losses and are the early favourite for the 1943 season with the Philadelphia Keystones a close second. The Chicago Chiefs pitching staff remained for the most part intact, and that is not something any of the other Fed challengers can boast. The big question in Chicago is not war related as it hinges on their ability to replace Hank Barnett's production now that the veteran third baseman has been moved to the cross-town Cougars. Rabbit Day needs another big year but if he delivers the Chiefs will challenge. Boston and New York both took big hits in player personnel and seem, at least at this point, to be a step back of the top three. Detroit could surprise and they certainly did last season but for all the wrong reasons. The Dynamos need to figure out their pitching situation but certainly have the offense to contend. St Louis and Washington are just not quite good enough to matter in the Fed race in '43. 1- Pittsburgh Miners 2- Philadelphia Keystones 3- Chicago Chiefs 4- New York Gothams 5- Boston Minutemen 6- Detroit Dynamos 7- St Louis Pioneers 8- Washington Eagles. Next week we look at the Continental Association clubs. THOMAS GIVES UP BASEBALL TO FOCUS FULLY ON GRIDIRON St. Louis Pioneers pitcher Del Thomas has decided to retire from baseball to concentrate on his career as a professional football quarterback. Thomas has largely been a pitcher for the Pioneers' top minor league affiliate in Oakland. Though very little of the baseball and football seasons overlap, Thomas, who plays for the American Football Association's Boston Americans, found the travel schedule "wearying beyond measure." To be fair, Thomas has found much more success on the gridiron than on the diamond. His career stats with the Pioneers at the FABL level include a record of 9-17 with 1 save and a 5.58 earned run average. His numbers in the Great Western League are not that much better: 28-29 with a 4.04 ERA. Conversely, Thomas is arguably the best quarterback in pro football: he leads the AFA in passing yardage this season and is second in touchdown passes. Since joining the Americans in 1937 he has been in the top two in passing yardage every season but one. He is also a stellar punter and an excellent defensive back. "I'll miss the fellas," Thomas said, referring to his team mates in Oakland and St. Louis. "But coach has been after me for years to give up baseball," he explained, referring to Americans coach Bunky O'Neill. "I know this will make him happy, at least. I just wish I had been able to perform better for the great fans in St. Louis." The Brooklyn Kings parted ways with long-time coach Danny Goff. The 57 year old, who won 252 FABL games including 124 in two separate stints with the Kings, had been the club's bench coach and Powell Slocum's right-hand man since 1933. No explanation was given and Goff was clearly upset when informed of the decision. Brooklyn quickly announced that Ted Dougherty, a 36 year old with no FABL experience either as a player or coach, will step into the role. Dougherty spent 7 seasons in the minors and is a Detroit City College grad who was a 22nd round pick of St Louis in 1927. You have to think Goff will not stay unemployed for long. Perhaps the Chicago Cougars might be a good destination as his son Danny Jr debuted for them last year but is now in the Navy. Danny Sr. has already coached the other son Jack in the big leagues. That was with Brooklyn but Jack, like Danny Jr., is also in the Navy. Saints pitcher Jake DeYoung might have started a new fad in Montreal. He and a number of teammates, as well as manager Homer Moore, along with some local celebrities, staged a charity softball game last week. Wait a minute. Softball in Montreal in December? How could that be? Well, they actually used the Montreal Arena, home of the NAHC's Valiants and were joined by several Valiants players. By all accounts, the game was a grand success and raised funds to benefit local youth baseball and hockey leagues in the Canadian city. PERFECT! WILDCATS FINISH 11-0 More than one expert voiced concern when news broke that long-time Chicago Wildcats coach Carl Boon was leaving the club in mid-season to take a post with the Navy. Boon was so revered and such an innovator as a coach it actually took two men to replace him as his assistants Marv Englert and Bill Youngberg were promoted to be co-head coaches in Boon's absence. The change went as smoothly as it possibly could with the Wildcats not missing a beat and going to complete the first perfect season in the modern history (post-1935) of the American Football Association. Code: PERFECT SEASONS IN AFA HISTORY YEAR TEAM 1920 - Youngstown Reapers 1922 - Youngstown Reapers 1923 - Pittsburgh Pros 1924 - Toledo Tigers 1927 - Detroit Maroons 1928 - Chicago Wildcats 1929 - Detroit Maroons 1942- Chicago Wildcats Chicago capped it's regular season run with a 28-7 victory in Cleveland over the Finches. Dutch Hoffman was the player of the game this time, with 6 catches for 112 yards and a pair of scores, but as has been the case all season the Wildcats -with their many threats- spread the offense around. The Wildcats performance this season was nothing short of dominating. They outscored their opponents 330-86 on the season and only once did they fail to win by double digits. That was on October 18th when they beat a pesky New York Stars team by a 21-13 count. * HOLT SETS RUSHING MARK * Dominating is also the phrase to best describe the season put up by St Louis Ramblers rookie back Bob Holt. The All-American from Eastern State became the first to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season since Magnus Norman of Boston did it in 1932 and Holt's 75 yards against Detroit on Sunday gave him 1,035 on the campaign- which is a new all-time record encompassing both the modern era and the early days of the sport. Unfortunately for Ramblers fans, Holt's efforts this season were not enough to prevent another losing campaign for the franchise and yesterday's contest had a bitter ending as St Louis led 17-7 entering the fourth quarter in Detroit but surrendered 17 unanswered points in the final stanza to fall 24-17. Troy Renton was the hero for the hometown Maroons, notching all 17 points on a pair of running touchdowns, a 22 yard field goal and two extra-points. While Holt's rushing record garnered much of the attention the game also saw Detroit quarterback Dewey Burnett throw for 188 yards, giving him 1,886 passing yards on the season which is also a new modern record. Interesting to note that 1,218 of those yards were on passes to Stan Vaught, who is clearly the best pass catching end the sport has ever seen. Code: FINAL AFA STANDINGS EASTERN W L T PCT Boston 9 2 0 .818 New York 8 3 0 .727 Brooklyn 5 6 0 .455 Washington 5 6 0 .455 Philadelphia 3 8 0 .273 WESTERN W L T PCT Chicago 11 0 0 1.000 Detroit 6 4 1 .600 St Louis 4 7 0 .364 Cleveland 2 9 0 .182 Pittsburgh 1 9 1 .100 AFA SCHEDULE AND RESULTS SUNDAY December 6 New York 7 Brooklyn 3 Detroit 24 St Louis 17 Chicago 28 Cleveland 7 END OF REGULAR SEASON Sunday December 13 AFA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Boston (9-2) at Chicago (11-0) Code: AFA LEADERS SCORING PTS Vaught, Det 134 Stein, Bkn 98 Holt, StL 66 Milatz, NYS 57 Renton, Det 54 Hooper, Bos 50 Kelly, Bos 48 Frum, WAS 48 PASSING COMP-ATT YDS TD INT Burnett, Det 165-310 1,886 21 16 Thomas, Bos 164-300 1,776 17 12 Boetcher, Cle 145-356 1,523 9 35 Proos, Was 108-255 1,430 11 40 Fuchs, Chi 64-159 1,141 15 22 RUSHING YDS TD Holt, StL 1037 10 Stein, Bkn 885 7 Fitzgerald, Bos 643 5 Garecht, NY 592 5 Ramsey, Bkn 559 1 Sadowski, Was 528 6 Hartley, Chi 527 7 RECEIVING CAT TD Vaught, Det 84 17 Kelly, Bos 36 6 Hooper, Bos 30 4 Douglas, Was 28 2 Kurtzman, Cle 28 5 Smithberger, Cle 28 1 INERCEPTIONS # Stein, Bkn 11 Vaught, Det 10 Murphy. Det 9 B McLean, Chi 9 Spagna, Det 8 Kurtzman, Cle 8 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREVIEW With all of Chicago's regular season accomplishments it is now time to turn their attention to the 9-2 Boston Americans, who the Wildcats will host in Sunday's championship game. Before everyone goes and just hands the championship trophy to the Wildcats for the second year in a row it is probably worth mentioning that Chicago is just 1-5 since 1937 against Boston including an upset loss in the 1939 title game. The two did not meet this season and it will be interesting to see how the league's top passer in Del Thomas does against the swarming Chicago defense. Boston's hopes hinge on a big game from Thomas, who enjoyed his most productive season as a passer despite the fact his top receiving threat in Tom Bowens spent the season in the Army. Thomas established a new AFA single-season mark for passing yards by throwing for 1,776 but watched on Sunday as Detroit's Dewey Burnett surpassed him to raise the record to 1,886 yards. At 28 years of age, and now fully committed to football following his decision to hang up his baseball spikes, Del Thomas seems to just be hitting his stride as a quarterback and may one day reach the 2,000 passing yard total in a single season. For now the present is the focus, and Thomas will be heavily counted on by the Boston gridders to lead them to their second American Football Association championship next weekend when they square off against the unbeaten Chicago Wildcats. NOTES -Quite an accomplish by the Wildcats to go 11-0. Of course it will all mean nothing unless they make it 12 straight. It is interesting the Boston Americans have won 5 of their last 6 meetings with the Wildcats.....Even if Chicago wins the title game they won't be able to match the 1929 Detroit Maroons for wins. That club went 13-0...This is the second time a Wildcats team had a perfect season. Old-timers will quickly point out Chicago's unbeaten 1928 squad was led by Jack Barrell at quarterback. His brother Joe was also on the team in 1927 but had retired when the '28 season rolled around. Code: DEL THOMAS CAREER STATS PASSING YEAR TM COMP-ATT PCT YDS TD INT RAT TEAM REC 1937 BOS 73-184 39.7 932 8 14 39.0 7-3-1 1938 BOS 80-194 41.2 993 7 17 33.3 3-8 1939 BOS 54-121 44.6 631 7 14 40.7 8-3* 1940 BOS 129-215 60.0 1370 8 12 67.8 5-6 1941 BOS 162-242 66.9 1417 6 17 61.3 7-3-1 1942 BOS 164-300 54.7 1776 17 12 74.5 9-2 won AFA championship RUSHING YEAR TM ATT YDS AVG TD* 1937 BOS 112 545 4.9 4 1938 BOS 24 99 4.1 0 1939 BOS 11 49 4.5 0 1940 BOS 13 51 3.9 0 1941 BOS 15 52 3.5 0 1942 BOS 13 49 3.8 0 Code: AMERICAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION TITLE GAME RESULTS YEAR RESULT VENUE 1941 Chicago 10 New York 7 Whitney Park 1940 Brooklyn 20 Detroit 7 Thompson Field 1939 Boston 21 Chicago 14 Whitney Park 1938 Brooklyn 9 Pittsburgh 7 Kings County 1937 New York 34 Chicago 0 Bigsby Oval 1936 Detroit 24 Pittsburgh 7 Thompson Field CC LOS ANGELES CLAIMS EAST-WEST INVITE It came as no surprise to learn the City College of Los Angeles will participate in the New Year Day East-West Classic at Santa Ana. The Coyotes made the berth in the big game against 11-0 Noble Jones College official with a 28-0 shutout win over Idaho A&M. The victory improves CCLA's record to 7-1-1 overall and 5-1 in West Coast Athletic Association play. The Coyotes are a half game back of Redwood, which is 6-1 in conference and 7-3 overall with the Coyotes handing the Mammoths their only section-loss of the season, a 24-13 defeat on Halloween. CCLA can still pull even and claim the conference crown as the Coyotes have one more game remaining before the New Years clash. That would be next Saturday against Coastal California (5-3-1). The Dolphins also play on December 19th against Golden Gate Pre-Flight but those would be the only two games remaining involving major schools before the New Years Classics. St Blane (7-3-1) saw it's 8 game unbeaten streak come to an end with a 17-7 loss to Great Lakes Navy in the final contest for each. WEEKEND COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD Great Lakes Navy 17 St. Blane 7 CC Los Angeles 28 Idaho A&M 0 Daniel Boone College 27 Iowa Pre-Flight 17 Northern California 31 Golden Gate University Pre-Flight 0 Jacksonville Naval Air Station 23 Spence Field 3 California Catholic 14 Colorado Valley State 6 Tempe College 14 Flagstaff State 0 Northern Mississippi 41 San Francisco Tech 9 Red River State 14 Texas Gulf Coast 6 Valley State 31 Second Air Force (WA) 14 Coastal California 54 Custer College 0 Darnell State 27 Spokane State 0 Golden Gate University 13 Northern Minnesota 3 UPCOMING GAMES DECEMBER 12 Coastal California vs CC Los Angeles DECEMBER 19 Golden Gate University Pre-Flight at Coastal California JANUARY 1, 1943 (CLASSIC GAMES) Noble Jones College (11-0) vs CCLA (7-1-1) East-West Classic Alabama Baptist (6-3-1) vs Commonwealth Catholic (7-1-1) Sunshine Classic Detroit City College (9-1) vs Bayou State (7-3) Desert Classic Cumberland (9-1) vs Payne State (9-1) Cajun Classic Georgia Baptist (8-1-1) vs Travis College (6-2-2) Lone Star Classic The college Classic games are on, but word from the sponsors of the 5-major New Years contests is locals-only. The Office of Defense Transportation laid down the law, requiring written confirmation from the organizers of each event confirming they understand and will comply with the ODT's edict to restrict ticket sales to residents of the immediate areas in which the games will be played. ODT Director Joseph B. Eastman mentioned no precise geographical limitation in his request, but proposed an arrangement similar to that which applied to the recent Annapolis Maritime-Rome State game. That contest was staged at Annapolis, with attendance limited to persons living within a ten-mile radius of the small Maryland town. The ODT did admit it really had no way to police the ticket sales or to actually check the identification of everyone who entered each of the stadiums on game day. Eastman said the request was aimed primarily at discouraging "long distance travel of fans and team followers." The big issues, Eastman added was that the bowl games are played at a holiday time when there are likely to be increased troop furlough movements and that "current passenger train shortages" demand travel be minimized and ticket distribution confined to the area where the games are played. LIBERTY TAKES OVER TOP SPOT The defending AIAA national tournament champions from Liberty College have taken over top spot in the college basketball ranks after improving to 7-0 with a pair of decisive victories last week. The Bells continued their domination of Academia Alliance schools with a 54-30 drubbing over Grafton, coming after having little issues with Pierpont or Brunswick in their two previous games. Liberty College finished the week out yesterday with a 57-37 win in Saginaw over Michigan Lutheran. Ron Berner led the way with 14 points in that win and his 12.1 ppg on the season continues to lead the Philadelphia school with center Robert Grant, a second team All-American selection a year ago, close behind averaging over 11 points per contest. The Bells moved into the top spot after St Ignatius was tripped up by Smithfield College last Wednesday and fell from 1st to fifth in the rankings. The Lancers did regroup and finished off what was a busy week for them with wins over West Corners and Bronx Tech. Code: AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP TWENTY-FIVE # Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Liberty College (59) 7-0 1787 2 Northeast Conference 2. CC Los Angeles (11) 6-0 1736 3 West Coast Athletic Association 3. Detroit City College (2) 4-0 1661 4 Great Lakes Alliance 4. North Carolina Tech 5-0 1552 5 South Atlantic Conference 5. St. Ignatius 4-1 1487 1 Great Lakes Alliance 6. Coastal California 5-1 1466 6 West Coast Athletic Association 7. Carolina Poly 4-0 1373 7 South Atlantic Conference 8. Lane State 2-0 1270 8 West Coast Athletic Association 9. Minnesota Tech 6-0 1172 13 Great Lakes Alliance 10. Chesapeake State 6-1 1155 15 South Atlantic Conference 11. Alabama Baptist 6-0 1136 11 Deep South Conference 12. Western Iowa 3-1 881 14 Great Lakes Alliance 13. Central Ohio 4-1 823 19 Great Lakes Alliance 14. Rainier College 3-1 815 17 West Coast Athletic Association 15. Coastal State 4-0 755 25 South Atlantic Conference 16. Lubbock State 4-0 680 20 Southwestern Alliance 17. Whitney College 3-1 605 18 Great Lakes Alliance 18. St. Patrick's 5-1 540 9 Northeast Conference 19. Texas Gulf Coast 4-0 492 NR Southwestern Alliance 20. Portland Tech 3-0 329 NR West Coast Athletic Association 21. Orrville 5-0 295 NR Independent 22. Tinker 4-0 235 NR Eastern Eight 23. St. Magnus 3-0 217 NR Great Lakes Alliance 24. Lawrence State 5-0 198 NR Plains Athletic Association 25. Mobile Maritime 5-1 165 12 South Atlantic Conference RESULTS INVOLVING TOP TEAMS Monday November 30 #19 Texas Gulf Coast 47 North Carolina Atlantic 39 #22 Tinker 46 Bay State 34 St Blane 47 NW Pennsylvania 44 Wisconsin State 39 Kit Carson University 38 Great Plains State 44 Daniel Boone College 18 Tuesday December 1 #16 Lubbock State 48 Charleston Tech 32 #24 Lawrence State 45 Hampden 27 #25 Mobile Maritime 41 Bliss College 30 Annapolis Maritime 51 Hamman 43 Commonwealth Catholic 38 Narragansett 36 Wednesday December 2 Smithfield College 53 #5 St Ignatius 51 #10 Chesapeake State 41 Lambert College 40 #22 Tinker 44 Manhattan Tech 39 #23 St Magnus 38 Poweshiek 22 Redwood 55 Eastern State 39 Rome State 47 Columbia Military Academy 37 Thursday December 3 #7 Carolina Poly 55 Opelika State 49 #11 Alabama Baptist 62 Alexandria 49 St Blane 44 Western State 27 Ferguson 46 Georgia Baptist 30 Maryland State 40 Mississippi Tech 32 Friday December 4 #1 Liberty College 54 Grafton 30 #2 CCLA 58 Springfield State 39 #4 North Carolina Tech 54 St Matthew's College 51 #5 St Ignatius 48 West Corners(NY) 43 #6 Coastal California 55 Flint 25 #15 Coastal State 63 Potomac College 43 #21 Orrville 50 Mahoning Valley State 41 Indiana A&M 45 Oklahoma City State 34 Saturday December 5 #13 Cental Ohio 50 Queen City 34 #20 Portland Tech 39 Bluegrass State 38 #24 Lawrence State 57 Wisconsin Catholic 47 Noble Jones College 54 Bulein 38 Rome State 40 Baton Rogue State 24 Annapolis Maritime 55 Frankford State 38 Sunday December 6 #1 Liberty College 47 Michigan Lutheran 37 #2 CCLA 58 Valley State 40 #5 St Ignatius 50 Bronx Tech 37 #6 Coastal California 64 El Paso Methodist 39 #9 Minnesota Tech 55 Dakota College 25 #15 Coastal State 44 #18 St Patrick's 33 #16 Lubbock State 39 Bayou State 34 #19 Texas Gulf Coast 41 #25 Mobile Maritime 38 #21 Orrville 41 Central Maryland 25 The Detroit City College Knights had no games last week but that did not stop them from moving up a spot in the polls and even picking up a couple of votes for the number one ranking. The Knights stepped up from #4 to third after Michigan rival St Ignatius slipped from top spot and ended up fifth this week. Liberty College (7-0) and CC Los Angeles (6-0) are the two teams ahead of Detroit City College (4-0). THE WEEK AHEAD The Knights have two games this week starting with a meeting with Armstrong of the Keystone Alliance this evening in Detroit. Armstrong is 3-4 on the season with their most recent game being a 53-33 loss to Queen City in Cincinnati last Monday. On Saturday it should be a little tougher challenge for Detroit City College to remain unbeaten as the Knights entertain the Lambert College Stags. The Stags, who play in the Midwestern Association, hail from Columbia, Missouri and reached the National quarter finals a year ago in what was just the second tournament appearance in school history. This will be a rematch of that quarter final game as it was the Knights who eliminated the Stags last March and if that score is any indication (78-55) this should be a high scoring game. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 12/06/1942 Allied troops continue to have the Nazis pinned down in North Africa and begin to bombard the old forts ringing Tunis. Nazi subs are blamed for the sinking of 5 US transports off the coast of Morocco. German Navy vessels are also credited with sinking the giant British aircraft carrier Avenger, as well as several smaller ships in an all-out attempt to maintain a foothold in North Africa. The R.A.F. continues it's assault on Italian targets in night time bombing raids. Benito Mussolini confirmed that 11,883 buildings were destroyed or damaged in Genoa alone in British raids. American Naval forces frustrated a new Japanese attempt to land troops on Guadalcanal and a desperate enemy bid for a lightning victory in the Solomons in advance of the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. Despite the current success, there is growing concern a larger Japanese offensive on the Solomons is imminent. On the anniversary of the attack, the United States officially listed the count as 8 US battleships and 11 other vessels along with 177 planes were crippled in the attack on Pearl Harbor last December 7. Russian forces continue to push back the Germans in the Stalingrad area. The death tolls is expected to be around 500 after a fire destroyed a nightclub in Boston Saturday evening, prompting the Governor of Massachusetts to call for the closure of all such entertainment venues until they pass a full fire and safety inspection. The film Casablanca starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman premiers to rave reviews at the Hollywood Theater in new York City. The release in select theatres was rushed to capitalize on the Allied invasion of French North Africa. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

07-05-2022, 12:25 PM	#462
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	December 14, 1942 DECEMBER 14, 1942 BIG CHANGES TO CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION SQUADS FOR '43 Last week we took a look at the key losses each of the Federal Association teams suffered due to military enlistments and Selective Service orders. This time we turn our gaze on the Continental Association sides. Here is a look at the changes for each club. BROOKLYN KINGS LOST: Pitchers Effa Bancroft, Stumpy Beaman and Willie Gonzalez Jr., catchers Jack D Davis and Eddie Miller, infielders Duke Evans and Howard Rivers along with outfielders Frank Lighbody, Rats McGonigle and John Moss. The Kings lost Joe Herman in the middle of the season and now another starting outfielder in McGonigle is gone. Beamon is a back of the rotation piece and Davis had appeared poised to take take the starting catching job away from Fred Barrell. The Kings looked to be heading the wrong way before the latest player losses. This might sink even closer to the bottom of the CA table next year. CHICAGO COUGARS LOST: Pitchers Danny Goff Jr., Donnie Jones and Ed Wilkerson along with first basemen Ray Ford and Jocko Pollard and third basemen Otto Christian and John Lawson. Also outfielder Carlos Montes. Not again is the refrain in Chicago with the news that Donnie Jones is following Pete Papenfus as an outstanding young pitcher to join the war effort. Add in Danny Goof Jr. and the pitching losses hurt even more. The other big question mark beyond mound depth is center fielder where Orlin Yates will be asked to step in for the departed Montes. Chicago had a huge addition in the trade that brought Hank Barnett from the cross-town Chiefs so they are fine to withstand the loss of John Lawson and promising young third base prospect Otto Christian. If Johnnie Jones can pick up the slack left by his brother leaving the Cougars should be okay on the mound and as a result will likely be the favourite in the CA. CINCINNATI CANNONS LOST: Pitchers Art Edwards and Glenn Payne, catchers Cliff Smith, John Wicklund and C/3B Rick York, middle infielders Terry Cox and John Langille along with outfielders Dick Blaszak, Levi Redding and Ruben Sanchez. Despite losing the number 2 overall prospect in the sport in outfielder Dick Blaszak the Cincinnati Cannons were not hurt too badly by enlistments this winter, unlike a year ago when they were slammed with Bill Sohl, Mike T. Taylor and Charley McCullough leading the way. Cincinnati lost some depth and there may be worries about the outfield and the back of the rotation but aside from now desperately searching for a back-up catcher the Cannons did not lose a lot off their current team. CLEVELAND FORESTERS LOST: Pitchers Dick Lamb, Bart Schneider and Jim Taylor, first baesmen Walt Knight and Lorenzo Samuels, infielders Jim Klingberg and Walter Morgan and outfielders Eli Harkless, Charlie Nathan and Pete Sigmund. Losing Dick Lamb is a huge blow and seeing Harkless and Morgan go as well will also leave big holes in the Foresters lineup. 21 year old Pete Sigmund might have been ready for the big leagues and the loss of valuable learning experience for 20 year old Lorenzo Samuels also hurts. The Foresters were quite likely a last place team before the war losses started to mount and nothing here changes that but it is a tough pill to swallow seeing some valuable pieces of their future leave the game for the duration of the war. MONTREAL SAINTS LOST: Pitchers Wally Doyle, Whitey Griffin and Jose Waggoner, first baseman Red Bond and outfielders Heinie Billings, Gordon McCarley and Ernie McCoy. Losing Doyle and Bond are both big hits and it is too bad McCarley and McCoy will not get a chance in Montreal this season but overall the Saints may not be in too bad of a shape in '43. They will need one or both of Wally Reif and Pt Weakley to step up and replace Doyle and there is a good chance Vic Crawford can easily cover Bond's rather limited production last season at first base. The outfield might be a concern but if Bert Lass and Bill Greene can step it up the Saints might just contend, which is saying something for a team hit very hard in prospect losses to the war with Otis Parker and Ernie McCoy -both top 11 overall and second and third among outfielders- gone. Code: TOP 25 PROSPECTS NOW IN MILITARY # NAME AGE POS ORGANIZATION 2 Dick Blaszak 21 OF Cincinnati 5 Ernie Espanoza 24 P Keystones 6 Otis Park 23 OF Montreal 8 Mark Smith 22 C Sailors 11 Ernie McCoy 21 OF Montreal 14 Bob Johnston Jr 24 1B St Louis 17 Duke Bybee 20 P Cougars 20 Hal Hackney 21 P St Louis 22 Solly Skidmore 22 C Chiefs 24 Bob Crowley 21 P Chiefs NEW YORK STARS LOST: Pitchers Jim Baker, Chuck Cole, Lou Robertson and Jake Wood, second baseman Del Huddleston, shortstop Joe Angevine, third baseman Andy Gross and outfielder Bill Barrett. Knowing since the middle of the summer that Bill Barrett and Joe Angevine were leaving does not make it any easier to deal with in New York. Take away Cole, Robertson and Wood and this might be a long year for fans at Dyckman Stadium. Remember Lew Seals left mid-season as well so there is another hole. The feeling is this is just too much to overcome and the Stars will be regretting their game seven loss to the Gothams even more when they struggle this season. Potentially, all the losses might make even a .500 season be a stretch for the Stars in '43. PHILADELPHIA SAILORS LOST: Pitchers Slim Cook, Al Duster, David Molina and Dutch Sheldon along with catcher Mark Smith, infielders Hal Entwhistle, Bruce Lucas and Jim McCarthy and outfielders Eddie Heaton and Lou Williams. Losing top catching prospect Mark Smith is tough but the Sailors won't be affected by that this season as Woody Stone is still around. Pitching depth took a bit of a hit with Molina and Duster going and some might add Sheldon to that list but the 33 year old has not pitched a lot since missing over a year with arm troubles. The biggest loss may prove to be veteran outfielder Lou Williams, who hit .283 last season and has been a key piece in Philadelphia for a decade. TORONTO WOLVES LOST: Pitchers George Garrison and Red More along with shortstop Pat Reed and outfielder Tom Frederick. While the Wolves did not lose quantity, they did part with a lot of quality led by 20-game winner George Garrison who was runner-up in Allen Award voting last season. Red More is also a big loss when one considers he might have been the most likely replacement for Garrison in the rotation. Frederick was a two-time all-star in centerfield and will be tough to replace. The Wolves seem to be leaning towards giving P/OF Juan Pomales a chance to fill in for both Garrison and Frederick but perhaps Toronto decides to fast track 1942 first round pick Jerry York to the big leagues. The 21 year old out of Noble Jones College split his first pro year between Class B and A. EARLY CA PREDICTION Based on how the rosters look right now - but we are sure there will be more losses and as such changes to this list- here is how TWIFB sees the Continental Association race shaping up in 1943. The New York Stars look to be in a lot of trouble and might even slip below the Sailors and into 6th based on how things look now but the good news is there is still plenty of time to make changes and plug some of their holes before the season starts. That opens the door for the Cougars to return to the WCS as while Cincinnati, Montreal and Toronto each have some pieces in place, it would be tough to see any of those three surpassing the Cougars no matter how well Deuce Barrell, Jake DeYoung and Joe Hancock pitch. The Sailors might surprise a few teams while Brooklyn and Cleveland seemed destined to fight it out to avoid last place. 1- Chicago Cougars 2- Cincinnati Cannons 3- Montreal Saints 4- Toronto Wolves 5- New York Stars 6- Philadelphia Sailors 7- Brooklyn Kings 8- Cleveland Foresters According to the latest tally organized baseball raised over $1.2 million this year for various war funds. The game certainly did it's part in other ways too, supplying well over 600 men to the war effort and on the field by providing wholesome fun for millions of soldiers and sailors. In the first year of World War II for the United States, the game of baseball amply fulfilled the obligations imposed on it by President Roosevelt, when he flashed the green light to the sport. The Presidential okay came January 16, in the form of a letter from the chief executive to FABL President Sam Belton stating: "I honestly feel it would be best for the country to keep baseball going." Lou Clark is one of the many minor league veterans who may get a shot at the big leagues because so many of the players have joined the war effort. The 35 year old outfielder was once a hot shot prospect -selected in the first round, 12th overall by Cleveland in 1929- but he has played in just 101 career FABL games and none since 1940. Injury played a big role as Clark missed all of the 1933 season when he blew out his knee in spring training. At that point one would not have blamed Clark for taking his fancy Dickson College degree and going into another line of work but he stuck with baseball and eventually made it to the bigs with Baltimore back in 1935. He had just a brief taste over pasts of two seasons with the Cannons in their old home and then a trial with Cleveland a couple of years ago. Now, as he approaches his 36th birthday Clark will get another opportunity as the Cannons, now Cincinnati-based, are very worried about Moxie Pidgeon's ability to rebound from a terrible 1942 campaign. Clark is no stranger to fans in Cincinnati as he spent four seasons with the AAA Steamers during his early days in the Foresters system. AMERICANS UPSET WILDCATS TO WIN AFA CROWN The Boston Americans mastery of the Chicago Wildcats continued as the Yanks put an end to Chicago's dreams of a perfect season and a second straight American Football Association title with a 24-21 come-from-behind victory. Chicago was a perfect 11-0 during the regular season -the first unbeaten, untied regular season for an AFA team since 1929- but a pair of late turnovers proved the difference and allowed Boston to beat Chicago for the second time in AFA championship play and the 6th time in their last seven meetings overall. The deciding score was a 35 yard field goal by Boston kicker Eric Balfour with 1:56 remaining in regulation time. Balfour's kick was set up just over two minutes earlier when it seemed Chicago had been gifted the game after Boston back Leon Fitzgerald fumbled the ball on his own 32 yard line with the score tied at 21 and just 4:44 remaining on the clock. However, the Wildcats quickly returned the favor as Gus Brown attempted a long pass to Freeman Stahlberg on first down only to see Boston's John May haul in the interception at his own 15 yard line. Given a second chance Fitzgerald and quarterback Del Thomas, aided by a pair of Chicago penalties, led the Yanks down the field. The big play was a 32 yard heave from Thomas to Chet Hooper that allowed the Americans to get into Balfour's kicking range. When the drive petered out at the Chicago 28 with less than 2 minutes to play, Balfour stepped up and put his 35 yard kick perfectly between the uprights to give Boston the lead. Chicago had one more change to comeback and were driving -despite losing Freeman Stahlberg to a late injury- but once more a turnover proved costly as Gus Brown's desperate pass attempt on 4th and 22 at the Boston 40 yard line was picked off by Myles Seaburg and one play later the Americans were celebrating their second AFA crown in 4 years, with both wins coming on the road in Chicago. Chicago dominated the time of possession and had exactly double the total offense (354 yards vs 177 for Boston) but three turnovers on their final four possessions of the game was their undoing. Chicago led 21-14 midway through the fourth quarter but faced with starting from their own 6 yard line after Del Thomas dropped a near-perfect punt, Wildcats back Stahlberg coughed up the ball on first down and it was quickly scooped up by Boston lineman Jim Faircloth who stepped into the end zone to tie the contest with less than 6 minutes to play. Boston's Del Thomas was named the Most Valuable Player of the game and at age 28 may have taken the steps this season to be considered the best quarterback in the sport. Thomas, who recently quit baseball to focus fully on football, threw for 157 yards and 2 touchdowns while also contributing an interception and 6 tackles on the defensive side of the ball and handling the punting duties. Thomas did throw 3 interceptions as well - just as Chicago quarterback Gus Brown did - including one that Chicago's Steve McKnight returned for a touchdown in the second quarter but when he was needed most, in that final drive for the game-winning field goal, Thomas delivered and accomplished something no other AFA team could do these year: beat the Chicago Wildcats. PAST AFA CHAMPIONS YEAR TEAM 1942 Boston Americans 1941 Chicago Wildcats 1940 Brooklyn Kings 1939 Boston Americans 1938 Brooklyn Kings 1937 New York Stars 1936 Detroit Maroons 1935 Pittsburgh Paladins 1934 Pittsburgh Paladins 1933 Rhode Island Reds 1932 Cleveland Finches 1931 Detroit Maroons/Rhode Island Reds co-champs 1930 New York Stars 1929 Detroit Maroons 1928 Chicago Wildcats 1927 Detroit Maroons 1926 Chicago Wildcats 1925 Cleveland Finches 1924 Philadelphia Hornets 1923 Pittsburgh Pros 1922 Evansville Lions 1921 Chicago Wildcats 1920 Youngstown Reapers BOCKHORST WINS CHRISTIAN TROPHY AS ALL-AMERICANS NAMED Senior back Bill Bockhorst of the Noble Jones College Colonels has been named the 1942 winner of the Christian Trophy as college football's Most Outstanding Player. Bockhorst, the driving offensive force behind the Colonels perfect 11-0 season and likely number one ranking, was also named to the All-American team. While the McKee's Rock, PA. native won the Christian Trophy, he did not lay claim to the other major award for which he was eligible. That is the Bryan Award, which is presented to the Best All-Around Player and it went to quarterback Charley Morrison of Henry Hudson. The final individual award is the Ipswich Trophy, which is presented to the Best Lineman in honor of two-time All-American lineman Ed Ipswich, who was killed in action during the first World War. The Ipswich Award was presented for the first time last year and went to Jerry Rand of Dickson College. This year's winner is Cassius Howard, a junior guard for Detroit City College. DOLPHINS BEAT COYOTES CC Los Angeles will limp into the East-West Classic after absorbing a sound beating from their cross-city rival Coastal California Dolphins, falling by a 21-3 count. The loss cost the Coyotes the West Coast Athletic Association title as they are forced to settle for second place at 5-2 in section play, a game back of Redwood. It marked the second year in a row the Dolphins topped the Coyotes, as Coastal California prevailed 19-9 a year ago. Coastal California will close out the college football regular season next Saturday with a game against Golden Gate University Pre-Flight. WEEKEND COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD Coastal California 21 CC Los Angeles 3 MOST OF TOP RECRUITS HAVE COMMITTED TO SCHOOLS All of the top 15 and 23 of the top 25 high school seniors have confirmed where they plan on playing their college basketball next season. The last of those ranked in the top ten decided this week as Marlin Patterson and Long Werth each made their decisions known. Patterson, who is a center from Charleston, Mississippi has decided to play for the Alabama Baptist Panthers next season with Werth, a Miami native, is going to stay home and play for the Miami State Gulls. That leaves just guard John McAuley, an Ohio native, and California born forward Jon Marino undecided among the those considered to be the 25 best high school basketball players in the nation. McAuley is being wooed by St Patrick's and Chicago Poly but is said to be heavily leaning towards going to Los Angeles and playing for Coastal California. Marino, a 6'5" forward from Whittier, California is thinking about Golden Gate but is also rumoured to be considering Western Iowa or Ohio Poly. Code: AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP TWENTY-FIVE # Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Liberty College (65) 8-0 1793 1 Northeast Conference 2. CC Los Angeles (6) 7-0 1723 2 West Coast Athletic Association 3. Detroit City College (1) 6-0 1668 3 Great Lakes Alliance 4. North Carolina Tech 7-0 1562 4 South Atlantic Conference 5. St. Ignatius 6-1 1527 5 Great Lakes Alliance 6. Coastal California 5-1 1436 6 West Coast Athletic Association 7. Lane State 3-0 1342 8 West Coast Athletic Association 8. Chesapeake State 7-1 1224 10 South Atlantic Conference 9. Minnesota Tech 6-0 1220 9 Great Lakes Alliance 10. Alabama Baptist 6-0 1144 11 Deep South Conference 11. Western Iowa 5-1 1079 12 Great Lakes Alliance 12. Central Ohio 6-1 1040 13 Great Lakes Alliance 13. Carolina Poly 5-1 965 7 South Atlantic Conference 14. Rainier College 3-1 828 14 West Coast Athletic Association 15. Whitney College 3-1 731 17 Great Lakes Alliance 16. St. Magnus 5-0 677 23 Great Lakes Alliance 17. St. Patrick's 5-1 676 18 Northeast Conference 18. Portland Tech 4-0 587 20 West Coast Athletic Association 19. Great Plains State 7-2 508 NR Independent 20. NW New York State 4-0 478 NR Central Athletic Alliance 21. Garden State 3-2 322 NR Northeast Conference 22. Coastal State 4-1 204 15 South Atlantic Conference 23. Lubbock State 4-1 160 16 Southwestern Alliance 24. Hamman 7-1 157 NR Independent 25. Opelika State 5-1 107 NR Deep South Conference RESULTS INVOLVING TOP TEAMS Monday December 7 #3 Detroit City College 67 Armstrong 38 #4 North Carolina Tech 61 Western Florida 40 #19 Great Plains State 55 Campion 39 #20 NW New York State 42 Adirondack State 41 #25 Opelika State 57 American Atlantic 56 Rome State 47 Bulein 37 Tuesday December 8 #8 Chesapeake State 53 Springfield State 50 #21 Garden State 45 Empire State 30 Wednesday December 9 #1 Liberty College 52 Noble Jones College 47 #11 Western Iowa 50 College of Cairo 41 Western Florida 61 #13 Carolina Poly 53 #16 St Magnus 53 Plover College 33 George Fox 52 #22 Coastal State 49 Annapolis Maritime 55 Oklahoma City Bible College 36 Troy State(NY) 34 Tinker 32 Thursday December 10 #7 Lane State 43 Brunswick 32 #19 Great Plains State 42 Cumberland 33 #21 Garden State 60 Brooklyn Catholic 30 Friday December 11 #4 North Carolina Tech 38 Brooklyn State 24 #5 St Ignatius 53 Ohio Poly 49 #11 Western Iowa 43 Colorado Poly 30 #12 Central Ohio 57 Grafton 53 #16 St Magnus 55 Baton Rogue State 30 Strub College 38 Mobile Maritime 35 Saturday December 12 #3 Detroit City College 65 Lambert College 61 #24 Hamman 45 Bethlehem College 31 Georgia Baptist 52 Central Carolina 41 St Blane 39 Three Rivers State 20 Commonwealth Catholic 53 Western State 28 Maryland State 59 George Fox 46 Sunday December 13 #2 CCLA 45 Golden Gate 42 #5 St Ignatius 51 Granville 23 #12 Central Ohio 57 Kansas Agricultural 47 #18 Portland Tech 48 Cache Valley 33 #20 NW New York State 57 Penn Catholic 51 Rome State 44 Miners College 28 Brooklyn State 64 Canton State 61 Pierpont 46 Jersey City Tech 37 JOE HAMPTON UPDATE We continue to track the progress of Joe Hampton at Western Iowa. The 19 year old gave up a minor league baseball career in the St Louis Pioneers organization to go to college and play for the Canaries. Western Iowa, part of the Great Lakes Alliance along with our feature team Detroit City College, is now 5-1 on the season and ranked 11th in the latest poll. Hampton is starting at guard as a freshman, averaging a little over 27 minutes a game and 6.5 points per game. You might recall he scored 12 points in each of his first two games but has slowed since then. Last week the Canaries played twice, winning both. First up was a 50-41 win over College of Cairo in which Hampton notched 7 points and was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field. He also added 3 rebounds, an assist and a steal. The Canaries finished the week in Denver with a 43-30 victory over the Colorado Poly Redbirds. Hampton had 6 points, hitting on 3 of his 9 shot attempts while also hauling in 4 rebounds and picking up two helpers. Next week there will be just one game for Hampton and his mates, against the 4-5 Springfield State Tigers. After a week off the Knights did not look rusty at all in a 67-38 dismantling of the Armstrong Aces (4-5). Roman Sollars, who remains among the leaders in the entire AIAA in scoring, once again led the way with 20 points while center Jack Kurtz chipped in with 11. Next up was a motivated Lambert College(7-4) club as they were seeking revenge on the Knights for eliminating them in the quarterfinals of last year's AIAA season ending tournament. Like that one, this game was a high scoring affair as the Knights led 34-26 at the half and would go on to a 65-61 victory. Kurtz led the club in scoring with 15 while Sollars had 13 and forward Andrew Bennett added 10. The wins improve the Knights record on the season to 6-0 and they remain third in the polls behind Liberty College and CCLA. THE WEEK AHEAD Just one game this week and we are back to facing another Pennsylvania squad from the Keystone Alliance. This time it will be Three Rivers State and the game will be played on their home court in Beaver Falls. The Beavers, as they of course are known, are 2-4 on the season and coming off a 39-20 loss to St Blane. Note- The Fighting Saints are a football power but not quite as dominant on the hardwood. As for Three Rivers State they have not finished at .500 or better since 1934-35 and have not reached the tournament since 1929-30. There top player is a senior forward by the name of Andy Real, who is averaging over 13 points a game. Speaking of scoring, a quick glance at the AIAA leaders shows that Sollars is now second in the nation. Code: # PLAYER POS MIN PTS TEAM ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Lowell McKinzie SG 33.3 18.0 Cowpens State 2 Roman Sollars SG 31.2 17.0 Detroit City College 3 Jamie Marquez SF 34.0 16.5 Tempe College 4 Kevin Davis SG 31.7 16.2 Western Florida 5 Lionel Rice PG 32.8 16.0 Whitney College 6 George Daley SF 32.8 15.5 Elyria 7 William McBride SG 32.7 15.3 Henry Hudson 8 Chris Cahill SG 34.3 15.2 Lawrence State 9 Gary Moreno PF 32.0 15.0 Northern California 10 James Bejarano PF 32.2 14.9 Great Plains State 11 Lon Porter C 32.7 14.8 Alabama Baptist 12 Clay Ballentine PG 35.9 14.8 Strub College 13 Gary Harrison SF 33.3 14.8 Rainier College 14 Kevin Campbell SG 34.2 14.6 Wisconsin State 15 Brent Bell SG 29.0 14.6 Baton Rouge State The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 12/13/1942 The French did not successfully destroy all their ships in Toulon as it appears at least 15 warships, including 4 submarines under construction fell intact into German hands. A blizzard swept the Stalingrad battle front while hard-riding Russian Cossacks dashed over the snow cutting down stragglers from Germany units bogged in deep snow drifts. The Allies report they have captured a vital Japanese base in the Gona area of New Guinea. British bombers blasted Italy again much of the week, including another prolonged attack on Turin, a northern Italian industrial center. A Senate probe suggests the nationwide gasoline rationing is "abundantly justified" and the fuel oil rationing in the East most grow even more and more stringent, going as far as to suggest the elimination of all pleasure driving for the duration of the war. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

07-05-2022, 03:51 PM	#463
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	December 21, 1942 DECEMBER 21, 1942 A 40% cut in baseball transportation is the aim of the two associations, Washington owner William Stockdale has revealed. Stockdale discussed the transportation angle in connection with reports his club would forego Florida as a spring training base. He declared if the Washington ballclub was asked by the Office of Defense Transportation to train nearer home he would choose either Chattanooga or Charlotte as a spring base. "At present the plan is Orlando," said Stockdale, "but if Mr. Eastman from the ODT requests we eliminate such a trip, we'll be only too glad to comply." More than one FABL mogul expressed confusion with the letter the league received from the ODT last week. Owners to man seemed to agree the letter was very polite, even friendly, considering it came from one of the Washington bureaucrats, but it also had a certain vague quality about it. The suspicion is that if the director had been a little more gruffer and a little more specific the nabobs now would be happier over the whole thing. They, like most humans, would perhaps prefer bad news in one lump rather than to be subjected to a tease. And the bigwigs of baseball really seem unsure of what actions they should be taking. Baseball's rule 5 draft is just a few days away and some are speculating this might be the busiest one on record. War losses means most teams have a number of open spots on their 40-man secondary rosters and perceived holes that need to be filled. Not sure the answer is going to be found in many of the rule 5 eligible players but that likely won't stop teams from selecting a large number. PRO GRID LOOP TO OPERATE IN '43 - IF POSSIBLE The wartime future of professional football was left in doubt today although the American Football Association club owners voted unanimously to continue operations if possible. They failed, however, to come up with the manpower the game will need next Fall because the annual draft of college players was postponed until April when a definite decision on the 1943 season will be reached. "We are generally optimistic," said Detroit Maroons owner Rollie Barrell following the meeting. "The owners voted unanimously to try and continue, subject to further regulations and conditions." However, the decision to postpone the draft, which normally occurred in late December, until April was taken because the status of most college players is in doubt. Most of them probably will be in the armed services, but if there are enough left they will be selected at the April meeting and the league will try to carry on. But all of the clubs will need many new men and what that vote actually meant was the club owners were not yet ready to decide what their future course should be. When the armed services gets through with some of the squads there will be only seven or eight men left to a team. There is the possibility that a curtailed 1943 program will be mapped out before the April session. The present 33-player limit may be reduced as one attempt to field enough players. The schedule also might be shortened and changed in order to cut down travelling. One possibility suggested was that the teams confine their games to opponents in their geographical division. BOCKHORST AND MORRISON SAY THEY PLAN TO JOIN MARINES The winners of the two major college football awards have both stated that they will likely join the Marines in the near future. Noble Jones College star halfback Billy Bockhorst, who last week was announced as the winner of the Christian Trophy, says he will join the marines immediately after his team completes it's quest for a perfect 12-0 season with a matchup in California on New Year's Day against CC Los Angeles in the East-West Classic. Charley Morrison, who led the Henry Hudson eleven this season before winning the Bryan Award, says he also plans to enlist in the marines in the new year. Both admitted they would have turned pro if circumstances were different. "Sure - I'd have loved to give professional football a go next year if it wasn't for the war," admitted Morrison. "Pro football gives a college player a chance to make a little nest egg for himself while he's trying to get started in the profession he prepared for at school," Bockhorst added. When asked if he preferred running or the passing game better Bockhorst, who looks much smaller than one would imagine replied: "I like the running game better. Even when I was in high school my coach told me I'd never be a good passer. But I did the best I could at Noble Jones. I did more passing this season than ever before. But fortunately, we got so many big leads early this season I didn't have to concentrate on pitching the ball much. Yes, I do like the running game a lot better than passing." Reporters tried to press Bockhorst for a prediction on how the Colonels would do in Santa Ana but he refused to bite, saying only he expected it to be quite a game. WEEKEND COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD Coastal California 37 Golden Gate Pre-Flight 0 JANUARY 1, 1943 (CLASSIC GAMES) Noble Jones College (11-0) vs CCLA (7-2-1) East-West Classic at Santa Ana CA Alabama Baptist (6-3-1) vs Commonwealth Catholic (7-1-1) Sunshine Classic at Miami FL Detroit City College (9-1) vs Bayou State (7-3) Desert Classic at El Paso TX Cumberland (9-1) vs Payne State (9-1) Cajun Classic at New Orleans LA Georgia Baptist (8-1-1) vs Travis College (6-2-2) Lone Star Classic at Austin TX Liberty College remains the team to beat as the defending National Champion Bells ran their record to 10-0 with a pair of victories this week. The Bells started with a 59-47 win over Brooklyn Catholic before finishing their week with a 59-49 win over El Paso Methodist. Detroit City College leapfrogged idle CC Los Angeles to take over second place in the polls. The Knights are 7-0 following a decisive 51-35 victory on the road over Three Rivers State. North Carolina Tech took the biggest fall among the top ten schools, dropping from 4th to 9th after losing their first game of a busy week, falling 45-35 to Topeka State. The Techsters did win their next two games and head into their Christmas break with a 9-1 record. Code: AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP TWENTY-FIVE # Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Liberty College (71) 10-0 1799 1 Northeast Conference 2. Detroit City College (1) 7-0 1718 3 Great Lakes Alliance 3. CC Los Angeles 7-0 1667 2 West Coast Athletic Association 4. St. Ignatius 6-1 1564 5 Great Lakes Alliance 5. Coastal California 6-1 1504 6 West Coast Athletic Association 6. Lane State 6-0 1440 7 West Coast Athletic Association 7. Chesapeake State 9-1 1318 8 South Atlantic Conference 8. Minnesota Tech 8-0 1291 9 Great Lakes Alliance 9. North Carolina Tech 9-1 1233 4 South Atlantic Conference 10. Western Iowa 6-1 1187 11 Great Lakes Alliance 11. Central Ohio 7-1 1074 12 Great Lakes Alliance 12. Rainier College 4-1 1016 14 West Coast Athletic Association 13. St. Patrick's 7-1 914 17 Northeast Conference 14. Whitney College 4-1 793 15 Great Lakes Alliance 15. Great Plains State 9-2 729 19 Independent 16. Alabama Baptist 8-1 685 10 Deep South Conference 17. Portland Tech 5-0 644 18 West Coast Athletic Association 18. St. Magnus 5-0 571 16 Great Lakes Alliance 19. Garden State 5-2 512 21 Northeast Conference 20. NW New York State 6-0 505 20 Central Athletic Alliance 21. Carolina Poly 6-2 379 13 South Atlantic Conference 22. Coastal State 5-1 341 22 South Atlantic Conference 23. Annapolis Maritime 12-2 236 NR Independent 24. Mobile Maritime 7-2 123 NR South Atlantic Conference 25. Elyria 6-1 117 NR Independent Others Receiving Votes: Brooklyn State 6-3 25 Northeast Conference Canton State 3-1 13 Central Athletic Alliance Oklahoma City State 9-2 2 Plains Athletic Association RESULTS INVOLVING TOP TEAMS Monday December 14 #2 Detroit City College 51 Three Rivers State 35 #6 Lane State 47 Grafton 31 #16 Alabama Baptist 53 Huntington State 42 #19 Garden State 51 St Gordius 50 #22 Coastal State 39 Ohio Poly 39 Central Carolina 60 Cumberland 43 Tuesday December 15 #5 Coastal California 57 Hartford Wesleyan 44 #7 Chesapeake State 42 College of Cairo 41 #8 Minnesota Tech 58 Rock Island 56 #10 Western Iowa 54 Springfield State 36 #14 Whitney College 52 Armstrong 23 #15 Great Plains State 49 Northern Mississippi 36 #20 NW New York State 45 Needham 30 #23 Annapolis Maritime 39 Henry Hudson 30 #25 Elyria 39 St Blane 28 Bronx Tech 47 #21 Carolina Poly 45 Wednesday December 16 #11 Central Ohio 57 George Fox 33 #13 St Patrick's 42 Eastern Kansas 32 Georgia Baptist 44 North Carolina Atlantic 42 Redwood 41 Baton Rogue State 33 Thursday December 17 #1 Liberty College 59 Brooklyn Catholic 47 #6 Lane State 46 Erie 44 #7 Chesapeake State 54 Brunswick 44 #8 Minnesota Tech 50 Iowa A&M 47 #9 North Carolina Tech 48 Kansas Agricultural 46 #17 Portland Tech 47 St Blane 35 #24 Mobile Maritime 60 Oklahoma Bible College 57 Commonwealth Catholic 42 Spokane State 34 Charleston Tech 60 Rome State 54 Friday December 18 #13 St Patrick's 47 Bronx Tech 41 #15 Great Plains State 45 Lubbock State 44 #21 Carolina Poly 52 Armstrong 36 #23 Annapolis Maritime 47 Petersburg 38 #25 Elyria 54 Tallmadge State 34 Saturday December 19 #9 North Carolina Tech 48 Utah A&M 38 #12 Rainier College 55 College of Omaha 43 #19 Garden State 54 Topeka State 43 #20 NW New York State 55 NW Pennsylvania 45 Noble Jones College 61 Wisconsin Catholic 41 Sunday December 20 #1 Liberty College 59 El Paso Methodist 49 #6 Lane State 75 Springfield State 34 #16 Alabama Baptist 56 College of Cairo 52 #23 Annapolis Maritime 46 Bigsby College 34 #25 Elyria 55 Queen City 45 Rome State 45 Meade 39 St Blane 57 Grant (IN) 29 The Detroit City College hoopsters moved up a spot in the rankings and are now #2 behind only Liberty College after running their record to 7-0 with a 51-35 win over Three Rivers State. Roman Sollars and Andrew Bennett each had 14 points to lead the Knights with Jack Kurtz chipping in 10 along with 7 boards. That game took place last Monday and the Knights will not play again until a Christmas day matchup with Erie. THE WEEK AHEAD Next up for Detroit City College is another Keystone Alliance team. This time it is the Erie University Anchors, who are presently 3-5 on the season. One of Erie's key players is a Detroit native in senior guard Amos Lee. The conference games do not begin until the middle of next month but here is a look at how the Great Lakes Alliance teams are faring so far: Code: 1942-43 Great Lakes Alliance Standings TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct RPI -------------------------------------------------------------------- #8 Minnesota Tech Lakers 0 0 .000 8 0 1.000 1 #2 Detroit City College Knights 0 0 .000 7 0 1.000 9 #11 Central Ohio Aviators 0 0 .000 7 1 .875 11 #10 Western Iowa Canaries 0 0 .000 6 1 .857 47 #4 St. Ignatius Lancers 0 0 .000 6 1 .857 55 #18 St. Magnus Vikings 0 0 .000 5 0 1.000 90 Indiana A&M Reapers 0 0 .000 4 2 .667 12 #14 Whitney College Engineers 0 0 .000 4 1 .800 71 Wisconsin State Brewers 0 0 .000 4 2 .667 190 Lincoln Presidents 0 0 .000 3 3 .500 150 The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 12/20/1942 Japanese inactivity the past week is being watched warily, with a feeling it is simply a prelude to a major offensive either on Guadalcanal or some other strategic point in the Pacific. Reports of a secret U.S. weapon being close to deployment as the Allies continue to ramp up their air attacks in Italy and Nazi Germany. German forces in both Stalingrad and North Africa have launched offensives in a last-ditched effort to salvage their positions on each of those fronts. Eleven of the United Nations and the French National Committee condemned Germany's "bestial policy" of mass slaughter of Jews and resolved that those responsible would not escape retribution. A year after retreating to India, the British Imperial Army has moved back into Burma, occupying two towns and forcing the Japanese back. A third huge fire in Boston this month. No deaths this time but 42 were injured as fire roared through two business blocks of the city's shopping district. The official death count from the biggest of the blazes - 16 days ago at the Cocoanut Grove Night Club- now stands at 488. The urgent gasoline shortage is resulting in the halting of all pleasure driving in the 17-state Atlantic Coast area. Further rationing of civilian meat consumption is also anticipated due to war related shortages. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

07-06-2022, 01:05 PM	#464
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,858	December 28, 1942 DECEMBER 28, 1942 ALTERNATE SITES FOR FLORIDA CAMPS ADVISED FABL Clubs Promised Definite Ruling from U.S. by February 8 The 16 FABL baseball clubs will be given a definite ruling on their spring training programs by February 7 but in the meantime clubs which had planned to condition in California, Florida and Texas should have alternate sites in mind. This information was reported just before Christmas by William Stockdale, owner of the Washington Eagles, to FABL President Sam Belton after Stockdale conferred with Joseph B. Eastman, defense transportation director. Stockdale's conference represented the first direct step taken by Organized Ball to ascertain from government headquarters at Washington whether it's program meets federal requirements, after the game had wrestled with transportation, manpower, gas and tire problems without known whether official sanction would be forthcoming for it's plans. Stockdale was empowered by the FABL office to get a more definite expression from Eastman than was given in the letter the government executive addressed to the majors just prior to their annual meeting in Chicago in conjunction with the Rule Five draft. In the letter, Eastman requested that the game's officials consider how basic travel requirements can be met "without waste in space or mileage" and suggested among other things that "subject to suitable weather conditions, the selection of a spring site as near as possible to the permanent headquarters of the team would save transportation." Typically FABL clubs barnstorm in late February and early March, such as a year ago when the Brooklyn Kings went to Cuba and several other clubs to California, before all gathering in Florida to play tune-up games against each other for several weeks leading up to the mid-April openers. This season four clubs - the Chicago Cougars and Chiefs, St Louis Pioneers and Cincinnati Cannons - had planned to condition in California for two weeks before heading to Florida but are now all in the process of cancelling that portion of their camps. While the plan now is to wait until a clearer outline comes in February, FABL is said to be looking at three different options. The ideal scenario would see the 16 teams all convene in Florida in mid-March as usual with only those pre-Citrus League barnstorming trips falling by the wayside. A second option may be a reduced spring training not commencing until early April and be contested with teams in several groups so the two Chicago teams and St Louis might meet in Oklahoma for a couple of weeks, with -weather permitting- two other pods be located in Tennessee and South Carolina for teams to head to the nearest center and all train in the same area. The third, and least preferred, is teams all stay home and train indoors on days that the early April weather does not co-operate. That would benefit the two-team cities as they will be permitted to play each other but the remainder may well be forced to scrimmage on their own or face college clubs and not play any real major league competition until Opening Day. RULE FIVE DRAFT A BUSY AFFAIR A total of 30 players were selected in baseball's annual rule five draft of minor league talent. Entering the draft the feeling was a fair number of players would be selected simply because so many organizations had numerous openings on their 40-man secondary rosters and holes to fill due to players leaving to join the war effort. The Cleveland Foresters led the way with 5 selections including third baseman Jack Blanton who was selected with the first pick in the draft. Blanton spent last season in AA, hitting .300 for Knoxville in the Brooklyn Kings system. The 26 year old was a 1935 18th round pick of the Kings. Blanton's father Bill also played minor league ball and is currently a coach in the independent Lone Star Association. With concerns about depth, FABL clubs again selected a fair number of veteran players. Those with previous big league experience include: DAN ROGERS -OF Chicago Cougars a former first round pick of the Kings who appeared in 10 games for Brooklyn over a 3 year span. JIM FEDOROV -P Washington Eagles went 2-1 in 15 appearances with the Chiefs last season and the 28 year old has pitched 63 FABL innings overall. GEORGE SMITH -P Chicago ChiefsLooked very good in 3 starts for Brooklyn last season after spending most of the past six seasons in the minors. ART MCMAHON- OF Montreal SaintsThe 31 year old has appeared in 325 FABL games for the Stars and Sailors, batting .259. Was a first round pick, selected 8th overall in 1930 a year after he was drafted in the 11th round but refused to sign with the New York Gothams. JOHNNY WILLIAMSON- C Cincinnati Cannons Rainier College grad has spent most of his time as a pro in AAA but the 29 year old did manage to appear in 27 games for the Cougars over parts of 3 seasons. PINKY CONLAN- P Chicago Chiefs 33 year old is 42-71 overall in FABL and spent several seasons in the Baltimore Cannons rotation before injuries hit him pretty hard. He had a brief stint with St Louis in 1940 and after being out of baseball entirely in 1941 spent last season in the Dynamos system but now with all of the players gone to the war Conlan gets another chance. ED SALA- C Cincinnati Cannons Not expected to be retained by the Cannons since they also acquired Williamson, but the 31 year old Brooklyn native has played 23 games with his hometown Kings over his long pro career. BOBBY BOND- OF Chicago Chiefs Now there is a name from the past as the 35 year old gets one more chance at the big leagues. Bond is a .293 career hitter who played 1,126 FABL games primarily with the Sailors but also a brief stop in 1940 in Detroit. He has been in the minors since then but was a participant in the very first FABL all-star game back in 1933 and won a WCS with the Sailors as a rookie in 1930, although he did not appear in the series. The hardest hit team in terms of sheer numbers was the Brooklyn Kings who lost a total of 7 players in the rule five draft including former first rounder Dan Rogers to the Cougars. Other now former Kings are catchers Joe Robbins and Ed Sala, 3B Jack Blanton and pitchers George Smith, Angel Lopez and Manny Franco. Each of the players selected must spend the entire season on the major league roster of the club that selected them or be returned to their original organization. Here is the complete draft list. A new concern for FABL magnates to worry about. There are well over one hundred big league ballplayers who have taken war plant jobs during the off-season. That causes the baseball bigwigs to wonder "Will those players be permitted to leave those jobs to play baseball?" The answer seems to be how invaluable the player is at his war job and whether baseball is to be recognized as a war industry for it's morale value. Reports indicate the league is no longer considering the idea of a 'shared player pool' to help alleviate the war time losses. The idea, which called for FABL President Sam Belton to have the power to move players from one team to another should a club, or several clubs, run into player shortages at certain positions -most notably catcher and pitchers. While in many ways it made sense to ensure the league would continue to prosper the overall feeling from the magnates was fans would not embrace the idea of suddenly losing a player to a rival just because that rival had a hole that needed to be filled. Those arguing against the measure correctly pointed out that there will always be players available in the low minors - certainly not necessarily big league quality but still bodies that could be added in a pinch. The plan to dismantle the Federal and Continental Associations and go with an East-West structure for the duration is one that will not go away, despite the fact that to a man the FABL big-wigs despise the idea. It would make the ODT happy, although transportation boss Mr. Eastman still insists he is not encouraging the concept. What is gaining traction is the idea of training camps being held in more northern locations to minimize travel so expect Virginia or the Carolinas to likely 'pinch-hit' for Florida as Citrus League hosts this March and early April. Never mind New York as the towering metropolis that makes Chicago feel like a second-class city. As Archie Irwin of the Chicago Daily News pointed out recently- in sports at least, the role of Chicago-killer seems to have fallen to the city of Boston. Bostonians must be in the minds of the Windy City gang when you consider the fact that Beantown is 3-0 in big league championships vs Chicago the past four seasons. You of course have the Minutemen rallying to beat the Cougars in a 7 game World Championship Series in '41 and now for the second time in 4 years the grid Boston Americans walked into Whitney Park and waltzed out with an American Football Association title. Boston won 21-14 over the Wildcats in 1939 and just a couple of weeks ago rallied for a 24-21 win that crushed Chicago's dreams of a second straight title and a perfect season. It's not just restricted to the pro ranks either as Boston's St. Patrick's University knocked off Chicago Poly in the quarterfinals of the AIAA college basketball championship a year and a half ago. Next time we get a Boston-Chicago tilt in any sport I think I know on which side my money is going. Luck of the Irish I guess. Speaking of Chicago, Herald-Examiner Sports Editor Percy Sutherland is working the numbers once more. The renowned Windy City sportswriter has come up with a list -and numbers to back his choices- of who he feels are the best hitters since 1915. He is using a stat called "Batting Runs" and notes since it is cumulative that is a very good measure of the top batsmen over the 27 years. Hard to argue with anyone on this list: 1-Max Morris (1,192.2) 2-Rankin Kellogg (821.6) 3-Al Wheeler (564.8) 4-Fred McCormick (552.5) 5-John Lawson (546.9) 6-Pete Layton (505.3) 7-Frank Vance (496.5) 8-Dave Trowbridge (468.6) 9-T.R. Goins (458.1) 10-Bobby Barrell (410.0) Sutherland also notes that Chiefs lefty Red Hampton is just two wins shy from the century mark for his FABL career. The 36 year old went 14-13 a year ago and is 98-95 overall. Says Sutherland: "That prompted me to dive into the history. There are 1760 total players listed as pitcher. Of those, 12 players have at least 300 wins, 53 players have at least 200 wins, and 239 players have at least 100 wins. That's about 13.5%. 100 wins is not a Hall of Fame level accomplishment, but it is an accomplishment nonetheless. If I try to limit this to players who started their careers after 1915, the number of players with at least 100 wins drops to 90. More from Sutherland: I restricted to players listed as Pitcher, because if you open it up to batters also, there are only 2 who made it to 100 wins. And no, Max Morris is not one. Morris had 83 career wins. Jason Young had 135 and Jeff Greene had 114. Cap Young debuted with Boston as a pitcher in 1878 and converted to a full-time shortstop in 1885 (with the Gothams). Young went 42-33 in 1881 for the Boston nine. MORE THAN 200,000 EXPECTED FOR FIVE GAMES More than 200,000 Americans will be spending their New Year's Day at five major football games as the college ranks put a bow on the 1942 season. The East-West Classic is back home in Santa Ana, Cal., after a 1942 shift to New York City because of war conditions. Estimates say close to a capacity crowd of 80,000 is expected for the big game between unbeaten Noble Jones College and CC Los Angeles. Add another 50,000 believed to be set to watch the Cajun Classic in New Orleans and it certainly appears to ODT edict to restrict travel may not be being fully followed. JANUARY 1, 1943 (CLASSIC GAMES) Noble Jones College (11-0) vs CCLA (7-2-1) East-West Classic at Santa Ana CA Alabama Baptist (6-3-1) vs Commonwealth Catholic (7-1-1) Sunshine Classic at Miami FL Detroit City College (9-1) vs Bayou State (7-3) Desert Classic at El Paso TX Cumberland (9-1) vs Payne State (9-1) Cajun Classic at New Orleans LA Georgia Baptist (8-1-1) vs Travis College (6-2-2) Lone Star Classic at Austin TX Until it rises again in those Classic Games sprawling under sunny skies from Miami, Fla., to Santa Ana, Cal., the roar of the football crowds has died down. But the tumult of the 1942 season aftermath will continue to keep the followers of the game in a hubbub long after the New Year's Day extra-curricular fiestas have heard their final whistle. They will be talking about this 1942 campaign for many years to come - certainly in Georgia where the Noble Jones College- Georgia Baptist game was the hottest show in Atlanta since the fires of the Civil War. They will be talking in Michigan about what might have been if only the Detroit City College Knights found a way to get past St Blane. Of course Fighting Saints supporters across the country will be lamenting the fact it took their club two weeks to wake up and get on-track. In the Boston area it will be many years before fans can forget the heartache of a Commonwealth Catholic loss to Brooklyn State in what has to be the biggest upset of this season, and likely in many years. And in Tennessee, they lament how Cumberland's hopes of a perfect season and maybe the Explorers first national championship in any of the major sports vanished with a 21-20 season-ending loss to their rivals at Bluegrass State. For the Mustangs of Louisville that win, to drive a dagger into the hearts of the Cumberland eleven, made a 3-loss showing in Deep South section play feel like a resounding success. The professional ranks gave us incredible moments as well. How about the Chicago Wildcats perfect season - the first such occurrence since 1929 - and then the Wildcats collapse late in the title game against Boston.. There was excitement in St Louis too, as former Eastern State star Bob Holt took the city and the league by storm, destroying the single game rushing record with 254 yards in his professional debut and then topping that with a 264 yard rushing game less than a month later. Between Holt, who set a modern single-season rushing mark, and Stan Vaught of Detroit -the best end the game has ever seen- this is an exciting time in professional football. I hope you enjoyed it will you could. Because odds are when the calendar rolls around to the fall once again many big names will not be back. College football seems assured of continuing, with a fresh supply of young men arriving each year to spend a few years in the college ranks and the reserves, but the pros have no such luxury. Most of the top graduating college talent will be enlisted, if they are not already, and the dwindling supply of talented grid stars is shrinking fast on the American Football Association. CC LOS ANGELES MOVES INTO NUMBER ONE A nice belated Christmas present for CC Los Angeles as the Coyotes were elevated to number one in the polls following wins over Mississippi A&M and Bronx Tech last weekend. The California school has long been one of the most dominant teams in the nation and generally has it's pick of west coast high schoolers. CCLA recently notched it's 800th career win in AIAA play including a 49-27 record in tournament play. The Coyotes have made the semi-finals of the national tournament 8 times including last season when they fell to Liberty College in the title game. CCLA has won the national championship three times with the most recent one coming a decade ago. They have a veteran team with 4 senior starters but their leader is the lone junior starter in Joseph Quintana. The forward out of Duncan, Arizona is leading the team in scoring averaging 11.2 ppg and has started all 3 of his seasons in Los Angeles. Supporting Quintana is the other half of the Coyotes Arizona connection in Phoenix native Perry Field, a senior guard who is also scoring in double-digits this season. Field had 14 points to lead the win in a 61-47 win over Mississippi A&M on Monday and was the high man once again on Saturday when he notched 12 in a hard-fought 46-40 victory over Bronx Tech. The Coyotes still have 5 games left before the tough West Coast Athletic Association schedule kicks in and everyone will be gunning for CCLA after the school went 16-0 a year ago to become the first WCAA five to ever run the table with a perfect record in conference play. Code: AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP TWENTY-FIVE # Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. CC Los Angeles (43) 9-0 1767 3 West Coast Athletic Association 2. Liberty College (18) 10-0 1718 1 Northeast Conference 3. Detroit City College (11) 8-0 1699 2 Great Lakes Alliance 4. Coastal California 7-1 1570 5 West Coast Athletic Association 5. Lane State 7-0 1485 6 West Coast Athletic Association 6. North Carolina Tech 10-1 1372 9 South Atlantic Conference 7. Chesapeake State 10-1 1321 7 South Atlantic Conference 8. Western Iowa 8-1 1266 10 Great Lakes Alliance 9. St. Ignatius 6-2 1217 4 Great Lakes Alliance 10. Central Ohio 9-1 1193 11 Great Lakes Alliance 11. Minnesota Tech 9-0 1176 8 Great Lakes Alliance 12. St. Patrick's 7-1 963 13 Northeast Conference 13. Great Plains State 11-2 961 15 Independent 14. Garden State 8-2 784 19 Northeast Conference 15. Alabama Baptist 9-1 763 16 Deep South Conference 16. Whitney College 4-1 690 14 Great Lakes Alliance 17. Portland Tech 7-0 688 17 West Coast Athletic Association 18. Carolina Poly 9-2 625 21 South Atlantic Conference 19. St. Magnus 6-0 565 18 Great Lakes Alliance 20. Rainier College 4-2 415 12 West Coast Athletic Association 21. Mobile Maritime 8-2 290 24 South Atlantic Conference 22. Elyria 7-1 284 25 Independent 23. Brooklyn State 7-3 283 NR Northeast Conference 24. NW New York State 6-1 158 20 Central Athletic Alliance 25. Coastal State 7-2 113 22 South Atlantic Conference Others Receiving Votes: Wisconsin State 7-2 13 Great Lakes Alliance Annapolis Maritime 13-3 8 Independent Johnston Tech 9-2 7 Independent Darnell State 6-2 3 Southwestern Alliance Northern California 5-3 2 West Coast Athletic Association College of San Diego 7-2 1 California League RESULTS INVOLVING TOP TEAMS Monday December 21 #1 CCLA 61 Mississippi A&M 47 #11 Minnesota Tech 56 Plover College 42 #13 Great Plains State 60 Red River State 52 #17 Portland Tech 38 Kit Carson University 35 #18 Carolina Poly 59 Cumberland 38 Bluegrass State 52 Miami State 42 Tuesday December 22 #7 Chesapeake State 53 Kansas Agricultural 29 #15 Alabama Baptist 41 Texas Gulf Coast 29 Rome State 40 Bethlehem College 31 Darnell State 47 Oklahoma City State 46 Wednesday December 23 #14 Garden State 63 Hartford Wesleyan 44 Noble Jones College 50 Jersey City Tech 38 Thursday December 24 #5 Lane State 47 Western Florida 37 #8 Western Iowa 42 Wichita Baptist 40 #10 Central Ohio 60 Grange College 47 #18 Carolina Poly 42 College of Cairo 34 Annapolis Maritime 67 West Corners (NY) 51 St Blane 42 Eastern Virginia 41 Friday December 25 #1 CCLA 46 Bronx Tech 40 #3 Detroit City College 62 Erie 29 #13 Great Plains State 42 Dudley 41 #14 Garden State 53 Springfield State 37 #17 Portland Tech 63 Quaker College (CA) 43 #21 Mobile Maritime 56 Wisconsin Catholic 34 Georgia Baptist 55 Charleston Tech 40 Saturday December 26 #4 Coastal California 52 Sunnyvale 26 #6 North Carolina Tech 46 Henry Hudson 43 #8 Western Iowa 47 College of Omaha 34 #19 st Magnus 45 Wyoming A&I 34 #22 Elyria 36 Granville 35 #23 Brooklyn State 54 Tinker 35 #25 Coastal State 58 Western Florida 52 Sunday December 27 #10 Central Ohio 57 Sadler 38 #14 Garden State 49 College of Cairo 41 #18 Carolina Poly 60 Ferguson 54 St Blane 40 #24 NW New York State 32 The schedule-maker did not treat the Knights too kindly. They only had one game this week but it required them to travel to Erie and play on Christmas Day. There were plenty of presents for Detroit City College shooters as the put a lump of coal in the Lakers stockings to the tune of a 62-29 result. Senior guard Roman Sollars was the chief grinch once again as far as Erie fans were concerned. Sollars had a season high 26 points (just 2 shy of his career best) and is now averaging 17.8 ppg on the season, which is tops in the entire AIAA. He was named the National freshman of the year in 1939-40 and if he keeps it up should be in the running for the top college player and All-American status. THE WEEK AHEAD A pair of games next week for the Knights. First up is Orrville, an independent team from Ohio. The Oaks have not been to the tournament since 1925 and never won a tournament game but they started this season with 5 straight wins including a victory over Cumberland. They have cooled of late and are 6-5 entering our game slated for Wednesday. Their top player is a junior guard from Everett, Pa., by the name of Ted Greico. On Saturday the Knights face another indy school in College of Cairo. The Pharaohs are just 2-12 on the season but have had a tough slate of games, with losses to 6 top twenty-five teams already this season. Their only tournament appearance came in the spring of 1919. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 12/27/1942 On the heels of great success in Stalingrad Red Army forces are continuing to advance in an attempt to take the key rail city of Millerovo. There are reports that Hitler might have been in Munich when British bombers started multiple large fires with a "great weight" of bombs being dropped on the city that is the birthplace of the Nazi party. The German Africa corps under the lead of Rommel is said to be retreating at an average rate of 15 miles a day. A US firm has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the Federal Government of approximately $6 million. The Department of Justice says the Anaconda Wire & Cable Company plot also endangered the lives of American soldiers and sailors. In a Christmas appeal, Pope Pius called for a new order and denounced godless authoritarian government and "Marxist socialism" during his annual message to the world. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles Last edited by Tiger Fan; 07-06-2022 at 01:15 PM.

07-07-2022, 01:08 PM	#465
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	January 4, 1943 JANUARY 4, 1943 FLAG RACE OPENINGS MAY BE POSTPONED Florida Exodus May Cause Change While nothing has been officially decided, baseball men today were of the opinion that the evacuation of Florida training bases might cause postponement of the opening of the 1943 FABL races. It is believed that most of the teams have embraced the possibility of changing their training plans and are considering setting up shop either in Georgia or the Carolinas to reduce the spring travel requirements somewhat. However, if such a change does get the go-ahead it is possible that all may start the regular season grind a week or two later than originally planned for the Florida Citrus contests. The decision on a later opening will be likely left for the major league meetings in February, but many well-informed sources are of the opinion that the magnates really have no choice in the matter. Six clubs are said to now be in line with unofficial recommendations they not travel as far south, following an official request from the ODT. They are the Kings, Stars, Pioneers, Gothams and Sailors, who all are considering training in the Carolinas, as well the Keystones who say they will hold their camp in Savannah, Georgia if necessary. The expectation is if the plan continues to hold, all 16 clubs will train along the eastern seaboard rather than the typical locations in Florida. If that change does occur the result is likely that spring camps will be delayed by one week in order to hope for slightly warmer weather and as a result the season openers will also be bumped back, not commencing until likely April 20. The plan had been to start the season on April 13 but that date is looking less and less likely every day. FABL President Sam Belton and Washington Eagles owner William Stockdale are set to meet with ODT boss Joseph Eastman later this week in an effort to firm up plans for the 1943 season. It appears the idea of switching to an East/West structure for the regular season is now dead in the water but the matter of season length and spring training plans remains up in the air with time fast running out for decisions on those matters to be firmed up. Belton is expected to update the team magnates on the weekend following his sit-down with government officials. In the meantime baseball's other big worry - lack of players - is also still a serious concern. While no key major league players left last week a large number of minor leaguers including 8 who were currently on the secondary roster of a big league team joined the military last week. Heading that list is 29 year old Gothams outfielder William Walker, who played 9 games for the World Champions last year. Just because no key players left last week does not mean the big league teams have stopped worrying. Far from it as each club GM tenses weekly for more bad news. And there may be very bad news on the horizon for a Federal Association club as there are rumours circulating that at least one more very prominent Federal Association star is heavily considering enlisting. Few facts have been exposed but the news is coming out of New England, although the source states it is not a member of the Boston Minutemen. BOCKHORST LEADS NOBLE JONES TO PERFECT SEASON The best of the west proved no match for the Noble Jones College eleven as the Colonels easily handled the CC Los Angeles Coyotes 20-3 in the East-West Classic before nearly 82,000 fans at the big stadium in Santa Ana. The Coyotes learned what everyone in the south and east already knew: that Christian Trophy winning back Billy Bockhorst and his Noble Jones College teammates are simply too good for everyone else. In going 12-0 on the year the Colonels outscored their opponents by a 384-82 margin and will most assuredly be named the 1942 National Champion when the votes are tabulated this week. It may well be the state of Georgia is 1-2 in the polls as the Georgia Baptist Gators (9-1-1) made a case for the second spot with a 23-17 victory over Travis College in the Lone Star Classic. It was a big day for the Deep South Conference on more than just those two fronts as Cumberland, Bayou State and Alabama Baptist all won as well, making the Deep South squads a perfect 5-0 on New Years Day. Cumberland won a shoot out over Payne State, claiming a 34-26 victory on the Desert Classic. Bayou State and Alabama Baptist both pulled off upsets over teams that had national title dreams had Noble Jones College stumbled. Instead it was Detroit City College and Commonwealth Catholic that were left wondering what went wrong with the two schools - both using the moniker Knights- came up short. Alabama Baptist humiliated the Boston-based Knights to the tune of 31-0 while Detroiters fell 27-17 to the Cougars. * GATES EXCEED EXPECTATIONS * Despite wartime restrictions on transportation, some 230,000 fans attended the five post-season football classic games and saw what may be the last and best-balanced gridiron program for the duration. Ranging from the 82,000 fans who watched Noble Jones College turn away CCLA in the East-West Classic to the 14,000 at El Paso that witnessed Bayou State's upset of Detroit City College in the Desert Classic, the take at the turnstiles far exceeded expectations. New Orleans' Cajun Classic, in which Cumberland topped Payne State, attracted 70,000, the second best attendance; 36,000 packed into Austin to catch the Lone State Classic between Georgia Baptist and Travis College and just over 30,000 saw Alabama Baptist outscore Commonwealth Catholic at the Sunshine Classic in Miami. * FUMMBLE LEADS TO FIRST SCORE IN SANTA ANA * Despite playing with a tender ankle and spending much of the second half on the bench, Christian Trophy winning back Billy Bockhorst led Noble Jones with a pair of first half touchdowns. The opening score by Bockhorst came just 3 minutes into the game despite the fact the Colonels lost the coin-toss and kicked first. But on it's second play from scrimmage CCLA put the ball on the ground and the alert Noble Jones defense took advantage. Following the recovery Bockhorst had 3 runs including what would prove to be all the offense they would need with a 2 yard scoring run. He would score another touchdown - this one on a 14 yard scamper - late in the first quarter to increase the Colonels lead to 14-0. On the day the Colonels picked up 24 first downs to CCLA's five and gained 212 yards rushing to 97. The Colonels also out-passed the Coyotes- 161 yards to 62. * ONE SIDED AFFAIR IN MIAMI * The biggest shock of the day was the ease in which Alabama Baptist handled Commonwealth Catholic, blanking the Knights 31-0. It had the makings of a tight contest early but after a scoreless opening quarter the Panthers rolled like an express train with 3 second period scores. All-American center Larry Castleman had himself a day and was a thorn in the side of Knights backs all afternoon. In addition to being credited with 7 tackles, Castleman also forced 3 fumbles including two from Commonwealth Catholic's big fullback Stan Whitman. While not as one-sided the outcome in El Paso was equally shocking to that in Miami. Most had felt the heavily favoured Detroit City College squad was just too fast and too strong for Bayou State but the Cougars - who at 7-3 were a questionable choice to participate in the game and were only invited after several other schools declined- scored a pair of late touchdowns to pull out a 27-17 victory. WEEKEND COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD Noble Jones College 20 CC Los Angeles 3 at the East-West Classic (Santa Ana CA) Alabama Baptist 31 Commonwealth Catholic 0 at the Sunshine Classic (Miami FL) Georgia Baptist 23 Travis College 17 at the Lone Star Classic (Austin TX) Bayou State 27 Detroit City College 17 at the Desert Classic (El Paso TX) Cumberland 34 Payne State 26 at the Cajun Classic (New Orleans LA) BIG TEST FOR LITTLE ELYRIA Nestled in the top 25, amidst all the big schools from traditional power conferences and larger independent outfits such as Great Plains State, is a tiny school out of Ohio by the name of Elyria University. The Pioneers campus, a short distance from Cleveland, is abuzz this week as their basketball heroes are a nationally ranked team and preparing for a trip to Columbus and a game against the 10th ranked Central Ohio Aviators. It goes tomorrow night and will be just the second time in a decade the two schools have met. The first one, in the 1939-40 season, nearly resulted in a major upset but the Aviators pulled out a 38-36 victory. The Pioneers are hoping they can be successful with an upset bid this time around, which will be the first time the schools have ever met with both of them in the top twenty-five. "It means a lot to all of us," said Pioneers senior forward George Daley. "A lot of the guys in this room dreamed of playing for them as kids, but I think we are all pretty happy here now." Daley is from Florence, Kentucky and counts the basket he scored as a freshman at the Central Ohio campus 3 years ago as a career highlight, but he is aiming to get a lot more of them this time around. Led by Daley, a 4-year starter who is averaging 14 points per game this season, Elyria is heading in the right direction and as hopes of making the National Tournament for the first time in 9 years. Despite playing just two tournament games- both losses- since 1915 there is a fair bit of AIAA hoops history at the tiny school. Elyria was the first "Cinderella Team" as back in 1914-15 the Pioneers somehow reached the National Semi-Finals before falling to eventual champion CC Los Angeles in the finals. Daley and his teammates hope to create some tournament memories of their own for Elyria come March. JOE HAMPTON UPDATE The ex-St Louis Pioneers pitching prospect remains a key piece as a freshman at Western Iowa. The Canaries are 8-1 and ranked 9th overall in this week's poll with Hampton, a 6'2" guard, averaging 6.3 points per game and 2.2 assists per contest. Code: AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS # Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. CC Los Angeles (52) 11-0 1779 1 West Coast Athletic Association 2. Liberty College (12) 12-0 1711 2 Northeast Conference 3. Detroit City College (8) 10-0 1694 3 Great Lakes Alliance 4. Coastal California 8-1 1566 4 West Coast Athletic Association 5. North Carolina Tech 12-1 1424 6 South Atlantic Conference 6. St. Ignatius 8-2 1409 9 Great Lakes Alliance 7. Chesapeake State 11-1 1339 7 South Atlantic Conference 8. Minnesota Tech 10-0 1287 11 Great Lakes Alliance 9. Western Iowa 8-1 1267 8 Great Lakes Alliance 10. Central Ohio 9-1 1174 10 Great Lakes Alliance 11. Lane State 8-1 1132 5 West Coast Athletic Association 12. Great Plains State 14-2 1005 13 Independent 13. St. Magnus 9-0 958 19 Great Lakes Alliance 14. Carolina Poly 10-2 879 18 South Atlantic Conference 15. Rainier College 6-2 748 20 West Coast Athletic Association 16. St. Patrick's 9-2 739 12 Northeast Conference 17. Brooklyn State 8-3 612 23 Northeast Conference 18. Whitney College 6-2 516 16 Great Lakes Alliance 19. Alabama Baptist 9-2 511 15 Deep South Conference 20. Portland Tech 7-1 472 17 West Coast Athletic Association 21. Garden State 8-3 436 14 Northeast Conference 22. Elyria 9-2 299 22 Independent 23. Mobile Maritime 8-3 190 21 South Atlantic Conference 24. Coastal State 8-3 92 25 South Atlantic Conference 25. Northern California 7-3 84 NR West Coast Athletic Association Others Receiving Votes: Hamman 11-3 28 Independent Oklahoma City State 9-3 14 Plains Athletic Association Annapolis Maritime 14-4 11 Independent Wisconsin State 8-3 9 Great Lakes Alliance Richmond State 8-3 6 South Atlantic Conference Johnston Tech 10-3 6 Independent Ellery 8-3 1 Academia Alliance Indiana A&M 7-3 1 Great Lakes Alliance College of San Diego 7-3 1 California League LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS MONDAY DECEMBER 28 #2 Liberty College 60 Tinker 39 #6 St Ignatius 43 Bliss College 25 #13 St Magnus 49 Armstrong 33 #15 Rainier College 63 Sunnyvale 38 #22 Elyria 49 Campion 33 Annapolis Maritime 42 #23 Mobile Maritime 30 #25 Northern California 57 San Francisco Tech 56 TUESDAY DECEMBER 29 #11 Lane State 53 Oklahoma Bible College 24 Commonwealth Catholic 36 Northern Minnesota 35 Georgia Baptist 49 Alabama Gulf Coast 48 WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 30 #1 CC Los Angeles 55 Hartford Wesleyan 33 #3 Detroit City College 49 Orrville 34 #5 North Carolina Tech 40 Cuyahoga University 31 #12 Great Plains State 56 Bluegrass State 36 #14 Carolina Poly 51 Springfield State 43 #17 Brooklyn State 49 Bethlehem College 34 THURSDAY DECEMBER 31 #2 Liberty College 43 Cumberland 37 #8 Minnesota Tech 51 Redwood 45 #13 St Magnus 36 #11 Lane State 34 #15 Rainier College 66 El Paso Methodist 39 #16 St Patrick's 41 Middlesex 34 #24 Coastal State 63 Noble Jones College 56 Miami State 51 Western State 38 St Blane 47 Canton State 44 FRIDAY JANUARY 1 #6 St Ignatius 52 Capital (MS) University 25 #12 Great Plains State 53 Eastern Kansas 31 Sadler 44 #18 Whitney College 37 Iowa A&M 50 #19 Alabama Baptist 33 #22 Elyria 54 Flint 43 Richmond State 48 Annapolis Maritime 38 Rome State 51 Cleveland 33 SATURDAY JANUARY 2 #3 Detroit City College 68 College of Cairo 45 #4 Coastal California 58 St Martin's College 33 #5 North Carolina Tech 54 El Paso Methodist 47 #13 St Magnus 35 Canton State 34 #25 Northern California 63 Sunnyvale 49 SUNDAY JANUARY 3 #12 Great Plains State 43 Amarillo Methodist 41 Ellery 46 #16 St Patrick's 44 #18 Whitney College 56 College of Omaha 40 Eastern Virginia 50 #22 Elyria 41 Rome State 51 Provo Tech 29 KNIGHTS RUN RECORD TO 10-0 The Detroit City College Knights started the New Year just as they finished the previous one - with a victory over an independent school. The Knights are 10-0 and remain third in the national polls behind CC Los Angeles and Liberty College following their two wins last week. The week started with a 49-34 victory over Orrville in which 3 Detroit City College players hit double-figures in points. Center Jack Kurtz paced the team with 13 while Roman Sollars chipped in with 11 and Andrew Bennett added 10. Orrville did keep it close for a while and gave the Knights a bit of a scare as Detroit City only led by two at the break. The Knights followed that game up with another win at home, this one by a 68-45 margin on Saturday against College of Cairo. The Knights ruined a big game from Pharaohs forward Joseph Farmer, who had 18 points in a losing effort. Kurtz once again was the high scorer for Detroit City College with 17, while Sollars chipped in 15 and Adolph Duckworth added 12. Roman Sollars still leads the nation in scoring. Here is an updated top ten: Code: AIAA SCORING LEADERS 1 Roman Sollars Detroit City College 16.8 2 Gary Harrison Rainier College 16.6 3 Lowell McKinzie Cowpens State 16.3 4 Kevin Davis Western Florida 15.6 5 Jamie Marquez Tempe College 15.6 6 James Bejarano Great Plains State 15.4 7 Joseph Kellerman Charleston Tech 14.8 8 Chris Cahill Lawrence State 14.5 9 Ray Burdett Granville 14.4 10 Kevin Campbell Wisconsin State 14.3 THE WEEK AHEAD A big game awaits on Wednesday as the Knights face Garden State for the second time this year. DCC beat the Redbirds 46-41 in their season opening tournament but this time will need to face 8-3 Garden State in New York City as part of the weekly doubleheaders at the Bigsby Oval. (the early game will be George Fox against Manhattan Tech). The Redbirds are coming off a disappointing 49-46 loss at Bronx Tech on New Years Day but are still one of the teams expected to make noise in the year end tournament. They have reached the title game three times but their only tournament title came in 1938-39. There top player is senior guard Daniel Purnell, a Buffalo-area native who was a starter as a freshman on their title club and is averaging nearly 10 points a game this season. Speaking of freshmen, the Redbirds have one of the best in the nation David Bobo, a forward who is leading the team in scoring this season. DCC finishes out the week with a home game against Canton State on Saturday. The 4-5 Bulldogs play out of the Central Athletic Alliance and have lost three straight including a narrow 1-point loss on Friday at St Magnus. Canton State has not played in the year end tournament since 1914-15 and is 0-2 all-time in tourney play. They are led by a pair of Ohio natives in seniors Ronald Govan and Keith Miller. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 1/04/1943 In a white book release of secret and open diplomacy of the decade proceeding Pearl Harbor, Secretary of State Hull revealed that the United States had been warned of a potential attack on the Hawaiian naval port. He confirmed that information received from diplomatic agents abroad accurately forecast the war policies of Japan, Germany and Italy, even to the warning of a surprise mass attack upon Pearl Harbor. The British War Office calls the end of October the turning point in the war, noting that Allied forces have held the initiative in all war theatres since that point. It notes that Japan is fully occupied and on the defensive in it's own sphere, isolated from Germany and Italy, and European members of the Axis are on the strategic defensive with Italy threatened by the Allies in Africa. Soviet forces continue their advance, moving from Stalingrad and retaking towns to the southwest of the city including important rail positions. US factories set production records in November, showing the greatest monthly gain since the United States began to rearm in the summer of 1940. A new wave of rationing coming February 1 prompted a rash of panic buying this week. Canned goods and other groceries will be subjected to stricter quantities. The wife of President Roosevelt said it was useless for people to hoard canned goods at this time because no one can buy enough to last through the emergency. In New York City burglars got away with 22,000 pounds of butter stolen from a Manhattan warehouse. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

07-09-2022, 11:25 AM	#466
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	January 11, 1943 JANUARY 11, 1943 BASEBALL'S TRAVEL WEARY OFFICIALS FAVOR RIGID MILAGE CONSERVATION PLAN Later Season Start Deemed Solution of Training Problem CHICAGO, JAN 11-- Straggling into the Palmer House today for FABL President Sam Belton's emergency parley, travel-weary baseball officials were more determined that ever to draw up a rigid mileage conservation plan after getting a personal taste of the transportation difficulties their teams will face this season. Most of the 'lobby-talk' consisted of mutterings of train delays rather than speculation of what the league President has up his sleeve for a 1943 wartime program after conferring recently with ODT Director Joseph B. Eastman. Representatives of the 16 FABL clubs agree the baseball situation would be disclosed as it really exists, and they expected a short, cut-and-dried conference with Belton putting the cards on the table. It was a relief for the magnates to know their problems were finally coming to a head. Only a month ago they closed their annual meetings here with the little matter of 1943 baseball drifting in the air with their cigar smoke. During the past month there have been mostly rumours as to where and when clubs will hold spring training -lengthy trips to California, Florida, Texas and elsewhere cancelled in accordance with Eastman's suggestions for clipping rail miles. Only the Boston Minutemen, who will condition at their Class B affiliate's ballpark in Arlington, Va., appeared to have definitely solved their spring conditioning plans before coming to the meeting. To a man the magnates were saying all the right things today - that they were 'in', no matter if Florida remains an option or Belton calls for the teams to train a little closer to home or requires then to stay in their home cities and train indoors if need be. If the rest of FABL goes elsewhere, the Minutemen say they will play tune-up games against Virginia college and military base teams. Other clubs have held off from making definite plans until after the meeting, although many are said to have tentatively reserved accommodations and ball facilities in various Carolina, Georgia and Virginia towns. It is looking as that will become the likely solution although some, like Detroit Dynamos Assistant General Manager Mike Walton, do not rule out training at home if the season start is delayed by two or three weeks. "We've got two or three alternate sites as Lakeland is likely out," says Walton. "In fact, if the opener is postponed there is a good chance we likely will stay at home and train in Detroit." "As for all this talk about merging the two Associations for the duration," Walton added, "and then divide them into East-West sections -- that won't do at all. The Federal Association and Continental must keep their identities." * TWIN BILLS WOULD BE HELPFUL * Other problems expected to be discussed today all hinge around the spring training discussion outcome - such as delaying the season's inauguration to provide better weather for training in camps nearer home. Once the opening date is settled, the next issue is whether to continue the standard 154-game schedule or trim it closer to the 1919 proportions of 126. The 154-game program could be dovetailed into the shorter season by cramming in double-headers. The flexible scheduling of additional twin bills could take care of extra games arising from longer series to eliminate one-day stands and from open dates proposed between long swings to allow more travel by day coaches. There is clearly much on the agenda today for Sam Belton to update owners with. FORESTERS SET TO LEAD-OFF FABL DRAFT While the FABL rookie draft has been overshadowed of late with all of concerns about getting spring training and the actual 1943 campaign sorted out, FABL General Managers are busy making final preparations for the amateur player draft which should see selections being announced over the next few weeks. Finally, after enduring so much bad news with player after player joining the war effort, the 16 clubs will actually get a chance to restock those now threadbare shelves with the best of the high school and college talent available. Of course there is no guarantee that Selective Service may decide to wrestle a number of those top picks away from the ball magnates as soon as they graduate in the spring. The top pick will belong to the Cleveland Foresters for the second time in three years. In 1940 the Foresters chose New York High School pitching phenom Hiram Steinberg, who single-handedly rewrote the prep pitching record books, with the first selection. Now 20 years old, Steinberg split last season between Class B and A and, as the third best prospect in the game according to OSA, is projected to make his big league debut in 1944. There is no clear-cut number one like Steinberg was two years ago but in August TWIFB ranked the potential first rounders this way. Code: # NAME POS AGE SCHOOL HOMETOWN 1 Homer Mills SS 20 Wesson College East Chicago, IL 2 Jim Adams Jr. SS 20 St Ignatius Philadelphia, PA 3 Bill Gifford 3B 17 San Diego (CA) HS San Diego, CA 4 Jim Carter RHP 20 Ellery College Quincy, MA 5 Bob Newcomer C 20 Ceasar Rodney Auburn, ME 6 Hoppy Johnson RHP 20 Charleston Tech Birmingham, AL 7 Sid Kling OF 17 McKinley HS, Buffalo Buffalo, NY 8 Ed Haynes Jr. C 17 Austin (TX) HS Austin, TX 9 Roy Baker RHP 16 Key West (FL) HS Miami, FL 10 Wally Boyer CF 17 Hokendauque (PA) HS New York, NY 11 Walt Harris SS 21 Georgia Baptist Los Angeles, CA 12 Al Hill 3B 17 Allderdice HS, Pittsb. Pittsburgh, PA 13 Frankie Gonnella 3B 20 Canton State Newark, NJ 14 Jim Waters OF 20 Maryland State Brooklyn, NY 15 Frank Wood C 17 Bell (CA) HS Los Angeles, CA 16 Jimmy Snyder SS 20 Central Illinois Univ. St. Paul, MN As for the Foresters this will be the fifth time they select first overall. If one ignores 1926 top pick Karl Stevens, the Foresters certainly have made out very well with the top selection landing the greatest slugger in the history of the sport in Max Morris and a likely future Hall of Fame shortstop in Harry Barrell. FORESTERS FIRST OVERALL SELECTIONS 1940 Hiram Steinberg P 1931 Harry Barrell SS 1926 Karl Stevens OF 1913 Max Morris P/OF NO SURPRISE AS NOBLE JONES COLLEGE IS #1 The polls confirmed the obvious as 12-0 Noble Jones College was named the AIAA football National Champion. It marks the third time in Colonels history that their grid squad has been named the nation's best with the previous two coming in 1910 and then again just 4 seasons ago. The state of Georgia factored very heavily in the polls with the Georgia Baptist Gators, who's lone loss was to Noble Jones, placing second and Georgia Pre-Flight holding down the fourth spot and the highest placing among the military squads, just ahead of Great Lakes Navy. Here are the final rankings. Code: [b] 1942 COLLEGE FOOTBALL NATIONAL RANKINGS 1 Noble Jones College (12-0) 2 Georgia Baptist (9-1-1) 3 Detroit City College (9-2) 4 Georgia Pre-Flight (7-2) 5 Great Lakes Navy (10-2) 6 Cumberland (10-1) 7 Miami State (8-0-1) 8 Central Ohio (8-2) 9 Commonwealth Catholic (7-2-1) 10 Boulder State (8-1) 11 St. Patrick's (8-1-1) 12 Brooklyn State (6-3) 13 Jacksonville Naval Air Station (9-3) 14 Daniel Boone College (10-2) 15 Bayou State (8-3) 16 Payne State (9-2) 17 Bluegrass State (7-3) 18 Sunnyvale (7-0-2) 19 St. Blane (7-3-1) 20 Alabama Baptist (7-3-1) No changes at the top of the college basketball heap as CCLA, Liberty College and Detroit City College continue to hold down the top three spots. Code: AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS # Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. CC Los Angeles (32) 12-0 1753 1 West Coast Athletic Association 2. Liberty College (30) 14-0 1739 2 Northeast Conference 3. Detroit City College (10) 12-0 1692 3 Great Lakes Alliance 4. St. Ignatius 10-2 1512 6 Great Lakes Alliance 5. Coastal California 10-1 1444 4 West Coast Athletic Association 6. Central Ohio 11-1 1364 10 Great Lakes Alliance 7. Minnesota Tech 12-0 1353 8 Great Lakes Alliance 8. Chesapeake State 12-1 1323 7 South Atlantic Conference 9. Lane State 11-1 1313 11 West Coast Athletic Association 10. Great Plains State 16-2 1216 12 Independent 11. Western Iowa 9-1 1050 9 Great Lakes Alliance 12. St. Magnus 11-0 1035 13 Great Lakes Alliance 13. North Carolina Tech 13-2 979 5 South Atlantic Conference 14. Carolina Poly 11-2 873 14 South Atlantic Conference 15. St. Patrick's 11-2 769 16 Northeast Conference 16. Whitney College 8-2 685 18 Great Lakes Alliance 17. Alabama Baptist 11-2 684 19 Deep South Conference 18. Brooklyn State 9-3 573 17 Northeast Conference 19. Rainier College 8-3 527 15 West Coast Athletic Association 20. Garden State 8-4 375 21 Northeast Conference 21. Hamman 14-3 342 NR Independent 22. Elyria 10-3 276 22 Independent 23. Richmond State 9-3 163 NR South Atlantic Conference 24. Northern California 8-4 89 25 West Coast Athletic Association 25. Wisconsin State 9-3 85 NR Great Lakes Alliance Others Receiving Votes: College of San Diego 10-3 78 California League Portland Tech 8-3 59 West Coast Athletic Association Bardney 8-3 29 Independent Central Kentucky 8-3 17 Deep South Conference Coastal State 9-4 2 South Atlantic Conference Lawrence State 11-4 1 Plains Athletic Association LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS MONDAY JANUARY 4 #2 Liberty College 49 Sadler 27 #4 St Ignatius 46 Queen City 38 #5 Coastal California 38 Quaker College (CA) 28 #7 Minnesota Tech 52 Portland Tech 42 #9 Lane State 48 Eastern Kansas 36 #11 Western Iowa 54 Topeka State 32 Utah A&M 36 #19 Rainier College 28 TUESDAY JANUARY 5 #8 Chesapeake State 58 Henry Hudson 42 #10 Great Plains State 58 Lambert College 48 #12 St Magnus 55 Iowa A&M 41 #16 Whitney College 52 Erie 44 #23 Richmond State 54 NW New York State 44 #24 Northern California 46 Kit Carson University 34 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 6 #1 CC Los Angeles 52 College of Cairo 35 #6 Central Ohio 52 #22 Elyria 28 #7 Minnesota Tech 50 Poweshiek 40 #15 St Patrick's 56 Jersey City Tech 49 #17 Alabama Baptist 56 Perry State College 39 #21 Hamman 39 Western State 27 #25 Wisconsin State 58 Fond du Lac 30 THURSDAY JANUARY 7 #3 Detroit City College 49 #20 Garden State 35 #4 St Ignatius 56 Holland 49 #9 Lane State 43 Golden Gate 36 #10 Great Plains State 55 Berwick 47 #12 St Magnus 50 Rock Island 43 Queen City 51 #13 North Carolina Tech 43 #19 Rainier College 50 Colorado Poly 30 Georgia Baptist 33 Capital(MS) University 31 Brunswick 49 Annapolis Maritime 37 Commonwealth Catholic 47 St Blane 38 FRIDAY JANUARY 8 #16 Whitney College 67 Daniel Boone College 64 #21 Hamman 50 Harrisburg State 31 SATURDAY JANUARY 9 #2 Liberty College 42 Henry Hudson 27 #5 Coastal California 63 Lincoln 43 $6 Central Ohio 41 St Matthew's College 37 #13 North Carolina Tech 58 Armstrong 50 #14 Carolina Poly 55 Georgia Baptist 45 #15 St Patrick's 47 Troy State (NY) 40 #17 Alabama Baptist 44 Ferguson 38 #18 Brooklyn State 45 Annapolis Maritime 33 #18 Rainier College 53 Kit Carson University 46 #22 Elyria 45 Pittsburgh State 38 Commonwealth Catholic 45 Grafton 38 SUNDAY JANUARY 10 #3 Detroit City College 58 Canton State 39 #9 Lane State 48 Mobile Maritime 40 #21 Hamman 58 Sunnyvale 42 Michigan Lutheran 50 Noble Jones College 38 Rome State 45 Valley State 44 The Knights came up with a strong effort on the big stage at the Bigsby Gardens last Wednesday with a 49-35 win over Garden State. It was the second time the two squads met this season and in both cases Detroit City prevailed. DCC got off to a quick start and led by 9 at the break. Andrew Bennett led the way with 13 points while star guard Roman Sollars and forward Hilton Brogdon each added 12. Freshman David Bobo, with 8 points, was the top score for the Redbirds. On Saturday the Knights improved to 12-0 on the year with a 58-39 win over Canton State. Sollars had 14 points while Adolph Duckworth added 12 and Andrew Bennett scored 10 in the victory. THE WEEK AHEAD Just one more game before the Great Lakes Alliance conference schedule gets underway. Detroit City College will face 4-8 Utah A&M at home in it's final tune-up game. That one goes Friday night and is part of a busy week for the visiting Aggies, who also play fifth ranked Coastal California and South Valley State this week. The Aggies are part of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Alliance and have made the year end tournament 5 times in the past nine years and 8 times overall but have yet to win a tournament game. Their top player is John King, a senior guard out of Winslow, Arizona. Here is a look at the Knights stats so far this season. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 1/10/1943 In his address to Congress, President Roosevelt says the Allies intend to go on the offensive with 3 major objectives for 1943: 1- the opening of a second front in Europe itself; 2- Major offensive actions against the Japanese; and 3- Relentless aerial attacks against the Axis in Europe and Japan proper. Little cracks are beginning to appear in the structure of the German home front as the Reich finds itself in the fourth Winter of war. Those cracks can be widened by Allied victories and by additional hardships which the German civilian population must undergo, but British officials feel it would be false optimism to say that structure is in imminent danger of collapse. The US Navy added a battleship to the list of it's vessels that have made history in the Pacific war. The unidentified battleship is credited with destroying 32 Japanese planes and 4 warcraft in 2 battles and it joins the cruisers Boise and San Francisco in having been cited for distinguished service. US and Australian troops have wiped out the last Japanese resistance in the Buna area of northern New Guinea. Nazi forces in Russia are in jeopardy and the British Labor Minister said there is no doubt in his mind that before many weeks Adolf Hitler would be faced with the greatest disaster of the war. Sicily is the latest Italian city to be blasted by R.A.F. bombers in a large nighttime raid. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

07-13-2022, 11:15 AM	#469
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	February 1, 1943 FEBRUARY 1, 1943 FABL PLANS ANOTHER MONSTER WAR FUND PROGRAM Conferences between FABL President Sam Belton and several owners continued over the past week but for a change they had little to do with the manpower situation. The group instead, concerned itself with the organization of a war effort program for the two Associations. Insofar as baseball's relationship to the Manpower Commission was concerned, Belton said all that need be said at the baseball writers dinner over the weekend. Virtually charged by Freddie Farhat, Detroit World columnist, with dereliction of duty in failing to lobby Washington for the case of baseball being deemed an essential industry and exempt from the draft, Belton said he could not be placed in the position of looking for special consideration, and preferred to let the 60 million fans do the lobbying for the game, and for him. This left the case for baseball with the people. It does now seem certain that the 1943 season would get underway as advertised, and after being approved by the owners only unforeseen circumstances would result in anything short of the full 154 games being played. As for the manpower issues, Farhat's point was echoed by some in attendance -that Belton and the magnates should have pushed harder to limit the drafting of players- but with the sheer number of enlistments the game would have suffered from a player shortage even without Selective Service callups. However, an important announcement is anticipated next week from the War Manpower Board and it has the potential to have a catastrophic impact on the sport. Belton refused to speculate on the impending news from the WMB, saying baseball would follow whatever the government decided. The meeting between Belton and the owners was focused almost exclusively on the topic of raising funds for the war effort, something Army Relief had said it would gladly accept. Navy and Air Force relief, did not comment but it was clear they too would be beneficiaries of the baseball program. Nothing official was released by the loop President, other than Belton saying the 16 clubs would be making major contributions to the war effort. TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN WOLVES IN THE WAR Now that it appears the Wolves organization has settled to where they should be in 1943 plans must begin for the season. It appears that the Wolves will end up losing a total of 55 players to the war effort. The questions and answers that had been on all fans minds are as follows: 1: Where the Wolves hit hardest in the FABL? Although they lost an number of marquis FABL players, whose names do not have to mentioned, they were about middle of the road on losses, some teams lost more, other less than Toronto. Management's view down to manager Charlie Reed is that there is no sense crying over spilt milk make the best of what you have left for players. 2: What does the future hold? Everyone wants to know the answer to that question. The basic plan is to run all minor league teams at less than full rosters to both minimize travel costs and allow playing time for all. This maybe a chance to discover players that have been overlooked in the past due to the number of bodies on minor league teams. At the FABL level there will be a lot of experimentation when ST begins in Chattanooga, there will many players who have been languishing in Buffalo invited to Tennessee for a critical evaluation. Most teams in the system will be carrying less than 25 players. The shock of the hit to Toronto's elite prospects has opened the door for others to move up the system at an accelerated pace. 3: Will there be a decline in the quality of baseball? Of course there will be at the Major League level, with the number of star players, those on the cusp of being recognized as stars that have gone to serve their countries heeding a higher calling in their lives. At levels below the top the game maybe in better shape, players will be moved along to prove their abilities at higher levels instead of being caught in the numbers game. The Wolves have also contacted all their players to insure they are not thinking of enlisting but cannot predicted who will be drafted into the service. Toronto has also contacted a multitude of former players throughout Canada and the US about acting as unpaid scouts. This an attempt to find players who have matured later or been overlooked that are now playing on sandlots. Unpaid is a bit of a misnomer as commissions will be paid if the Wolves sign a player. 4: What about the 1943 draft? With early phase of the draft beginning this is an opportunity that youngsters may never have again, with the total number of players declining in the system these players will have a chance to display their talents earlier than previously drafted players. The fear in the back of everyone's mind is how draftees will not report and go off to serve in the conflict. "BOYS ASKED MILLION QUESTIONS ON GAME," SAYS CLEAVES, BACK FROM HAWAIIAN TRIP Jack Cleaves had just returned from a journey which took him from Pearl Harbor in Hawaii to his home in Pittsburgh. He was tanned, he was overweight and he clearly had been enjoying himself. Most of all he was enthusiastic. Cleaves had something on his mind. He had concluded a job which truly had been a labor of love. He had volunteered to help the Red Cross during the winter months when he could get away from baseball. He had been sent to the islands in the Pacific. His work finished, now he was home; but he didn't think the job was finished until he had given out a message. "The chief topic with the boys I saw in the Pacific is sports," he declared. "That's what they want to talk about - sports. They want sports news. They asked me a million questions on baseball. They wanted my impressions of the World Championship Series. They brought up the argument of who was better Lefty Allen or Rabbit Day. How good a hitter was Max Morris they asked? Could the Miners win next season without my brother? Their questions on baseball varied, depending on what part of the country they came from. They get a mimeographed sheet every day from OWI and they eat up the baseball, football and basketball scores." * THEY WANT THE SCRIPTURE OF SPORTS* "Up in some military camp I saw a copy of This Week in Figment Baseball which had been passed around for a month. It had come to a fellow named Elmer Glick and certainly had gone the rounds. They just couldn't get more copies so they did the next best thing - they tried to make the one copy they had last as long and go as far as possible." "Some fellow phoned me about that. He said he would be willing to handle a batch of copies of TWIFB if I could arrange to have them sent there. The best thing I could do was write Jiggs McGee, the editor, and put him on the job of attempting to see that those soldiers in the Pacific received the "Scripture of Sports," the paper they enjoyed so much. "My general impression of the soldiers I saw is that, without a doubt, they are the best fed, got the best medical care and are in the greatest condition of any body of men in the world. My trip was sponsored by the Red Cross, which is doing a great job. Whenever there are men in service, the Red Cross has men to assist. When I arrived on the islands, the Red Cross turned me over to the Special Service Branch of the Army, and it was under it's jurisdiction that I made trips to various bases and military hospitals. My headquarters were at Honolulu. A major announcement is expected this week from the War Manpower Department, one which could have significant impact on professional sports including baseball. It is expected that for a number of occupations deemed 'non-essential' to the war effort all deferment requests - including ones previously granted to married men between 18 and 38 - will no longer apply. The worry for FABL magnates is will baseball be on the non-essential list? If so, it likely means that before Opening Day hundreds of married professional ballplayers who had previously been deferred, may find themselves drafted and in the Army by the end of April. There is a chance baseball, and other sports, are not placed on the non-essential list at this time, but it is also almost assured they will not be on the essential list either so the door could be open for deferments to be rescinded at any time. It is this refusal to pressure Washington to label baseball an "essential wartime industry' on the basis of what it does for the country's morale that caused several scribes, most notably Freddie Farhat of the Detroit World, to blast FABL President Sam Belton and the writers dinner over the weekend for his inaction on the matter. Belton, and all of baseball, are just in a very sticky situation and the FABL boss rightly points out how bad a position the game would be in should it push for special treatment. "I don't want a story coming out of Washington that would justify the inference that we are seeking any better treatment or exemptions from the conditions of war," explained Belton. Privately, the owners whisper that their hope is the general public, and baseball fans specifically, take up their cause and pressure The White House to allow the game to continue. However, the sport is rapidly running out of quality ball players. To date at all levels of professional baseball there are over 950 players now in the armed forces. Next week's announcement could cripple the sport, or provide it with a life line. The FABL rookie player draft is about to get underway. So time for another mock top five but this time around we are going with the Nickname edition 5- Bobby 'Spuddy' Ritter from Idaho of course 4- Bob 'Dustpan' Taylor a SS so I assume he is not quite a vacuum yet but getting there 3- Ralph 'Hamlet' Grant from Denmark, Wi -impressed any ballplayer would get the reference 2- Charlie K Johnson The Sing Sing Kid from Ossining, NY #1 Monty 'Salt Water' Taaffe INJURY TO QUINTANA DERAILS COYOTES After winning 26 consecutive conference games and starting this season with 15 straight victories the City College of Los Angeles Coyotes have dropped 3 of their last 4 and their tournament hopes just might be jeopardy. It is no coincidence that the losing started in the game junior forward Joe Quintana -their leading scorer and an All-WCAA selection a year ago- went down with an injury after suffering what later was diagnosed as a broken jaw in the first half of their game with Coastal California. Without Quintana for the final 31 minutes of that contest the Coyotes fell 48-42. They did rebound with a win over Idaho A&M in their next game but lost twice this past week -to conference foes Redwood and Rainier College- and have slipped to 2-3 in WCAA play and sixth in the polls. The worry is Quintana could be sidelined up to another 3 weeks and CCLA might be just 2-9 in conference play at that point. Meanwhile Coastal California and Rainier College are both 5-0 in WCAA play heading into a big showdown between the two schools in Los Angeles on Sunday. Code: AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS # Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Liberty College (44) 18-1 1771 3 Northeast Conference 2. Coastal California (28) 17-1 1755 2 West Coast Athletic Association 3. St. Ignatius 14-3 1648 10 Great Lakes Alliance 4. Detroit City College 14-3 1568 4 Great Lakes Alliance 5. North Carolina Tech 15-2 1452 7 South Atlantic Conference 6. CC Los Angeles 16-3 1449 1 West Coast Athletic Association 7. Great Plains State 22-3 1408 5 Independent 8. Chesapeake State 17-1 1294 8 South Atlantic Conference 9. Western Iowa 15-2 1224 9 Great Lakes Alliance 10. Rainier College 15-3 1108 14 West Coast Athletic Association 11. Central Ohio 15-3 1072 6 Great Lakes Alliance 12. St. Patrick's 16-3 1023 13 Northeast Conference 13. Brooklyn State 13-4 964 11 Northeast Conference 14. Carolina Poly 15-3 839 17 South Atlantic Conference 15. Alabama Baptist 16-2 782 16 Deep South Conference 16. Minnesota Tech 15-3 744 12 Great Lakes Alliance 17. Lane State 15-3 667 15 West Coast Athletic Association 18. St. Magnus 14-3 614 18 Great Lakes Alliance 19. Whitney College 12-5 479 24 Great Lakes Alliance 20. Annapolis Maritime 19-6 418 21 Independent 21. Elyria 17-4 370 20 Independent 22. Hamman 17-4 232 19 Independent 23. Garden State 11-7 209 22 Northeast Conference 24. St Andrews College 14-4 122 23 Deep South Conference 25. Chicago Poly 16-6 112 NR Independent Others Receiving Votes: Brooklyn Catholic 16-6 32 Independent Gates University 13-4 21 California League Rome State 17-7 7 Independent Darnell State 13-5 7 Southwestern Alliance Queen City 14-8 3 Independent Central Kentucky 12-5 2 Deep South Conference Northern California 9-9 2 West Coast Athletic Association Lawrence State 14-5 2 Plains Athletic Association LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS MONDAY JANUARY 25 #12 St Patrick's 45 Commonwealth Catholic 36 #21 Elyria 57 Eastern State 48 Western Florida 54 #23 Garden State 45 St Blane 42 Cesar Rodney 41 TUESDAY JANUARY 26 Texas Panhandle 51 #22 Hamman 46 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 27 #1 Liberty College 46 St Martin's College 38 #13 Brooklyn State 56 St Matthew's College 38 #23 Garden State 45 St Pancras 42 #24 St Andrew's College 51 Mississippi Tech 37 St Blane 47 Granville 44 THURSDAY JANUARY 28 #3 St Ignatius 70 #16 Minnesota Tech 59 #4 Detroit City College 53 #18 St Magnus 37 #5 North Carolina Tech 54 Alexandria 41 #9 Western Iowa 51 Indiana A&M 46 #14 Carolina Poly 44 Petersburg 29 #19 Whitney College 50 #11 Central Ohio 40 #20 Annapolis Maritime 43 Pueblo State 33 FRIDAY JANUARY 29 #2 Coastal California 46 Portland Tech 41 Redwood 50 #6 CC Los Angeles 39 #10 Rainier College 48 #17 Lane State 36 #21 Elyria 39 Orrville 30 SATURDAY JANUARY 30 #1 Liberty College 60 Commonwealth Catholic 36 #3 St Ignatius 65 #4 Detroit City College 52 #8 Chesapeake State 55 Cowpens State 42 #12 St Patrick's 48 #13 Brooklyn State 45 #14 Carolina Poly 74 Bulein 64 #15 Alabama Baptist 57 Baton Rogue State 30 #16 Minnesota Tech 59 Lincoln 46 #18 St Magnus 47 #11 Central Ohio 45 #19 Whitney College 50 #9 Western Iowa 46 #20 Annapolis Maritime 43 Jersey City Tech 28 #22 Hamman 44 Tallmadge State 34 #24 St Andrew's College 54 Georgia Baptist 42 #25 Chicago Poly 57 Strub College 51 Noble Jones College 45 Bayou State 44 SUNDAY JANUARY 31 #2 Coastal California 55 Idaho A&M 37 #10 Rainier College 45 #6 CC Los Angeles 37 #17 Lane State 48 Portland Tech 36 #21 Elyria 52 Centerville 42 For the second week in a row the Detroit City College Knights split their two conference games this week. On Thursday the Knights won at home, beating 18th ranked St Magnus 53-37. Roman Sollars again had a quiet game, scoring just 6 points for DCC but Andrew Bennett, with 16, and Adolph Duckworth, who added 14, picked up the slack. Three sport star Pat Chappell led the way for the visiting Vikings with a 14 point outing. Saturday afternoon brought the Knights cross-state rivals from Lansing to the Motor City. Junior guard Norman Yates stole the show for the visitors as the St. Ignatius guard scored a career high 28 points as the Lancers opened an 11 point lead at the break and then coasted to a 65-52 victory. That win moved St Ignatius up to third in the polls, one spot ahead of Detroit City College. The good news for the Knights was that Roman Sollars got back on track with an 18 point showing. As for Yates and his 28 points, that was just 3 shy of the conference record co-held by Chris Davis of Central Ohio and Jeffrey Biles from Minnesota Tech. St Ignatius is now 4-0 (14-3 overall) and alone atop the GLA standings with Western Iowa and St Magnus tied for second at 3-1. The 2-2 Knights are one of 4 teams at .500 THE WEEK AHEAD The Knights head out on the road with stops in Milwaukee on Thursday at Wisconsin State (11-6) and a visit to Minneapolis on Saturday to face Minnesota Tech (15-3). Wisconsin State would be the least successful team in the Great Lakes Alliance over the years, having made the year end National Tournament just once in their history. The last time the Brewers had a winning record in conference play was when they went 9-7 in 1930-31. Their top player this season is Kevin Campbell, a senior forward who is averaging 10.7 ppg. Minnesota Tech is a school on the rise. The Lakers made the tournament last season with a 21-9 record, marking their first invite since 1912. They got off to a great start this season with 14 straight wins including victories over ranked opponents Annapolis Maritime and Great Plains State but they stumbled in GLA play with losses in each of their first 3 conference games. All three were ranked and the first two on the road as they lost to St Magnus and Western Iowa in the opening week before dropping their home opener 70-59 to St Ignatius last Thursday. The Lakers did get their first conference win of the season on Saturday when they dumped Lincoln College 59-46 in Springfield. Minnesota State is led by a pair of juniors, each averaging over 10 points per game, in forwards Thomas Cozart and Russell Geisler. Cozart was an All-GWA selection last season as a sophomore. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 1/31/1943 President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill, meeting in Casablanca, are believed to have laid out a master war plan for 1943 designed to bring about the "unconditional surrender" of Axis forces in Europe. The Russian military estimates that more than 40% of the Axis troops and equipment on the eastern front has been knocked out or badly smashed in the two month long Soviet winter offensive. On the 10th anniversary of the Nazi accession to power, Field Marshall Goering called on the 80 million people of Germany to sacrifice everything, including life, for the existence of the Reich. Nazis have arrested 40,000 in the harbor area of Marseilles, Mediterranean port of France, and moved them to a concentration camp because "many state enemies, including many Jews," were active in the district. Thieves escaped with gasoline rationing coupons calling for over 15 million gallons of gasoline after a break-in at a New York OPA office. There have been a number of reported thefts of ration books but this one was by far the largest. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports Last edited by Jiggs McGee; 07-13-2022 at 11:18 AM.

07-14-2022, 09:45 AM	#470
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	February 8, 1943 FEBRUARY 8, 1943 BASEBALL'S DEATH LOOMS THROUGH McNUTT EDICT No Assurances Given Draft Won't Catch All Pro Athletes Puts Scare into FABL and the AFA by the Associated Press FABL and other professional sports, already facing stringent travel and other restrictions, escaped what might have been a final crushing blow when they were omitted from the list of activities considered non-essential for draft purposes, but along with thousands of other young wage earners with children, professional athletes have no assurance that their induction will be postponed long. Although the War Manpower Commission's list skirted the sports field by singling out greenskeepers and the boys who make a living gambling on the races, the play-for-pay athletes were not included among those who face induction after April 1 regardless of their dependents. * GAME DESIRABLE, NOT ESSENTIAL * WMC Chairman Paul V. McNutt, one time sandlot player who previously has said he considered pro baseball and football "desirable, but not essential," warned that the first list of non-deferrable classifications was "just the beginning." He backed this up with a prediction that 10 out of every 15 men between 18 and 38 -spanning the ages of most athletes- would be in the armed service by the year's end. Other manpower officials said there hadn't been any discussion of the future lists of non-deferrables and emphasized that it would be "sheer guess work" to speculate on the prospects for professional athletes. Several sports authorities met the new draft order with silence. "No comment" was the two-word response from Sam Belton, President of FABL, while the office of the American Football Association did not issue any reply at all when questioned. Washington Eagles owner William Stockdale, who has had many discussions with various government officials, declared that baseball is prepared to take whatever orders the Government deems necessary, but added he hoped some means of continuing the sport will be worked out. Others echoed those sentiments. The Great Western League office issued a statement saying in part "Baseball does not want to be classed as an essential business. The idea of women, physically deficient men and others working in war industries and having able-bodied men playing baseball would seem incongruous." So baseball, and other professional sports, must once more take a wait-and-see approach. The owners will start the 1943 season. The question remains, however, whether or not there will be enough players left come September to be able to complete it. FORESTERS TAKE ADAMS JR WITH TOP PICK Amidst all of the uncertainty over baseball the league continued it's tradition of drafting the top college and high school talent as the first phase of FABL's annual player draft. The Cleveland Foresters, picking first for the second time in three years made shortstop Jim Adams Jr. the top selection. The college star from St Ignatius is the son of Jim Adams, who played a dozen seasons at shortstop for the Keystones and Wolves. Jr. was a second team All-American selection as a freshman. The Washington Eagles followed with the catcher Bob Newcomer, as the second choice. The 20 year old from Cesar Rodney College in Delaware was a second team All-American selection this past season. Rounds 1 thru 3 continue over the coming days with the remainder of the 25 round FABL draft to be completed in June. COUGARS HARDEST HIT BY WAR-TIME LOSSES Percy Sutherland of the Chicago Herald-Examiner recently took a look to see which FABL franchise had lost the most to war effort. Now, of course there are many ways to measure that and some might argue the loss of young prospects is just as big a hit to some teams as that of veteran stars is to others. Percy decided for his study to simply look at the career impact of those that have left for the service. Using one of his newfangled stats concocted along with his nephew- the Whitney College math guru- Sutherland is using as a measuring stick something he calls WaR or wins above replacement. Seems like a fitting name for a stat to measure losses to the military so here are the career WaR totals for players who have left each organization for the military. From below it certainly looks like the Chicago Cougars, and much of the Continental Association as a whole, has been hit a lot harder than their Federal Association counterparts. Code: Team WAR Cougars 157.2 Cincinnati 86.0 Stars 84.7 Pittsburgh 81.6 Toronto 76.9 Brooklyn 61.5 Sailors 57.2 Boston 56.7 Chiefs 42.3 Detroit 40.5 Gothams 33.3 St. Louis 27.6 Montreal 24.3 Keystones 18.6 Washington 6.0 Cleveland 3.6 War Manpower Commission head Paul McNutt's statements this week, putting an end to deferments for married men in non-essential occupations has sent a chill through baseball circles. The magnates had always had some degree of worry but I would say the general feeling on the chances of baseball completing the season have never been worse. One of them went so far as to tell me that "we (baseball) are now living on borrowed time." A Federal Association GM, who declined to be identified, is a little more optimistic: "In a way." he said "I felt encouraged when I read this modified 'work-or-fight' order. I was worried we might not even get off the ground this season but now I feel, that we, at least, will start in April. It's my belief or perhaps I should say it's my hunch that no new occupations will be added to the list for awhile. Yesterday's order will be effective April 1 and there will be 30-day extensions. It may be along about July 1 before the Government decides whether the order has produced enough manpower. By then the season will be half over and we may be able to go through the complete campaign before an order affecting ball players would become effective." Others are far less confident and feel the blow may come sooner than that and when it does they may, as Gothams Assistant General Manager George Rinkenberger put-it, "close the gates." There aren't enough ball players under 18 or over 38 to man a club in the Lone Star Association much less 16 big league teams. HEAVIEST ACTION IS DUE IN EAST AS COLLEGES BEGIN STRETCH DRIVE Here is a quick trip around the college basketball hoop. EAST - Plenty of excitement in the Northeast Conference with 6-2 St Patrick's holding a slim half game lead on Brooklyn State, Garden State and Liberty. The Bells are 19-2 overall and ranked number one in the nation but both of their losses are to conference foes including a 53-44 defeat last Monday at Garden State. The Bells did get back on a winning note with a victory over St Pancras on Saturday. St Patrick's, which is the other school to beat Liberty this season, tripped up Saturday at Frankford State, falling 43-41. With wins over Pierpont and Henry Hudson last week, Dickson leads the Academia Alliance with a 6-1 record, good for a 1 game lead on both Brunswick and Grafton. SOUTH -Big things are expected of Alabama Baptist this season as the Panthers ran their overall record to 18-2 with a pair of Deep South Conference wins last week. Chesapeake State is now 4-0 in South Atlantic play and 19-1 overall after the 6th ranked Clippers won twice on the road last week, at Petersburg and Columbia Military Academy. MIDWEST - St Ignatius fell 67-62 at home to Central Ohio on Saturday, dropping the third ranked Lancers to 5-1 in Great Lakes Alliance play and 15-4 overall. St Magus is also 5-1 with Central Ohio and Western Iowa a game off the pace. It has been a rough three weeks for Detroit City College as the Knights continue to alternate a win with a loss in conference play and are 3-3 after beating Wisconsin State but losing to Minnesota Tech last week. WEST -Rainer College made Coastal California fans take notices as the Majestics rode a 14-point game from Gary Harrison to a 39-32 win over the Dolphins Sunday afternoon, leaving both schools deadlocked for the West Coast Athletic Association lead at 6-1. CC Los Angeles dropped another game this week and the Coyotes are one of three teams tied at 4-3. Code: AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS # Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Liberty College (63) 19-2 1791 1 Northeast Conference 2. Coastal California (8) 18-2 1734 2 West Coast Athletic Association 3. St. Ignatius 15-4 1593 3 Great Lakes Alliance 4. CC Los Angeles 18-3 1539 6 West Coast Athletic Association 5. Detroit City College 15-4 1497 4 Great Lakes Alliance 6. Chesapeake State 19-1 1452 8 South Atlantic Conference 7. Great Plains State (1) 23-3 1390 7 Independent 8. Central Ohio 17-3 1309 11 Great Lakes Alliance 9. North Carolina Tech 16-3 1275 5 South Atlantic Conference 10. Rainier College 16-4 1147 10 West Coast Athletic Association 11. Western Iowa 16-3 1100 9 Great Lakes Alliance 12. St. Patrick's 17-4 970 12 Northeast Conference 13. Carolina Poly 16-3 895 14 South Atlantic Conference 14. Alabama Baptist 18-2 894 15 Deep South Conference 15. Minnesota Tech 16-4 747 16 Great Lakes Alliance 16. St. Magnus 16-3 741 18 Great Lakes Alliance 17. Brooklyn State 14-5 728 13 Northeast Conference 18. Lane State 15-5 518 17 West Coast Athletic Association 19. Annapolis Maritime 21-6 503 20 Independent 20. Garden State 13-7 452 23 Northeast Conference 21. Chicago Poly 19-6 386 25 Independent 22. Elyria 17-5 289 21 Independent 23. Whitney College 12-7 122 19 Great Lakes Alliance 24. Darnell State 15-5 118 NR Southwestern Alliance 25. Hamman 17-5 117 22 Independent Others Receiving Votes: St. Blane 16-7 26 Independent St Andrews College 15-5 20 Deep South Conference Gates University 14-5 16 California League Brooklyn Catholic 17-7 14 Independent Rome State 18-8 7 Independent Ohio Poly 16-10 5 Independent Lambert College 16-8 4 Midwestern Association Central Kentucky 13-6 1 Deep South Conference LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS MONDAY FEBRUARY 1 #20 Garden State 53 #1 Liberty College 44 #12 St Patrick's 51 St Pancras 44 Rome State 41 Bliss College 33 TUESDAY FEBRUARY 2 #7 Great Plains State 51 Dakota College 43 #21 Chicago Poly 56 Needham 36 St Blane 51 Smithfield College 47 WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 3 #14 Alabama Baptist 52 Noble Jones College 44 #17 Brooklyn State 51 Frankford State 45 #19 Annapolis Maritime 44 Central Maryland 43 Orrville 45 #25 Hamman 38 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 4 #3 St Ignatius 46 #23 Whitney College 37 #5 Detroit City College 48 Wisconsin State 31 #6 Chesapeake State 56 Columbia Military Academy 47 #8 Central Ohio 44 #11 Western Iowa 36 #9 North Carolina Tech 58 Central Carolina 49 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5 #2 Coastal California 47 Northern California 37 #4 CC Los Angeles 48 Spokane State 31 Idaho A&M 53 #18 Lane State 41 #21 Chicago Poly 57 Hartford Wesleyan 27 #24 Darnell State 55 Canyon A&M 47 SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6 #1 Liberty College 49 St Pancras 36 #6 Chesapeake State 44 Petersburg 40 #8 Central Ohio 67 #3 St Ignatius 62 Bulein 44 #9 North Carolina Tech 43 #11 Western Iowa 64 Wisconsin State 44 Frankford State 43 #12 St Patrick's 41 #13 Carolina Poly 52 Lexington State 49 #14 Alabama Baptist 51 Bluegrass State 31 #15 Minnesota Tech 68 #5 Detroit City College 58 #16 St Magnus 40 Indiana A&M 33 St Martin's College 44 #17 Brooklyn State 35 #19 Annapolis Maritime 60 Bronx Tech 48 #20 Garden State 52 Commonwealth Catholic 40 Lincoln 58 #23 Whitney College 53 #24 Darnell State 50 Travis College 47 Noble Jones College 50 Opelika State 40 St Blane 54 St Matthew's College 52 SUNDAY FEBRUARY 7 #10 Rainier College 39 #2 Coastal California 32 #4 CC Los Angeles 58 Northern California 40 Redwood 33 #18 Lane State 31 #21 Chicago Poly 51 Eastern Virginia 44 The Knights continue to struggle in Great Lakes Alliance play, dropping to 3-3 and their 15-4 overall record sees the slide to 5th in this week's college basketball poll. The weak started well enough with a 48-31 win on the road over Wisconsin State behind a 19 point outing from Roman Sollars. Next up was Minnesota Tech and despite three Knights scoring in double-figures (Jack Kurtz 12, Sollars 11, Adolph Duckworth 10) the Knights were outscored 68-58 by the now 15th ranked Lakers. THE WEEK AHEAD A pair of home games this week but neither will be easy as first the Knights welcome Western Iowa (16-3) to the Motor City on Thursday followed by a rematch against 8th ranked Central Ohio (17-3). The Aviators flew past Detroit City College 74-62 last month in Columbus. As for Western Iowa, this will be the first and only meeting with the 11th ranked Canaries this season. Western Iowa is dealing with a couple of injuries but they have an outstanding guard tandem in junior Gerald Carter (13.7 ppg) and freshman Joe Hampton (4.9 ppg). Hampton is the former St Louis Pioneers pitching prospect who gave up the sport and returned to basketball in the fall. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 2/07/1943 President Roosevelt began the week by filling in key Congressional leaders on the outcome of secret meetings with Prime Minister Churchill in Casablanca last week. Paul McNutt, chairman of the War Manpower Commission announced that beginning April 1, men employed in 19 industries, 8 wholesale and retail trades and 9 services would cease being deferred "regardless of dependents." Secretary of Navy Knox says that the great battle for the Solomons has not yet developed but could be close as both sides engage in a series of "feeler" skirmishes. The battle of Stalingrad, one of the bloodiest of the war, nears it's end as Russians killed 900 more of the Germans pocketed in the northern area of the city and made prisoners of others. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

07-15-2022, 09:22 AM	#471
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	February 15, 1943 Draft Round 1 FEBRUARY 15, 1943 FABL DRAFT GOES ON DESPITE MANPOWER UNCERTAINTY The opening round of the FABL amateur player draft has been completed and for the first time since 1936 a pitcher was not among the top three selections. That year it was Sal Pestilli, Walt Messer and Billy Woytek at the head of the draft with the New York Stars ending the trend by selecting high school hurler Johnnie Jones with the fourth pick. Interestingly, you have to go all the way back to the 1923 draft -in the pre-human GM era- to find a first round that held off until at least the fifth pick before selecting a pitcher. Rabbit Day was the arm that broke the run in the '23 draft. So here we are 20 years later and it was not until Detroit tabbed New Orleans born high schooler Alf Keeter with the fourth selection did we hear a pitcher's name called. The top pick, as reported last week, was St. Ignatius shortstop Jim Adams Jr., son of the former Toronto and Philadelphia Keystones infielder by the same name, who was chosen by the Cleveland Forsters. Washington followed up with another college choice in catcher Bob Newcomer, out of Cesar Rodney. Next up was the Brooklyn Kings and they may have found their eventual replacement for slugging outfielder Al Wheeler in a Duluth, Minnesota high schooler by the name of Pat Petty. Most General Managers were in agreement the biggest surprise was the fact that two-time All-American shortstop Homer Mills slipped all the way to sixth in the draft when many of them felt he was the top player available. Mills, a Chicago-area native who plays his college ball at Weston in Ohio, was finally selected by the St Louis Pioneers with the sixth pick and, had Detroit not opted for Keeter, there is a likelihood that Mills may have slid even further. Here is the complete first round. Round two selections will be announced in the next issue followed by the regional round 3 choices with the remainder of the 25 round draft to take place after the high school and college seasons conclude in June. Code: 1943 FIRST ROUND SELECTIONS PK TEAM PLAYER POS AGE SCHOOL HOMETOWN 1 CLE Jim Adams Jr. SS 21 St Ignatius Philadelphia, Pa. 2 WSH Bob Newcomer C 20 Cesar Rodney Auburn, Me. 3 BKN Pat Petty OF 18 Duluth(MN) HS Superior, Wi. 4 DET Alf Keeter RHP 18 Redeemer HS-NewOr New Orleans, La. 5 PHS Hoppy Johnson RHP 21 Charleson Tech Birmingham,Al. 6 STL Homer Mills SS 21 Weston College East Chicago, Il. 7 TOR Jim Carter RHP 20 Ellery College Quincy, Ma. 8 CHI Joe Davis 1B 18 Copley HS-Boston Boston, Ma. 9 MON Luke Weaver 3B 20 American Atlantic Miami, Fl. 10 PHK Johnnie Porter OF 18 Huntington(WV) HS Huntington, WV 11 CIN Hal Friedlander RHP 18 Pelham (NY) HS Brooklyn, NY 12 PIT Jim Hawkins LHP 18 Oakmont (PA) HS Philadelphia, Pa. 13 CHC Tommy Seymour RHP 17 Olathe (KS) HS Manhattan, Ks. 14 BOS Frankie Gonnella 3B 20 Canton State Newark, NJ 15 NYS Jock Stone 3B 21 Meade College Philadelphia, Pa. 16 NYG Tommy Kelly OF 18 Dexter (MI) HS Dexter, Mi. Baseball magnates and FABL President Sam Belton will be watching closely when the football bosses go to Washington this week. Action on the problem of whether professional football will continue in 1943 or be thrown for a loss by the acute manpower shortage perhaps will be learned in a matter of days after Jack Kristich, President of the American Football Association, heads to Washington to help straighten out matters. Kristich and a few AFA club owners are set to meet with Manpower boss Paul McNutt and Transportation Tycoon Joe Eastman tomorrow afternoon with a goal of firming up the pro football plans for next fall. DENIED USE OF STUDENT-SOLDIERS, COLLEGE SPORTS WILL CONTINUE Despite a recent Army ruling against Army-sponsored student-soldiers from participating in intercollegiate sports college officials today expressed a grim determination to carry on. Col. Herman Beukema, director of the Army's specialized training corps in Washington, explained that the soldier-athletes in their new college training program simply wouldn't have time for such extra-curricular activities and added, "We are not sending the men there (to colleges) to participate in big-time athletic programs." Beukema's decision was more stunning because previously the college authorities had hinted that soldiers sent to AIAA campuses would be declared eligible to compete on the teams of those schools. The Great Lakes Alliance commissioner said in Chicago after studying the order that "I'm sure we always will be able to find 11 boys in every school who want to play football. College football may be hurt, but it won't be killed." * COACHES STILL OPTIMISTIC * Virtually the same sentiments were expressed by AIAA football coaches across the country. "Of course we will have football," declared Paddy O'Callaghan, who recently moved from Maryland State to Strub College. "Calisthenics develops the boy, but competitive sport develops the man." One eastern football coach expressed regret at the ruling "because we have felt we could assist materially in the development and training of these younger members of the armed forces. While none went on record, several other coaches said this will be the demise of inter-collegiate athletics at their schools for the duration. Despite the ban on soldier-students for the fall, many colleges are carrying on with plans to hold as reasonable a facsimile of spring training as possible. While disappointed and somewhat surprised over the Army's ruling forbidding soldier-students from playing, a survey by the Associated Press showed most major AIAA schools intend to play football as long as they can field 11 men on a side and can get a man to blow the whistle. Squads will be much smaller next year but there will be football and with that in mind nearly all the big-time programs are set to proceed with their spring camps. It is estimated that at it's peak about 150,000 soldiers will be attending college and that the men would have to meet the scholastic requirements of the schools to which they were sent. Tests will be given at the end of each 12-week period and the men who fail will be returned to duty with the troops. In addition to 24 or 25 hours of classroom work each week the soldier-students also would be required to participate in five hours of military drill daily, as well as an hour of athletics. Beukema indicated the athletics would be competitive, but of the intramural variety. "From that schedule," he said, "you can figure out easily whether there is time to put a man in condition for bigtime athletics." The Navy also will send men to schools for special courses, but it's attitude on intercollegiate competition has not yet been announced. COASTAL CALIFORNIA TAKES OVER TOP SPOT The Coastal California Dolphins moved into the number spot in the weekly AIAA college basketball poll. The Dolphins improved to 20-2 overall and 8-1 in West Coast Athletic Association play with a pair of conference wins last week. Idaho A&M gave the Dolphins a scare on Friday before eventually falling 59-58 to the Dolphins in Los Angeles. Coastal Cal had less problems yesterday on the road in Sacramento as they scored a ten point win over the Northern California Miners. Next week will be a tough test for the Dolphins with games against 3rd ranked CC Los Angeles and #20 Lane State. Liberty College dropped to number two in the rankings as the Bells have lost two of their last three games including a 40-31 defeat at home to 15th ranked Brooklyn State. Code: AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS # Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Coastal California (64) 20-2 1791 2 West Coast Athletic Association 2. Liberty College (7) 19-3 1729 1 Northeast Conference 3. CC Los Angeles 19-4 1600 4 West Coast Athletic Association 4. Chesapeake State 21-1 1512 6 South Atlantic Conference 5. Detroit City College 16-5 1460 5 Great Lakes Alliance 6. St. Ignatius 16-5 1408 3 Great Lakes Alliance 7. Great Plains State (1) 25-3 1397 7 Independent 8. North Carolina Tech 18-3 1386 9 South Atlantic Conference 9. Central Ohio 19-3 1276 8 Great Lakes Alliance 10. Rainier College 18-4 1197 10 West Coast Athletic Association 11. Western Iowa 17-4 1017 11 Great Lakes Alliance 12. Carolina Poly 18-3 982 13 South Atlantic Conference 13. Alabama Baptist 20-2 977 14 Deep South Conference 14. St. Patrick's 18-4 876 12 Northeast Conference 15. Brooklyn State 15-6 778 17 Northeast Conference 16. St. Magnus 17-4 699 16 Great Lakes Alliance 17. Minnesota Tech 17-5 685 15 Great Lakes Alliance 18. Annapolis Maritime 23-6 551 19 Independent 19. Garden State 15-7 455 20 Northeast Conference 20. Lane State 16-6 446 18 West Coast Athletic Association 21. Chicago Poly 22-6 415 21 Independent 22. Whitney College 14-7 268 23 Great Lakes Alliance 23. Elyria 19-5 258 22 Independent 24. Brooklyn Catholic 20-7 140 NR Independent 25. St. Blane 18-7 69 NR Independent Others Receiving Votes: St Andrews College 16-5 12 Deep South Conference Darnell State 16-6 11 Southwestern Alliance Rome State 20-8 5 Independent LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS MONDAY FEBRUARY 8 #19 Garden State 41 St Matthew's College 28 #23 Elyria 41 Laclede 34 #24 Brooklyn Catholic 48 Bardney 37 TUESDAY FEBRUARY 9 #7 Great Plains State 55 Wisconsin Catholic 23 #18 Annapolis Maritime 59 Eastern Kansas 27 #25 St Blane 49 Potomac College 47 WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 10 #15 Brooklyn State 40 #2 Liberty College 31 #13 Alabama Baptist 65 Georgia Baptist 44 #21 Chicago Poly 56 Grange College 37 #24 Brooklyn Catholic 47 Harper College 38 Rome State 49 Mississippi Tech 42 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 11 #4 Chesapeake State 47 Bulein 42 #5 Detroit City College 51 #11 Western Iowa 46 #6 St Ignatius 53 Wisconsin State 39 #8 North Carolina Tech 49 Lexington State 33 #9 Central Ohio 66 #17 Minnesota Tech 58 #12 Carolina Poly 53 Columbia Military Academy 52 #22 Whitney College 48 #16 St Magnus 37 #23 Elyria 56 Cesar Rodney 41 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 12 #1 Coastal California 59 Idaho A&M 58 Portland Tech 36 #3 CC Los Angeles 25 #10 Rainier College 49 Northern California 35 #18 Annapolis Maritime 50 Hartford Wesleyan 33 #20 Lane State 46 Custer College 37 #21 Chicago Poly 44 Bronx Tech 32 #25 St Blane 57 Plover College 43 SATURDAY FEBRUARY 13 #4 Chesapeake State 56 Alexandria 40 #9 Central Ohio 55 #5 Detroit City College 53 #16 St Magnus 46 #6 St Ignatius 39 #7 Great Plains State 47 Springfield State 27 #8 North Carolina Tech 41 Mobile Maritime 35 #11 Western Iowa 43 Lincoln 35 #13 Carolina Poly 66 Maryland State 56 #13 Alabama Baptist 46 Central Kentucky 43 #17 Minnesota Tech 54 Indiana A&M 48 #22 Whitney College 46 Wisconsin State 35 #24 Brooklyn Catholic 42 Ferguson 40 SUNDAY FEBRUARY 14 #1 Coastal California 50 Northern California 40 #3 CC Los Angeles 61 Idaho A&M 53 #10 Rainier College 44 #20 Lane State 35 #21 Chicago Poly 55 Topeka State 47 The Knights continue to have problems in Great Lakes Alliance play as once again they split their two games this week and are just 4-4 in GLA action and 16-5 overall. They are in a tough stretch, with 9 of 10 games against ranked opponents but that seems to be a normal schedule for schools in the powerful GLA. The Knights beat 11th ranked Western Iowa 51-46 at home on Thursday behind a 14 point effort from Andrew Bennett but then on Saturday they lost for the second time this season to their rivals from Columbus. Central Ohio came into the Motor City and pulled out a 55-53 win over the Knights thanks to a late basket from Levi Fierro, giving the Aviators senior forward a 17-point outing. Roman Sollars also had 17 for DCC in the loss. With 8 conference games remaining Detroit City College is still very much in the running for the GLA crown but at 4-4 they sit two games back of the three co-leaders: St Magnus, Central Ohio and St Ignatius. THE WEEK AHEAD Next week begins with a game at home against 17th ranked Minnesota Tech. The Lakers are 17-5 overall but just 3-5 in GLA play although they did beat Detroit City in Minneapolis a little over a week ago. On Saturday it will be a trip to Lansing for the rematch with St Ignatius, a school that also beat DCC in their opener. The Lancers are 16-5 on the year and ranked 5th in the nation. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 2/14/1943 Prime Minister Churchill revealed in a House of Commons speech that the Allies were scoring encouraging success against German submarines and planned to throw their full weight against Germany on a mass scale within the next 9 months. Former President Herbert Hoover says a 'Labor Draft' of men to age 65 and women to age 50 is necessary as America faces an "extremely grave" shortage of food, metals and oils unless 1 million workers are shifted from other employment to join on farms, in factories and mines. Footwear is the latest item expected to be rationed as shoe shortages plague the nation. The War Manpower Commission announced that 48-hour work weeks will begin in areas of the country with crucial manpower shortages effective March 31st. Russian troops continue their drive, routing the Nazis in a savage battle near Kharkov. With Americans attacking by day and British bombing by night the Allies have a non-stop offensive against a wide-range of Axis objectives ranging from the German-held coast of France to the Italian mainland, Sicily and Sardinia __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

07-18-2022, 09:56 AM	#473
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	March 1, 1943 MARCH 1, 1943 REYES DRAFTED, JOINS ARMY Pablo Reyes, Pittsburgh Miners six-time all-star outfielder, is the latest high profile major league player to join the war effort. The 31 year old Cuban-American was summoned by Selective Service last week for his his pre-induction physical in Pittsburgh. He will report to training later this week. Reyes hit .297 a year ago and led the Fed in runs, hits, doubles and triples. He has been a star in the Pittsburgh outfield for the past four season after being acquired from Montreal, for whom he spent the first 6 seasons of his career. Reyes induction puts the total number of professional baseball players to enlist or be drafted at 961 with rumours continuing to swirl that #962 will be Detroit Dynamos outfielder Sal Pestilli. Pestilli gave indications over a month ago he would not be returning to Detroit this season but has yet to contact the Dynamos directly to inform them of any such decision. * SAINTS AND MINERS SWAP CATCHERS * The loss of Reyes creates another big hole for the Miners, who also saw George Cleaves and Charlie Stedman leave for the military over the off-season. The Miners took steps to try and fill the hole caused by Cleaves departure, making a deal with Montreal last week, although this one far less impactful than the December 1938 move that brought Reyes to Steeltown. This trade saw the Miners acquire veteran catcher Mike Jones from Montreal in exchange for minor league catcher Jimmy Faerber. The 30 year old Jones has some big league experience, including 77 games for the Saints last season, and was added to compete with 35 year old Tom Aiello for the starting job with the departure of Cleaves to the Army Air Corps over the winter. Centerfield now becomes a major problem in Pittsburgh as without Reyes the club lacks a true center fielder on their big league roster and last season's centerfielder at AAA St Paul, Gussie Almond, is now in the Navy. Barring a trade the Miners will likely have to entrust either veteran Whit Williams, who hit just .187 last season, or Jasper Wright, a 25 year old with 22 FABL games under his belt, at the position. There is a possibility they look at Dick Chamberlain, a 1942 second round pick out of Opelika State who hit .301 with 5 homers in 70 games while rising from Class B to AA last season. PIONEERS THRIVE ON REGIONAL ROUND SELECTIONS You might be wise to keep a close eye on Jim Koch. He was the St Louis Pioneers regional round selection this season and likely stands the best chance of making the big leagues soon if we go by past history. The regional round concept- which allows teams to use their third round selections only on players born in their home state or one of it's immediate neighbours- has only been around since 1939 so you would not expect a lot of players to have made their big league debut as of yet. In fact only two have and they are both St Louis pitchers. In 1939 the Pioneers selected St Louis born righthander Harry Sharp out of Red River State with their third round choice and two years later they nabbed Des Moines, Iowa high school hurler Dick Long in the regional round. Sharp actually made his big league debut in his draft year, as part of a tremendous January draft that season for the Pioneers, one which saw the club also land Mal Bianco and Bob Johnston Jr. in the opening three rounds. The latter two are both in the military now but Sharp, who has spent most of the past 3 seasons with the Pioneers, will be heavily counted on this season and is 28-43 for his career. 1941 regional selection Long made his St Louis debut last summer as a 19 year old and would have likely been a key piece this season had he not joined the Navy. Long is ranked in the OSA top 100 prospect list as is the Pioneers 1940 regional pick Hal Hackney. The 21 year old Hackney, a lefthander from Fulton, Missouri, is ranked #31 on the OSA list and quite possibly would have seen action in St Louis this season had he, like Long, not ended up in the Navy. What of the Pioneers regional selection last year you might ask? Well, unlike the previous three who were all pitchers, the Pioneers 1942 regional pick was a high school catcher from Iowa by the name of Artie Smith. Smith had a decent scouting report from OSA at the time, with the potential to be a second-division starter according the league service, but Smith had his mind made up on getting an education so he elected not to sign with St Louis and is now preparing for his freshman season of ball at South Valley State in New Mexico. Perhaps if someone had pointed out to Shaw the success enjoyed by Pioneers regional picks the 18 year old might have reconsidered. Code: 1943 REGIONAL ROUND DRAFT SELECTIONS PK TEAM PLAYER POS AGE SCHOOL HOMETOWN 1 CLE Earl Szwed SS 21 Spokane State Youngstown, Oh. 2 WAS Mickey Holloway OF 18 New Freedom(PA) HS Washington, DC 3 BKN Wally Boyer OF 17 Hokendauqua(PA) HS New York, NY 4 DET Art Brown RHP 18 Denby Tech HS Detr. Detroit, Mi. 5 PHS Vern Ashford 2B 18 Lancaster(PA) HS Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 6 STL Jim Koch 2B 21 Texas Panhandle Seminole, Ok. 7 TOR Jim Waters OF 21 Maryland State Brooklyn, NY 8 CHI Len Stewart 3B 17 Algona(IA) HS Algona, Ia. 9 MON Whitey Perry OF 18 Springfield(MA)HS Derry, NH 10 PHK Mario Schilchegger SS 18 Millville(NJ) HS Philadelphia, Pa. 11 CIN Charlie Eller RHP 18 St Xavier HS,Cincin. Cheviot, Oh. 12 PIT Bob Taylor SS 21 College of Waco Ellwood City, Pa. 13 CHC Dick Garcia RHP 18 Geneva (IL) HS East Chicago, Il. 14 BOS Virgil Hunter SS 17 Lynn(MA) HS Lynn, Ma. 15 NYS Mike Scott OF 17 Caledonia(NY) HS Caledonia, NY 16 NYG Ben Hand C 21 Oklahoma City State Larchmont, NY The fans support 3-A deferment for players in overwhelming numbers. A recent newspaper survey of fans from across the country left no doubt that fans, including service men, war workers, professional men, women and others representing a real cross-section of public opinion saw them vote by a 6,211 to 172 margin in favor of deferring Class 3-A players to continue baseball this year. The fans were asked the question: "Is baseball sufficiently important to morale to justify continuing 3-1 draft deferments for baseball players with dependents?" to which an answer of "Yes" or "No" was requested. As anticipated the "Yes" supporters were so numerous that it was almost no contest. How long will it be before Tom Aiello makes his annual trade request now that the Miners dealt for Mike Jones? Pittsburgh brass is hinting the starting catcher job is Jones' to lose and that surely won't sit well with Aiello. You actually have to feel bad for the 36 year old as Tom has never got a break and been stuck behind all-star catchers almost his entire career. He came up in Brooklyn when the Kings had Mike Taylor as their rising young star behind the plate. Then a trade to the Chiefs and Aiello thought he got his break, and he performed fairly well in '34 and '35 when he played a lot. But the Chiefs had the opportunity to add Tom Bird, and you can't blame them for taking advantage of that, so Tom went back to the bench. In six and a half seasons as Bird's understudy, Aiello started a grand total of 122 games so it is understandable that he wanted out. The Chiefs had enough of his bellyaching for a trade and after being unable to find a suitor, they cut him loose last summer. Only Pittsburgh had interest in claiming him on waivers so Aiello went from backing up one all-star in Bird to another in George Cleaves. Over the winter, Aiello finally must have figured he got his break when Cleaves enlisted but the Miners don't feel he is a number one catcher anymore at his age so Jones moves ahead of him on the depth chart. Word is the Continental Association schedule this summer will feature 96 double-headers. The schedule, delayed because of the many changes brought about by the war, shows that the teams will make only three trips around the circuit, in contrast to the four which had been common in recent years. DOORS OPEN TO EX-PROS AND GRADUATES TO PLAY AIAA FOOTBALL IN SEPTEMBER Barring a major turn of events there will be college football next fall thanks to a recent Navy ruling. After the Navy gave the green light for it's student-soldiers to participate in college sports, the Great Lakes Alliance quickly announced that it would play a full slate of football games next fall. Other conferences are expected to follow the GLA's lead, both on the grid schedule and the conferences quick declaration that "all eligibility rules shall be waived with respect to any member of the armed forces of the Untied States the major portion of whose instruction comes from members of the institution's faculty." Prof. Frank Richert, Lincoln College faculty representative, explained this applies to Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps personnel. He said however, that Army men might not be available in view of the Army's recent announcement that it's men in colleges could not compete on varsity teams. This opens the door for former professional athletes or college graduates to play on varsity teams if they were members of an enlisted reserve sent to a GLA schools for study, provided university faculty members were in charge of most of the instruction work. St Blane, although not represented at the meeting nor a part of the GLA, immediately announced it would also eliminate player eligibility restrictions for student soldiers. SOLLARS JOINS NAVY - LEAVES DETROIT CITY COLLEGE One of the top teams in the nation was sent reeling this week with the news it's star player is leaving to join the Navy. Roman Sollars, the Detroit City College senior guard who was among the nation's leaders in scoring average, announced after the contest Saturday that his game against St Magnus was his last as a college basketball player. Sollars, who has already secured enough credits to graduate, went out in style with a 21 point effort in a 56-43 win to improve Detroit City College's record to 19-6 on the year. Since the start of the new year 114 college basketball players have left school to join the military but Sollars is by far the most prominent. Detroit City College appears to be in no danger of missing the year end tournament but the same can not be said for CC Los Angeles. The Coyotes were 15-0 by mid-January but have gone 4-8 since then and are currently riding a 4-game losing streak to drop their overall record to 19-8. The good news is their top player, junior forward Joe Quintana, is back in the lineup after missing over a month with an injury. The bad news is unless they win their final three games of the season the Coyotes stand a good chance of not making the tournament - something that has happened just once in the past 28 years. Code: AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS # Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Coastal California (66) 23-3 1793 1 West Coast Athletic Association 2. Liberty College (5) 22-4 1718 2 Northeast Conference 3. Detroit City College 19-6 1658 6 Great Lakes Alliance 4. Great Plains State (1) 26-3 1550 4 Independent 5. North Carolina Tech 21-4 1525 3 South Atlantic Conference 6. Chesapeake State 23-3 1438 5 South Atlantic Conference 7. Carolina Poly 22-3 1369 8 South Atlantic Conference 8. Alabama Baptist 24-2 1258 9 Deep South Conference 9. Central Ohio 20-6 1217 10 Great Lakes Alliance 10. St. Ignatius 17-8 1034 12 Great Lakes Alliance 11. Rainier College 20-6 1016 11 West Coast Athletic Association 12. St. Magnus 20-5 988 15 Great Lakes Alliance 13. Minnesota Tech 20-6 943 16 Great Lakes Alliance 14. Brooklyn State 19-6 933 14 Northeast Conference 15. Western Iowa 19-6 868 13 Great Lakes Alliance 16. CC Los Angeles 19-8 829 7 West Coast Athletic Association 17. Garden State 19-7 645 20 Northeast Conference 18. St. Patrick's 19-7 519 17 Northeast Conference 19. Annapolis Maritime 24-6 501 18 Independent 20. Lane State 18-8 421 22 West Coast Athletic Association 21. Chicago Poly 23-6 373 21 Independent 22. Whitney College 16-9 304 19 Great Lakes Alliance 23. Elyria 22-5 284 23 Independent 24. St. Blane 21-8 108 25 Independent 25. Mobile Maritime 18-8 47 NR South Atlantic Conference Others Receiving Votes: St Andrews College 19-6 32 Deep South Conference Brooklyn Catholic 21-8 12 Independent Gates University 19-6 8 California League Rome State 21-8 5 Independent Darnell State 18-7 4 Southwestern Alliance LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS MONDAY FEBRUARY 22 #24 St Blane 48 Georgia Baptist 44 TUESDAY FEBRUARY 23 Ferguson 51 Jersey City Tech 43 WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 24 St Matthew's College 50 #2 Liberty College 42 #8 Alabama Baptist 48 Cumberland 35 #14 Brooklyn State 60 St Pancras 53 #17 Garden State 42 #18 St Patrick's 38 Noble Jones College 50 Mississippi A&M 32 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25 #3 Detroit City College 48 Indiana A&M 40 Petersburg 46 #5 North Carolina Tech 43 #6 Chesapeake State 38 Richmond State 37 #7 Carolina Poly 54 Alexandria 47 #10 St Ignatius 46 Lincoln 37 #12 St Magnus 56 #13 Minnesota Tech 50 #15 Western Iowa 62 #22 Whitney College 54 #25 Mobile Maritime 57 Charleston Tech 56 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26 Custer College 64 #1 Coastal California 56 Redwood 51 #11 Rainier College 50 Spokane State 43 #16 CC Los Angeles 37 #20 Lane State 55 Northern California 52 SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27 #2 Liberty College 51 St Martin's College 44 #3 Detroit City College 56 #12 St Magnus 43 #5 North Carolina Tech 53 Coastal State 35 #7 Carolina Poly 51 #6 Chesapeake State 44 #8 Alabama Baptist 46 Western Florida 32 #9 Central Ohio 46 #22 Whitney College 36 #13 Minnesota Tech 69 #10 St Ignatius 53 #14 Brooklyn State 45 St Matthew's College 37 Wisconsin State 61 #15 Western Iowa 53 #17 Garden State 56 St Pancras 40 #18 St Patrick's 50 Commonwealth Catholic 31 #25 Mobile Maritime 43 Central Carolina 36 Georgia Baptist 47 Bayou State 40 Noble Jones College 41 St Andrew's College 29 SUNDAY FEBRUARY 28 #1 Coastal California 56 Spokane State 42 #11 Rainier College 56 #16 CC Los Angeles 51 Devastating. Despite the Knights win both conference games in a week for the first time this season the news was distraught all across Detroit. The Knights should have been celebrating their third straight win and a return to #3 in the national poll, but instead all the talk was of the loss of two starters. The first is arguably the best player in the game as senior guard Roman Sollars, who was averaging 15.3 ppg, is off to the Navy. Sollars joins a growing list of college basketball players who have left school early for the war effort. The news was made twice as bad when forward Andrew Bennett got hurt in the 56-43 win over St Magnus on Saturday. Bennett will likely miss three weeks which puts his availability for the opening game of the AIAA tournament in doubt. THE WEEK AHEAD The three straight wins improved the Knights conference record to 7-5 and in a 4-way tie for second place - 2 games back of St Magnus. With 4 games remaining the Knights are no longer focused on winning the GLA title, but rather just hoping to find a roster mix that will allow them to enjoy some success in the upcoming tournament. They are home to face Whitney College (16-9) and Wisconsin State (14-11) this week. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 2/28/1943 An American counter-attack has regained almost ten miles of territory lost last week to German armored forces in Tunisia. A shortage of US infantry was blamed as a weak link in the North African fight. On a scale only matched by last summer's 1,000 plane raid, British four-engined bombers rocked the German industrial center of Cologne in a blockbuster assault. Despite being advised to leave Vatican City, Pope Pius XII was quoted as saying he intended to stay for at least the next ten days. The new Finnish government is set to ask for a peace agreement with Russia as soon as it takes office. The Finns also are to said to be hoping that the Germans voluntarily would withdraw their troops from Finland since under present conditions they would have better use for them elsewhere. The Office of Civilian Supply has warned War Manpower Commissioner McNutt that any attempt to shift nearly 3 million workers from so-called "less essential" to "essential" industries is treading dangerously close to the "bedrock" of the nation's civilian economy. An implied threat of creeping paralysis in the vital airplane industry was held over the National War Labor Board after a 3-hour strike in Seattle by the local Union of Flying Fortress Workers. The workers are demanding a wage increase from 62 cents an hour to 95 cents an hour, matching the minimum paid to workers in local shipyards. The can opener gets a rest as all canned goods are frozen on store shelves for the week, in the latest round of rationing. It is becoming apparent that consumers would have to get along on about half of what they used last year. The House Small Business Committee blames OPA regulations for causing the worst meat 'black market' in history - one which "subjects the population to the risk of eating diseased meat." __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

07-19-2022, 11:22 AM	#474
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	March 8, 1943 MARCH 8, 1943 PESTILLI TAKES PAY CUT - FROM $24,000 TO $50 A MONTH JOINS AIR CORPS WITHOUT NOTIFYING DYNAMOS OF DECISION Sal Pestilli's entry into the Air Corps came as no great surprise. He had been talking of enlisting for many months now. That he would not see action for the Detroit Dynamos in 1943 became certain some time ago, when he told a reporter in his hometown of Narragansett, RI, "I am not going to play professional baseball next season." Word quickly spread to Detroit where club owner Powell Thompson wrote to the centerfielder, asking for immediate word as to his plans. But for some reason, Pestilli did not communicate with the front office. The first word that Pestilli had asked for immediate induction came through the newspaper. It is conceivable that Pestilli did not like the $24,000 salary he was to receive this season in it's last of a 4 year deal. Some say he is upset that teammate Red Johnson was inked to a deal that will pay the young first baseman over $31,000 this season. Others point to the talk that Pestilli has not got along with Powell Thompson ever since he assumed ownership of the club following his brother's death in 1939. A third possibility is Pestilli was just sick of baseball. He endured an awful season in Detroit last year as the club -considered by many to be a contender once again in the Fed - sank to the depths of the second division and Pestilli himself hit low points for homers, rbi's and slugging percentage as a 26 year old in his 6th big league season. Regardless of the reason, Pestilli has now left the Dynamos and for the second time in just over a week a Federal Association club is struggling with how to fill a hole in centerfield. The Pittsburgh Miners lost 6-time all-star Pablo Reyes to Selective Service last week and now Pestilli, who is married with a child and had been classified 3-A, is also in the Army. * DIDN'T ASK ANY FAVORS * But Sal threw aside the opulent contract; another season in baseball. He threw it aside for immediate service, refusing even the customary furlough after induction. Detroit's big chapeau is off to the man, to whom it had already doffed it's hat so often - although not as much in recent years as it did the first three seasons of his big league career - for his powerful swing and smooth stride in the outfield. Pestilli had been considering enlisting for some time now and two of his three brothers are already in the service. He had talked often about the off-shore duty which his brother Joe had gone into. He talked about air service and ground crews, retelling tales Joe had passed along in letters. Most in Narragansett had known for some time that Sal's heart was guiding towards an air corps uniform instead of Dynamos garb. He will join Joe, a Cincinnati Cannons farmhand, in the air corps. Brother Tony, who had spent some time with the Keystones prior to enlisting, is in the Navy. That leaves just Alf, at 31 the oldest of the quartet of Pestilli's, in baseball. Alf is with the Chicago Chiefs but struggled last season, batting just .220 although he did contribute 13 homers in 364 at bats. If you are a FABL club with more than one quality centerfielder on your roster you might get a nice return talking trade with either Pittsburgh or Detroit, as both those clubs are likely in shock after the news of the past couple of weeks. The Miners especially, as any hopes they had of contending once more in the Fed now likely hinge on getting a replacement for Reyes. No rationing in Moxie Pidgeon's mind as the veteran outfielder says he is certainly not out of gas. However, the numbers would disagree. Pidgeon will be given a lot of spring reps in a bid to keep his job but the 36 year old hit just .196 with 4 homers last season and while they won't say it publicly, Cannons brass do not expect to see Pidgeon as part of the group that opens the season at home against Philadelphia on April 21. It's a pitchers world. The latest OSA prospect rankings drop Cincinnati outfielder Dick Blaszak from 1st to 6th on the scouting service list. Blaszak does remain the top position player according to OSA but the head of the list is dominated by pitchers with St Louis lefthander Tom Buchanan leading the way. followed by Montreal's Pat Weakley, Hiram Steinberg of Cleveland, the Cougars Duke Bybee and Jerry York of Toronto. We won't see many of them soon as all but Weakley are in the service. 8 of the top ten OSA prospects are in the military. Here is a top ten list only containing players that are expected to play this season (barring more Selective Service handiwork) Code: RK POS NAME ORG AGE 2 RHP Pat Weakley MON 22 9 1B Bill Barnett NYS 20 10 LF Wally Hunter NYS 21 12 RHP Jimmy Long DET 24 13 SS Gordie Perkins MON 20 17 RHP Jackie James MON 20 19 RHP Ben Fiskars STL 21 20 RHP Bert Cupid MON 20 22 RHP Wally Reif MON 23 23 RHP Charlie Gordon PHS 20 All I can say about the above is you certainly need to be aware of the Montreal Saints going forward. While we are at it, here is a list of the top twenty position players and pitchers. 6 of them, as noted below, are presently in the military. WASPS SUDDENLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT FUTURE OF AFA The Washington Wasps are jubilant these days over the prospects of their season ahead. Six weeks ago the club brass wasn't even sure the American Football Association should operate next fall because of the apparent lack of playing talent necessary to hold up the circuit's high standard of play. But the letters are flying in lately. "I have never seen such a response from boys that want to play pro ball," said Wasps owner Homer Bentley. The story goes like this. About a month ago the AFA turned over the names of 1,000 college seniors to the various league members. Each club was given permission to write to all of them, in order to have as much information as possible when the circuit hosts it's postponed "draft" in April. "We wrote to every one of them," said Bentley. "Usually the college seniors wait until at least May to get interested, but not this year. We heard from all types - seniors waiting to be called into the service and those who had been deferred. We are getting back 100 letters a day and the vast majority are excited about the opportunity to play."[list][]AFA President Jack Kristich has set April 6,7 and 8 as the dates of the league's annual business meeting. The three-day session, which will be held in the Palmer House, Chicago, will open with the drafting of players, an item of business postponed from last December.[]Another big topic at the April meeting will be discussions about lowering of the present 33-player limit to 25. Last season several teams finished with less than 33 and, in the early days of the league, clubs operated with as few as 20 men and played on successive days.[]They owners will also try to firm up plans to have players work in nearby defense industry jobs, practice at night or whenever the men are not at work, and play on weekends.[]With football games at military stations open without charge to members of the armed forces, Great Lakes Alliance athletic directors and coaches immediately promised to make as many gridiron trips to these camps as possible next fall. These men, meeting in Chicago last week, also began arrangements for ten-game schedules and less travelling substituting games with Great Lakes, Camp Grant and Iowa Pre-Flight instead.[]Several representatives from independent schools, including St Blane and Strub College, also attended the GLA pow-wow. St Blane was first to cancel a major intersectional game, that against Redwood set for September while Coastal California officials also expressed doubt that their contest against the Saints at Tyrone in November would be played.[]Cumberland University is concerned it may not be able to field a grid team next September. This after a 10-1 season that included a win in the Cajun Classic. The Chairman of the University just doesn't see how Cumberland could possibly have a team on the field next fall and says he wouldn't want it continued "if it interfered with the war effort in the slightest degree." The Cumberland coaching staff says they have 45 men undergoing spring training but more than half are Army or Naval Reserves who will be gone by the fall. Despite the Chairman's concern, coaches with the Explorers say they can continue even if they only have 20-25 men left. COLLEGE CAGERS IN SCRAMBLE FOR TOURNEY INVITES As we enter the final week of the college basketball season there are still plenty of spots up for grabs in the 32-team field that will compromise the AIAA championship tournament. Most of the battles are at the conference level as the champion from each of the 15 sections will earn a berth but there are also a number of teams in a struggle to claim the last of the remaining 17 at-large bids. Only one of the conferences - the Academia Alliance - holds a post-season conference tournament, so for the remaining 15 groups the regular season champ will earn the invite. All of those with the exception of the Deep South Conference where 7th ranked Alabama Baptist is a perfect 10-0 in section play (25-2 overall) remain up for grabs heading into the final week. One of the most anticipated games of the coming week will be held in Washington where Rainier College plays Coastal California. The Majestics are 12-3 in West Coast Athletic Association play, one game better than the Dolphins, who have dropped three of their last 4 games and fallen out of the top spot in the national rankings. Both are a lock to make the National Championship Tournament but for the Majestics they have their sights set on a conference title- which, if successful, would be their first WCAA crown since 1915. Code: AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS # Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Liberty College (56) 23-5 1778 2 Northeast Conference 2. Chesapeake State (3) 25-3 1678 6 South Atlantic Conference 3. Coastal California (7) 23-5 1665 1 West Coast Athletic Association 4. Carolina Poly (1) 24-3 1589 7 South Atlantic Conference 5. Great Plains State (5) 26-3 1550 4 Independent 6. North Carolina Tech 21-6 1345 5 South Atlantic Conference 7. Alabama Baptist 25-2 1293 8 Deep South Conference 8. Brooklyn State 21-6 1285 14 Northeast Conference 9. St. Ignatius 19-8 1203 10 Great Lakes Alliance 10. Detroit City College 20-7 1200 3 Great Lakes Alliance 11. Rainier College 22-6 1123 11 West Coast Athletic Association 12. Central Ohio 21-7 1040 9 Great Lakes Alliance 13. Western Iowa 20-7 985 15 Great Lakes Alliance 14. Minnesota Tech 21-7 840 13 Great Lakes Alliance 15. CC Los Angeles 20-9 813 16 West Coast Athletic Association 16. St. Magnus 20-7 732 12 Great Lakes Alliance 17. Garden State 19-8 586 17 Northeast Conference 18. Annapolis Maritime 24-6 557 19 Independent 19. St. Patrick's 20-8 540 18 Northeast Conference 20. Elyria 24-5 466 23 Independent 21. Whitney College 17-10 352 22 Great Lakes Alliance 22. Chicago Poly 23-6 336 21 Independent 23. Lane State 18-10 212 20 West Coast Athletic Association 24. St. Blane 21-8 147 24 Independent 25. Rome State 21-8 42 NR Independent Others Receiving Votes: Brooklyn Catholic 21-8 17 Independent Texas Gulf Coast 19-8 15 Southwestern Alliance Gates University 20-7 6 California League Mobile Maritime 18-9 5 South Atlantic Conference LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS MONDAY MARCH 1 Daniel Boone College 52 College of Omaha 43 TUESDAY MARCH 2 Hamman 54 Wisconsin Catholic 53 WEDNESDAY MARCH 3 Commonwealth Catholic 44 #1 Liberty College 43 #7 Alabama Baptist 51 Opelika State 42 #8 Brooklyn State 53 #19 St Patrick's 42 Noble Jones College 50 Bluegrass State 42 Northern Mississippi 47 Georgia Baptist 38 THURSDAY MARCH 4 #2 Chesapeake State 57 Maryland State 30 #4 Carolina Poly 48 Coastal State 47 Charleston Tech 55 #6 North Carolina Tech 48 #9 St Ignatius 54 Indiana A&M 48 #10 Detroit City College 63 #21 Whitney College 46 #13 Western Iowa 67 #12 Central Ohio 58 #14 Minnesota Tech 60 Wisconsin State 35 Lincoln 57 #16 St Magnus 50 #20 Elyria 42 Grant(IN) 37 FRIDAY MARCH 5 Portland Tech 40 #3 Coastal California 47 #11 Rainier College 52 Idaho A&M 42 Custer College 50 #15 CC Los Angeles 38 Redwood 43 #23 Lane State 31 SATURDAY MARCH 6 #1 Liberty College 41 #17 Garden State 39 #2 Chesapeake State 41 #6 North Carolina Tech 39 #4 Carolina Poly 38 Mobile Maritime 37 #8 Brooklyn State 59 Frankford State 37 #9 St Ignatius 56 #13 Western Iowa 52 Wisconsin State 56 #10 Detroit City College 47 #12 Central Ohio 40 Indiana A&M 31 Lincoln 38 #14 Minnesota Tech 37 #21 Whitney College 44 #16 St Magnus 39 #19 St Patrick's 49 St Pancras 42 #20 Elyria 47 North Carolina Atlantic 38 Georgia Baptist 58 Cumberland 49 Western Florida 55 Noble Jones College 46 SUNDAY MARCH 7 Redwood 51 #3 Coastal California 48 #11 Rainier College 51 Custer College 38 #15 CC Los Angeles 37 #23 Lane State 36 The Knights extended their winning streak to 4 games with a 63-46 win over Whitney College despite playing without starters Roman Sollars or Andrew Bennett. Bennett will be out at least two more weeks with an injury while Sollars spent last Thursday getting himself settled in at Great Lakes Naval Academy. The win over the Engineers, keyed by a big 21-point effort from center Jack Krutz, was the third straight defeat for Whitney College and put their tournament hopes in jeopardy. The Engineers did rebound with a win Saturday over St Magnus to improve their post-season chances slightly. DCC should still be a lock for the tournament even after losing 56-47 to Wisconsin State on Saturday. The Knights have two games remaining, playing at Lincoln on Thursday and at Western Iowa on Saturday. The Knights are 20-7 overall, but just 8-6 in GLA play, so a tournament spot seems assured but their hopes of a number one seed are quite possibly gone. There is great worry without Sollars and likely missing Bennett if DCC can survive it's opening round matchup in the tourney. THE WEEK AHEAD A share of the conference title is still potentially within Detroit City College's grasp but that is unlikely. St Ignatius with games at Central Ohio and Wisconsin State is the co-leader along with St Magnus with the Vikings also having a pair of road games left, against Western Iowa and Indiana A&M. Here are the conference standings and schedule for the final week: Code: TEAM CW CL -------------------------------------------- #16 St. Magnus Vikings 9 5 #9 St. Ignatius Lancers 9 5 #12 Central Ohio Aviators 8 6 #10 Detroit City College Knights 8 6 #13 Western Iowa Canaries 8 6 #21 Whitney College Engineers 7 7 #14 Minnesota Tech Lakers 7 7 Wisconsin State Brewers 6 8 Lincoln Presidents 5 9 Indiana A&M Reapers 3 11 THURSDAY'S GAMES Minnesota Tech at Whitney College Indiana A&M at Wisconsin State St Magnus at Western Iowa Detroit City College at Lincoln St Ignatius at Central Ohio SATURDAY'S GAMES St Ignatius at Wisconsin State Detroit City College at Western Iowa Minnesota Tech at Central Ohio St Magnus at Indiana A&M Lincoln at Whitney College The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 3/07/1943 [LIST][]Hundreds of British bombers blasted the German U-boat base of St. Nazaire, France as speculation grows that the Allies had begun softening Hitler's European fortress for an invasion. A day later Berlin is the target, as bombers wage their heaviest raid of the war on the German capital.[]The Reich has reportedly sought the Vatican's aid to halt the Allied bombardment of Axis cities.[]Russian troops continue to retake ground on the Eastern Front but their progress has been slowed this week due to thaw.[]Fears abound that the Japanese are massing forces in an arc of islands north of Australia in preparation for a major attack on the nation. Allied Flying Fortresses concentrated bombing attacks on Japanese convoys in an effort to disrupt possible invasion preparation.[]Late in the week the Allies scored a major sea victory, destroying every ship in a 22-vessel Japanese convoy with an estimated 55 Japanese planes and 15,000 troops also destroyed.[]War Manpower Chief Paul McNutt says that a labor draft bill is not needed at this time and he is determined to solve the manpower problem through voluntary measures. His views are in conflict with those of Secretary of War Stimson, who has endorsed a more robust draft bill.[]Housewives struggling with the intricacies of the stamp currency which must go with money in purchasing most foods, now face the prospect of the next stage in point rationing as meats (excluding poultry), cheese and butter will be subject to rationing beginning April 1. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal* The Scripture of Sports

07-20-2022, 09:57 AM	#475
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	March 15, 1943 MARCH 15, 1943 The Philadelphia Frigates are leaving no stone unturned in an effort to ensure they have enough players for next season. The American Football Association club has sent letters to college grid coaches saying: "If your school is quitting football, please advise any of your assistant coaches who is in good condition and wants to play pro football to contact the Philadelphia office." St Blane has confirmed it will definitely be playing football come September. The Fighting Saints got their spring practice under way last week despite the fact the coaching staff accepts the possibility that none of the men who work out with the club will be around come September. "If none of them will us report for football in the fall," said the St Blane coach, "then we have done our part helping them get into fighting shape for the Army and Navy." The 32 field is complete and ready to start the 1942-43 AIAA college basketball championship tournament this weekend. The opening round will be played Saturday and Sunday with the teams completing the regional portions of the tournament Thursday and Friday March 25 and 26. The four survivors move on to New York's Bigsby Garden for the semi-finals on the night of April 3 and then the championship game will be contested two days later. Defending National Champion Liberty College finished second in the polls but the 25-5 Bells failed to win the Northeast Conference championship and will have to settle for being the second ranked team in the East Region behind South Atlantic Conference champion Carolina Poly, which finished with a 26-3 record and third in the national polls. Joining the Cardinals as top seeds will be WCAA champion Coastal California, which finished number one in the polls with a 24-5 record and a pair of Great Lakes Alliance schools in Central Ohio (23-7) and Detroit City College (22-7). They were two of six schools from the GLA that were invited to the 32 team tournament field. The Knights earned their top seed with a pair of wins in the final week despite missing two starters including Roman Sollars, who led the nation with an average of 15.3 ppg and seems to be a likely All-American selection but will miss the tournament after joining the Navy two weeks ago. Here are the 15 conference champions for this season: Code: 1942-43 Conference Champs Team Record ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Academia Alliance Dickson 21-12 (9-5) California League Gates University 21-8 (9-3) Central Athletic Alliance Western State 16-13 (12-4) Deep South Conference Alabama Baptist 26-3 (11-1) Eastern Eight Constitution State 17-12 (9-5) Great Lakes Alliance Central Ohio 23-7 (10-6) Keystone Alliance Berwick 18-11 (10-3) Midwestern Association Lambert College 19-11 (9-3) Northeast Conference Brooklyn State 22-7 (12-4) Plains Athletic Association Daniel Boone College 11-19 (9-3) Rocky Mountain Athletic Alliance Utah A&M 17-12 (11-1) South Atlantic Conference Carolina Poly 26-3 (13-1) Southern Border Association Valley State 16-13 (9-3) Southwestern Alliance Texas Gulf Coast 20-9 (11-3) West Coast Athletic Association Coastal California 24-5 (12-4) Code: AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS # Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Coastal California (39) 24-5 1731 3 West Coast Athletic Association 2. Liberty College (15) 25-5 1715 1 Northeast Conference 3. Chesapeake State (14) 27-3 1688 2 South Atlantic Conference 4. Carolina Poly (3) 26-3 1607 4 South Atlantic Conference 5. Great Plains State (1) 26-3 1522 5 Independent 6. Detroit City College 22-7 1384 10 Great Lakes Alliance 7. Central Ohio 23-7 1378 12 Great Lakes Alliance 8. St. Ignatius 20-9 1239 9 Great Lakes Alliance 9. North Carolina Tech 22-7 1216 6 South Atlantic Conference 10. Alabama Baptist 26-3 1160 7 Deep South Conference 11. Brooklyn State 22-7 1158 8 Northeast Conference 12. Rainier College 22-7 956 11 West Coast Athletic Association 13. CC Los Angeles 21-9 941 15 West Coast Athletic Association 14. Western Iowa 20-9 852 13 Great Lakes Alliance 15. St. Magnus 21-8 809 16 Great Lakes Alliance 16. Minnesota Tech 21-9 772 14 Great Lakes Alliance 17. Whitney College 19-10 634 21 Great Lakes Alliance 18. Annapolis Maritime 24-6 590 18 Independent 19. Elyria 24-5 506 20 Independent 20. St. Patrick's 20-9 395 19 Northeast Conference 21. Chicago Poly 23-6 385 22 Independent 22. Lane State 19-10 275 23 West Coast Athletic Association 23. Garden State 19-10 254 17 Northeast Conference 24. St. Blane 21-8 152 24 Independent 25. Rome State 21-8 57 25 Independent Others Receiving Votes: Brooklyn Catholic 21-8 17 Independent Texas Gulf Coast 20-9 4 Southwestern Alliance Mobile Maritime 19-10 3 South Atlantic Conference LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS MONDAY MARCH 8 Daniel Boone College 56 Oklahoma City State 51 TUESDAY MARCH 9 no games scheduled WEDNESDAY MARCH 10 #2 Liberty College 59 St Pancras 44 Bayou State 49 #10 Alabama Baptist 46 #11 Brooklyn State 51 St Martin's College 32 Frankford State 39 #20 St Patrick's 25 Noble Jones College 44 Cumberland 31 THURSDAY MARCH 11 #3 Chesapeake State 55 Mobile Maritime 49 #4 Carolina Poly 59 Cowpens State 58 #6 Detroit City College 37 Lincoln 33 #7 Central Ohio 51 #8 St Ignatius 43 #9 North Carolina Tech 58 Maryland State 45 #15 St Magnus 56 #14 Western Iowa 42 #17 Whitney College 50 #16 Minnesota Tech 43 ACADEMIA ALLIANCE TOURNAMENT Dickson 47 Pierpont 29 George Fox 35 Grafton 34 Ellery 49 Henry Hudson 39 Brunswick 61 Sadler 39 FRIDAY MARCH 12 #1 Coastal California 49 #12 Rainier College 47 #13 CC Los Angeles 49 Northern California 45 #22 Lane State 44 Idaho A&M 39 ACADEMIA ALLIANCE TOURNAMENT Dickson 52 Brunswick 36 George Fox 56 Ellery 48 SATURDAY MARCH 13 #2 Liberty College 39 #11 Brooklyn State 29 #3 Chesapeake State 57 Charleston Tech 53 #4 Carolina Poly 58 Central Carolina 46 #6 Detroit City College 61 #14 Western Iowa 53 #7 Central Ohio 61 #16 Minnesota Tech 49 #8 St Ignatius 49 Wisconsin State 45 Cowpens State 46 #9 North Carolina Tech 44 Indiana A&M 50 #15 St Magnus 37 #10 Alabama Baptist 53 St Andrew's College 41 #17 Whitney College 43 Lincoln 39 St Matthew's College 57 #23 Garden State 52 Noble Jones College 55 Georgia Baptist 37 ACADEMIA ALLIANCE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME George Fox 45 Dickson 43 END OF REGULAR SEASON Despite missing Roman Sollars and Andrew Bennett the Detroit City College Knights won both of their games in the final week of the season and finished in a 4-way tie for the conference lead at 10-6 along with Central Ohio, St Magnus and St Ignatius. Central Ohio was awarded the conference crown on tiebreakers but DCC did manage to secure a number one seed in the conference tournament. The Knights will head to the South Region and will open against surprise Academia Alliance tournament winners George Fox University. As for the final pair of the games the Knights started with a 37-33 win over lowly Lincoln College with center Jack Kurtz once again leading the way. Kurtz had a game high 11 points. Two nights later the Knights were on the road once more and came away with an impressive 61-53 win over Western Iowa. Kurtz had another huge game with 20 points and 8 boards as the senior center is picking up the scoring slack in the absence of Roman Sollars. The win gave the Knights a 22-7 record overall and a share of top spot. St Magnus had a chance to clinch the conference title all to themselves but they lost at Indiana A&M 50-37 and had to settle for the 4-way tie. Had they won it would have been the Vikings first ever GLA title. THE WEEK AHEAD Tournament time. Detroit City College draws George Fox in the opening match of the South Region. The Reds were just 16-16 on the year but got hot at the right time with 3 straight wins despite being the 7th seed in the Academia Alliance tournament. The Academia group is the only conference that holds a post-season single-elimination tournament to determine it's automatic representative in the AIAA championships. In the early days the Academia Alliance was the class of the AIAA and George Fox won the 1914-15 tournament. However, following an academic scandal in 1919 the conference instilled rigid academic standards for it's student athletes and the conference - no longer with access to many of the top players - has faded in prestige over the years. Academia Alliance schools won 7 of the first 10 AIAA tournament titles but no Alliance school as advanced to the national semi-finals since 1920. George Fox last made the tournament in 1932-33. This years edition of the Reds is lead by a pair of seniors in forward Andrew Baker (12.1 ppg), who hails from Philadelphia, and guard Sig Hemphill (10.5 ppg), a Virginia Beach native. It should be a pretty favourable matchup for the Knights as it is unlikely George Fox will have an answer for 6'10" Knights center Jack Kurtz. As mentioned above Kurtz has been on fire since Sollars left for the Navy and boasted his season scoring average to 10.8 ppg. The hope is Andrew Bennett, the senior forward who has missed the past 8 games with an injury may be back for the second round, assuming the Knights survive the opening round test with the Reds. Speaking of Sollars, the guard ended up leading the nation in points per game with an average of 15.3. The question now is will his 25 games played be enough to earn him a spot on the All-American team and perhaps even National Player of the Year. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 3/14/1943 Maj.Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, Director of Selective Service, has told a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that the pool of single men capable of military service was "practically exhausted" and that "several million" married men face a call to colors. R.A.F. bombers continue their assault on Nazi targets in Germany and France, bombing several German war factories. Four Senators, 2 Democrats and 2 Republicans, are calling for a permanent United Nations police force to be established in order to suppress aggression in the post-war world. Rationing of meat, canned meat, canned fish, butter and cheese has been moved up to being March 28 and on a basis will be giving Americans nearly twice as much meat but only half as much cheese as British consumers are getting. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

07-21-2022, 10:18 AM	#477
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	March 23, 1943 - Pre-Spring Training Season Predictions 1943 PREDICTION ISSUES JIGGS MAKES HIS 1943 PREDICTIONS Perhaps it is foolish to even try to handicap the 1943 race after I, and many others including Grantland Rice, have gone on record in recent weeks stating it will be near an impossibility to accurately forecast what will happen in this, the most unusual of all baseball seasons. But really, how can I do any worse than last year when I hitched my wagon to the horse that ended up destined for the glue factory- one by the name of Dynamo who was anything but - and had the eventual Federal derby winners from New York ticketed instead for a sixth place finish in my books. Now I did fair a little better with my Continental calls, getting the Stars and Cougars correct as the top two although I had the order of finish reversed. But the slate is clean and no one is expecting much accuracy this time around, so that sounds like it is right in Jiggs' wheelhouse. The pressure is off but I am ready to back a winner this time around. I expect a lot can change quickly - just ask the Miners and Dynamos how there center field situation looks compared to just a few short weeks ago- but right now here is how I see things shaping up. FEDERAL ASSOCIATION 1- CHICAGO CHIEFS : If the Chiefs don't win this thing they have only their management to blame. Trading Hank Barnett for some talented youngsters is still a smart move, but it might end up costing the Chiefs the '43 crown. Had they still been trotting Barnett out at the hot corner I see no way any other Fed nine could stop them. Selective Service took some youth but the Chiefs veteran roster emerged virtually unscathed by the war machine. 2- PHILADELPHIA KEYSTONES: Yes Lloyd Stevens is a big loss but I really like the Keystones offense and feel like Bobby Barrell and Hank Koblenz might just go wild against the less than stellar pitching around the league this season. 3- NEW YORK GOTHAMS: The Gothams could win again if their big three on the mound perform like they did in the tail end of last season and the Series. But I betting there will be a step back from either Goulding or Petrick -and I am not sure Ed Bowman can duplicate his amazing rookie campaign- plus I am expecting it is unprecedented for a championship club to lose both it's starting second baseman and shortstop the following season and still have a winning campaign. Of course nearly everything about this year is unprecedented but I just can't pick the Gothams simply because I don't think anyone in baseball outside of Queens can stand listening to them talk about the success of their rebuild for another year. 4- BOSTON MINUTEMEN: A lot of losses to the war effort will make things tough for the '41 champs to stay in the race this time around. They still have talent and it would not completely surprise me to see them in contention as the calendar turns to September but I have a feeling that will be just a little too much to ask. 5- PITTSBURGH MINERS: Before the loss of Reyes I had them challenging for second place and with a break or two perhaps winning another pennant. Now whether the Federal Association wants to see the Miners embarrassed in a WCS yet again is a different question, but also a moot point now as losing Reyes and George Cleaves likely removes them from title talk. 6- ST LOUIS PIONEERS: Just have a hunch the youngsters are going to start to show a little something. I doubt they will still be in the race after the all-star break but things are slowly looking up in St Louis. 7- DETROIT DYNAMOS: I am not going to let them fool me twice and the loss of Sal Pestilli cements the case for a second division finish out of Detroit. The pitching staff seems as flimsy as the German Eastern Front in the dead of winter and the enlistment losses only make the problem more obvious. There is still plenty of talent but with talk out of Detroit that Red Johnson may be the next one to abandon Detroit's ship I am sensing 1943 could be just a dreadful season for franchise. Not quite on the scope of their mid-1930s teams bad, but still a long ways away from contention. Keep in mind I picked Detroit to win it all a year ago so my track record just might give the more adventurous among you cause to put a few ration cards down on a Detroit pennant this season. 8- WASHINGTON EAGLES: Is it just me or does everyone feel that the only reason we know the Eagles are still in the league is because owner William Stockdale is always in the headlines for a sitdown with a Transportation or War Manpower head. Perhaps Stockdale should get Manpower boss McNutt on his payroll to try and bring some pitching talent to the nation's capital as there is a clear shortage. Management is working on turning things around but this is a long-term rebuild and has a long ways to go. CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION 1- CHICAGO COUGARS: Remember you read it here first. We will be treated to the first-ever Windy City World Championship Series as the Chiefs and Cougars - who do an annual charity tournament each October- will meet for much higher stakes this October. The Cougars lost Pete Papenfus and Donnie Jones but thanks to an assist from the cross-town Chiefs it says here that the addition of Hank Barnett, plus the Cougars tremendous pitching depth, will send them back to the WCS for the second time in the past three years. 2- CINCINNATI CANNONS: Can the Cannons get anyone of quality to follow up Deuce Barrell in the rotation? The color blind Cannon had the best season by a pitcher the organization has seen since the Rabbit Day era back in Baltimore but the rest of the staff was awful. If Vic Carroll can stay healthy and Roger Perry be a solid number three the Cannons might just challenge Chicago for the pennant, something the organization hasn't flown since 1914. 3- MONTREAL SAINTS: I would not be surprised to see the Saints finish second and if Chicago stumbles perhaps even win the CA crown for the first time since 1921. To do that I think they will need young pitchers Pat Weakley and Wally Reif to come up big but it could happen. More likely they duke it out with Cincinnati, Toronto, New York and Philadelphia in a tight race for the 2-6 slots but Montreal's time is coming. 4- TORONTO WOLVES: The Wolves have some talent but the loss of George Garrison added to continued absence of Fred McCormick will be too much to overcome. There is a tight group between second and sixth and it is easy to envision Toronto slotting into any of those spots. 5- NEW YORK STARS: Bill Barrett, Joe Angevine, Lew Seals and Chuck Cole. Just too much of a loss for the defending champs to overcome and return to the WCS. The first division would be a heady accomplishment for this year's version of the Stars. 6- PHILADELPHIA SAILORS: The Sailors did not lose a lot over the winter to the Army, and if they get breaks might just finish in the first division, but they -like much of the CA- have a long ways to go to catch the Cougars for top spot. 7- CLEVELAND FORESTERS: Probably no sane reason to pick the Foresters to avoid finishing last for the third time in the past four years but it is more a reflection on the direction I see Brooklyn going rather than Cleveland. The Foresters do have a growing collection of young talent, but much of it is in the service and a large chunk is not yet ready for the big leagues. Be patient Cleveland fans. You have a couple of more years to wait before your team might one day resemble the powerhouse it was in the first half of the last decade. 8- BROOKLYN KINGS: Losing talented young outfielder Rats McGonigle to the Army hurts but the truth is the once proud franchise was on the downswing already. It is nothing to be ashamed of, as most powerhouse clubs eventually run into a rough patch. The Kings glory years, with 5 straight 90-plus win seasons and 3 consecutive pennants, were a better run than most teams get to enjoy but the signs are showing that the Kings are now in the early stages of a prolonged down period. Perhaps the time is now to look at seeing what kind of young talent they could reap by dealing Al Wheeler and Harry Barrell away. It might be a little too late to part with Wheeler, but he should still command a solid return. Barrell is not yet 30 and one of the best shortstops to ever play the game so perhaps you hold on to him for a couple of more years unless you get an truly franchise-altering prospect or two back in return. Maybe Brooklyn surprises and challenges for the first division but this Brooklyn squad reminds me very much of the 1932-33 Baltimore Cannons or the 1934-35 Detroit Dynamos. I see things getting a lot worse in the borough before they get better. BNN CALLS FOR BOSTON-CINCINNATI SERIES IN EARLY PREDICTION In it's annual prediction released on the first day of spring games, The Baseball News Network says it expects another tight race in the Federal Association and surprisingly sees only the defending champion New York Gothams as the weak link in the loop. In the Continental BNN agrees with TWIFB's Jiggs McGee that Chicago and Cincinnati will finish 1-2 but the order will be reversed. If you trust BNN's call, things are looking up for Washington and St Louis but the Gothams are destined to collapse and rookie Ed Bowman, who won the Allen Award during a dominating debut season, will endure a terrible sophomore slump. Over in the CA the thinking from the news network is Deuce Barrell will have another outstanding season on the hill for the Cannons and veterans Roger Perry and Butch Smith may deliver career best seasons to lead the club to it's first 100+ win season since 1908. Here is how BNN calls the '43 season: Enjoy spring training everyone. It's seems like an incredibly long off-season but the boxscores return tomorrow. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports Last edited by Jiggs McGee; 07-21-2022 at 10:24 AM.

07-22-2022, 06:35 PM	#478
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	March 29, 1943 : Spring Training is Here. MARCH 29, 1943 BASEBALL IS BACK! SPRING GAMES UNDERWAY It is not Florida and the long underwear needed to be broken out for a couple of ballgames but no one involved with baseball was complaining as spring training is officially underway, and that is something that for most of the winter was feared might not happen. The spring camps are now in the Carolinas, Virginia, Tennessee and Georgia, as teams train at outdated minor league parks or college sites in an effort to cut back on some of the travel that trips to Florida would have necessitated. Many of the familiar stars are not here either, unless they happen to pop in for a day because they are stationed at a nearby Army or Navy base, and in their place are many unknown faces, raw rookies who might now get a big league opportunity they likely would never have seen had all been right in the world, or grizzled vets, those who have toiled in some obscure minor league outpost the past few years but now, with the manpower shortage, are suddenly deemed valuable again by the big league magnates. Yes, much has changed this spring but if you squint your eyes just a little bit when you look it is still spring baseball. And that can only mean the real thing is less than a month away. And after all of the turmoil that marred the winter, that is something we can all be thankful for, and we will willingly endure a little chilly weather instead of working on our Florida tans. Fayetteville, NC- It is not quite their usual stop in Sanford, Florida and to be honest the weather in North Carolina has almost felt like they were training at Parc Cartier on a couple of the days but the Montreal Saints are finally playing baseball again in 1943. One quick glance at the facilities here at Fayetteville Tech, the junior college facility that the 42 hopefuls will call home for the next three weeks, and you would certainly never mistake it for Parc Cartier, or their traditional spring haunts in Sanford, Fl., but with the transportation crack down this was as far south as the Saints were allowed to venture this year in hopes of assembling a team that can figuratively travel 'north' in the Continental Standings once they head literally head north to open the season. The first week of camp, despite the occasional bit of frost, was still warm with excitement that the sport was back, after so much worry over this most unusual of off-seasons. All eyes were immediately focused on the right arms of Pat Weakley and Wally Reif, two of the much heralded large group of Saints prospects. Each had a good outing in their spring debuts even if both games turn into losses after each youngster was pulled out after few innings. On the batting side, a big battle is going on in the infield between SS Hank Grant, 2B Bob Jennings, 1B/2B John Cooper, 2B Ted Brown and 1B Pete Frisbie as they all compete to be among the 24 chosen to open the season with the big club. After week #1, Jennings has been a disaster on the batting side, but he has been doing extra work with batting coach Bernie Gurrola to find his swing back for week #2. Rule 5 draft 1B Frisbie had a bad week at the plate as well, meaning if he does not find back his stuff, veteran Vic Crawford will get the starting job at first and Frisbie will be returned to the Philadelphia Sailors, his former team. The third base battle between Spud Bent and Mack Burns, who split the role a year ago, needs to have someone step up. Both struggled in the opening week and need to find their groove at the bat. With Crawford likely moving back to first base to replace Red Bond, who left for the war, there is also a battle for the job in right field between Art McMahon -another rule 5 pickup- and a pair of players who spent most of last season in AAA Minneapolis in Milt Bennett and Tony Hendricks. So far McMahon is for now in the lead for the starting spot. The reserve OF position should be decided between Bennett, Hendricks and Bob Kaye. Before training camp, it sounds like Kaye was out of the picture because of last season stats line, but he made some extra training during winter to get a marvelous week #1 and having now the training staff scratching their heads. Just one player was given his walking papers after the opening week of camp. That would 28 year old reliever Bill Stewart, who with an option remaining and a logjam on the mound has been reassigned to AAA Minneapolis. He made 5 relief appearances for the Saints last year and has spent each of the last 3 seasons shuffling between the the Saints and the Lumberjacks. That will leave 41 men in camp to fight it out for the 24 available jobs. The St Louis Pioneers tend to sit their regulars the first two weeks of spring to give other guys a chance to play. It has the benefit of allowing manager Hugh Luckey a chance to weed out some of the obvious guys that just are not ready to make the trip north. This year all three of the Pioneers rule 5 picks will make it to the second week of camp and the is unusual. Second baseman Les Draper, taken from the Keystones organization, has had the best camp of the three so far, hitting .455 with five walks. Catcher Joe Robins, from the Brooklyn Kings system, is hitting .364 and has the inside track to earn the job as Heinie Zimmer's back-up behind the plate. Floyd Frost, a 25 year old lefthander taken from the Pittsburgh Miners in the rule five, gave up just two runs in his four innings on the mound. The club made some roster moves today as pitchers Johnny Kretzshmar and Herb Armstrong, along with catcher Connie Seekford, infielder Bob Wheeler, and outfielder Walter McClure have all been sent to minor league camp after embarrassing themselves in big league camp. That leaves the Pioneers with 38 players remaining in the big league camp, which is being held at the home of their class B Southeastern League affiliate Charlotte Bluebirds. One of the more interesting situations to watch this spring is in New York where the defending champion Gothams try to determine if Bill Freeman and Lee Miller can replace the departed double-play duo of Roosevelt Brewer and Mule Monier. It's a short sample with just one week of spring but results are mixed in the early going. Freeman, a 26 year old who has seen action as a backup for the Gothams the past 4 seasons, had a nice start going 3-for-8 but shortstop Miller really struggled. The 27 year old, who had a brief trial with the Gothams last season, went 0-for-12 at the plate while making 3 errors in the field. Moxie Pidgeon homered last week, something the 35 year old only did once after June 20th last season, as he hopes to show the Cincinnati Cannons he still has something left in the tank. Pidgeon has minor league options left but is likely to be unwilling to accept a demotion, having not played in the minors since 1928 and has hinted he might just enlist if things don't work out in Cincinnati. Pidgeon has 290 career homeruns, fifth most all-time, but hit just 4 last season while batting only .196. Cleveland lost veteran reliever Frank Phillips for much of the season after he hurt his shoulder pitching against Brooklyn yesterday. The 35 year old was pretty effective out of the pen for the Foresters last season, saving 11 games while posting a 5-8 mark with a 3.20 era. Word is Phillips will be sidelined until sometime in August. Jimmy Long, who is being counted on heavily as a part of the Dynamos rotation this season, had a nice spring debut. The 24 year old rookie went 4 innings against the Keystones, allowing just 2 hits and 1 run. Detroit actually got a really strong week out of their pitching, which was their big weakness a year ago. Only once in their 6 games last week did the Dynamos surrender more than a single run. That was actually the game Long started as they fell 6-0 to the Keystones that afternoon. Two-way threat Juan Pomales had a big week at the plate for Toronto, batting .562 (9-for-16) while also having an acceptable outing as a pitcher. Pomales went 14-13 on the mound last season for the Wolves while batting .266 and started 11 games in center field. The Wolves are still debating whether Pomales should remain in the rotation or become their everyday centerfielder now that Tom Frederick is the Army air corps. AFA MAY SHRINK IN SIZE The American Football Association club magnates are set to meet in Chicago a little over a week from now with the main order of business being to conducted their college player draft. However, there is some talk that the league will shrink to eight teams next fall, and even possibly six. Always the optimist, AFA President Jack Kristich says he expects all 10 teams to return next season but does concede it is a time of great unpredictability. Krisitch is sure the league can survive player shortages and transportation issues but if some of the magnates decline to put a team on the field, mapping out the path of the 1943 season will be complicated further. What, for instance, will happen to those teams which might asked to be excused until normal times come again? It is a league rule that any team remaining out of the race automatically forfeits it's franchise. But it is hardly possible that the league will adhere to this rule in this emergency. Rather, it is believed that the clubs will vote to freeze the franchises of any teams which can't see their way clear to operate until the war is over. Even if they make this gesture, what happens to the player draft? The withdrawing teams might insist that they be allowed to select their annual quota of 20 graduating college seniors. The active organizations might be just as insistent that the inactive ones be excluded. * CINCINNATI SEEKING FRANCHISE * If the league shrinks to six teams it, for once, will be able to compose a representative schedule. This would make it possible for each eleven to meet the others, both at home and abroad, for 10 games in all. Cleveland leads the list of doubtful teams. But there is a rumour that Cincinnati is out for the Cleveland franchise and wants to operate next season with the Tice family, owners of baseball's Cincinnati Cannons, believed behind the bid. The St Louis Ramblers are also said to be pessimistic about the whole thing, too. Right now they are believed to have no more than a dozen players on their roster. It is also believed that Philadelphia is not too keen about continuing either and Pittsburgh may be wavering in it's decision to carry on. The stalwarts of the league- The Chicago Wildcats, the Detroit Maroons, the New York Stars, the Brooklyn Kings and Washington Wasps - exhibit no signs of nervousness and the defending champion Boston Americans feel they are in good shape to continue as well. Those clubs will be aligned solidly behind Kristich in his efforts to maintain a solid front. * HELPED RAISE $680,000 FOR SERVICES * Kristich will be able to give the assembled club owners and coaches an impressive report on the league's contributions last season to war charities. The total amount raised was $680,384.07. What the league will do in this particular next season is dependent upon the Army's football program. Last year the Army's all-star western and all-star eastern teams each played four war charity games with league teams. This competition brought in about half of the total funds raised last season but it is not known whether the Army will follow the same plan again for football. SEMI-FINALS SET FOR NATIONAL COLLEGIATE HOOPS TOURNEY The 32 schools invited to participate in this years edition of the annual AIAA college basketball tournament have been whittled down to just four as the field is set for Saturday's National Semi-Finals. Surprisingly none of the top seeds survived but defending champion Liberty College is back for the championship weekend. The Bells emerged from the Eastern Section after narrowly winning a 44-42 decision over Carolina Poly yesterday. Junior Charles Ashley was the hero of the day for the Philadelphia school, leading both teams with 14 points including a pair of buckets in the final minute that secured the win. Earlier Liberty College had knocked off Minnesota Tech 54-37 while the Cardinals stopped Annapolis Maritime 50-45. In the Midwest Section Rainier College won a laugher over Central Ohio, grounding the Aviators by a 57-37 count in a game that saw junior Gary Harrison score 18 for the winners. The Majestics had a similar easy time two days earlier when they downed another Great Lakes Alliance school in St Ignatius by a 55-39 margin. Central Ohio reached the quarterfinals with a 41-38 win over CC Los Angeles, a school that was one of the preseason favourites to win the championship but after a fast start to the year, the Coyotes cooled considerably down the stretch. Out west the second round gave us the biggest upset of the tournament as 4th seeded Whitney College hung on to knock off the number one team in the nation, Coastal California 48-47. Morgan Melcher, the Dolphins talented sophomore guard, had 21 points in the game but he missed a last second shot attempt that would have allowed Coastal California to advance. St Magnus beat Alabama Baptist 53-45 in the other round two matchup in the West Section, setting up an all GLA section final. Whitney College battled hard but came up just short as the Vikings, who had never won a tournament game in school history prior to this year, reached the National semi-finals with a 53-47 win over the Engineers. The most dramatic game of the tournament came from the South Region as Lane State outlasted Detroit City College 62-61 in double overtime on Thursday. The Emeralds rode the two pronged attack of forwards Jimmy Messinger (18 points) and Aubrey Gibbs (15 points) to victory over a game but overmatched Detroit City College squad. Center Jack Kurtz led the way with 18 points and had really stepped up his game since leading score Roman Sollars left for the Navy but one can't help but think the result would have been much different had Sollars been in the lineup. The other second round match-up in the South was a very competitive game as well with Western Iowa, behind 15 points from Gerald Carter and 8 from freshman Joe Hampton, trimmed Chesapeake State 35-33. The section final saw Carter, a junior guard who averaged nearly 15 points a game during the season, score 17 points to almost singlehandedly beat Lane State 46-39 and send the Canaries back to the National semi-finals for the second time in four years. Western Iowa came up on the short-end of the score in the championship against Garden State in 1939 but will get another chance to win their first ever AIAA title next week. NATIONAL SEMI-FINAL PREVIEW The National semi-finals will be held at the Bigsby Gardens in New York on Saturday with the two winners meeting in Monday's championship contest. It marks the first ever appearance in the semi-finals for the two Great Lakes Alliance schools that will meet in the opening game. The schools played just once during the regular season with St Magnus winning on the road, beating Western Iowa 56-42. St Magnus comes into the game with a 21-8 record, while Western Iowa is 20-9. While the Vikings led by junior guard Pat Chappell, who also quarterbacks the schools football team, are healthy the same can not be said for Western Iowa who will be missing two senior starters as both Fletcher Barnes and Walter Heaton are injured. Junior Gerry Carter, who averaged 14.6 ppg is the leader of the Western Iowa five. The second semi-final features Rainier College from Washington State, a school that is making it's third trip to the National Semi-finals and won the National Title just 3 years ago. Their opponent will be Philadelphia-based Liberty College, which won it's third National Championship in the past seven years last season. The Bells feature a solid, balanced attack with seniors Ron Berner and Bobby Grant leading the way while the Majestics rely on junior guard Gary Harrison to lead the team. This will be the first meeting between the two schools in nearly two decades. Here are their all-time tournament records including games from this years event as well as a look at the key players on each squad. Code: ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD OF FINAL FOUR SCHOOLS SCHOOL APP W L TITLES Rainier College 25 26-23 1- in 1940 Liberty College 23 40-19 3- 1936,1937,1942 Western Iowa 14 13-13 0- reached finals in 1939 St Magnus 4 3-3 0- never won a game prior to this year The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 3/28/1943 Allied forces are having a tough time taking out a key Japanese base at Amboina. Natural conditions make it a tough nut to crack but it's location makes it an important piece of real estate in the South Pacific. Nazi forces continue to hold in Tunisia as the Allies once more attempt to spring a trap. Butchers across the northeast are trying to get their hooks into meat as shortages prompt the temporary closure of many grocers. Additional rationing goes into effect this week with each person allowed 16 points per week. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports

07-25-2022, 01:03 PM	#479
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	April 5, 1943 APRIL 5, 1943 INJURY BUG STRIKES SEVERAL CLUBS In a season in which teams are already struggling to find major league talent injuries can be even more devastating than usual. Several FABL teams are now dealing with more manpower shortages after being hit with injuries this past week. The biggest hit might have happened to Boston as the Minutemen, already tasked with trying to replace outfielder Bill Burkett, who joined the Army Air Corps, now need to survive at least the first week of the season with Joe Watson. The veteran corner outfielder, who hit .315 while contending with a neck injury much of last season, will be sidelined a month with a knee issue. The Philadelphia Keystones are already without their ace on the mound as Lloyd Stevens is in the Navy. Now they will have to cope without Herman Patterson, who went 7-9 a year ago while splitting his work between the rotation and the pen. The 28 year old lefthander has a sore shoulder that is expected to keep him out of action until after the all-star break. There are others too. The Gothams lost 29 year old righthander Bob Adams, who split last season between New York and AAA Toledo, for at least a month. Montreal's Danny Clark, a 28 year old pitcher who spent most of last season in AAA, is done for the year with an arm injury and the Cleveland Foresters will not have the services of third baseman Leon Blackridge for the next couple of week. The Chicago Chiefs will be without two players for an extended time as 2B/OF Ossie Grogan and SS Fritz Reynolds both were hurt last week. None are considered integral pieces of their respective teams, but rather depth players. The concern is, of course, that most teams have very little in the way of depth to spare anymore. TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN As the cold winds blow across Lake Ontario down Bay Street chilling everyone entering Union Station to catch the trains the Wolves have begun spring training in Chattanooga. This is the first sure sign of better weather ahead for Torontonians. The team limited it spring training roster to only 32 players this camp in an effort to both economize along with not having to go through the enormous logistic challenge of getting more players into Tennessee with the current wartime travel restrictions both in Canada and the USA. Although manager Charlie Reed, along with his staff, would like to get more "eyes on" some of the players that are earmarked for the future he thinks this short roster will allow the Wolves to be more prepared for Opening Day, April 21st in Cleveland. Reed thinks the players in camp will be better utilized, in better shape, along with being more in tune with in-game strategy by getting more repetitions these 26 days before heading north. The first half of the tune up games has already been completed with a 7-5 record. The lineup has been changing daily during these early days to knock the rust off players before the first series roster reduction moves, expected late next week. The early buzz around camp is the same as it has been all winter long around the hot stove: Juan Pomales. Pomales had an outstanding first week both in the batter's box, .562/.588/1.338, and on the mound giving up only 3 run on 5 hits in his one start. Manager Reed had Pomales batting leadoff in his start something even old timers cannot not ever remember happening in a Wolves lineup. The question remains of whether or not Pomales will provide at least adequate defense in CF over the long haul of 154 games. The war has claimed many FABL CFers so insiders believe that there will be a noticeable decline in outfield defense this season, routine plays may not be so routine over the summer. Other players making an impression early include Tom Peel, Joe Bell at the bat while Cookie Myers and Jack Smith both have also had good early outings on the mound. Toronto is in the same position as many teams in the league, final roster decisions may not come down to player performance but more so whom has minor league options left in their contract. With the number of players who have left for war service the shortage of players who have proved themselves in FABL over the years will become the deciding factor when 1943 are set. Many teams will probably keep players on the roster because they know they will not pass through waivers. All GMs will combing the waiver wire in the hopes of finding cast offs from other teams. Who said baseball at the FABL level was a fair game? The talk of a common player pool for this season came up once again as Cleveland Foresters owner Richard Marshall said he thought it "might not be a bad idea," to have President Sam Belton be given the power to move players from club to club on a temporary basis should teams run short of big league talent. Philadelphia Keystones owner Edward Meachum, speaking from his club's spring camp site in Savannah, Ga., declared "I'm afraid baseball would not last long under such an arrangement." He added not only would it be "unworkable" but also branded it as an "offspring of socialism that has no business in baseball." Maybe the pitching in Detroit will be just fine after all. The Dynamos are 9-3, and tied for the best spring record in FABL with vets Mike Murphy (2-0, 0.93) and Joe Shaffner (2-0, 0.90). Perhaps Mule Earl will be a surprise addition to the rotation. The 31 year old once had pretty good promise but was derailed by a series of injuries, the most serious of which cost him over a year but he looked solid in a brief trial in Detroit last season and has picked up where he left off this spring. Ossie Grogan's injury means the second base job with the Chicago Chiefs will go to veteran Sam Orr this season. Right field will come down to a pair of 35-year-olds: Rule 5 pickup Bobby Bond and Hank Jones. Since Bond bats left-handed and Jones bats from the right side, they will likely settle in to a time share. And both Bond (.364/.391/.455) and Jones (.583/.615/.917) are swinging the bat well this spring. Center field is still a wide open competition between: Bob Reid, Dode Foster, and Wayne Newcomb. Results haven't been great for the Gothams, who sit at 4-8 in spring play, but their focus has been on filtering out those not ready for prime time. So far two pitchers Gothams brass has been watching work their way through the system, Sandy Giles and Monk Adams, are having good spring camps and may be ready to fill open rotation spots left by the war draftees. One will get the 4th rotation spot and one long relief/5th starter for all the twin bills. From Pioneers camp in Charlotte: SS Jack Helmig, 2B Dick Sanders, C Clyde Farr and OF Ken Smith have been sent to minor league camp. Rule 5 pickups 2B Draper(.484 OB%), C Robins(.333 BA), and P Frost(4.50 ERA) are still in camp but St Louis will need to cut eight more players. The regulars will start getting playing time this week. Seeing their first action will be RF Al Tucker, C Heinie Zimmer, 3B Tommy Wilson, and CF Gail Gifford. If healthy at the end of camp these four are guaranteed spots in the lineup just as Danny Hern and Buddy Long are guaranteed spots in the rotation. It is likely that veteran Sam Sheppard will also start the season in the rotation. Who stays may be decided by who has options. Ed Cornett and Cal Roe have not pitched well this spring but they are both our of options where youngsters Hal Siddoway and Joe Standish Jr. have impressed but each has options. The Cincinnati Cannons contingent at Georgia Baptist University is a little smaller after 5 players were optioned to AAA Indianapolis and outfielder Nat Drake was put on the injured list. The Cannons still have 11 pitchers in camp and some tough decisions as all of them have been very impressive so far this spring. They also need to cut 3 position players before the season opener against Philadelphia on April 21. Cincinnati is hoping for big things out of 1B Chuck Adams this season and the 26 year old who hit .292 with 19 homers a year ago is having an outstanding spring. Some camp observers feel Adams might well be the breakout star in the Continental Association this season. Moxie Pidgeon might just keep his job in Cincinnati. After just an awful 1942 campaign the 36 year old is having a solid spring. It is unlikely he will be an everyday player but the 6-time all-star could be a key bench bat for the Cannons. The once mighty football legions of St Blane have dwindled to a corporal's guard. The effect of the war on collegiate athletics was felt with full force on the campus in Latrobe Saturday when the Fighting Saints gathered for the opening of spring practice. Whereas in past years the coaching has been overrun with 100 or more aspirants for places on the famed Saints gridiron teams, coaches this time around found themselves with just 48 athletes - and 21 already have been summed to report for active duty at the end of the present semester, May 1. That left just 27 possibilities for next fall and almost to a man they said their military status was uncertain. St Blane staff frankly admitted that the Navy holds the key to Saints football hopes. If special trainees sent here by the Navy are able to play, both in terms of time available and possessing the requisite skills, things might look a lot better in the fall. As it stands now the Fighting Saints have no idea how many players they will have available next fall. *** * * * * The 1943 professional football picture should be a little less murky this week following the meeting of AFA owners in Chicago. The league plans to conduct it's annual draft of college seniors but there will be plenty of other items on the agenda with the most pressing centering on the manpower shortage and concerns that some teams are said to be considering not fielding a team until the war is over. ST MAGNUS AMAZING RUN CONTINUES; VIKINGS TO FACE RAINIER COLLEGE FOR CROWN Entering this season the St Magnus Vikings basketball team had never won a game in the year end AIAA national championship tournament. They had not even qualified for the tournament since the spring of 1933 and were 0-3 all-time in tourney games. But that has changed this year for the St. Paul, Minnesota school as the Vikings are now 4-3 all-time and, after a 56-38 win over Great Lakes Alliance rivals Western Iowa in semi-final action Saturday, St Magnus is one win away from the National Championship, something a GLA team has not won since 1925-26 when Chicago Poly was still in the conference and claimed the crown that year. St Magnus will meet Rainier College out of the West Coast Athletic Association in tonight's title tilt, held at that grand cathedral in New York known as the Bigsby Garden. The Majestics advanced with a 45-38 win over defending national champion Liberty College. Rainier has some championship game experience as the Majestics claimed their first national crown in 1939-40 when current starter Fred Lacombe and backup Kent Schreck were on the team as freshmen. Records are spotty from the early days of the sport but it is believed the two schools have never faced each other in a basketball game. St Magnus played like a team possessed on Saturday, shooting well above their season average with 57% of their attempts finding the netting. For a change it was not junior standout Pat Chappell leading the way but instead the youngsters took charge as a pair of freshman powered St Magnus to the finals. Guard Matt Saez had the best game of his young college career, scoring 16 points and hitting on 7 of his 11 attempts from the field, while fellow frosh Kevin Kennard also came up big with 12 points to double his season average. In the second game the decidedly pro-Liberty College fans in attendance went home disappointed as the Bells hopes of back to back titles came to an end with a 45-38 loss to west coast power Rainier College. Liberty led by three points at the break and the game was back and forth until midway through the second half when Rainier scored 10 unanswered points to take a lead they would not relinquish. The hero was Mike Hays, a junior guard who only averages 4.5 points per game. He scored just six points in this one but all 3 of his baskets came during that two minute 10-point Majestics rally. Hays also had an assist on a Fred Lacombe bucket and a steal during the big rally. Hays was not much of a factor offensively the rest of the way but he was a force on defense, disrupting the Bells at every opportunity, and was recognized for that effort with the nod as player of the game. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 4/04/1943 A large force of Navy bombers, striking to choke off Japanese supplies at basic shipping points in the Pacific, showered explosives among 13 ships lying of Kavieng Harbor. This as reports continue to circulate from Washington that the Japanese are moving to strengthen all their bases along the great Pacific battle arc, apparently in anticipation of an American offensive. Below is this week's update from North Africa and the Eastern Front. Panic over meat shortages at the start of rationing is beginning to subside as allotted shipments begin arriving in New York City and other major east coast cities. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal** The Scripture of Sports

07-26-2022, 01:55 PM	#480
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	April 12, 1943 APRIL 12, 1943 IS CHIEFS HOT SPRING SIGN OF THINGS TO COME? An argument can easily be made that the Chicago Chiefs were the FABL club to be least affected by the loss of veteran talent to the war effort. In fact one could make a case the Chicago Feds only established player of consequence to depart over the winter was Hank Barnett -and that was only because the Chiefs dealt the the 33 year old to the Chicago Cougars. Uncle Sam certainly took his share of youth from the Chiefs but left their veteran roster pretty much intact and that has meant bad news in the Citrus Circuit this season for their opponents. The Chiefs have been so dominant this spring that perhaps they should be considering abandoning Florida permanently and making Spartanburg, SC their long-term spring home, what with a 16-3 record overall including wins in their last 11 games. The question now on the minds of FABL fans is whether this is just a team riding a hot streak or a clear indication of what is to come in the Federal Association this summer? In his preseason predictions, TWIFB's Jiggs McGee called on the Chiefs as the team to beat in the Fed and so far they look even stronger than Jiggs predicted. Al Miller (3-0, 1.50) and Rabbit Day (2-0, 1.29) are reminding observers of the Chiefs glory days when they won two WCS in a 3-year span and the revamped infield with Bob Martin shifting from second base to the hot corner and Sam Orr taking over at the keystone bag looks just fine. There still may be some questions about the outfield and if Red Hampton and George Thomas can handle the back of the rotation but all signs at the moment point to a big year ahead for the Whitney Field faithful. TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN Through the first three weeks of spring training the Wolves have given hope to the Toronto fans. With a 12-7 record in the tune-up games the fans are dreaming of another 1940 season in Southern Ontario. These hopes may have to be tempered, with the question being "Did the Wolves decision only invite 32 players to camp inflate their record?" The entire league is in a state of flux as teams trying to determine the best way to present a team to the fans given the over 900 players throughout all levels that have to serve their country overseas. It seems the big question of the spring has been answered: Juan Pomales will begin the season as a true two-way player as the everyday CF. In 58 times to the plate in Tennessee Pomales is slashing .346/.370/.426 with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 5 RBI, 3 SB. These numbers make it next impossible not to at least begin the season without his bat in the lineup. Extra responsibility has been given to bench coach Dick Dennis to position the OF defense properly for all hitters to give the fielders the best opportunity to make a play given the lack of foot speed in the group. Charlie Reed's decision is now is how to use Pomales as a pitcher, does he go to the bullpen or remain in the rotation starting every 4th or 5th day? Current rumours are is he will be in the rotation which will require lineup juggling to insure proper rest while Pomales performs double duty. Walter Pack seems poised for a rebound after a sub-par 1942. His spring stats .308/.424/.426 are an encouraging sign. Ockie Holliday has not rebounded in the same way hitting only .250 with only one XBH in 40 spring AB. The surprise of the spring in camp has been Joe Bell with a .419 batting average. Bell was going to Toronto with the team because the previously mentioned numbers-game faced by management. Fans are now thinking he should be given a chance if Holliday's hitting woes continue after the team moves north. Charlie Artuso has had a difficult training period but Reed has stated in public he has no concerns about this slow start. The starting pitching has been outstanding in March, early April. The team appears set to move home with 11 arms which seems like a extremely high number but two of those players -Pomales and Roscoe Zeiler- also serve in other roles. The roster is almost set as 7 players have been sent to the minors. With one more cut to be made the smart money is saying it will be one of Homer Betts, Roscoe Zeiler, or even aging veteran Frank Huddleston. DYANMOS PLAN BASEBALL SCHOOLS FOR DETROIT-AREA YOUTH Mike Walton is one of the younger Assistant General Managers in the league at the age of 39 and the Detroit Dynamos executive has some forward thinking ideas. The Sadler University grad believes the future of baseball depends entirely on what steps FABL takes to foster the game until after the war and that now is the time to make post-war plans. "A great many players who have gone into the armed forces, and who are yet to go, will be lost to the game forever," Walton says. "They may be too old when peace is restored and many of them will be unable to come back even then since a vast Army and Navy will be needed to police the world. If we are to have baseball after the war, we'll have to start right now preparing for the perpetuation of the game. We'll have to develop players for the pos-war era and the players must be lads of 12,13 and 14 years of age. Catch 'em young and team 'em well must be our motto." To accomplish just that Walton has come up with a plan to hold baseball schools at Thompson Field every day when the Dynamos are playing away from home this summer. The idea is to use some former Detroit players as coaches and invite every schoolboy in town who has ambitions to become a ballplayer. "We have to take steps to ensure the game survives. If the present system continues baseball will die, war or no more. We need to develop the next generation of players as basketball, football and other sports compete with us for young athletes." The Gothams must be reading the BBN predictions. They are now at the bottom of the Fed spring standings. The SS situation if far from settled as both Lee Miller and Ed White have struggled with the bat. Manager Zeihl will look at other options this week before making a final decision. A scorekeeper's nightmare looms as Bill Dalton has had a strong spring and is making a case to be the backup for Billy Dalton in Queens. A strong week for Harry Clark puts him in the driver's seat for the starting CF spot. Zeihl had been looking at Leon Drake for the position, but no one has stepped up in the RF auditions. Sandy Giles appears to have locked up the #4 spot in the rotation. With Billy Seawood optioned to Toledo and Monk Adams moved to the pen for the final week, the 3rd round selection in the 1935 draft has taken advantage of the open audition and will make the jump from A ball. Giles has had a mix of strong and struggling seasons as he slowly worked his way through the Gothams system, often passed by as later selections advanced. Now at 25 it will be his big chance to show the team what he can do. Waiting in the wings is #40 prospect Monk Adams. Sam Belton, President of FABL, when asked about the prospects of the season ahead: "No one knows what will happen in baseball this summer," he blurted. "It would only be a guess. But I have every hope that we will finish the season, as usual, and that the pennant races, in both leagues, will be exciting." You have to excuse Gothams fans if they are having a few flashbacks to 1936 right now. Fresh off a WCS win the previous October, the New York nine got off to a terrible start in '36 and management dismantled the club. They made it back to the top last fall after six years in the second division but are clearly struggling with some holes this spring. I don't think another tear down is in order, even if the Gothams dismal camp showing carries over to April and May, as the losses to the military hit hard, but with the Gothams you never know what to expect. Just who is Jocko Goodrum and should Mahlon Strong be worried in Pittsburgh? Goodrum, a 1937 15th round pick out of Gates University is showing Mahlon-like power with 4 homers this spring including a pair in back-to-back games over the weekend. The 28 year old first baseman only has 4 hits in 23 spring at bats so he is hardly setting the world on fire, but all 4 have been of the longball variety. Four, by the way is the same number of homers Goodrum hit all of last year, in 266 AAA at bats. He was homerless in 19 games for the Miners last season when he made his big league debut. Staying with the Miners they have received a very impressive spring showing thus far from another late round pick. Outfielder Jasper Wright, who was a 20th round pick of the Chiefs out of Minneapolis High School where he was a teammate of Donnie Jones, is hitting .412 with a spring leading 12 rbi's. The 25 year old has had a couple of sips of the big league coffee, but hit just .083 in 24 FABL at bats. Let's give another late round pick his brief moment of FABL fame. Bill Nettles, a 27 year old Philadelphia Keystones farmhand who was a 13th rounder in 1933, has been all or nothing this spring. He leads with 20 strikeouts in 34 innings of work but has also allowed a spring most 5 homeruns against. Baseball takes over the spotlight on college campuses as basketball ends it's season. Like other college sports, many schools are short-staffed but all of the major colleges say they are able to field teams. Bluegrass State is the defending champion, having ended the Maryland State Bengals two year old on the title last year. AFA SAYS IT IS GOOD TO GO IN FALL As of today the American Football Association plans to operate in the fall, but there is still some question whether or not each of the 10 teams will field a club in September. AFA President Jack Kristich confirmed that the owners have vowed to play next season but would not comment on rumours that several teams have asked to remain in the league but have their franchises 'frozen' until the war is over. The franchise uncertainty is the likely reason the league has delayed the release of it's schedule until June. While the number of teams is not confirmed to remain at 10, the plan is likely to reduce the schedule by one game so that each squad is expected tp play 10 games in the fall. However, Kristich cautioned that even that is not a certainty. "We do want to take every step we can to reduce travel, as we have promised Mr. Eastman," explained Kristich in reference to his meeting with War Transportation chief Joseph Eastman two months ago. "With that goal, it has also been decided that all of our clubs will train either in their home cities or a location very close to them." The other order of business was to try and address the severe manpower shortage. The AFA clubs voted to cut the maximum player limit for each team from 33 to 25, a figure which proved adequate some half dozen yeas ago. The league also adopted the free substitution rule for the war's duration, which permits any number of substitutions and will serve as a physical conservation measure. The league is believed to have conducted it's player draft of college seniors but Kristich was unwilling to elaborate on that matter. The thinking among observers was the loop wanted to ensure all teams planned to operate next season before releasing a list of drafted players for a squad that will not field a club. RAINIER COLLEGE WINS NATIONAL TITLE The Rainier College Majestics celebrated as the National Champion of collegiate basketball for the second time, beating St Magnus 54-44 Monday night at the Bigsby Garden in New York to claim the crown. The Majestics, who won their first title 3 yeas ago, led 29-20 at the break and never let St Magnus take over the lead in the second half. The Vikings, who had never won a game in tournament history entering this seasons event, managed to close to within 5 points of Rainier College on several occasions during the second half of the game but failed to get any closer than that. Gary Harrison led the way for the Majestics with 12 points with center Sam Alvis and backup guard Kent Schreck chipping in with 9 points each. It was a fitting final game foe Schreck and fellow senior Fred Lacombe, both of whom are joining the Navy next month after completing the semester. Schreck and Lacombe were both freshman on the first Rainier College team to win a National Tournament and they finish their collegiate careers the same way they started them - as champions. It was a disappointing end to an incredible season for St Magnus as the Minnesota school had not appeared in a tournament since the 1932-33 season and had never won a tournament game in it's three previous trips to the event. After going 25-9 and claiming a share of Great Lakes Alliance title with a 10-6 conference record (Central Ohio was declared champion on tie-breakers) the Vikings reeled off tournament wins over Utah A&M, Alabama Baptist and then GLA rivals Whitney College and Western Iowa to reach the title tilt. Junior guard Pat Chappell again led the team with a 14 point effort in the final, and the good news is he will return for his senior season to quarterback both the Vikings hoops squad from his guard position and also their football team in September. In the meantime, Chappell will moving to the diamond where he is also a member of the Vikings baseball team. The future does look bright for St Magnus as Matt Saez and Kevin Kennard, who combined for 14 points in the championship game, are both freshman and plan -unless Selective Service has other ideas- to return to the school next year. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 4/11/1943 American Flying Fortress bombers blasted industrial targets in Antwerp and Naples while British four-engined bombers targeted Germany's big naval base at Kiel. German and Italian high commands are set to meet in the Brenner Pass to discuss the defense of Italy against an Allied invasion, which the Axis believes may follow close on an Allies victory in Tunisia. The British First Army has gained "much ground" in northern Tunisia while American and French forces have joined the Eighth Army in relentless pursuit of Marshal Rommel's battered forces in the South according to a report from Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Congress received a sharply-worded warning from President Roosevelt to hold the line against inflation by boosting taxes and limiting individual spending or face the consequences of a runaway economy. On the first anniversary of the fall of Bataan, General MacArthur issued a ringing tribute to the heroism of Americans who fought in the Philippines. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports