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09-23-2022, 01:13 PM
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#521 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 677
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December 6, 1943
 DECEMBER 6, 1943 MINORS OUTLOOK BRIGHT DESPITE MOUNTING LOSSES Meeting in New York this week the minor leagues found themselves faced once again with many vital wartime problems, as well as the necessity of planning for the postwar period. This was just the 7th time leaders from each of the professional minor leagues gathered in the Big Apple for their annual powwow, and for a change the little fellows were not confronted with any fighting issues with the majors, such as marked the minors first conference in Gotham in 1901. Back in 1901 there was no affiliation agreement with FABL clubs, nor any amateur draft which meant the minors were the main source of talent for the big league clubs. However, that often led to fights over players rights or a battle on a fair transfer fee. Despite the fact there is plenty of harmony between FABL and the minor moguls now, once more the matter of ensuring the minors have enough players is front and center. This time it is a problem shared by both FABL and the minors instead of a wrestling match between the two. The cause of concern is, of course, the war effort and specifically the Selective Service draft. With the latest collection of players heading off to join the war the total number of professional ballplayers that have traded their gloves and bats for guns and bayonets presently numbers 1,233. That means each big league organization has surrendered an average of roughly 75 players to Uncle Sam - or the equivalent of more than 3 full-minor league teams each. By any rational thinking with enough players to staff close to 50, or almost half of the 104 minor teams, gone for the duration the expectation is quite a fair share of minor league teams should be out of business right now. However, just as FABL has done, the minor leagues have managed to survive the war intact by employing whatever talent they can find. There is no question the quality of the minor league product -just as it has in FABL- has declined substantially since the war began but baseball somehow continues to march forward using every option at their disposal. Older players that would under normal circumstances be forced out of the game continue to contribute and some, like 41 year old Curt Bean who won 19 games last season for Seattle of the Great Western League, make major contributions. Youngsters fresh out of high school, who have no business being professional ballplayers, can find gainful employment in the depths of Class B or C when they would in different times be forced to work the family farm or in a coal mine. Who knows maybe a handful of those youngsters given jobs out of necessity might be late bloomers and continue to enjoy a professional athletic career once the war ends and the regulars return, but odds are most will be back to the wheat field or assembly line. As big an issue the shortage of players is right now for baseball, the prospects a couple of years from now when by all indications the war should end, are equally uncertain. There will be an awful lot of players scrambling for what will suddenly be far too few jobs in baseball unless, as the minor league executives touched on during their meeting, there are plans to grow to sport. It seems unthinkable at the moment, but perhaps there will be more independent minor leagues -similar to the Lone Star Association and Western Baseball League- which operate outside of the FABL affiliation system but are still recognized by the big leagues as Minor Leagues. Perhaps even FABL itself looks to expand, as there is certainly a growing demand for baseball on the west coast and with the advances in aviation maybe one day soon the Los Angeles Knights or Seattle Thunderbirds will be a part of FABL instead of the Great Western League. There is much to look forward to, but for now the primary focus for baseball is simply surviving until the war ends and the more than 1,200 absent players are able to return.  McELHENY LEADS FOOTBALL STARS TO WIN Jerry McElheny ran for 109 yards and scored a touchdown to help the New York Stars past the Pittsburgh Paladins 21-0 in the season finale for each of the two AFA squads. The effort allows the Stars to continue a 11 year streak in that they have never finished below .500 since the two division format began with the 1933 season. There was some doubt that the Stars would keep that streak intact after they began the season with 3 straight losses but two wins and a draw in their final 3 contests secured the breakeven mark for the New York gridders. McElheny finishes the season with 783 yards rushing, good enough for tops among ball carriers in the AFA but Dick Davis of the Philadelphia-St Louis combined club is within shouting distance. Not a bad showing for an undrafted rookie who was signed to fill out the roster due to war-related holes from the Georgia Baptist track team. McElheny did play football for the Gators, but that stopped in 1941 when he suffered a serious knee injury that put both his football and track careers on hold. The knee injury kept him out of the military but by late spring this year he was feeling pretty good and returned to track & field until the Stars got wind of him and inked him to a grid contract. As for Dick Davis, who's club has one game remaining next weekend, the Philadelphia-St Louis back trails McElheny by 77 yards but does have one game remaining as he and his Friglers teammates will play Brooklyn for the second week in a row next Sunday. Davis might not be looking forward to it as yesterday the Kings defense held him to just 21 yards rushing yesterday in Brooklyn's 3-0 victory. The Brooklyn rematch with the Friglers in Philadelphia is the only game remaining on the schedule before the Boston Americans prepare to defend their AFA title against the Chicago Wildcats in two weeks time. Code:
AFA STANDINGS EASTERN W L T PCT Boston 9 1 0 .900 New York 4 4 2 .500 Phil-StL 3 4 2 .429 Brooklyn 2 7 0 .222 WESTERN W L T PCT Chicago 7 3 0 .700 Detroit 5 4 1 .556 Pittsburgh 4 6 0 .400 Cleveland 2 7 1 .222 Sunday December 5 Brooklyn 3 Phil-StL 0 New York 21 Pittsburgh 0 Sunday December 12 Brooklyn at Philadelphia-St Louis END OF REGULAR SEASON  COLLEGE AWARDS AND ALL-AMERICANS ANNOUNCED St Blane quarterback Mike O'Rourke was named the winner of College Football's premier award when he was announced as the Christian Trophy winner. The senior from Springfield, Massachusetts was one of 5 Fighting Saints players named to the All-American team. St Blane had a slow start, dropping early season games to Pittsburgh State and Detroit City College, but finished strong to end the season with a 7-2-1 record. The other two individual awards went to Bob Heath of Pierpont, as the fullback won the Bryan Award as the best All-Around player while the Ipswich Trophy, presented to the top linemen, went to Charlie Szymanski of Rome State. Here are the 1943 All-Americans Code:
1943 ALL-AMERICAN TEAM POS NAME CL HOMETOWN SCHOOL QB Mike O'Rourke SR Springfield, MA St Blane HB Jamie Hendershot GD Minneapolis, MN Detroit City College HB George Steinbrecht SR Akron, OH St Blane FB Bob Heath SR Corning, IA Pierpont E Don Goers SR Los Angeles, CA Coastal California T Steve Mielhke SR Edgewater, NJ St Blane G Dewey Mitchell SR Chicago, IL Whitney College C Charlie Szymanski SR Chillicothe, OH Rome State G Paul Fillmore SR Chicago, IL St Blane T David Glenn SR Yarbrough, TN Annapolis Maritime E Steve Terrio JR Boston, MA St Blane EAST-WEST CLASSIC: Wisconsin Catholic (8-0) vs Northern California (9-1) SUNSHINE CLASSIC: Darnell State (8-1) vs North Carolina Tech (8-1) DESERT CLASSIC: Travis College (5-2-1) vs Minnesota Tech (9-0) CAJUN CLASSIC: Georgia Baptist (5-4) vs Amarillo Methodist (6-2) LONE STAR CLASSIC: Provo Tech (5-1-1) vs Eastern State (6-2)  D.C. SMALL COLLEGE IS SURPRISE TEAM OF EARLY GOING A look through the top teams in this weeks college basketball rankings reveals plenty of big name schools but also nestled right in between big conference powers Brooklyn State and Lincoln at #14 is Brookland University. Who? The Bears have long been overshadowed in their own city by fellow Washington D.C. schools St. Matthew's and Potomac College, and have never been invited to the year end tournament. The Bears football team plays a small school schedule and their baseball team is at the Division 3 level and has never had a player drafted by FABL. Each of the past two seasons the Brookland hardwood squad endured 9-20 seasons and they have only finished a season ranked in the top 25 once in school history dating back to 1913-14. It likely won't last but Brookland students and supporters are flying high this season as their hoops team is suddenly 6-0 and just coming off a win over mighty St Blane. As a lower level independent team they do not play a lot of big name opponents - other than St Blane, Maryland State and powerhouse North Carolina Tech- so there are not a lot of games with big schools on the docket for Brookland. That has fans thinking the team could set a school record for wins, surpassing the 23-6 season they had 3 years ago. Their schedule is likely too weak to keep them in the polls but for now Brookland University is making a name for itself in college basketball. Code:
AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Coastal California (64) 4-0 1792 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. North Carolina Tech (7) 5-0 1708 3 South Atlantic Conference
3. Rainier College 6-0 1669 2 West Coast Athletic Association
4. Western Iowa (1) 5-0 1598 4 Great Lakes Alliance
5. St. Ignatius 2-0 1507 5 Great Lakes Alliance
6. Minnesota Tech 7-0 1438 7 Great Lakes Alliance
7. Frankford State 5-0 1336 11 Northeast Conference
8. Ohio Poly 5-0 1327 9 Independent
9. Detroit City College 6-1 1186 13 Great Lakes Alliance
10. St. Pancras 5-0 1041 22 Northeast Conference
11. Perry State College 5-0 988 19 Midwestern Association
12. Western Florida 3-1 918 6 Deep South Conference
13. Brooklyn State 3-1 908 21 Northeast Conference
14. Brookland 6-0 851 15 Independent
15. Lincoln 4-0 814 16 Great Lakes Alliance
16. Mobile Maritime 4-1 742 25 South Atlantic Conference
17. Annapolis Maritime 6-1 681 8 Independent
18. Whitney College 2-1 661 10 Great Lakes Alliance
19. Central Ohio 3-1 465 NR Great Lakes Alliance
20. Central Illinois 2-0 454 NR Central Athletic Alliance
21. Indiana A&M 4-1 275 NR Great Lakes Alliance
22. Hamman 9-1 246 NR Independent
23. Chesapeake State 4-2 196 NR South Atlantic Conference
24. CC Los Angeles 3-2 146 NR West Coast Athletic Association
25. Noble Jones College 5-1 125 NR Deep South Conference
MONDAY NOV 29 #3 Rainier College 41 Kit Carson University 32 #16 Mobile Maritime 54 Kansas Agricultural 36 #18 Whitney College 54 Fond du Lac 32 #21 Indiana A&M 50 Northern Mississippi 21 TUESDAY NOV 30 #1 Coastal California 60 California Catholic 49 #4 Western Iowa 51 Opelika State 41 #10 St Pancras 51 Johnson Tech 23 #15 Lincoln 35 Cumberland 26 #19 Central Ohio 43 Rose Point(PA) 22 WEDNESDAY DEC 1 #2 North Carolina Tech 43 #18 Whitney College 42 #11 Perry State College 47 Kansas Agricultural 43 St Gordius 50 #17 Annapolis Maritime 49 THURSDAY DEC 2 #7 Frankford State 57 University of New Jersey 50 #13 Brooklyn State 43 Maryland State 33 #22 Hamman 53 Cleveland 40 FRIDAY DEC 3 #2 North Carolina Tech 55 Piedmont University 44 #6 Minnesota Tech 50 Northern Mississippi 43 #8 Ohio Poly 55 Cuyahoga University 34 $10 St Pancras 53 Pierpont 51 #20 Central Illinois 58 Grant(IN) 42 #21 Indiana A&M 50 Mississippi A&M 38 SATURDAY DEC 4 #14 Brookland 45 St Blane 42 #22 Hamman 37 Wyoming A&I 33 SUNDAY DEC 5 #7 Frankford State 46 Conwell College 44 #9 Detroit City College 66 Bluegrass State 56 #11 Perry State College 50 Plover College 42 Berwick 35 #12 Western Florida 34 #16 Mobile Maritime 50 Penobscot State 28 #23 Chesapeake State 51 Eastern Virginia 28 #25 Noble Jones College 45 St Patrick's 37 Code:
AIAA SCORING LEADERS # NAME POS PPG SCHOOL 1 Morgan Melcher F 20.0 Coastal California 2 Gerry Carter G 19.6 Western Iowa 3 Don Monday G 19.4 Idaho A&M 4 Buddy Gore G 17.9 American Atlantic 5 Darrell Surber F 16.8 Central Maryland 6 David Bobo G 16.6 Garden State 7 Newt Mills G 16.5 Penn Catholic 8 Norman Yates G 16.5 St Ignatius 9 Gerald Dorsey F 16.2 Dudley 10 Don Epps G 16.0 Lawrence State The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 12/05/1943
__________________
Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal
The Scripture of Sports Last edited by Jiggs McGee; 09-23-2022 at 05:15 PM. |
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09-24-2022, 12:15 PM
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#522 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 677
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December 13, 1943
DECEMBER 13, 1943 JAMESON REJOINS GOTHAMS AS COACH Bud Jameson has decided to remain in uniform with the New York Gothams, but not as a player. The 39 year old veteran of nearly 2,200 career FABL games, who announced his retirement after 18 seasons with the Gothams in October, will take over as the club's hitting coach after Henry Jezewski announced his retirement. Gothams Assistant General Manager Frank Escoe made the announcement this week, noting that in adding Jameson to long-time manager Ed Ziehl's staff further enhances the Gothams connection to the organization's history. Ziehl and Jameson rank 1-2 in career games played with the franchise and were teammates from 1922-28 before Ziehl -then a player/manager- retired to focus full-time on his managerial duties. ALL EYES ON BOSTON FOR TITLE GAME REMATCH The American Football Association regular season came to an end Sunday leaving us less than a week away from the much anticipated rematch between the Boston Americans and Chicago Wildcats for the league championship. The Americans have knocked off the Wildcats twice in title game action including last season when Boston quarterback Del Thomas led his team to a thrilling come-from-behind 24-21 victory at Chicago's Whitney Park. The Americans also prevailed in the 1939 title tilt, taking a 21-14 decision also at Whitney Park on that day. The Boston dominance of their Chicago rivals continued during the regular season when the Americans, behind 4 touchdown passes from Del Thomas including 3 to Johnny Littlejohn, prevailed 42-21. Boston certainly has had Chicago's number over the years. The Americans have won 7 of 8 meetings between the two teams since 1937 including the last 3 in a row. Each of those three games were contested in the Windy City but this time it will be the brand new Minutemen Stadium that will host the event. Minutemen Stadium, just opened this year, also hosted four games of October's World Championship Series in which the hometown Boston nine came up just short against the Cincinnati Cannons. The construction of the new Boston stadium was originally designed for it to be the main track and field venue for the 1944 Olympic Games but that fell by the wayside with the start of the World War. *** FRIGLERS WIN FINALE *** The combined Philadelphia-St Louis ballclub avenged a loss to Brooklyn on the road the previous weekend by blasting the Kings 28-6 at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Stadium in Philadelphia yesterday. Dave Davis ran for 87 yards and a pair of first half touchdowns to lead the way for the Friglers. Those 87 yards were just enough to give Davis the league rushing title for the season as his 793 yards on the ground were 10 more than New York rookie Jerry McElheny accumulated. It marked the second straight year a St Louis player (well sort of since this was a combined entry) was the top rusher as rookie sensation Bob Holt led the way last year. Holt is in the military this season and did not play. Code:
AFA FINAL STANDINGS EASTERN W L T PCT Boston 9 1 0 .900 Phil-StL 4 3 2 .500 New York 4 4 2 .500 Brooklyn 2 8 0 .200 WESTERN W L T PCT Chicago 7 3 0 .700 Detroit 5 4 1 .556 Pittsburgh 4 6 0 .400 Cleveland 2 7 1 .222 Sunday December 12 Phil-StL 28 Brooklyn 6 Sunday December 19 AFA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Chicago Wildcats at Boston Americans Code:
AFA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RESULTS YEAR SCORE VENUE MVP 1942 Boston 24 Chicago 21 Whitney Park Del Thomas, Bos 1941 Chicago 10 New York 7 Whitney Park Dutch Hoffman, Chi 1940 Brooklyn 20 Detroit 7 Thompson Field Don Ludwigs, Bkn 1939 Boston 21 Chicago 14 Whitney Park Leon Fitzgerald, Bos 1938 Brooklyn 9 Pittsburgh 7 Kings County Bill Morrisett, Bkn 1937 New York 34 Chicago 0 Bigsby Oval Tom Jamason, NY 1936 Detroit 24 Pittsburgh 7 Thompson Field Vernon Flowers, Det 1935 Pittsburgh 7 Cleveland 0 Forester Field Harvey Bowman, Pit 1934 Pittsburgh 7 Detroit 0 Thompson Field Hank Greshman, Pit 1933 Rhode Island 21 Chicago 0 North Side Park Harvey Bowman, RI Code:
AFA FINAL LEADERS SCORING PTS Vaught, Det 87 Littlejohn, Bos 78 Martins, Bos 54 McElheny, NY 54 Milatz, NY 45 PASSING COMP-ATT YDS TD INT[/b] D Thomas, Bos 171-305 2045 25 16 G Brown, Chi 104-198 1403 20 16 Orlosky, Det 68-163 926 7 15 Sevier, Cle 77-168 911 3 34 Bockhorst, Pit 70-193 845 4 27 RUSHING YDS TD D Davis, PhS 793 5 McElheny, NY 783 9 Orlosky, Det 776 5 Milatz, NY 678 1 Schroeder, Chi 598 1 RECEIVING CAT TD Vaught, Det 50 8 Martins, Bos 47 7 Littlejohn, Bos 44 11 Sutcliffe, Cle 32 0 Schroeder, Chi 27 2 INERCEPTIONS # D Thomas, Bos 13 Coleman, Det 10 Vaught, Det 8 G Brown, Chi 8 Scharfenb'rgr Det 8  EAST-WEST CLASSIC HAS A RICH HISTORY The New Year's Day college football Classic games are among the most anticipated events on the sports calendar every year and even this year -despite a very depleted college football pool of talent- there is plenty of anticipation. The match-ups this year are as follows: NEW YEARS CLASSIC GAME MATCH-UPS EAST-WEST CLASSIC: Wisconsin Catholic (8-0) vs Northern California (9-1) SUNSHINE CLASSIC: Darnell State (8-1) vs North Carolina Tech (8-1) DESERT CLASSIC: Travis College (5-2-1) vs Minnesota Tech (9-0) CAJUN CLASSIC: Georgia Baptist (5-4) vs Amarillo Methodist (6-2) LONE STAR CLASSIC: Provo Tech (5-1-1) vs Eastern State (6-2) While all of those Classic games are special and each have a rich history none can top the showdown in Santa Ana for it's tradition. The East-West Classic annually pits the champion of the West Coast Athletic Association against the best from the east and has often resulted in the winner claiming the National Championship as Noble Jones College did a year ago after beating CC Los Angeles 20-3 in the big game. The very first East-West Classic was contested in 1916 and saw Travis College prevail over Ellery. There have been some slight changes along the way but despite two world wars the East-West Classic has not missed a beat. Those changes include the January 1, 1942 game being shifted to New York City after the attack on Pearl Harbor led to fears California might also be a target of the Japanese and in 1918 and 1919 when they game was still held but it involved military teams instead of college squads due to the First World War. At stake once again this year will be a National Championship as it appears a near certainty that the winner of the game between Wisconsin Catholic and Northern California will be named number one in the nation.  90,000 EXPECTED TO SEE EAST-WEST TILT More than 300,000 fans will dip into the New Year's Day grid classic for their 1943 football season dessert and -rationing to the contrary- their menu on this particular day will be the usual full fare of 5 games. The oldest of them all -The East-West Classic in Santa Ana, Calif- will again outdraw it's rivals, despite a greatly truncated West Coast Athletic Association grid schedule this season. A capacity crowd of 90,000 is expected to witness Northern California (9-1) face the surprising Wisconsin Catholic eleven. The Cajun Classic is expected to approach 70,000 customers with each of the other 3 games anticipated to draw between 30,000 and 60,000 each. LIBERTY COLLEGE LEADS WAY IN RECRUITING BUT BAYOU STATE POISED FOR BIG CLASS Just over half of the top twenty-five high school seniors have decided where they will play their college basketball next season and it is a banner crop for Liberty College. The Philadelphia school has landed three of what are considered to be the 25 best high school basketball playing seniors in the nation including Ward Messer -younger brother of New York Gothams baseball star Walt Messer. Six of the top ten prospects have yet to decide on a school but word is Bayou State is looking like it might end up with an outstanding class as the Louisiana college is close to landing local star Billy Bob McRight, a center ranked #3 in the country, as well as the #8 Scott Winner, a guard out of Pensacola, Florida. The Cougars are also said to be very much in the running for another big man in Kenny Roberts. The McComb, Mississippi native has reportedly narrowed his choices down to Bayou State or Mississippi A&M. If they do land all three, or even a pair of them, it is expected to signal a turnaround for a Bayou State program that has struggled for well over a decade. In the early days of college hoops, the Cougars were a fixture in the AIAA tournament and regularly won 20+ games a season. However, they have not been to the year-end tournament since 1927-28, and have not finished better than 16-14 in any year since then. They are struggling once more again this year at 6-4 and coming off a disappointing 45-33 loss to Capital(MS) University on the weekend. However, landing McRight, Winner and Roberts could certainly change their fortunes.  WISCONSIN CATHOLIC NEARLY PULLS OFF HUGE UPSET It is quite a time to be a student at Wisconsin Catholic as the Cavaliers are not only undefeated in college football action and preparing to play for the grid National Championship but they also nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory on the college hardwood. The Cavaliers took 6-0 North Carolina Tech - a four-time National Champion, a fixture in the annual AIAA tournament and currently ranked #2 in the nation- to double overtime Friday evening before eventually succumbing by a 72-70 score. Clearly the football success is rubbing off on the Catholic cagers -several of whom do double-duty and play football as well- as they nearly pulled off a miracle win. Wisconsin Catholic has never played in a National Tournament game while NC Tech has appeared in 86 of them. They won just 5 games a year ago and their last winning season was in 1928-29. They entered Friday's game with the Techsters at 1-4 with their lone win over Dakota College and it looked like another blowout was on loss was in store for the Cavs when they fell behind 29-11 at the break. That changed with a dominant second half that saw Wisconsin Catholic have a chance to win the game with just seconds remaining in regulation. Trailing 52-51, senior forward McKinley Schoenfield went to the charity stripe for two shots. He made his first to tie the game but missed his second sending the contest into overtime. Nothing was decided after the first five minutes setting the stage for a second overtime in which the Techsters managed to escape with a 72-70 win, averting what would have been a terrible upset loss. Four Wisconsin Catholic players scored in double-figures with two of them including senior guard Joey McCulloiugh- who had 18- setting career bests. The basketball squad will fade back into the shadows now but for one game they had the Milwaukee campus celebrating a game as improbable as the entire season has been for the Cavaliers football team. Code:
AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Coastal California (58) 4-0 1785 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. North Carolina Tech (13) 6-0 1732 2 South Atlantic Conference
3. Rainier College 6-0 1661 3 West Coast Athletic Association
4. Western Iowa 6-1 1553 4 Great Lakes Alliance
5. Ohio Poly (1) 8-0 1499 8 Independent
6. Minnesota Tech 8-0 1468 6 Great Lakes Alliance
7. Frankford State 6-0 1370 7 Northeast Conference
8. St. Ignatius 2-1 1243 5 Great Lakes Alliance
9. Detroit City College 6-1 1209 9 Great Lakes Alliance
10. St. Pancras 6-0 1108 10 Northeast Conference
11. Perry State College 6-0 1065 11 Midwestern Association
12. Brooklyn State 4-1 1041 13 Northeast Conference
13. Whitney College 4-1 992 18 Great Lakes Alliance
14. Central Illinois 3-0 740 20 Central Athletic Alliance
15. Central Ohio 3-1 732 19 Great Lakes Alliance
16. Hamman 10-1 607 22 Independent
17. Chesapeake State 5-2 589 23 South Atlantic Conference
18. Indiana A&M 5-1 503 21 Great Lakes Alliance
19. Noble Jones College 6-1 462 25 Deep South Conference
20. Liberty College 5-2 367 NR Northeast Conference
21. CC Los Angeles 3-2 352 24 West Coast Athletic Association
22. Dickson 5-1 307 NR Academia Alliance
23. Bronx Tech 6-1 274 NR Independent
24. Texas Gulf Coast 5-1 194 NR Southwestern Alliance
25. College of Omaha 5-1 175 NR Plains Athletic Association
MONDAY Dec 6 #13 Whitney College 53 El Paso Methodist 38 #24 Texas Gulf Coast 54 Brooklyn Catholic 44 TUESDAY DEC 7 #5 Ohio Poly 61 #8 St Ignatius 54 #7 Frankford State 49 Penn Catholic 34 #20 Liberty College 41 Brunswick 28 #22 Dickson 45 Armstrong 44 WEDNESDAY DEC 8 #19 St Pancras 51 West Corners (NY) 48 #14 Central Illinois 50 Payne State 35 #16 Hamman 55 Erie 32 #17 Chesapeake State 57 Huntington State 36 #23 Bronx Tech 54 Coastal State 48 THURSDAY DEC 9 #18 Indiana A&M 53 Eastern Virginia 47 #19 Noble Jones College 51 Smithfield College 30 FRIDAY DEC 10 #2 North Carolina Tech 72 Wisconsin Catholic 70 (2 OT) #5 Ohio Poly 44 #4 Western Iowa 33 #11 Perry State College 50 Lincoln 40 SATURDAY DEC 11 #6 Minnesota Tech 63 Topeka State 38 #13 Whitney College 51 Bluegrass State 42 #20 Liberty College 51 Pierpont 42 #24 Texas Gulf Coast 47 Baton Rogue State 28 #25 College of Omaha 55 Centerville 50 SUNDAY DEC 12 #4 Western Iowa 52 North Central(NE) 34 #5 Ohio Poly 55 Cleveland 36 #12 Brooklyn State 48 St Blane 28 The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 12/12/1943
__________________
Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal
The Scripture of Sports |
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09-26-2022, 11:19 AM
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#523 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 677
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December 20, 1943
DECEMBER 20, 1943 CHICAGO WILDCATS WIN AFA TITLE LATE DRIVE WINS 21-20 THRILLER OVER BOSTON The Chicago Wildcats ended several years of frustration against Boston by beating the Americans 21-20 in a thrilling American Football Association championship game. Gus Brown completed three passes for 64 yards in the final minute to lead the Wildcats to the winning score with just 30 seconds remaining in the game, and gaining a measure of revenge after Boston quarterback Del Thomas led his club on a late drive last season to give the Americans the title. In addition to Brown, who along with Boston's Thomas are considered two of the best offensive players and certainly the top two passers in the game, the hero for Chicago proved to be an unlikely source. Freeman Stahlberg, who had just 13 catches and only a single touchdown during the season, came up big when it mattered most -scoring a pair of touchdowns including the game winner on a 5-yard pass from Brown. Stahlberg, who also had a 67 yard touchdown reception in the first quarter, finished with 4 catches on the day for 142 yards and was named the games Most Valuable Player. Not bad for a 21st round draft pick out of Detroit City College in 1940. It ends a stretch in which Chicago had dropped 7 of their last 8 meetings with Boston including AFA title games last season and in 1939. Both of those previous championship contests were in the Windy City and this one, in Boston's new Minutemen Stadium before a crowd of over 40,000, was also won by the visitors but this time they were the Wildcats. *** AMERICANS STRUCK FIRST *** Much to the delight of the hometown crowd the Americans drove down the field and scored on their opening drive but it was not without drama. Twice the Americans fumbled on that drive but on both occasions alert Boston players pounced on the loose ball to prevent the turnover. Del Thomas would get Boston on the board with a 5-yard run but Johnny Littlejohn missed the extra point forcing the Americans to settle for a 6-0 lead. At the time it was not known just how important that missed convert would prove to be. The Boston lead was short-lived as Chicago answered quickly when Brown and Stahlberg connected on a 67 yard scoring pass on the Wildcats first play from scrimmage. Eddie Andrews was good on his extra-point try and the Wildcats led 7-6. After the teams exchanged 3-and-outs the Americans put together their second long drive of the opening quarter. This one was a 9 play stretch that covered 67 yards and concluded with Brian Young running up the middle for a 7 yard score to put Boston back in front. Littlejohn's extra-point was good this team and Boston led 13-7 after the first quarter. Another big pass play from Brown to Stahlberg allowed the Wildcats to regain the lead in the early stages of the second quarter. This one was a 64 yard pass that saw the Boston defenders finally force Stahlberg out of bounds at the 5 yard line. Two plays late Bob Frum carried the ball over the goal line and after Eddie Andrews extra-point Chicago was up 14-13. The Americans thought they went back in front with just over 2 minutes remaining in the half when a Gus Brown pass intended for Stahlberg was picked off by Boston's Dave Schermer and returned 38 yards for a score. The touchdown was nullified, however, when Boston was guilty of holding on the return. The Chicago defense held tough and Boston was forced to punt but the Americans got the ball back just inside Chicago territory with 31 seconds left in the half. That would be more than enough for Del Thomas as two plays later he found Al Thompson for a 45 yard touchdown strike that put the Americans up 20-14 at the break. Boston had a glorious chance to perhaps put the game away when Chicago's Bob Frum fumbled on his own 19 yard line two plays into the second half and Chet Hooper recovered for Boston. After Leon Fitzgerald gained 2 yards on first down and 4 more on second, Del Thomas threw a pair of incomplete passes and the Americans were forced to turn the ball over. Many might second guess Boston's refusal to put points on the board by attempting a field goal on fourth and 4 from the Chicago 11 yard line with a 6 point lead. In the end those 3 points could have made all the difference in the world. Neither club threatened to score as the third quarter came to a close and the fourth began to wind down. The Americans twice fumbled the ball away including once when they were at the Chicago 30 yard line with 10 minutes remaining in regulation. Chicago also missed some opportunities as time became a factor, none more damaging than a holding penalty wiping out a big gain that would have left the Wildcats with a first down on the Boston 11 yard line. But with 1:08 left and Del Thomas forced to punt the Wildcats got one last opportunity. Starting on their own 36 yard line Gus Brown tossed a quick 5 yard pass to Tommy Patrick. Then came the big play - a 54-yard strike to Marsh Schroeder that gave the Wildcats first and goal from the Boston 5 yard line with 38 seconds remaining. It took just one more play to tie the game as Brown found Stahlberg for his second score of the day to tie the game. Extra points are often an adventure but not this time as Eddie Andrews finished a perfect 3-for-3 by splitting the uprights and giving Chicago the lead 21-20. Del Thomas tried to engineer a late miracle for Boston but with just 30 seconds to work with he ran out of time and the Wildcats had their second AFA championship game victory in team history. Code:
AFA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RESULTS YEAR SCORE VENUE MVP 1943 Chicago 21 Boston 20 Minutemen Park Freeman Stahlberg, Chi 1942 Boston 24 Chicago 21 Whitney Park Del Thomas, Bos 1941 Chicago 10 New York 7 Whitney Park Dutch Hoffman, Chi 1940 Brooklyn 20 Detroit 7 Thompson Field Don Ludwigs, Bkn 1939 Boston 21 Chicago 14 Whitney Park Leon Fitzgerald, Bos 1938 Brooklyn 9 Pittsburgh 7 Kings County Bill Morrisett, Bkn 1937 New York 34 Chicago 0 Bigsby Oval Tom Jamason, NY 1936 Detroit 24 Pittsburgh 7 Thompson Field Vernon Flowers, Det 1935 Pittsburgh 7 Cleveland 0 Forester Field Harvey Bowman, Pit 1934 Pittsburgh 7 Detroit 0 Thompson Field Hank Greshman, Pit 1933 Rhode Island 21 Chicago 0 North Side Park Harvey Bowman, RI  EAST-WEST CLASSIC: Wisconsin Catholic (8-0) vs Northern California (9-1) SUNSHINE CLASSIC: Darnell State (8-1) vs North Carolina Tech (8-1) DESERT CLASSIC: Travis College (5-2-1) vs Minnesota Tech (9-0) CAJUN CLASSIC: Georgia Baptist (5-4) vs Amarillo Methodist (6-2) LONE STAR CLASSIC: Provo Tech (5-1-1) vs Eastern State (6-2) 
BUMPER BEAN POLE FROSH CROP IN COLLEGE HOOPS BUT MIDWEST SITLL FAVORS SPEED OVER SIZE Bean pole cagers are coming back into their own after taking a back seat to speed and deception during recent collegiate campaigns. The roster of almost every prominent university lists from one to three human skyscrapers for the collegians' second year of wartime basketball. So often in the past the tall boys' share of basketball was confined for posing for publicity pictures while the smaller -and faster- athletes did the playing and captured the headlines. That trend seems to be changing now, at least in many parts of the country, with the emergence of some very young but very talented Mr. Bigs around the nation. The two that immediately come to mind are a pair of freshman from the south in Marlin Patterson and Long Werth. Both stand 6'10" tall and each has made his presence felt in the early going. Patterson has started all 6 games for Alabama Baptist despite being still just 18 years old and has acquainted himself quite well in averaging 6.3 points per game and 5.5 rebounds. Werth is the best basketball prospect to come out of the state of Florida in years and is already a dominant player for Miami State, averaging 7.1 points per game through including a personal best 14 in a recent win over Mississippi A&M. Not all areas of the country have abandoned the speed game for size with the Midwest being the one exception that still seems to place a premium on quickness and deception. The Great Lakes Alliance does have one of the best big men in the nation in Detroit City College senior Jack Kurtz, but the Knights are more the exception than the rule. Only Indiana A&M, which relies on 6'8" senior center Brice Thompson (12.6 ppg) to lead the way joins Detroit City College in having a high scoring big man in the GLA. Instead, the top scorers in the Alliance are for the most part guards and undersized forwards such as: MINNESOTA STATE: guard Chris Coffin (12.3 ppg) and small forward Russell Geisler (12.1) WESTERN IOWA: guard Gerald Carter (16.4 ppg) LINCOLN COLLEGE: guard Tony Fike (10.1 ppg) WHITNEY COLLEGE: guard Lionel Rice (8.9 ppg) CENTRAL OHIO: guard David Delao (9.8 ppg) WISCONSIN STATE: guard Dom Curcio (12.7 ppg) ST IGNATIUS: guard Norman Yates (18.2 ppg). and of course in St Magnus where two-sport star guard/quarterback Pat Chappell (12.3 ppg) is one of the best athletes the school has ever produced. Even Midwestern schools that are not part of the GLA have continued to rely on speed over size. Ohio Poly is off to it's best start since they reached the National Semi-Finals in the spring of 1940 and it is almost entirely due to the talented backcourt duo of senior Daniel Gray (13.3 ppg) and junior Dan Austin (8.2) while Perry State College goes one better, using three speedy smaller players that have the Missouri school off to an 8-0 start. The Commodores rely on Ken Irizarry (12.9 ppg), Columbus Garcia (12.6) and Jess Farr (11.6) for nearly all of their offense. *** DOLPHINS HAVE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS *** The best player in all of college basketball might just be one who combines both size and speed. 6'6" Morgan Melcher is big enough to fight with the beanpoles inside while also possessing enough speed and dexterity to handle the ball and get open for shots. Through 5 games this season the junior is averaging 21.0 ppg and is a big reason why Coastal California is ranked number one in the nation. He tallied 31 points in a recent win over California Catholic, which is the highest single game point total ever recorded by a West Coast Athletic Association player and just 4 shy of the all-time single game mark. It is clearly very early in the season but Melcher is on pace to smash the all-time single season mark for points, which presently sits at 571 set by Val Cortes of Brooklyn State in the 1937-38 campaign. NOTES: The defending National Champions from Rainier College were upset 42-39 by Western Montana yesterday, snapping a 12-game winning streak that dated back to the start of last season's tournament for the Majestics. Rainier College got off to a slow start -thanks to Tree Turner getting into foul trouble early and missing most of the first half- and were unable to recover after trailing 26-18 at the break. It did not hurt the Majestics in this week's top 25 poll as they remain solidly entrenched in the third slot behind West Coast Athletic Association rival Coastal California (5-0) and North Carolina Tech (8-0). For Western Montana it was the Sioux first win over a ranked opponent since they beat Henry Hudson in a December, 1936 game. Code:
AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Coastal California (62) 5-0 1790 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. North Carolina Tech (9) 8-0 1735 2 South Atlantic Conference
3. Rainier College 7-1 1631 3 West Coast Athletic Association
4. Western Iowa 6-1 1554 4 Great Lakes Alliance
5. Ohio Poly (1) 10-0 1548 5 Independent
6. Minnesota Tech 9-0 1459 6 Great Lakes Alliance
7. Detroit City College 8-1 1365 9 Great Lakes Alliance
8. Perry State College 8-0 1241 11 Midwestern Association
9. Brooklyn State 5-1 1217 12 Northeast Conference
10. Frankford State 7-1 1121 7 Northeast Conference
11. Chesapeake State 7-2 1098 17 South Atlantic Conference
12. Central Ohio 5-1 1001 15 Great Lakes Alliance
13. Indiana A&M 7-1 851 18 Great Lakes Alliance
14. Bronx Tech 8-1 813 23 Independent
15. Liberty College 6-2 745 20 Northeast Conference
16. St. Pancras 7-1 688 10 Northeast Conference
17. CC Los Angeles 4-2 673 21 West Coast Athletic Association
18. Texas Gulf Coast 6-1 543 24 Southwestern Alliance
19. Western Florida 5-2 486 NR Deep South Conference
20. Whitney College 5-2 411 13 Great Lakes Alliance
21. Spokane State 5-1 372 NR West Coast Athletic Association
22. Mobile Maritime 6-2 259 NR South Atlantic Conference
23. Bigsby College 5-1 244 NR Eastern Eight
24. NW New York State 5-1 237 NR Central Athletic Alliance
25. Annapolis Maritime 8-2 198 NR Independent
MONDAY DEC 13 #3 Rainier College 56 Lambert 38 #8 Perry State College 52 Rock Island 45 #10 Frankford State 39 West Corners(NY) 33 #13 Indiana A&M 45 Central Illinois 26 #22 Mobile Maritime 53 Mississippi A&M 47 #24 NW New York State 43 College of Omaha 32 TUESDAY DEC 14 #5 Ohio Poly 41 Central Kentucky 40 #12 Central Ohio 45 Opelika State 42 #17 CC Los Angeles 57 Flagstaff State 32 #19 Western Florida 54 Great Plains State 27 #25 Annapolis Maritime 48 Tinker 37 WEDNESDAY DEC 15 #2 North Carolina Tech 43 Bliss College 34 #7 Detroit City College 57 #16 St Pancras 53 #8 Perry State College 64 St Andrews College 41 #13 Indiana A&M 48 Fond du Lac 34 #20 Whitney College 62 East Missouri Seminary 55 #24 NW New York State 46 Strub College 39 THURSDAY DEC 16 #1 Coastal California 58 Golden Gate 45 #5 Ohio Poly 45 Canton State 31 #6 Minnesota Tech 72 Glover(GA) 56 #11 Chesapeake State 42 #10 Frankford State 26 #12 Central Ohio 60 Daniel Boone College 51 #14 Bronx Tech 33 Harrisburg State 32 #15 Liberty College 36 Henry Hudson 32 #18 Texas Gulf Coast 64 Dakota College 42 FRIDAY DEC 17 #9 Brooklyn State 43 Penn Catholic 35 #16 St Pancras 50 Troy State(NY) 38 Chicago Poly 57 #20 Whitney College 39 SATURDAY DEC 18 #7 Detroit City College 58 Three Rivers State 50 #14 Bronx Tech 59 Michigan Lutheran 46 #21 Spokane State 44 Grafton 37 #22 Mobile Maritime 53 Baton Rogue State 45 SUNDAY DEC 19 #2 North Carolina Tech 68 Sunnyvale 29 Western Montana 42 #3 Rainier College 39  Rumors Swirl About Barrell's Job Security Detroit, MI - Speculation is rife in the hockey circles of Detroit as rumors circulate about the job security of Detroit Motors' head coach, Jack Barrell. After a slow start to the season and two consecutive strong regular seasons followed by failures to capture the coveted Challenge Cup, whispers abound that Motors' owner, John Connelly Jr, is considering a change behind the bench. Connelly, known for his passion for the sport and his desire to see the Motors succeed, has not made any official statement regarding the rumors, but speculation continues to mount. The Motors have been a formidable force in the league for years, but this season has been off to a lackluster start. With a string of losses and inconsistent performances, fans and pundits alike have been buzzing about the team's struggles, and attention has turned to the coaching staff. Barrell, who has been at the helm of the Motors for the past eight seasons, has led the team to multiple playoff appearances - and a Cup win in 1939 - and has been credited with developing young talent. However, the recent setbacks and the team's failure to capture the Challenge Cup for two years running has put his job in jeopardy. Some fans are divided on the issue, with some calling for Barrell's dismissal and others expressing support for the coach and his contributions to the team. Critics point to the team's inconsistent performance and lack of results as evidence for the need for a change, while supporters of Barrell highlight his experience and track record of success. "I think it's time for a change," said Mike Thompson, a longtime Motors fan. "We've had a slow start, and we've been struggling to regain our championship form. It might be time to shake things up and try a new approach." On the other hand, there are those who believe that Barrell should be given more time to turn the team's fortunes around. "Barrell has been a good coach for us," said Sarah Johnson, another Motors fan. "He has a strong coaching pedigree, and he has nurtured young talent on our team. I think he deserves a chance to make adjustments and get the team back on track." As the speculation continues, all eyes are on the Motors' upcoming games and how the team will fare in the coming weeks. The pressure is on for Barrell and his coaching staff to reverse the team's fortunes and put an end to the swirling rumors about his job security. Neither Barrell nor Connelly Jr has made any official comments on the matter, and until any official announcement is made, the rumors about a potential coaching change will likely persist. Motors fans and hockey enthusiasts in Detroit will be eagerly watching to see how the situation unfolds and what changes, if any, are made to the team's coaching staff in the days to come. In the meantime, the Motors will continue to lace up their skates and take to the ice, aiming to turn their season around and prove that they are still a force to be reckoned with in the league. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 12/19/1943
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Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal
The Scripture of Sports Last edited by Jiggs McGee; 04-13-2023 at 12:15 PM. |
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09-27-2022, 10:21 AM
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#524 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 677
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December 27, 1943
DECEMBER 27, 1943 SPORTS ROLLED ON IN 1943 AS NATION STRUCK AGAINST FOES As another year comes to an end we can remember how sports carried on in 1943 despite vast numbers of athletes leaving the scene. This is the year in which this land strove to harness all of it's tremendous resources to attain maximum hitting power against our enemies over the seas. This is the second year of war. This is a year in which sports -premier and characteristic diversion of the American people, but a diversion nevertheless- could not conceivably carry on as usual. It's needless to say that sports didn't. Vast numbers of athletes - professional and amateur- left the sporting scene and headed towards the battle front. More essential industries claimed it's quota of competitors. Transportation problems piled on the headaches. And yet, though the black storm of Mars continued unabated, the cavalcade of sports rolled on. What we had left brought thrills, made headlines - the resurgent Cannons, Wisconsin Catholic's grid squad, Del Thomas, Jerry McElheny, Freeman Stahlberg, the Majestics hardwood five of Rainier College, the Minutemen and Americans of Boston, baseball revivals in St Louis and Washington, Sam Sheppard, Deuce Barrell, Johnny Littlejohn, the AFA survived thanks in no small part to the Friglers combined team and college football was dominated by schools with naval trainees enrolled. *** CANNONS FIRED ON THE BASEBALL FRONT *** This is the year that started with professional baseball wondering whether it would be able to get off the ground. It did, and followed through with record crowds the second half of the season and a thrilling seven game World Championship Series in which the Cincinnati Cannons erased all memories of the franchises failures in Baltimore with win over Boston. It saw an incredible start out of the Washington Eagles, long-time doormats of the Federal Association, and a tremendous pennant-push by the long-time struggling St Louis Pioneers. Football gave us a rematch of the Boston Americans and Chicago Wildcats and another dramatic finish -just like last year- but this time favouring the Windy City Eleven. College teams fell by the wayside but enough survived to give us another great season, and a surprise contender for next week's East-West Classic in a tiny Catholic school out of Wisconsin. College hoops seems no worse for wear as we witnessed a solid start to this season by western schools that had been dominant a year ago. Yes indeed, there is plenty to remember about 1943 A.D. AFA ALL-STAR TEAM ANNOUNCED TWIFB has for the first team selected it's All-Star Team for the American Football Association. Highlighting the list of the grid-eleven are three members each from the championship winning Chicago Wildcats and title game participant Boston Americans clubs including record setting quarterback Del Thomas. It was quite a season for Thomas, who set a new single season and single game passing yardage record this season as well as equaled the season mark for interceptions by collecting 13 of them while on the defensive side of the ball. Joining him on the select squad are his Boston teammates Johnny Littlejohn, who led the AFA with 11 touchdown catches, along with Boston linemen Joe King. Chicago Wildcats quarterback Gus Brown, fresh off a big AFA championship game win, makes the squad along with teammates Bob Serviss and Bus McLean. Here is the complete AFA all-star squad. Code:
1943 AFA ALL-STAR TEAM POS NAME TEAM B Del Thomas Boston Americans B Gus Brown Chicago Wildcats B Dave Davis Phil-StL Friglers B Jerry McElheny New York Stars E Stan Vaught Detroit Maroons E Johnny Littlejohn Boston Americans T Steve Julian New York Stats G Bob Serviss Chicago Wildcats C Bus McLean Chicago Wildcats G Joe King Boston Americans T Isaac Rhodes Brooklyn Kings EAST-WEST CLASSIC: Wisconsin Catholic (8-0) vs Northern California (9-1) SUNSHINE CLASSIC: Darnell State (8-1) vs North Carolina Tech (8-1) DESERT CLASSIC: Travis College (5-2-1) vs Minnesota Tech (9-0) CAJUN CLASSIC: Georgia Baptist (5-4) vs Amarillo Methodist (6-2) LONE STAR CLASSIC: Provo Tech (5-1-1) vs Eastern State (6-2) DOLPHINS' MELCHER LEADS THE WAY Morgan Melcher continues to be the most dangerous player in college basketball and the Coastal California junior is a big reason why the Dolphins remain unbeaten and ranked number one in the nation. It is hardly a surprise that the Los Angeles native is leading the entire AIAA in scoring while averaging 19.4 ppg this season as he scored in double figures each of his first two seasons of college ball. He was a Freshman All-American in 1941-42 when he notched 12.7 ppg and the 6'6" graduate of Franklin High School in Los Angeles improved to 14.1 ppg last season. This year he has been on fire with a career best (and WCAA record) 31 point outing earlier in the season. Last week the Dolphins played twice, winning both to improve to 7-0 on the season with Melcher scoring 15 despite sitting out most of the second half in a 51-36 romp over Bliss College on Wednesday. Yesterday it was a similar story as Melcher scored 16 points in just 28 minutes as the Dolphins had little problem downing Tempe College 50-35. Melcher and his Coastal California teammates have 3 more weeks of relatively easy games before things get tough. They open the always difficult West Coast Athletic Association schedule on January 16 with a game in Washington against defending National Champion and 3rd ranked Rainier College before having to play against their cross-town rivals and 12th ranked CCLA at the Coyotes home arena.  Code:
AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Coastal California (69) 7-0 1797 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. North Carolina Tech (3) 9-0 1731 2 South Atlantic Conference
3. Rainier College 7-1 1645 3 West Coast Athletic Association
4. Minnesota Tech 9-0 1588 6 Great Lakes Alliance
5. Detroit City College 8-1 1448 7 Great Lakes Alliance
6. Ohio Poly 11-1 1383 5 Independent
7. Perry State College 11-0 1364 8 Midwestern Association
8. Western Iowa 7-2 1327 4 Great Lakes Alliance
9. Brooklyn State 7-1 1260 9 Northeast Conference
10. Frankford State 8-1 1125 10 Northeast Conference
11. Indiana A&M 9-1 1099 13 Great Lakes Alliance
12. CC Los Angeles 6-2 999 17 West Coast Athletic Association
13. Bronx Tech 10-1 983 14 Independent
14. St. Pancras 8-1 887 16 Northeast Conference
15. Annapolis Maritime 10-2 755 25 Independent
16. Central Ohio 6-2 608 12 Great Lakes Alliance
17. Chesapeake State 7-3 576 11 South Atlantic Conference
18. Hamman 13-2 543 NR Independent
19. Darnell State 4-1 448 NR Southwestern Alliance
20. Alabama Baptist 6-2 379 NR Deep South Conference
21. Liberty College 8-3 346 15 Northeast Conference
22. St. Ignatius 4-3 293 NR Great Lakes Alliance
23. Brookland 10-2 219 NR Independent
24. Whitney College 7-3 150 20 Great Lakes Alliance
25. Lincoln 7-2 123 NR Great Lakes Alliance
MONDAY DEC 20 #6 Ohio Poly 45 Flint 41 #7 Perry State College 63 Topeka State 56 #8 Western Iowa 47 Mile High State 31 #13 Bronx Tech 49 West Corners(NY) 33 College of Omaha 56 #16 Central Ohio 51 #23 Brookland 41 Central Maryland 40 TUESDAY DEC 21 #9 Brooklyn State 42 Bethlehem College 40 #21 Liberty College 48 Bulein 24 #22 St Ignatius 46 Elyria 40 #24 Whitney College 53 Pittsburgh State 45 WEDNESDAY DEC 22 #1 Coastal California 51 Bliss College 36 #2 North Carolina Tech 48 El Paso Methodist 35 #7 Perry State College 43 Lubbock State 42 #11 Indiana A&M 50 Three Rivers State 37 #12 CC Los Angeles 48 Golden Gate 31 #18 Hamman 37 Petersburg 36 #20 Alabama Baptist 46 Red River State 39 #23 Brookland 45 Caesar Rodney 42 THURSDAY DEC 23 #10 Frankford State 62 Bigsby College 54 #15 Annapolis Maritime 50 Garden State 43 #16 Central Ohio 55 Pittsburgh State 31 #19 Darnell State 34 Great Plains State 32 #22 St Ignatius 54 Maldin 37 FRIDAY DEC 24 #9 Brooklyn State 66 NW New York State 39 #11 Indiana A&M 52 #6 Ohio Poly 48 #14 St Pancras 36 Narragansett 34 #20 Alabama Baptist 61 Capital(MS) University 35 Sadler 54 #21 Liberty College 46 SATURDAY DEC 25 Springfield State 53 #8 Western Iowa 45 #12 CC Los Angeles 69 Opelika State 40 #19 Darnell State 49 Mississippi Tech 36 Grange College 42 #21 Whitney College 41 SUNDAY DEC 26 #1 Coastal California 50 Tempe College 35 #7 Perry State College 43 Grant(IN) 35 #15 Annapolis Maritime 54 Alexandria 41 #21 Liberty College 60 Chicago Poly 34  The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 12/26/1943
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Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal
The Scripture of Sports |
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09-28-2022, 01:39 PM
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#525 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,805
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January 3, 1944
JANUARY 3, 1944  Fouts went on to explain that his next reaction was the Great Western league should seek immediate recognition as a third major league. Failing in that, Fouts said his Hollywood club would stand ready to buy any Federal or Continental Association franchise offered for sale. It should be noted that the St Louis Pioneers reportedly came very close to moving to Los Angeles when Dee Rose purchased the club in 1941. Rose, a California native, was said to have the move all but finalized until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor put an end to the plans. Insisting he was for the Great Western loop first, last and always, and that he could only speak for the Hollywood ballclub, Fouts declared that the league territory enjoyed the best baseball climate in the world and had the equipment essential for big league ball. Moreover, he pointed out Coast league cities are outranked in size only by a few which presently occupy berths in the Federal and Continental Associations and that the West Coast is booming and figures to increase steadily in population- faster than any other league territory in the United States. "If my associate club presidents don't agree with me striving to get the GWL classified as a third major league, and if it develops that some member of either Association wants to dispose of its franchise, the Hollywood club will buy it," he said. "No brand of baseball can be too good for fans of the Great Western League. Our fans are definitely major league-minded and we have plenty of them." *** NEARLY 3 MILLION WITHIN 25 MILES OF HEROES PARK *** If anyone has any doubts about the Los Angeles area having the ability to support major league baseball, Fouts insists that "facts speak louder than words." He points out "The population of Los Angeles County was 2,990,501 as of January 1, 1944, according to federal estimates. In response to concerns that the Hollywood Hills Stadium only seats 14,200 presently Fouts immediately claimed his stadium could be easily expanded to close to double its size and noted the team could play out of the Los Angeles Knights Stadium (capacity 17,400) while renovations were being completed. "I am not worried about finding a place to play while we upgrade our stadium. Heck we could probably even play before 90,000 fans at that big football coliseum in Santa Ana if we needed to....and I bet we would draw record-setting crowds as well." The Hollywood club is one of four in the Great Western League (along with Portland, Sacramento and Seattle) that operate as independent clubs and are not affiliated with a FABL team. The owners of those four clubs as well as an undisclosed group from San Francisco (but not necessarily aligned with the Oakland or San Francisco GWL ball teams) are pushing for the loop to petition FABL to recognize the GWL as a third major league. FABL President Samuel Belton would only comment that his office has not been approached formally by anyone interested in starting a new major league, adding "FABL is committed to its current structure and ensuring all 16 of our clubs remain strong." KINGS BUSY IN RULE FIVE DRAFT The Brooklyn Kings were very active in the recent Rule Five draft. The Brooklyn ballclub selected 5 players but also lost two in an active draft that saw a total of 32 players change hands. Pitching was the focus for the Kings as all five of their selections were hurlers beginning with 36 year old Herb Flynn -who has more than a decade of big league experience with the Philadelphia Sailors and boasts a lifetime FABL record of 111-107. The Kings also drafted older arms with their other four selections but none of 30 year old Bud Hastings, 32 year old Red Weise, 32 year old George Pratt or 31 year old Bobby Horner have ever pitched in the big leagues before. The two players the Kings lost were 23 year old minor league pitcher Lyn Trease -son of Hall of Famer Woody Trease - and 37 year old infielder Elmer Root, who has played 154 career FABL games. The first pick belonged to the Cleveland Foresters and they opted for 27 year old righthander Willie Ibarra as their only selection. Ibarra, taken from the New York Stars organization, split last season between Class A and AA. While the Foresters added just the one player they were hit hard with 7 of their minor leaguers being selected by other teams including 4 in the opening round: pitcher Jim Baggett, 3B Jackie Potts to Pittsburgh, pitcher Jonah Brown to the Keystones and second baseman Adolph Jacobson, who was selected by Boston. Some might question Cleveland's decision to only protect 30 players on its secondary roster when they were allowed to list up to 40. The Philadelphia Sailors were the team hit the second hardest as they lost 6 players in the Rule 5 draft. Here is the complete list of players selected in the Rule Five Draft.  AROUND THE LEAGUE : A LOOK AT REACTION TO THE RULE FIVE DRAFT SELECTIONS Jiggs McGee takes a look around FABL with a quick comment or two on each of the 16 clubs activities in the Rule 5 Draft. BOSTON- Added: 2B Adolph Jacobson. Lost: P Ed Myers - We turn it over to Doc Shaw of the Boston Globe for a breakdown: Boston loses 32 year old career minor league SP Ed Myers to the Stars. The Minutemen targeted a couple of Cleveland infielders in Jackie Potts and Adolph Jacobson. Potts went to the Miners before Boston had a chance to snag him and Boston's second choice Jim Bullock (Toronto org.) went to the Sailors. So when it came time for Boston to select it was Jacobson that was left. Jacobson has a superior glove and will battle with Henry Warren for the starting job at 2B. This is all because Lew McClendon will move back to SS with the loss of Harry Barrell to the War effort. This is just Ol' Doc's opinion here but he thinks Warren will have to lose the job more than win it this coming spring. Superior glove or not Jacobson is known to be a very outspoken individual. Which, in the Boston clubhouse, may not be tolerated if Adolph does not hit enough. Ol' Doc envisions a quick ticket back to Cleveland if such a scenario plays out. Another potential 2B option may be to get 1939 2nd round pick Clifton Smith some training at 2B this spring. Smith is a new addition to the 40 man, probably in large part to protect him from other predatory gm's, is already considered an above average SS defensively. If he can hit enough this spring maybe Boston rolls with Smith at SS and McClendon can play 2B again. It is clear that organization feels that the loss of Barrell has created a weak spot at 2B for Boston. Thankfully, it has not been a blindspot to the organization as they shake off the disappointment of a Game 7 loss in last season's FABL Championship Series. BROOKLYN- Added: P Herb Flynn, P Bud Hastings, P Red Wiese, P George Pratt, P Bobby Horner. Lost: P Lyn Trease, 2B Elmer Root. -A month ago the Kings made a large purge of their minor leagues but now find themselves very short of depth. Hard to see all 5 of these pitchers sticking with the big club but there is likely room for one or two. The best known is Herb Flynn, who spent over a decade with the Sailors. CHIEFS- Added: none Lost: C Herbie Johnson. -The Chiefs were one of just three teams not to select anyone in the rule five draft. Johnson is a 24 year old former 6th round draft pick who spent last season in A ball. COUGARS- Added: P Lyn Trease, OF Don Long, OF Gus Byrd. Lost: 2B Red Moore. -The 23 year old Trease is part of baseball royalty but has, at least so far, not lived up to the family name although he did have a decent season in AA last year. Long and Byrd are young outfielders who, like Trease, fit the standard Cougars Rule 5 gameplan of drafting several players and giving them a chance to impress in spring training, otherwise they get returned to their original organization. CINCINNATI- Added: P Mac Watters. Lost: OF Al Horton, P Bobby Horner. -Watters is a 31 year old reliever who has been selected twice before in Rule Five drafts. He is likely a longshot to make the Cannons final 24-man roster but was added for injury insurance during spring camp. Horton is a player the Cannons expected to lose but they elected to leave him exposed for the draft because they have so many outfielders (9) on their secondary roster already. CLEVELAND- Added: P Willie Ibarra. Lost: P Jim Baggett, 3B Jackie Potts, P Jonah Brown, 2B Adolph Jacobson, SS Jake Creel, P Bud Hastings, OF Red Blackburn. -Ibarra was a bit of a surprise as the first overall selection considering he is 27 and has only spent half a season as a high as AA in his career. They lost 6 players due to the fact that the Foresters only elected to protect 30 on their 40-man secondary roster. Not that they are high end players by any stretch but a team as desperate for talent as Cleveland is would have been expected to protect a few more, and likely draft more than just one player as well. DETROIT- Added: P Bob Clark, SS Jake Creel, P Dave Volpe. Lost: None. -Perhaps it is an indication of the Dynamos lack of organizational depth that they did not lose a single player in the draft but maybe it was instead very astute analysis of its own organization to protect the right players. Creel looks like a very good selection. He likely won't hit a lot but is a plus defender and clearly appears to be a player the Cleveland Foresters should not have allowed to leave. The Dynamos appear to be in desperate need of pitching so the 23 year old Clark, who was 14-9 in AA last year, may earn a spot in the rotation. Volpe is 25 and worked out of the pen in AA for St Louis last season. Freddie Farhat, in his column in The Detroit World, had this to say about the Dynamos rule five activities: "Well the Dynamo's went fishing for 3 players in the Rule 5 draft. Their #2 choice was pulled back to a team's 40-man roster. The picks: Rd 1 Pick #4 SP Bob Clark RHP age 23 (AA stats 14-9 4.53 ERA0 Detroit scouts likes his plus changeup, solid fastball and solid cutter. He has average stuff but has occasional lapses in control. He needs to throw more strikes to move up in the rotation. Rd 2 Pick #20 overall - SS Jake Creel Age 29 B-R (AAA stats 222/310/610 6-58) Creel was someone who Dynamos brass had on it's draft radar in 1936 for the 2nd round but was grabbed by the Detroit GM's old club Cleveland with the #12 pick in the 1st round. He had a terrible season last year and is only a .213 big league hitter with over 800 career at bats. Scout - He has excellent instincts with the glove at SS. His speed grades out as above average. As an FABL SS he should have no trouble in a starting role (Although he has never been able to hang onto a job because he can't seem to hit. He will get a chance to battle it out in the spring). Rd 3 Pick #36 overall SP Dave Volpe LHP Age 25 (AA stats 5-5 4 saves 2.87 ERA) Volpe didn't get much of a chance or any chance to start at AA Dayton but had decent results. He is probably a long shot to make the club but we will see what he can do this spring. Why did Detroit draft him? His velocity has steadily improved over the last several years and now tops out around 97-99 mph. He probably is John Moor though than anything else. Scout - He relies most on his cutter and is projected to strike out an average number of batters, but he suffers from some control issues. He needs to develop an out pitch or he will have trouble getting big league hitters out (fortunately most big league hitters are in the Service). He is likely an emergency starter or long man out of the pen. Just to show how bad the Detroit organization has become, not one player was selected in the rule 5 draft. Not sure if I should be happy about that or its a true sign of how quickly and badly things have gone in D-Town the last few seasons." MONTREAL- Added: OF Al Horton, OF Jorge Nava, P Ralph Rodino. Lost: None. - Marc T. McNeil of the Montreal Star has a quick breakdown on the Saints Rule 5 draft: Three picks by Montréal in Rule 5 draft. With many OF leaving for war and the long term injury to OF McMahon, LF Horton from Cincinnati and LF Nava from Philly would be able to compete at training camp for a starting job. NY STARS- Added: P Jimmy Cook, 2B Red Moore, P Ed Myers, 2B Elmer Root. Lost: P Willie Ibarra, P Red Wiese, OF Pershing Christian. - The Stars obviously targeted second base and the mound as positions in which an upgrade was hoped for. Cook and Myers are veteran minor league arms who will get a chance to crack the depleted New York pitching staff. Moore and Root both have a fair bit of big league experience. Stars Manager Jerry Kant told the New York Mirror he is happy with the addition of knuckleballer Johnny Cook, noting it "pleases me to no end. Hopefully he can still pitch. Ed Myers was also plucked to hopefully fill out the rotation. And Red Moore joins us as well to hopefully help fill our middle infield woes. We'll see where these guys are come spring." NY GOTHAMS- Added: P Jim Baggett. Lost: P Mac Watters, OF Gus Byrd. -Baggett is a 32 year old who has had a very brief taste of the big leagues but spent the past 5 years in AAA. With all of the players that have left for the war, he may just be a nice stopgap measure to eat some innings in the New York rotation this season. Watters was a veteran depth arm while Byrd is a 22 year old former 4th round draft pick who may be hard pressed to stick with the Chicago Cougars. Gothams newly acquired Assistant General Manager Frank Escoe notes the club was happy to land Baggett adding "their AAA team seemed to have a few vet pitchers that were possibilities." KEYSTONES- Added: P Jonah Brown, P George Buckley. Lost: OF Archie Sharp, 2B Jack Stone. - Brown is a 32 year old who had a very solid season in AAA last year while Buckley, 24, pitched well between A and AA a season ago. Both will get an opportunity to claim a spot on the Keystones roster but the likely scenario is only one, at most, makes it. Here is Johnny Bologna of the Philadelphia Inquisitor with his thoughts "The Keystones picked up two players early in the Rule 5 and lost two players in the later rounds. Both new 'Stones are pitchers and will look for spots to complete the war-depleted bullpen that will also be without Herman Patterson just about all of the 1944 season. Jonah Brown (14-5, 2.19 ERA in AAA) is a 32-year-old journeyman from the Foresters organization with groundball tendencies, while George Buckley (14-3, 7 SV, 2.46 ERA in AA/AAA) is a 24-year-old former 8th-round pick of the crosstown Sailors with less polish, but can also get ground ball outs. Speaking of the Sailors, the Keystones Philadelphia brethren picked up 33-year-old veteran second-sacker Jack Stone (.250-2-19 in AA) and St. Louis plucked a young 22-year-old, centerfielder Archie Sharp, who has been blocked in the low-minors and battled some injuries, only reaching Single-A Allentown last year (.313-12-63 in B/A)." SAILORS- Added: 2B Jim Bullock, P Elmer Hlefinger, 2B Jack Stone, OF Red Blackburn. Lost: P Johnny Cook, P Herb Flynn, OF Jorge Nava, P George Buckley, OF Don Long, P George Pratt. -When you have a farm system as successful as the Sailors has been through the years you expect to see players leaving via the rule 5 and that was certainly the case this season. 32 year old Jim Bullock is an intriguing pickup from the Wolves organization. He hit .341 in AAA last season -by far the best offensive output of his career at that level- but there are some concerns about his defense. PITTSBURGH- Added: 3B Jackie Potts. Lost: P Bob Clark, P Ralph Rodino. Potts put up big offensive numbers splitting the season with Cleveland's A and AA teams last year but there certainly have to be questions as to whether the 22 year old will be ready for big league pitching, even of the war-depleted variety. ST LOUIS- Added: C Herbie Johnson, OF Archie Sharp, OF Pershing Christian. Lost: P Dave Volpe. -With Heinie Zimmer off to the Navy there is a big hole behind the plate in St Louis. Johnson is just 24 and has never played above A ball so it is hard to see him claim the starting spot, but it certainly appears he will get the opportunity. Long-time Pioneers Assistant General Manager Charlie Kane notes "With our system being hammered by the war at catcher I am certain that Herbie Johnson will stick with the Pioneers. The two outfielders will be given a chance to supplant some older guys who have struggled in the past." TORONTO- Added: none. Lost: 2B Jim Bullock, P Elmer Helfinger. -The Wolves join the Chicago Chiefs and Washington Eagles as the only three teams not to add a player. Both of those they lost were selected by the Philadelphia Sailors. Here is what Brett Bing of the Toronto Mail & Empire has to say about the club: "Toronto loses two players in the Rule 5. Sailors select 2B Jim Bullock who could be useful piece off a .341/.416/.592 season for Buffalo in 1943. At 32 he was always blocked in the Wolves organization. He probably deserves a shot at an FABL role. Sailors also take P Elmer Helfinger who has never progressed past AA f or the Wolves. The 5th round pick in 1939 has shown flashes of potential but his progress has been slow. The Wolves added no one in the draft, the fans are now thinking that this may have been an error by the front office. The stance in the GM office was to fill their 40-man with players that have history in the organization. Right or wrong will only be known as the 1944 season plays out over the next 9 months." WASHINGTON- Added: none. Lost: none. -The Eagles were the only team that did not see any player movement in the rule five draft.
FABL ROOKIE DRAFT APPROACHES With the calendar flipping to 1944 that means the opening three rounds of the FABL draft are just a few weeks away. Here is a look at the mock first round that long-time FABL Scouting Director Rube Carter compiled back in August. TWIFB will have an updated list from Carter once the full draft class has been revealed. RUBE CARTER'S 1944 MOCK FIRST ROUND 1- ROY SCHAUB - 17 yr old RHP - School: St Joseph's HS, Philadelphia. Hometown: Camden, NJ 2- JOE ROBINSON 17 yr old Catcher - School: Warren (PA) HS. Hometown: Warren, PA. 3- RICK DIXON - 17 yr old RHP- School: Honey Brook (PA)HS. Hometown: Philadelphia, PA. 4- BEN THOMPSON- 17 yr old RF - School: Yazoo City (MS) HS. Hometown: Yazoo City, MS. 5-EDDIE LOGAN - 20 yr old 2B - School: Gates University. Hometown: San Francisco, CA. 6-GARY BURGESS- 17 yr old SS - School: Downey (CA) HS. Hometown: French Valley, CA. 7- DAVE McCRAW - 17 year old SS- School: Xavier HS, New York City. Hometown: New York, NY 8- BERT ROGERS -17 yr old LHP- School: Wenona (IL) HS. Hometown: Chicago, IL 9- JACK ENTRINGER - 17 yr old RHP - School: Bay City (MI) HS. Hometown: Bay City, MI. 10: RED RODGERS - 17 yr old C - School: Lewiston (NY) HS. Hometown: Buffalo, NY 11: JIM FLOWERS - 17 yr old 1B - School: New Eagle (PA) HS. Hometown: New Eagle, PA 12: CAL YEAGER - 17 yr old C - School: Lodi (OH) HS. Hometown: Lodi, OH 13: FRED TROY - 21 yr old CF - School: Maryland State. Hometown: New York, NY 14: LOU McCRIGHT- 17 yr old 3B - school: Clark HS, New Orleans. Hometown: Greenwell Springs, LA 15: EDDIE HALEY - 17 yr old SS - school: Hamburg (IA) HS. Hometown: Omaha, NE 16: LEE AHLSTROM - 17 yr old RHP- School: Harmony (MN) HS. Hometown: Barnesville, MN. WISCONSIN CATHOLIC WINS EAST-WEST CLASSIC Milwaukee School Named National Champion The Wisconsin Catholic Cavaliers completed a perfect football season with a tense 10-7 victory over Northern California in the East-West Classic on New Years Day. The win improved the Cavaliers record to 9-0 and earned them the number one ranking in the year end Brunson College Football poll. Northern California finished at 9-2 but still cracked the top five despite seven schools finishing with an unblemished record. Monnesota Tech (10-0) fans feel robbed after the Lakers nipped Travis College 3-0 in the Desert Classic to finish their perfect season. Despite impressive wins over Detroit City College, St Magnus and Daniel Boone College to go along with a Great Lakes Alliance section title, the Lakers were forced to settle for second in the rankings. Outraged fans point to Minnesota Tech's dominant 40-0 win over Wisconsin State and 37-0 blanking of Camp Grant while the Cavaliers beat the Brewers 37-7 and the soldiers by just 10 points as proof the Lakers deserved the number one ranking. Other New Year's action say Amarillo Methodist down Georgia Baptist 27-20 in the Cajun Classic, Eastern State shutout Provo Tech 10-0 in the Lone Star Classic while Darnell State hammered North Carolina Tech 35-0 at the Sunshine Classic in Miami. Here are the final top twenty rankings from the Brunson Poll 1- Wisconsin Catholic (9-0) 2- Minnesota Tech (10-0) 3- San Francisco Tech (8-0) 4- Northern California (9-2) 5- Pittsburgh State (8-0) 6- Penn Catholic (8-0) 7- Alexandria (8-0) 8- North Carolina Tech (8-2) 9- St. Blane (7-2-1) 10- Eastern State (7-2) 11- Darnell State (9-1) 12- George Fox (9-0) 13- Pierpont (8-1) 14- Coastal State(7-1) 15- Mountainview State (6-0-1) 16- Maryland State (7-2) 17- Amarillo Methodist (7-2) 18- Travis College (5-3-1) 19- Columbia Military Academy (5-2) 20- Detroit City College (7-2) YEARLY AIAA FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONS  SIX DEEP SOUTH GRID TEAMS MAY RESUME IN '44 A report out of Atlanta suggested a reliable source indicates that the Deep South Conference may be back to normal next year with at least 8 and possibly 10 of the 13 schools fielding football teams next season. This season only Noble Jones College, Georgia Baptist, Baton Rogue State and Bayou State fielded teams with the others electing not to participate due to travel and manpower concerns. The four that participated this season are certain to be back next year along with six others -Bluegrass State, Cumberland, Northern Mississippi, Opelika State, Alabama Baptist and Central Kentucky- who have indicated a desire to return next season. There has been no indication of a change in plans for 1944 from the conferences remaining three members: Mississippi A&M, St Andrews College and Western Florida. NORTH CAROLINA TECH TAKES OVER TOP SPOT Three more victories this week allowed North Carolina Tech to improve to 12-0 on the season and did enough in the voters minds to lift the Techsters past Coastal California (8-0) and into top spot in the weekly AIAA basketball polls. The Techsters, who made a disappointing first round exit in last year's national tournament, look like they are quickly becoming the team to beat this time around. Among their wins this season are an impressive 66-42 win over Henry Hudson and a 43-42 victory on the road against Whitney College. Last week they started things off with a 59-31 win at home over Grafton and then easily handled Eastern Virginia 58-49 on New Year's Eve behind a 14 point outing for the team's top scorer in senior guard Nestor Patterson. They had a close call yesterday afternoon in nipping North Carolina Atlantic 46-45 behind Patterson's 16 point outing. Code:
AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. North Carolina Tech (65) 12-0 1793 2 South Atlantic Conference
2. Coastal California (7) 8-0 1734 1 West Coast Athletic Association
3. Rainier College 8-1 1649 3 West Coast Athletic Association
4. Minnesota Tech 11-0 1569 4 Great Lakes Alliance
5. Western Iowa 9-2 1524 8 Great Lakes Alliance
6. Frankford State 9-1 1325 10 Northeast Conference
7. Indiana A&M 10-1 1320 11 Great Lakes Alliance
8. Detroit City College 9-2 1282 5 Great Lakes Alliance
9. CC Los Angeles 7-2 1203 12 West Coast Athletic Association
10. Ohio Poly 12-2 1155 6 Independent
11. Perry State College 12-1 1137 7 Midwestern Association
12. St. Pancras 9-1 967 14 Northeast Conference
13. Brooklyn State 8-2 937 9 Northeast Conference
14. Annapolis Maritime 12-2 934 15 Independent
15. Chesapeake State 9-3 814 17 South Atlantic Conference
16. Central Ohio 7-2 668 16 Great Lakes Alliance
17. Hamman 14-2 616 18 Independent
18. Bronx Tech 11-2 586 13 Independent
19. Alabama Baptist 8-2 541 20 Deep South Conference
20. Liberty College 8-3 423 21 Northeast Conference
21. Lincoln 9-2 354 25 Great Lakes Alliance
22. Sadler 9-2 301 NR Academia Alliance
23. Whitney College 8-3 300 24 Great Lakes Alliance
24. Bigsby College 8-2 147 NR Eastern Eight
25. Garden State 8-3 57 NR Northeast Conference
MONDAY DEC 27 #1 North Carolina Tech 59 Grafton 31 #3 Rainier College 54 Poweshiek 33 #16 Central Ohio 39 Topeka State 32 #21 Lincoln 56 Wisconsin Catholic 49 #23 Whitney College 58 Canton State 38 TUESDAY DEC 28 #4 Minnesota Tech 56 Payne State 48 Brooklyn Catholic 47 #13 Brooklyn State 32 #15 Chesapeake State 50 Potomac College 47 #22 Sadler 48 Ferguson 40 #24 Bigsby College 47 Bethlehem College 37 WEDNESDAY DEC 29 Central Carolina 50 #10 Ohio Poly 49 #14 Annapolis Maritime 57 Cowpens State 39 #18 Bronx Tech 55 St Gordius 45 #19 Alabama Baptist 59 Valley State 28 THURSDAY DEC 30 #2 Coastal California 51 Quaker College(CA) 50 #4 Minnesota Tech 56 Northern Minnesota 52 #6 Frankford State 54 Johnson Tech 49 #8 Detroit City College 57 Pittsburgh State 55 #9 CC Los Angeles 46 NW New York State 36 #13 Brooklyn State 67 Penobscot State 38 #25 Garden State 51 Penn Catholic 48 FRIDAY DEC 31 #1 North Carolina Tech 58 Eastern Virginia 49 #5 Western Iowa 50 Topeka State 38 Daniel Boone College 54 #11 Perry State College 51 #14 Annapolis Maritime 51 Maldin 40 #15 Chesapeake State 46 Strub College 29 #19 Alabama Baptist 46 Mobile Maritime 36 #22 Sadler 44 Commonwealth Catholic 40 SATURDAY JAN 1 #7 Indiana A&M 43 Columbia Military Academy 28 #10 Ohio Poly 57 Orrville 39 #12 St Pancras 50 #18 Bronx Tech 43 #17 Hamman 54 Bulein 37 SUNDAY JAN 2 #1 North Carolina Tech 46 North Carolina Atlantic 45 #5 Western Iowa 67 Sunnyvale 44 College of Omaha 52 #8 Detroit City College 51 #11 Perry State College 46 Alabama Gulf Coast 38 #21 Lincoln 38 Rock Island 31  The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 1/02/1944
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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09-29-2022, 08:57 AM
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#526 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 677
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January 10, 1944
JANUARY 10, 1944 DYNAMOS FACED WITH BIG DECISIONS Future Direction of Franchise Once More at Stake The Detroit Dynamos have been in this position before, but frankly felt it would be a long time coming before they were picking at the top of the draft once again. In 1935, after the worst season in club history saw them win just 43 games, the Dynamos earned the consolation prize of Red Johnson after the equally as inept Baltimore Cannons claimed Deuce Barrell with the first selection of that draft. Detroit also landed Hank Koblenz with the fifth overall selection that winter. A year later the Dynamos improved to 55 wins but that was not enough to lift them from the Federal Association basement so they were faced with the option of taking Sal Pestilli or Walt Messer. They, of course, opted for Pestilli and between he and Red they brought Detroit 3 Whitney Awards as the Federal Association top hitter and eventually 3 straight 90-win seasons, coming within a whisker of a couple of pennants. All that is gone now. Koblenz left for the Keystones early in his career. Johnson was peddled to the Gothams last summer and Pestilli is also absent, at least for the short-term as he is in the Army Air Corps. The 90 win seasons and pennant pushes have also gone the way of the dodo bird, as Dynamos sank to the depths of the Federal Association, winning just 62 games in 1942 and 69 last year. Their struggles in 1942 allowed them to land Art Keeter, a highly touted 19 year old righthander that OSA calls "a future multiple-time Allen Award winner." They will add more pieces to their second major rebuild in less than a decade. The 3rd overall selection, which is their prize for finishing 7th in the Fed, along with the first overall selection that comes courtesy of the New York Gothams in the deal that sent one of the best young sluggers in the game in Red Johnson to the Big Apple. In addition, Detroit has the 10th and 16th picks of round one and two more early choices in round two, giving the Dynamos 6 of the first 19 selections. Detroit can not afford to mess this draft up. The leash is already short for their management team after the collapse in recent years and it likely got much shorter with the controversial decision to deal Red. It seems a given that the Dynamos will make Roy Schaub, a 17 year old righthander who had a dominant season for his Philadelphia high school, as the first selection of the draft. High School players, particularly pitchers are always risky but if Schaub and Keeter -who was selected 4th overall last season- can live up to their lofty expectations the Dynamos could be a force to fear in a few years. What they do with the third overall selection hinges on the Cleveland Foresters, who make their seemingly annual pilgrimage to the top of the FABL draft pool as they own the second selection sandwiched between the Detroit pair of picks. The Foresters have landed some exceptional talent in recent years in New York High School ace Hiram Steinberg -who single-handedly rewrote the prep record book- and St Ignatius shortstop Jim Adams Jr. Together the Cleveland duo rank 4th and 6th overall on the OSA top prospect list, but they remain just that -prospects- and the Foresters on field product at the big league level continues to be woefully lacking. The future on the south shore of Lake Erie is bright however, and there is some talent available at picks two and three with the Foresters getting first choice to add to their parade of prospects followed by Detroit drawing from whatever Cleveland passes over. Assuming the Dynamos go with Schaub, and there is no reason to think they won't, that means Cleveland likely decides between shortstops Dave McCraw and Jim Sibert, catcher Joe Robinson or outfielders Ben Thompson or Ed Duncan. Detroit will be left picking from whoever is left. McCraw is described as an "everyday shortstop who can make an impact on a top-tier team" and seems like a solid pick for Cleveland but the Foresters just made another shortstop in Jim Adams Jr. the number one selection a year ago. Perhaps that convinces them to go with Flowers, who was #11 in the TWIFB August mock draft but seems to be seeing his stock rise, a big powerful first baseman, or they opt for Thompson, an outfielder with power and a high ceiling. If Cleveland passes on him, Flowers just might be the ideal fit in Detroit and one day be the player that makes the fans in the Motor City forget they once had Red Johnson to cheer for. Whoever the Dynamos end up with you can bet that this draft class of Detroit's will be heavily scrutinized and ultimately may well decide the fate of a management team that is getting a do-over at a rebuild. The question remains whether that do-over will finally stick and give the Dynamos another chance at a pennant or two, or if the Detroit brass will be remembered for falling short and giving away Red Johnson. PRO GRID EXPECTING FINE YEAR, SEES EXPANSION AFTER WAR A year ago the continuance of profossional football was fronted with a number of perplexing problems. These problems amounted to a challenge. The American Football Association owners accepted the challenge and were rewarded with their best season. Continued operation in 1944 presents the same problems. They no longer, however, constitute the formidable challenge that confronted owners in 1932, when on every hand well-meaning observers warned that teams could not be put together. Here and three throughout the year certain observers, bemoaning the loss of stars, professed to see a decline in AFA play, but attendance figures seem to belie any inferiority in the caliber of league competition. *** BETTER BALANCE HELPED LOOP *** New stars came to the front. More persons by some 34,000 saw the 40 league contests last season. The average game attendance was up well over 10 per cent. The title game at Boston's new Minutemen Stadium drew over 40,000 -an increase on last year's game involving the same two teams in Chicago by over 7,000 fans. Much of the increased enthusiasm for professional football stemmed from the better balance in the Western Division with three of the 4 teams still in the running until the final weekends. Talk of immediate expansion in the league is probably premature at this time. Expansion, however, is inevitable in the postwar period. It will not be surprising if the American Football Association approves applications for franchises on the west coast with Los Angeles a near certainty and San Francisco also a very likely possibility. But it is not likely that such franchises would be permitted to join the loop until after the war, when the new owners will have better opportunity to field representative elevens. *** AMERICANS AND WILDCATS AGAIN THE CLASS OF LOOP *** The performance of the Boston Americans and Chicago Wildcats continues to be the highlight of the league, but the Detroit Maroons and Pittsburgh Paladins also had highly successful 1943 campaigns. New stars emerged for other teams such as Jerry McElheny in New York and as the season progressed rookie Billy Bockhorst -the 1943 Christian Trophy winner- started to look more comfortable in Pittsburgh. The passing game opened up, adding excitement to the sport to the delight of fans, with throwers like Del Thomas and Gus Brown and receivers like Stan Vaught and Johnny Littlejohn enjoying outstanding seasons. All in all, the 1943 season has left such a favourable impression that it is difficult to adopt a pessimistic attitude toward 1944, no matter what Selective Service and the War Transportation Board might have in store for us in the year ahead. TECHSTERS TIME AT TOP WAS SHORT-LIVED The North Carolina Tech Techsters basketball team finally passed Coastal California and moved into top spot in the AIAA basketball rankings only last week. However, after being upset 46-45 by Brookland College on Tuesday the Techsters find themselves number two once again. Coastal California also tasted defeat for the first time this season as the Dolphins were surprised 49-47 by College of San Diego on Friday, but the pollsters thought enough of the 11-1 Los Angeles school that they returned them to top spot in this weeks poll. Other notes from the hardwood
Code:
AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Coastal California (61) 11-1 1789 2 West Coast Athletic Association
2. North Carolina Tech (10) 12-1 1730 1 South Atlantic Conference
3. Rainier College 10-1 1662 3 West Coast Athletic Association
4. Western Iowa 11-2 1566 5 Great Lakes Alliance
5. Minnesota Tech (1) 12-0 1533 4 Great Lakes Alliance
6. Ohio Poly 14-2 1383 10 Independent
7. CC Los Angeles 9-2 1346 9 West Coast Athletic Association
8. Frankford State 10-1 1314 6 Northeast Conference
9. Detroit City College 9-2 1209 8 Great Lakes Alliance
10. Chesapeake State 10-3 1163 15 South Atlantic Conference
11. Brooklyn State 9-2 1071 13 Northeast Conference
12. Indiana A&M 10-2 911 7 Great Lakes Alliance
13. Liberty College 10-3 897 20 Northeast Conference
14. Perry State College 13-2 880 11 Midwestern Association
15. Bronx Tech 13-2 848 18 Independent
16. Hamman 16-2 765 17 Independent
17. Whitney College 9-3 617 23 Great Lakes Alliance
18. Annapolis Maritime 13-3 605 14 Independent
19. Brookland 16-3 498 NR Independent
20. Lincoln 9-2 407 21 Great Lakes Alliance
21. Garden State 10-3 400 25 Northeast Conference
22. Coastal State 10-3 356 NR South Atlantic Conference
23. Alabama Baptist 9-3 176 19 Deep South Conference
24. St. Pancras 9-3 115 12 Northeast Conference
25. Central Ohio 7-4 85 16 Great Lakes Alliance
Others Receiving Votes:
Mobile Maritime 10-4 25 South Atlantic Conference
Spokane State 9-3 24 West Coast Athletic Association
Bigsby College 9-3 9 Eastern Eight
St. Ignatius 7-4 7 Great Lakes Alliance
Noble Jones College 12-4 5 Deep South Conference
College of Omaha 9-4 2 Plains Athletic Association
Freemont State 9-3 2 Midwestern Association
MONDAY JAN 3 #1 Coastal California 51 Flagstaff State 36 #3 Rainier College 42 Central Illinois 40 #5 Minnesota Tech 51 Plover College 36 #6 Ohio Poly 52 Granville 30 #13 Liberty College 54 Jersey City Tech 31 #15 Bronx Tech 42 Penn Catholic 38 #16 Hamman 59 Mahoning Valley State 45 #17 Whitney College 60 Huntington State 32 Lexington State 48 #18 Annapolis Maritime 31 #23 Alabama Baptist 48 Grant(IN) 39 TUESDAY JAN 4 #19 Brookland 46 #2 North Carolina Tech 45 #4 Western Iowa 60 Lambert College 50 #8 Frankford State 55 Brunswick 45 #22 Coastal State 61 Noble Jones College 53 Central Kentucky 48 #25 Central Ohio 47 WEDNESDAY JAN 5 #1 Coastal California 52 Kit Carson University 29 #11 Brooklyn State 48 Pierpont 42 Miners College 38 #14 Perry State College 32 #15 Bronx Tech 56 Campion 37 THURSDAY JAN 6 #7 CC Los Angeles 72 Quaker College(CA) 55 Central Kentucky 43 #12 Indiana A&M 35 #21 Garden State 61 Conwell College 47 Cowpens State 51 #23 Alabama Baptist 43 FRIDAY JAN 7 College of San Diego 49 #1 Coastal California 47 #13 Liberty College 66 George Fox 52 #19 Brookland 57 Berwick 39 SATURDAY JAN 8 #6 Ohio Poly 47 #25 Central Ohio 44 #7 CC Los Angeles 53 Sadler 29 #10 Chesapeake State 59 Bigsby College 49 #14 Perry State College 52 College of Cairo 40 #16 Hamman 51 Cache Valley 41 #18 Annapolis Maritime 45 Middlesex 37 SUNDAY JAN 9 #1 Coastal California 56 Sunnyvale 44 #3 Rainier College 60 Oklahoma Bible College 42 #4 Western Iowa 52 Colorado Poly 34 #19 Brookland 62 Eastern Virginia 48 The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 1/09/1944
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Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal
The Scripture of Sports Last edited by Jiggs McGee; 09-29-2022 at 10:53 AM. |
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09-30-2022, 10:49 AM
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#527 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 677
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January 17, 1944 : The draft begins
JANUARY 17, 1944 DYNAMOS SAY PESTILLI LIKELY TO BE TRADED The Detroit Dynamos have made it no secret that they plan on moving Whitney Award winning outfielder Sal Pestilli before he returns to baseball. The 28 year old, who made 5 all-star game appearances and won a Whitney Award in his 6 seasons with Detroit, has been in the Army Air Corps since last March. The Dynamos, fresh off drafting highly regarded but unproven 18 year old centerfielder Edwin Hackberry, say there is not room for both in the Detroit outfield and Pestilli will likely be moved. If it happens, Pestilli would be the second Whitney Award winner moved in his prime by the Dynamos in the past year -joining Red Johnson who was dispatched to the Gothams in advance of last July's trade deadline. That news overshadowed what was a very productive day for the Detroit franchise as the 1944 amateur player draft got underway. To no ones surprise Detroit made Philadelphia High Schooler -and Adwell Award winner as the top high school player in the nation last year- Roy Schaub the number one picked. The Dynamos followed that up by taking the player expected to be Sal Pestilli's replacement in centerfield with the choice of San Diego High Schooler Edwin Hackberry. The Dynamos were not yet of course as they had 4 picks in all during the opening round. With the 7th selection they landed another talented high school athlete -this time shortstop Stan Kleminski out of Mercer, Pa. The Cleveland Foresters opted for Pennsylvania High School catcher Joe Robinson with the second selection. The High School All-American is highly regarded by OSA, with the scouting service feeling he has the "potential to be an impact big leaguer." The present may not look very bright for the Cleveland nine, but the future is full of high hopes as the club continues to assemble a wealth of high end prospects headlined by former number one overall selections Jim Adams Jr. and Hiram Steinberg. With the fourth the selection the New York Stars called the first college name of the draft, tabbing righthanded pitcher Eli Panneton - a Canadian who played semi-pro ball in the Prairie League last summer but is bound for Aberdeen College in South Dakota. He is a late addition to the OSA list but in limited viewings the organization feels he has a chance to be an ace. Rounding out the top five was the Pittsburgh Miners and they stuck very close to home by taking Jim Flowers, a big first baseman from New Eagle High School, which is about 50 miles south of Pittsburgh. Flowers did not show a lot of power as a junior at high school last season but his 6'4" and projected to be an impact first baseman. Here are the selections made so far: Code:
FABL 1944 ROUND ONE DRAFT PICKS PK TEAM POS NAME AGE SCHOOL HOMETOWN 1 DET RHP Roy Schaub 17 St Joseph's HS Philadelphia Camden, NJ 2 CLE C Joe Robinson 17 Warren (PA) HS Warren, PA 3 DET CF Edwin Hackberry 17 San Diego(CA) HS San Diego, CA 4 NYS RHP Eli Panneton 22 Aberdeen College Winnipeg, MB 5 PIT 1B Jim Flowers 17 New Eagle (PA) HS New Eagle, PA 6 BKN SS Nick Remillard 17 Hillsboro HS, Nashville Nashville, TN 7 DET SS Stan Kleminski 17 Mercer (PA) HS Mercer, PA 8 MON LHP Ted Coffin 17 Ahoskie (NC) HS Ahoskie, NC  There are several hurdles to clear, as Fouts knows all to well. There was an amendment to the major-minor agreement enacted at the last season providing that if any major league team was placed in this territory the purchaser would have to acquire the physical property, reimburse the Great Western League for loss of a member and also reimburse the league owners, individually. In short, it would cost considerable morey, but this populous area undoubtedly is ready, and has been ready for several years to pay for big league baseball. War uncertainty may prevent major league football from coming to the Pacific Coast next year, but Los Angeles and San Francisco both want franchises and they are two of the best football towns in the entire West. Crooner Big Crosby says he wants to establish a franchise in los Angeles and Don Ameche, actor-sportsman, is anxious to have a Hollywood representative on the diamond.
PRO FOOTBALL WILL REORGANIZE TEN TEAM LEAGUE NEXT YEAR Loop to Plan Postwar Growth at Meetings Next Week American Football Association club owners will meet with league President Jack Kristich in Chicago this week to mull over player prospects for the 1944 season and to hatch ideas about postwar expansion of the professional sport. Kristich made it emphatic that the main purpose of this huddle was to chart plans for next fall when the league will return to it's prewar size of 10 teams. Kristich would not elaborate beyond that but speculation is that the Washington Wasps will be reactivated and the Philadelphia-St Louis combine will separate. There will be talk of new franchises. Buffalo, Los Angeles and Cincinnati have formally applied while Baltimore and San Francisco have dispatched feelers. It is questionable, however, if any definite action will be taken, or if any representatives of the groups seeking the franchises will attend. ***CINCINNATI MAY FIELD CLUB *** Last summer it was reported that Mike Tice, owner of the Cincinnati Cannons baseball club, was actively pursuing a football team and it appears if Cincinnati is ready to go, the league probably would welcome it although there are indications that Tice is no longer involved in the bid. It is likely the applications from the other cities may be tabbed until the spring when club owners convene in an Eastern city yet to be named for the annual draft of collegians and 1944 schedule making. Kristich exudes optimism for 1944. He believes there will be enough players to go around, and then some, and there even are indications that the team player limit may be increased from 28 to the prewar quota of 33. A number of popular stars such as Dewey Burnett of the Detrot Dynamos are expected to still be missing, but the President vows "new ones will come along." "The fans make their own heroes," Kristich said. "They'll get just as many thrills as ever. They thrive on action -the league will give it to them." *** CAGERS ALSO WANT PIECE OF PRO PIE *** With the success of professional baseball and football, plus talk of westward expansion in both, pro sports is thriving and now comes word the cagers want a piece of the action. There are several regional loops around the country that call themseleves "professional basketball" leagues but in reality they are far front it and draw little interest outside of their home cities. However, there is some talk of that changing with the first test of the public's appetite for pro basketball coming in March. That is when the American Professional Basketball championship will be contested and the host will be the Bigsby Garden in New York. For several years now the various regional leagues have staged a national tournament but never in such a major city or historic venue. The hope is the event is a resounding success and if so, plans may be laid out to create a national professional league, something that has not been around in well over a decade.  RAINIER COLLEGE BACK ON TOP The defending National Champions from Rainer College are back at the top of the college basketball rankings after the Majestics scored an impressive 55-41 win over Coastal California on their homecourt in Washington in the West Coast Athletic Association season opener for the two Pacific powers. Tree Turner scored 19 points to lead the 13-1 Majestics to the win, while junior Morgan Melcher -the nation's top scorer averaging over 18 points a game- was held to 14 for the 12-2 Dolphins.[list][*]North Carolina Tech also lost for just the second time this season. The Techsters fell 50-45 at home against Western Florida and drop from #2 to third in the polls.[*]Fans of Central Kentucky are probably wishing the Tigers could shift from the Deep South Conference to the Great Lakes Alliance as the school continues to make life miserable for GLA sides. The Rigers beat Minnesota Tech 58-46 on the road and have now won 3 times over the past two weeks against ranked teams for the GLA. They beat #11 Indiana A&M and knocked Central Ohio out of the top twenty-five the previous week.[*]Top ten high school recruits Billy Bob McCright and Scott Winner each officially announced commitments to Bayou State for next season. McCright is a center from New Orleans and ranked the 3rd best high school senior in the nation while Winner hails from Pensacola, Florida and is a guard listed 8th overall. [/code] Code:
AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Rainier College (72) 13-1 1800 3 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Coastal California 12-2 1725 1 West Coast Athletic Association
3. North Carolina Tech 13-2 1649 2 South Atlantic Conference
4. Western Iowa 12-2 1590 4 Great Lakes Alliance
5. CC Los Angeles 12-2 1501 7 West Coast Athletic Association
6. Minnesota Tech 13-1 1421 5 Great Lakes Alliance
7. Chesapeake State 12-3 1380 10 South Atlantic Conference
8. Brooklyn State 11-2 1292 11 Northeast Conference
9. Ohio Poly 15-3 1214 6 Independent
10. Frankford State 11-2 1135 8 Northeast Conference
11. Indiana A&M 11-2 1032 12 Great Lakes Alliance
12. Detroit City College 10-3 976 9 Great Lakes Alliance
13. Perry State College 14-2 934 14 Midwestern Association
14. Garden State 12-3 862 21 Northeast Conference
15. Liberty College 11-4 855 13 Northeast Conference
16. Annapolis Maritime 15-4 713 18 Independent
17. Brookland 17-3 708 19 Independent
18. Bronx Tech 14-3 568 15 Independent
19. Whitney College 9-4 511 17 Great Lakes Alliance
20. St. Ignatius 9-4 392 NR Great Lakes Alliance
21. Hamman 17-4 374 16 Independent
22. Freemont State 10-3 196 NR Midwestern Association
23. Coastal State 10-4 160 22 South Atlantic Conference
24. Carolina Poly 9-5 105 NR South Atlantic Conference
25. Piedmont University 12-4 97 NR Independent
Others Receiving Votes:
Alabama Baptist 10-4 46 Deep South Conference
Central Ohio 8-5 45 Great Lakes Alliance
Northern California 10-4 44 West Coast Athletic Association
Brooklyn Catholic 14-5 28 Independent
Dickson 11-4 17 Academia Alliance
St. Magnus 9-4 15 Great Lakes Alliance
Spokane State 10-4 6 West Coast Athletic Association
Lincoln 9-4 3 Great Lakes Alliance
NW New York State 9-4 3 Central Athletic Alliance
Idaho A&M 10-4 2 West Coast Athletic Association
Wisconsin State 9-4 1 Great Lakes Alliance
MONDAY JAN 10 #5 CC Los Angeles 61 Daniel Boone College 33 #8 Brooklyn State 40 St. Matthew's College 28 Needham 52 #9 Ohio Poly 47 #14 Garden State 50 St Patrick's 34 #16 Annapolis Maritime 42 Richmond State 40 Great Plains State 51 #19 Whitney College 47 Rose Point(PA) 35 #21 Hamman 32 #24 Carolina Poly 51 El Paso Methodist 31 #25 Piedmont University 53 Mobile Maritime 45 TUESDAY JAN 11 #1 Rainier College 52 Potomac College 44 #6 Minnesota Tech 65 Wichita Baptist 37 #17 Brookland 46 Brandywine 38 WEDNESDAY JAN 12 #2 Coastal California 51 Valley State 31 #3 North Carolina Tech 58 Ferguson 43 #5 CC Los Angeles 52 California Catholic 46 #7 Chesapeake State 32 Middlesex 31 Bethlehem College 41 #10 Frankford State 35 #12 Detroit City College 49 Canton State 34 #15 Liberty College 49 St Pancras 40 #16 Annapolis Maritime 77 NW Pennsylvania 28 #20 St Ignatius 47 Grant(IN) 36 #21 Hamman 41 Cowpens State 37 #22 Freemont State 49 Eastern Kansas 36 Western Montana 60 #23 Coastal State 42 THURSDAY JAN 13 #1 Rainier College 53 Strub College 50 #4 Western Iowa 54 College of Cairo 42 Central Kentucky 58 #6 Minnesota Tech 46 Empire State 53 #18 Bronx Tech 46 FRIDAY JAN 14 #9 Ohio Poly 48 Lexington State 44 #11 Indiana A&M 66 Maldin 43 #20 St Ignatius 61 Dudley 39 #24 Carolina Poly 55 Valley State 40 SATURDAY JAN 15 #7 Chesapeake State 45 #16 Annapolis Maritime 43 #8 Brooklyn State 62 St Pancras 32 #10 Frankford State 46 St Patrick's 44 Amarillo Methodist 64 #12 Detroit City College 50 #13 Perry State College 41 Wichita Baptist 33 #14 Garden State 54 #15 Liberty College 42 #18 Bronx Tech 51 Bigsby College 37 #25 Piedmont University 47 Campion 31 SUNDAY JAN 16 #1 Rainier College 55 #2 Coastal California 41 Western Florida 50 #3 North Carolina Tech 45 #5 CC Los Angeles 56 Custer College 34 Bethlehem College 42 #21 Hamman 41 The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 1/16/1944
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10-01-2022, 10:05 AM
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#528 |
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January 24, 1944 - Draft Rounds 1 & 2 recap
JANUARY 24, 1944 YOUTH IS SERVED High School Players Dominate FABL Draft Perhaps the war and the fact that there are just less college baseball players these days was the big factor but, whatever the case, the result was an unprecedented focus on youth as FABL conducted the January portion of it's annual rookie player draft. 14 of the first 16 draft picks and 26 of the first 30 names called were high school athletes with only 6 collegiate players in all being selected in the opening two rounds. The focus on youth, along with the fact that it seemed every time you turned around the Detroit Dynamos were selecting again, was the overwhelming theme of the 34th annual draft. Detroit, after trading young superstar Red Johnson and veteran infielder George Dawson away over the summer, had four first round picks and six of the first 19 selections. If they all pan out -and that is a big 'if' especially when you are discussing high school prospects- the Dynamos landed two potential front of the rotation starters, an all-star centerfielder, an elite catcher, a third baseman who could hit over .300 and a very good shortstop. The draft went very much according to script with few surprise selections. OSA head Dan Barrell noted that the 16 ballclubs drafted very well. "Usually on my personal scorecard I have a few head-scratchers and some I would question as being selected a little too early. Not this time. No head-scratchers and really just one or two I thought were picked a little high." The first college player selected was Canadian pitcher Eli Panneton. The 22 year old is actually not a college pitcher yet. He recently enrolled at Aberdeen College in South Dakota but spent the past couple of years pitching in semi-pro leagues in the Canadian prairies and was selected 4th overall by the New York Stars. Some observers, Barrell included, feel the righthander might be able to make the jump straight to FABL when his college season ends, especially with the war-depleted rosters in the game today. The next college player did not get selected until the Washington Eagles, in a pick they acquired from Cincinnati in the Sam Brown trade, tabbed Amarillo Methodist shortstop Jim Sibert with the final pick of the opening round. One of the biggest sliders in the draft was another college infielder as Eddie Logan of Gates University lasted until the middle of the second round when Montreal selected the 20 year old. Logan, who's father Sherry Logan played college ball at Brunswick University, was ranked #5 on the TWIFB August mock draft but ended up being selected 24th. The third round, which restricts teams to selecting players from their home or a neighbouring stae, will be conducted next week with the remainder of the draft being held in June after the college and high school seasons have completed. Code:
FABL 1944 ROUND ONE DRAFT PICKS PK TEAM POS NAME AGE SCHOOL HOMETOWN 1 DET RHP Roy Schaub 17 St Joseph's HS Philadelphia Camden, NJ 2 CLE C Joe Robinson 17 Warren (PA) HS Warren, PA 3 DET CF Edwin Hackberry 17 San Diego(CA) HS San Diego, CA 4 NYS RHP Eli Panneton 22 Aberdeen College Winnipeg, MB 5 PIT 1B Jim Flowers 17 New Eagle (PA) HS New Eagle, PA 6 BKN SS Nick Remillard 17 Hillsboro HS, Nashville Nashville, TN 7 DET SS Stan Kleminski 17 Mercer (PA) HS Mercer, PA 8 MON LHP Ted Coffin 17 Ahoskie (NC) HS Ahoskie, NC 9 DET LHP Carl Potter 17 Bettsville (OH) HS Philadelphia, PA 10 PHS CF George Rutter 17 Curtis HS, Staten Island New York, NY 11 PHK RF Ben Thompson 17 Yazoo City (MS) HS Yazoo City, MS 12 CHC LHP Bert Rogers 17 Wenoma (IL) HS Chicago, IL 13 STL SS Dave McCraw 17 Xavier HS, New York City New York, NY 14 TOR C Cal Yeager 17 Lodi (OH) HS Lodi, OH 15 BKN CF Ed Duncan 18 Troy (KS) HS Independence, MO 16 WSH SS Jim Sibert 20 Amarillo Methodist Snow Camp, NC FABL 1944 ROUND TWO DRAFT PICKS PK TEAM POS NAME AGE SCHOOL HOMETOWN 17 DET C Red Rodgers 18 Lewiston (NY) HS Buffalo, NY 18 CLE SS Earle Haley 17 Hamburg (IA) HS Omaha, NE 19 DET 3B Lou McCright 17 Clark HS New Orleans Greenwell Springs, LA 20 NYS C Dan Atwood 17 Crown City (OH) HS Mansfield, OH 21 PIT CF Charlie J Williams 17 Cannonsburg (PA) HS Cannonsburg, PA 22 BKN LHP Jackson Scott 18 Susquehanna State Yonkers, NY 23 CHI RHP Willis Barth 17 Sidwell Friends, Wash. DC Lancaster, PA 24 MON 2B Eddie Logan 20 Gates University San Francisco, CA 25 WSH CF Jackie Garner 17 Water Valley (MS) HS Water Valley, MS 26 PHS RHP Lee Ahlstrom 17 Harmony (MN) HS Barnesville, MN 27 PHK RHP Rick Dixon 17 Honey Brook (PA) HS Philadelphia, PA 28 CHC RF Tom Jovin 17 Pocahontas (VA) HS Norfolk, VA 29 STL CF Al Monroe 21 College of Waco Crystal City, TX 30 TOR 2B King Allen 18 Marietta (GA) HS Marietta, GA 31 BOS CF Karl Berggren 22 Huntington State North Attleborough, MA 32 NYS P Dan Atwater 21 Wisconsin State St Joseph, MO
 WASHINGTON BACK, CINCINNATI IN AS AFA FINALIZES FIELD The American Football Association will return to it's 1942 size as the loop confirmed it will operate with 10 teams in 1944 -two more than took the field for the 1943 campaign. The Washington Wasps, after a year on the sidelines, will return to the Eastern Division while the leagues newest entry -the Cincinnati Monarchs- have been approved as an expansion club for the Western Division. The Philadelphia Frigates are also back, as the plan is to field a team after a year spent sharing a franchise with the St Louis Ramblers. The Ramblers do not feel confident about fielding a full team of their own so for 1944 they will partner on a combined outfit with the Cleveland Finches. The Divisions for 1944 will look as follows: EASTERN DIVISION Boston Americans Brooklyn Kings New York Stars Philadelphia Frigates Washington Wasps WESTERN DIVISION Chicago Wildcats Cincinnati Monarchs Cleveland-St Louis Finches/Ramblers Detroit Dynamos Pittsburgh Paladins SECTION PLAY IN FULL SWING Now is when the real AIAA basketball season gets underway as teams have become fully immersed in their conference schedules. This is the time when the top clubs in the power conferences like the Great Lakes Alliance and West Coast Athletic Association start to beat up on each other and no team felt more of that brunt this past week then City College of Los Angeles. The Coyotes opened the section slate with an easy tune-up game against Custer College a little over a week ago, and won by a 56-34 count but then things got serious for CCLA. Back to back games against the top two teams in the nation resulted in losses to Coastal California (45-40) at home and in Washington against Rainier College (50-42). That dropped the Coyotes from 5th in the poll down to #12. In the Great Lakes Alliance, Minnesota Tech had a similar fall -sliding from 6th to 9th after losing 62-48 at Indiana A&M, as the Reapers rose from 11 to 8. Western Iowa, thanks to 39 points over two games from senior guard Gerald Carter, is now the top team in the GLA and #3 in the rankings behind the Majestics and Dolphins. *** CARTER SETS AIAA RECORD *** Gerald Carter has been on quite the run of late. Not only did he get 39 points in the Canaries first two conference games but he also scored 39 in their final non-conference contest. That was on January 13 in a 54-42 win over College of Cairo. Carter had 39 points including 16 field goals in the win, which is a new AIAA single game record in each of those categories. His 16 field goals made -which came on 27 shot attempts- broke by 1 the previous high-water mark set by Gabe Levan of Miami State in 1939 and equalled by Alabama Baptist's Lonnie Porter last year. The 39 points is 4 more than any college player has ever scored in a single game. Code:
AIAA SINGLE GAME POINTS LEADERS # Player Team Date Record ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Gerald Carter Western Iowa 01/13/1944 39 2 Charles Weiss California Catholic 03/18/1939 35 3 Gabriel Levan Miami State 12/16/1939 35 4 Jeffery McComas Smithfield College 01/22/1940 34 5 Roy Philips Eastern Kansas 12/09/1941 34 6 Andrew Tate Arkansas A&T 02/03/1941 32 7 Foster Mitchell Eastern Kansas 03/12/1938 31 8 Richard Gilley Eastern Oklahoma 01/07/1939 31 9 Chris Davis Central Ohio 01/19/1939 31 10 Roman Speight Eastern Virginia 02/06/1939 31 11 Jeffrey Biles Minnesota Tech 01/03/1940 31 12 Anderson Pond Chicago Poly 01/19/1940 31 13 Gordon Gebhart Hamman 01/08/1941 31 14 Lon Porter Alabama Baptist 02/06/1943 31 15 Morgan Melcher Coastal California 11/30/1943 31 Code:
AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Rainier College (72) 15-1 1800 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Coastal California 14-2 1717 2 West Coast Athletic Association
3. Western Iowa 14-2 1654 4 Great Lakes Alliance
4. North Carolina Tech 13-2 1591 3 South Atlantic Conference
5. Ohio Poly 18-3 1439 9 Independent
6. Chesapeake State 13-3 1405 7 South Atlantic Conference
7. Brooklyn State 13-2 1403 8 Northeast Conference
8. Indiana A&M 13-2 1277 11 Great Lakes Alliance
9. Minnesota Tech 14-2 1259 6 Great Lakes Alliance
10. Frankford State 13-2 1171 10 Northeast Conference
11. Perry State College 16-2 1028 13 Midwestern Association
12. CC Los Angeles 12-4 964 5 West Coast Athletic Association
13. Liberty College 12-4 962 15 Northeast Conference
14. Garden State 13-3 913 14 Northeast Conference
15. Annapolis Maritime 16-4 785 16 Independent
16. Detroit City College 11-4 783 12 Great Lakes Alliance
17. Brookland 18-4 597 17 Independent
18. Bronx Tech 15-4 556 18 Independent
19. Carolina Poly 11-5 497 24 South Atlantic Conference
20. Brooklyn Catholic 15-5 403 NR Independent
21. St. Ignatius 10-5 337 20 Great Lakes Alliance
22. Piedmont University 13-4 317 25 Independent
23. Lincoln 11-4 205 NR Great Lakes Alliance
24. Hamman 17-5 141 21 Independent
25. Troy State (NY) 15-5 79 NR Independent
Others Receiving Votes:
Whitney College 9-6 35 Great Lakes Alliance
Northern California 11-5 24 West Coast Athletic Association
St. Pancras 11-5 14 Northeast Conference
Central Ohio 9-6 12 Great Lakes Alliance
Alabama Baptist 11-5 9 Deep South Conference
Central Kentucky 10-6 7 Deep South Conference
Freemont State 11-4 7 Midwestern Association
Sadler 12-5 3 Academia Alliance
Texas Gulf Coast 11-5 3 Southwestern Alliance
Bayou State 12-6 2 Deep South Conference
Bigsby College 11-5 1 Eastern Eight
MONDAY JAN 17 #5 Ohio Poly 51 Elyria 31 #7 Brooklyn State 60 St Martin's College 54 #10 Frankford State 39 St Matthew's College 21 #15 Annapolis Maritime 50 Western Montana 27 #22 Piedmont University 47 Three Rivers State 37 TUESDAY JAN 18 none played WEDNESDAY JAN 19 #5 Ohio Poly 46 Penobscot State 36 #14 Garden State 56 Commonwealth Catholic 23 #18 Bronx Tech 57 Manhattan Tech 47 THURSDAY JAN 20 #6 Chesapeake State 49 Alexandria 41 #8 Indiana A&M 62 #9 Minnesota Tech 48 #11 Perry State College 42 Lambert College 39 #16 Detroit City College 63 #21 St Ignatius 48 #17 Brookland 56 Tinker 35 #19 Carolina Poly 50 Mobile Maritime 27 #20 Brooklyn Catholic 44 Three Rivers State 34 #23 Lincoln 54 St Magnus 43 Dakota College 45 #24 Hamman 38 FRIDAY JAN 21 #1 Rainier College 47 Idaho A&M 28 #2 Coastal California 45 #12 CC Los Angeles 40 #25 Troy State(NY) 48 Narragansett 38 SATURDAY JAN 22 #3 Western Iowa 62 Wisconsin State 33 #5 Ohio Poly 52 #18 Bronx Tech 42 #7 Brooklyn State 45 St Patrick's 35 #8 Indiana A&M 44 #16 Detroit City College 33 #9 Minnesota Tech 56 St Magnus 53 #19 Carolina Poly 61 Potomac College 40 #21 St Ignatius 43 Whitney College 30 #23 Lincoln 55 Central Ohio 52 SUNDAY JAN 23 #1 Rainier College 50 #12 CC Los Angeles 42 #2 Coastal California 48 Northern California 41 #11 Perry State College 47 Bluegrass State 44 Eastern State 37 #17 Brookland 35 #25 Troy State(NY) 47 Hampden 33  The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 1/23/1944
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10-03-2022, 12:52 PM
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January 31, 1944 Regional Round completed
JANUARY 31, 1944 COUGARS ADD VETERAN ARM The Chicago Cougars have what is likely the best offense in the Continental Association and they just took a step to upgrade a pitching staff decimated by war losses. The Cougars may now be the heavy favourite to win the 1944 CA Pennant after acquiring veteran lefthander Mike Murphy from the Detroit Dynamos. The cost was a pair of minor leaguers in 21 year old third baseman Johnny Weaver (presently in the Army) and 20 year old righthander Sam Hess. For Murphy it is a homecoming of sorts as the 36 year old was originally drafted second overall by the Cougars out of Brooklyn State way back in 1928. He made just 4 appearances in a Cougars uniform before being part of a blockbuster deal -that include a pair of Barrell brothers- which sent him to Brooklyn in 1932. Murphy would go on to post a 167-121 record, make 3 All-Star teams and help the Kings win three pennants. He spent the past four and a half seasons with the Dynamos and was 6-7 with a 3.92 era last season. JIGGS MCGEE'S TAKE ON THE DEAL: This move might be just enough to make the Cougars the preseason favourite in the Continental Association. The thinking was after the war losses TWIFB would place Cincinnati -last year's winner- slightly ahead of the Cougars but that might just change with the addition of Murphy. The Cougars offense is the best in the CA and while Cincinnati might still have the edge on the mound, if Murphy pitches like he is capable of the gap was narrowed substantially. As for Detroit, there was little doubt Murphy would be moved by the once again rebuilding Dynamos but I am surprised they did not hold off until perhaps the trade deadline. I suppose they are worred that Murphy's down season last year was a sign of things to come and wanted to get what they could for him now. I do believe Murphy is going to be a decent starting pitcher this season -not an ace by any means but certainly no worse than a very dependable back of the rotation arm- so Detroit likely could have received a better return had they waited. What the Dyanoms did receive was Johnny Weaver, a 21 year old third baseman taken in the fifth round out of Cumberland last summer and presently ranked 148th by OSA on the prospect list, along with 20 year old pitcher Sam Hess, who is ranked 224th and was the Cougars 10th round pick out of an Alabama high school in 1942. OSA thinks Weaver can be an above-average third baseman but after hitting .228 in Class B last year I am not sold on him. We won't know much about him for some time now as he was inducted into the Army last November. Hess is coming off a rather serious shoulder injury that cost him most of last season. OSA feels Hess projects to be a spot starter. REGIONAL ROUND COMPLETED The 16 FABL clubs finished off the winter portion of the 1944 amateur player draft by making their regional round selections. The third round, known as the Regional Round, forces each club to select one player from their designated home territory -which is defined as the state the club resides in or one that immediately neighbors it. Teams are not allowed to trade regional round selections and the draft is conducted in the same order of priority as all other rounds of the current draft. Here are the 1944 selections. Code:
3RD (REGIONAL) ROUND SELECTIONS # TM PLAYER POS AGE SCHOOL HOMETOWN 33 NYG Charlie Hoffman RHP 17 Clinton HS, Bronx New York, NY 34 CLE Ford Dunn CF 17 Rock Hill HS, Ironton Ironton, OH 35 DET Jack Entringer RHP 17 Bay City (MI) HS Bay City, MI 36 NYS Walter Smith RHP 17 Hopewell (NJ) HS Hopewell, NJ 37 PIT Len Bankston SS 17 Lincoln HS, Brooklyn Philadelphia, PA 38 BKN Harry Patterson CF 18 Easton(PA) HS Easton, PA 39 CHI Hubie Grant SS 17 Elgin(IL) HS Elgin, IL 40 MON Cliff Berwald C 17 Rensselaer (NY) HS Rensselaer, NY 41 WSH Mike Stehle C 18 St Christophers HS Washington, DC 42 PHS Lou Graham C 18 Woodbury (NJ) HS Sharon Hill, PA 43 PHK Harry Bennett CF 17 Orleans (VT) HS Moundsville, WV 44 CHC Harry Austin LF 17 New Athens (IL) HS New Athens, IL 45 STL Bill Robinson Jr 2B 17 Charleston (WV) HS Kansas City, MO 46 TOR Frank Williams Jr LF 17 Denver (CO) HS Vancouver, BC 47 BOS Paul Caissie RF 17 Warwick (RI) HS Warwick, RI 48 CIN Dee Hill C 17 Seneca HS, Louisville Louisville, KY  Catcher 24 year old Herbie Johnson was plucked from the Chicago Chiefs organization with the 12th pick of the first round of the Rule 5 draft. The Pioneers are hoping that Johnson takes hold of the position right away after hitting .292 and slamming 14 homers 433 A Ball plate appearances. He also walked more than he struck out last year but his defense(25 errors) could be a problem. Veteran Red Bryant should make the team, hopefully as a backup, but he could start full time if he had to. He backed up Zimmer last season and hit .274 against lefties and would probably platoon with Johnson if all goes to plan. Veteran to watch: Clyde Farr(27 years old) hit .295 at AAA as the main backstop for Oakland and is one of the better defenders at the position. If things fall apart he could end up on the major league roster either as the starter or the backup. Prospect to watch: In a perfect world 22 year old Ed Tracy would win the job as a non-roster invitee. Tracy was a 17th round pick in the ammy draft this year that showed better hitting skills in the pros than he did in college. The front office would be ecstatic if he were to jump up and win the job. First Base As I was reminded of this offseason, first base is the easiest position to fill. It’s true that just about any professional baseball player could adequately fill the position from a fielding standpoint the Pioneers would also like that player to be able to at least replicate the hitting success of the incumbent Breunig. Bill Becker, a 21st round selection in the surprised everyone last year when he made the jump from A ball to the majors with just 50 AAA plate appearances in between and he hit .362 for the Pioneers to boot. A platoon between Becker and 29 year old Mike Roberson is the most likely scenario. Veteran to watch: Hal Sharp has been squeezed out of the OF log jam in recent seasons by younger players that can hit and field. He can still get on base and he can play a decent first base. Prospect to watch: Dick Sanders has proven he can hit at any level but the majors. With four starting first basemen off the fight the war this could be his best shot at making the team as his glove is nowhere as good as his bat. If only there were a position where guys could hit and not worry about fielding at all? Second Base Maybe the barest position in the Pioneers’ cupboard is second base. With the departure of D’Alessandro St. Louis has very little ready to take over the starting spot. A platoon of Jim Koch and Bob Wheeler, two guys who each had about 250 PA in AAA last year, is a real possibility. Koch is a third round pick from last season’s draft that went straight to AAA so he may be the future at the position. Wheeler has made significant improvement. After hitting just .209 in AA during the 1942 season he hit .255 in AAA this past year. Veteran to watch: Don’t count out veteran Ray Russell. He will make the team no matter what so he should get a shot at the starting 2B and SS positions in spring training. Prospect to watch: Koch will turn 22 before the season starts so I guess he should go here. Options beyond those mentioned above are slim. Shortstop When STL traded away Freddie Jones for five prospects before the 1939 season they thought they had their shortstop of the future. At 23 Ivan Cameron came out in 1939 and hit .276 and played steady defense in 153 games but it has been down hill at the plate and in the field ever since. To the point that Cameron will have to earn the job back this spring if he can. The frontrunner right now is veteran minor leaguer Jack Helmig who hit .293 and played spectacular defense in AAA last year. It’s Helmig’s job to lose at this point but the brass our still rooting for Cameron to come out on top. Veteran to watch: Russell will get a chance but most believe he is best suited for the utility role he played last season. Prospect to watch: Last season’s first round pick, Homer Mills, struggled hitting at AA but dominated A after a demotion. His glove looks to be major league ready so he will get an opportunity to take the job away from Helmig and Cameron. Outfield Veteran Gil Gifford has always been able to hit but it was the combination of that and his fielding ability that made him special. In the past few seasons his fielding ability has been questioned and he lost some luster. The 1943 campaign saw Gifford reach new heights in the field(15 OA, 2 Errors) while continuing to provide a solid bat at the plate. Gifford combined with rookie Cal Page(7 OA, 2 errors 73 CF starts) makes for some pretty good outfield defense against lefties where the veteran shifts to left field. Right field belongs to the 1943 FABL batting champ Al Tucker. At .345 Tucker hit 15 points higher than the number two hitter and while he can’t cover as much ground in the outfield as he use to he still has a cannon for an arm registering a career high 16 outfield assist last year. His message to the league “Keep trying to run on me!”Left field against right handed batters is the only starting spot left and the upper hand goes to another rule 5 draft pick in Pershing Christian. Christian hit over .300 against righties at AA last year while drawing 61 walks and playing serviceable defense. Veteran to watch: Everything would have to go very, very good for Hal Sharp or very, very bad for the Pioneers in general for him to step foot into the outfield again. The entire franchise is hoping that doesn’t happen. Prospect to watch: Another rule 5 pick, Archie Sharp, can play outstanding defense all around the outfield. If he can prove that his bat belongs in the bigs during spring trainingthen he’ll get his chance. Rotation While the war took it’s toll on the lineup this offseason it was very kind to the entire STL pitching staff. The starter’s ERA was fifth in the FED last year but that should drop lower with a full year of Joe Shaffner and a continued return to form of fan favorite Sam Sheppard. If they are on top of their games then they are a formidable one, two punch. Throw in returners Buddy Long, Jasper Moore, and Danny Hern and you have five starters for four spots. Not a bad problem to have. Veteran to watch: Ed Cornett fancies himself as a starter but he’s never really found success at the major league level. Last season he was a valuable member of the Pioneers’ bullpen despite only logging 25 innings. Prospect to watch: 22 year old Ben Fiskars had a very good year split between AA and AAA last season totaling 18 wins and 163 strike outs. He’s knocking at the door and will get a shot in spring training. What do you do with 26 year old Herb Armstrong? All he did was win 13 games at AAA while posting a 2.22 ERA and giving up ZERO homers in 170 innings pitched. Bullpen Russ Peeples struggled a little bit early, suffered through a horrible July, before pitching lights out during the final two plus months of the season keeping the Pioneers within striking distance of the top of the FED. He’ll return to his stopper role where he can hopefully avoid the ups and downs of 1943. He will be joined by Preacher Pietsch, Ed Cornett, and the two guys who do not make the rotation. The only player who may be in danger of losing his spot would be Harry Sharp. The former third round pick started his career off strong as a starter but back to back 5+ ERA seasons pushed him to the bullpen where he continued his struggles. Veteran to watch: Don Orr’s time in the majors has mostly been disappointing. He put up great AAA numbers last season and may get one last chance to make the big league club. Prospect to watch: 22 year old Pinky Sowell excelled in the bullpen during stops at A and AA during the 1943 season. He could work his way into the STL pen by the end of the 1944 season if everything falls right for him.  TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN Wolves Offseason. 1944 Outlook -- As another muted Christmas season passes 1944 begins, the war rages on both in Europe and the Pacific, it is time to give Wolves fans something else to think about rather than daily shocking war reports. Brett will assume that the war continues to be fought during the upcoming baseball season, that the advances in both theatres will not be enough to bring victory to the Allied forces during 1944. The Toronto squad, along with all other teams in the FABL, has lost a number of key players to war after the conclusion of the 1943 season. Wolves most prominent losses have been SP Joe Hancock, RP Lou Jayson, C Homer Betts, 2B Mike Rollinson leaving the team for the war. This leaves major lineup adjustments to be made for 1944. These players along with the unexpected retirement of manager Charlie Reed has left rookie manager Bob Call with a daunting, but doable task in the CA. The latest count in the organization has 53 players either serving Uncle Sam or King and Country. Now a look at what the Mail & Empire believe will be the lineup manager Call hands to the umpiring crews before the start of 154 games. C- Clarence Howerton- can the clubhouse leader again start behind the plate for over 110 games? At 34 is this too much to ask? Although the official schedule has not been released there probably will the same number of twin bills as in '43 making a reliable backup a "must have" for all teams. With Homer Betts off serving over the skies in Germany this role will likely be passed to 25 year-old Walter Loera who was acquired in a deal with the Cougars last summer. Wolves hope that they have just drafted their catcher of the future in Cal Yeager but he is a number of years away from Canada. 1B- This is a position that will be familiar to returnees to Dominion Stadium. Walt Pack will handle the majority games at the first sack relieved by aging Al jensen when called for as games pile up during the season. 2B- Although the loss of Rollison's bat may diminish some the offense Hal Wood should be able to handle the position on an everyday basis. Frank Huddleston is expected to see more action in 1944 if Wood is called on to relieve Charlie Artuso at SS. SS- Charlie Artuso will, as usual, log the majority of innings at this key position. If he rebounds from a subpar year at the plate, .235/.289/.317, overall the loss of Rollison may not even be noticed in '44. 3B- Ockie Holliday returns with management hoping that 1943 were the realistic, expected stats from this former highly regarded prospect. Pack, Wood or Joe Bell can spell Holliday if required by Call. LF- Juan Pomales is set to patrol left again in '44. The only change would be if the Wolves cannot find a suitable substitute for Hancock and Chuck Wirtz does not recover some of his form. CF- Chink Stickel, last summer stretch run acquisition from the Stars, will start the season in Toronto. He rebounded a bit after coming north putting up .261/.341/.333 numbers with the Wolves. All of Toronto is hoping this former All-star can turn back the clock. RF- Initial thoughts are that right field will be split between Gus Hull, Reginald Westfall with Call riding the hot hand. Would be a perfect platoon except they are both LHB. Larry Vestal is seen as the 4th/5th outfielder if his 34 year-old body can handle the rigors of another season. SP- This is an area where the Wolves have been strong for a number of years but the loss of Hancock a year after George Garrison went off to war has raised concern in the front office. Can Bernie Johnson lead the staff? Will Jimmy Gibbs repeat his rookie season? Will Bob Walls be able to handle another 240+ innings? Can Jim Laurita make the big step from AAA, Buffalo? Will vet Chuck Wirtz return to some semblance of form at age 35? Will Pomales be forced to handle two-way duties? Many questions, few answers. A rotation of Johnson, Gibbs, Walls, Laurita, Wirtz looks good on paper but how will it play out when the games count? Toronto will bring a number of arms into camp for evaluation. May be someone will impress enough to come north with the team. RP- Another area of worry with the loss of Jayson who anchored the 'pen in 1943. With Ron Coles probably out for the season the bullpen will marked different this season. Can the old men Phil English, 39, Bob McRae, 34. Bill Crosby, 33 provide enough depth if a starter runs into early troubles? Again more questions than answers. Expect a brigade of arms trying to fight for jobs in spring training.  THE TOP FIRST ROUND SELECTIONS FROM EACH DRAFT SLOT EDITOR'S NOTE: With this column we officially welcome a new contributor to TWIFB. Elmer Farrington, a former minor league player and self-described baseball historian, will share his insight and love for the game with an occasional column. In the spirit of draft season my love for history and baseball was itching at me tonight. I thought I would slap together an unofficial best ever list based on first round draft picks. What is fun about this list is that it looks at draft position. There are no caveats with this list. I don’t care if it was the human era or not. Whether feeders were active or disbanded. Did a top player go to WWII or are they still a hot prospect in the minors? Doesn’t matter. All this represents is a snapshot in time as of January 1944. All batters will be sorted by WAR. Which I understand is not the best metric for some because it factors in defense. I understand that when lists are created offense only is what most care about, but I like defense, and I made the list! :grin: With pitchers I decided to go with innings pitched as it was an easy sort that gave you an idea of longevity, which at least tells us who the AI and the human GM thought good enough to keep on the active roster. Does IP=Greatness? Sometimes yes, but not always. Lots of straight innings eaters on this list. In our universe the draft has been around since 1911 giving us 33 years worth of data to unpack. The importance of the first round pick is well established. There is a mystique about drafting the next great Max Morris every year for GM’s. Of course, the greatest emphasis all GM’s put on the draft revolves around that first round pick. I wanted to examine that idea with this list. I think there are some interesting takeaways that can be gleaned by the data. Will it change perceptions toward how people view first round picks in general? Who knows. I don’t think I had such lofty goals when I created the list, I was mainly just up all night with a one month old and needed something to do! Round 1 Pick 1 We have two Hall of Farmers (so far) from this group. Code:
Batters: (WAR) Max Morris: 1913 Cleveland 135.9 (HOF) Rankin Kellogg: 1922 Keystones 98.2 (HOF) T.R. Goings: 1919 Washington 86.1 Retired Harry Barrell: 1931 Cleveland 77.5 Active Al Wheeler: 1925 Detroit 76.1 Active Worst: Charlie Ross 1937 Cleveland -1.2 Active Pitchers: (IP) Tom Barrell 1929 Cougars 2368.1 Active Joe Hancock 1933 Toronto 2162.1 Active Walker Moore 1924 Keystones 1751.1 Retired Dick Dover 1918 Brooklyn 1591.2 Retired Tommy Wilcox 1928 Brooklyn 1554.1 Retired Honorable Mention: Max Morris 1461.2 Code:
Batters: (WAR) Freddie Jones 1931 St. Louis 54.6 Active Red Johnson 1935 Detroit 35.6 Active Danny Clark 1912 Cleveland 32.9 Retired Tom Roberts 1923 Toronto 27.8 Retired Freddie Malley 1922 Toronto 24.8 Retired Worst: Al Swain 1919 NY Stars 3.8 Retired Pitchers: (IP) Mose Smith 1914 Cleveland 4425.1 Retired Mike Murphy 1928 Cougars 2560.0 Active Eddie Quinn 1925 Toronto 2330.0 Retired Hap Goodwin 1918 Pittsburgh 2296.1 Retired Gus Goulding 1934 Baltimore 2030.2 Active Code:
Batters: (WAR) Pablo Reyes 1932 Montreal 53.2 Active Tod Barnes 1911 Cleveland 46.6 Retired Bud Jameson 1925 NY Gothams 45.2 Retired Fred Barrell 1926 Cougars 32.4 Retired Vic Crawford 1929 Montreal 29.7 Active Worst: Frank Shropshire 1928 St. Louis -.3 Retired Pitchers: (IP) Ernie Henderson 1916 Keystones 2061.1 Retired Bernie Johnson 1931 Toronto 1925.0 Active John Edwards 1933 Baltimore 1213.0 Active George Garrison 1935 Toronto 1120.0 Active Del Burns 1934 Detroit 925.1 Active Code:
Batters: (WAR) Pete Layton 1921 NY Stars 86.2 Retired George Cleaves 1931 Pittsburgh 52.8 Active Tom Taylor 1923 Sailors 52.5 Retired Newell Winn 1911 Keystones 49.3 Retired John Kincaid 1922 NY Gothams 44.3 Retired Worst: Johnny Turner 1930 Cleveland .2 Retired Pitchers: (IP) Lefty Allen 1932 Pittsburgh 2417.0 Active Chuck Cole 1928 Toronto 2194.0 Active Al Miller 1933 Chiefs 2090.0 Active Delos Dunn 1918 Baltimore 1692.0 Retired Larry Brown 1926 Detroit 819.0 Active Code:
Batters: (WAR) Gordie Loftus 1920 NY Stars 45.9 Retired Bill May 1931 Montreal 34.9 Active Rube Blair 1914 Keystones 29.5 Retired Paul Bailey 1916 Washington 28.7 Retired Don Ward 1924 Cleveland 25.2 Retired Worst: Lee Griffin 1926 Montreal -1.3 Retired Pitchers: (IP) Rabbit Day 1923 Baltimore 4608.1 Active Bob Miller 1922 Baltimore 1990.2 Retired Bob Paxton 1918 Keystones 969.2 Retired Earle Robinson 1933 Brooklyn 291.0 Active Preacher Pietsch 1937 Cougars 131.2 Active Code:
Batters: (WAR) Bobby Barrell 1928 Keystones 72.2 Active Doug Lighbody 1925 Brooklyn 48.8 Retired Adam Mullins 1934 Montreal 44.8 Active Pedro Valenzuela 1911 Chiefs 44.2 Retired Dan Fowler 1929 Boston 42.3 Active Worst: Phil Brothers 1915 Keystones 1.1 Retired Pitchers: (IP) Pete Papenfus 1936 Chiefs 727.0 Active George Johnson 1926 Chiefs 316.2 Retired Donnie Jones 1938 Toronto 261.2 Active Willie Gonzalez Jr.1937 NY Gothams 6.2 Active Huck Moore 1927 NY Gothams 5.0 Active Code:
Batters: (WAR) Jim Carreon 1917 Washington 43.4 Retired Skipper Schneider 1939 Cougars 22.2 Active Lew Seals 1934 Pittsburgh 20.7 Active Jake Shadoan 1929 Brooklyn 19.3 Active Jay Fry 1911 Brooklyn 19.3 Retired Worst: Tom Eggleton 1930 Chiefs -.1 Retired Pitchers: (IP) Ed Cheetham 1914 Pittsburgh 2801.1 Retired Del Plummer 1916 Pittsburgh 2480.2 Retired George Thomas 1928 Montreal 1928.2 Active Bob Cummings 1933 Brooklyn 1481.2 Active Bunny Edwards 1936 NY Gothams 480.2 Active Code:
Batters: (WAR) Dick York 1917 Detroit 32.4 Retired Sandy Lovelle 1919 Baltimore 23.7 Retired Woody Stone 1934 Sailors 21.3 Active Hal Turner 1914 Sailors 18.7 Retired Buddy Schnieder 1939 Boston 14.7 Active Worst: Rex Kaiser 1926 Boston -1.9 Retired Pitchers: (IP) Bob Simmon 1915 Pittsburgh 2781.2 Retired Red Adwell 1913 Pittsburgh 2302.0 Retired Wally Doyle 1936 Montreal 741.0 Active Nate Spear 1933 Pittsburgh 425.2 Active Pat Weakley 1938 Montreal 209.0 Active Code:
Batters: (WAR) George Sanders 1917 NY Gothams 31.4 Retired Eddie Gaiser 1915 Toronto 29.1 Retired Jake Moore 1923 Cleveland 19.7 Retired Mike Pierce 1919 Boston 12.8 Retired Hal Carter 1933 Sailors 7.0 Active Worst: Jack Rosenthal 1916 NY Gothams 1.7 Retired Pitchers: (IP) George M. Brooks 1934 Keystones 1342.0 Active Toby Runlon 1920 Toronto 1174.2 Retired Bob Walls 1932 Chiefs 1146.0 Active Dick Alexander 1921 Boston 1033.2 Retired Al Colby 1914 Detroit 980.1 Retired Code:
Batters: (WAR) Jack Cleaves 1925 Sailors 67.3 Active Alex Diaz 1921 Sailors 32.1 Retired Andy Carter 1927 Washington 32.0 Retired Wally Flowers 1928 Washington 26.6 Active Norm Baker 1912 NY Stars 25.9 Retired Worst: Lou Cimno 1911 Boston 1.9 Retired Pitchers: (IP) Jimmy Clinch 1918 St.Louis 3266.0 Retired Max Wilder 1916 Baltimore 2710.1 Retired Sammy Butler 1915 NY Gothams 2646.1 Retired Frank Crawford 1926 Philadelphia 2216.1 Active Dutch Leverett 1924 Baltimore 2140.0 Retired Code:
Batters: (WAR) Joe Masters 1920 Chiefs 65.1 Retired Frank Shafer 1923 Detroit 22.1 Retired Bob Donoghue 1934 Boston 14.5 Active Frank Huddleston 1926 Toronto 8.9 Active Denny Andrews 1936 Boston 6.7 Active Worst: Willie Rouser 1911 NY Stars -.2 Retired Pitchers: (IP) Don Cannaday 1914 NY Gothams 3661.1 Retired George Davis 1912 Detroit 3379.1 Retired Art Myers 1925 Keystones 2338.0 Active Verdo Burt 1917 Boston 2313.0 Retired Chris Clarke 1933 NY Stars 870.2 Active Code:
Batters: (WAR) Billy Elson 1914 NY Stars 34.1 Retired Bert Hartman 1920 Montreal 33.9 Retired Joe Chattman 1917 Baltimore 31.2 Retired Jim Watson 1927 Chiefs 29.5 Active Charlie Malkin 1912 Cougars 28.3 Retired Worst: Art Murphy 1911 Washington -.2 Retired Pitchers: (IP) Oscar Morse 1924 Sailors 2695.2 Retired Chuck Murphy 1930 Montreal 1723.0 Active Jim Wilson 1923 Cleveland 380.0 Retired Bud Canfield 1935 Keystones 214.0 Active Art Roe 1921 Cleveland 137.2 Retired Code:
Batters: (WAR) Rip Curry 1930 Keystones 29.9 Active Bill Moore 1932 Detroit 28.8 Active Clint Casstevens 1917 Montreal 28.5 Retired Dewey Benton 1913 Cougars 13.5 Retired Art Cascone 1934 St. Louis 9.8 Active Worst: Mike Williams 1926 Cleveland .2 Retired Pitchers: (IP) Bill Anderson 1927 Toronto 1619.1 Active Carl Briggs 1914 Boston 1344.1 Retired Charlie Wheeler 1935 Cougars 1222.2 Active Len Moore 1918 NY Stars 675.1 Retired Paul Vandenburg 1920 Detroit 588.1 Retired Code:
Batters: (WAR) Gene Aldrich 1917 Cleveland 24.2 Retired Johnny Malcolm 1914 Montreal 16.6 Retired John Wallace 1911 NY Gothams 12.9 Retired Billy Hunter 1932 Cougars 12.1 Active Red Jackson 1924 NY Gothams 11.2 Retired Worst: Jake Allen 1922 NY Stars .5 Retired Pitchers: (IP) Charlie Stedman 1923 Chiefs 4360.1 Retired George Manning 1912 Baltimore 2272.2 Retired Al Bishop 1918 NY Gothams 750.0 Retired Code:
Batters: (WAR) Bernie Trumaine 1912 Boston 36.9 Retired Lou Williams 1929 Sailors 26.4 Active Jim Hensley 1934 Baltimore 20.4 Active Ben Hathaway 1920 Cleveland 11.6 Retired Rabbit Mudd 1927 Brooklyn 11.5 Active Worst: Cal Blackshear 1919 Cougars .8 Retired Pitchers: (IP) Mel Strom 1916 Detroit 3287.1 Retired Benny Walker 1913 Baltimore 1018.0 Retired Gene White 1932 Keystones 770.1 Active Chuck Calvert 1924 Washington 740.1 Retired Charley O’Hare 1918 Cougars 566.2 Retired Code:
Batters: (WAR) Bob Marceaux 1920 St. Louis 25.9 Retired Joe Richards 1915 Boston 25.7 Retired Woody Armstrong 1926 Cleveland 18.5 Retired Stan Bass 1917 Chiefs 7.1 Retired Joe Nichols 1934 Boston 5.7 Active Worst: Dwight Becker 1916 Montreal 2.5 Retired Pitchers: (IP) Carl Mellen 1914 Baltimore 3350.0 Retired Stu Pic 1912 Brooklyn 2717.0 Retired Lou Martino 1925 NY Stars 1939.0 Retired Jim Whiteley 1933 Keystones 1524.0 Active Charlie Johnson 1921 St. Louis 368.2 Retired
BRUNER WORKS OUT HIS RADICAL BASKETBALL IDEAS Webb Bruner, long-time basketball coach at CC Los Angeles and chief advocate of high baskets, isn't a guy you can quote briefly, but his ideas about the court game always get attention. His latest communication runs some seven closely typewritten pages about such things as 12-foot goals, a 6-foot margin for under-the-basket operations, 3-point field goals and smaller basketballs. But the high point is that Webb really has experimented with buckets placed too high for 'mezzanine hurdlers" =those 6-6 to 7-foot boys- to dunk the ball in. "We have had two 12-foot baskets in our gymnasium for 15 years," Bruner says. "We use them for the purpose of teaching our boys correct arching of the ball." We have heard plenty of guys says what's wrong with basketball -including several who disagree violently with most of Webb's suggestions- but we never heard one say he actually had tried out any of these ideas. *** UPSETS IN WEST *** It was a much better week for Bruner and his Coyotes team. After falling to Coastal California and Rainier College the previous week, CCLA got back on track with a pair of wins over Northern California and Lane State to improve to 3-2 in West Coast Athletic Association play. The Coyotes Los Angeles rivals were the big losers last week as Coastal California dropped to 2-3 in conference play after losing to Spokane State 52-47 and then being shocked by lowly Custer College 46-43. Those two losses dropped the Dolphins from 2nd to 8th in the national rankings. Rainier College remains number one even after the Majestics fell 47-45 to Spokane State to suffer their first conference loss of the season. *** RECRUITING NEWS **** Some big news for St Blane as the Latrobe, Pa. school has locked up it's first top-ten recruit in 4 years with word that Josh Samuels - a 6'9" center out of New York City- has committed to the Saints. He also had offers from CCLA, Detroit City College and North Carolina Tech. All but 2 of the top twenty-five recruits have declared their intentions for next season. The two remaining non-committed to twenty-five players are both centers. Kenny Roberts of McComb, MS. is weighing offers from Mississippi A&M and Lane State, while Brooklyn native Luther Gordan appears set on joining the marines and is unlikely to play college ball next season.  Code:
AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Rainier College (71) 16-2 1798 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Western Iowa (1) 16-2 1725 3 Great Lakes Alliance
3. North Carolina Tech 15-2 1655 4 South Atlantic Conference
4. Ohio Poly 20-3 1581 5 Independent
5. CC Los Angeles 14-4 1480 12 West Coast Athletic Association
6. Minnesota Tech 16-2 1373 9 Great Lakes Alliance
7. Brooklyn State 14-3 1349 7 Northeast Conference
8. Coastal California 14-4 1280 2 West Coast Athletic Association
9. Chesapeake State 14-4 1210 6 South Atlantic Conference
10. Liberty College 14-4 1135 13 Northeast Conference
11. Perry State College 17-2 1047 11 Midwestern Association
12. Detroit City College 13-4 1037 16 Great Lakes Alliance
13. Frankford State 14-3 977 10 Northeast Conference
14. Annapolis Maritime 18-4 903 15 Independent
15. Indiana A&M 13-4 858 8 Great Lakes Alliance
16. Carolina Poly 13-5 678 19 South Atlantic Conference
17. Brookland 19-4 646 17 Independent
18. Garden State 13-5 550 14 Northeast Conference
19. St. Ignatius 11-6 528 21 Great Lakes Alliance
20. Bronx Tech 16-5 429 18 Independent
21. Spokane State 13-5 316 NR West Coast Athletic Association
22. Brooklyn Catholic 16-6 239 20 Independent
23. Whitney College 10-7 209 NR Great Lakes Alliance
24. Sadler 14-5 144 NR Academia Alliance
25. St. Pancras 13-5 84 NR Northeast Conference
Others Receiving Votes:
Piedmont University 14-5 43 Independent
Central Ohio 10-7 41 Great Lakes Alliance
Texas Gulf Coast 13-5 33 Southwestern Alliance
Bayou State 13-6 21 Deep South Conference
Dickson 14-5 13 Academia Alliance
Northern California 12-6 7 West Coast Athletic Association
Lincoln 11-6 4 Great Lakes Alliance
Hamman 18-6 4 Independent
Central Kentucky 10-7 3 Deep South Conference
MONDAY JAN 24 #4 Ohio Poly 54 Miners College 37 #7 Brooklyn State 53 #13 Frankford State 45 St Matthew's College 54 #18 Garden State 45 TUESDAY JAN 25 #14 Annapolis Maritime 39 Three Rivers State 37 #20 Bronx Tech 65 Hartford Wesleyan 61 #22 Brooklyn Catholic 54 Bethlehem College 32 WEDNESDAY JAN 26 #10 Liberty College 61 St Martin's College 39 #24 Sadler 34 Middlesex 24 #25 St Pancras 45 Commonwealth Catholic 42 THURSDAY JAN 27 #2 Western Iowa 42 #19 St Ignatius 32 #3 North Carolina Tech 36 Alexandria 22 #6 Minnesota Tech 51 Central Ohio 49 Columbia Military Academy 42 #9 Chesapeake State 27 #11 Perry State College 52 Freemont State 39 #12 Detroit City College 47 Lincoln 42 #23 Whitney College 61 #15 Indiana A&M 33 #16 Carolina Poly 53 Maryland State 35 #17 Brookland 44 Piedmont University 36 Narragansett 46 #20 Bronx Tech 37 FRIDAY JAN 28 #1 Rainier College 61 Lane State 38 #5 CC Los Angeles 50 Northern California 46 #21 Spokane State 52 #8 Coastal California 47 SATURDAY JAN 29 #2 Western Iowa 54 St Magnus 44 #3 North Carolina Tech 55 Richmond State 45 #6 Minnesota Tech 62 Lincoln 46 Commonwealth Catholic 47 #7 Brooklyn State 40 #9 Chesapeake State 44 Maryland State 32 #10 Liberty College 32 St Matthew's College 24 #12 Detroit City College 42 Wisconsin State 39 #13 Frankford State 46 #18 Garden State 35 #14 Annapolis Maritime 58 Jersey City Tech 44 #16 Carolina Poly 50 Poweshiek 42 #19 St Ignatius 41 #15 Indiana A&M 32 Allentown State 45 #22 Brooklyn Catholic 37 Central Ohio 47 #23 Whitney College 45 #24 Sadler 45 Grafton 34 #25 St Pancras 50 Brunswick 31 SUNDAY JAN 30 #21 Spokane State 47 #1 Rainier College 45 #4 Ohio Poly 46 Michigan Lutheran 38 #5 CC Los Angeles 45 Lane State 25 Custer College 46 #8 Coastal California 43  The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 1/30/1944
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February 7, 1944
FEBRUARY 7, 1944 FABL SAYS NO TO FLORIDA AGAIN THIS YEAR While there was no official edict from the War Transportation Board, the 16 FABL clubs have elected not to return to their normal Florida sites for spring training again this season. Instead, as they did a year ago, the bulk of the clubs will train in the Carolinas or Georgia with two opting for Virginia locations and the Toronto Wolves returning to Tennessee and the site of their AA Dixie League farm team. "We hope to be able to return to Florida next year," explained Washington Eagles owner William Stockdale, "but for this spring -just as it was last year- it has been decided it is in the best interests of the war effort to reduce our travel somewhat and train as close to home as the clubs can while still getting what we hope are weather conditions conducive to March and early April baseball." Only the Cincinnati Cannons have switched locations. A year ago the Cannons trained in Athens, Ga. but have elected to use the Charleston, SC site of their Class B Southeastern League affiliate Charleston Seagulls this year. Code:
SPRING TRAINING LOCATIONS FEDERAL ASSOCIATION TEAM: 1943 & 1944 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 & 1944 1942 BROOKLYN KINGS Knoxville, Tn Havana/Miami, Fl CHICAGO COUGARS Columbia, SC Los Angeles CA/ DeLand, Fl CINCINNATI CANNONS Charleston, SC* 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 *Cincinnati Cannons trained in Athens, GA in 1943. CANNONS GETTING A NEW PARK? Two weeks after Cincinnati Cannons owner John E. Tice announced he had purchased property just outside downtown Cincinnati for the development of both "affordable housing and workspaces," more information has emerged. The owner of the Cannons apparently has worked out a deal with the city of Cincinnati to purchase and develop the aforementioned property in return for a plot of land in downtown to be used to build a new ballpark for the Cannons. A source from within city government, commenting anonymously said, "Mr. Tice was given right of first refusal on a large plot of land within the city in return for developing the adjacent area, which will be annexed to the city and used for a new commercial area as well as affordable housing, presumably for veterans returning from the war." Tice's office declined to comment on a new ballpark, saying only that the previously announced purchase and development is the only real estate-related business they may discuss at this time.  You can bet Cincinnatians are not welcome in Maryland right about now. First John Tice went in and plucked the Cannons away from the Crab City and now we beat them to the American Football Association. That being said, perhaps we did them a favour. One certainly has to wonder just what kind of grid team we will field next season. There was a real player shortage a year ago -enough to force the league to shut down two teams- and there seems little likliehood the situation will be changed much by the Fall. We might not win a game with the collection of old-timers and 4-F players we end up with, but I suppose for a year or two that won't matter as Cincinnati is home to both big league football and baseball. *** CANNONS POISED TO CHALLENGE FOR 44' FLAG *** Speaking of baseball, the Cannons will be back at it in less than 6 weeks time as they try to duplicate an incredible 1944 season. They have lost some talent to the war effort -but then who hasn't- so offense might be hard to come by but the Cincinnati nine may jut have the best pitching staff in baseball again next season. Continental Association MVP Adam Mullins is gone, as is all-star centerfielder Fred Galloway and defensive wizard Charlie Rivera at second base so there are holes to fill. Here is what the club should look like on Opening Day. PITCHING Two-time Allen Award winner Deuce Barrell is color-blind so the army won't take him but that is great news for the Cannons as he and fellow 18 game winner Buth Smith are both back to top the rotation. Vic Carroll and Chris Clarke, a mid-season pickup from the Stars, will also return to the rotation with veteran Roger Perry likely retaining his spot at the bottom of the rotation. Veterans Larry Brown and Jake Smith will claim two of the remaining 3 to 4 spots on the staff with ex-Philadelphia Sailors pitcher Fred Hall battling Jesse Woods, Lee Marcy and rule-five selection Mac Watters for the final opening or two. CATCHER The big worry is how will the Cannons replace Adam Mullins in the lineup now that the Whitney Award winner is in the Navy? Buster Farrar, who spent some time with the Cannons in 1941, is back. Acquired from the Stars over the winter the expectation is the 32 year old has the inside track on the starting job behind the plate but he will be challenged by back-up Ed Sala and free agent signee Clem Bliss. None will come close to Mullins production however. INFIELD Chuck Adams is back at first base and the Cannons expect even bigger things this year from the 27 year old. On the other side of the diamond things are well in hand with Billy Dalton, a deadline acquisition from the Gothams, ready to play a full season at the hot corner in Cincinnati. Jim Hensley is a terrific gloveman at shortstop but the Cannons do hope he can deliver a little more offense this season. The loss of Charlie Rivera's defense at second base will hurt but the hope is Jack Cleaves, at age 36, can show better than he did in his two months with the Cannons after coming over from Pittsburgh at the deadline. If Cleaves falters the Cannons will rely on Tony White, a 32 year old who had a solid season at Indianapolis last year and should provide defense to rival Rivera at second base. OUTFIELD Like Mullins behind the plate, it will be very difficult to replace 5-time all-star Fred Galloway -who is now a member of the Coast Guard- in centefield. Waiver pick-up Mel Alvarez -a 30 year old who was an all-star with Boston in 1939- will get a chance to claim the job. If he can't handle it then Bob Griffith, a natural centefielder, will shift over from leftfield. Griffith impressed last season in his first opportunity for full-time big league duty at age 26. Sam Brown will be back in right field unless Griffith needs to play center in which case Brown will shift to left and right will be a battle between veteran Alf Pestilli and rookie Johnny Potter. OUTLOOK Runs will be hard to come by, just as they were before all of the mid-season deals a year ago. There is a chance the club deals some more draft picks and youth for veteran bats to fill the holes but finding an impact starting catcher and starting centerfielder is a much tougher task than last year presented when upgrades were needed -and found- at third and in right field. A repeat as Continental champs hinges on the pitching staff. If it can duplicate it's success of a year ago -and remain healthy- there is no reason not to think the Cannons will be right in the mix, along with likely the Chicago Cougars, come September.
PRO FOOTBALL GOOD BUSINESS FOR BASEBALL, GOTHAMS BOSS SAYS Pro football is a 'good business' and a possible cure for a baseball magnate's sleepless nights and high overhead during the off season, claims Leland Wintrop, owner of the New York Gothams. The whole situation sounds slightly complicated but Winthrop explained that football played in the off baseball season can be a means of "self-preservation for owners of million-dollar sports plants who have a terrific overhead and nothing coming in" when the baseball season closes. I've given this plenty of thought ever since Powell Slocum of the Brooklyn Kings came out with the warning that unless baseball wakes up pro football will take the play away from us," Winthrop asserted. "If Mr. Slocum knows what he is taking about -and I have an idea he does- there is no reason why FABL club owners can't go into the football business. They have the parks, the equipment, concession and other facilities. We even have some of our owners renting out space to the football teams now. We have everything but the franchises." The Gothams owner was quick to point out, however, that "I don't want to start a war or antagonize pro football, but I believe our club owners should attempt to purchase AFA franchises in their respective cities, if they are fot sale." "I know the Bigsby Oval and Kings County are used by AFA teams now but I could see New York supporting another club after the war and it would be a perfect fit if we were to own it and have that squad play out of Gothams Stadium. Football seems to be ready for a growth spurt, and our baseball owners are just the ones to help them out." BASKET LEADERS URGE RULE CHANGE TO AID DRIBBLERS Nick Kratz, who has been officiating basketball games for 29 years is crusading for a new rule which would give the aggressive dribbler a better chance under the basket and greatly tend to develop the fast break. His proposal was echoed today by a pair of Great Lakes Alliance coaches in Dick Keegan of Detroit City College and Em Crim of Indiana A&M. "You've seen players go charging into the basket only to be temporarily checked in the procees," said Kratz. "Their momentum, howver, carries them on and they make a basket. But a foul is called on the guy who takes a grab at them and the goal is nulified. *** WOULD GIVE PLAYER OPTION *** "I think the player making the basket should have an option of either taking the result of his shot or having a personal foul called on his opponent. If that opponent is an exceptionally good scorer or rebounder and happens to already have four fouls charged against him, the other fellow would probably give up his field goal in order to have the opponent evicted for five personal fouls. Anyway, the option would give the small, aggressive player more of a working edge under the basket, would develop the fast breaking offense, and help return the game to it's fundamentals of pass, dribble and shoot." Code:
AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Rainier College (72) 18-2 1800 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Western Iowa 17-3 1724 2 Great Lakes Alliance
3. North Carolina Tech 16-3 1653 3 South Atlantic Conference
4. CC Los Angeles 16-4 1548 5 West Coast Athletic Association
5. Ohio Poly 21-4 1510 4 Independent
6. Liberty College 16-4 1446 10 Northeast Conference
7. Detroit City College 15-4 1261 12 Great Lakes Alliance
8. Chesapeake State 15-5 1233 9 South Atlantic Conference
9. Perry State College 19-2 1152 11 Midwestern Association
10. Frankford State 16-3 1114 13 Northeast Conference
11. Brooklyn State 15-4 1105 7 Northeast Conference
12. Indiana A&M 15-4 1031 15 Great Lakes Alliance
13. Coastal California 15-5 1028 8 West Coast Athletic Association
14. Annapolis Maritime 20-4 980 14 Independent
15. Minnesota Tech 16-4 791 6 Great Lakes Alliance
16. Carolina Poly 15-5 748 16 South Atlantic Conference
17. Brookland 21-4 674 17 Independent
18. Garden State 14-6 506 18 Northeast Conference
19. St. Ignatius 12-7 483 19 Great Lakes Alliance
20. Bronx Tech 19-6 449 20 Independent
21. Whitney College 11-8 358 23 Great Lakes Alliance
22. Texas Gulf Coast 15-5 305 NR Southwestern Alliance
23. Sadler 15-6 190 24 Academia Alliance
24. Central Ohio 11-8 148 NR Great Lakes Alliance
25. Troy State (NY) 17-6 84 NR Independent
Others Receiving Votes:
Brooklyn Catholic 17-7 39 Independent
Coastal State 13-6 20 South Atlantic Conference
Bayou State 14-7 8 Deep South Conference
Spokane State 13-7 5 West Coast Athletic Association
Harper College 14-7 4 Independent
Dickson 15-6 2 Academia Alliance
Northern California 13-7 1 West Coast Athletic Association
MONDAY JAN 31 #14 Annapolis Maritime 55 Central Maryland 24 #17 Brooklan 42 #20 Bronx Tech 41 TUESDAY FEB 1 #22 Texas Gulf Coast 49 Alabama Baptist 30 #25 Troy State(NY) 46 Bardney 38 WEDNESDAY FEB 2 #6 Liberty College 55 St Patrick's 43 #10 Frankford State 49 St Pancras 47 #11 Brooklyn State 50 Huntington State 33 St Martin's College 55 #18 Garden State 49 #20 Bronx Tech 39 Cesar Rodney 37 #23 Sadler 44 Dickson 41 THURSDAY FEB 3 #24 Central Ohi 50 #2 Western Iowa 49 #3 North Carolina Tech 61 Central Carolina 36 Harper College 42 #5 Ohio Poly 38 #7 Detroit City College 66 #21 Whitney College 58 Coastal State 48 #8 Chesapeake State 38 #9 Perry State College 55 Wichita Baptist 44 #12 Indiana A&M 41 Lincoln 26 #14 Annapolis Maritime 45 Manhattan Tech 37 Wisconsin State 46 #15 Minnesota Tech 43 #16 Carolina Poly 47 Petersburg 38 St Magnus 39 #19 St Ignatius 36 #25 Troy State(NY) 39 Penobscot State 27 FRIDAY FEB 4 #1 Rainier College 53 Redwood 42 #4 CC Los Angeles 39 Spokane State 23 #13 Coastal California 45 Portland Tech 42 #17 Brookland 46 Middlesex 32 #20 Bronx Tech 52 Bay State 40 SATURDAY FEB 5 #2 Western Iowa 34 Lincoln 25 Mobile Maritime 36 #3 North Carolina Tech 33 #6 Liberty College 58 #11 Brooklyn State 46 #7 Detroit City College 56 St Magnus 49 #10 Frankford State 52 Commonwealth Catholic 38 #12 Indiana A&M 41 Wisconsin State 39 #21 Whitney College 66 #15 Minnesota Tech 57 #18 Garden State 41 St Pancras 32 #19 St Ignatius 60 #24 Central Ohio 46 #22 Texas Gulf Coast 43 Darnell State 30 SUNDAY FEB 6 #1 Rainier College 54 Northern California 47 #4 CC Los Angeles 43 Portland Tech 28 #5 Ohio Poly 72 Grant(IN) 42 Lane State 46 #13 Coastal California 34 #20 Bronx Tech 44 St Blane 35  AIAAstandingsThe Week That Was Current events from the week ending 2/06/1944
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10-04-2022, 11:08 AM
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#531 |
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February 21, 1944
FEBRUARY 21, 1944 DYNAMOS OWNER CALLS FOR END OF FARM TEAMS SAYS CAP OF 50 CONTROLLED PLAYERS MAKES SENSE After every other member of the Postwar Planning Committee had voiced his opinion on the subject of postwar baseball and the first meeting of the committee was set to adjourn, Powell Thompson, owner of the Detroit club, took the floor and read the following prepared statement:  Thompson is convinced that it is the only solution for baseball's many problems. He claims "an independent club stands little chance against a rival that is owned by a FABL club. In but few instances can the independent club match the financial backing of the farm club. It has no more chance when it comes to talent." He went on to explain the minors were losing their identity as major league clubs moved players up and down, eliminating the opportunity for minor league fans to have home team heroes to cheer for, adding it is even worse with all the changes the war has brought on. However, the real reason behind has desire for change may have come out in an off-the-cuff remark he made to a reporter saying "the Detroit club is sick of paying the salaries of 30 players in places like Chattanooga - with only one or two of them ever likely to see the big leagues." The Thompson plan divorces the majors from the minors. It does away with farm systems and working agreements. It makes every minor league club independent. It gives all of them a chance to sell players to FABL and gives FABL a chance to purchase players at prices they all can afford. It would be a radical departure to return to the old way of doing things, something FABL abandoned in the teens when the amateur draft and the affiliation system began. Thompson proposes dropping the amateur draft to three rounds and re-instituting a minor league draft with draft prices as the following: AAA League - first round choice $12,500. Second round choice $10,000. All other players drafted $7,500. AA League- first choice $10,000, Second choice $7,500. All other players $5,000 A League- first choice $6,000. Second choice $5000. All other players $4,000 Under Thompson's plan the minor leagues of higher classifications (AAA, AA, A) would draft from leagues of B and C classification. In this way, he feels all minor leagues would benefit. If a FABL club bought 6 players in the draft and discovered it could only use two of them, the four others would be sent out on three-year options for further development. Thompson adds the FABL clubs could also profit from selling off their minor league affiliates to independent baseball operators. As expected, there was plenty of opposition to Thompson's proposal. Cleveland Assistant General Manager Bill Terry scoffed at the notion. "It is very nice of that guy in Detroit to give away Cleveland's baseball holdings and all of our minor league system, something we have worked very hard to develop. He has obviously decided it makes no sense to invest in the future of his ballclub, but most of us do not feel that way." It is highly unlikely anything will come of Thompson's plan, but it certainly spiced up the final day of the Postwar Planning Committee's activities.
RAINIER COLLEGE STILL LEADS THE WAY With a two week jump since the last edition of TWIFB little has changed at the top of the college basketball standings. Rainier College continues to hold down the number one spot Nationally and atop the West Coast Athletic Association where the Majestics improved to 10-1 in conference play. This will be a big week for the Washington State school as they have a pair of tough road games in Los Angeles - first on Friday against 5th ranked CCLA (8-3, 19-5) and then a showdown with #2 Coastal California (7-4, 19-5) on Sunday. The Majestics beat each of those schools at home in mid-January. North Carolina Tech (6-2, 19-4) is now third in the rankings despite losing 55-41 on the road against 6th ranked South Atlantic Conference rival Chesapeake State (7-2, 19-5) two weeks ago. Western Iowa (7-3, 19-5) no longer leads in the Great Lakes Alliance as the 4th ranked Canaries suffered recent back to back losses to Detroit City College (8-2, 18-5) and Central Ohio (4-6, 12-11). There is quite a battle for supremacy in the Northeast Conference with 8th ranked Frankford State (9-1, 20-3) holding a slim lead on 7th ranked Brooklyn State (9-2, 19-4) and number 10 Liberty College (8-2, 18-5). Those three schools all have one game remaining against each of the other two so there is plenty of uncertainty who will claim the conference crown. Three losses in their last 6 games has sent independent Ohio Poly (23-6) plummeting in the polls, as has Brooklyn Catholic (19-9) after back to back losses last week but fellow Annapolis Maritime (25-5) -with 10 wins in their last 11 games following a tough two-point loss to Chesapeake State- is in the rise. Those three schools have all completed their schedules and now must wait nearly a month to see if they earn bids to the year-end tournament. Code:
AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Rainier College (72) 22-2 1800 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Coastal California 19-5 1706 3 West Coast Athletic Association
3. North Carolina Tech 19-4 1620 4 South Atlantic Conference
4. Western Iowa 19-5 1607 2 Great Lakes Alliance
5. CC Los Angeles 19-5 1451 6 West Coast Athletic Association
6. Chesapeake State 19-5 1430 7 South Atlantic Conference
7. Brooklyn State 19-4 1291 9 Northeast Conference
8. Frankford State 20-3 1286 8 Northeast Conference
9. Detroit City College 18-5 1226 5 Great Lakes Alliance
10. Liberty College 18-5 1142 11 Northeast Conference
11. Perry State College 22-2 1119 12 Midwestern Association
12. Indiana A&M 18-5 1107 13 Great Lakes Alliance
13. Annapolis Maritime 25-5 930 14 Independent
14. Ohio Poly 23-6 926 10 Independent
15. Minnesota Tech 19-5 795 15 Great Lakes Alliance
16. Bronx Tech 22-6 654 17 Independent
17. Texas Gulf Coast 19-5 618 18 Southwestern Alliance
18. Whitney College 14-9 609 23 Great Lakes Alliance
19. Brookland 22-5 564 16 Independent
20. Carolina Poly 16-8 382 20 South Atlantic Conference
21. Sadler 18-7 380 21 Academia Alliance
22. Troy State (NY) 20-7 305 22 Independent
23. Garden State 15-9 169 19 Northeast Conference
24. Dickson 18-7 122 24 Academia Alliance
25. Alabama Baptist 16-7 89 NR Deep South Conference
Others Receiving Votes:
St. Ignatius 13-10 47 Great Lakes Alliance
Lambert College 14-9 10 Midwestern Association
Noble Jones College 17-8 5 Deep South Conference
Brooklyn Catholic 19-9 4 Independent
Hamman 20-8 4 Independent
St. Magnus 14-9 2 Great Lakes Alliance
MONDAY FEB 14 #8 Frankford State 51 St Patrick's 41 #10 Liberty College 38 #23 Garden State 36 #22 Troy State(NY) 35 Boston State 33 TUESDAY FEB 15 #19 Brookland 47 Orrville 37 WEDNESDAY FEB 16 #7 Brooklyn State 46 St Pancras 44 #13 Annapolis Maritime 54 Centerville 39 #21 Sadler 52 Ellery 42 #24 Dickson 59 Brunswick 49 #25 Alabama Baptist 51 Central Kentucky 40 THURSDAY FEB 17 #3 North Carolina Tech 56 Columbia Military Academy 46 Central Ohio 41 #4 Western Iowa 38 #6 Chesapeake State 50 #20 Carolina Poly 40 #9 Detroit City College 50 Lincoln 47 #12 Indiana A&M 47 St Ignatius 39 Chicago Poly 43 #14 Ohio Poly 42 #16 Bronx Tech 47 Bardney 37 #18 Whitney College 62 #15 Minnesota Tech 60 FRIDAY FEB 18 #1 Rainier College 55 Idaho A&M 35 #2 Coastal California 41 Spokane State 31 #5 CC Los Angeles 53 Redwood 42 #13 Annapolis Maritime 47 Eastern Virginia 31 #17 Texas Gulf Coast 57 Lubbock State 36 Hampden 40 #19 Brookland 38 St Blane 44 #22 Troy State(NY) 41 SATURDAY FEB 19 #3 North Carolina Tech 56 Coastal State 48 #4 Western Iowa 53 Wisconsin State 42 #6 Chesapeake State 52 Cowpens State 45 #7 Brooklyn State 55 St Martin's College 46 #8 Frankford State 40 St Matthew's College 35 #12 Indiana A&M 58 #9 Detroit City College 42 #11 Perry State College 47 Laclede 32 #15 Minnesota Tech 62 St Magnus 57 #17 Texas Gulf Coast 49 Arkansas A&T 32 #18 Whitney College 46 Central Ohio 40 #20 Carolina Poly 58 Charleston Tech 50 George Fox 38 #21 Sadler 29 Commonwealth Catholic 46 #23 Garden State 44 #25 Alabama Baptist 49 Cumberland 25 SUNDAY FEB 20 #1 Rainier College 45 Lane State 36 #2 Coastal California 60 Idaho A&M 50 #5 CC Los Angeles 55 Custer College 37  AIAAstandingsThe Week That Was Current events from the week ending 2/20/1944
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10-05-2022, 10:40 AM
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#532 |
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March 13, 1944
MARCH 13, 1944 DRAFT HIT MAJOR LEAGUE CLUBS START TRAINING GRINDS NEXT WEEK FABL goes into spring training mode for its third wartime year next week with high hopes of survival despite expected and accepted drains on its manpower pool by draft boards and defense plants. While once again plenty of familiar faces have left for the war effort over the winter, there will still be enough ball players around to fill the nearly 400 big league jobs. However, 118 players who appeared in at least one game in the bigs last year are now in the armed forces and 202 others who played two seasons ago have also traded their bats for rifles. That means over the past two seasons the sport has lost the equivalent of over 13 full teams of FABL experienced players. Add in the minor leaguers are there are well over 1,200 professional baseball players serving their country. Yet the game will continue. It will do so despite the fact the reigning Continental Association Whitney Award winner is now in the Navy. It will do so despite the fact that 14 players selected to play in last July's all-star game are now wearing a uniform of a different type. A new crop of big names will once again absent from each of the 16 training camps that open next week, but that is nothing new. Baseball is getting used to having holes to fill everywhere on the diamond, and fans are getting used to unfamiliar new names replacing their favourites. But the game will go on, teams will find enough players to put on a show. It won't be as good as perhaps in past years, but it will still be entertainment, and will still be big league baseball.
 
SECTION CHAMPS DECLARED AS COLLEGE HOOPS SEASON COMES TO AN END AIAA YEAR END TOURNAMENT FIELD REVEALED TOMORROW For the first time since 1914-15 the Rainier College Majestics were crowned kings of the West Coast Athletic Association. The Majestics closed out the section slate with 4 straight wins to finish 14-2 in WCAA play, good enough for a 2 game game bulge on second place CC Los Angeles -which led the conference a year ago. The Majestics are 26-3 on the season and one of the favourites to win the AIAA annual spring championship tournament, an event they also won last season for the second time in 4 years. The field for the AIAA tournament will be unveiled tomorrow. Here are the champions for each of the 1st Division conferences. ACADEMIA ALLIANCE : Sadler Bluecoats -first win since 1937-38 CALIFORNIA LEAGUE: Quaker College Bulldogs -3rd title in last 4 years CENTRAL ATHLETIC ALLIANCE: Cleveland Tigers - first ever title DEEP SOUTH: Alabama Baptist Panthers - 2nd straight and third in past 4 years EASTERN EIGHT: Boston State Pirates - First win since 1933-34 GREAT LAKES ALLIANCE: Westen Iowa Canaries - first ever conference title KEYSTONE ALLIANCE: Harrisburg State Hornets - first win since 1927-28 MIDWESTERN ASSOCIATION: Perry State College Commodores - First win since 1938-39 NORTHEAST CONFERENCE: Liberty College Bells - second win in last 3 years PLAINS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION: Oklahoma City State Wranglers - First win since back to back titles in 1936 and 1937 ROCKY MTN ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION: Boulder State Grizzlies - second win in last 3 years SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE: North Carolina Tech Techsters - first win since 1934-35 SOUTHERN BORDER ASSOCIATION: Valley State Gunslingers - second consecutive title SOUTHWESTERN ALLIANCE: Texas Gulf Coast Hurricanes - 4th straight title WEST COAST ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION: Rainier College Majestics - first conference title Each of the schools list above receive automatic bids to the National Tournament. The remaining 17 spots in the 32-team field will be filled by at large berths. Here are the final standings for the 1943-44 AIAA season  Code:
AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Rainier College (72) 26-3 1800 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Western Iowa 24-6 1728 2 Great Lakes Alliance
3. North Carolina Tech 25-4 1633 3 South Atlantic Conference
4. CC Los Angeles 23-6 1605 4 West Coast Athletic Association
5. Detroit City College 21-8 1494 7 Great Lakes Alliance
6. Liberty College 24-5 1415 8 Northeast Conference
7. Coastal California 21-8 1387 6 West Coast Athletic Association
8. Chesapeake State 22-7 1250 5 South Atlantic Conference
9. Minnesota Tech 24-6 1161 11 Great Lakes Alliance
10. Annapolis Maritime 25-5 1152 14 Independent
11. Ohio Poly 23-6 1090 15 Independent
12. Indiana A&M 21-8 1077 13 Great Lakes Alliance
13. Brooklyn State 20-9 891 9 Northeast Conference
14. Whitney College 19-10 848 16 Great Lakes Alliance
15. Frankford State 22-7 846 10 Northeast Conference
16. Perry State College 23-6 765 12 Midwestern Association
17. Brookland 24-5 654 17 Independent
18. Bronx Tech 23-6 577 18 Independent
19. Sadler 23-8 487 21 Academia Alliance
20. Alabama Baptist 21-8 355 23 Deep South Conference
21. Texas Gulf Coast 23-7 352 19 Southwestern Alliance
22. Carolina Poly 21-9 271 20 South Atlantic Conference
23. Garden State 19-10 263 NR Northeast Conference
24. Troy State (NY) 22-7 209 22 Independent
25. Dickson 24-8 55 24 Academia Alliance
Others Receiving Votes:
St. Ignatius 15-14 29 Great Lakes Alliance
Lambert College 17-12 6 Midwestern Association
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 3/12/1944
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10-05-2022, 11:20 AM
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March 14, 1944 : Special AIAA basketball tournament annoucement
MARCH 14, 1944 FIELD SET FOR AIAA TOURNAMENT Three teams from the Great Lakes Alliance have been named top seeds in the four sections for the 1944 AIAA College Basketball Championship Tournament. The fourth #1 seed comes as no surprise as it is defending National Champion and top ranked Rainier College, after the Majestics went 26-3 and won their first-ever West Coast Athletic Association title. The Majestics will be the top seed in the Western Section and will open against Boulder State (15-14), winners of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Association title. The other top seeds, all hailing from the GLA, are Indiana A&M (21-8) in the Eastern Section, Western Iowa (24-6) gets the top spot in the South while Minnesota Tech (24-6) claims the number one seed in the Midwestern Section. The opening round of the tournament will be played Saturday and Sunday with the following match-ups. EAST SECTION #1 Indiana A&M (21-8) vs #8 Valley State (10-19) #4 Annapolis Maritime (25-5) vs #5 Brooklyn State (20-9) #3 Chesapeake State (22-7) vs #6 Troy State(NY) (22-7) #2 Liberty College (24-5) vs #7 Dickson (24-8) SOUTH SECTION #1 Western Iowa (24-6) vs #8 Quaker College(CA) (14-16) #4 Frankford State (22-7) vs #5 Brookland (24-5) #3 North Carolina Tech (25-4) vs #6 Alabama Baptist (21-8) #2 CC Los Angeles (23-6) vs #7 Boston State (18-11) MIDWEST SECTION #1 Minnesota Tech (24-6) vs #8 Oklahoma City State (16-13) #4 Coastal California (21-8) vs #5 Sadler (23-8) #3 Perry State College (23-6) vs #6 Texas Gulf Coast (23-7) #2 Whitney College (19-10) vs #7 Cleveland (18-11) WEST SECTION #1 Rainier College (26-3) vs #8 Boulder State (15-14) #4 Bronx Tech (23-6) vs #5 Garden State (19-10) #3 Ohio Poly (23-6)vs #6 Carolina Poly (21-9) #2 Detroit City College (21-8) vs #7 Harrisburg State (16-13)
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10-05-2022, 01:51 PM
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#534 |
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March 20, 1944: TWIFB annual prediction issue
MARCH 20, 1944 TWIFB UNVEILS ITS ANNUAL PREDICTIONS SPRING TRAINING GAMES GET UNDERWAY TOMORROW Baseball is back, and with plenty of excitement despite the fact that once again -in this the third year of wartime baseball- so many star players have been pulled from their clubs to join the war effort. Those losses are especially noticeable in the Federal Association where -unlike so many recent years when it seemed just about everyone had a chance- this looks like it will be a two-horse race between the Philadelphia Keystones and the defending champion Boston Minutemen. St Louis, Washington, Chicago and Pittsburgh all suffered big losses and barring some major trades are likely not good enough to keep up with the two favourites this time around. We see the same in the Continental Association as the defending WCS champion Cincinnati Cannons and Chicago Cougars will battle it out all year long. The Cougars had a lot of tough breaks last season, but armed with the best offense in the CA and adding Rusty Petrick and Mike Murphy to fill holes created by Selective Service on the mound, the Cougars are the team to beat in the CA. We are calling a Chicago Cougars-Philadelphia Keystones World Championship Series. Here is how TWIFB sees the races finishing in 1944: CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION 1- CHICAGO COUGARS - KEY WAR LOSSES: Johnnie Jones, Joe Brown, Clark Car. The Cougars had the most productive offense in the Continental Association last season and only Cincinnati allowed fewer runs against. They added Mike Murphy from Detroit and Rusty Petrick from the Gothams over the off-season to help offset the war losses of Donnie Jones and Joe Brown on the mound. Chicago had a lot of bad luck last season in the form of close losses and more injuries than you would expect. If they can avoid that this time around they should prevail. It will be a tight battle with Cincinnati all season and could go either way but the addition of Murphy -if he can pitch like he is capable of- might just be the difference between the two teams. 2- CINCINNATI CANNONS - KEY WAR LOSSES: Adam Mullins, Fred Galloway, Charlie Rivera. The Cannons pitching staff was tops in either league a year ago and they did not lose any of their arms to the war effort. With Rufus Barrell and Butch Smith expected to again lead the way it will be difficult to score runs on Cincinnati. However, the loss of catcher Adam Mullins and centerfielder Fred Galloway will hurt both on offense and in the field while Charlie Rivera's glove at second base will also be missed. The Cannons might have trouble scoring runs but the hope in the Queen City is they won't need a lot of them to win games. 3- TORONTO WOLVES - KEY WAR LOSSES: Joe Hancock, Lou Jayson, Mike Rollinson. The Wolves lost Joe Hancock to the war effort and with that likely any chance of keeping pace with the Cougars and Cannons. Toronto is a very strong team, but not quite good enough to win it all this season. 4- NEW YORK STARS - KEY WAR LOSSES: Vern Hubbard. A lot went wrong last season in New York, for both the Stars and the Gothams who each collapsed after meeting in the WCS the previous October. The pitching depth is thin, but that is the case this season for much of the league. I think the New York offense will step up this season and they will sneak into the first division. 5- PHILADELPHIA SAILORS - KEY WAR LOSSES: Woody Stone, Jim Beard, Harvey Brown, Bob Smith. Losing Woody Stone -one of the most underrated catchers in the game- as well as Harvey Brown and Jim Beard will be too much to overcome. The Sailors will battle with the Stars for the first division but ultimately fall just short. 6- MONTREAL SAINTS - KEY WAR LOSSES: Bert Lass, Charlie Woodbury, Tony Hendricks, Bob Jennings and Wally Reif. Maybe this is the year some of Montreal's young talent steps up but unfortunately most of the best of it is aiding in the war effort. Losing Bert Lass, Charlie Woodbury and pitcher Wally Reif will doom the Saints to another second division finish - a place they have resided in 11 of the past 13 years. 7- BROOKLYN KINGS - KEY WAR LOSSES: Del Lyons,Tim Hopkins, Lee Shapiro, Vince D'Alessandro, Roger Upton. It's certainly not the mid-1930s anymore. The Kings and Foresters battled out for CA supremacy for a number of years back then. They are battling each other again but this time it is for futility as neither club seems to have much of a chance of even dreaming about the first division. 8- CLEVELAND FORESTERS- KEY WAR LOSSES: Elmer Bradbury, Cal Howe, Bill Carr, Leon Blackridge. I tried to find something good to say about the Foresters but there seems to be little chance they avoid a third straight (and fourth in five years) last place finish. At least we can watch a full season of Jim Adams Jr., who is perhaps the only player worth watching in Cleveland this season. There is some good young talent but most of it is in the service although it would be nice to see Glenn White get his chance in the big leagues this season. If they have a good start to the season perhaps maybe even teens Benny Everidge and John Jackson be given a chance at the big league level as well. I can't see them faring any worse than what is presently in Cleveland. FEDERAL ASSOCIATION 1- PHILADELPHIA KEYSTONES - KEY WAR LOSSES: Hank Koblenz, Hans Wright and Connie Upchurch: It really seems like it should be a two-horse race between the Keystones and the Boston Minutemen in the Fed this season. Even without Hank Koblenz I think the Philadelphia offense can survive and their pitching is not bad, but I would feel more comfortable about this choice if someone can emerge as a reliable fifth starter. With nearly every top prospect in the organization gone to war, that extra arm will likely have to come via the trade route. 2-BOSTON MINUTEMEN - KEY WAR LOSSES: Harry Barrell, Johnny Harry, Joe Sargent, Jack Flint: Despite losing Harry Barrell the Minutemen should be okay in the infield as Lew McClendon will simply shift back to shortstop. They need Ed Wood to duplicate his amazing season from a year ago i they are going to contend but this has the makings of another tight race - something the Fed is famous for. 3- ST LOUIS PIONEERS- KEY WAR LOSSES: Heinie Zimmer, Artie D'Alessandro, Dutch Breunig: By rights Boston and Philadelphia should run away with things as the losses suffered by the Pioneers, Chiefs, Miners and Eagles all appear to be substantial. Is Sam Sheppard for real? Can Joe Shaffner continue to sip from the magical fountain of youth at age 40. Will someone (maybe Ben Hand?) emerge as a replacement for Heinie Zimmer behind the plate? A lot of questions. Probably too many for a third place team but the Pioneers looked so good the last half of last season I have a hunch they will find a way to at least remain within shouting distance of the leaders. 4-WASHINGTON EAGLES - KEY WAR LOSSES: Dilly Ward, George Dawson, Dick Gibbs, Ike Keller, Jack Elder: It's too bad. The Eagles seemed to solve their pitching and shortstop issues last season but now they lose newly acquired infielder George Dawson and 3 key arms. Sig Stofer and Jesse Alvardo are fun to watch hit and it would be great to see Roy Carroll and Maurice Carter join them. There are also some pitching prospects still around in Frank Porter and 19 year old Ted Davis. Lou Ellertson and Del Burns need to come up big and missing Les Bradshaw for much of the first half of the season with an injury hurts but I like this team and think they can finish in the first division. If they do, it will be the first time Washington ended up in the top four in back to back years since 1926-27. 5-CHICAGO CHIEFS - KEY WAR LOSSES: Al Miller, Gus Goulding, Charlie Bingham, Jim Mayfield, Ducky Jordan: Hard to find a team hit harder on the mound than the Chiefs were. Maybe Rabbit Day suddenly pitches like he did a decade ago and if so the Chiefs will be just fine, contenders even perhaps. The offense is good -even better if Al Wheeler suddenly remembers how to hit- but there is a lot to worry about in Chicago this season. 6-NEW YORK GOTHAMS - KEY WAR LOSSES: Walt Messer, Fritz Reynolds, Leonardo Magana: The Gothams have Red Johnson, Ed Bowman and Jim Lonardo but not much else. Will they be enough to carry the club back to respectability? Much of their hope for success is riding on newly acquired Harry Woodruff doing the job at shortstop. And figuring out who will pitch when Bowman and Lonardo are tired. I am picking New York sixth not because I like the Gothams chances this year, but rather because I think Pittsburgh and Detroit are going to be that bad. 7- PITTSBURGH MINERS - KEY WAR LOSSES: Lefty Allen, Jocko Goodrum, Pinky Pierce: Losing Lefty Allen is a hard pill to swallow. The Miners would not have been a contender even without their ace, who was very un-ace-like a year ago anyway, but now I could see a situation where they sell off some of their veteran pieces and look at a complete rebuild. 8- DETROIT DYNAMOS - KEY WAR LOSSES: Rip Curry, Mule Earl, Sergio Gonzales: They already dealt Mike Murphy and word is Sal Pestilli -despite being in the Army Air Corps- will also be gone. This is the beginning of another rebuild, and judging by their draft in January it looks like it will be a very quick turnaround. 1944 is a year to just struggle through while moving any veterans they can for more youth and picks. I expect after the draftees arrive in July the Dynamos minor league system will be one to fear - maybe even some of those newcomers fast-track to the big leagues. OSA LIKES COUGARS AND KEYSTONES IN SERIES Like TWIFB, the very early call from FABL's central scouting agency is for a rematch of the 1933 World Championship Series featuring the Philadelphia Keystones and Chicago Cougars. OSA will certainly change much of it's forecast once the fight for spring jobs are sorted out and Opening Day is upon us but at this point the folks from Dan Barrell's office are calling an easy win for the Cougars in the Continental Association while the Federal Association will once again be a tight fight. Among the individual predictions from the league scouting service there are certainly a few that jump out. One right away is the big power season forecast for Keystones slugger Bobby Barrell while another is seeing strong mound performances from veterans Lou Ellertson of Washington and Mike Murphy of the Chicago Cougars. OSA seems to be in agreement with TWIFB that the acquisition of Murphy from the Detroit Dynamos may be the final piece the Cougars need to claim their second pennant in four years. It is early, and none of the rosters are finalized so this should be taken with a hefty sized chunk of salt, but here is how OSA presently sees the 1944 campaign playing out.  
BOSTON STATE SHOCKS CCLA IN OPENING ROUND OF AIAA TOURNAMENT The Boston State Pirates pulled off the biggest upset in the opening round of the AIAA Tournament by knocking off CC Los Angeles in the #2 vs #7 seed game. The Pirates, making just their third tournament appearance and first since 1934, won for the first time in post-season play as they edged the heavily favoured Coyotes 53-51 thanks to a buzzer beating 12 foot shot by sophomore forward Grant Griffin. It marks the earliest exit from the tournament for CCLA since they also fell in the opening round in 1936. The only other lower seed to win in the 16 opening weekend games was Texas Gulf Coast, which as the #6 ranked club in the Midwest, topped 3rd seed Perry State College 60-43. There were a couple of close calls such as 3rd seed in the west Ohio Poly needing overtime to edge Carolina Poly 53-52 and a pair of #2 seeds from the Great Lakes Alliance each had close calls. That would be Detroit City College, which held off Harrisburg State 56-52 in the West, and Whitney College, which needed a late rally to beat Cleveland in the Midwest. OPENING ROUND RESULTS EAST SECTION #1 Indiana A&M 60 #8 Valley State 28 #4 Annapolis Maritime 42 #5 Brooklyn State 39 #3 Chesapeake State 45 #6 Troy State(NY) 40 #2 Liberty College 54 #7 Dickson 43 SOUTH SECTION #1 Western Iowa 61 #8 Quaker College(CA) 45 #4 Frankford State 42 #5 Brookland 33 #3 North Carolina Tech 40 #6 Alabama Baptist 27 #7 Boston State 53 #2 CC Los Angeles 51 MIDWEST SECTION #1 Minnesota Tech 68 #8 Oklahoma City State 42 #4 Coastal California 50 #5 Sadler 30 #6 Texas Gulf Coast 60 #3 Perry State College 43 #2 Whitney College 41 #7 Cleveland 38 WEST SECTION #1 Rainier College 61 #8 Boulder State 33 #4 Bronx Tech 56 #5 Garden State 50 #3 Ohio Poly 53 #6 Carolina Poly 52 #2 Detroit City College 56 #7 Harrisburg State 52 UPCOMING SCHEDULE ROUND OF SIXTEEN THURSDAY MARCH 23 Rainier College vs Bronx Tech Detroit City College vs Ohio Poly Western Iowa vs Frankford State Boston vs North Carolina Tech FRIDAY MARCH 24 Minnesota Tech vs Coastal California Whitney College vs Texas Gulf Coast Indiana A&M vs Annapolis Maritime Liberty College vs Chesapeake State QUARTERFINALS MARCH 25 & 26 The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 3/19/1944
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Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal
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10-06-2022, 01:17 PM
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#535 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 677
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March 27, 1944
MARCH 27, 1944 CANNONS PENNANT HOPES DEALT SERIOUS BLOW Deuce Barrell Arm Injury Ends Allen Award Winner's Season The Cincinnati Cannons dreams of repeating as World Championship Series winners lasted exactly four days of spring training. That is how long it took for the club's ace and two-time reigning Continental Association Allen Award winner to blow out his elbow, ending his season before it began and likely dashing any pennant hopes the Cannons might have had for 1944. "It's devastating," muttered long-time teammate Jim Hensley when news broke over the weekend that Barrell's season was done. "We just have to continue on with what we have got left, but I sure hope he makes a full recovery. It's a bad one I am told." The Cannons were co-favourites along with the Chicago Cougars to battle for top spot in the Continental Association but that is likely out the window after Barrell, who has gone 42-16 over the past two seasons, joined CA Whitney Award winner Adam Mullins and 5-time all-star centerfielder Fred Galloway on the unable to play list. Both Mullins and Galloway were called into military service over the winter.  STARS ADD OUTFIELD DEPTH The New York Stars made a move to shore up their outfield in acquiring Dan Rogers from the Chicago Cougars in exchange for a 7th round draft pick they had originally acquired from Cincinnati. Rogers hit just .194 in limited action in Chicago a year ago but posted some solid numbers the previous season in AA. The name may be familiar to long-time readers as Rogers -a former Brooklyn first round pick- was much talked about early in his pro career. After the Kings selected him 14th overall out of high school in Ohio, Rogers had a great opening month in Class C and was ranked 51st on the OSA prospect list. Then came a promotion to the B level and some struggles for the man known as "Handsome Dan" with the result he quickly plummeted to the low 400s on the OSA list. He had his ups and downs in the Brooklyn system and had 3 brief call-ups but went just 1-for-7 as a King before being selected by the Cougars in the 1942 Rule Five Draft. OSA feels he has average power but even a bench role in FABL might be out of his comfort zone.   But lets not forget about the bull pen! Starting for New York this year: Billy Riley and his steady aim. Hank Mittan and his not so stead aim. Lyman Weigel and his freshly resurrected career. A completely underrated Ed Myers. And fresh off the bus from San Francisco, Knuckleballer extraordinaire, Johnny Cook. Plenty of other faces, both new and familiar, will be present at camp to battle it out for the 11 other slots. Some may rise to the challenge, while others may just not quite have what it takes. And even fewer may earn their way to the starting spot. Its going to be an exciting spring and the coaching staff and front office are eager to see what shakes out. Tune in every Monday to see which 5 players got cut back down to the minors each week. Who will be the next NEW YORK STAR!?  The pitching staff will feature star Ed Bowman who should feast on depleted FA line-ups. Then there is the returning, but now 39 year old, Jim Lonardo. However, behind those two are a lot of unknowns, maybes and never were's. Jim Baggett has been a successful start at AAA for the Cleveland organization. The other options are pitchers who have had little success in New York. You would expect the catching situation to be of no concern with former top prospect Pete Casstevens still stateside. But after a dreadful .191 season there is cause for concern. Around the infield it's Red Johnson, then more auditions than you'd see in a week on Broadway. 2B, 3B and SS are all up for grabs. Either a hot bat or a steady glove can win a job. Early favorites are Cy Howard or Bill Freeman and second, Fred Pecora at 3B and Harry Woodruff at SS. In the outfield it's an open situation with the exception of vet Leon Drake in rightfield. Bunny Hufford, acquired in the Petrick deal, will get the first look in LF. Johnny Guthrie will get a shot to take CF while Nat Drake, Del West and Ed Stoddard also compete for roster spots. To me this looks like a perfectly mediocre roster. However, most other franchises will be fielding the same. Still, the lack of pitching should ensure that the Gothams don't compete for the top spots. They should avoid another basement finish and will likely settle into the top of the secnd division.
 SEMI-FINAL MATCH-UPS SET FOR CAGE CHAMPIONSHIP The four teams that will descend upon the Bigsby Garden in New York City next weekend to crown the college cage champion for 1944 have been determined. They include defending National Champion Rainier College, along with North Carolina Tech, Coastal California and Annapolis Maritime. The defending champion Majestics entered the tournament as the top seed in the Western Section after winning their first-ever West Coast Athletic Association conference title. They had little trouble in the section play, blasting Boulder State 61-33 in the opening round before handling Bronx Tech 52-45 and Detroit City College 65-41 over the course of last week. Rainier College will face North Carolina Tech in one semi-final after the Techsters upset top seeded Western Iowa 52-42 in the finals from the Southern Section. This after NC Tech beat Alabama Baptist 40-27 in the opening round and then knocked off surprise team Boston State -which had shocked CCLA in round one- 39-25 to reach the South Finals. The Navigators from Annapolis Maritime are the surprise winners of the East Section. The naval cadets were seed 4th and after nipping 5th seed Brooklyn State 42-39 to open the tournament, they upset the section's top seed Indiana A&M 36-29 before downing #2 Liberty College 38-35 yesterday. The National Semi-Finals is not a totally unfamiliar spot for the Navigators to find themselves. Annapolis Maritime did reach the semis twice before - in 1929-30 and again two years later but failed to advance any further each time. Thursday was a day of upsets in the Midwestern Section as top seed Minnesota Tech fell 63-60 to Coastal California while fellow Great Lakes Alliance school and #2 seed Whitney College fell 49-42 to Texas Gulf Coast. The Dolphins joined their West Coast Athletic Association rivals Rainier College in New York by beating Hurricanes 49-44 in the Midwestern Section final. North Carolina Tech leads the way among the semi-finalists with 4 previous titles, including being the only school to win three in a row from 1922-24. Neither Annapolis Maritime (playing in it's third semi-final) nor Coastal California have ever won the tournament. The Dolphins are the hard-luck school of the college basketball world with this being their 13 trip to the National Semi-Finals but they have never won the tournament, losing in the championship game three times with one of those title contest losses to North Carolin Tech (in the 1923 championship game). Nine previous times the Dolphins lost in the semi-final so at 3-9 all-time they have the most semi-final game losses in AIAA history. Code:
TOURNAMENT HISTORY OF SEMI-FINALISTS SCHOOL TITLES FINAL4 APP RECORD TITLES North Carolina Tech 4 8 28 56-23 1922,1923,1924, 1934 Rainier College 2 4 26 31-23 1940, 1943 Coastal California 0 13 35 65-34 None Annapolis Maritime 0 3 18 20-17 None SCHEDULE SATURDAY APRIL 1 Rainier College (29-3) vs North Carolina Tech (28-4) Coastal California (24-8) vs Annapolis Maritime (28-5) MONDAY APRIL 3 National Championship Game at Bigsby Garden, New York City  The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 3/26/1944
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Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal
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10-07-2022, 03:00 PM
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#536 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
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April 3, 1944
APRIL 3, 1944 KEYSTONES EXTEND SPRING STREAK TO 7 The hottest team in FABL so far this spring has been the Philadelphia Keystones, who beat the defending Federal Association champion Boston Minutemen 2-1 Saturday to run their spring record to 10-2, including wins in their last 7 in a row. Big things are expected from the Keystones this season, with TWIFB pegging them as the team to beat in the Fed. There is more good news for the City of Brotherly Love as the Keystones Continental Association counterparts are at the top of the table in their loop as well with the Philadelphia Sailors 9-3 record being one game better than second place Brooklyn after two weeks of tune-up contests. At the other end of the spectrum we have the two New York Nines with both the Gothams (3-9) and Stars (2-10) bringing up the rear in their respective sections. It is, of course, just spring play and means nothing when the games begin for real on April 18th, but for New York fans reeling from last season's terrible disappointments after an all-NYC World Championship Series in 1941, it seems to confirm their worst fears for the coming campaign.  *** PAIR OF MINOR DEALS *** As teams scramble to get at least a small return for players who unlikely to make the big club, a few minor moves will be made. Two such transactions happened this week with the Detroit Dynamos and New York Stars each adding a player. The Dynamos picked up righthander Hooks Camp from the Chicago Cougars on the day of his 27th birthday. The cost was Detroit's 9th and 11th round picks in the June portion of the draft. Camp spent 1942 in the big leagues after the Cougars selected him from Washington in the rule five draft, posting a 5.25 era in 17 relief appearances. He was 9-7, 4.70 for AAA Milwaukee last season. The Stars added first baseman Earl Kimmel -who was out of minor league options- from the St Louis Pioneers in exchange for a 6th round draft pick. The 26 year old former 5th round draft pick has spent part of each of the last three seasons with the Pioneers, hitting .308 with 8 homers in 341 career FABL at bats. He is expected to compete for the first base job in New York that opened with the retirement of Dave Trowbridge.
 EIGHT PRO GRID 'FRANCHISES' ARE GIVEN AT PITTSBURGH MEETING A small gathering which included only five delegates from other cities attended an organization meeting of a proposed new major league of 12 pro football teams in Pittsburgh. A closed confab was held in the morning while the press was welcome to the afternoon sessions. Eight cities were granted what was termed "certificates of operation" including New York, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, St Louis, Cincinnati, Seattle and Pittsburgh. The plan seemed hastily put together and lacked much concrete detail as team owners were not even revealed for several of the teams. It seems a long-shot this loop will get off the ground. RAINIER COLLEGE, ANNAPOLIS MARITIME REACH TITLE GAME The Rainier College Majestics have a chance to become just the fourth team in AIAA history to successfully defend their National Tournament Championship. The Majestics, who won the title in March of 1940 as well as last season, advanced to tonight's championship game at the Bigsby Garden with a 48-32 victory over North Carolina Tech. The Techsters actually won three straight tournaments between 1922 and 1924 and join the 1910-11 Brunswick Knights and 1936-37 Liberty College Bells as the only teams to repeat as champions. Standing in the way of the Majestics will be Annapolis Maritime as the Navy academy team upset Coastal California 56-51 in the other semi-final. This marks the Navigators first appearance in the championship contest after a 29-5 season left the independent school ranked 11th in the nation entering the tournament. The Navigators had reached the semi-finals in 1930 and again in 1932 but came up short both times. Rainier College is a perfect 2-0 in title games. *** QUICK START CARRIES MAJESTICS *** Against the South Atlantic Conference champions from North Carolina Tech, Rainier College took control of the game early and the outcome was never in doubt. The Majestics led 16-6 14 minutes into the opening half and took that same ten point lead into the break. The Techsters never got closer than withing 7 points in the second half and ended up falling 48-32. Tech did manage to keep star forward Gary Harrison in check most of the game. The Rainier College senior scored just 8 points on the day, less than half of what he averaged during the season to make him the second highest scorer this season behind only Coastal California's Morgan Melcher. With Harrison not up to his usual point production, junior guard Tony Williams led the way with a dozen points for th Majestics while senior center Sam Alvis added 10.  *** ANNAPOLIS TEAM EFFORT TOO MUCH FOR DOLPHINS *** Going into the game Annapolis Maritime knew that Morgan Melcher would get his points. He always does. The Coastal California junior led the nation with 17.8 ppg this season and scored 16, 21 and 19 in the Dolphins three previous tournament games. He would score 20 against the Navigators while teammate Dan Hendon -who averaged near 12 points per game during the season for the high-flying Coastal offense- added 14. None of the cadets managed to score in double figures but that was typical fare for the Navigators who's leading scoring during the regular season managed just 11.1 points per game and no one else scored more than 9 a contest. What that Navigators did have was balance, as while none managed to break into double-figures, 6 of the sailors scored at least 6 points in the win as the Navigators rallied from a 6-point deficit at the break to win 56-51. Annapolis Maritime finally pulled even with just under 9 minutes remaining and two quick baskets from Sterling Kennedy -who was the club's leading scorer during the season- along with 3 from Syd Napier in a span of just over a minute had the Navigators up 47-41 with 5 minutes remaining. They would never relinquish that lead.  *** TOURNAMENT HARD-LUCK CONTINUES FOR DOLPHINS *** For Coastal California the frustration of never winning a National Championship continues. The school has never missed an AIAA tournament -selected to participate in every one of them going back to 1909-10 - but despite reaching the National Semi-Finals 13 times including Saturday's loss to Annapolis Maritime and playing in 3 title contests, the Dolphins have never won it all. Meanwhile cross-city rival CC Los Angeles has won 3 titles -although none in the past decade- and fellow West Coast Athletic Association foe Rainier College has won two in the past 4 years and is one victory away from a third. It has been a couple of years since the Dolphins suffered from another loss on the big stage of the Bigsby Garden in the final weekend. Each of the past two seasons they lost in the second round but three years ago they were embarrassed 64-41 by Brooklyn State in the championship game. Before that the Dolphins suffered semi-final losses in 1936, 1935,1930 and 1929. But that does not compare to the frustration Coastal students and fans felt in the mid-twenties. Starting in 1922 the Dolphins made 5 straight appearances in the National Semi-Finals but won nothing. The half decade long hearbreak started with so much promise when George Fuller -who would go on to be drafted by baseball's Toronto Wolves and play a bit in the minors- hit the miracle midcourt shot to beat CCLA 20-18 and earn the Western Section title for the Dolphins in March of 1922. The excitement was short-lived as they fell to North Carolina Tech 27-24 in the semi-finals a little over a week later. In the spring of 1923 the Dolphins advanced one step further -beating Lubbock State in the semi's- but once more their hopes were dashed by the Techsters who beat Coastal to win their second straight National crown. In 1924 the Techsters did it again, dashing Coastal California's hopes in the semi-finals with a 28-16 win before Tech beat Chicago Poly to become the only school to ever win three straight AIAA tournaments. Good news came in March of 1925 when Coastal California learned they did not have to play the Techsters a fourth consecutive season. Coastal instead landed surprise team Valley State as their opponent and spirits were sky-high after the Dolphins posted one of the most lobsided wins in Championship Weekend history by disarming the Gunslingers 26-6. Spirits were sky-high when Whitney College ended North Carolina Tech's title run in the other semi-final but once again a championship was out of the Dolphins reach as the Engineers scored a 25-16 win to claim that school's first and, at least so far, only national cage crown. It just seems like no matter how good the Dolphins are -and they have been very good with 22 WCAA championships and 23 All-Americans through the years- they just can't quite win the big game.  The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 4/02/1944
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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10-10-2022, 12:06 PM
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#537 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 677
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April 10, 1944
APRIL 10, 1944 WAR TAKES IT'S TOLL ON FABL PROSPECTS It is not just established big leaguers that have been taken out of big league baseball due to the war. The prospect pipeline has also been heavily drained. For example highly touted players like Hiram Steinberg -who rewrote the high school record book- along with 1940 first overall selection Dick Blaszak or 1937 first round selection Ernie Espanoza -who won 21 games at AA and AAA in 1941 as a 22 year old- all should be in the big leagues right now. None of the players considered to be the top nine big league prospects right now are available to their organizations as each is in one branch or another of the military. In fact 15 of the top twenty prospects are serving leaving just the following five out of OSA's top twenty prospects available this season. Code:
TOP TWENTY OSA PROSPECTS NOT IN THE SERVICE RK NAME POS AGE TEAM 10 Bert Cupid P 21 Montreal 12 Jim Carter P 22 Toronto 14 Charlie Gordon P 21 Sailors 16 Gordie Perkins SS 21 Montreal 19 Pat Petty OF 19 Brooklyn THOSE UNAVAILABLE DUE TO MILITARY SERVICE 1 Tom Buchanan P 20 St Louis 2 Jerry York P 22 Toronto 3 Duke Bybee P 21 Cougars 4 Hiram Steinberg P 21 Cleveland 5 Hal Hackney P 22 St Louis 6 Richie Hughes P 21 Cleveland 7 Dick Blaszak OF 22 Cincinnati 8 Charlie Waddell P 21 Keystones 9 John Fast SS 20 Toronto 11 Slick Weslowski P 24 Sailors 13 Bill Barnett 1B 21 Stars 15 Bob Crowley P 22 Brooklyn 17 Ernie Espanoza P 25 Keystones 18 Bob Arman P 23 Boston 20 Jack Wheeler P 19 Chiefs Code:
OCTOBER 1941 TOP TWENTY OSA PROSPECTS RK NAME POS AGE TEAM CURRENT STATUS 1 Ed Bowman P 21 Gothams 4-F ace of Gothams 2 Hiram Steinberg P 19 Cleveland Navy 3 Pat Weakley P 21 Montreal with Saints, went 11-9 as rookie in '43 4 Tom Buchanan P 18 St Louis Marines 5 Dick Blaszak OF 19 Cincinnati Marines 6 Joe Rutherford OF 19 Chiefs Navy, traded to Brooklyn 7 John Moss OF 19 Brooklyn Air Corps 8 Gordie Perkins SS 18 Montreal with Saints, played Class B in '43 9 Otis Parker OF 22 Montreal Army 10 Ernie Espanoza P 23 Keystones Navy 11 Donnie Jones P 21 Cougars Army 12 Johnnie Jones P 23 Cougars Army 13 Chubby Hall OF 24 Stars with Stars, hit .274 in '43 14 John Fast SS 18 Toronto Air Corps 15 Duke Bybee P 19 Cougars Marines 16 Bill Barnett 1B 19 Stars Navy 17 Billy Bryant SS 18 Boston Navy 19 Solly Skidmore C 21 Cougars Coast Guard 20 Orie Martinez OF 21 Brooklyn with Kings, played AA/AAA in '43 Code:
OCTOBER 1937 TOP TWENTY OSA PROSPECTS RK NAME POS AGE TEAM 1940 PERFORMANCE 1 Red Johnson 1B 20 Detroit won the 1940 Whitney in 3rd full season 2 Pete Papenfus P 19 Cougars 8-10 in 1940, would win Allan in '41 3 Roosevelt Brewer 2B 18 Gothams hit .273 in 1940, first full FABL season 4 Billy Woytek 2B 19 Keystones hit .286 in 1940, an all-star in 2nd full season 5 Pete Casstevens C 18 Detroit now a Gotham, hit .262 in 117 games as a rookie 6 Deuce Barrell P 20 Cannons 19-9 breakout year at 22 in 2nd full season 7 George Garrison P 19 Toronto 15-15 in second full season with Wolves 8 Mack Sutton 3B 20 Boston .268, 26 HR in 2nd full season 9 Johnny Hopper C 23 Stars struggled in '40, but key piece of '39 WCS champs 10 Bunny Edwards P 21 Gothams struggled (1-6, 6.10) and spent half season in AAA 11 Ockie Holliday 3B 21 Toronto dominant season in AAA, hit .344 12 Lloyd Stevens P 21 Keystones 18-14 in second full big league season 13 Walt Messer 1B 19 Gothams hit .281 in first full big league season 14 Chuck Adams 1B 20 Chiefs brief big league debut as 22 yr old with Brooklyn 15 Billy Dalton 3B 23 Gothams an all-star in '39 & '41 but struggled in 1940 16 Wally Doyle P 18 Montreal 9-8 as 21 year old spent most of season in Montreal 17 Gene White P 23 Keystones 11-5, 3.81 in 4th big league season with Keystones 18 Ray McCarthy P 23 Detroit 6-4 in relief for Sailors but missed over a month injured 19 Fred Galloway OF 22 Cannons hit .281 in 3rd big league season, made 2nd straight ASG 20 Jim Hensley SS 21 Cannons hit .257, splendid defense, in first full big legaue season   Pidgeon was already a 5-time all-star and 3 time World Champion when the Cannons acquired him from the New York Stars just a couple of months before they were set to begin their first spring training in Cincinnati. Transplanted from Baltimore, little was expected of the Cannons debut that spring. This was a team that was riding a 6 year streak as the dregs of the Continental Association. But they would quickly captured the hearts of Queen City ball fans and the respect of the entire CA when, led by an incredible first half from Pidgeon -who was hitting .347 with 17 homers and 75 rbi's at the end of July- were just a game out of first place with two months remaining in the season. The club would ultimately fall just short of a pennant but Pidgeon (.340,21,100) became the city's first big league baseball hero since Morris Ford in the old Border Association more than half a century ago. That, as it appears to be turning out, would be the last of Pidgeon's great seasons. His production has slid each of the three ensuing years and while he did win a 4th WCS ring last October he did not play in the World Championship Series at all. His power -which allowed Pidgeon to hit 290 career FABL homeruns- deserted him last year and he failed to connect for even one round-tripper. It was clear to all that Pidgeon's skills were eroding and it was a mild surprise that the Cannons did not release him a year ago. However, the writing is now clearly on the wall for Pidgeon who, barring a miracle performance this week or an unfortunate injury to another Cannons outfielder, will be released by the club. Pidgeon has been asked twice by management to go to AAA Indianapolis but refused both teams. He did get his first extra base hit of the spring -surprisingly a triple- but went just 2-for-9 last week and is hitting only .192 on the Cotton Circuit. The Cannons reduced their roster to 26 men and it appears another veteran -36 year old lefthander Gary Harris- will join Pidgeon as the final two spring cuts. Harris, a 9 year big leaguer, made 25 appearances for the Cannons in relief last season after being signed as a free-agent. He was named to the CA all-star team last July but struggled in the second half of the season. He is battling with 24 year old rookie Paul Donoho for a spot on the roster. Donoho has had a solid spring after splitting last season between AA and AAA. To get down to 26 players heading into the final week of camp the Cannons made a number of roster moves including the demotion of last year's backup catcher Ed Sala to AAA. Buster Farrar, acquired from the New York Stars over the winter, will be the starter with Tommy Morris -who is out of options claiming the back-up spot. Sala had one option left which made the decision on the back-up much easier to make. It was tough to demote Stan Kenny after the 22 year old threw 9 scoreless innings this spring but with no experience above Class A it was decided that the 1939 11th round needed some time at AAA but will likely be among the first considered for promotion should an opening arise during the season. The Cannons also sent pitchers Jesse Woods and Fernando Pedroza to Indianapolis while returning rule 5 selection Mac Watters to the New York Gothams. The final demotion was that of middle infielder Billy Winfrey.
HARRISON LEADS RAINIER COLLEGE TO REPEAT Rainier College forward Gary Harrison saved the one of biggest games of his career for the most important moment of it. The senior fired up 27 poits in last Monday's National Championship contest with Annapolis Maritime at the Bigsby Garden to lead the Majestics to their second straight AIAA title and third in a span of 5 years. Harrison, who finished second in the nation in averaging 16.6 ppg this season, had 6 of his points in the final two minutes as Rainier College held off Annapolis Maritime 67-60 to win the championship. Harrison was one of 4 Majestics who started last season's championship game as well, joining Sam Alvis, Tree Turner and Mike Hays. The fifth starter this season was junior Tony Williams, who saw just one minute of action in last year's win over St Magnus. It was a different story this time around as the native of Turnwater, Washington scored a career best 16 points for the winners. It overshadowed a gritty effort from an underdog group of sailors, who reached the title game despite not having a dominant player. As usual it was a team effort for the Navigators, who received 13 points from Sterling Kennedy and Scott McEachern with Mitchel Budd adding 11. McEachern is the lone senior among the trio and he will be shipping out later this month to an assignment in the Pacific. Annapolis Maritime, making it's first ever appearance in the National Championship game, but had reached the semi-finals twice before. They kept this one close until the closing minutes. With less than 7 minutes remaining in regulation the Navigators scored to go up 52-51. That would be the last time they led as Rainier College as a quick 9-3 spurt in the next three minutes put the Majestics up by 7 with 4 minutes remaining and, while Annapolis Maritime cut the deficit to 3 with 50 seconds to go, they could not keep up down the stretch.  The Majestics become just the fourth school in AIAA tournament history to successfully defend their championship - joining the 1910-11 Brunswick Knights, 1921-23 North Carolina Tech Techsters and the 1935-35 Liberty College Bells.  The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 4/09/1944
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Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal
The Scripture of Sports Last edited by Jiggs McGee; 10-10-2022 at 01:51 PM. |
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10-11-2022, 05:41 PM
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#538 |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 677
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April 17, 1944 - Spring Training comes to an end
APRIL 17, 1944 IF NO WAR, COUGARS MIGHT HAVE WON 120 THIS YEAR The Chicago Cougars are the clear favourites to claim the Continental Association crown this season, but one can't help but wonder if -had there been no war- the 1944 edition of the Chicago Cougars might well have posted the best record in FABL history. No FABL club in the history of the sport have won more than the 105 victories claimed by the 1895 New York Gothams and the CA mark is 103 set by the 1929 Philadelphia Sailors and equaled by the New York Stars two years ago. But if the World War never came to be, or never involved the United States, it is not hard to imagine that the current version of the Chicago Cougars could easily become the winningest team in FABL history. Think about it. The Cougars already have what looks like the best offense in the Continental Association, and while certainly every other team in the CA would be much improved the Cougars would certainly look even better with the likes of Clark Car, Carlos Montes and Ray Ford on their 24-man active roster. However, it is the mound where the Cougars would truly shine. Think what a rotation that included Pete Papenfus, the Jones brothers, Duke Bybee and Joe Brown might accomplish. In their last full season before leaving for military service the quartet went 68-39. Add in current Cougars Art White, Dick Lyons, Harry Parker, Mike Murphy and Rusty Petrick and it is not hard to imagine this club perhaps averaging well less than 2 runs against per game. Papenfus won a league high 20 games and the Allen Award at the tender age of 23 in 1941 before enlisting in the Navy just days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Three weeks later the Cougars were informed by their outstanding 19 year old lefthander Duke Bybee -currently considered one of the best minor league arms in the sport- that he was enlisting in the Marines. The following fall Donnie Jones, just 22 years old and fresh off a stellar 15-13 rookie season, was inducted into the Army. Danny Goff Jr., son of the former Brooklyn and New York Gotham star hurler and having made a very impressive debut in a brief callup by the Cougars at age 24, also left to join the Navy. Then this past fall Donnie's older brother Johnnie Jones, after a breakout first full season of his own that saw the then 24 year old post a 15-8 record, received the call from Selective Service and was inducted into the Army. Joe Brown, at age 30 the elder statesman among this group of soldiers and sailors, followed Jones into the Army after going 18-11 for the Cougars in 1943. We have not even touched on the pitchers that still remain in Chicago, and there is plenty of talent left. Veteran lefthanders Art White, Dick Lyons and the recently acquired Mike Murphy have combined for 514 FABL victories and all appear to have plenty left to give this season. Then there is Harry Parker, who went 40-20 in 1941 & 1942 and was 6-3 last June before a serious elbow injury ended his season. There are some question marks about his recovery but he has looked strong in spring outings so the outlook is optimistic Parker can return to form. Then there is Rusty Petrick, a 28 year old former first round draft pick who wore out his welcome with both the Cannons and Gothams as each gave up on Petrick ever reaching the potential that was forseen back at Sacramento High School a decade ago. Here is how the Cougars offensive players would rank according to OSA:  Add in what might well have been the best pitching staff ever assembled in the sport and we could have been witnessing a historic season in the Windy City. The Cougars are still the favourite to win, especially now that Cincinnati has lost Deuce Barrell for the year (with the same injury Harry Parker suffered last season) but this truly could have been a season for the ages in Chicago.  SPRING NOTES FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE BOSTON- It was a rough spring for the defending Federal Association champs as Boston struggled to a 7-17 Cotton Circuit record. Only the New York Stars won less games than the Minutemen. While Paul Richardson and Duke Hendricks each struggled on the mound there was positive spring news on the pitching performances of vets Walt Wells, Ed Wood and Dean Astle. There is concern in the Boston front office that the Minutemen will have their work cut out for them against Philadelphia and St Louis, but all in the organization are excited to get back to playing baseball after another winter filled with so much uncertainty. BROOKLYN- It looks like veteran Jake Shadoan may once again find himself in the Kings starting lineup. A key piece of the Brooklyn offense in the early to mid-1930s, Shadoan even won a CA batting crown in 1933. But once the Kings became pennant winners he was a spare part and eventually moved to Detroit in 1937. Shadoan played sparingly for the Dynamos and was waived in 1939. The Kings resigned the two-time second team All-American out of Liberty College and he spent the past 3 seasons playing in the Brooklyn farm system. Now, with Tim Hopkins off to war, Shadoan had a big spring (.375,3,5) and appears to have claimed the everyday first base job in Brooklyn. If so, that makes Shadoan -who will turn 36 in a couple of weeks- a FABL regular for the first time in 8 years. He is a career .327 hitter in 1,081 FABL games. CHIEFS- Speaking of former Kings who looked good in spring action, how about Al Wheeler. Hit .206 with a spring high 5 homers while tying with the Gothams Red Johnson for the Cotton Circuit rbi lead with 16. Does this point to a resurgence for the 5-time Whitney Award winner after a dreadful half season in the Windy City? Another old-timer -37 year old Red Hampton- had a solid spring for the Chiefs as well and he will be heavily counted on after all of the pitching losses to the war effort over the winter. The news is not all good as Rabbit Day, who turns 40 years old on May 1, was not overly impressive the past month. However, you have to think the 303 career game winner will have a spot in the Chiefs rotation. COUGARS- After a 5-6 March, the Cougars finished the spring slate with a 9-4 mark in April. Only Dick Lyons had a spring era above 2.50 among those expected to get starts on the mound this season, but even that is deceptive as aside from one bad outing early against Brooklyn, Lyons was pretty solid. CINCINNATI- Moxie Pidgeon appears to have made the Cincinnati Cannons Opening Day roster. The Cannons elected to go with 8 pitchers to start the season meaning Pidgeon stays with the big club at least until the team needs to add a 9th hurler once the doubleheaders start to pile up in May. Pidgeon, a career .312 hitter with 290 homeruns in 2003 FABL games, has struggled mightily the past 2 seasons in Cincinnati and did very little this spring, being held homerless in 39 spring plate appearances while slashing .162/.179/.216. CLEVELAND- It looks like another long year ahead in Cleveland as the Foresters can do nothing but wait for their talented youngsters to return from military duty. The once expcetion is Jim Adams Jr., who is clearly the key piece of the Cleveland future that is on the club now. The 22 year old former St Ignatius star had a nice debut last September and the Foresters hope the shortstop continues to develop playing everyday. Adams slashed just .240/.255/.360 in spring action. DETROIT- The big news in Detroit this season will likely come from off-field news as many expect Sal Pestilli will be traded. If that happens it won't be until after the June portion of the draft as the Detroit organization will certainly want one or more first round picks in return for the 28 year old 5-time all-star who is presently in the Army Air Corps. The June draft will also be front and center for Dynamos fans as Detroit will have a pair of picks in the opening round (4th round overall) including the third selection. The other question surrounds manager Dick York. A former star player with Detroit, it is unlikely the Dynamos give the 48 year old his walking papers but a slow start might cause pressure from club owner Powell Thompson to make a change. York is just 87-107 since taking over as Detroit skipper late in the 1942 season. In other news, veteran Frank Vance will start the season on the injured list. The 41 year old suffered a muscle strain last week and it is feared he won't be available until perhaps June. MONTREAL- Saints pitching must be in pretty good shape when you consider the club is able to send Bert Cupid -the only top ten prospect not in the military- back to AAA Minneapolis. Cupid recently celebrated his 21st birtday, so he is young, but his performance at AA and AAA last year probably signals he is ready for a big league shot. Jackie James, who is 23 and ranked in the top 35 by OSA, is a rookie who appears set to make his big league debut with the Saints. James was 9-5 with a 2.69 era in Minneapolis but his ticket to Montreal may only be punched if the Saints are successful in unloading either Eddie Hite or Ed Baker, a pair of veteran lefthanders. NY STARS- An unusual situation in New York as the Stars may just have 4 side-armers in their 5 man rotation. Billy Riley, Hank Mittan, Ben Watkins and Lyman Weigel all primarily use that unconventional arm slot on the mound. Steve Summers had an impressive spring and may just claim the starting shortstop job in New York. The 31 year old, who was signed as a free agent last summer, hit .381 in Cotton League play. If he can handle shortstop full-time it will allow the Stars to let Mel Hancock Jr. stick to second base, a position he looks much comfortable at than shortstop. NY GOTHAMS- Gothams fans do have a full season of Red Johnson, but it is hard to get excited about the season given the state of the Gothams rotation and defense. Longtime New York Manager Ed Ziehl was talking the other day about how things have changed from the promise shown just a few short years ago. It's going to be shocking when the troops return and suddenly my kids aren't kids anymore. We got one championship out of them, but who knows when the rosters are full? KEYSTONES- One of the biggest questions for the Keystones this year is who will replace slugger Hank Koblenz at the hot corner? None of the potential candidates looked overly impressive in spring action but it looks like 28 year old Ron Hansen, who was the Keystones rule 5 pick from Cincinnati a year ago and hit just .174 in seeing limited action, might have the inside track. Other options seem restricted to John Busby, Clyde Duncan or Tim Humphrey -none of whom strike fear into opposing pitchers. One has to expect the Keystones will be looking hard at the waiver wire for a third sacker, or may be forced to deal for one early in the season if they have designs on a pennant. SAILORS- At 15-9 the Sailors had the best spring mark in the Continental Association. There is some optimism that after two straight fourth place finishes, the Sailors might move up a spot or two in the regular season standings but they will have their work cut out for them trying to surpass one or more of the Cougars, Cannons or Wolves. Like their cross-town rival Keystones, the Sailors have a big hole to fill thanks to the War Department. Woody Stone, a 4-time all-star and perhaps the most underrated catcher in FABL, is now a sailor of a different type having joined the Navy. And the void behind the plate has to be a major worry for Sailors skipper Steve Basile. The Sailors will enter the season with only one catcher on their 40-man roster in Bill Watson - a 27 year old with only 6 career FABL games under his belt. Watson hit just .183 playing nearly every day in the spring and his back-up was a 23 year old shortstop named Herb Dorsey, who had never caught a professional game before this spring. PITTSBURGH- Veteran slugger Mahlon Strong had a nice spring, batting .385 with a pair of homers in 15 spring games. The question is, as always, will the 35 year old stay healthy? Strong missed close to 10 weeks last season with various afflictions and was bothered by a sore hamstring earlier this month but says he is now healthy and ready to go. The Miners pitching staff worries me but there are hopes that 28 year old Don Miller, who pitched out of the pen the last two seasons, might be capable of taking up a rotation spot. If so, that gives the Miners three solid arms to front the rotation with vets Karl Johnson and George Phillips being the other two. ST LOUIS- The Pioneers took no chances with veteran arms Joe Shaffner and Sam Sheppard, giving each just one spring start, something they also did with Buddy Long. Each looked good in his spring debut and all 3 will be counted on heavily if the Pioneers are going to live up to the hype they have generated after a terrific second half last year. It looks like last year's 6th overall draft pick - Homer Mills, has done enough to earn a spot on the 24-man roster. Mills, a 22 year old out of Weston College, hit .300 in spring play after splitting last season between A and AA. There are some gaudy offensive numbers put up by veterans Tommy Wilson, Al Tucker, Gail Gifford and Hal Sharp during a spring that saw the Pioneers led FABL with a 17-7 record but those players, like the veteran arms, did not see much spring action. TORONTO-The Wolves pennant hopes likely hinge heavily on Chink Stickels regaining the form he showed from 1938-41 with the New York Stars. The 32 year old struggled in 1942 and was dealt by New York to Toronto when the Wolves were looking for outfield help last summer. Stickels improved on his New York numbers after the deal but struggled this spring, slashing .146/.280/.220. The Wolves will need a much better performance from him and fellow outfielder Juan Pomales -who also had a rough spring- if they are going to be a factor in the CA race. WASHINGTON- Eagles 80-year old owner William Stockdale says his charges have as good a chance as any of winning the first Federal Association pennant, which would be Washington's first since 1925. Conditioned as well as could be expected by a training program at Chesapeake University that was interrupted by cold, wind and rain during its month's duration, the Eagles will field a team that appears capable of providing rich entertainment in organized baseball's third wartime season, but it won't be one approaching the standard of prewar major teams -although that is something that could be said of every team in both associations. Still if the Eagles can get the pitching, their owner thinks the bats of Jesse Alvardo, Mel Carrol and Sig Stofer might just carry the club a long ways. Washington has to be thrilled with the spring showing of 37 year old Lou Ellertson. Given a chance to be a full-time starter really for the first time in over a decade, Ellertson went 12-12 for the Eagles a year ago and was a pleasant surprise to help stabilize a mound situation that always seemed to be in flux in the nation's capital. His spring was outstanding with 4 starts, during which he did not allow a single run and he will be counted on heavily again this season. Not bad for a pitcher grabbed off the waiver wire from Montreal just over two years ago. NEW DRAFT PLAN SEEN AS OVER LOOKING 4-F BALL PLAYERS Although there is nothing in the wording of the new draft ruling regarding men over 26 that even hints at the status of ball players, some baseball men who have their ears tuned to Washington wavelengths insist that it means their athletes won't be called. "The Army doesn't want'em and they won't try to force ball players into war jobs," said one. "It's like the limited servicemen. They told us down ther, 'there's only one place for those fellows and that's right on your ball clubs." The two most notable 4-F FABL stars are pitchers Ed Bowman of the New York Gothams and Cincinnati's Rufus 'Deuce' Barrell. Barrell is hurt and out for at least the year but there was worry that Bowman -despite being declared 4-F well over a year ago- could be forced into a war manufacturing job as had been proposed for all men declared 4-F by the Army that could still be capable of working in a factory. Instead, it appears that will not happen, leaving Bowman free to continue to take the mound for the Gothams and other FABL players, married and over the age of 26, may also not be called on by Selective Service. Meanwhile, service loops are heating up and becoming much more organized in some centers. Six Maryland military outfits have organized the 3rd Service Command Baseball League to operate this summer and six more around Chicago, including two teams from Great Lakes Naval Station, have banded to form the Midwest Service loop. That does lead to the question why other G.I. clubs that are going to play a lot of games against one another anyway, don't adopt the same plan? At least it would lead to fewer (and probably louder) arguments about what outfit has the best club. For instance, Virginia and the Carolinas alone probably will have two dozen strong teams, with former pros and college stars manning most of them, but so far there's no sign of plans for a flag race.  TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN 1944 WOLVES OUTLOOK --As the Toronto Wolves head back to Canada to begin the 1944 FABL season at home against the Sailors it is time to give a quick summary of what to expect from this year's team. The overall winner this season is WWII, every team at every level is feeling the affect of the global conflict. If reports of a imminent second European front are true and players do start returning to their teams this coming summer the entire league will be in a state of flux. Although the exact total is unknown at this time all major teams will be forced to make almost immediate major adjustments there protected 40-man roster. The fallout from these moves along with the trickle down affect is impossible to calculate at this time. While hope always springs eternal before the beginning of every season rookie manager Bob Call is faced with a number of uncertainties with a team coming off a second place finish in 1943: Pitching: The loss of Joe Hancock is a significant hurdle to overcome, early season scheduling should allow the team to go with a 4-man rotation but this will quickly change as double headers begin to mount up in May. Will the early season quartet of Johnson, Gibbs, rookie Laurita, Walls be able to get the Wolves out of the gate quickly in April? Or will the team be forced to call on aging Chick Wirtz, who was pressed during spring training by Tommy Anderson, after his disastrous 1943 season? The bullpen has two two-way players available if the early season becomes a hit parade by the opposition. Pomales, Zeller give Call an added degree of lineup flexibility that may be useful during the summer. Infield: Losing Rollinson to the war will hurt but Hal Woods should hopefully make the the affect minimal. Can the team can use a steady diet of Pack, Woods, Artuso, Holliday? The backups Jensen, Bell, who only made the team because management was not willing to expose him to waivers, Huddleston, who refused demotion, Call hopes will be able adequate relief for tired starting players. The surprise of the spring was Wayne Henderson, he was the final cut due to having available options, expect to see him at Dominion Field this summer covering injuries or forcing his way onto the big league roster. Outfield: Six men for 3 positions is probably at least one too many but again it came down to the fear of exposing players to the waiver wire. Pomales, Stickels, coming off a miserable spring, will be penciled in on an almost daily basis, Westfall, Hull will battle it out for RF with Call probably riding the hot hand. Vestal, Marshall are veterans that know how to stay sharp in case they are called upon at a moments notice. With all the unknowns if the Wolves win more than 80 games, are a factor in the CA, it will classified as a successful season.
 MAJESTIC SEASON FOR HARRISON Gary Harrison capped off his outstanding career with the Rainier College Majestics by being named winner of the AIAA College Basketball Player of the Year Award. The senior from Marion, Il. finished second in the nation with 16.6 points per game and played a key role on back-to-back National Championship Tournament victories for the Rainiers. Harrison scored a career high 27 points in the 67-60 title game win over Annapolis Maritime last week to cement his standing as the best college cager in the nation. He also claimed a spot on the All-American team and for the second year in a row was named the top performer in the West Coast Athletic Association. Harrison finished the season with 493 points which is the fifth highest season total ever recorded. The record is 571 set by Val Cortes of Brooklyn State in 1937-38. Harrison also graduates with the 7th most career points at 1,651. Cortes, with 2,036 is also the career leader in scoring. College almost behind him, Harrison will join the Navy next month. He becomes the first player for Rainier College to be named National Player of the Year and joins Ronald Daud (1926-27), Bump Belanger (1920-21), Jerry Buckler (1920-21) and Dick King (1919-20) as Majestics to be named First Team All-Americans.  Joining Harrison as first team All-Americans are Great Lakes Alliance guards Norman Yates of St Ignatius and two-sport star Pat Chappell of the St Magnus Vikings. Rounding out the top team are Carolina Poly forward Terry Flowers and Lambert College center Doug Davis. All but Flowers are seniors and all are first-time All-American selections. Code:
FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICANS C Doug Davis Sr Lambert College Stags F Terry Flowers Jr Carolina Poly Cardinals F Gary Harrison Sr Rainier College Majestics G Norman Yates Sr St Ignatius Lancers G Pat Chappell Sr St Magnus Vikings SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICANS C Larry Yim Jr CC Los Angeles Coyotes F Dwight Smiley Sr Sadler Bluecoats F Joe Quintana Sr CC Los Angeles Coyotes G Trenton Salters Sr Bronx Tech Flying Dutchmen G Mike German Sr Minnesota Tech Lakers FRESHMEN ALL-AMERICANS C Marlin Patterson Alabama Baptist Panthers F Major Pruitt Mississippi A&M Generals F Nes Horner St Andrews College Barons G Jason Boland Meade Terrapins G Chet Romeo Huntington State Miners CLEAVER TOP COACH ONCE AGAIN For the second year in a row Minnesota Tech's Pid Cleaver has been named the AIAA's Coach of the Year. The 58 year old is in his third season with the Lakers after previous stops as the head man at South Valley State and Henry Hudson. He ranks 29th all-time with 420 career coaching victories including a school record 25-7 mark this season. The Lakers had none been to the AIAA tournament since 1911-12 before Cleaver took over and he has led the school to three straight berths in the March event. The Lakers won their tournament opener 68-42 over Oklahoma City State last month but fell to Coastal California 63-60 in the second round. Cleaver becomes the first back-to-back winner of the coaching award since Pug Johnson won it at Annapolis Maritime in 1931 and 1932. He also becomes the first Great Lakes Alliance coach to win since Indiana A&M's Crow Carlton claimed the honour following the 1925-26 season. *** WESTGARD MOVES UP TO 6TH ON WINS LIST *** Long-time coach Sterling Westgard has moved into 6th all-time in career coaching victories after guiding Carolina Poly to a 21-10 record and a berth in the AIAA tournament. The 64 year old Westgard's coaching career traces back to the first season of the AIAA when he was the bench boss at St Martin's College for the 1909-10 season. He has also been the head man at Cesar Rodney, Annapolis Maritime and Rainier College during his 34 year career. Prior to becoming a coach, Westgard spent some time playing pro baseball including 20 games for the Brooklyn Kings in 1904 and 1905. Code:
[b] CAREER COACHING WINS
# NAME RECORD CURRENT TEAM
1. Art Barrette 789 Retired
2. Jerry Steffes 647 Retired
3. Jack Lough 607 Retired
4. Fred Flora 606 Retired
5. Lee Froehlich 591 Retired
6. Sterling *Westgard 574 Carolina Poly
7. Red Kearney 569 Retired
8. Ed Claus 568 Pittsburgh State
9. Webb Bruner 559 CC Los Angeles
10. By Almquist 553 Whitney College
11. Dick Keegan 527 Detroit City College
12. Parson McKibben 521 Retired
13. Frank Garren 511 Ohio Poly
14. Earl Boon 506 Retired
15. Bunky Mize 483 Retired
16. Pug *Johnson 481 Retired
17. Dizzy Kerley 480 Retired
18. Wimpy Chalker 480 Maryland State
19. Red Bennett 462 Rainier College
20. Vada Goldstein 462 St. Patrick's
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 4/16/1944
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Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal
The Scripture of Sports Last edited by Jiggs McGee; 10-11-2022 at 05:47 PM. |
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10-12-2022, 10:00 AM
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#539 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,805
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TWIFB note - today is an off-day in the league with the preseason predictions issue set for tomorrow and Opening Day 1944 to follow.
 Barrell is a mere shadow of what he once was as a pitcher and certainly will not replace his nephew Deuce, out for the season with elbow woes, as the ace of the Cincinnati staff. But he is a veteran pitcher (152-98 career mark) with plenty of experience and a tremendous work ethic who will act almost as a second pitching coach and hopefully give the team a few solid innings in relief and perhaps even the occasional start when the doubleheaders start to pile up. The cost was not particularly expensive with 37-year-old outfielder Moxie Pidgeon going the other way. Pidgeon was hanging on by a thread to his big league career -and surviving on name and past history alone- after two very poor seasons and a spring that was no better. The Cannons, who were considered unlikely to make a waiver wire move prior to the acquisition, now seem all but assured of not making any changes as they begin their season with 3 games in Cleveland against the lowly Foresters before returning home to Tice Memorial Stadium to face the Toronto Wolves in a weekend series that will be highlighted by Friday's ceremony to hoist the 1943 World Championship Banner. ***PITCHING STAFF SHOULD BE SOLID *** Deuce Barrell will, of course, be on hand for the flag raising but that will be the only time this year the 26 year old steps on the field. A devastating injury in the opening week of spring ended the lefthanders season before it began and put an end to any chances he might have had of duplicating his uncle's feat of three straight Allan Awards. Despite Deuce's absence the Cannons staff still projects to be very solid. 32-year-old Butch Smith (18-9, 2.69) will be counted on to be the number one starter with veteran lefthanders Chris Clarke (13-14, 2.60) and Roger Perry (11-7, 3.84) joined by 25-year-old Vic Carroll (13-7, 2.40) as returning starters. 29-year-old rookie Dan Adams, who went 10-5 in Indianapolis a year ago will battle with veteran southpaw Jake Smith (2-5, 3.00) for the fifth starter role with 35-year-old Larry Brown (8-7, 2.30) being the main option out of the bullpen. Veteran newcomers Fred Hall (5-2, 2.63), a waiver pick-up from the Philadelphia Sailors, and Tom Barrell (2-4, 3.79) will round out the mound staff. *** LINEUP LACKS PUNCH *** Losing Deuce Barrell for the season obviously hurts but where the Cannons might feel the strain more is on the offensive side of things. Adam Mullins -the 1943 Continental Association Whitney Award winner and arguably the best catcher in the game- is gone after heeding the call of the Navy. With his bat, along with that of 5-time all-star center fielder Fred Galloway -who is now a member of the Coast Guard- gone from the lineup runs may be tough to come by. The catching duties will be given to Buster Farrar (.270,6,26), a former Cannons farmhand who was lost to the New York Stars in the rule five draft a few years back but reacquired over the winter, with 28 year old rookie Tommy Morris acting as his caddy. The infield is pretty well intact with first baseman Chuck Adams (.271,16,84), shortstop Jim Hensley (.231,8,64) and third baseman Billy Dalton (.277,16,72) returning. The lone newcomer to the starting quartet will be 32 year old Tony White, who spent last season in Indianapolis but has more than 500 games of FABL experience and is considered a gloveman nearly the equal of Charlie Rivera, who held down second base a year ago but is now in the Navy. Veterans Jack Cleaves (.269,3,40), Denny Andrews (.251,4,20) and Charlie Ross (.212,0,7) will be the reserves. The loss of Galloway forces a reshuffling in the outfield as Bob Griffith (.288,2,64) will shift from left field to center. Sam Brown (.307,4,78) -who played such a key role in the title win after coming over from Washington last season- will again handle the rightfield duties. Left is going to begin as the domain of Rufus Daniels -a 30-year-old with just 18 career FABL at bats on his resume. His glovework will not come into question and Daniels can also spell Griffith in centerfield if need be but there are worries about whether or not he will hit enough to stick in the lineup. If he falters, look to veteran Alf Pestilli (.254,6,36) to get a shot at the position but if one was expecting the Cannons to make a roster upgrade or two, similar to the frenzy that went on at the deadline a year ago, a new left fielder is the most likely place to start. Rounding out the outfield crew are veterans Jim Mason (.229,1,9) and Mel Alvarez, a waiver pickup who hit .306 in AAA Toledo last season. *** A REPEAT IS LIKELY TOO MUCH TO ASK *** Most experts felt the Cannons would be competitive this season and prior to the Rufus Barrell injury some even felt that a second consecutive Continental Association crown was certainly a possibility. However, the loss of Barrell, coupled with the Chicago Cougars addition of veteran lefthander Mike Murphy from Detroit, makes the Windy City Gang a clear favorite to claim the title this time around. Toronto will also be tough so even finishing second might be too much to ask of this group. Here is how this writer sees the Continental race finishing up: 1-Chicago, 2- Toronto, 3-Cincinnati, 4-Philadelphia, 5-Montreal, 6-New York, 7-Brooklyn, 8-Cleveland. 1943 was a very special season for the Queen City. Let's celebrate the Cannons crowning achievement Friday by packing the ballpark but remember to temper your expectations for 1944. This will be a good Cincinnati ballclub, an entertaining one, but unless some drastic upgrades are made during the season or Selective Service leaves the Cannons alone but hits the Cougars and Wolves during the campaign, we will not see another flag raising on Opening Day 12 months from now.
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles Last edited by Tiger Fan; 10-12-2022 at 02:09 PM. |
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10-13-2022, 10:39 AM
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#540 |
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Tuesday April 18, 1944: Opening Day Awaits
APRIL 18, 1944 : SPECIAL OPENING DAY EDITION BASEBALL OUTLOOK COULD BE VERY BRIGHT By Jiggs McGee Big league baseball faces its greatest gamble in the 1944 opening today. The game makes its step forward, with those who are left, against many of the toughest handicaps it ever has known. And yet, if there is no drastic change in the complex and complicated draft situation, it has a chance to know the success that racing, football, boxing, basketball, hockey and other sports have known, even under the shadow of the world's most crucial and devastating war. In my opinion, after talking at close range with thousands of the wounded and the sick, plus those of fulough, baseball should be carried on to the limit, for I know it is their wish. Look back to last August and September for an example of what the sport can do for the country. FABL clubs threw open their doors to all involved in the war -soldiers, sailors and essential workers- and invited them to freely enter the big league stadiums for select games. The result was the greatest attendance the sport has ever enjoyed. Now as horse racing, football, AIAA basketball and boxing are setting new attendance records, why should baseball get the blackball and not be given the same chance to carry on over the summer? Every one knows the long list of stars who have left the diamond for Army and Navy service. But there still are a flock of good ballplayers left, eager to show their stuff. All of this uncertainty might just be good for the game, at least so far as creating excitement. Look at the Federal Association from a year ago. It was quite something to see Washington and St Louis back within shouting distance of the flag and their supporters reacted accordingly. The race in the Continental might be a little more predictable with the Cougars, Cannons and Toronto Wolves likely still the creme of the crop, but the Fed promises to be a wild race once again. Fans will have plenty to cheer about all over the league, as there still are well-known veterans to watch and hustling kids coming up and if we see two close races with some unexpected participants...well, that just might make the game even more interesting that it is in normal times, so far as pennant races are concerned. *** Cougars May Wreck Continental Race *** A few nights ago, watching members of the Washington Eagles visit with the boys at a North Carolina army base, we had the privilege of facing many wounded soldiers from Europe, Asia and Africa -sea and jungle and sky. We asked them first if they wanted baseball to keep on. The affirmative answer was overwhelming. And they wanted to know the coming pennant winners. For they were there from every section of the map and all had their own opinions, of course, but wanted to hear what we thought would happen. In the Continental Association, we explained, the Cougars have a team of prewar class. There is the chance they even may wreck the flag parade. Manager Clyde Meyer's club has a big jump on his Association in the way of nearly everyting -- catchers, infielders and in the outfield. The pitching has been hard hit through the years by the war effort, but the injury to Deuce Barrell out in Cincinnati might just make the Cougars pitching staff the class of the loop as well. Maybe Cincinnati will prosper without the talented right arm of Deuce, but their offense was not overpowering to begin with and they are now without Adam Mullins and Fred Galloway this season. Toronto has a chance, but it's tough to feel like the Wolves can win it all without Joe Hancock on the mound every fourth or fifth day. Outside of those three the Continental Association is an open scrap. But it is clear the Cougars can wreck all interest if they look as well on the ball field as they do on copy paper. I talked briefly last week with Steve Basile, 5th year manager of the Philadelphia Sailors. "We'll do all right," he said. "Hopefully even better than last year." "What about the Cougars I asked?" "A strong prewar team," he replied. "and I mean prewar." This might be too bad for league interest if the Cougars wrap up the flag by August. But it is something that cannot be helped." *** Looks To Be Between Boston and Keystones in Fed *** The Federal Association never seems to disappoint when it comes time for a tight pennant race and there is promise of a much closer, keener pennant race than perhaps the CA will provide. This, of course, is the guessing contest with a draft board control that has done more guessing than any one else. It is not expected that more stars will suddenly be plucked from contenders over the summer, but the chance is always there and that means the guessing on what will happen now must be done from day to day, or from week to week. But as the situation stands the defending champion Boston Minutemen and the Philadelphia Keystones have a slight call. You can name either team as your favourite. They might not be more than 2-3 games apart in a 154-game run. Both are good, but each suffered key losses over the winter. Can Boston replace Harry Barrell -who they added for the flag race a year ago from Brooklyn- and what of the Keystones. How much will the absence of Hank Koblenz hurt. Will missing Hard-Boiled Henry in the lineup mean Bobby Barrell sees far less pitches to hit this season? And before we go calling it a two-horse race, what of Washington and St Louis. The two surprise teams of last year also suffered some losses -but who didn't- and perhaps that little taste of success has each of them craving much more of that nectar. Yes indeed, the Federal Association has an interesting race ahead where there should be many shifts before October arrives. In short, as long as you don't squint to see the names missing from the rosters, this looks like a typical Federal Association free-for-all we have come to know and love over the past half dozen years. The Fed has no singular outstanding team like the Chicago Cougars, provided, of course, the erratic broom of the Selective Service draft doesn't scramble things again as it has done so often. There is a chance of a highly scrambled race in the Fed as things stand today. I am betting Bobby Barrell still manages to get his hits even without the same support in the batting order and the Keystones prevail in a very tight Fed fight. Chicago runs away with the Continental Association in my mind. But of course all of this may change by June or July as one or two key calls by the draft board can turn this prediction into a scrambled omelette within a month. WHAT THE MANAGERS ARE SAYING FABL managers agreed today that draft uncertainties rather than actual playing ability, will have more bearing on the pennant races opening later today. The 16 leaders of the 8 Federal Association and 8 Continental clubs, polled by BNN, also held a universal view that the season shapes up as one of the most unusual and interesting in the game's history. In the words of Joe Ward, long-time manager of the Chicago Chiefs "Why go out on the limb and try to predict anything for this season? That's an impossibility. All clubs were hit hard by Uncle Sam's call over the winter and who knows, more might be coming. The team with the most 4-Fs may be on top at the finish, but I am hearing there is talk they may even take the 4-F's now, so there you are again. *** Comments of Other Pilots *** Here are comments from other managers: CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION AD DORIA -Cincinnati Cannons, World Champions- My kids have the spirit and heart of champions and they'll start digging in Tuesday and go all the way. Losing Deuce certainly throws a monkey wrench into our plans, but I remind them we are the world champions and that makes us the team to beat." BOB CALL -Toronto Wolves, 2nd last year: I have every confidence in our pitching staff and believe our hitting will pick up enough to give the other clubs plenty of trouble. The Stars are not to be underestimated. CLYDE MEYER -Chicago Cougars, 3rd last year: Not knowing what the other clubs have, I would prefer not to make any prediction on the outcome of the race this year. I will say we are going to be a solid team. STEVE BASILE -Philadelphia Sailors, 4th last year: We are hopeful to improve upon what was a solid season last year. But things can change in a moment if a key player is taken from a team by the draft. HOMER MOORE -Montreal Saints, 5th last year: I can't tell you what the Saints will do this year. But I know darned well we won't be last. A lot depends on our pitching. POWELL SLOCUM -Brooklyn Kings, 6th last year: I think the race will be pretty close and not a runaway for the Cougars as so many believe. If the Kings get pitching we can make the first division. JERRY KANT -New York Stars, 7th last year: The Cougars still have so many of their first-line stars that you've got to rate them solid favorites. But other teams are strong too and if Chicago were to lose a key man or two, as we've done, what a scramble that would make out of the race. As for our club, I'm actually pretty happy with how our team shook out this year. All things considered, we're looking all right. DICK GALLO -Cleveland Foresters, 8th last year: Other clubs will have more talent, but I think we'll make up for that in spirit. Every player feels we have a chance to go somewhere. It hasn't been that in the past few years. FEDERAL ASSOCIATION BILL BOSHART -Boston Minutemen, pennant winners: Personnel situation makes it look like a close race all the way. Only a crazy man would pick the winner, due to what has happened over the winter and the possibility of constant manpower changes during the season. HUGH LUCKEY -St Louis Pioneers, 2nd last year: To be honest, the uncertainty of the times makes any prediction impossible. I do like our team and hopefully we can continue the success we enjoyed in the second half last year. JOHN HEYDON -Philadelphia Keystones, 3rd last year(tie): If we are able to hold our present players I think we should be okay. A lot depends on our pitchers staying healthy. JOHN LAWRENCE -Washington Eagles, 3rd last year(tie): We are in pretty good condition, including the pitchers. We are ready for the opener against Pittsburgh and we may have a few surprises for those who might think we are a second division club. JOE WARD -Chicago Chiefs, 5th last year: Even at the rate that we are losing pitchers to the armed forces, it looks to me as though we are going to have a good club. At least as good as some of the others. HANK LEITZKE -Pittsburgh Miners, 6th last year: We'll be lucky to finish in the first division. Probably entirely up to Uncle Sam. DICK YORK -Detroit Dynamos, 7th last year: There have been a lot of changes everywhere but no where has there been more than here in Detroit. I think that is good thing. We have a fresh outlook and are hopeful we can surprise a team or two. ED ZIEHL -New York Gothams, 8th last year: Three or four clubs may be a little weaker than the rest, but generally the Fed shows pretty good all-around balance. I look for a very interesting race. COUGARS ARE EASY CHOICE IN CA, BUT FED PICTURE IS MUCH MORE MURKY A Look at What Sportswriters Around the League See Happening in '43 The season-ending elbow injury suffered by two-time reigning Allen Award winner Rufus 'Deuce' Barrell has made picking a winner in the Continental Association seemingly an easy exercise this season. Nearly to man, sportswriters around the league are ready to hand the CA flag to the Chicago Cougars. Likely with good reason, as John Brinker -national baseball reporter for the New York Daily Mirror points out "the Cougars have lost a ton of talent, but that organization was so talented that they can weather the storm better than most. Cincinnati would have been the pick with a healthy Deuce Barrell, but unfortunately, he's out for the year." Johnny Bologna of the Philadelphia Inquisitor agrees wholeheartedly but notes that while "the class of the Continental is Chicago, they have an aging core with only Skipper Schneider the only projected starting fielder under 29 and a good chunk of the projected starting rotation 29 or older." It seems only Artie Mortimer, the Daily Mirror's New York Stars beat reporter, thinks the Cannons have enough talent without Barrell to hold off the mighty Cougars. Jiggs McGee of This Week in Figment Baseball makes his predictions at the start of spring training each year and rarely changes them but Barrell's battered wing caused him to rethink the TWIFB call, and he shifted from the Cannons to the Cougars. "I was worried about Cincinnati having enough offense," explained McGee, "but thought the pitching might just be strong enough for them to repeat. Take Deuce out of the equation and the Cannons fall to third in my mind." Cleveland is once again the expected basement dweller in the CA, and that would be 5 times in the past 6 years for the Foresters should it comes to pass. "Cleveland's cupboard remains bare," says Brinker, "but the youth in the system should lift them... after the war ends. As for the rest, I don't think the OSA predications (sorry Dan!) have the middle sussed out correctly, but again, this is tough to predict." "I like what they are putting together in Cleveland," noted McGee. "The team was decimated after their big run in the thirties and while they have some great young talent, the war has knocked their plans back a few years so this will be another long season on the shores of Lake Erie." *** FED IS A DIFFERENT STORY *** While the Cougars seem to be the choice of nearly everyone in the Continental Association, there are many different opinions about how the Federal Association race will shape up. Most are in agreement the Gothams and Dynamos will bring up the rear but the first division is a whole different ballgame. It is split nearly evenly between those calling on Boston to repeat and those who feel it is the Philadelphia Keystones will prevail but the order of the rest of the top sixth is the cause of plenty of debate. Brinker had this to say about the loop. "Really tough to make predictions these days. The only thing I'm reasonably confident of, is that the Fed's bottom three will be the Gothams, Chiefs & Dynamos, but the order? No idea. As for the top five - throw a dart. But since we're going on record, let's go with the Keystones at the top (I pick them a lot, so why not go one more - they do still have Bobby Barrell and the pitching is better than the hitting which is something I never expected to see from Philly). Bologna might be showing some home-town bias but the Philadelphia Inquistor scribe notes of the Keystones: "4 good pitchers in the rotation and Bobby Barrell. With the war depleting league rosters, that might be enough." McGee notes it is almost too close to call saying "Even without Hank Koblenz I think the Philadelphia offense can survive and their pitching is not bad, but I would feel more comfortable about this choice if someone can emerge as a reliable fifth starter."  OSA YEARNS FOR '41 IN PREDICTIONS Most people are dreaming of the pre-war days and hoping we could turn back the clock to simpler times. Well, Dan Barrell and his staff at the OSA are no different and they are calling for a return to 1941 -at least in terms of the pennant winners. The league scouting service has tabbed the Boston Minutemen and Chicago Cougars as the teams to beat in the two FABL Associations which, if it comes to be, would give us a rematch of that thrilling October of '41 when Boston prevailed in an exciting seven-game series between the two. In the Fed, the birddogs sees the pitching of veterans Dean Astle, Ed Wood and Walt Wells being the key to a Minutemen repeat. It calls for Boston to finish with a 5 game bulge atop the loop, and surprisingly it is the Pittsburgh Miners -who many tab as a second division ballclub- that will be the closest competition for the New Englanders. The Cougars are OSA's pick in the Continental with a big season expected from Harry Parker in his return from a serious elbow injury. The Cougars offense, led by veterans Leo Mitchell, Hank Barnett and Cliff Moss, will carry them to the top with Cincinnati, Toronto and the New York Stars rounding out the first division according to OSA. 
TODAY IN THE NEWS Current events from 4/18/1944
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Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal
The Scripture of Sports |
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