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05-14-2024, 11:19 AM
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#941 | |
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Hall Of Famer
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Location: Ontario Canada
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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05-14-2024, 11:26 AM
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#942 |
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Hall Of Famer
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December 18, 1950
 DECEMBER 18, 1950 COWBOYS CLASS OF PRO FOOTBALL Hold Off Pittsburgh in Title Tilt There is no disputing today what many have stated for years- The Kansas City Cowboys are the best team in professional football. The winners of three of the four Continental Football Conference championships added an American Football Association crown in their first year in the long established loop, building a big first half lead and then holding off the Pittsburgh Paladins 30-21 in yesterday's title game at Pittsburgh's Fitzpatrick Park. Bill Tammaro, the Cowboys talented end, caught a pair of touchdown passes from Pat Chappell and the Cowboys defense did the rest by forcing turnovers that to three Kansas City touchdowns and a blocked punt returned for a score added a fourth in a dominating display by an often underrated group. The Cowboys defense was so dominant that it prompted the Paladins to bench Dusty Sinclair, the favouite for regular season Most Valuable Player honours after a mistake filled opening half. The tone was set early on what would be a long day for the Pittsburgh offense when Sinclair's second pass attempt of the game was intercepted by Rod McCauley giving the Cowboys the ball at the Paladins 30 yard line. Chappell and Tammaro immediately took advantage, combining on a 30-yard pass play putting Kansas City ahead 7-0 before the game was 5 minutes old. Late in the first period Sinclair was tackled for a loss by Jack Shroades, coughing up the ball that was alertly jumped on by Cowboys lineman Leon Anderson near midfield. That set up a Reuben Walston 31-yard field goal early in the second quarter to make the score 10-0. If you were to pick one moment to say that is when the game was lost for Pittsburgh it came four plays later. After Dusty Sinclair threw three consecutive incomplete passes, Wally Dotson stood deep in his own territory preparing to punt. It was blocked and Jim Mackey scooped it up and had a clear path to the endzone making the score 17-0 for Kansas City. Walston's second field goal of the game would extend the lead to 20-0 at the break leaving a stunned Fitzpatrick Park crowd of more 42,000 wondering just what was happening. *** Paladins Come Up Short in Comeback Bid *** The Pittsburgh Paladins deserve credit for a valiant effort in the second half, although it fell short. They made a surprise change to remove Dusty Sinclair as quarterback after the young star completed just 4 of 19 first half pass attempts. Veteran Albie Stallworth took over after completing all three of his throws late in the opening half. Stallworth immediately lit a fire under the Paladins, marching his team 57 yards for a scoring drive that culminated in Stallworth's 6 yard toss to Wally Dotson and the Paladins were on the board, but trailing 20-7. The two clubs exhibited some sloppy play and traded multiple turnovers ending with a Chappell pass intended for Ernie Orr being picked off by Tony Keating setting the Pittsburgh eleven up with exceptional field position at the Cowboys 20-yard line. The crowd was buzzing just moments later when Stallworth and Dotson combined on a second scoring pass -this one from 5 yards out- cutting the Cowboys lead to just 6 points. A third Reuben Walston field goal, this one from 41 yards, slowed the Pittsburgh faithful's frenzy somewhat and extended the Cowboys lead to 23-14 early in the final period. Ten minutes later all the air came out of the Pittsburgh sails when Denny McDunn fumbled away the ball on his own 31 yard line setting up the Cowboys final score, a 24-yard strike from Chappell to Tammaro and the lead was suddenly 30-14. Albie Stallworth would throw a third touchdown pass of the half, connecting with Tom Tisdale for 11 yards with less than 2 minutes remaining but that would be as close as the Paladins would get in absorbing a 30-21 loss. Mason Matthews, who led the AFA in rushing this season with over 1,000 yards, was held to just 36 on the day although he was shaken up early and only made 9 rushing attempts. Pat Chappell, the dominant force of the CFC the past four years, had what can only be classified as a decent day in completing 12 of 26 throws for 179 yards and 2 scores while being intercepted 3 times. The MVP would be end Bill Tammaro, who was on the receiving end of six Chappell passes including the two touchdown scores. Pittsburgh had the edge in time of possession, first downs and total yardage and their 6 turnovers were actually two less than Kansas City committed but the difference was the Cowboys capitalized on their turnovers, usually resulting in great field position and led to all but 3 of their 30 points on the afternoon. It may not have been pretty, but the Kansas City Cowboys are now the best in all of football, and not just the Continental Football Conference.   KRESS NAMED WINNER OF GRID CHRISTIAN TROPHY Jack Kress, Central Ohio's stellar all-around back, was officially installed as the 11th winner of the Christian Trophy. The award, named after legendary football coach John Christian, is bestowed annually on the college football player voted the outstanding performer of the year by a nation-wide panel of sports writers and broadcasters. A two-way performer who divided his time between quarterback and left halfback on offense and played safety on defense, Kress was an overwhelming choice for the 1950 Christian Trophy. Besides being a strong runner, an accurate passer, a deadly tackler and a canny signal caller, he did all of his team's punting and place-kicking. As if that is not enough, Kress doubles as a catcher on the Aviators baseball team and is considered a FABL draft candidate for 1952. Kress becomes the second Central Ohio player to win the award, following in the footsteps of 1944 winner Jimmy Rhodes. Collegiate baseball also has a Christian Award presented to its top player but it is named after John's brother Frank, who was a longtime coach in both football and baseball. Two other awards were also presented last week with the Bryan Award, for the Best All-Around Player, going to Pierpont senior Herb Fahnestock and the Ipswich Trophy, for the top lineman, being given to Central Kentucky Tigers senior tackle Gene Trickle. The Bryan Award is named in honour of former Whitney College and Detroit City College coach Buster Bryan while the Ipswich Trophy, first presented in 1941, is in memory of two-time All-American lineman Ed Ipswich, who was killed in action during the first World War.  WEEKEND COLLEGE GRID RESULTS On the field there was one game last week as the first of three games, dubbed the Hawaii Challenge 1, 2 and 3, were contested in Honolulu. The Provo Tech Lions had little trouble with local outfit Kamehameha College, posting a 31-13 victory. The Lions, who finished third behind Wyoming A&I and Colorado Poly in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Alliance, conclude their season with a 5-5 record. Mile High State, which was fourth the RMAA and 2-8 overall, will play in the other two Hawaii Challenges. The Denver, CO. school will square off with a team of Island All-Stars on Christmas Day and then on January 1 the Falcons will play the same Kamehameha College team that Provo Tech defeated. Here are the rest of the New Years Day games.  PITCHING FRENZY IN RULE FIVE DRAFT FABL General Manager's have long been known to place pitchers in very high esteem in the amateur draft - too high in the eyes of some observers- and that same sentiment seemed to be on display during the recent rule five in draft in which eleven of the thirteen players selected were hurlers. Toronto started things off as the Wolves, who limped home with the worst record in FABL a year ago, looked for some immediate help to their shaky pitching depth with the selection of 28-year-old lefthander Frank Sartori from the Chicago Cougars. The Houston native was an 11th round draft pick in 1940 and won 9 games for the Philadelphia Sailors in 1946 but has not seen a major league mound since 1947. St Louis passed with the number two selection before the Pittsburgh Miners followed by nabbing Al East from the Cincinnati Cannons organization. East, 25, is currently pitching in the Cuban Winter League after going 12-9 at AAA last season. The Philadelphia Sailors kept the pitching trend going with the selection of 30-year-old Jackie James from the Brooklyn Kings. Originally a 1939 second round pick of the old Baltimore Cannons, James has plenty of big league experience, posting a 22-32 record over parts of six seasons with Montreal and Brooklyn. It was a mild surprise the Kings left James exposed considering he performed very well out of the bullpen in AAA Jersey City last year and that Brooklyn drafted two veteran pitchers themselves in the rule five. Rounding out the top five was the first of just two non-pitchers selected. The Chicago Chiefs, who had decent success in selecting catcher Bill Martin in the rule five draft two years ago, once more nabbed a young catcher in calling the name of Bobby Crow. The 23-year-old was a 1945 4th round selection of the New York Stars who split last season between AA and AAA and has certainly enhanced his stock with a fine start for Manzanillo of the Cuban Winter League recently. Here are the complete results of the Rule Five Draft.     BEES MAKING A RUN AT FOURTH PLACE The Boston Bees closed to within a point of the Toronto Dukes for fourth place in the North American Hockey Confederation standings. The Bees fell in Montreal last night to snap a 4-game unbeaten streak but some fine play from Boston coupled with a terrible run for Toronto has tightened things considerably in the battle for the final playoff spot in the NAHC. The Dukes had a strong run through November and into early December going 7-2-6 over that stretch until the wheels fell off. Starting with a December 6 loss at home to New York, Toronto has lost six straight games and is now eleven points back of the first place Shamrocks and five in arrears of third place Montreal.  NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK Boston 6 at 1 Toronto: Boston lays a beating on slumping Toronto as former Shamrock Trevor Hooton scores his first two goals in a Bees uniform while Garrett Kauffeldt enjoys a 3-point evening. The Dukes have lost four straight while the Bees are unbeaten in their last 3 outings.WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 13 New York 5 at 1 Chicago : Geoff Hartnell, Samuel Coates and Jocko Gregg each had a goal and an assist to help the Shamrocks down Chicago 5-1. Two clubs heading in opposite directions with New York having gone 8 games without a loss while the Packers latest slide has them winless in five. THURSDAY DECEMBER 14 Chicago 1 at 3 Montreal : Another day another loss for the Packers as Tom Brockers stops 36 of 37 Chicago shots and Clarence Skinner sets up two of the three Montreal goals.Detroit 1 at 7 New York : The first place Shamrocks continue their mastery of the Detroit Motors as Geoff Hartnell and Alfie Dennis each enjoy 3 point nights while Jocko Gregg scores twice. New York has won 5 in a row overall and on the season the Shamrocks are 5-1 against Detroit and have outscored the Motors 26-9 in those meetings. SATURDAY DECEMBER 16 New York 0 at 2 Detroit : The Motors get a measure of revenge, snapping the Shamrocks 9 game unbeaten streak with a 2-0 shutout victory. Millard Touhey made 21 saves while Moe Treadwell and Graham Comeau were the Detroit marksmen.Toronto 2 at 6 Boston : Boston scores six on Toronto for the second time this week with Robert Walker's hat trick, along with 1 assist, leading the way. The Bees are now just a point back of the Dukes for the fourth and final playoff berth. Montreal 5 at 1 Chicago : The Packers have just one point to show for their last eight games after falling to Montreal for the second time in three nights. Ray Sclisizzi had 3 assists and Tom Brockers made 29 saves to pace the Valiants. Chicago star Tommy Burns has not scored in the last 8 games and has just two goals since November 2. SUNDAY DECEMBER 17 Chicago 0 at 5 Detroit:It goes from bad to worse for the Packers as Millard Touhey makes 28 saves for his second shutout of the weekend while Moe Treadwell scores twice and Tyson Beddoes has 3 helpers for Detroit.Boston 5 at 6 Montreal: A furious comeback bid for the Bees falls just short as Boston, despite scoring three goals in third period comes up short in a 6-5 loss in Montreal. Paulie Mosca led the winners with 2 goals and 2 assists while Shel Herron had 3 points in a game that saw former teammates Oscar James and Tom Brockers each struggle between the pipes. New York 2 at 1 Toronto: Orval Cabbell, with his 14th goal of the season and Simon Savard scored to lift New York past Toronto 2-1, handing the Dukes their sixth straight defeat. Tim Brooks was the lone goalscorer for Toronto. UPCOMING GAMES TUESDAY DECEMBER 19 Montreal at New York WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 20 Detroit at Toronto Boston at Chicago THURSDAY DECEMBER 21 Detroit at Montreal SATURDAY DECEMBER 23 New York at Boston Detroit at Chicago Montreal at Toronto SUNDAY DECEMBER 24 NAHC All-Star Team at Montreal  DUKES WOES CONTINUE, LOSING STREAK STANDS AT SIX GAMES It is turning into a December to remember on the Toronto hockey scene. Unfortunately not one to remember in a positive way. Toronto earned a win and a tie in their first two games against Detroit Motors during the first weekend of the month but those remain the only 3 points the team has collected in December. This week featured two losses to Boston, both of which saw the team give up 6 goals then closer game 2-1 but still a loss to the first place New York Shamrocks. The week started with a home date with the Bees. This game was probably the worst defensive effort of the 1950-51 campaign. Contrary to a normal Toronto, Boston game this game started as a wide open affair and not the hard hitting, close check game these two teams normally play. Boston left the ice at intermission leading 3-0 on two goals by Trevor Hooton, his first two of the year, along with a power play marker by Garrett Kauffeldt. Before the 5 minute mark of the second Craig Simpson extended the lead to 4 before Les Carlson narrowed the score to 4-1 at 13:35. This was as close as the home team would get in this game. Boston added two in the final 20 as an uninspired Dukes team hung their heads leaving the ice after a 6-1 pasting by Boston. Boston outshot Toronto 52-27 for the game. Into Denny Arena Saturday night in a game radio listening fans of the Dukes had expected there would be a better performance by the team. They were to be disappointed with another lobsided the loss the result. Boston scored the only 2 in the first with markers off the sticks of Mark Dyck and Robert Walker less than two minutes apart. Toronto showed some signs of punching back when Alex Lavalliere and Mickey Bedard squared off in spirited fight just before the end of the period. It did inspire a Toronto goal as Lou Galbraith narrowed the gap with his 11th of the season from Clyde Lumsen less than 3 minutes into the second. As in the first two goals by Broadway in less than two minute quick tallies from Alex Gagnon and Walker, with his second of the night, around the midway mark of the period seemed to put the game out of reach for the Dukes. Galbraith's second of the period 27 seconds after Walker's seemed to give the Dukes a chance until markers in the third by Craig Simpson and Walker -with the hat trick- salted away a relative easy 6-2 Boston victory, Long time fans are trying remember the last time Broadway was beaten 6 times in back to back games. Reporters were not allowed into the dressing room post game. The volume of Barrell's castigation of the team along with the somber mode on the train trip home spoke volumes about the team. A quick train ride home to face the Shamrocks last night: a team that beaten them twice last week allowing only one goal in two games. The low scoring tendency between these two teams continued in a scoreless first with New York netminder Alex Sorrell continuing to frustrate. After a pair of off nights Gordie Broadway seemed to find his game stopping 16 in the period for the Dukes. Alex Cameron's interference penalty early in the second proved costly as Orval Cabbell scored on the resulting power play knocking home a rebound off a Jerry Finch point shot. Teams left the ice after 40 with New York ahead 1-0. The Dukes finally gave the 14,550 on hand a reason to cheer when Ken Jamieson won a draw cleanly back to Lumsen who went cross ice to Tim Brooks who rushed in to beat Oscar James high stick side making it 1-1. That was Jamieson's first NAHC point. The joy was short lived as just over two minutes Simon Savard scored the eventual game winner from a sharp angle as the Shamrocks skated off with a 2-1 win. Coach Barrell- "This not just a bump in the road anymore, it is a full blown slump. We have to snap out it before Detroit come to town Wednesday. We have to tighten up defensively allowing 6 goals in two straight is not only unacceptable but embarrassing. I have told the troops to be prepared for two long practices. A close look at our stats shows only 2 guys have been on the ice more goals we have scored than the opposition, Carlson and Pollack. Trevor Parker is -17, Navarro -13, Charette -10. If they don't start doing their job defensively they will join the pinewood gang. Expect to see some different line combinations going forward, what we are doing is not working." When Brett ask about the goaltending situation, many thought Dell should have been in goal Sunday, Barrell ignored the question.  
   WEEKLY RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY DECEMBER 11 at #6 Noble Jones College 58, Michigan Lutheran 40 at #9 North Carolina Tech 49, Grant (IN) 38 #13 Chesapeake State 63, at Berwick 37 at #20 Northern California 63, Sunnyvale 52 TUESDAY DECEMBER 12 at #10 St. Blane 57, Central Ohio 49 #18 Miami State 52, at Western Montana 48 at #23 Central Kentucky 43, West Corners (NY) 35 WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 13 at #2 Coastal California 54, Eastern State 42 #7 CC Los Angeles 53, at Quaker College (CA) 22 at #11 Brunswick 70, Chicago Poly 51 at #15 Annapolis Maritime 51, Brooklyn Catholic 38 #16 Maryland State 67, at St. Gordius 47 at #22 Lambert College 92, Fond du Lac 51 THURSDAY DECEMBER 14 at #17 Valley State 65, American Atlantic 59 at Berwick 52, #24 Frankford State 51 #25 Idaho A&M 63, at Harper College 50 FRIDAY DECEMBER 15 at #7 CC Los Angeles 66, Wisconsin State 53 at #8 Coastal State 50, Narragansett 40 at #15 Annapolis Maritime 56, Richmond State 44 #19 Alexandria 59, at St. Matthew's College 54 at #22 Lambert College 67, Poweshiek 63 SATURDAY DECEMBER 16 #18 Miami State 56, at Kit Carson University 47 SUNDAY DECEMER 17 at #2 Coastal California 61, Michigan Lutheran 52 at #3 Whitney College 60, St. Patrick's 37 at #5 Western Iowa 61, Colorado Poly 34 at #7 CC Los Angeles 60, Topeka State 40 at #10 St. Blane 63, Indiana A&M 52 at #12 St. Ignatius 69, Cleveland 47 #19 Alexandria 61, at Harrisburg State 43 at #21 Ellery 64, Commonwealth Catholic 52 #22 Lambert College 59, at Chicago Poly 31 at #24 Frankford State 62, Canton State 52 at #25 Idaho A&M 79, Western Montana 57 
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 12/17/1950
__________________
Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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05-15-2024, 11:29 AM
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#943 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,735
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December 25, 1950 Merry Christmas
DECEMBER 25, 1950 PALADINS QB SINCLAIR NAMED TOP GRID PERFORMER It will not ease the hurt of being benched midway through the American Football Association title game like Dusty Sinclair was by the Pittsburgh Paladins in their loss to Kansas City last week, but Sinclair can take some comfort in the fact that his stellar regular season campaign earned him the AFA's Most Valuable Player award. Sinclair led the AFA in passing yardage, with 2,172, and in touchdown throws with 22 while only being intercepted 9 times during the regular season. His arrival at the start of the season helped turn around a Pittsburgh franchise that went just 5-7 a year ago and led them to first place in the Continental Division and their first winning season since 1944. Prior to joining Pittsburgh, Sinclair spent the 1949 season with the Los Angeles Tigers. It was his only year in Los Angeles as he was forced out with the arrival of Mark Monday from the Buffalo Bulls of the Continental Football Conference. A star at Travis College where as a senior he led the Bucks to a Southwest Alliance section championship and a perfect 10-0 season, Sinclair was drafted in the first round of the 1948 AFA draft by the Chicago Wildcats but lasted just one year in the Windy City, playing sparingly behind Gus Brown and fellow rookie Ricky McCallister on Coach Cal Boon's depth chart. Despite his struggles in the title game against Kansas City, the Paladins look to be set at the quarterback position for a long time with the 24-year-old Sinclair running the show. The Paladins placed six players on the All-Star team with halfback Wally Dotson, defensive back Tony Keating and a trio of linebackers in Bob Williams, Glen Stewart and Jerry Loewen joining Sinclair.  ALL-STAR GAME ENDS IN TIE The second annual North American Hockey Confederation all-star game ended in a 2-2 tie between the defending Challenge Cup Champion Montreal Valiants and a collection of top players from the other five clubs. It was a wide open affair with Tom Brockers, the veteran Montreal netminder stealing the show. Brockers made 44 saves to keep his club in the game. The NAHC stars got on the board first when Boston's Mickey Bedard scored less than 4 minutes into the contest with Quinton Pollack of the Toronto Dukes and Bedard's Boston teammate Tommy Hart drawing the assists. Montreal tied the game early in the second period when Rey Sclisizzi banged home a rebound of an Ian Doyle shot past New York's Alex Sorrell, who played the first half of the game for the All-Stars. Touhey would be replaced at the midway point by Detroit's Millard Touhey and the Motors netminder would be beaten quickly when Clarence Skinner put Montreal ahead at the 11:24 mark of the second period. The score would remain 2-1 until with less than 5 minutes remaining in the game the NAHC stars pulled even when Tyson Beddoes of the Detroit Motors made a nifty cross ice pass to Simon Savard who beat Montreal's second goaltender Brad Carter on the shortside. Skinner was named the first star, Tommy Hart of Boston the second and Montreal's Sclisizzi captured third star honours. HERE ARE THE PLAYERS NAMED TO THE NAHC ALLSTAR TEAM   NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK TUESDAY DECEMBER 19 WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 20[/center] Detroit 1 at 1 Toronto : The Dukes snapped their six game losing streak but are still winless in eight after skating to a 1-1 tie with the second place Motors. Doug Zimmerman staked Toronto to a first period lead but it was the only one of 38 Dukes shots to elude Detroit netminder Millard Touhey. Adam Vanderbilt finally solved Toronto's Gordie Broadway midway through the third period for the Detroit tally. Boston 4 at 3 Chicago : Nothing is going right for the Packers this season who just seem to keep finding ways to lose. On this night Boston scored all four of its goals in the third period and pulled out a victory. Tommy Hart got the game winner with 2:30 remaining in the contest. Boston outshot Chicago 25-6 in the third period. THURSDAY DECEMBER 21 Detroit 4 at 1 Montreal : Gil Corbeil scored twice in the first period to lift Detroit to a 4-1 road win in Montreal. Graham Comeau continues his strong season for the Motors, scoring his 12th goal of the campaign in the win after notching just 10 goals all of last season. It was a battle of the backup goaltenders with Henri Chasse make 27 saves in the Detroit net while former Motors backup Brad Carter stopped 39 of the 43 Detroit shots he faced.SATURDAY DECEMBER 23 New York 4 at 1 Boston : Jerry Finch and Samuel Coates each had 3 assists as first place New York outshot Boston 44-20 and beat the Bees 4-1.Detroit 1 at 1 Chicago : A rare point for the Packers who have just two ties to show from their last ten games. Joe Todd gave Detroit a quick lead just over two minutes into the game but Michael Cleghorn stood tall the rest of the way, making 27 saves in the Chicago net. Tommy Burns broke out of a slump with his 10th goal of the season coming in the third period to earn the draw. It was just Burns third goal since November 3 and his first in 10 games. Montreal 3 at 6 Toronto : A much needed win for the Dukes, who snap an 8-game winless drought by doubling Montreal 6-3. The big story was Quinton Pollack, who broke out with 4 goals after scoring just once in his previous seven games. That gives Pollack 16 on the season, tying him with New York's Jocko Gregg for the NAHC goal scoring lead. Lou Carlson had a goal and two assists with Luke Brisebois notching the other Toronto tally. It was a long night for Montreal netminder Tom Brockers, who faced 38 shots but had his struggles. SUNDAY DECEMBER 24 NAHC All-Stars 2 at 2 Montreal : A capacity crowd of 15,635 jammed the Montreal Arena to see the best in the game square off with the Valiants. Rey Sclizizzi and Clarence Skinner scored for the hosts, sandwiched between goals from Mickey Bedard and Simon Savard for the NAHC stars.UPCOMING GAMES MONDAY DECEMBER 25 Toronto at New York Montreal at Detroit WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 27 Montreal at Detroit Chicago at Toronto THURSDAY DECEMBER 28 Boston at New York SATURDAY DECEMBER 30 Montreal at Boston New York at Chicago SUNDAY DECEMBER 31 Chicago at New York Detroit at Toronto DUKES SNAP LOSING STREAK After a couple of days of hard practice as promised by Jack Barrell the squad put a stop to their losing ways with a 1-1 draw hosting the Motors at Dominion Gardens on Wednesday night. Although the score might indicate a tight checking affair with very few high quality scoring chances the game was full of offensive opportunities for both teams. As has been the habit of the 1950-51 season goaltending dominated the game. For the match Millard Touhey stopped 37 of 38 shots between the pipes the only blemish being a first period lamp lighter by Doug Zimmerman at 10:59. Broadway was his equal in the Toronto cage with 32 saves, only Adam Vanderbilt found a way through his armour in the third spoiling his shutout bid with 7 and a half minutes remaining in the game. Both goaltenders flashed the leather often taking away seemingly sure goals. In a short week due the Allstar Game Sunday in Montreal, Toronto got their first victory since December 2nd led by Quinton Pollack's 4 goal game taking down the visiting Vals 6-3. Clarence Skinner spotted the visitors a 1-0 lead at 7:35 of the first. Pollack scored his 13th then 14th a successive shift giving the Dukes a lead after 20 minutes. After Paulie Mosca tied the game in the first minute of the middle frame shots by Luke Brisebois, Les Carlson and then Pollack to complete his hattrick found their way past Tom Brockers in the Montreal goal. The Dukes put their newly installed defensive system to good use in the third allowing the Vals only 8 shots in the frame. Pollack's 4th of the game made it 6-2 before Wayne Augustin complete the scoring for the night on a shot that Broadway seemed to never see until he was sweeping the puck out of the net. Coach Barrell- "Better. Hopefully we have turned the corner. The team was much sounder without the puck, and Gordie stepped up when required after any lapses in coverage. We have to keep this going into the New Year, we are currently 3 points behind Montreal for third with Boston right on our heels for the final playoff spot. We have given up seven more than we have scored on the year. Things will change when we take care of that deficit. The owners did a very nice thing for the team by renting an extra Pullman coach for the team so the players along with their families can celebrate Christmas together with the exception of the guys who went up to Montreal for the Allstar game. Other arrangements have been made for them and their families including a flight from the game to New York where we play the Shamrocks Christmas Day. It may be a little chaotic will young kids travelling with the team but I am sure the wives have everything under control it will be a good trip capped off with a win before travelling back home Christmas night. I question the need to play the Allstar game Christmas Eve. Sure it is a benefit game but on December 24th?"
 CARDINALS CONTINUE TO LEAD COLLEGE CAGE PARADE The Carolina Poly Cardinals enter the final week of 1950 with a perfect 9-0 record and the number one ranking in collegiate basketball after adding two more victories to their total last week. The Cardinals, one of only three unbeaten teams left at this stage of the season, have their eyes focused firmly on a National Title. If successful it would be the fourth in school history (1921, 1930, 1945). Only CC Los Angeles and North Carolina Tech, with four each, have won more. Speaking of Carolina Poly's South Atlantic Conference rivals from North Carolina Tech (8-0), they are one of the other schools that have yet to lose this season, as are Great Lakes Alliance members St. Ignatius (9-0). The Techsters own 10 South Atlantic Conference titles, one behind the Cardinals record 11 SAC crowns. They will meet February 17 at Techs campus in Raleigh in a game that might just decide the conference title. Last week, the Cardinals blasted Colorado Poly 72-32 with five Carolina Poly players scoring in double-figures, led by Mel Turcotte's 14. Next up was a 52-46 victory over St. Matthew's College with Turcotte, a likely high draft pick by a Federal League club in June, again leading the way with 12 points. North Carolina Tech kept its record clean but just barely as the Techsters had their hands full in the final week before Christmas. On Tuesday, despite 20 points from senior guard Lane Armentrout, the Techsters barely held off College of Cairo 50-49 and it did not get much easier three nights later when Kansas Agricultural visited. The Techsters, with Armentrout again leading the way with 19 points, clipped the Hawks 50-47. North Carolina Tech, which sits 5th in the latest rankings will see its unbeaten record face a stiff test on Thursday evening when the Techsters entertain 8th ranked St. Blane in the marquee game of the coming week.  WEEKLY RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY DECEMBER 18 at #7 Brunswick 65, University of New Jersey 54 at #11 Annapolis Maritime 50, Chesapeake State 41 at #18 Central Kentucky 52, Granville 44 #22 Opelika State 51, at #14 Coastal State 42 #23 Pittsburgh State 52, at Poweshiek 45 at #24 Central Ohio 58, St. Matthew's College 57 TUESDAY DECEMBER 19 at #2 Western Iowa 69, Iowa A&M 52 at #3 Rainier College 70, Kansas Agricultural 45 at #5 North Carolina Tech 50, College of Cairo 49 at #10 Coastal California 59, Topeka State 38 at Miami State 65, #25 Valley State 39 WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 20 at #6 CC Los Angeles 55, College of Omaha 34 at #11 Annapolis Maritime 53, Ferguson 38 at #14 Coastal State 61, Eastern State 53 at #17 Alexandria 53, Penn Catholic 48 at #20 Redwood 61, Springfield State 34 THURSDAY DECEMBER 21 at #2 Western Iowa 66, Eastern Kansas 28 at #3 Rainier College 57, Michigan Lutheran 48 at #9 St. Ignatius 64, Flint 53 FRIDAY DECEMBER 22 at #5 North Carolina Tech 50, Kansas Agricultural 47 at #8 St. Blane 61, Lexington State 51 at #12 Noble Jones College 64, Chicago Poly 31 at #13 Maryland State 80, Freemont State 45 at #15 Ellery 63, Lincoln 54 at #16 Northern California 65, Bethlehem College 51 at #20 Redwood 71, Manhattan Tech 62 at #21 Idaho A&M 57, Cache Valley 48 #23 Pittsburgh State 49, at Smithfield College 31 at #24 Central Ohio 58, St. Martin's College 49 SATURDAY DECEMBER 23 at #1 Carolina Poly 52, St. Matthew's College 46 at #7 Brunswick 69, Grant (IN) 56 #9 St. Ignatius 37, at Granville 35 SUNDAY DECEMBER 24 #11 Annapolis Maritime 58, at Central Carolina 42 at #13 Maryland State 60, Eastern Virginia 45 #15 Ellery 56, at St. Patrick's 47 at #19 Frankford State 58, Bethlehem College 40 at #22 Opelika State 58, Travis College 49 at #23 Pittsburgh State 47, Three Rivers State 39 at #25 Valley State 45, Alabama Baptist 40 FABL SETS FOR DRAFT LOTTERY AND NEWS ON BARRELL One big league baseball club will get a late Christmas gift this week when FABL President Dan Barrell announces the results of the league's annual draft lottery. At stake is the number one selection in next months amateur player draft. We know the Cleveland Foresters and New York Gothams will pick 15th and 16th by virtue of their pennant winning seasons and that the first overall selection will go to a Continental Association side, but everything else regarding the draft order will not be revealed until Barrell makes his announcement. Interestingly the elder Barrell, who assumed the FABL leadership role a year ago with the retirement of long-time President Samuel Benton, may also hold the fate of his nephews future in the decision. Charlie Barrell, son of former football star and movie Tarzan the late Joe Barrell, spent much of his youth living with his Uncle in Washington DC before enrolling at Noble Jones College where he stars not only on the diamond but also the hardwood and the gridiron. Charlie, who many suspect would be the first overall selection but may elect to remain in college one more year, is expected to reveal his plans before the draft. Two years ago Barrell surprised the baseball hierarchy when he opted out of the draft despite being the consensus number one selection. The younger Barrell turned his attention to Noble Jones College primarily because it afforded him the opportunity to play all three of the sports he loved. Now, with FABL -unlike professional football and basketball- drafting college players as juniors Barrell has another decision to make. Turn pro in baseball and forfeit his senior season or remain in school and look to lead the Colonels to another national basketball title such as the one he won last year as a sophomore and try and help their grid squad improve upon a struggling campaign this season. As talented a baseball prospect as Charlie is, he may be an even better basketball player. He had a breakout season as a sophomore a year ago in helping Noble Jones College to the first undefeated season in AIAA cage history and is leading the Colonels basketball team, which owns an 8-2 record and is ranked 12th in the latest college poll, in scoring averaging nearly 13 points per game. Regardless of Charlie's decision there will be at least one Barrell in the draft as Freddy Barrell, a high school catcher out of Detroit and the son of former big league catcher and current Toronto Wolves manager Fred Barrell, is eligible and most certainly will be selected at some point in the proceedings. Unlike his cousin, Freddy is considered a marginal pro prospect and unlikely to be a first round selection. 
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 12/24/1950
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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05-17-2024, 10:26 AM
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#944 |
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Hall Of Famer
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January 1, 1951 A Happy New Year for the Cincinnati Cannons
JANUARY 1, 1951  CENTRAL OHIO, CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND CUMBERLAND ELEVENS FAVOURITES IN CLASSIC ACTION 100,000 To Watch Santa Ana Classic Santa Ana-- East-West Classic excitement clamped its annual hold on this overcrowded city as 100,000 persons will swarm into Santa Ana's old football dueling pit to watch the struggle between Central Ohio and Rainier College. This is the 35th game in the history of East-West Classic post-season contests and the fifth in the five year pact between the Great Lakes Alliance and the West Coast Athletic Association. Central Ohio's Aviators, a gritty outfit led by All-American halfback Jack Kress and boasting the usual stout defense of GLA teams, will be seeking to snap a 2-year losing streak for its conference as Northern California prevailed in each of the last two contests after Detroit City College had a similar streak for the Midwest section. The game is considered a near toss-up, and Rainier College, making its first appearance in Santa Ana on New Year's Day in a decade, will certainly have plenty of supporters travelling down from Washington State. However, Kress as the backbone of a tremendous ground attack makes the Aviators a slight favourite. Central Ohio's last trip to Santa Ana was in 1944 when the Aviators completed a perfect season that year with a 24-17 victory over Coastal California. This will be their third appearance as Central Ohio's first trip was in 1921 when they were thumped 61-7 by Northern California. Rainier College is 2-2 in East-West Classics. *** All Eyes on the Bayou *** While nothing matches the East-West Classic for tradition, the major focus today will be centered on New Orleans as this year's national champion Central Kentucky (10-0-1), whose only blemish was a tie with second ranked Cumberland, squares off against last year's number Oklahoma City State. The Wranglers were 9-1 this season and finished 5th in the polls. The game will feature four All-Americans with Ipswich Trophy winning lineman Gene Trickle and touchdown passing king Pete Capizzi representing the unbeaten Tigers and they will face a Wranglers team led by fullback Ned Hanshaw and tackle Preston Rich. It promises to be battle of contrasting styles with the Wranglers superb running attack hoping it can be enough to offset Capizzi's aerial tactics. Cumberland, which feels they and not Deep South Conference rival Central Kentucky, should have been the number one team in the nation, will carry a chip on their shoulder as they head to Austin to tussle with a 7-3 Darnell State Legislators team that many question why they are in the game. The Legislators finished third in the Southwestern Alliance this season but were invited over section winner Lubbock State to play in the game against the Explorers. Defensively, Cumberland was a shining light - most pass interceptions in the nation with 22, best pass defense (59.2 yards allowed per game) and most recovered fumbles with 28. The knock on the Explorers was they had a lot of soft opponents on their schedule and while they showed very well against Central Kentucky in their late November 21-21 tie, some feel this game could provide an upset despite the Explorers being three and a half point favourites. HAPPY NEW YEAR IN CINCINNATI AS CANNONS LAND TOP FABL DRAFT PICK Charlie Barrell Expected to Join His Brother in Cincinnati The draft lottery gods were smiling on Cincinnati today as the Cannons landed the first overall pick in the upcoming FABL draft. That ensures the Cannons will have the right to select Charlie Barrell, the three sport star from Noble Jones College who is reported to have decided to enter the FABL draft. Barrell, is a two-time All-American second baseman as well as a preseason All-American selection at guard for the Colonels basketball club that won the National cage crown a year ago and, in case that wasn't enough, he is also the quarterback of the Noble Jones College football team. In addition, Charlie Barrell is the half-brother of Cannons ace pitcher Rufus "Deuce" Barrell and it is quite likely the fact that Deuce's team landed the top pick factored heavily in Charlie's decision to enter the draft. ***Barrell Turned Down FABL Before *** Only once before has a player projected to be a high first round pick in the annual FABL draft opted out of the draft entirely by announcing his school commitment would be honoured. That would have been Charlie Barrell, after the high school All-American completed his senior season at a Washington DC high school. Many had felt that Barrell would do the same this year and put FABL off for one more season so he could complete his senior season of college but the draw of playing alongside his brother Deuce probably was too strong. the three-sport star who led the Noble Jones College basketball team to a national championship last April and then went on to be a key player on the Colonels baseball team that reached the finals of the Collegiate World Championship Series in June, says he will sign with the team that drafts him but only if they are willing to allow him to return to school in the fall and play both football and basketball as a senior at Noble Jones College. Having signed a pro contract, Barrell will be ineligible for the Colonels baseball program as a senior but since he will not sign until June he will be allowed to complete his junior season of baseball. FABL, unlike professional football and basketball, drafts collegiate players during their junior season and virtually all players selected in the opening ten rounds of the draft sign contracts and turn pro, foregoing their senior campaign. Charlie Barrell is not most players. First off, Barrell is part of sports royalty as a son of the late Joe Barrell -the former pro football star and movie Tarzan- and has numerous, half-brothers, cousins and uncles playing or have played professional sports including current star Deuce Barrell and the great Bobby Barrell. Charlie is something that few can match. A gifted all-around athlete he excelled at all sports in high school and was projected by TWIFS to b the number one pick in the 1948 FABL draft after being a 3-time baseball High School All-American and twice a finalist for the Adwell Award will a student and Washington DC's Capital Academy. He opted out of the 1948 FABL draft -something no top prospect had ever done before- telling FABL General Manager's he had accepted a scholarship to Noble Jones College where he would play second base on the baseball team, guard on the basketball squad and quarterback of the Colonels grid eleven. As a college freshman Barrell did not see much action for the football team, was a reserve on the basketball team that went all the way to the AIAA tournament championship game before falling to Lexington State in the finals and started at second base for the Colonels ballclub that advanced to the semi-finals of the Collegiate World Championship Series. As a freshman Barrell hit .316 and was one of two freshmen to be named first team All-Americans that year. Barrell was also a finalist for the Frank Christian Trophy as the top collegiate baseball player Last year as a sophomore he once again was a Collegiate All-American in baseball and a finalist for the Christian Trophy, helping Noble Jones College to the finals of the CWCS but they were swept two straight by Eastern State. He had even more success on the basketball court, starting as a reserve but moving to a starting role just prior to the beginning of the AIAA basketball tournament. It was a dream season for the Colonels cagers, who became the first team in AIAA basketball history to have an unbeaten season and Barrell was the hero with a game high 15 points in a 65-60 victory over a Liberty College team led by collegiate cage legend Luther Gordon. Back in the fall that season Barrell took over as the starting quarterback on the Noble Jones College football team, guiding them to a pedestrian 4-6-1 record. This season his basketball stock rose to the point where he is considered a candidate for the first overall selection in the 1952 Federal Basketball League draft. At this writing the Colonels are 10-2 and ranked solidly in the top twenty with certainly a strong chance of returning to the AIAA tournament. Barrell was named a preseason All-American by this publication and has not disappointed in the early going, leading the Colonels in scoring with a 11.7 points per game average. He is a marginal pro prospect at best in football but still one of the leaders of a struggling Colonels eleven that suffered through a 3-8-1 season although for Barrell there was a personal highlight at the end of the grid campaign when the Colonels played in the Capital Classic, a new early December game that was held not far from where Barrell dominated as a high school athlete not all that long ago. The announcement of the first overall selection will not be made official until the draft begins next week but it is considered a certainty that the Cannons will select Charlie Barrell with that pick and will certainly accept the fact that he will be playing football and basketball at Noble Jones College next winter. VETERAN GM RETURNS TO GOTHAMS In a surprise almost as shocking as his sudden departure, former and future GM, Tom Ward has returned to take over the reins of the Gothams front office. In what has been described as a "leave of absence" for health reasons Ward removed himself from all connection to the ballclub for the past season and a half. Now returning, "refreshed and ready to resume full duties", Ward takes over a team that fell just short in 1950. Known for his impatience and willingness to make bold, aggressive moves in the past, one has to wonder whether the time away has mellowed the sometimes volatile front office leader. Ward was previously in charge of the Gothams from 1926 until 1949, guiding the club to 6 Federal Association pennants and World Championship Series titles in 1935 and 1942 while compiling a record of 1788-1848 over that span. "We're close to claiming another championship. I don't think we need to do much. Bud has done a tremendous job leading the team on the field. I don't see any major changes in the near future. Still, I'm always listening. Times have changed in FABL and we'll have to navigate the new rules to build a lasting competitive ballclub." Looking over the team's roster you can't help but note the age in the rotation and at key positions. Indicators in past seasons that changes could be coming. We shall see as the off season moves along. MOTORS HEAD INTO NEW YEAR ON A ROLL Forgive the Detroit Motors for not wanting December to come to an end. The Motors enter the new year as the hottest team in the North American Hockey Confederation as the pass the halfway point of the campaign on an eight game unbeaten streak. Despite the hot play of late that includes a 7-2-6 record for the month, the Motors head into their New Year's Day encounter with Toronto still looking up at the first place New York Shamrocks, who lead the Motors by 3 points with a game in hand. What may be more important to the Motors right now than first place is the fact that the Detroit club, which missed the playoffs a year ago after challenging for top spot until Christmas, hold a 14 point advantage on fifth place Boston in their pursuit of a playoff berth. Playoff appearances have been in short supply in the Motor City in recent years with Detroit missing the post-season four of the past six seasons including the aforementioned second half collapse a year ago. The Motors are in a good position but Coach Badger Rigney knows first hand how quickly things can turn around for the club. The Shamrocks, who finished with the best regular season record in the league last season but fell to the Montreal Valiants in the Challenge Cup Finals, show no signs of slowing down with four wins in their last five games and an 11-2-2 December record that overshadows the Motors fine month.   NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK MONDAY DECEMBER 25 Montreal 2 at 2 Detroit : Nick Roch scored with just over two minutes remaining in the third period to salvage a point for the visiting Montreal Valiants after Detroit had taken a 2-0 first period lead on goals from Graham Comeau and Nick Tardiff. Clarence Skinner had the other Montreal marker. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 27[/center] Montreal 1 at 3 Detroit : A scheduling quirk had the Valiants and Motors playing twice in three days in the Motor City and this time the home side came up with a 3-1 victory. Nick Tardif, Vincent Arsenault and Hank Walsh had the Detroit goals while Paulie Mosca was the lone Montreal shooter to beat Millard Touhey. Chicago 1 at 1 Toronto : A rare streak for the struggling Packers who have tied two straight games with a 1-1 draw in Toronto. Both goals came just 33 seconds apart early in the final frame with Max Ducharme scoring for Chicago before Rob Painchaud answered quickly for the Dukes. THURSDAY DECEMBER 28 Boston 1 at 3 New York : Despite an outstanding game from Oscar James in the Boston night the Bees came out on the short end of a 3-1 score in New York. The Shamrocks peppered James with 41 shots. Rusty Mullins, Sam Coates and Mark Theriault into an empty net scored for the Greenshirts after Mickey Bedard gave Boston an early lead.SATURDAY DECEMBER 30 Montreal 2 at 5 Boston : The Valiants are winless in six games after falling 5-2 in Boston while the Bees snapped a two game losing streak in what was the final game of 1950 for each of them. Craig Simpson scored twice to lead the Boston attack.New York 1 at 3 Chicago : The last place Packers upset the first place Shamrocks and are now unbeaten in three straight games. Norm Hanson had a huge night in net with 39 saves for the Packers who got goals from Marty Mahoney, Michael Di Guiseppe and Bert McColley. SUNDAY DECEMBER 31 Chicago 1 at 3 New York : After losing in Chicago 3-1 the Shamrocks returned the favour with a 3-1 home ice win of their own in the rematch. Jim Macek was the big star with all 3 New York goals while league scoring leader Orval Cabbell picked up a helper on each of them. Tommy Burns was the Chicago goal scorer, with just his 3rd in 15 December games and 11th of the season.Detroit 6 at 1 Toronto : A 6-1 road win in Toronto made for a wild train celebration home on New Year's Eve as the Motors, powered by 4 points from Graham Comeau and three each from Ben Witt and Tyson Beddoes set off plenty of fireworks behind Toronto netminder Gordie Broadway. UPCOMING GAMES MONDAY JANUARY 1 Toronto at Detroit Boston at Montreal WEDNESDAY JANUARY 3 New York at Toronto THURSDAY JANUARY 4 Montreal at New York Detroit at Boston SATURDAY JANUARY 6 New York at Boston Toronto at Chicago SUNDAY JANUARY 7 Detroit at New York Montreal at Toronto DUKES LIMP INTO 1951 Toronto begins 1951 barely hanging on to final playoff spot in the NAHC with a record of 11-13-10. They currently lead the fast charging Boston Bee by one point with a game in hand while trailing the Montreal by 3 points for third. The disappointing holiday week began at Bigsby Gardens on Christmas Day before a smallish crowd of 12,467. It was a slow paced game from start to finish with players seemingly just going through their paces especially the Dukes. Geoff Hartnell open the scoring less than four minute in pouncing on rebound off a Sam Coates shot. Quinton Pollack after arriving late last night from the All-Star game in Montreal, knotted the game after the ensuing face off 36 seconds after the Hartnell goal. Pollack scored again at 18:47 when he was sent in alone after stepping out of the penalty box giving the Dukes a 2-1 lead at the first intermission. That would be the last lead that Toronto held. New York tied the game early in the second with Simon Savard's 12th of the season. The score remained tied at 2 until Dukes killer Orval Cabbell scored on the power play just over a minute after Lou Galbraith was sent off for roughing making the final 3-2. Dukes were listless managing only 10 shots on Alex Sorrell over the final 40 minutes for a game total of 17. Returning home Wednesday night to host Chicago the 13,000 on hand were treated to a fast paced, low scoring, highly entertaining game. Once again the goaltenders, Broadway for the Dukes and Michael Cleghorn in the Packers cage stole the show. The first 40 minutes were scoreless with both teams delivering a number of bone jarring bodychecks to the opponent, tensions boiled over at the end of the second when Les Carlson and Packers defenseman Bert McColley dropped the mitts to exchange Christmas wishes with their fists. The game's only two goals came in the span of 33 seconds, Max Ducharme tipped in a Jeremy MacLean shot at 3:21 only to have Rob Painchaud's point shot elude Cleghorn at 3:54. The game ended with each team gaining a point in the 1-1 tie. The Dukes ended 1950 with a New Year's Eve game in the Gardens with Detroit. In a game where many fans started to believe the Dukes began their ringing in of 1951 too early, Detroit embarrassed the Dukes 6-1. First period goals by Ben Witt and Adam Vanderbilt before the game was 5 minutes old gave the home fans of what was to come for the Dukes. Graham Comeau made 3-0 before the end of the first with Detroit up a man. Comeau's second of the night made it 4-0 before Kenny Woolley beat Millard Touhey, his 3rd of the season, with only 8 ticks left on the clock in the second 20. If fans thought the goal would inspire a third period comeback they were wrong, Motors scored the only 2 in the third to complete a 6-1 shellacking of the Dukes. Coach Barrell- "My comments will be short. A listless effort Christmas Day in which a 3-2 loss was flattering to us, only goal against a team that has allowed the most goals in the league, getting rinsed on last day of year by the Motors. It is simple we have to be better, it may be time to for a shakeup in the lineup we obviously are not getting it done with what we are sending out on the ice. Everyone on the roster has to be better."   WEEKLY RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY DECEMBER 25 at #2 Rainier College 47, Great Plains State 33 at #4 Whitney College 64, St. Matthew's College 51 at #9 St. Ignatius 75, Fond du Lac 45 at #14 Coastal California 62, Boulder State 45 TUESDAY DECEMBER 26 at #1 Carolina Poly 78, Chicago Poly 48 at #10 Maryland State 60, Brookland 32 Kansas Agricultural 57, at #12 CC Los Angeles 44 at #13 Central Ohio 56, Dickson 35 at Western Florida 60, #16 Annapolis Maritime 57 #20 Detroit City College 59, at #23 St. Blane 50 #21 Valley State 56, at #22 Northern California 48 WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 27 at #2 Rainier College 61, Colorado Poly 51 at #6 Brunswick 61, St. Pancras 41 at #7 Frankford State 61, Narragansett 46 at #11 Central Kentucky 46, Henry Hudson 37 Western State 48, at #14 Coastal California 37 at #17 Redwood 64, Commonwealth Catholic 55 #18 Opelika State 64, at Rome State 56 at #19 Pittsburgh State 59, North Shore 43 THURSDAY DECEMBER 28 at #1 Carolina Poly 49, Michigan Lutheran 41 #3 Western Iowa 68, at North Central (NE) 40 at #5 North Carolina Tech 63, #23 St. Blane 43 Ferguson 52, at #25 Coastal State 46 FRIDAY DECEMBER 29 at #2 Rainier College 61, Boulder State 49 at #20 Detroit City College 64, Huntington State 57 SATURDAY DECEMBER 30 at #11 Central Kentucky 49, Western Montana 38 at #13 Central Ohio 52, Chicago Poly 38 #16 Annapolis Maritime 50, at Flagstaff State 39 at #23 St. Blane 64, West Corners (NY) 56 SUNDAY DECEMBER 31 at #2 Rainier College 60, Cowpens State 40 at #4 Whitney College 72, Central Carolina 56 at #7 Frankford State 67, #24 Ellery 47 at #8 Noble Jones College 53, St. Matthew's College 31 at #19 Pittsburgh State 47, Armstrong 38 at #20 Detroit City College 60, Ohio Poly 49  UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 12/31/1950
__________________
Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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05-20-2024, 03:56 PM
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#945 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
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January 8, 1951
JANUARY 8, 1951 UNSUNG TACKLE FROM CENTRAL KENTUCKY DIFFERENCE IN CAJUN CLASSIC Frank Harty is a football legend today -just hours after his Central Kentucky team knocked off Oklahoma City State 31-24 in a thrilling Cajun Classic to complete an unbeaten season for the National Champion Tigers. Big Frank was just another good tackle before the game watched by some 82,000 fans; he had played steady football and played efficiently but was overshadowed on the Central Kentucky line by All-American teammate Gene Trickle. But today he is the man who beat Oklahoma City State. Harty's accomplishments clearly tell the story of the game. He recovered a Wranglers fumble on the Oklahoma City State 23 yard line in the opening quarter. It set the stage for the first Tigers touchdown which came on a touchdown pass from quarterback Pete Capizzi to halfback Roger Guiles. In the second period with the score tied at 14 and the Wranglers lining up on the Tigers 2 yard line, Harty stopped All-American Oklahoma City State fullback Ned Hanshaw for no gain. He would make another huge tackle in a similar situation late in the third period when, with the Wranglers looking to extend a 24-17 lead at the time, Harty once more stopped Hanshaw in his tracks on a fourth and goal from the Tigers 1-yard line. Icing on the cake for Big Frank came with four minutes remaining in what was a 24-24 tie when he forced a fumble to give the Tigers great field position and set up the winning score -which was a second Capizzi to Guiles touchdown pass and proved the difference in the ballgame. *** Rainier College Grounds Aviators *** The East-West Classic saw the Rainier College Majestics build a 24-10 lead at the break and hang on to withstand a spirited comeback attempt from Central Ohio that fell just short, giving the Majestics a 27-23 victory in the 35th annual East-West Classic. The Majestics finish the season with an 8-2-1 record while the Aviators dip to 7-3. In other New Year's Day action Darnell State and Cumberland battled to a 27-27 tie in a battering, slashing Lone Star Classic game before a crowd of 75,349. Gerald Churchwell swept the Explorers to a touchdown with three minutes to go and then successfully kicked the extra point to salvage a draw for Cumberland, which entered the game ranked second in the nation with a 10-0-1 record. Churchwell, who handled most of the passing duties for Cumberland, did the most damage on the day with his feet, including a 75-yard scoring scamper in the opening half. Travis College held of Detroit City College 10-7 in El Paso to win the Desert Classic and mark the second year in a row the Bucks came up victorious against a Great Lakes Alliance school on New Year's Day. A year ago, Travis College downed Minnesota Tech in the Oilman Classic. This year's winner of the Oilman Classic in Houston was Alabama Baptist after the Panthers dumped Wyoming A&I by a 23-13 count. The Southwestern Classic went to Tempe College after the Arizona school beat Ferguson 29-27 thanks to a last minute field goal from Ed Hoke. In Florida the winners were Miami State and Potomac College. The Gulls won the bird battle that was the Sunshine Classic by nipping the Coastal State Eagles 14-13 before a record crowd of 64,181 in Miami. It marked the first appearance for the Gulls in their hometown classic game since surprising St. Blane 21-7 in the 1945 contest. Potomac College, making its first-ever New Year's appearance, outscored Garden State 27-17 in the Bayside Classic. The final game took place in Hawaii as Mile High State thumped local eleven Kamehamehe College by a 64-16 score.  BARRELL TOP PICK IN FABL DRAFT It came as no surprise that the Cincinnati Cannons, just hours after winning the number one selection in the annual FABL draft lottery, announced that Noble Jones College second baseman Charlie Barrell would be their choice. There was more suspense whether or not Barrell would decide to withdraw from the draft in order to be able to continue to play three sports at Noble Jones College for his senior season. In the end the allure of potentially playing with his brother Deuce Barrell in Cincinnati, along with an agreement he worked out with the Cannons to allow Charlie to return to school next winter and compete in football and basketball for the Colonels proved too much to resist and Barrell was officially a Cannons prospect. Charlie is the latest in a long line of Barrell boys to be selected in the first round including fellow former first overall selections Deuce (Cincinnati 1935) and his uncles Harry (Cleveland 1931) and Tom (Cougars 1929). Fred Barrell (Cougars 1926) was a third overall selection and Bobby Barrell (Keystones 1928) was taken with the 6th pick in his draft year. Barrell, who does triple duty in college as the quarterback of the Colonels football team and a guard on the defending National Champion basketball team, was a baseball All-American and a finalist for the Christian Trophy in each of his first two seasons playing second base for the Colonels baseball team. He will play ball again this spring as the Colonels hope to qualify for their third straight appearance in the Collegiate World Championship Series, but will be restricted to just football and basketball a year from now for his senior season of college. While the basketball season with its Novemeber tip-off will be safe a year from now there is no word on what will happen to Charlie's quarterbacking desires should he be promoted to the big leagues during the upcoming season. Barrell is free to sign with the Cannons once the collegiate baseball season concludes in June and several college players in recent years have quickly progressed to the major leagues in their draft year. FIRST ROUND RECAP Following the announcement of Charlie Barrell's selection by the Cincinnati Cannons, the St Louis Pioneers used the second selection on another college player. That would be Ohio Poly outfielder Rex Pilcher. Pilcher joined Barrell as an AIAA first team All-American selection his freshman season but had to settle for second team status a year ago. He seems to be the perfect successor to veteran Pioneers right fielder Al Tucker but is a much different player than the recently turned 38 year old six time All-Star. Pilcher, who is known as "The Buckeye Bomber" because of his Ohio routes a powerful batting stroke, has the potential to match Tucker's batting average prowess but with much more power. The scouting service feels Pilcher is going to play in a number of all-star games before his career is over. He may also be ready to make the jump in late June directly from college ball to the Pioneers outfield. The Montreal Saints drafted the first high school player with the third choice, opting for St Louis native Bob Porter, who was said to have been heavily considered by his hometown Pioneers as the second choice. Porter has been a High School All-American selection each of his first three seasons at Edwardsville (IL) High, and was nominated for the Adwell Award as the top high school player after his junior campaign. If he earns All-American status this spring as a senior he joins a select group that includes Wally Fuller, Hiram Steinberg and Otto Christian as players named All-Americans all four of their high school seasons since the award debuted in 1934. OSA suggests Porter has the make-up of a prototypical clean-up hitter and should also carry a solid batting average once he matures. The fourth selection went to the Detroit Dynamos and they opted for high school shortstop Dick Tucker. The 17-year-old was born in Oklahoma but played his school ball in New Hampshire. Owning a tremendous work ethic and a ceiling that OSA suggests could lead to multiple all-star game appearances was too much for the Dynamos to pass up on despite the fact they have 24-year-old Stan Kleminski at shortstop. Tucker may wind up at third base and he has experience there and as a second baseman. Picking fifth was the Brooklyn Kings and despite expectations the Kings would select the first pitcher of the draft they went with an outfielder. 17-year-old Hank Williams from Goshen (OH) High School was the best available player in the minds of the Kings brass and OSA seems to concur, noting Williams projects to be an elite big league right fielder who could turn out to be one of the best pure hitters of his generation. We did not have to wait long for the first pitcher to be called as the Pittsburgh Miners, picking sixth, and the New York Stars, with the seventh selection, each opted for arms. The Miners went with 18-year-old righthander Sammy Fitchett from Ottumwa, IA. who OSA suggests could have the talent to pitch at the top of the rotation if everything comes together for "Slingin' Sammy." The Stars looked to the west coast for another high school righthander, taking Doc Clay out of McClatchy High in Sacramento. A three year starter at McClatchy, Clay has not lost a game since his freshman year and owns a 30-1 career mark with 453 strikeouts in 309 innings of work. He throws four pitches led by a good change-up and OSA feels he can be a mid-rotation piece in the future. The Philadelphia Keystones have a rich history of power hitters led by Rankin Kellogg, Bobby Barrell and Hank Koblenz. It is high praise to compare anyone to Kellogg but Dick Green, a 17-year-old first baseman selected 8th by the Keystones not only hails from Tennessee -just like the legendary Kellogg- but if the 1949 High School All-American lives up to expectations may soon display the same impact power that made Kellogg a Hall of Famer. OSA will not go as far as calling Green a future Hall of Famer but says his impact-type power could land him in multiple all-star games. After Green, the focus went back to the mound with the Philadelphia Sailors and Boston Minutemen each opting for pitchers at picks nine and ten. The Sailors went with Don Hillshire, a little known 22-year-old with no college ball experience who joined Ohio's Buckeye College team as a senior and must have really impressed Sailors scouts in winter workouts. The Minutemen went with a more known commodity in Mike Quigley, an 18-year-old from Chicago who was a High School All-American last season after dominating the very competitive Chicago High School baseball scene. Speaking of Chicago, the two Windy City teams followed with the Cougars selecting eleventh and the Chiefs twelfth. Both apparently had their sight set on Jack Croft but it was the Cougars who landed the Mississippi high school third baseman. One Scouting Director we spoke to had Croft ranked higher then fellow third sacker Bob Porter, who went third to Montreal. OSA raves about Craft's disciplined approach at the plate and his above average contact potential. The scouting service also expects Craft to develop some power as he matures. Missing out on Craft, the Chiefs went with plan B in landing centerfielder Hugh Ferebee, who was top five on several scouting director's draft board. The 18-year-old Texan projects as an everyday centerfielder who can make an impact on a top-tier team according to the league scouting service. Pick 13 went to the rebuilding Toronto Wolves, coming off their worst season in 18 years. The Wolves have enjoyed some lottery luck in recent years, landing the first overall pick in 1947 and 1949 when they selected pitcher Les Ledbetter and shortstop John Wells. Selecting much further down the list this time the Wolves opted for Michigan high school righthander Jim Montgomery, who has posted back to back 10-0 seasons. According to OSA the pick might be a reach as the scouting service forecasts that Montgomery may peak as a number five starter. At selection 14 the Washington Eagles drafted the fifth high school pitcher and sixth hurler overall with their decision to take California righthander Buster Scott. OSA projects the 18-year-old as a possible mid-rotation piece when he matures. The World Championship Series winning Cleveland Foresters followed by selecting Pennsylvania high school All-American second baseman Al Beck with the 15th pick and the New York Gothams rounded out the opening round with the selection of Jim Allen, a high-ceiling 22-year-old outfielder from Opelika State-Montgomery. The opening round began with college players going back to back to start the draft but when the dust settled on the first round, 12 o the 16 players selected were high schoolers including 6 pitchers and three right fielders.  COUGARS MAKE PAIR OF TRADES TO START NEW YEAR Chicago, Brooklyn Exchange Former First Rounders While most of the attention was on the FABL draft, there were a couple of minor deals made last week - both involving the Chicago Cougars. The bigger one saw Chicago send righthander George Oddo to Brooklyn as a part of a five player deal. Oddo, a 28-year-old Rhode Island native, has spent parts of six seasons with the Cougars, compiling a 30-35 record but struggled in 20 Chicago starts last season, going 5-11 with a 5.05 era. Joining him in heading to the Kings organization is 25-year-old minor league pitcher Tommy Seymour - a 1943 first rounder who has failed to live up to expectations so far but did go 15-8, 3.03 in AA last year. In return the Kings send three minor leaguers to the Windy City Kitties including 1949 first rounder Buddy Byrd. The 19-year-old struggled at the plate in Class B last season, his first full year as a professional but still looks to have pretty good big league potential and has been a solid defensive second baseman in the minors. Joining Byrd are a pair of 21-year-old pitchers in Jimmy Isgro and Tommy Seymour. Isgro, a 1948 first rounder, endured an awful 3-17, 6.49 season in Class A a year ago but the Tampa Cigar Kings were one of the worst teams in the entire minors. Tommy Wilde was originally a Gothams fifth round selection in 1947 before moving to the Kings in 1949. He spent last season at Class A, going 7-15 with a 7.68 era. In the other deal the Cougars sent 20-year-old minor league catcher Ernie Frost to the New York Stars in exchange for 19-year-old pitcher Ollie Norris. Norris is a 1948 11th round selection who spent the past three seasons at Class C while Frost, a 1946 7th rounder, spent last season at Class B.  THOUGHTS ON DRAFT FROM VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
 WINDY CITY SPORTS ROUND-UP The Cougars feel lukewarm about their overall draft, but are very happy with the early rounds. Head scout Dixie Marsh got three members of his top 25, led by 11th Overall Pick Jack Craft who ranks 6th. The organization is intrigued by his huge power potential from both sides of the plate, and they're hoping to unlock another level by getting him to elevate the ball more. The Cougs were ecstatic to get Allie Eddy sixteen picks later, as he was Marsh's third pitcher. A lefty with a deep five pitch arsenal, Marsh is intrigued by his advanced command for his age, expecting him to develop into a #2 starter. He'll be joined by potential back-end starters in 3rd Rounder Harry Rollins, 5th Rounder Joe Holt, and 9th Rounder Ben Helm, all arms the organization has been scouting heavily. The position player talent was a bit light after Craft, but 4th Rounder Morrie Phillips was the third member of the Dixie's top 25, and the organization will be watching 6th Rounder Joe Dorch and 10th Rounder Alex Caraballo in their first amateur seasons this spring. Phillips is expected to be another excellent center fielder prospect for an organization that already has five in the top 100, while Dorch and Caraballo could end up being useful finds in the back half of the ten rounds. *** More Accolades For Gordon *** Another Player of the Week award for Luther Gordon, who now has four in his young career. Gordon was crucial in the Panthers two wins this week, scoring 30 against the Statesmen and 32 against the Mustangs. Combined with the lost, the young star averaged 27.3 points with 16.3 rebounds, a bit lower then his season averages of 28 and 17.6 respectively. Gordon continues to lead the FBL in scoring, and is the only player this season averaging more then 25 points per game. He's led the team to a 16-9 record, a game and a half behind the first place Rockets The Panthers host the Rockets this upcoming Friday, but they'll be without young guard Efrain Boland, who broke his arm in the win over Detroit. Expected to miss the next month and a half, Boland was a useful bench piece that the organization is hoping will eventually take the starting shooting guard position from Larry Serrano. The 24-year-old is a stellar perimeter defender, but his offensive game is still a work in progress. In 11.3 minutes a game he is averaging just 1.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, but he makes up for it by limiting his man's impact on offense *** Even Some Good News From the Ice *** The Packers have now won two of their last three games, including an offensive explosion where the inept offense sent six pucks past Dukes' netminder Gordie Broadway. As you might expect, Tommy Burns was the sole reason the Packers had any sort of success, as he had what I like to call a double hat-trick: three goals and three assists. Burns was a part of every point scored, though he had some help from Max Ducharme, who assisted on three goals as well. The other three goals went to Mike Geiger (1), Wes Burns (2), and Pete Moreau (3), with Moreau's a rare empty netter on a power play. The Packers 19 points are now more then half the total of fifth place Toronto, who at 36 are a point behind a tie for third  SHAMROCKS SKID DROPS NEW YORK OUT OF FIRST PLACE The New York Shamrocks lost all four games during a busy week to start the New Year and find themselves in a position they have not been in a while: staring up at first place. The New Yorkers were in all four games but lost each by a single goal and as a result find themselves one point back of surging Detroit for first place. The Motors are 7-1-3 in their last eleven games including a 1-0 shutout victory at Bigsby Garden last night. It is a long drop from second to third place where the defending Challenge Cup Champion Montreal Valiants and Boston Bees are tied with 37 points- 11 back of New York and 12 behind Detroit.  NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK MONDAY JANUARY 1 Boston 2 at 0 Montreal : Oscar James stole the show as the Boston netminder turned aside all 37 Montreal shots he faced in a 2-0 victory. Both Boston markers came in the opening stanza off the sticks of Willis Beane and Mike Brunell. WEDNESDAY JANUARY 3[/center] New York 1 at 2 Toronto : Kenny Wooley's 4th goal of the season, with just 3:30 remaining in the game, snapped a 4-game winless streak for the Dukes and lifted them to a 2-1 victory over New York. Gordie Broadway made 38 saves in the Dukes net with only Orval Cabbell's 17th goal of the season eluding him. Quinton Pollack had given Toronto the early lead with his 19th of the campaign. THURSDAY JANUARY 4 Montreal 1 at 0 New York :Hot goaltending got the better of the Shamrocks again as Tom Brockers made 35 saves for his first shutout of the season. Wayne Augustin scored the only goal of the game on the powerplay in the second period.Detroit 3 at 5 Boston : Robert Walker and John Bentley each had a goal and an assist to lead the Boston Bees to a 5-3 victory over Detroit, cancelling out a two goal game from the Motors Bob Pilon. SATURDAY JANUARY 6 New York 3 at 4 Boston : Third period goals from Walker and Bentley lifted the Bees to a 4-3 comeback win over the Shamrocks after the Greenshirts had taken a 3-1 lead in the opening frame. Walker scored twice while also adding an assist while teammate Garrett Kauffeldt also had a 3-point evening.Toronto 3 at 6 Chicago : Tommy Burns broke out of his two month long slump in a big way as the Chicago Packers scoring star was involved in all six Packers markers with 3 goals and 3 assists to lead his club to its second win in the past three games. Max Ducharme had 3 assists for the winners. SUNDAY JANUARY 7 Detroit 1 at 0 New York : Another one goal loss for the Shamrocks -their fourth in as many games this week- as Millard Touhey made 23 saves and Bob Pilon's second period goal accounted for all the offense in a 1-0 Detroit victory that vaulted the Motors past the Shamrocks and into first place.Montreal 1 at 5 Toronto : Quinton Pollack scored his league leading 20th goal while rookie Ken Jamieson had two assists to help the Toronto Dukes past Montreal by a 5-1 score. It was a game that Dukes coach Jack Barrell would be very proud of as his charges had a smothering defensive effort in limiting the Vals to just 18 shots on the evening. UPCOMING GAMES TUESDAY JANUARY 9 Detroit at Montreal Chicago at New York WEDNESDAY JANUARY 10 Boston at Toronto THURSDAY JANUARY 11 Montreal at Boston SATURDAY JANUARY 13 Toronto at New York Detroit at Boston Montreal at Chicago SUNDAY JANUARY 14 Montreal at Detroit Boston at New York Chicago at Toronto DUKES START 1951 AS THEY FINISHED 1950 - POORLY If Dukes fans thought that changing the year on the calendar would change the Toronto hockey clubs fortunes they will have to wait at least a little longer. The first week of 1951 saw the team go 2-2-0 to fall out of a playoff position. The team now sits 5th in the NAHC one point behind both Boston, Montreal. The week began with a visit to Detroit for the back half of a home and home with the Motors on New Year's Day. A huge crowd of almost 17,000 packed the Thompson Palladium to watch a game between these two bitter rivals. Toronto controlled the pace of play during the opening period not allowing the Motors to play their trademark up-tempo style. Dukes were rewarded for their close to the vest type of play when Lou Galbraith scored on the power play at 8:49 with Bob S. Kelly in the penalty box for roughing. Toronto led 1-0 going into the second when the home side started to open up the play to more of their preferred style. Dukes defenders started to chase the play rather than control the pace, this resulted in them taking a number minor penalties. Just after killing a tripping minor to Galbraith, Kenny Wooley was called for hooking. Detroit was not to be denied on this man advantage when Graham Comeau tied the score from Ben Witt on what appeared to be a pass deflected past Charlie Dell to tie the game. The Motors continued to control the pace of play then took the lead, one they would never relinquish, on Lou Barber's shot went in when Dell deflected between his own pads. Leading 2-1 Comeau notched his 17th of the campaign again up a man less than minute into the third. Alex Cameron finally scored his first of the year on a goal mouth scramble near the midway mark of the period. This as close of the Dukes would get this night. Comeau completed his hattrick with less than 5 minutes to play to make the final score 4-2 sending the fans home happy. Toronto came home for a Wednesday evening encounter with Shamrocks. In what turned out to be yet another example of stellar netminding, the Dukes effectively stole two points despite being outshot by New York 39-29. Quinton Pollack scored in the first, a lead that held until Orval Cabbell tied the game at 13:09 of the second. Both teams had a multitude of chances to take the lead only to be turned away by the glove, stick, or pads of Broadway or Shamrock goalkeeper Alex Sorrell. Kenny Wooley's snap shot off of a clean Ken Jamieson face off win at 16:30 of the third allowed the Dukes to steal a 2-1 win. Toronto went into Lakeside Aud on Saturday night but left with their tail between their legs after being manhandled 6-3 by the Packers. In a chippy affair from the opening puck drop until the final siren of a game the Packers led 1-0 after 20 thanks to Mike Geiger's first goal of the season. Ken Jamieson scored his first NAHC goal at 4:37 of the second while up 5 skaters to 4 only to have Tommy Burns restore the Packers lead 17 seconds after Jamieson's goal. Burns increased the score to 3-1 Packers before the end of two. Wes Burns made it 4-1 before goals by Luc Brisebois and Tim Brooks made the score 4-3 with just over 10 minutes to play. Tommy Burns completed his hattrick in what would be a 6 point night for the Packers star to make it 5-3 at 11:25. Pete Moreau salted away a 6-3 game with an empty netter with 17 seconds remaining in the game. The Dukes rebounded quickly from the humiliating loss in Chicago less than 24 hours later when they returned home for a Sunday game with the Vals. Toronto was in control of the entire game as Montreal seemed a step behind the play for the entire 60 minutes. Tom Brockers faced a total of 48 shots in the Valiants net. Brockers was beaten for the first time by Pollack with his 20th in the first. Rob Painchaud made it 2-0 before the end of 20. Ian Doyle gave the visitors some hope when he made 2-1 7:25 into the second but goals by Trevor Parker, Doug Zimmerman and Charlie Brown in less than a 4 minute span starting at 13:15 of the second put the game out of reach for Montreal at 5-1. There was no scoring in the third as the home team skated away with the victory. Coach Barrell- "Play time is over. We are past the halfway mark of the season. No sense making excuses about a losing record. By this point your record tells you what your team is so far this season. The league is changing into a more defensive phase and while goaltending is improving, it is not all the keepers as much of it has to do with the guys in front of them. Goals are harder to come by which means wide open games should be avoided. Detroit trapped us the last 40 minutes Monday. We played the first period the way we have to play the Motors, not let them dictate the pace. Broadway stole another one against New York. The Saturday game in Chicago I will not start commenting on because I know it will lead quickly to things I may regret saying at a later date. Bouncing back Sunday against Montreal was a good sign. We have to build off that game. Bobby Sauer will be back next week, hopefully he will bring a spark to the team."
 ROUGH WEEK DROPS CARDINALS FROM TOP OF POLLS It was not the start to 1951 imagined by Andrew Conley as the Carolina Poly head coach witnessed his club struggle in 1951 with a pair of losses to start the year after ending 1950 with a perfect 11-0 record. The Cardinals dropped to 11-2 overall and from first to fifth in the polls to leave rival North Carolina Tech and St. Ignatius as the only basketball schools yet to lose a game this season. The downward spiral for the Cardinals began on New Year's Day when Bayou State, which entered the contest with a 3-8 record gave Carolina Poly a hangover by laying a 53-42 beating on what was up to that point considered to be the best team in the nation. Artie Sneed, a junior forward, led the point parade for the Cougars by scoring 19 while guard George Bertram led the Cardinals offensive output with 10 points. The trouble was not over yet for Carolina Poly as on Saturday, a day after soon to be new number one Western Iowa laid a 60-37 drubbing on the same Bayou State team that dominated the Cardinals, they lost again. This time it was Dickson that waltzed into Durham and danced out with a 55-42 victory. The Cardinals, who looked so dominant last month, now find themselves reeling with just one more game to try and straighten things out before they begin South Atlantic Conference section play. They still have plenty of time before their annual showdown with North Carolina Tech, which takes place February 17. The Techsters remain unbeaten at 11-0 and ranked 3rd in the nation, but suffered a major scare on New Year's Day as well when they barely survived Strub College in a 56-54 win at home in Raleigh. They did look much stronger a couple of days later with a 56-31 thrashing of Topeka State. St Ignatius is unbeaten as well, at 12-0 following wins in the windy city over Chicago Poly and in Lansing over Canton State last week but the Lancers, who sit seventh in the latest polls, are looking up at a pair of Great Lakes Alliance rivals in Western Iowa and Whitney College. Both are 9-1 and hold down first and second in the rankings. GLA conference play gets underway January 18. As usual it is the highly competitive West Coast Athletic Association that ushers in section play and they did so yesterday with the openers that included a thriller in Puyallup WA. with the 10th ranked CC Los Angeles Coyotes downing the hosts from Rainer College 51-44. Coastal California dumped Spokane State 64-48 behind 20 points from senior forward Chris Martines, Redwood nipped Portland Tech 49-45 and Northern California downed Spokane State 69-51 in the other WCAA openers yesterday.  RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY JANUARY 1 at #3 North Carolina Tech 56, Strub College 54 Bayou State 53, at #5 Carolina Poly 42 #7 St. Ignatius 61, at Chicago Poly 40 at #20 Valley State 60, Eastern Virginia 33 #24 Alexandria 67, at Annapolis Maritime 60 TUESDAY JANUARY 2 at #14 St. Blane 58, Dickson 55 at #16 Opelika State 46, Allentown State 35 #21 Ellery 61, at Richmond State 58 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 3 at #1 Western Iowa 58, Michigan Lutheran 37 at #3 North Carolina Tech 56, Topeka State 31 at #9 Maryland State 71, St. Matthew's College 65 at #13 Redwood 52, Eastern Virginia 42 #20 Valley State 66, at Ferguson 44 at #22 Coastal State 58, Western Florida 42 THURSDAY JANUARY 4 at #4 Rainier College 77, Campion 39 #6 Frankford State 58, at Middlesex 49 at #10 CC Los Angeles 65, Central Carolina 40 at #12 Coastal California 64, St. Patrick's 48 at #14 St. Blane 63, Minnesota Tech 57 #15 Central Ohio 64, at #19 Brunswick 50 at #18 Pittsburgh State 57, Harrisburg State 46 at #23 Chesapeake State 58, Penn Catholic 49 FRIDAY JANUARY 5 at #1 Western Iowa 60, Bayou State 37 at #2 Whitney College 66, Chicago Poly 55 at #9 Maryland State 63, West Corners (NY) 54 at #16 Opelika State 53, Glover (GA) 43 at #25 Lambert College 67, Springfield State 40 SATURDAY JANUARY 6 Dickson 55, at #5 Carolina Poly 42 at #7 St. Ignatius 59, Canton State 34 at #8 Noble Jones College 42, Central Carolina 37 at #11 Central Kentucky 56, #19 Brunswick 30 at #17 Detroit City College 62, College of Omaha 53 SUNDAY JANUARY 7 #10 CC Los Angeles 51, at #4 Rainier College 44 #12 Coastal California 64, at Spokane State 48 at #13 Redwood 49, Portland Tech 45 #14 St. Blane 56, at Harper College 46 at #23 Chesapeake State 39, Armstrong 30
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 1/07/1951
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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05-21-2024, 12:43 PM
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#946 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
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January 15, 1951
JANUARY 15, 1951 SHAMROCKS BACK ON TOP OF NAHC Injury To Comeau May Derail Motors The New York Shamrocks and Detroit Motors are conspiring to make the battle for top spot in the North American Hockey Confederation a two-horse race but the Toronto Dukes may have something to say about it. The Dukes, who have been very streaky this season, put together a positive stretch of games with 4 straight victories. While those eight points may have allowed Toronto to leapfrog Boston and Montreal, the Dukes still have a ten point deficit to make up on the front-running Shamrocks. New York has had its troubles once the calendar flipped to 1951, dropping four in a row including a 1-0 loss to the Motors eight days ago that temporarily put Detroit in first place - a position the Motors have not finished a season in for decades. Detroit's time at the top, at least for the moment, was short-lived as the Shamrocks got back on track with two wins in three games last week and their 23-12-6 record, good for 52 points, is one point better than the Motors 22-12-7 mark. While New York bookended a Saturday 3-1 loss to Toronto around wins over Chicago and Boston last week, the Motors lost twice over the weekend -both times on late goals from the opposition- to slide back into second place. The Shamrocks boast the best team defense in the league, surrendering less than two goals a game thanks to the goaltending duo of Alex Sorrell and Etienne Tremblay. New York also has plenty of offense with four players in double-digit goals including leading point producer Orval Cabbell (18-30-48) and his wingers Jocko Gregg (17-10-27) and Jim Macek (13-12-25). Detroit has been getting some solid goaltending as veteran Millard Touhey has wrestled away the staring job from Henri Chasse but the Motors offense, while matching New York in scoring, is doing it with a much more balanced attack. The big story in Thompson Palladium this season has been the resurgent year from Graham Comeau. The 28-year-old is the only Detroit player in double-digits for goals with 19 -leaving him one shy of Toronto's Quinton Pollack for the league lead in that category. Comeau is just three shy of his career high and has earned himself a three year contract extension that will nearly double his pay for next season. *** Comeau Slowed By Shoulder Injury *** The Motors have enjoyed pretty good health this season but that changed over the weekend as Comeau left Saturday's loss to Boston early after suffering a shoulder injury and did not play last night against Montreal. The diagnosis is a tear in a shoulder tendon, an injury doctors suggest could take three to four months to fully heal, but Comeau is optimistic he can return to action in the next week or two. Should he not be able to return it will be a big blow to a Detroit offense that lacks a true elite goal scorer, something that Comeau seems to have finally figured out how to become.  New York is also dealing with an injury to a key player. The Shamrocks will be without Simon Savard (12-24-36) for at least a few days after the 25-year-old forward suffered a groin strain in last night's loss to Toronto. The Shamrocks were already playing without depth winger Michael Di Giuseppe (1-5-6) as he is dealing with back troubles and did not play at all last week. And the hard luck season for Toronto veteran Bobbie Sauer continues. The Dukes 36-year-old captain missed a month with a shoulder injury and just 3 minutes into his return to the lineup last week, he landed awkwardly and broke a bone in his elbow, spelling the end of his season.  NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK Detroit 3 at 2 Montreal : Nick Tardif and Vincent Aresenault scored in the opening period before Bon Pilon extended Detroit's lead to 3-0 early in the middle frame. Montreal would get two back, on goals from Clarence Skinner and Claude LeClerc, but the Valiants could not net the equalizer in a 3-2 loss.TUESDAY JANUARY 9 Chicago 1 at 2 New York : Alfie Dennis scored both New York goals, each assisted by league scoring leader Orval Cabbell, to help the New York Shamrocks to a 2-1 victory, ending Chicago's stretch of getting points in four of their last five games. WEDNESDAY JANUARY 10[/center] Boston 1 at 5 Toronto : Les Carlson had two goals and two assists while Tim Brooks and Trevor Parker each chipped in with three point nights to lead the Dukes past visiting Boston 5-1. THURSDAY JANUARY 11 Montreal 3 at 4 Boston : Another one goal loss for the Valiants, who fall 4-3 in Boston thanks to Jamie Nargang's powerplay marker with just over 3 minutes remaining in the game. Veteran center Wilbur Chandler, who has had some struggles this season with scoring goals, helped out by setting up three of the Boston markers.SATURDAY JANUARY 13 Toronto 3 at 1 New York : First period goals from Trevor Parker and Maurice Charette carried the Toronto Dukes to a 3-1 victory over the New York Shamrocks. J.C. Martel put Toronto ahead by three in the third period before Jocko Gregg, with his 17th of the season, finally solved Gordie Broadway, who stopped 34 of the 35 New York shots he faced, in the closing minutes.Detroit 3 at 5 Boston :The Bees exploded with four goals in the third period, including three in the final four and a half minutes, to sting Detroit 5-3. Connor Mikaelson notched both the game tying and game winning goals for the hosts in a span of 9 seconds. Mark Dyck also scored twice for the Bees. Montreal 4 at 4 Chicago :Nikolas Roch scored for just third time this season, with 1:21 remaining in the game, to salvage a 4-4 tie for the Montreal Valiants in Chicago. After a scoreless opening period the teams combined for six goals in the middle frame with each team netting three. Tommy Burns scored on the powerplay early in the third to put the hosts ahead before Roch's late heroics. SUNDAY JANUARY 14 Montreal 3 at 2 Detroit : For the second night in a row the Motors lose late as John Cline scored the game winner for Montreal in a 3-2 victory with less than five minutes remaining. Montreal led 2-1 after twenty minutes before Vincent Arsenault tied the contest with 5 seconds remaining in the second stanza. Detroit lost despite outshooting Montreal 40-17.Boston 0 at 2 New York : Backup goaltender Etienne Tremblay turned aside all 25 Boston shots for his first shutout of the season while Rusty Mullins and Mark Theriault each scored in the opening period of a 2-0 Shamrocks victory. The win, coupled with Detroit's loss in Montreal, moves the Shamrocks back into top spot in the NAHC, a point up on the Motors. Chicago 0 at 1 Toronto : Gordie Broadway makes 30 saves for his third shutout of the season and the Toronto Dukes extend their winning streak to four games with a 1-0 shutout of Chicago. 19-year-old Toronto rookie Kenny Wooley, with his fifth of the season, scored the only goal of the game. UPCOMING GAMES WEDNESDAY JANUARY 17 New York at Montreal Detroit at Toronto THURSDAY JANUARY 18 Montreal at New York Chicago at Boston SATURDAY JANUARY 20 Toronto at Boston Detroit at Chicago SUNDAY JANUARY 21 Toronto at Detroit Boston at Montreal Chicago at New York DUKES WINNING STREAK REACHES FOUR After a rocky few weeks over the holiday period the Toronto Dukes are beginning to show signs of life. Three wins over the past week have stretched their current winning streak to 4 games. The team continued their dominant ways which began with a win over the defending champs, Montreal, on Sunday by defeating the team they were chasing in the standings, Boston, by the same 5-1 score at home Wednesday night. The first period was the direct opposite of normal games between these two teams. Instead of fighting for every inch of ice with lots of stickwork just on the edge the Dukes and Bees played a wide open up and down ice first period. Shots on goal favoured Toronto 13-11 as did the score, 2-0 . J.C Martel opened the scoring at 5:10 on the power play when he took a pass from defense partner Rob Painchaud cruised into the slot before picking the top corner behind Oscar James. The second goal came less than two minutes later when, while killing a penalty, Tim Brooks was sent away alone by Clyde Lumsen and then deked Oscar James for his 5th of the season. Toronto tightening up their defensive game in the middle period while continuing to pepper the Boston net. One of the 15 shots found its way behind James: Martel's second of the game 4th of the year made it 3-0 with Wilbur Chandler in the box. Les Carlson scored two in the third sandwiched between the only shot of 22 to beat Broadway on the night by Len Bentley with just over four minutes left in the game. Into Bigsby Gardens for a Saturday night encounter with the Shamrocks. Toronto got off two a quick start scoring twice in 4 seconds in the first. Parker converted on a pass from Brisebois on the man advantage at 6:42 then Maurice Charette's floater off the ensuing face-off beat Alex Sorrell, who seemed to lose the puck in the lights, at 6:46. In a game that was played at a high tempo for the entire 60 minutes Martel scored his third goal in two games just before the 12 minute mark of the second. Jocko Gregg's 17th made it 3-1 at 15:55 of the period. That proved to be the final scoring play of the game as Broadway again stood tall between the pipes turning aside 34 of 35 shots in game that the Shamrocks were offensively superior to the Dukes. Back home to entertain the Chicago Packers on Sunday. Fans were expecting the Dukes to come out flying. seeking revenge for the 6-3 shellacking by the Packers the previous Saturday. If that was Barrell's plan the players failed to receive the message. The fans instead saw a game in which the Packers dominated the possession of the puck continually testing Broadway in the Toronto cage. For the game Chicago held a 30-20 advantage in shots but failed to light the goal lamp behind the Dukes' net. The only goal of the game was off a rebound that Kenny Woolley knocked behind Michael Cleghorn off a Maurice Charette shot at 16:42 of the second. Broadway made that goal stand up registering his third shutout of the campaign. Coach Barrell- "It is hard to complain on a four game winning streak but I will. The only really complete game we played was the Wednesday game against Boston. Both victories on the weekend can be summed up in two words, Gordie Broadway. He stopped 64 of 65 shots in the games against New York and Chicago. We cannot depend on that night in, night out. I need to give Charlie more game action although for now I will ride the hot hand in Broadway. We are still -6 in goals for, goals against, that has to change. Bobby Sauer's returned lasted less than 3 minutes of ice time before he broken a bone in his elbow, there is no timetable for his return. Joe Camposano has been brought up from Cleveland, he can fill in at forward or on the back end. We are moving forward to try to extend this streak with a little more attention to defense to give our goaltenders a break." RUTLEDGE TO GET TITLE SHOT AGAINST MITCHELL Ira Mitchell, who won the ABF world welterweight title with a late November TKO win over Dale Roy in Roy's first defense, will hope he doesn't suffer the same fate when Mitchell faces top contender Danny Rutledge. The 15 round title fight will be held at Boston's Denny Arena on Friday February 24. Mitchell, a 31-year-old Chicago native with a career record of 27-5, will face Rutledge for the second time. The two squared off in the same Denny Arena ring they will meet in next month, three years ago and Rutledge came away with a narrow but unanimous decision. Since that date Mitchell has gone 8-1 including an impressive knockout of Danny Julien last September that earned him the right to face Roy for the title. It was Mitchell's second title shot as he lost a decision to former champ Harold Stephens in 1948. It will be the second title shot for Rutledge, who had his famous battle with former champion Mac Erickson when both were undefeated in the summer of 1949. Erickson defended his title with a unanimous decision but while the former champ's career has taken a downturn, the 25 year old Rutledge has scored impressive wins over the likes of Rudy Perry and former champs Mark Westlake and Dennis O'Keefe. At 22-1-1 and looking to be at the top of his game, the signs point to yet another change of ownership for a welterweight belt that has switched hands many times in recent years.  RECENT KEY RESULTS
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
 AND THEN THERE WAS ONE St Ignatius is the lone unbeaten team remaining after the North Carolina Tech Techsters were upset last Monday, falling 51-43 to a St. Matthew's College club that won for just the fourth time in 23 games. The Techsters shot barely 30% from the line and had an awful opening twenty minutes that saw them trailing 23-11, a slow start they could not recover from to end their season opening 11 game winning streak. North Carolina Tech did get back on track with wins over Piedmont University and Cumberland to close out the week and their non-conference slate. The Techsters, who drop from third to fourth in the polls behind Western Iowa, Whitney College and Rainier College, open their South Atlantic Conference section schedule Thursday at Central Carolina. The St. Ignatius Lancers improved to 13-0 with a win over Dakota College last week but the must now try to navigate the treacherous waters of the Great Lakes Alliance season if they wish to match last season's Noble Jones Colonels, who became the first team in more than four decades of AIAA basketball to complete a perfect season without a loss.  RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY JANUARY 8 at #1 Western Iowa 61, Lawrence State 44 at #2 Whitney College 63, #22 Central Kentucky 58 St. Matthew's College 51, at #4 North Carolina Tech 43 at #5 Carolina Poly 54, Tallmadge State 28 #7 Noble Jones College 73, at Texas Gulf Coast 64 at #8 Central Ohio 50, Ohio Poly 49 at #11 Maryland State 64, Eastern State 61 at #12 Detroit City College 62, Elyria 59 at #17 Pittsburgh State 59, Berwick 50 at #20 Alexandria 68, West Corners (NY) 66 TUESDAY JANUARY 9 #6 Frankford State 68, at Granville 35 at #21 Lambert College 61, College of Cairo 45 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 10 at #1 Western Iowa 66, Chicago Poly 49 at #4 North Carolina Tech 62, Piedmont University 33 at #8 Central Ohio 48, #17 Pittsburgh State 39 at #11 Maryland State 72, Annapolis Maritime 60 at #14 Brunswick 49, Grafton 47 #18 Chesapeake State 61, at Liberty College 55 at #22 Central Kentucky 52, Needham 32 #23 Ellery 60, at Sadler 39 THURSDAY JANUARY 11 at #2 Whitney College 53, #16 St. Blane 52 at #25 Coastal State 54, Freemont State 41 FRIDAY JANUARY 12 at #1 Western Iowa 67, St. Matthew's College 49 #3 Rainier College 64, at #15 Coastal California 61 at #4 North Carolina Tech 55, Cumberland 52 #10 CC Los Angeles 59, at Idaho A&M 42 at #12 Detroit City College 60, Chicago Poly 49 #19 Redwood 65, at Spokane State 58 at #20 Alexandria 61, Central Maryland 39 SATURDAY JANUARY 13 at #2 Whitney College 57, Topeka State 32 at #8 Central Ohio 48, Central Carolina 40 at #9 St. Ignatius 42, Dakota College 32 at #14 Brunswick 67, #23 Ellery 61 SUNDAY JANUARY 14 #3 Rainier College 62, at Spokane State 53 Lane State 64, at #10 CC Los Angeles 45 #13 Opelika State 60, at St. Matthew's College 32 at #15 Coastal California 60, Northern California 42 #17 Pittsburgh State 48, at Bethlehem College 47 at #18 Chesapeake State 55, Bayou State 52 at Idaho A&M 69, #19 Redwood 60 
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 1/14/1951
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles Last edited by Tiger Fan; 05-21-2024 at 12:51 PM. |
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05-22-2024, 12:17 PM
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#947 |
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Hall Of Famer
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January 22, 1951 - Brooklyn Kings Sold!
JANUARY 22, 1951 BROOKLYN KINGS SOLD! Setting off Speculation Club May Move to Kansas City The FABL owners have announced the sale of the Brooklyn Kings according to the office of FABL President Dan Barrell. The press release indicates that long-time owner Daniel Prescott has decided to end his involvement with professional sports. Prescott also owned the Brooklyn Red Caps of the Federal Basketball League before folding the team prior to the current season. Prescott's main business is the Prescott Bottling Company and the company released a statement on the heels of Barrell's missive, in which it was explained that the "bottling business is, and always has been, Mr. Prescott's primary interest. While he has enjoyed his time in professional sports, it was decided that this was the appropriate time to sever that relationship and concentrate on the Prescott Bottling Company." The new owner is insurance magnate Chester Coleman of Kansas City, MO. Coleman is the CEO of the Heartland Mutual Insurance Company, based in his hometown. While no announcement was made, the news sparked speculation that the Kings may be moving. Kings County Stadium is old and in need of repair and the City of New York has already stated that it has no plans to upgrade or renovate the ballpark, but is willing to allow the Brooklyn Kings Baseball Club to do so at its own expense. Kings fans can take heart that Kansas City does not have a FABL-qualified ballpark with Packer Stadium being both aged and too small to meet FABL guidelines. For now, there is no news on that front, though Coleman is expected to make a statement about his purchase of the club in the near future.  CRESCENTS IN DANGER OF FOLDING Rumours are swirling that the American Football Association will shrink to twelve teams in the very new future with speculation that the New Orleans Crescents will fold up shop after just one season in the loop. The Crescents, born in the now defunct Continental Football Conference in 1946, suffered through a dismal winless 0-11-1 season while allowing the most points against and scoring just the second fewest in their AFA debut. One of three teams to join the AFA prior to last season after the Continental Conference's demise, the Crescents have had their struggles -both on the field and at the box office. Much of the old guard in the AFA did not want New Orleans to be a part of the league, and turned them down in the winter of 1949 prompting Crescents owner William Beauregard to threaten to sue his fellow CFC owners, forcing that league to remain intact for the 1949 campaign. The knock on New Orleans was twofold. The biggest issue was lack of a suitable venue as Crescent City Stadium was a minor league ballpark that would barely hold 18,000 for football. While Kansas City had the same challenge, the Crescents also lacked the star power to field what AFA magnates felt could be a competitive ballclub. That fact was proven out by the dismal showing of the New Orleans squad last year. While the Crescents struggled, Kansas City and San Francisco each prospered, albeit in different ways. The Cowboys still have a stadium issue with Packer Park holding just 14,000 - or barely a quarter of the fans that can be stuffed into most other AFA parks- but the Cowboys prospered on the field with a win in the AFA championship game. The Wings, owning a 3-8-1 record but playing in a shiny new 50,000 seat Golden Gate Stadium were a success at the box office if not on the gridiron. Playing in a converted minor league baseball stadium kept crowds in New Orleans averaging less than 18,000 per game and that put a strain on the club finances. With little chance of a new stadium being built in New Orleans in the near future there is some speculation that the club may be moved but Crescents owner William Beauregard apparently has no prospective buyers. Not that Beauregard may even be looking as the New Orleans native, a self-made shipping magnate who is fiercely loyal to his city, still seems intent on giving it another go despite the huge financial losses and lack of star power on his club. Despite Beauregard's stalwart desire to continue, those close to the owner suggest he is being pressured by his advisors to shut the team down rather than risk another year of large operating losses. KEYSTONES ADD PITCHING DEPTH IN DEAL WITH MONTREAL The Philadelphia Keystones added to a solid group of pitchers with the acquisition of righthander Andy Lyon from the Montreal Saints in exchange for a pair of prospects. The move to bring in the 28-year-old adds to an already crowded Keystones pitching staff that sports 13 players with previous big league experience, six of whom are without remaining minor league options. Lyon spent much of last season in the Saints bullpen, but had been primarily used as a starter in previous years by Montreal. He was used sparingly last season, posting a 3-1 record with a 3.55 era in 63 innings of work and is 24-24 over his four seasons with the Saints. Originally a 1941 7th round draft pick, he spent the 1945 season in the Army and made his FABL debut two years later. Lyon was named to the Continental Association team for the 1949 all-star game. OSA sees him as an average reliever but the Keystones are expected to give him every chance to claim a spot in the Philadelphia rotation. "Lyon will certainly be a candidate for a rotation spot in the spring," explained Keystones manager Carl Ames. "George Brooks could be another rotation option and if he is, Lyon could bolster the bullpen. Lyon is another arm, relatively young at 27 compared to most of our other veteran arms, that could help our cause next season." In return, Philadelphia parts with a pair of 21-year-old prospects. The marquee name is centerfielder Herm Kocher, the 12th overall selection in the 1947 draft and currently #71 on the OSA prospect rankings. The Georgia native was an honourable mention on the 1947 High School All-American team and has spent most of his three and a half seasons of pro ball at the Class B level, hitting .274 with 4 homers in 134 games last season. OSA calls Kocher a solid defender who has plus contact potential. The other prospect moving to Montreal is Ken Crossley, a 1948 third round selection. The righthander made 30 starts in Class B last season, going 11-9 with a 3.61 era. OSA projects him well outside its top 200 prospects but the scouting service feels he has a chance at a depth starting spot some day. FABL HEADING TO EUROPE The office of baseball president Dan Barrell has confirmed that FABL will send a party of 11 baseball men to Europe as guests of the United States Air Force. The mixture of current and retired players and executives will conduct clinics on the game for members of U.S. occupation forces at Garmisch, Germany, February 5-11, inclusive. The response came from FABL after the commanders of the European U.S. Air Force recently asked Dan Barrell to organize a party of two managers, two pitchers, two infielders, two outfielders, two umpires and a representative from Barrell's office to make a flight to Germany to conduct the clinics. A similar operation, although on a much smaller scale with just 3 former players, was done a year ago and proved to be an extremely interesting and well received session for the servicemen. The group will meet at Westover Field in Massachusetts January 31 to take off for Germany on February 1. Among those confirmed to attend include managers Billy Hammond of Boston and the Cougars Max Wilder, pitchers Bill Sohl of Detroit and Win Lewis of the Philadelphia Sailors, outfielders Al Tucker of St Louis and Jack Welch of the New York Stars along with catcher Roger Cleaves of the Philadelphia Keystones and infielder Tom Jeffries of the New York Gothams. The majority of the players making the trip served in World War II, with Cleaves seeing significant action in the Pacific as a marine. CANNONS PROSPECT TEAM PROSPERS IN CUBA Wolves Young Stars Still Struggling in Havana The Cincinnati Cannons have found great success, at least as far as pennants go, in the Cuban Winter League. For the first four years of the prospect league's existence the Cannons were associated with the Havana Sharks. Teaming with the Federal Association's Detroit Dynamos in supplying players for the Havana Sharks resulted in 3 trips to the championship game and two titles for the Sharks in the past four years. This season the Cannons changed their affiliation to the Santiago Scorpions and their partnership is with the St. Louis Pioneers. While the Sharks, supplied by Detroit and the Toronto Wolves, have struggled this season, the Scorpions own the best record in the eight team loop and are closing in on their first division title. Speaking of Havana, Brett Bing of the Toronto Mail & Empire spent some time away from the Dominion Gardens ice surface to check in on Wolves prospects in Cuba. He filed the following report: "Havana drops back after a 1-3 week. Charlie Zimmerman is getting some attention has probably earned an invitation to spring training although his stats are not impressive at 3-3 5.43. In Zimmerman's favour is the fact that he is a southpaw who Fred Barrell is said to want to have a look at in Florida, At the plate OF/1B Bob Mills is tearing it up, .316/.496/.621 8 HR 16 RBI 1,117 OPS. Mills could join an already young Toronto outfield especially if he turns out to be the power bat missing from the Wolves lineup? He may be better suited in A or AA as it is long climb from the C-O-W to the FABL. Tony Ballinger is thought to be closer to FABL ready is putting together a .320/.399/.512 7 HR 26 RBI in his second trip to Cuba. Problem is that with Fred McCormick returning there may not be room for another righthanded hitting first baseman on the 24 man roster. It would mean dealing with Frank Brunch Jr whose LHB is valued by Barrell." "As for the Wolves two first overall draft picks the news is not much improved. Young shortstop John Wells is showing a bit of pop in his bat with 5 HR but not hitting a lick at .235/.307/.374 plus kicking the ball around like it was a soccer ball. Brett has learned that Fred Barrell is thinking of moving Wells to second to see if he is less of defensive liability on the right side of the infield. With Wells giving the brass indigestion, Les Ledbetter is causing ulcers. Brett has learned that the team may shop him around because nothing seems to be working with him. If kept, Ledbetter would have to be put on the 40-man next off-season. Some staff are urging caution with the LHP saying selling now would be senseless given the return would be a marginal prospect, at best. Owner Millard is also asking about Ledbetter given the amount initially laid out to sign him."  WINDS OF CHANGE BLOWING IN CHICAGO? News out of Chicago has the Chicago Packers just days away from firing coach Ed Hempenstall as the club is suffering through one of the worst seasons in NAHC history. The Packers, who finished fourth a year ago, are dead last in the league with a dismal 6-27-10 record. A 4-1 victory over Detroit at home on Saturday night may well have saved the veteran coaches job, but Packers owner Boyd Moser, in New York to watch his club fall 3-2 to the Shamrocks last night, is said to be poised to make a change. Some observers felt that change would have come Saturday evening had the Packers stumbled against Detroit, but the victory meant the 57-year-old would live to fight another day. Moser had no comment on whether a coaching change is in the works, only saying the team has to play "much better" than it has. Hempenstall is under contract for next year as well, and has been the Packers head man since being signed prior to the 1944-45 campaign. The Toronto native had previously coached the Tacoma Lions of the Great Western Hockey League. He has led the Packers to the playoffs each of his seven seasons after inheriting a club that had gone four seasons without postseason action. As Packers coach, Hempenstall owns a 168-149-60 record but has just won one playoff series in his six seasons and the club remains the only active NAHC team to never win the Challenge Cup.  NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK New York 1 at 2 Montreal : Adam Sandford had a goal and an assist while Tom Brockers made 41 saves as the hometown Valiants prevailed over the Shamrocks despite being outshot 41-17. New York has struggled of late with six losses in their last eight games.WEDNESDAY JANUARY 17 Detroit 3 at 3 Toronto : Ben Witt's third period goal, along with his two helpers in the middle frame, allowed the Motors to earn an important point in Toronto, moving them back into a tie with the New York Shamrocks for first place in the NAHC. The Dukes stretched their unbeaten streak to 5 games. THURSDAY JANUARY 18 Montreal 2 at 2 New York : Claude LeClerc scored both Montreal goals while Jim Macek and Jocko Gregg were the New York lamplighters as the Vals and Shamrocks skated to a 2-2 draw in the back half of their home and home series.Chicago 2 at 4 Boston : Jacob Gron scored twice and added an assist as the Bees doubled the Packers 4-2. SATURDAY JANUARY 20 Toronto 5 at 5 Boston : Toronto ties for the second game in a row, but is now unbeaten in six and a high scoring 5-5 draw with the Bees at Denny Arena. Les Carlson was the hero for the Dukes as last year's NAHC leading scorer had 3 goals and 2 assists in the game. After his big night Carlson climbs to third in the NAHC scoring parade this season.Detroit 1 at 4 Chicago : With rumours swirling of a coaching change in Chicago, the Packers had one of their more spirited efforts in a 4-1 victory over Detroit. Tommy Burns scored once and added three assists for the Packers. Burns now has 16 goals and 35 points in 39 games this season. SUNDAY JANUARY 21 Toronto 1 at 2 Detroit : Toronto's 6-game unbeaten streak comes to an end at Thompson Palladium as Henri Chasse gets a rare start in relief of Millard Touhey in the Detroit cage and comes up with an outstanding 37 save effort. Louis Rocheleau and Tyson Beddoes scored for the Motors, who continue to play without injured scoring leader Graham Comeau while Quinton Pollack, with his league leading 22nd of the season, replied for the Dukes.Boston 2 at 6 Montreal : The Montreal Valiants, with 3 wins and two ties in their last five outings, moved back into third place with a 6-2 win on home ice over Boston. Clarence Skinner enjoyed a 4-point night while Brett Lanceleve had 3 assists before leaving the game with a knee injury that is expected to sideline him at least a week. Chicago 2 at 3 New York : Orval Cabbell's 19th goal of the season, on the powerplay, with less than five minutes remaining in the game lifted the Shamrocks to a 3-2 win over Chicago and kept the New Yorkers in first place, a point up on Detroit. It was a tight checking affair that saw the two teams combine for 40 shots, just 15 of them from the Shamrocks. UPCOMING GAMES TUESDAY JANUARY 23 New York at Montreal WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24 Boston at Chicago THURSDAY JANUARY 25 Toronto at Montreal Detroit at New York SATURDAY JANUARY 27 New York at Detroit Montreal at Boston Toronto at Chicago SUNDAY JANUARY 28 Boston at Detroit Chicago at Montreal New York at Toronto DUKES UNDEFEATED STREAK SNAPPED AT SIX Toronto ran their streak without a loss to 6 during the week with two ties before losing to Motors in Detroit 2-1 on Sunday. Wednesday the 13,624 on hand at Dominion Gardens were treated to a highly entertaining game between the Dukes and Motors. The home side came out skating with a purpose jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first 5 and a half minutes on goals by rearguards Clyde Lumsen and Rob Painchaud. Many fans thought but for Millard Touhey in the Detroit goal the Dukes could have put the game away in the opening 20. Toronto's two goals came on 17 shots in a period in which they were definitely the better team. The score remained 2-0 until rookie Ken Jamieson picked up a cross checking minor on the forecheck in the Motors end 185 feet away from Broadway's crease. This allowed the vaunted Motors power play to go to work and they narrowed the margin to one when Tyson Beddoes cruised in from the point to snap one in off feeds from Ben Witt and Spencer Larocque. The same two assisted on Hank Walsh's tying goal at 18:07 when he poked a rebound past Broadway. The hush that had fallen over the crowd as the visitors had begun to take control of the game was broken in the final minute of the second when Alex Lavalliere beat Touhey from the right hand circle for only his second of the season. As expected the Motors came out with a purpose in the third seemingly have the puck on a string controlling possession at will. They threw everything including the kitchen sink at the Dukes net, registering 16 shot on goal. Only one lit the lamp when Ben Witt completed his 3 point night when he was left unmarked in front at 10:14. The final ended 3-3 in a game in which Toronto was the better team for the first half, Detroit superior in the final 30 minutes. Toronto travelled to Boston to face the Bees on Saturday. For the second time in a row the teams played an offensive style of game instead of their normal matchups which feature little room to move along with bone jarring body contact all over the ice. Boston opened the scoring in the second minute when Wil Chandler took a cross ice pass from Jamie Nargang and then deposited the puck into a wide open net. Toronto even the score 68 seconds later when Jamieson got his 2nd off a Les Carlson rebound. Carlson put the Dukes ahead three minute later beating Oscar James from the slot assisted by Lumsen and Quinton Pollack. The lead held up until late in the period when John Bentley tapped in a loose puck at 17:10. The up and down the ice play continued in the second although there was only one goal. Pollack scored his 21st when fed by Galbraith, Carlson at 14:48. Toronto led 3-2 going into what turned out to be a wild third period with 5 goals. Jacob Gron knotted the game at 3 at 8:35 then Chandler's second of the night 75 seconds later gave the Bees a 4-3 lead. Carlson's second of the game tied the game at 4 only to have Robert Walker restore the Boston lead with just over 4 minutes to play. Carlson completed his hat trick giving him 5 points for the game with 2:05 left in the game in a 5-5 final. Overnight train into Detroit to face a hostile Motors crowd on Sunday. In a game that had a bit of an edge to it with the referee seeming content to let the players play ended scoreless after one. The only goals of the game were scored in the second frame. Louis Rocheleau gave the Motors the lead at 2:29 on a wild scramble in front of Broadway. Just over 3 minutes later Tyson Beddoes again came in from the point, while up a man with Doug Zimmerman off for tripping, to poke a rebound off Harry Remington's shot into the Dukes' cage. Pollack made 2-1, with his league leading 22nd, 24 seconds later only 10 seconds after a Brock Ternovatsky had been assessed a tripping penalty. That would be all the scoring in the game as Detroit hung on to win 2-1 thanks in no small part to Henri Chasse's 37 save performance. Coach Barrell- "We deserved a better fate than only getting one of four possible points in the two games from Detroit. Should have buried them in the first period on Wednesday then Chasse stoned us Sunday. I do not know what is going on with us and Boston lately, usually the games are old time nasty affairs but he last two have been no hitters. We have play better on the road we only have 17 points out of a possible 44 away from the Gardens. Interestingly only one team is .500 away from home, Detroit. We still have the second worst goal differential in the league at -7 which is unacceptable to me. We have to tighten up in our zone, how Beddoes lit us up twice on the power play coming in from the point speaks to lack of awareness, we should have known, been prepared for him moving in from the blue line. We have lost Charlie Dell for about 3 weeks with a shoulder injury, youngster Scott Renes will backup Gordie. I may try to get Scott into a game if I see Broadway tiring, no sense asking him if he needs a break because I already know the answer, "I am here to play,".  PANTHERS CONTINUE TO PROWL UPWARD IN WEST DIVISION With another big win over the Rochester Rockets, the Chicago Panthers have claimed the top spot in the Western Division, two games above the Rockets and a game and a half clear of the surging Toronto Falcons. The win in Chicago was by a single point, as neither team scored from the field for nearly two and a half minutes after a Larry Serrano two-pointer gave the Panthers a slim 75-73 lead. Both teams had multiple chances to increase their score, but the only shot to fall was a Millard Layton free throw, as he was 1-for-2 after being fouled by point guard Joe Hampton. Luther Gordon led the Panthers with 21 points, but Richard Campbell had the stronger game, shooting 10-for-32 with 20 points, 21 rebounds, and 3 assists, with 12 of his rebounds offensive. Gordon had, at least by his lofty standards, a poor week overall, scoring 23, 21, and 20 points as the Panthers went 2-1. The biggest surprise was just 6 rebounds in Chicago's 83=74 loss in Cleveland, the first time all season he was held to single digit rebounds
  RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY JANUARY 15 at #6 Frankford State 65, Meade 43 #22 Alexandria 61, at Eastern Virginia 49 #25 Charleston Tech 66, at El Paso Methodist 51 TUESDAY JANUARY 16 #7 Noble Jones College 62, at Columbia Military Academy 38 at NW Pennsylvania 47, #15 St. Blane 38 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 17 at #6 Frankford State 61, Brandywine 54 at #10 CC Los Angeles 48, #16 Coastal California 30 at #18 Ellery 64, George Fox 56 at Dickson 47, #23 Brunswick 46 THURSDAY JANUARY 18 #1 Western Iowa 65, at Wisconsin State 42 #4 Carolina Poly 62, at #24 Chesapeake State 40 at #5 Central Ohio 71, #3 Whitney College 48 Central Carolina 52, at #8 North Carolina Tech 43 #9 Maryland State 57, at Richmond State 47 #11 St. Ignatius 62, at Lincoln 54 at #14 Indiana A&M 62, #21 Detroit City College 52 #19 Coastal State 55, at Columbia Military Academy 50 FRIDAY JANUARY 19 at #2 Rainier College 64, Lane State 50 at #6 Frankford State 68, Brookland 34 at #13 Pittsburgh State 49, Mahoning Valley State 37 at #15 St. Blane 60, Commonwealth Catholic 47 SATURDAY JANUARY 20 at #1 Western Iowa 53, Lincoln 30 #3 Whitney College 65, at Wisconsin State 41 #5 Central Ohio 63, at St. Magnus 52 at #7 Noble Jones College 58, Topeka State 39 at #9 Maryland State 57, Bayou State 48 #14 Indiana A&M 68, at #11 St. Ignatius 59 #17 Lambert College 77, at Laclede 52 at #18 Ellery 73, Henry Hudson 42 #19 Coastal State 45, at Kansas Agricultural 37 at Minnesota Tech 66, #21 Detroit City College 52 at Pierpont 63, #23 Brunswick 54 SUNDAY JANUARY 21 at #2 Rainier College 71, #20 Redwood 68 at Northern California 72, #10 CC Los Angeles 63 at #15 St. Blane 71, Springfield State 46 at #16 Coastal California 48, Idaho A&M 36
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 1/21/1951
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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05-23-2024, 12:44 PM
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#948 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
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January 29, 1951
JANUARY 29, 1951 CRESCENTS FOLD, AFA REALLIGNS DIVISIONS The American Football Association is now a twelve team league after it was confirmed by the league that the New Orleans Crescents will not field a team in 1951. The Crescents, hampered by a small minor league baseball stadium as their venue and limited talent on the field, fold up shop after a disastrous 0-11-1 result for their only season of AFA football. The Crescents were one of three teams, along with Kansas City and San Francisco, to make the jump from the Continental Football Conference to the AFA prior to last season when the CFC disbanded. They owned a 23-30-1 record in their four seasons in the Continental Conference including an East Division title in 1948 before falling in the playoffs to Kansas City Cowboys that year. The players from the now defunct New Orleans outfit will be divvied up by the rest of the AFA with only a few players, notably highly touted quarterback Vince Gallegos and dependable end Dave Karaszewski, expected to draw substantial interest from the twelve holdovers. *** Solution for Kansas City is "Coming' *** With news of pro football's failure in New Orleans came plenty of questions for AFA president Jack Kristich regarding the league champion Kansas City Cowboys. Yes, the Cowboys have a tremendous collection of talent on the field, one good enough to win the league championship in its first season, but the worry was could the club be sustainable playing in a stadium that was even smaller than the one the Crescents failed in. The Cowboys home field, Packer Park, is the long-time home of the minor league baseball Kansas City Packers and holds a mere 14,000 for football. With New Orleans gone, no other AFA stadium seats less than 40,000. Kristich originally offered no comment when pressed by reporters about the Cowboys future in Kansas City before eventually replying simply "A solution is coming," before exiting into a waiting vehicle outside the Chicago hotel hosting league meetings. No further explanation was given but one AFA club owner, speaking under the condition of anonymity, assured that the Cowboys will not be moving. The likely solution would be a new stadium and that elicited theories that FABL was going to move the Brooklyn Kings to Kansas City, and the Cowboys and transplanted Kings would team up on a new stadium venture. Nothing, as of this date has been confirmed regarding the Cowboys and any new stadium but recent news that Kansas City insurance magnate Chester Coleman purchased the Kings, coupled with longtime challenges former Kings ownership faced in getting a new stadium built in Brooklyn, clearly points to a move west for the borough's ballclub. *** Four Teams Swap Divisions *** The demise of the Crescents was not the only item on the agenda when American Football Association owners met last week in Chicago for their annual winter gathering. With travel concerns voiced by the Pittsburgh and Washington franchises, both upset about cross-country trips to play in California twice each year, the league adjusted its divisions to a more geographically friendly structure. The Paladins and Wasps will join Boston, Cleveland, New York and Philadelphia in the East Division (formerly American Division) for 1951 while St Louis and Kansas City will both shift to the West Division (formerly Continental Division) where they will join holdovers Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and San Francisco.  VALIANTS MAKING A CHARGE AT LEADERS Defending Champs Win Five Straight Forgive the Montreal Valiants if they do not want to see January come to an end. It has been a big month for the defending NAHC Challenge Cup champions who went 8-3-2 including their last nine straight without a loss. The recent success has Montreal threatening to make what looked like a two-team battle for top spot in the standings between New York and Detroit into a three horse race. Montreal's hot play of late, coupled with some tepid performances out of the Shamrocks and Motors, has the Valiants within 3 points of second place Detroit and six back of the front-running Shamrocks. While the Valiants were collecting 16 points in their last nine games since January 12 the Shamrocks added just 9 points and the Motors only 5. The Vals will be hoping their hot play continues through the first 8 days of February as they host Detroit once and have a home and home series with New York during that span.  NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK TUESDAY JANUARY 23 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24 Boston 7 at 1 Chicago : The situation just keeps getting worse for the Packers, who were hammered on home ice by Boston 7-1. Tommy Hart and Wilbur Chandler each had 3 points to lead the Bees attack. Since winning two out of three games around the New Year's Celebration, the Packers have won just once since.THURSDAY JANUARY 25 Toronto 3 at 4 Montreal : Montreal is unbeaten in seven after nipping Toronto 4-3. Nikolas Roch assisted on three Valiant goals including Ed McRae's game winner on the power play midway through the third period.Detroit 3 at 0 New York : Detroit has had some struggles of late but a 39-save shutout by Millard Touhey stole two points away from the first place Shamrocks in a 2-0 Motors road win at Bigsby Garden. Vincent Arsenault scored both Detroit goals, just 10 seconds apart, in the opening period. SATURDAY JANUARY 27 New York 2 at 1 Detroit : The Shamrocks earned a split of their showdown with Detroit as third period goals from Simon Savard and Ryan Kennedy lifted New York to a 2-1 victory after Adam Vanderbilt had given Detroit an early lead. Etienne Tremblay may just be winning the starting netminding job back for New York as he started both games against the Motors.Montreal 4 at 1 Boston : No slowing the Valiants down as Tom Brockers makes 45 saves and third period goals off the sticks of Claude LeClerc and Len Webb secure the Valiants fourth straight victory. Toronto 5 at 2 Chicago : Quinton Pollack had 3 points and the Toronto Dukes scored 4 unanswered goals in a seven minute span of the third period to knock off the last place Packers. SUNDAY JANUARY 28 Boston 3 at 1 Detroit : Boston outshot Detroit 36-26 and scored once each period to move into sole possession of fourth place, two points ahead of Toronto. Mike Brunell, Jacob Gron and Tommy Hart were the Boston snipers while Joe Todd broke Oscar James shutout bid in the final minute of the game.Chicago 3 at 5 Montreal : Two streaks continued as the Valiants won for the fifth game in a row while Chicago's latest losing skid reached 4 games with a 5-3 Montreal victory. Ian Doyle led the Montreal offense with a goal and two assists while backup goaltender Brad Carter, giving Tom Brockers the night off, collected his 4th win of the season. New York 7 at 0 Toronto : One the Dukes will want to quickly forget about as Orval Cabbell extended his league scoring lead with 3 assists and Gordie Broadway might have had his worst game of the season in the Toronto net. Alex Sorrell, back in net for New York after serving as a backup for two games, turned aside all 25 Toronto shots for his third shutout of the season. UPCOMING GAMES THURSDAY FEBRUARY 1 Detroit at Montreal Toronto at New York Chicago at Boston SATURDAY FEBRUARY 3 Detroit at Boston Montreal at Chicago SUNDAY FEBRUARY 4 Chicago at Detroit Toronto at Montreal Boston at New York POOR FINISH TO JANUARY FOR DUKES In a topsy-turvey month in which Toronto posted a 6-5-2 record and as it stands now sits outside of a playoff position the Dukes had a rough finish to the month of January. The club dropped three of its last four games and sits in fifth place, two points behind Boston for the final playoff berth. After a few days off to work on things following a tough loss to Detroit eight days ago the Dukes returned to action on Thursday with a trip to Quebec to face the suddenly streaking Montreal Valiants, a team that entered the game on a six game unbeaten streak. The game was played at fast pace with few stoppages in play. Luke Brisebois opened the scoring with a well-placed wrist shot that beat Montreal's Tom Brockers to the short side. However, the Dukes quickly surrendered the lead less than a minute into the second when Pat Coulter buried a juicy rebound off of a Nikolas Roch shot. Jimmy Backus' 10th of the year with Quinton Pollack off for hooking gave the Vals a 2-1 lead in the twelfth minute of period. Pollack redeemed himself with only 12 ticks on the clock remaining in the middle frame on a pass from Lou Galbraith while on the power play. The second period was a goaltender's nightmare with Toronto firing 15 shots on goal which was 5 less than the times Montreal tested Gordie Broadway. The teams tightened up defensively in the third. Montreal capitalized early when Dan Russell had his number entered in the goal column of the scoresheet for the first time this season at 1:56 on a shot Broadway appeared not to see. Ed McRae put the home side up two with a weak goal on the power play at 11:25. Toronto stormed back less than 90 seconds later as Mike Navarro made it 4-3 when he was left alone in the high slot. Try as they might that was as close as the Dukes could get in a 4-3 final. Coach Barrell decided to give Broadway a night off in Chicago on Saturday giving Scott Renes his first NAHC start. It proved to be a wise move although there were moments of tension when the game went into the third with the Packers ahead 2-1. Chicago seemed listless the entire game only firing a total of 20 shots on goal . Toronto controlled all facets of the game testing Michael Cleghorn 48 times in 60 minutes. Cleghorn kept the Packers in the lead until the final 10 minutes of the game. Pollack's league best 24th while up two men tied the game at 10:07 then Doug Zimmerman on the same power play made it 3-2 at 11:23. Chicago had no response, late goals by Navarro and Les Carlson made the final 5-2 Toronto giving Renes his first NAHC win. What a difference a day makes in the NAHC. Coming off a late game surge to win in Chicago the team had nothing to show the home fans on Sunday against the first place Shamrocks. The game was over for all intents and purposes when New York put 3 past Broadway in the last 5 minutes of the first. Jocko Gregg started the scoring followed by Alexandre Lapalme then Simon Savard. Paul Tetreault and Alfie Dennis ran the score to 5-0 in the second. The only spirit the Dukes showed in the game was when Tim Brooks dropped the mitts to engage Jim Macek in the Toronto end towards the end of the period. Gregg's second of the game along with Eric Abbott made the final tally 7-0 for New York. Alex Sorrell picked up his third shutout of the year making 25 saves few of which were difficult in nature. Coach Barrell- "I am at a loss with this team. One word describes us - inconsistent. One game we are flying, the next game flat. I have told the players that our playoffs start now during the last third of the season. It appears it is going to be three teams for two spots us, Boston and Montreal. Montreal is on a hot streak now. We have hope they come back to earth soon. We sit two points back of Boston with a game in hand, games in hand do nothing if you don't win. The guys are off today after last night's shellacking at the hands of the Shamrocks, bag skating them is not going help at this point. I made my feelings very plain in the dressing room last night. We are going to try something different on Tuesday's practice. The coaching staff will not be on the ice, Bobby Sauer will run the practice. Maybe a message from a different source will wake up the guys, time for the on-ice leaders to lead this team. We head out Wednesday for 3 on the road in New York, Montreal and Detroit. Despite a couple days open in between we may not come back home between the Montreal, Detroit games to have the players just concentrate on hockey. I am sure the wives will not support the week away but we have to find something, fast. This could be a season defining road trip."
 CANARIES WIN SHOWDOWN WITH WHITNEY COLLEGE The number one ranked Western Iowa Canaries passed what may be the biggest test in their quest for a third straight Great Lakes Alliance section championship with a 67-60 victory over Whitney College in Sioux City Saturday afternoon. That keeps the Canaries perfect in GLA play at 4-0, and improves their overall mark to 16-1. The Engineers lose for the second time in four conference games but remain #3 in the national rankings with a 14-3 overall mark. The last team to win three consecutive conference titles in the highly competitive Great Lakes Alliance was Detroit City College, which actually won four in a row with starting in 1932. The win over Whitney College was even more impressive for the Canaries when you consider it came without preseason All-American Darryl Baugher in the lineup. The senior center, who is considered a likely first round selection in the June Federal Basketball League draft, left early in the Canaries win at St. Magnus on Thursday with back troubles. He is expected to miss another 10 days meaning Baugher will likely not be available for games against ranked opponents Central Ohio and Indiana A&M later this week. As for Saturday's victory over the Engineers with untested freshman center Skeeter Duquette trying to fill Baugher's shoes, it was a pair of sophomores that took charge. Forward Dick Landry led the way with 17 points and guard Tim Jacobus added 16 in the win that was not only contested without Baugher but also scoring leader Leo Beck, a freshman who had been averaging 11 points per game before suffering an ankle injury two weeks ago. Like Baugher, Beck is expected back in the next two weeks.  RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY JANUARY 22 at #4 Frankford State 70, Boston State 46 TUESDAY JANUARY 23 at #21 Ellery 67, Garden State 59 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24 #2 Rainier College 68, at Portland Tech 35 at #24 Alabama Baptist 48, #6 Noble Jones College 43 #9 CC Los Angeles 48, at Redwood 35 at #12 Opelika State 54, Central Kentucky 43 #16 Dickson 56, at George Fox 44 at #18 Pittsburgh State 60, Caesar Rodney 42 #20 Brunswick 61, at Sadler 49 #23 Baton Rouge State 59, at Northern Mississippi 51 THURSDAY JANUARY 25 #1 Western Iowa 60, at St. Magnus 50 at #3 Whitney College 69, Lincoln 45 at #5 Carolina Poly 50, Columbia Military Academy 35 at #11 Detroit City College 64, #7 Central Ohio 52 #10 North Carolina Tech 65, at Charleston Tech 56 #13 Maryland State 63, at Alexandria 59 at #14 St. Ignatius 62, Wisconsin State 54 at #17 Chesapeake State 43, Cowpens State 24 Minnesota Tech 48, at #19 Indiana A&M 46 at #22 Mobile Maritime 55, Lexington State 46 #25 Lambert College 67, at Northern Minnesota 54 FRIDAY JANUARY 26 #8 Coastal California 65, at Lane State 38 at #15 St. Blane 60, College of Cairo 51 SATURDAY JANUARY 27 at #1 Western Iowa 67, #3 Whitney College 60 at #4 Frankford State 50, Tinker 41 #5 Carolina Poly 50, at Lexington State 41 at #6 Noble Jones College 57, Georgia Baptist 27 at #7 Central Ohio 75, Minnesota Tech 64 #22 Mobile Maritime 43, at #10 North Carolina Tech 35 at #11 Detroit City College 66, Lincoln 56 #12 Opelika State 66, at Cumberland 49 Huntington State 67, at #13 Maryland State 61 at #14 St. Ignatius 75, St. Magnus 68 #16 Dickson 42, at Henry Hudson 37 #17 Chesapeake State 49, at Richmond State 38 at College of Waco 48, #18 Pittsburgh State 40 at #19 Indiana A&M 62, Wisconsin State 42 #21 Ellery 57, at Grafton 48 at #23 Baton Rouge State 67, Mississippi A&M 65 at Central Kentucky 47, #24 Alabama Baptist 35 at Ferguson 49, #25 Lambert College 47 SUNDAY JANUARY 28 #2 Rainier College 58, at Northern California 49 #8 Coastal California 53, at Redwood 16 AIAA OF SOUND MIND AGAIN, AS WELL AS WIND The American Intercollegiate Athletic Association indisputably proved itself sound of wind in its four-day convention at Dallas. More important is evidence that it is also sound of mind again. Sanity may have returned, strangely enough, by the jettisoning of the so-called Sanity Code. What the colleges did, in effect, was to admit the insanity of the Sanity Code, in heaving it overboard. It was a visionary attempt to regulate scholarships and aid to athletes. Many of the same schools that voted for the code made no pretense of subscribing to the regulations and respect for the code was a fiction with most of the others. It was supposed to be some kind of a Utopia in which all the schools would treat their athletes alike - giving them scholarships on the same basis that free tuition was provided for prodigious students of the arts and sciences- but it never worked out. Somehow, a good single-wing tailback or a smart T-formation quarterback always seemed to command more concessions. Most of the schools that subscribed, or pretended to subscribe, still had bond issues outstanding on big stadiums, and quickly discovered that revenues from the glee club could not lift the mortgage or even pay the interest with the same speed as a winning football team. *** "Commensurate" Salary for Athletes Now *** One of the more important regulations of the code was that athletes who did receive cash aid were to be paid a salary "commensurate" with their jobs. That meant that the big tackle whose job consisted of winding the big gymnasium clock every day, or seeing that the windows were shut during threatening weather, would no longer be paid for such boondoggling. Some schools who did hew to the letter of the code found the choice athletes drifting to colleges which were more liberal in their interpretation of the code. In different conferences, the pay and the job varied. Athletes went shopping for the most attractive scholarships and the effect of the code was lost even while it was supposed to be in effect. The first steps toward abolition of the Sanity Code were taken at the convention a year ago. At that time six schools, Alexandria, Commonwealth Catholic, Eastern State, Maryland State, Mobile Maritime and Penn Catholic were on the carpet for Code violations to which they freely confessed, explaining that it was altogether impossible for them to abide by the regulations. The vote on their expulsion for said violations was 111 in favor and 93 against. Since a two-thirds majority was required the vote lacked 25 of the necessary 136. Later a member of the AIAA's executive committee said that the lines were so sharply drawn that, under no condition, could the AIAA have won. "If those six had been expelled," added the exec, "ten more would have been hauled up at our next convention. Eventually, I think we would have down away with the AIAA through our own sanity crusade." No new solution has been decided on as all the member schools could come to agreement upon was the fact that the Sanity Code itself was simply insane. A replacement plan will be an idea to be debated on another day. Until then it will revert back to being the responsibility of the individual conferences to determine their own rules of conduct regarding scholarships for athletes. 
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 1/28/1951
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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05-24-2024, 01:25 PM
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#949 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,735
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February 5, 1951
FEBRUARY 5 , 1951 BYE BYE BROOKLYN! KINGS TO MOVE IN '52 Little Surprise They Will Relocate to KC "No ballpark, no ballclub," according to new Brooklyn Kings owner Chester Coleman at a press conference held, ironically, in the rotunda of Kings County Stadium. The grand old edifice on Flatbush Avenue is nearly seventy years old, and hasn't been refurbished since 1912. Truth be told, the Kings do need a new home. Thanks to a combination of factors, that home is going to be in Kansas City, Missouri. Coleman purchased the club in the midst of negotiations between the City of New York and former owner Daniel Prescott. Robert Moses, the powerful head of the city's Parks Department, adamantly refused to finance a new city-owned ballpark in the borough of Brooklyn, saying Kings ownership would have to finance a new park themselves. To this Prescott balked, and ultimately sold the club. From Coleman the answer was a flat, "No." Meanwhile, in Kansas City (which just so happens to be Coleman's hometown), the Kansas City Cowboys Football Club of the AFA has been in negotiations with the city and various counties for a publicly-financed stadium. Coleman has partnered with the Cowboys on a joint-usage stadium proposal with a financing deal with both the city of Kansas City and Jackson County. The Cowboys and Kings will each contribute 12.5% of the cost. The remaining 75% will be furnished in a 50/50 split between the city and county. The financing may be complicated, but the bottom line is not: the new 50,000-seat stadium will open in September and the Cowboys will play there this fall. In the spring of 1952, the Kansas City Kings will join them.  Daniel Prescott may come off as some sort of a villain, having sold the Kings to Coleman likely knowing full well that the team would dessert the borough. But Prescott should not be the one wearing the black hat. Much like the rest of us upon hearing the news of the Kings demise, Prescott must feel like he has had his heart ripped out and stomped on. His love of the sport, shining so brightly when he rescued the team from a rumoured sale to Cincinnati in 1930 when Presley family heir Eugene Weston ran into financial difficulty following the stock market crash, burned like the midday sun when his Kings ended the curse of Ferdinand Hawkins and won not one, but three consecutive pennants in the mid 1930s. That would be the high point of Prescott's sport endeavors as owner of the franchise. The Kings were on top of the world back then, led by much of the Barrell clan and the Lightbody boys. Prescott also enjoyed great success on the hardwood as the basketball league he founded prospered on the east coast as well. Prescott Breweries blossomed too, with an innovation in aluminum can production for storing beer. It was good times indeed and this reporter had the joy of watching it all unfold. Tom Barrell's three straight Allen Awards when he was clearly the best pitcher in the game. Harry Barrell's acrobatics on the field and antics in the clubhouse to keep his teammates in stitches whenever the pressure threatened to be too much. Shrewd deals that brought the likes of the Wonder Wheel, Al Wheeler, along with Frank Vance, Joe Shaffner and Mike Murphy to town. Five straight seasons of 90+ victories smack dab in the middle of decade and most enjoyable of all, the 1937 World Championship Series victory over the Pittsburgh Miners - the first and, barring a miracle this season, the last that will ever be celebrated at Kings County Stadium. Kings County itself factors in on the reason we are losing our beloved ballclub. Prescott spent hours upon hours pleading for a new ballpark to replace the outdated 70-year-old facility, but his call for action always fell on deaf ears. That only added to his frustration with the business that is modern day sports. Once a great diversion that Prescott would pour into with incredible enthusiasm, his love for sport was dealt a series of blows that ultimately led to him walking away from the Brooklyn sports scene entirely and retreating to the security and safety of his brewing and bottling empire. If you want to blame someone for this unjust decision to take our team away start with Robert Moses, the parks commissioner who had no interest in helping Prescott find a location for a new stadium. As hard to accept, a Barrell is also responsible for some of the blame. That would be Rollie- brother of Tom, Harry, Fred and Dan who all excelled for the Kings in their glory days. You see Rollie conspired with Bernie Millard to bring about the destruction of Prescott's basketball loop, and even though Daniel had the last laugh when his basketball Red Caps knocked off Rollie's Detroit Mustangs in the championship series, the deceit and backstabbing was enough to send Prescott running away from the hardwood, and certainly has to be considered a factor in his decision to abandon baseball as well. From what I have been told, Daniel Prescott did what he could to find a local buyer willing to keep the team in Brooklyn, but without a promise of a new stadium there were no takers. He was left with no choice and now Chester Coleman has started the countdown until Armageddon for the Brooklyn Kings. We have 154 games to enjoy and then may never see big league baseball, or major league sports of any type in Brooklyn ever again. Editor's Note- Jimmy Wood is a retired sportswriter that covered the Brooklyn Kings and area sports for the Brooklyn Eagle from 1926-1940. PIONEERS AND FORESTERS TRADE PARTNERS AGAIN The St. Louis Pioneers and Cleveland Foresters each enjoyed great success the last time they connected on a major trade. That was the deal that sent Hiram Steinberg to the Pioneers and helped St. Louis win two World Championship Series while the Foresters received Sherry Doyal in return and all Doyal did was win the WCS MVP award last October in leading the Foresters to their second straight pennant. This move is likely not going to move the needle anywhere near as far for either organization but it is still a fairly major deal as the clubs agreed to a seven player transaction that is headlined by former first overall selection Jim Adams Jr. trading Forester green and yellow for the burgundy and white garb of the St Louis Pioneers. The 29-year-old third baseman will be joined by second sacker Frank Kircher on the trip to St Louis with veteran infielders Lou Michaels and Bill Freeman, plus three prospects including OSA top-100 shortstop Herbert Crawford Jr. heading to the shores of Lake Erie. Adams Jr. solves the need for an upgrade at the hot corner for the Pioneers with incumbent Homer Mills a liability with the bat as a third baseman and the glove as a shortstop. Adams Jr., an All-American out of St. Ignatius, was the top pick of the 1943 draft and has spent the past eight seasons with the Foresters, but a knee injury just after the all-star break cut last season short and opened the door for 22-year-old Lloyd Coulter to wrestle away the starting third base job in Cleveland. Adams Jr. is a converted shortstop who handles the defensive duties at third base just fine while also providing some offense, a commodity that was in short supply among Pioneers infielders a year ago. The only worry is that Adams Jr. has suffered two fairly serious knee injuries in the past four years but has been given a clean bill of health. Kircher is a 26-year-old who looks to be an upgrade on Larry Gassner at second base for the Pioneers. Like Adams Jr., Kircher faced stiff competition for a starting job in Cleveland but has shown some offensive skills in limited exposure with the Foresters while also being an above average defender. The St Louis infield seems much better following the deal than it was prior to the trade with Ray Bates remaining at first base, glove wizard Win Hamby the likely starting shortstop and two newcomers in Adams Jr. and Kircher rounding out the foursome. There is still a clear lack of power hitting in the Pioneers roster beyond outfielder Larry Gregory but there is some pretty solid young outfield talent on the way up so while this deal does not make the Pioneers pennant contenders like the last time they dealt with Cleveland, it may move the St Louis club closer to the first division. *** Crawford the Key Piece For Foresters *** While 34-year-old Bill Freeman and 32-year-old Luke Michaels, who own 5 WCS rings between them, may add some veteran depth to replace the departed Adams Jr. and Kircher, the biggest addition for Cleveland in this transaction was Herbert Crawford Jr. The 22-year-old adds another top 100 prospect to the Foresters deep collection of young talent and possesses high end defensive skills at shortstop. The 1949 third round selection has yet to play above Class B but has not looked out of place in the Cuban League this winter. Cleveland also adds centerfield prospect Mike Spear, a 22-year-old 8th round pick in the 1947 draft who is at this point a work in progress as is 21-year-old Bill Kiley, who rounds out the trade acquisitions for Cleveland. Kiley was the Pioneers first round pick, 14th overall in the 1947 draft but has yet to advance past Class B and has had his struggles at both the B and C level. OSA does not feel he will ever develop into an effective big league starting pitcher but he has had three velocity hikes over the past four seasons. Archie Irwin's Take: If Jim Adams Jr. can stay healthy, this looks to be an excellent deal for a team in much need of offense, especially in the infield. The former 1st Overall Pick is a career .280/.374/.410 (122 OPS+) hitter coming off a season where he posted a 132 WRC+ with 12 doubles, 6 triples, 6 homers, 60 runs, and 61 walks in 85 games. In 1949, he actually played 148 games, and set career bests in average (.326), slugging (.474), OPS+ (138), WRC+ (141), and WAR (5.7), and along with setting many personal bests in the counting stats, he led the Fed with 189 hits. Where he plays is up to the Pioneers, but he's an upgrade at second or third, and with Al Tucker (.336, 5, 72) and Larry Gregory (.300, 13, 100), he gives them a trio at the plate that is just as effective as their trio of aces. Now from the Foresters perspective, I sort of understand the deal. I mean, they clearly didn't need him to win the championship, and both Jim Urquhart (.288, 1, 60, 12) and Lloyd Coulter (.309, 5, 33) are FABL quality second and third basemen. Plus they're younger and more durable, and they have three infielders ranked among the top 40 prospects. So why isn't this an amazing deal for them? Well, the headliner of the trade was Herbert Crawford Jr., the Pioneers 3rd Round Pick in 1949. He looks to have a future as a FABL starter, and he ranks towards the end of the top 100 prospects list (89). But considering the Foresters wealth of infield depth, is it really the headliner you want when trading one of the most talented players in the game? I know George Atkins isn't on the table, but wouldn't former 1st Rounder King Brucker, who could join Joe Wood and Sherry Doyal in the outfield of the future, be a better fit? I also have to imagine that if Adams had been made publicly available, they could have gotten a bigger haul and/or a premium prospect. Outfielder Mike Spear and pitcher Bill Kiley are decent, but neither of them are close to producing in the majors, and the Foresters are built to win now. To me, it breaks down like this: Cleveland traded a potential top-20 player in the league and their everyday second basemen in 1949 for a trio of decent, though unspectacular prospects and two guys they could have found on the waiver wire. It feels underwhelming, but no one knows Adams' medical history better then the Foresters, and if they think he can't stay on the field, perhaps this is their way of selling high. I'm pulling for Adams to stay healthy, and if he can give the Pioneers even 120 games a season, they'll push themselves into contention while the Forester fans will wonder why after winning their elusive title the team dumped their popular star. If sophomore slumps come for Urquhart and Coulter, the decision will be scrutinized by pundits across the league, especially if the Foresters fall short in their title defense. The prospect return just doesn't seem to fit the current needs of the defending champs, but if one of the prospects reaches their peak and/or Adams doesn't put together another season with triple digit games, they have a chance to come out as winners. HALL OF FAME NOMINEES RELEASED The baseball Hall of Fame in Boone County, IL., is ready to welcome its newest members as a list of 13 finalists who will appear on the 1951 ballot for voters to decide on has been released. The Hall, which is situated in the hometown of FABL founder William Whitney, presently numbers 44 inductees including Whitney and 1950 additions Jack Cleaves, Jim Lonardo and Al Wheeler. The 1951 nominees are as follows. The 1951 Hall of Fame Ballot: P Tom Barrell C Tom Bird P Gus Goulding* LF Jim Hampton P Karl Johnson* 3B Joe Masters 2B Brooks Meeks* LF Moxie Pidgeon 1B Jake Shadoan* P Charlie Stedman 1B Dick Walker P Art White* P Ed Wood * first time on ballot  Bird, the long-time Chicago Chiefs catcher came the closest of the non-qualifiers a year ago but still appeared on less than 50% of the ballots. In order to be elected a player must appear on 75% of the ballots. In addition the Veteran's Committee may select 1 or 2 names from this list. A year ago the Veteran's Committee did not select anyone to induct.
 MAKING A HALL CASE FOR GIL HICE I want to make the case for multiple of the veterans committee guys that I feel belong in Boone County, but I'll start with legendary Cougar shortstop Gil Hice: A position of strength for many years, the Cougs have been gifted with elite shortstops like Calvin Kidd, Skipper Schneider, Virgil Manuel, and of course, Gil Hice himself. Even though he had to start his career at third since Kidd was the shortstop when he came up, Hice managed to accumulate an absurd 499.2 zone rating (1.173 efficiency) in 1,201 games at shortstop. Since he was the main shortstop in just seven seasons, he played approximately eight seasons worth of games at shortstop, giving him ~62.5 zone rating per year. To give that some context, Skipper Schneider (33.4), Jim Hensley (19.8), and Harry Barrell (17.5), the top three shortstops in 1950 in terms of zone rating, give you a combined 70.7 It may not be a fair comparison, but this trio has been considered the class of defense at shortstop for the past decade, and even combined they can barely produce an average season of Hice's play. In Hice's best season, he posted an absurd 86.3 zone rating as a 34-year-old, good for a 1.196 efficiency. This year's top five for shortstops barely passes that with a combined 91 zone rating, while Skipper's 1.133 efficiency lead FABL. For the less statistically inclined, a 1.133 efficiency means Skipper was 133 times better then the average shortstop in 1950. Hice was 196 times better then the average shortstop in 1908 While I truly can't say enough about the glove, it is a huge reason why Hice was such an impressive player. From 1905 to 1908 he averaged over 13 WAR a season, producing WRC+ of 115, 111, 140, and 96. It's worth honing in on the 140 he produced in 1907, as Hice hit .301/.372/.368 (145 OPS+) with 21 steals, 42 runs, and 69 RBIs. The most impressive part of this streak, however, is Hice was so valuable without hitting a home run. In fact, from 1903 to his retirement in 1911, he hit just one home run, and had only 23 in 2,201 FABL games. That didn't stop him from collecting 133 WAR, good for 10th all-time and highest among non-Hall-of-Famers, as he was a bit above average hitter (111 OPS+, 108 WRC+) who recorded 2,264 hits, 291 doubles, 151 triples, and 696 walks with 226 steals. He's also a common entrant on the Cougars leaderboard, ranked 2nd in triples (149), 3rd in RBIs (1,045), walks (696), and WAR (132.8), 4th in runs (960), hits (2,259), doubles (290), total bases (2,916) One of the best defenders of his time, Hice was also a measure of consistency, as from 1898 to 1904, when the scheduled was just 140 games, he played 137 or more games, and when it increased to 154 in 1905, he appeared in 149 or more until his retirement in 1911. An induction to the Hall by the Veteran's committee would be a huge achievement, but whether he is selected or not, the Cougars plan to induct him into the team hall this coming season, with the 77-year-old booked to throw out the first pitch in the Cougars opening home series DETROIT MOURNS PASSING OF DYNAMOS OWNER The Detroit Dynamos are heavy-hearted and hurting today. The club announced today at a press conference held at Thompson Field that its owner Powell Thompson had passed away, finally succumbing to a lengthy illness. The team's general manager released funeral arrangements and also announced the new owner. Powell Thompson Jr. is the new Detroit Dynamos head man. Junior becomes the fourth member of his family to serve as club President. Powell Jr.'s grandfather William 'Big Bill' Thompson founded the Dynamos in 1890. He was followed by sons Edward 'Big Money' Thompson and, after Big Money's death a decade ago, half-brother Powell Thompson Sr. took over the club. Powell Sr. quickly earned the nickname "Little Money' for his tight-fisted ways in operating the team. According to the local media, Powell Jr. does not share the same fondness for a firm hold on the purse strings that his father embraced. Powell Jr. has a reputation for being financially generous and tolerant in temperament but also driven to see the Dynamos turn a tidy profit. CUBAN WINTER LOOP TITLE GAME SET FOR TODAY Two teams heading in opposite directions over the past week will meet to decide the champion of the Cuban Winter League. The Santa Clara Stallions, fed by players from the Cleveland Foresters and Washington Eagles, finished the regular season on a 4-game winning streak to hold off Cienfuegos and win their first Western Division title. The Stallions will face the Santiago Scorpions in a winner take all one game finale this afternoon. Unlike the red-hot Stallions, Santiago -which receives its players from the St Louis Pioneers and Cincinnati Cannons- limps in to the title contest on a four game losing skid. Not that it mattered much as Santiago built a large lead and even with their late season stumbles still finished 5 games ahead of defending league champion Manzanillo to easily qualify for the title game. It is also Santiago's first appearance in the championship game.  STREAKS ARE THE STORY- PLUS TROUBLE IN TORONTO The 4 game winning streak of the first place New York Shamrocks and stretching their unbeaten streak to 12 games for the hard-charging Montreal Valiants should have been the big stories in hockey this week but instead there are surprising rumours out of Toronto that Dukes head coach Jack Barrell may be on his way out if things do not turn around quickly in Toronto. A Toronto newspaper speculated that Barrell could be on his last legs in Dukes country, saying the coach may be jettisoned if the Dukes fail to make the playoffs. Toronto has lost three in a row and five of their last six and presently sit outside of the playoffs - in fifth place, three points back of the fourth place Boston Bees. Barrell, the longtime star player for the Dukes who made his mark in the coaching ranks with the Detroit Motors before taking over the reins in Toronto in the summer of 1947. He promptly became the toast of the town, leading the Dukes to back to back Challenge Cup wins in his first two seasons. A year ago the Dukes finished second in the regular season, just 2 points back of the front-running New York Shamrocks but then Toronto was unceremoniously dumped out of the playoffs when the Montreal Valiants upset them four games to one in the semi-finals. This season the Dukes have been very inconsistent, playing some stretches of very sound hockey such as when they won four straight in mid-January but overall simply not exhibited the defensive effort one has come to expect from a Jack Barrell coached team. Were it not for the heroics often displayed by goaltender Gordie Broadway the Dukes record might be much worse than the 17-20-12 mark they currently show.  NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK THURSDAY FEBRUARY 1 Toronto 1 at 3 New York : The first place Shamrocks added to Toronto's troubles with a 3-1 victory over the Dukes at Bigsby Garden. Ryan Kennedy assisted on third period goals from Simon Savard and Geoff Hartnell that gave New York the victory. Chicago 1 at 2 Boston : Boston added to its hold on fourth place with a 2-1 win over Chicago while the fifth place Dukes were losing in New York. Max Ducharme put the Packers in front in the second period but John Bentley and Robert Walker each scored in the third to lift Boston to the win. SATURDAY FEBRUARY 3 Detroit 7 at 0 Boston : A weird game that saw Boston outshot Detroit 49-32 but get blasted 7-0. Millard Touhey was outstanding in earning his league leading 7th shutout of the season while Tyson Beddoes paced the Motors attack with 4 assists in a game that saw seven different Detroit players beat Oscar James in the Boston net.Montreal 4 at 3 Chicago : The Packers latest losing streak reached six games while Montreal is now unbeaten in eleven straight after a 4-3 road win for the Valiants. Clarence Skinner had 3 points to pace the winners while Tommy Burns scored twice, his 17th and 18th of the season, in a losing cause. SUNDAY FEBRUARY 4 Chicago 3 at 3 Detroit : Tommy Burns scored his 19th of the season early in the third period to earn the Packers a tie in the Motor City.Toronto 0 at 3 Montreal : Rumours that Toronto coach Jack Barrell may be fired where making the rounds in the press box as the Valiants blanked Toronto 3-0 for their 12th consecutive game without a defeat. The Dukes have lost five of their last six contests and have fallen four points back of fourth place Boston in the battle for the final playoff berth. Toronto does have two games in hand, however. Boston 1 at 2 New York : New York extended its lead on second place Detroit to three points after the Shamrocks nipped Boston for their fourth straight victory. Jim Macek and Simon Savard each scored in the first period with only Mike Brunell's third frame powerplay goal solving Alex Sorrell, who turned aside 25 of the 26 shots he faced in the New York net. UPCOMING GAMES WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 7 Toronto at Detroit Montreal at New York Boston at Chicago THURSDAY FEBRUARY 8 New York at Montreal SATURDAY FEBRUARY 10 Boston at Detroit New York at Chicago SUNDAY FEBRUARY 11 New York at Detroit Chicago at Montreal Boston at Toronto DUKES DROP TWO MORE, REMAIN IN FIFTH PLACE In a week with only two games on the schedule, the Toronto Dukes fell further behind Boston in the chase for the final playoff spot. In Bigsby Gardens midweek many fans were hoping that the team would be seeking revenge after the 7-0 beating the Shamrocks had laid on the team Sunday at home. The fans were optimistic early when Rob Painchaud's 9th of the year from the point found the twine behind Alex Sorrell at 3:03. Toronto's best period was the first in which Gordie Broadway, a surprise starter in goal, handled 16 shots although most were from outside to maintain the one goal lead at intermission. The Dukes generated very little offense for the rest the game seeming to try to win with their lone goal in the first. That dream came to an abrupt end when Rusty Mullins got his stick to a loose puck in the crease that Broadway thought he had frozen at 12:36. Broadway chased the referee all the way to the timekeeper's bench arguing his case to no avail. Coach Barrell also called the official over to get a explanation, which did not satisfy him. The little spunk the visitors had in them disappeared after the tying goal. The Dukes just dumped the puck out of their zone with no real attempt to mount an attack. Simon Savard tallied his 16th of the year 99 seconds into the third turned out to be the winning goal. Dukes continued to sleep walk through the game not giving the Shamrocks anything to worry about in their own end. Geoff Hartnell finished the scoring at 12:16 in 3-1 victory for the first place Shamrocks. Into Montreal for a Sunday afternoon encounter with the recent high flying Vals. The Dukes played with a little more spirit but could not put the disc behind Tom Brockers in the Montreal net. Brockers faced, then stopped 38 shots for his second shutout of the campaign. Broadway was a little busier facing 44, he allowed one in each period. Arlen Doherty in the first, Wayne Augustin in the second, then Clarence Skinner early in the final 20 gave the Vals a victory 3-0. Montreal has not lost since January 11th 4-3 loss Boston. Coach Barrell- "Things seem dim at present but I urge the fans to show a little patience we will turn the corner soon. I have heard the rumours about my demise as the Dukes bench boss. I have been around this game for a long time, as soon as a team goes into a slump the scuttle butt starts about firing the coach, GM. Win three or four in a row that all stops. I will concentrate on my job which is to prepare the team for the game. We have far too many good players not to turn this around, the players have pride. We have dug ourselves a hole now we have to get out of the hole. The turnaround will start in Detroit."
 RAINIER COLLEGE TAKES OVER TOP SPOT IN POLLS Injury depleted Western Iowa, with a less than 100% Darryl Baugher in the lineup but missing freshman scoring sensation Leo Beck, was tripped up 55-52 at home by Indiana A&M Saturday to fall out of the top spot in the national rankings. That distinction now belongs to Pacific Northwest power Rainier College as the Majestics continue to set the pace in the West Coast Athletic Association. The Majestics improved to 8-1 in section play and 20-2 overall with wins over Idaho A&M and 9th ranked Coastal California despite continuing to play without senior guard Don Higgins, who is on academic suspension. With Higgins sidelined, two sophomores have carried Rainier College. Guard T.J. Grimm ranks among the nation's scoring leaders in averaging 15 points per game while forward Doc Daniels is also scoring in double figures. The Majestics lost their WCAA opener to CC Los Angeles but have reeled off eight straight victories since then.  RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY JANUARY 29 at Liberty College 60, #16 St. Blane 51 TUESDAY JANUARY 30 at #17 Pittsburgh State 46, Central Maryland 35 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 31 #6 Noble Jones College 57, at Mississippi A&M 39 at #10 Opelika State 47, Northern Mississippi 38 at #11 Brunswick 54, Henry Hudson 29 #13 Ellery 43, at Pierpont 30 at #19 Dickson 55, Grafton 48 #20 Baton Rouge State 51, at Georgia Baptist 35 #24 Central Kentucky 58, at Bluegrass State 37 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 1 at #2 Whitney College 68, #18 St. Ignatius 46 #4 Western Iowa 66, at #7 Central Ohio 64 at Bulein 62, #5 Carolina Poly 57 at #12 North Carolina Tech 47, Cowpens State 40 #14 Chesapeake State 56, at Huntington State 41 #15 Indiana A&M 58, at Lincoln 49 at St. Magnus 52, #21 Detroit City College 39 #22 Charleston Tech 62, at Coastal State 48 at #23 Lambert College 70, Central Illinois 49 Mobile Maritime 73, at #25 Maryland State 65 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 2 at #1 Rainier College 72, Idaho A&M 45 #3 Frankford State 54, at Smithfield College 43 at #8 CC Los Angeles 58, Portland Tech 28 at #16 St. Blane 67, Manhattan Tech 52 at #17 Pittsburgh State 52, Potomac College 44 SATURDAY FEBRUARY 3 at #2 Whitney College 56, #21 Detroit City College 54 #15 Indiana A&M 55, at #4 Western Iowa 52 at #5 Carolina Poly 54, Huntington State 40 at #6 Noble Jones College 57, Mississippi A&M 36 at #7 Central Ohio 60, #18 St. Ignatius 38 at #10 Opelika State 68, Cumberland 37 at #11 Brunswick 68, George Fox 61 at Columbia Military Academy 49, #12 North Carolina Tech 46 #13 Ellery 63, at #19 Dickson 42 at #14 Chesapeake State 72, #25 Maryland State 60 at #20 Baton Rouge State 54, Northern Mississippi 25 at #22 Charleston Tech 58, Cowpens State 50 at #24 Central Kentucky 54, Bluegrass State 43 SUNDAY FEBRUARY 4 at #1 Rainier College 56, #9 Coastal California 48 at #3 Frankford State 62, Troy State (NY) 31 at #8 CC Los Angeles 60, Idaho A&M 52 DAN MILLER RETIRES California heavyweight Dan Miller, best known for facing Hector Sawyer before a record boxing crowd of over 100,000 fans at Santa Ana Stadium in January of 1948, has announced his retirement. Miller finishes with a career record of 44-13-1 in twelve year fight career that included wins over notables such as Cannon Cooper and Glenn Hairston. The Sawyer fight in 1948 was the ninth defense for the most famous boxer in heavyweight history and Miller was unfortunately out of his element. Sawyer dominated the bout right from the opening bell until the bout was stopped, with Miller bleeding profusely from a cut just above his left eye, in the 8th round. It would be Miller's lone chance at the title and while it is the defining moment of his career, there were plenty of highlights. Born in Oakland in 1916, Miller turned pro as 21-year-old in 1937 and began to make a name for himself on the west coast. He would head east and win five consecutive fights in the fall of 1940 and through the summer of 1941, including a victory over Matt Price on the undercard of a Bigsby Garden event in February of 1941. Like so many other professional athletes, Miller's career was put on hold in early 1942 when he joined the Navy. Miller would return to the ring in 1945 with an impressive win over Allen Daniel in St Louis before returning to the coast for a number of bouts, all of them victories. A unanimous decision over a young Lewis Jones in 1947 caught the attention of Hector Sawyer's camp and plans were made for the Santa Ana fight. Chester Conley, Sawyer's long-time promoter wanted a California opponent for the champion to help ensure a crowd of over 100,000 and Miller fit the bill. He was not quite the same fighter after that evening in the ring with Sawyer, as Miller lost four of his next six fights including defeats to cannon Cooper - who he would later beat in a rematch- and rising Ohio-born heavyweight Brad Harris, who had his own chance against Sawyer last December. Miller goes out a winner, scoring back to back decision over Matthew Roberts in California last October and over journeyman Steve Manning in his ring farewell, which took place last month in New York City.  UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 2/04/1951
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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05-27-2024, 01:57 PM
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,735
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February 12, 1951
FEBRUARY 12, 1951 BIRD AND BARRELL QUALIFY FOR HALL OF FAME Veterans Committee Adds Hise The baseball Hall of Fame in Boone County, IL., swells its ranks by three with news that Tom Bird, Tom Barrell and Gil Hise have been voted into the baseball museum. Bird and Barrell which each selected on the standard ballot -the only two of the 13 finalists to receive the necessary votes for induction- while Hise, a turn of the century shortstop, was added by the veterans committee. *** Bird was a Favourite of Chicago Scribes *** How do you get to the Federally Aligned Baseball Leagues Hall of Fame? Just hit 500 homers, get 3000 hits, win 300 games or perhaps just save 300 games. Not an easy task, is it? But occasionally your game was so dominant and so well-rounded you don't need those milestones -- and that is what happened to the gifted catcher Tom Bird, who retired at the age of 37. Tom Bird was recently inducted into the coveted shrine of hardball heroes by the Baseball Writers Association. Bird was always a favorite of the beat writers -- always quick with a quip and always willing to talk about the game -- but that's not why he got elected to the Hall of Fame. Bird played a good brand of baseball, too. He played in 1451 games, had 1558 hits, 146 home runs, 805 RBIs and scored 874 runs while batting .308 in his career. Reminiscing about his life in baseball, Bird said it all began by hitting grand slam homers in the last of the ninth in his backyard and ended up in the Hall of Fame. "It was quite a trip. I can't believe they pay us money to play a kid's game. Thank goodness I was good at it. I only got a high school education and I had to cheat to get that. Who knows what I would have done without baseball. I was just a poor old country boy. For the longest time I even thought the last words of the national anthem were 'play ball'." ***Barrell Makes Hall a Family Affair **** Tom Barrell was inducted into the Federally Aligned Baseball Leagues Hall of Fame today. Present at his induction ceremony were several former managers who had glowing words to say about baseball's newest immortal. "He is the only man I've ever seen pitch a shutout on a day when he had absolutely nothing," declared fellow Hall of Famer and former Barrell skipper Powell Slocum. "Tom pitched as well as he had to. He didn't worry about his ERA. He pitched to win. He was businesslike and he reacted to the score, so he didn't mind giving up a run or two. When it got close, he was tougher." "To be a successful manager, you have to have faith in God above and a Tom Barrell on the mound." Barrell retired at the age of 37. During his fabulous career he put up a 179-111 won-lost record with 1257 strikeouts in 2722.2 innings and compiled an impressive 3.68 ERA. He was dominant from 1934-36 and became the only pitcher ever to win three straight Allen Awards. Barrell joins his father, the late scouting legend Rufus Barrell, in the Hall of Fame. *** Hise Was Defensive Wizard In Early Era *** The Federally Aligned Baseball Leagues Hall of Fame honors those players who are the best at their position, those special individuals whose skills make them unforgettable in the eyes of baseball fans everywhere. Another such player was recognized today, as shortstop Gil Hice was enshrined at his induction ceremony. There was no mistaking the look of pride on Gil Hice's face as he saw his statue for the first time and the plaque recounting the many accomplishments over his 2201-game career. Hice played until he was 39 and had a lifetime .280 batting average with 23 home runs. Baseball's newest Hall of Famer batted in 1051 runs and scored 962 times. Hice was a defensive marvel and it was that aspect of his game that earned him his spot amongst the immortals of the game. Fans of all ages watched in appreciation as Hice blinked back tears. "I really don't know what to say during such an enormous moment," he managed to finally say, "because words cannot describe all the feelings and thoughts running through my head. The love and appreciation from all my fellow players and all the fans out there has been overwhelming, but I would not be here today without the love and support of my family. My greatest thanks goes to them." 1951 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES   MY HALL OF FAME BALLOT The results are now known but I thought I would share my Hall of Fame ballot with the readers. C Tom Bird (3rd Ballot, 47%) Teams: St. Louis Pioneers, Montreal Saints, Chicago Chiefs, Cincinnati CannonsDrafted: Undrafted (1929) Career Stats: .308/.416/.470 (145 OPS+), 1,451 G, 6,113 PA, 874 R, 325 2B, 27 3B, 146 HR, 805 RBI, 958 BB, 3 SB, 150 WRC+, 56.5 WAR Accolades: 10 All-Star Selections, 3 Championships, 1 World Championship Series MVP Chiefs Leaderboard: Average (5th, .313), OBP (1st, .422), Slugging (5th, .481), OPS (1st, .903), Homers (5th, 127), Walks (3rd, 797) Chiefs Single Season Records: OBP (1st, .458, 1937; 2nd, .457, 1938), Slugging (5th, .552, 1937), OPS (3rd, 1.010, 1937; 4th, 1.007, 1938), Walks (3rd, 116, 1937; 4th, 111, 1938) Association Season Highs: Walks (1; 1937), OBP (1; 1938), OPS (1; 1938), WRC+ (1; 1938), wOBA (1; 1938) Perhaps the most controversial member of the ballot, I have and will continue to be in the camp that firmly believes Tom Bird belongs in the Hall. The bat is just too good, as in ten seasons where he appeared in 100 or more games, he had more seasons with a WRC+ of 160 or better (4; 1937, 1938, 1939, 1944) then seasons with a WRC+ below 125 (2; 1936, 1943). And in one of those seasons it was 124! For pretty much every season he played, Bird was at least 25% better then the average hitter, and the average hitter wasn't dealing with the daily struggles of trying to catch FABL pitchers. This season we had just four FABL catchers with a WRC+ above 125. One is Hall-of-Famer George Cleaves. A second is his half-brother Roger. Both have the same amount of seasons with a WRC+ below 124 as Bird. The third is the leader, Larry McClure and his 162, who's a rookie and can't have a season below 124. The 4th is Pete Casstevens, who's 126 replaces his previous career high of 114. 1950 was a rare productive season for catchers at the plate, as even one year ago just George Cleaves (149) was over 110! Bird's worst season was 116. Simply put, it is tough enough for a catcher to get one season above 110, let alone an entire career's worth! The work Bird did at the bat was somewhat overshadowed by the elder catching Cleaves, but there's more then enough room in the Hall for two excellent offensive catchers! I hope this is the year he gets in, or you're going to be hearing a lot more from me on Bird next year. My hope is that with a much weaker class, he finally gets over the hump. RHP Charlie Stedman (3rd Ballot, 38%) Teams: Montreal Saints, New York Stars, Boston Minutemen, Pittsburgh MinersDrafted: 1st Round, 14th Overall (1923) by the Chicago Chiefs Career Stats: 250-221, 4,360.1 IP, 3.60 ERA (116 ERA+), 1.37 WHIP, 1,310 BB, 1,799 K, 1.4 K/BB, 3.62 FIP (86 FIP-), 91..4 WAR Accolades: 3 All-Star Selections, 1 Allen Awards, 1 Championship Miners Leaderboard: Wins (t-10th, 107), WAR (6th, 40.2), Strikeouts (7th, 779), K/BB (9th, 1.4) Saints Leaderboard: WAR (7th, 27.6), Shutouts (t-6th, 12) Association Season Highs: HR/9 (2; 1931, 1937), FIP- (4; 1929, 1930, 1937, 1938), WAR (1937) With a loaded ballot last year I had to take Charlie Stedman off mine, but with three new additions and personal favorite Dick Lyons failing to make it over the minimum percentage to stay on, there was plenty of room for Hard Luck Chuck. A durable and steady pitcher, Stedman debuted in 1926 with Montreal, but really made his mark during the 1929 season. It was the first of his two 20-win seasons, as Montreal's ace went 21-10 with a 2.99 ERA (149 ERA+), 1.25 WHIP, and 121 strikeouts. His 3.42 FIP was a bit higher then his ERA, but his 76 FIP- led the association, the first of four times he did that. Leading in FIP- is arguably more impressive then ERA+, as I've watched enough Cougar baseball to realize how much a good defense can help a pitching staff. Stedman's ability to keep the ball in the park, whether it was in the spacious Parc Cartier or any of the homer friendly Fed parks he played in at the back of his career. It took until he was 38 for him to allow more then 15 homers in a season, and even with 21 in 1940, he threw 312.1 innings, so his 0.6 HR/9 was still well above average. Eating innings is another thing Stedman excelled in, especially towards the end of his career. With the Miners, he made 39 starts in his first four full seasons, and throughout his career he surpassed the 250 inning mark 11 times. Upping the minimum to 270, he still managed that 9 times, but most impressive was 3 300 inning seasons, all coming after his 35th birthday. Stedman was one of the most unique pitchers FABL has seen, as he had almost no decline in his advanced age, even with an increased workload as his hair turned grey. His longevity allowed him to win 250 games, strikeout 1,799 batters, and his quality allowed him to maintain a 3.60 ERA (116 ERA+) and 1.37 WHIP, all while accumulating 91.4 wins above replacement. Among FABL pitchers, he's tied for the 25th most wins and 14th most WAR, trailing just Rabbit Day (93.2) and Jim Lonardo (93), both Hall-of-Famers, among players who debuted in the Modern Era (1926 and on). For me, the standard with pitchers is being better then George Johnson, and I think that's a bar Stedman is able to clear. 1B Dick Walker (2nd Ballot, 27%) Teams: Philadelphia Sailors, Chicago Cougars Drafted: 12th Round, 187th Overall (1924) by the Toronto Wolves Career Stats: .272/.379/.426 (123 OPS+), 2,784 G, 11,961 PA, 1,840 R, 433 2B, 272 3B, 193 HR, 1,262 RBI, 1,769 BB, 422 SB, 125 WRC+, 75.9 WAR Accolades: 5 All-Star Selections, 2 Championships FABL Leaderboard: Runs (6th, 1,840), Walks (2nd, 1,769) FABL Single Season Records: (t-6th, 141) Sailors Leaderboard: OBP (5th, 382), Slugging (5th, .443), OPS (4th, .825), WAR (3rd, 52.8), Runs (1st, 1,314), Hits (3rd, 1,995), Doubles (4th, 325), Triples (1st, 209), Home Runs (1st, 136), RBIs (2nd, 959), Steals (3rd, 298), Walks (1st, 1,189) Sailors Single Season Records: Slugging (5th, 1930, .534), OPS (7th, 1930, .924); Runs (3rd, 1936, 135; 9th, 1939, 121; 10th, 1930, 120), Triples (2nd, 1930, 26; t-8th, 1935, 21), Home Runs (7th, 1938, 16), Walks (5th, 1939, 126; 7th, 1931, 115; 8th, 1935, 112; 9th, 1939, 109; 10th, 1936, 104) Cougars Single Season Records: Walks (1st, 1944, 141; 4th, 1945, 108) Association Season Highs: Plate Appearances (3; 1931, 1943, 1944), Runs (2; 1943. 1944), Triples (1; 1935), BB (9; 1931, 1932, 1933, 1935, 1938, 1939, 1943, 1944, 1945), Steals (5; 1931, 1932, 1934, 1938, 1939)[/B] Okay, now that there is no Dick Lyons on the ballot, my one goal is to get Dick Walker elected. One of the most unique players FABL has ever seen, Dick Walker is anything but the prototypical first basemen. Known most for his time with the Philadelphia Sailors, I'm sure most of our readers did not know that it was actually the Toronto Wolves who drafted Dick Walker, even if they decided not to add him to the organization. I'm sure if they knew he would turn into the consistent, athletic ,and disciplined star he turned into, they never would have let him go, but considering he sat on the open market for a few months after the draft, you can blame the other fourteen teams as well for not giving Walker a chance. He debuted to very little fanfare in 1928, where he became the Sailors everyday first basemen despite never playing above A ball. It certainly showed, as he hit just .248/.296/.370 (84 OPS+) in 128 games as a rookie. He turned 22 at the end of the season, and still managed to walk (32) just as often as he struck out. That and 65 runs, 24 doubles, 15 triples, 54 RBIs, and 7 steals was the first peek at the type of player Walker could become. The work he did in the offseason set up a 18 season stretch of above average WRC+. He didn't quite hit his stride in year two, but after being an afterthought on the 1928 Sailors Championship team, he was a key contributor of the squad that one in 1930. Walker's breakout featured a .327/.390/.534 (134 OPS+) batting line with 120 runs, 37 doubles, 23 triples, 13 homers, 90 RBIs, 66 walks, and 24 steals. This was the first of his six 5+ WAR seasons, accumulating 5.4 wins above replacement as he started all 154 of the Sailors contests. He went on to go 14-for-33 in the against the Gothams in the series, scoring six runs and tripling with two and no strikeouts. And while the Sailors didn't factor much in the 1931 season, Walker had one of his best seasons, leading the league in walks (115) and steals (27) after hitting .300/.412/.444 (137 OPS+) in a league high 711 trips to the plate. For the next nine seasons, he was a key piece of the Sailors lineup, producing many seasons with an impressive tally of runs, walks, steals, doubles, triples, homers, and RBIs. Then in 1941, Walker seemed to fall out of the Sailors plans, as he was playing sparingly with current third basemen Marion Boismenu emerging at first. This led to an early season trade to the Chicago Cougars, who took advantage of Walker in their playoff run. The 34-year-old hit .270/.378/.473 (135 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 5 triples, 12 homers, 42 RBIs, 66 runs, and 10 steals, effectively leading a talented Cougars roster to a Continental Association championship. The Cougars failed to top the Boston Minutemen, dropping four of the seven games by a single run. He returned to a platoon with Ray Ford for the 1942 season, but when Ford was called away for the army, Walker managed to keep the position to himself. He led the CA in PAs for each of the next two seasons, producing an impressive 134 WRC+ in 1943. Walker led the league with 101 runs and 92 walks, hitting .270/.369/.415 (135 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 13 triples, 11 homers, 23 steals, and 64 RBIs. He led the league in walks again in 1944 with a Cougar high 141. 141 was also tied for the 6th most by a FABL hitter ever, and while he didn't quite match that the following season his 108 in 1945 again led the CA and were the 4th most by a Cougar. When everyone came back from the war, Walker's playing time dropped a bit in 1946, but he hit more then enough to stay in the lineup. Making 509 trips to the plate, his fewest in four seasons, he hit a Cougar best .262/.381/.467 (144 OPS+) with 20 doubles, 17 triples, 11 homers, 52 RBIs, 78 runs, and 21 steals. He struggled as a 40-year-old in 1947 before transitioning to a part-time role, and after his first sub 100 WRC+ season since his debut year, he decided it was time to call it quits. He finished three walks shy of Max Morris' FABL record 1,772, but the feared slugger got almost 100 more intentional free passes then the aptly named Walker. Along with the 1,669 walks, he had a deep chest of counting stats, collecting 1,840 runs, 2,742 hits, 433 doubles, 272 triples, 193 homers, 1,262 RBIs, 422 steals, and 75.9 WAR. His 1,840 runs was good for sixth all time, and his .272/.379/.426 (123 OPS+) career triple slash was well above average. His name is all over the Sailors record books, from his obvious lead in walks to his franchise high 126 homers. Unlike last year's ballot, which had leaderboard entrants in Jim Lonardo and Al Wheeler, there's no one on this ballot who can boast the career numbers as Walker, and I'm hoping he's one of the guys who can get in this season.  Rabbit Day (1936 - 1944) The acquisition of Rabbit Day in late June of 1936 was the proximate cause of the three-season run in which the Chiefs won two championships. Bird pitched in 297 games for the Chiefs, starting 255 of them. He had a record of 139-98-10, including a league-leading 26 wins in 1938. He won the Allen Award in 1936, and finished in the top-3 of the voting in two other seasons.C - Tom Bird (1936 - 1944) Both Tom Bird (1,165) and Hank Odegaard (1,050) have caught over 1,000 games for the Chiefs in the modern era. Bird batted .313 with an OPS of .903. Bird won two rings, played in eight all-star games, and finished in the top-3 for Whitney voting three times.1B - Ron Rattigan (1935 - 1947) Tim Hopkins has an OPS of .871 and has hit 167 home runs for the Chiefs. The 167 home runs ties the number hit by Ron Rattigan during his long career in Chicago. Rattigan had an .827 OPS in 1,827 games. He played in 7 all-star games and was a part of two championship clubs.2B - Pete Layton (1936 - 1938) Layton had a relatively short career in Chicago, playing in 356 games. That's fewer games than the current starter Artie D'Alessandro (523), and even fewer than Freddie Jones (421) and Ducky Jordan (403). But no one had a larger impact than Pete Layton. He batted .345 with a .933 OPS. He also is the modern leader at second base for home runs (50) and WAR (11.58). For comparison, D'Alessandro has a WAR of 11.29 in nearly 100 more games played. In his three Chicago season, Layton won two championships, was the Series MVP in 1938, and played in two all-star games.3B - Bob Martin (1928 - 1949) The only question for Martin is where he appears on this list. He played in 2,437 games for the Chiefs--1,092 at first base and 1,203 at third. So you could say Martin was both the best first baseman and best third baseman for the Chiefs in the modern era. For his career, Martin hit .324 with a .885 OPS and is the current Chiefs leader in games played and hits (3,314). An honorable mention will go to Hank Barnett (1938 - 1942). In Barnett's five seasons, he finished in the top-3 of Whitney voting three times, winning in 1942. He was part of the 1938 championship team and played in five all-star games.SS - Frank Davis (1940 - 1944) It's not a secret that the Chiefs have not had much success in finding a regular short stop. In 1940, the Chiefs acquired 23-year-old Davis from Montreal, thereby solidifying the position for the next four seasons. Davis brought a good glove to go along with a league-average bat (.283 AVG, .683 OPS), and over his full four seasons in Chicago, Davis started 615 of the possible 616 games.LF - Jim Hampton (1926 - 1941) In 2,005 games, Hampton collected 2,514 hits of which 170 were home runs, 432 were doubles, and 121 were triples, which results in a .328 AVG and .869 OPS. Hampton was also part of the two championship clubs in the 1930s. Hampton only appeared in two all-star games--which says more about how much outfield talent is in the FABL than anything about Hampton himself. Both Hampton and Bird are on the 1952 Hall of Fame ballot.CF - Bill May (1938 - 1950) The Chiefs have had two primary center fielders in the modern era. In the 1920s it was Bert Hartman (.283 AVG, .735), and in the 1930s, Bill May (.297 AVG, .723 OPS). Both played in over 1,000 games: 1,246 (and counting) for Bill May and 1,107 for Bert Hartman. We'll give May the nod for the two championship clubs he was a part of (1938 and 1949).RF - Cliff Moss (1935 - 1940) There are a number of acquisitions which can be pointed to as driving the renaissance in Chiefs baseball that occurred in the second-half of the 1930s. But before Tom Bird, before Pete Layton, before Hank Barnett, and before Rabbit Day, there was Cliff Moss. Moss was acquired in a seemingly minor trade during the first week of the 1935 season from Montreal, were he had lost his starting outfield job. And as it turns out--Moss has a swing that was tailor-made for Whitney Park. In 713 games for the Chiefs, Moss hit 116 home runs, had 18.86 WAR, a .295 AVG, and a .873 OPS. GOTHAMS MODERN ERA ALL-STAR TEAM It's that time of year. Equipment is shipping to spring training sites and players are making their way south. We baseball writers are putting a new ribbon in the typewriter and stocking up on paper. Still there is the need to fill newspaper columns. Usually we dust off the standbys - who's in the best shape of their career, what rookie is likely to make and impact, how will the big hot stove deals work out. But this year I suppose that many of my colleagues around the nation will be compiling lists of the best players of the modern era, generally considered those seasons starting in 1926. We've now completed 25 such seasons, so who am I to buck a trend. He's my look at the New York Gothams since 1926. Overall the team has been a true rollercoaster ride. Hitting the top of the FA seven times, more than any other team, and winning two championships. On the other hand, in between those lofty finishes has been a collection of bottom dwellers. They've finished 7th or 8th nine times, following long time, and returning, GM Tom Ward's "all or nothing" philosophy. Along the way they've set attendance records and have seen a number of stars pass through the clubhouse. Let's take a look at the best at each position. Catcher - Pete Casstevens held down the starting spot for seven seasons, easily the longest stretch during this time period. 1st Base - Current manager Bud Jameson's long consistent career gets the nod over Red Johnson's power numbers over half the time. Johnson will make the next list. 2nd Base - Though now moved to 3rd and giving credit to his wartime service, Roosevelt Brewer is the closest the team has had as an heir to legend Ed Ziehl, who gave up everyday duties at the start of this era. 3rd Base - Not a position that has had any long term continuity. I'll give the nod to Johnny McDowell over Billy Dalton. Shortstop - Give us a few more years and Cecil LaBonte will likely lock up this position, but for now I suppose it is Mule Monier. Outfield - A bit of a cheat here but I'll give you my top three and not by specific positions. Walt Messer of course is the first. Drafted to be a 1B, Walt moved to the outfield to make way for Red Johnson. Despite 2 years in the military Walt is the top outfielder in this era. Also deserving notice is Carlos Cano who played at the beginning of the modern era. And finally there is the strange case of Mahlon Strong. The oft-injured RF could have been the best of them all but for annual injuries robbing him of games. Pitcher - With a clear argument for best Gothams pitcher, Jim Lonardo is the choice here. Right behind him and closing fast though is current ace Ed Bowman. There it is. My selections for the Gothams team of the modern era.  MODERN ERA MINERS ALL-STAR TEAM Naming an all-star team for the past twenty-five years, spanning the so-called "Modern Era" of the sport, has become a thing with sportswriters across the country. I would be remiss if I did not include your Keystone legends from the past two and a half decades: a particularly fruitful time frame for the franchise as it included five flag winning seasons and three times the 'Stones were crowned champions of all of baseball. Plus, what other city was able to enjoy the great Rankin Kellogg and Bobby Barrell so often.C George Cleaves 1B Mahlon Strong 2B Jack Cleaves 3B Ed Stewart SS Irv Clifford LF Joe Owens CF Pablo Reyes RF Frank Lightbody SP Lefty Allen  KEYSTONES ALL-MODERN ERA TEAM: C Carl Ames (Roger Cleaves is rapidly advancing) 1B Rankin Kellogg 2B Billy Woytek SS Cliff Herman (I had to dig deep for that one, but he was the starting shortstop on the '27 Champs) 3B Hank Koblenz LF Rip Curry (Curry over Phil Sandman) CF Lee Smith (Smith over Grover Lee) RF Bobby Barrell P Jim Whiteley (narrowly over George M Brooks with an honorable mention to 1933 Game 7 hero Bill Ross) CHICAGO COUGARS ALL-STAR TEAM OF THE PAST TWENTY FIVE YEARS Cougars Modern Era Team: C: Harry Mead (1937-Present) 1B: Bill Ashbaugh (1927-1938) 2B: Billy Hunter (1937-Present) 3B: John Lawson (1936-1942) SS: Skipper Schneider (1940-Present) OF: Leo Mitchell (1935-Present) OF: Carlos Montes (1937-1949) OF: Rich Langton (1935-1946) P: Dick Lyons (1926-1945) P: Pete Papenfus (1938-Present) P: Harry Parker (1938-1950)  TALES FROM THE LAIR Some Advice For Fans --We have been hearing rumours on the streets of Toronto about the dissatisfaction with both the headmen for the Dukes and Wolves - brothers Jack and Fred Barrell. I would say to fans "Look at what you have for the long run, don't bite your nose to spite your face." Both Jack and Fred are well respect in the NAHC and FABL amongst their peers. If either was released from their current contracts their period of unemployment would be short. Another team would snap them up in a heartbeat. They are both men of great knowledge of their individual sport along with being fine leaders and strategists. Let us look first at the Dukes. Last year, after a championship year, Jack led the team to 34-24-12 record in the first 70 game regular season. They were upset in the semis by the eventual champions from Montreal, that is what the can happen in a best-of-seven series. This season has been a struggle for the team at 17-20-6 currently on the outside looking in at the playoffs. The team has been, in Barrell's term, "inconsistent" from the start to this point in the season. Jack states often that they very seldom work on the offensive side of the game during practice because they have enough natural talent on attack, it is more important to work on keeping the puck out of their net between games. The staff does not have sticks in hand or skates on during the games they only provide the framework for players to follow on the ice. Toronto's ability for the "natural talent" to put the puck in the net has fallen off precipitously this year. One example, and there are many, is Les Carlson who has fallen from 37-44-81 in 69 games last season to 15-26-41 through 49 in 1950-51. He had 22 power play markers last season now he has 4 through two-thirds of the season. Although Carlson's point total has dropped this season he is the only regular who has been on ice for more goals for than against -- even Quinton Pollack at 24-24-48 is -2. That leads to my suggestion for Jack Barrell. Perhaps he consider in the final third of the season opening up the offense a little as defense first is not working this year. The goaltending has been solid with Gordie Broadway leading the way. As Broadway is nearing the end of his NAHC days the future seems secure in net with Scott Renes and Charlie Dell. On thing this writer has seen and heard all year is that the dressing room is not a happy place with many players fighting amongst themselves, a claim denied by Barrell. If he has indeed lost the room it speaks poorly of his player management skills. I will no speculate on that in absence of true fact but if there is trouble Barrell should inform the GM who is the source of said trouble. The GM should depose of this asset following the hockey adage of "Trade a troublemaker to the team ahead of you, pretty soon they are behind you." Have faith in Barrel. He will correct things in his control. As spring training nears, Wolves boss Fred Barrell is bearing the ire of a portion of the fans after a 100 loss season. Fred with his catching background is in the right position for the Wolves. Learning the inner workings of being a manager at the top level, in the FABL, is no easy task. He was taking over an aging team that had enjoyed a fine run in the mid to late Forties. Management had to know the string was nearing an end, and that it was probable that tough years were ahead. Hopefully the roster turnover has begun and Fred will now be managing a group on its way up rather than continuing to fall. His two years have taught him a lot along with visibly aging the 45 year old. Brett believes he is the right man to guide the team in the new decade. Brett has learned from his sources that Bernie Millard has approved a contract extension for Barrell along with some other staff members that will be announced before the team gathers in Florida. Joining a growing trend, I present the Wolves All-Star team of the Modern Era. [size="4" WOLVES MODERN ERA TEAM (1926-50) C: Clarence Howerton 1B: Fred McCormick 2B: Sam Orr 3B: Walt Pack SS: Charlie Artuso narrowly edging out Tom Roberts due to his glove LF: Larry Vestal CF: Fred Malley RF: Jack Mack soon to be replaced by Giordano or Copeland? SP: Joe Hancock with Garrison lurking RP: Lou Jayson  DYNAMOS GM REFLECTS ON PAST TWENTY FIVE YEARS It has been all the rage this week for FABL clubs to celebrate their all-stars of the past two and a half decades as we mark the end of the 25th season of baseball's Modern-Era. This reporter sat down with current Dynamos General Manager Tiger Fan to discuss an all Detroit team but instead the conversation quickly transitioned to the top players the much travelled GM has had the pleasure to work with over the past two and a half decades. Tiger Fan made his debut at the dawn of the modern era (human GM phase) as the head executive for the Brooklyn Kings in 1926. He spent 13 seasons in Brooklyn, winning 4 pennants and the 1937 World Championship Series with the Kings and was the architect of the Kings five-straight seasons with at least 90 victories in the mid-1930s. He moved to Cincinnati in 1940 -the same year the woeful Cannons bolted Baltimore for the Queen City- and helped the Cannons win three consecutive pennants and a pair of WCS titles before leaving for Detroit to join the Dynamos in 1946. Tiger Fan noted he loved seeing these franchise lists but when asked for his thoughts on an all-Detroit team, he deferred noting "I don't feel I have been here long enough to earn the right to name a 25th anniversary Dynamos team." Since he did not really have a single team to identify with, our conversation turned towards the best players he has had on his various teams through the years and as a result here is his All-Time Tiger Fan team. The GM's top players at each position based on their tenure with him in one, or many cases, more clubs. C- Fred Barrell - Adam Mullins did some big things for me in Cincinnati and may still contribute for another couple years in Detroit but Barrell was a key piece on the 5 straight 90-win season, three pennant winning Kings. And he spent some time as my SD in Detroit. Plus his son Freddy is a soon to be Dynamos minor leaguer. 1B- Chuck Adams - I traded for him twice and he was a big piece of the 3 straight pennants in Cincinnati. Came close to selecting Dan Barrell here, who was a longtime minor leaguer of mine that I nearly lost in the rule 5 draft. Fortunately he was returned and had a couple big years at the plate and contributed to the 3 Kings flags. 2B- Jake Shadoan - I have not had a lot of great second basemen over the years and Shadoan really only had a few years of excellence, highlighted by a 1933 batting title and leading the CA in hits the following season. He was the guy I wanted with the 7th pick in the 1929 draft as was a huge fan of him in the feeder leagues at Liberty College. Did not have the career anticipated but still played a key role in the Kings run. Ten years from now I hope Del Johnson has replaced him. SS- Harry Barrell - best shortstop of his era in my opinion and another key piece of the Kings pennant winners. 3B- Frank Vance and John Langille (Tie)- fitting they tied as both played similar roles on the Kings flag winning clubs. Langille was shifted to second to make room for Vance after the big trade and Langille was the hero of the '37 WCS win over Pittsburgh. OF- Al Wheeler - The acquisition of Wheeler, Vance and some guy named Jack Beach for 5 players and 8 draft picks was the key piece that made the Kings a title team. And then Wheeler later joined me in Cincinnati for two more pennants. To top it off, his son Steve Wheeler is now a Dynamos prospect. OF- Edwin Hackberry - I have only had him a short time in Detroit but Hack is already a star and one of my favourite players on the Dynamos. OF- Doug Lightbody- The original Kings star and my first-ever draft pick as a FABL general a manager. Lightbody is, I believe, the first to go straight from college to the show and he was on pace to win a batting title as a rookie before his first of many injuries. The Mississippi Mouth was my first favourite player in FABL and it was great to see him top 2000 hits even if it was with the Keystones after I carried him as long as I could in Cincinnati. Two batting titles, a Whitney Award and plenty of lost possibilities had he just stayed healthy. P- Tie Tom Barrell and his nephew Deuce Barrell. Carl Potter may pass them both someday but for now it is more Barrell's on the list. Tom was the greatest pitcher in the game for 3 years and key piece of the Kings run. Then, after his career was derailed in Pittsburgh, I brought him to Cincinnati and he won a WCS game for us in his final season after going 27-13 for us over two years following his rescue from the Miners bullpen. Shame he retired at 37 as would love to have seen him get to 200 wins. Deuce is, well Deuce - already has 192 wins at age 33 and that his despite missing all of his age 26 season following a devastating spring training injury. Deuce was the Cannons greatest asset before I arrived in Cincinnati and hopefully he finishes his career as the greatest Cincinnati Cannon ever and rival to Rabbit Day for the franchise's best pitcher. SANTIAGO PREVAILS IN CUBAN WINTER LEAUE The Santiago Scorpions are the Cuban Winter League champions after defeating Santa Clara 8-6 in last week's title game. The Scorpions, supplied players by Cincinnati and St. Louis, were paced by Happy Wright's 3 hits, including a pair of rbi doubles, in the victory in the winner take all championship game. At 27-15, the Eastern League champions finished with the best regular season record in the 8-team loop with Wright claiming the batting title for the league. The Most Valuable Player Award went to Marshall Thomas of the Camaguey Coyotes. The 22-year-old Boston Minutemen prospect hit .376 with 13 homers and garnered 7 of the 8 first place votes. Wright collected the other one. FREE-WHEELING STYLE SUITING BEES The Boston Bees have long held a reputation for focusing on defense first, second and third. The backbone of the Boston glory teams early last decade was goaltending and defense, although have a dominant line of Wilbur Chandler, Tommy Hart and Waldemar Rupp didn't hurt either, but defense was what carried Boston to five Challenge Cups and nine straight playoff appearances. That streak came to an end a year ago as the Bees sank to last place in the league but despite the struggles the goaltending and defense were still a strong suit. This year the Bees, who finished tied for last with 171 goals scored last season, have opened their normally tight-checking style of play a game focusing much more on offense. With 16 games remaining this season the Bees have already scored 167 times -tops in the league. This new approach has had its downside as well with only the woeful Chicago Packers having surrendered more than the 160 goals Boston has allowed this season, but the style does have the Bees in the thick of the playoff race after a dreadful campaign a year ago. Rupp is long gone but some of the offense continues to come from veterans Chandler and Hart. Chandler, who has had injury problems in recent seasons, has been for the most part healthy this time around and leads the team with 44 points in 48 games, two more than he accumulated in 55 games a year ago. Hart is 33, and averaged over a point a game for the better part of a decade but has seen his production drop of late although three goals in the last two games give Bees fans some hopes for a strong finish. Boston will need a big finish as the Bees, while six points ahead of fifth place Toronto, have 16 games remaining to play while the Dukes have 19 contests left. To make the playoffs, the Bees will need to keep the offense flying and that means the secondary scorers who have emerged recently must continue to shoulder much of the offensive load. Those secondary scorers are lead by Jacob Gron and Robert Walker. Gron is 27 and has a career high 21 goals already in this his fifth season in Boston while the 26-year-old Walker is on pace for a career year with 38 points in 38 games. Gron and Walker's rise has been foreshadowed with recent showings but the biggest surprise has to be the play of Mike Brunell. A 26-year-old who had a brief taste of the NAHC a year ago after apprenticing for 7 seasons with Pittsburgh of the HAA, Brunell should be the runaway favourite for rookie of the year this season with 16 goals and 38 points in 51 games. The Toronto native was the Bees second round pick in the 1944 draft but was late to develop his offensive touch and scored just 35 goals in 191 minor league games entering last season. He broke out with 26 goals and 50 points in 63 games for the Pittsburgh Rovers last year, numbers good enough to earn him 9 games in Boston where he scored 3 goals. This year he did not score in training camp and was held off the scoresheet in a season opening loss to Toronto before exploding for 3 goals and 3 assists in the Bees next two games and he has never looked back.   NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 7 Montreal at New York : Leave it to the league leading New York Shamrocks to cool off the Montreal Valiants. That Shamrocks fifth win a row snapped the Vals 12 game unbeaten string as the hosts held off the Montreal six by a 2-1 score. Jocko Gregg, with his 21st and Alexandre Lapalme scored for the Greenshirts with Ed McRae notching the lone Montreal marker. Boston 2 at 0 Chicago :Oscar James stopped all 18 Chicago shots while Mark Dyck and veteran Wilbur Chandler handled the goal scoring duties in a 2-0 Boston win in the Windy City. THURSDAY FEBRUARY 8 New York 5 at 2 Montreal : New York makes it six wins in a row by beating the Valiants for the second time in two nights. Geoff Hartnell set up 3 goals while Alex Sorrell made 40 saves the Shamrocks won despite being outshot 42-32.SATURDAY FEBRUARY 10 Boston 6 at 2 Detroit : Detroit gets hammered for the second time this week as Tommy Hart scores twice to lead Boston to a 6-2 win over the Motors in a game that saw the Bees fire 43 shots on the Detroit net.New York 3 at 5 Chicago : An upset in Chicago as the Packers win for just the 7th time this season and snap the first place Shamrocks six game winning streak. Tommy Burns and Max Ducharme each contributed a goal and an assists to the Chicago victory. It was a rough night for the normally dependable Alex Sorrell in the New York net, allowing 5 goals on just 22 shots. SUNDAY FEBRUARY 11 New York 2 at 5 Detroit : Detroit breaks out of its mini-slump and the Shamrocks fall for the second time this weekend in a 5-2 Motors victory. Lou Barber scored twice to lead the Detroit offenseChicago 1 at 5 Montreal :Clarence Skinner and Adam Sandford each had a four point night and Tom Brockers made 34 saves to pace Montreal past the Packers 5-1. Boston 4 at 3 Toronto : A big win for the Bees, who hold off Toronto 4-3 and move six points ahead of the Dukes in the battle for fourth place and the final NAHC playoff berth. UPCOMING GAMES WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 14 Montreal at Toronto THURSDAY FEBRUARY 15 Toronto at Montreal Chicago at Boston SATURDAY FEBRUARY 17 New York at Boston Toronto at Chicago SUNDAY FEBRUARY 18 Detroit at Montreal Chicago at Toronto DUKES FALL FURTHER BEHIND FOURTH PLACE In a short week for Toronto with only two games the team now sits 8 points in arrears of Boston for the final spot in the playoffs. The week started very well in Detroit when the Dukes probably played their best game of the season, certainly the best showing in 1951. Toronto was superior on the night in all phases of the game effectively shutting down the Motors freewheeling style for 60 minutes, Coach Barrell surprised many with his choice to start Scott Renes in net. Renes proved equal to the task thanks in large part to the players in front of him limiting Detroit to a total of only 16 shots on goal for the game. After a scoreless first in which Toronto held an advantage in chances out shooting the home squad 10-5. The middle period saw the the Dukes really take the play to the Motors, Detroit seemed to hemmed in their own zone for the entire 20 minutes. Toronto had 19 shots on Millard Touhey in the 20 minutes while Renes was only tested thrice by Motors' shooters. Les Carlson finally found the back of the net at 4:16 assisted by Joe Camposano, his first NAHC point, along with Maurice Charette. The last 10 minutes of the period became the Quinton Pollack show as he took over the game. He started a natural hattrick at 10:39 when he sent in alone on a long feed from D Charlie Brown. Pollack added goals at 16:15 then 18:48 on the power play to put the Dukes up 4-0 after two periods. Maurice Charette completed the scoring 94 seconds into the third with his 5th of the season. Toronto then put all their efforts into defending in front of Renes. The team effort secured his first big league shutout after turning aside 8 shots in the third. At home Sunday the Dukes played host to the team they are chasing in the standings, the Boston Bees. A bad 5 minutes proved to the team's undoing in this 4 point game. It seems to be early to be talking about 4 point or must win games in February but this is the position Toronto has put itself in this year. In yet another calm affair between these two, Clyde Lumsen brought the crowd to its feet just before the first was half over with his 5th goal this season. Boston only managed a solitary shot on Broadway in the first while testing Oscar James 10 times. The Dukes downfall began at the 13:55 mark of the second Craig Simpson tallied his 14th with Les Carlson in the box for holding, Tommy Hart scored 40 seconds later then Jacob Gron made it 3-1 with a 1:46 left in the period. Doug Zimmerman's goal from Ken Jamieson, Trevor Parker narrowed the gap to one at 7:53 while up a man. Forced to open up for the tying goal Mike Navarro was caught holding allowing Mark Dyck to make 4-2 with 6 minutes left on a nice setup from Mike Brunell, Simpson. Navarro made it 4-3 with just under 2 minutes to go, Toronto could not manage the equalizer even with Broadway on the bench for an extra attacker. Boston took home 2 points much to the disappointment of the 13387 on hand. Coach Barrell- "After undoubtably our best effort of the year in Detroit 5 minutes killed us on Sunday. We started running around in our own end then Boston made us pay, dearly. We have our work cut out for us in the last 6 weeks, with 19 games left I think at minimum we have to go 13-6 or we will be going home far too early until next fall. I see the team turning around in a positive manner, we just have to avoid the mental lapses. The good thing is we have 3 in hand on Boston, those games are useless unless we win all 3. Four games this week, back to back with both Montreal then Chicago. Winning all 4 is the goal but taking at least 6 points seems to be the least we can come away with this week. Few things to work on before Wednesday." FBL ALLSTAR ROSTERS ANNOUNCED Ivan Sisco has been the most reliable player for Eastern Division leading Washington Statesmen and he will headline the list of starters for the East. The New York Knights are the only club to have two players selected to the starting lineup. That would be the forward duo of Scott Lagasse and Gary Harrison. Here is a look at the rosters: Western Division Starters: C Larry Yim (Brawlers) PF Luther Gordon (Panthers) SF Ziggy Rickard (Crushers) SG Major Belk (Falcons) PG Israel Slusher (Mustangs) Western Division Bench: C Marlin Patterson (Rockets) PF Ward Messer (Mustangs) SF Carl Casswell (Rockets) SG Herb Hobbs (Crushers) PG Joe Hampton (Panthers) C Lon Porter (Falcons) C Peter Collett (Mustangs) Eastern Division Starters: C Ivan Sisco (Statesmen) PF Scott Lagasse (Knights) SF Gary Harrison (Knights) SG Morgan Melcher (Centurions) PG Jerry Hubbard (Phantoms) Eastern Division Bench: C David Aponte (Phantoms) PF Brian Threadgill (Centurions) SF Gerald Carter (Centurions) SG Roman Sollars (Knights) PG Bobby Ray Cornett (Barons) PF Joshua Samuels (Barons) C Jed Clyde (Centurions)   RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY FEBRUARY 5 at Lubbock State 49, #18 Pittsburgh State 39 TUESDAY FEBRUARY 6 no games involving top 25 WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 7 at Potomac College 53, #4 Frankford State 45 at Bluegrass State 62, #7 Noble Jones College 59 #9 Opelika State 65, at Central Kentucky 59 #13 Brunswick 65, at #14 Ellery 53 Pierpont 55, at #22 Dickson 43 at #24 Utah A&M 56, Provo Tech 45 at Mississippi A&M 44, #25 Baton Rouge State 42 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 8 #1 Western Iowa 68, at #19 St. Ignatius 44 #5 Carolina Poly 56, at Alexandria 40 at #8 Indiana A&M 66, #12 Central Ohio 57 at #11 North Carolina Tech 46, Coastal State 41 at #16 Charleston Tech 60, Columbia Military Academy 53 #17 Lambert College 52, at Wichita Baptist 50 at #20 Detroit City College 62, Wisconsin State 50 at #21 Mobile Maritime 53, Huntington State 43 Lexington State 44, at #23 Chesapeake State 43 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 9 #6 CC Los Angeles 44, at Spokane State 34 at #10 Coastal California 41, Portland Tech 40 at #15 St. Blane 73, College of Omaha 56 SATURDAY FEBRUARY 10 at #1 Western Iowa 55, Wisconsin State 51 #3 Whitney College 78, at #19 St. Ignatius 75 #5 Carolina Poly 54, at Petersburg 52 at #7 Noble Jones College 55, Alabama Baptist 46 #8 Indiana A&M 64, at St. Magnus 59 at #9 Opelika State 50, #25 Baton Rouge State 47 at #11 North Carolina Tech 61, Alexandria 49 Lincoln 63, at #12 Central Ohio 54 at Grafton 52, #13 Brunswick 50 at #14 Ellery 58, Sadler 36 at #16 Charleston Tech 55, Richmond State 49 #17 Lambert College 64, at Eastern Oklahoma 45 at #20 Detroit City College 58, Minnesota Tech 56 #21 Mobile Maritime 57, at Central Carolina 38 at Columbia Military Academy 49, #23 Chesapeake State 43 #24 Utah A&M 48, at Colorado Poly 39 SUNDAY FEBRUARY 11 at Lane State 63, #2 Rainier College 60 at #4 Frankford State 49, Caesar Rodney 36 #6 CC Los Angeles 59, at #10 Coastal California 57 EDMONDS WILL DEFEND MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE MARCH 17 World Middleweight Champion John Edmonds has picked St. Patrick's Day for his latest title defense. The 32-year-old native of Muncie, IN. is set to met Memphis Millard Shelton at Thompson Palladium in Detroit on March 17. It will be the third title defense for Edmonds, who last faced Frank Melanson in New York City in late September. Edmonds, who owns a 33-3 career record, beat Bill Boggs in New York last March to claim the ABF world title vacated with the death of French middleweight Edouard Desmarais in a 1949 plane crash. After beating Boggs, Edmonds successfully defended his belt in May with a 9th round knockout of Italian Hugo Canio and then outpointed Frank Melanson in Melanson's comeback attempt on September 29. It marks the second time Edmonds has held the belt as he was briefly champion in 1947 after upsetting Melanson in the then-champ's hometown of Pittsburgh but he lost the rematch to the Tank five months later. Shelton, a 30-year-old from Memphis. TN., enters the bout with a 30-5 record but has won 19 of his last twenty outings with the lone blemish being a disqualification for repeated low blows in a bout that turned into a street fight against Frankie Townsley nearly two years ago. Shleton is ranked as the #4 contender to Edmonds middleweight crown in the most recent TWIFS quarterly rankings.  RECENT KEY RESULTS
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 2/11/1951
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles Last edited by Tiger Fan; 05-27-2024 at 02:08 PM. |
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05-28-2024, 11:40 AM
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,735
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February 19, 1951
FEBRUARY 19, 1951 FABL ADDS MANAGER AWARD The FABL will have a fourth major award for each association next season after news broke that the George Theobald Award will be presented annually to the top field general in each association. Dan Barrell, President of FABL, made the announcement last week. "George Theobald had a tremendous impact on the game," explained Barrell. "He was an outstanding catcher in the early days of our sport before going on to spend 33 seasons as a manager with the New York Stars, Boston, Detroit and Cincinnati. He won more games and more pennants than any other manager in the history of our league and was a World Champion four times." "We have a tradition of recognizing the true greats of our sport, both of today with our awards but also our great history and as FABL prepares to embark on its 60th season it is only fitting that the name George Theobald be honoured in the same way we do Allan "Double Al" Allen, Rankin Kellogg and the father of professional baseball William Whitney - with an award named in his honour." Baseball's Whitney Award, presented annually to the top hitter in the league, was first awarded in 1911. The Allen Award, for the top pitcher, debuted in 1936 and the rookie of the year award, named after former Keystones great Rankin Kellogg, debuted in 1946.  This will also mark the end of a quarter century of what has been dubbed "the modern era" of the sport. The game we see today is much different from the way baseball was played in its infancy and as such many consider 1926 as a year to divide the sport between its early days and the game we see on 16 big league ballfields and countless minor league venues nowadays. I have been around the game for that entire period and have bore witness to many amazing players and incredible accomplishments. Hard to believe that while the FABL turns sixty, the modern era has celebrated 25 years of success. Seems fitting in a time when we are poised to welcome more members to the great Hall of Fame in Whitney's hometown of Boone County, that I look back over the past quarter decade and recognize some of the greats that helped shape the sport in recent years. Here is Jiggs McGee's Quarter Century of Modern Baseball All-Star Team. CATCHER: T.R. GOINS Catcher may well have been the most difficult choice to make as Goins and legendary Pittsburgh and now Gothams catcher George Cleaves were both extremely worthy. In the end I gave a slight edge to the man known as "Rough Rider." The Texas native joined a Cincinnati school ball team in the early days of the old feeder system and was the first overall selection of the Washington Eagles in the 1919 FABL draft. Goins would make his big league debut at the age of 22 in 1923 and help the Eagles win 3 pennants and a World Championship Series in the next four years. He would get a second WCS ring in 1934 when, traded to Cleveland, he helped carry the Foresters to back to back Continental Association flags. A four-time all-star -the event did not become reality until 1933 when Goins was 32 years old- he is one of the few players who won a Whitney Award in both the Federal Association and Continental Association. Goins hit .395 to win the Federal Association batting title in 1926. The only catcher to have a higher season average this century was George Cary in 1903. Goins was inducted in to the Hall of Fame in 19471923-28 Washington, Cleveland G: 2025 Hits: 2,622 HR: 270 FIRST BASE: RANKIN KELLOGG Before Bobby Barrell there was Rankin Kellogg as the shining light in Philadelphia. The first overall pick of the 1922 draft joined the Keystones three years later and never stopped hitting homeruns. Kellogg led the Federal Association in homeruns six times, won three batting titles and three triple crowns -a feat duplicated only by Max Morris. The all-star game arrived later in his career but Kellogg still played in four of them and won a pair of World Championship Series with the Keystones. Tragically, his career came to a premature end when, at the age of 35, he was diagnosed with a life threatening illness in 1938. Kellogg was inducted into the Hall of Fame a year later by a special proclamation.1925-38 Philadelphia Keystones G:2143 Hits 2,770 HR: 475 SECOND BASE: JACK CLEAVES It was a difficult decision between Cleaves and Pete Layton but unlike his younger brother George, Jack emerged as my choice for the All-Time Modern Era team. He won 4 World Championship Series titles and was a four-time all-star. He led his loop in triples three times while with the Sailors early in his career, prompting the nickname 'Three Bagger'. Cleaves was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year.1927-45 Philadelphia Sailors, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati G:2368 HITS 2590 HR 167 SHORTSTOP: HARRY BARRELL Selected first overall by Cleveland in the 1931 draft, he was traded to Brooklyn while still in the minors and would emerge a key piece alongside three of his brothers on a dominant Kings team that would win 90+ games in five consecutive seasons, three pennants and the 1938 World Championship Series. Long considered the gold standard for shortstop defense during his Kings days, Harry was dealt to Boston at the age of 29 in 1943 and would help the Minutemen win a pennant that year. Today at age 37, Barrell is still in Boston, still hitting, still playing above average defense and still one of the biggest practical jokers in the sport. Harry Barrell is also a 10-time All-Star.1933-Present Brooklyn, Boston G:2291 HITS 2774 HR 49 THIRD BASE: FRANK VANCE Frank Vance may well be best remembered for being part of one of the biggest trades in FABL history when he and fellow Hall of Famer Al Wheeler were dealt from Detroit to Brooklyn in 1935 for 5 players and 8 draft picks. The deal helped Brooklyn win three straight pennants and Vance earned a second World Championship Series ring to go with the one he won with Wheeler in Detroit in 1929- the year Vance was named MVP of the WCS. He won the Whitney Award in 1939 when he led the Federal Association with a .372 batting average and would go on to be selected to 9 all-star games. A second round pick by the Dynamos in 1921 Vance would start and end his career in the Motor City as Brooklyn dealt him back to Detroit in 1939. He was part of the 1948 Hall of Fame Class.1927-45 Detroit and Brooklyn. G:2347 HITS 2970 HR 282 LEFTFIELD: AL WHEELER Third all-time in homers the 1950 Hall of Fame inductee is also one of just 14 players to reach the 3,000 hit plateau in their career. It is fitting he is reunited with Frank Vance on this team as the two enjoyed most of their greatest moments in the game as teammates although Wheeler did add a third WCS ring late in his career with Cincinnati making him one of the few players to win a WCS with three different organizations. A five-time Whitney Award winner and 1935 triple crown winner Wheeler is also the all-time leader in post-season games played with 36 WCS contests under his belt, two more than fellow All-Modern Era team selection and former Cincinnati teammate Jack Cleaves. Wheeler did spend the majority of his time in right field but his 537 games in left -and the presence of Bobby Barrell in right prompts be to place Wheeler in left field.1928-47 Detroit, Brooklyn, Chicago Chiefs, Cincinnati G: 2951 HITS: 3248 HR: 516 CENTERFIELD: CHICK DONNELLY If you discount the 13 games Donnelly played for San Francisco of the Great Western League during its brief foray as a major league, Donnelly is one of the few on this list to spend his entire career with one organization. He is also the lowest draft selection to make the All-Modern Era team, having been selected in the 11th round of the 1929 draft by Boston. By 1934 he was in the big leagues, leading the Federal Association in plate appearances and doubles and did not slow down for a decade and a half. Donnelly was never the best player in the league, although he was MVP of the 1945 All-Star game, one of five he appeared in, but he was a steady solid centerfielder throughout his career and helped Boston win a pair of pennants and the 1941 World Championship Series. He finished with a career batting average of .308 and since he retired in 1949 is not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame.1934-48 Boston G: 2081 HITS: 2616 HR:122 RIGHTFIELD: BOBBY BARRELL Barrell is without a doubt the best player of the past 25 years but he did face a stiff test for this team in the back half of Max Morris' career. Bobby is 40 now but still very productive based on his .270 batting average and 24 homers in his age 39 season. He broke Mighty Mo's single season homerun record by smashing 64 round-trippers in 1947 but likely won't be around long enough to get the 82 needed to catch Morris for the all-time lead. Barrell also likely won't pass Powell Slocum's record 4,144 hits but -third now- he does seem poised to pass John Dibblee for second all-time in that category as well. Barrell is already the career leader in at bats with 12,004 and it may be a long time before anyone catches his record of 13 (and counting) all-star game appearances. Six Whitney Awards and two WCS MVP trophies also adorn his mantle. Is Barrell the greatest player ever to play the game? It is subjective of course, but he certainly will have his fair share of supporters in that regard.1931-present Philadelphia Keystones G:2993 HITS: 3728 HR: 629 PITCHER: RABBIT DAY While there were plenty of great pitchers over the past two and a half decades selecting the one to be the starter on the All-Modern Era team was surprisingly easy. Rabbit Day, 1948 Hall of Famer, is clearly the best pitcher of his generation. He started and finished his career with the Cannons, beginning when they were based in Baltimore and going out on top with the Cincinnati Cannons WCS winner in 1944, a season in which the then-40 year old Day tossed a complete game 4-hit shutout to win game one. Of course by then winning WCS games was old had to Day who went 7-2 over his career and was a 4-time WCS winner, claiming one title with the Gothams and two with the Chiefs to go with his Cannons crown. Day also won 3 Allen Awards and was a 4-time all-star. In a career full of stellar achievements the second half of the 1936 season may stand out as the greatest of Day's accomplishments. Acquired in a mid-season deal with a Gothams team that was being torn apart after back-to-back pennants, all Day did was go 15-1 with a 1.69 era after joining the Chicago Chiefs and then 2-0 in the WCS as the Chiefs swept Brooklyn for their first WCS win in 20 years. Two years later Day would lead the Chiefs to another title, again beating Brooklyn but in seven games this time after Day won 26 during the regular season. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 19481927-44 Baltimore, New York Gothams, Chicago Chiefs, Cincinnati W-L: 321-211 ERA: 3.49  HALL OF FAMERS Below is an updated list, including the 1951 inductees, of all members of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Boone County, IL.  NIGHTMARE SEASON IN CHICAGO CONTINUES A dismal season for the Chicago Packers continues to drag on after the club lost three times last week and has just 7 victories to show for their 55 games this campaign. It has been a mighty fall for the Windy City team which three years ago had the best record in the NAHC. The Packers string of six straight seasons of playoff hockey will come to an end and they are in danger of finishing with the lowest point total the franchise has seen since the 1930s, and that is despite playing 70 games this year, or 22 more than they did each season for much of the last decade. The cast is, for the most part, unchanged from the team which three years ago that finished first and had Chicago fans dreaming of something their team has never accomplished - winning the Challenge Cup. The team doubled down after finishing second two years ago by acquiring all-star defenseman Bert McColley from the New York Shamrocks for a package of players and picks that included controversial rearguard Jerry Finch in the spring of 1949. McColley was tabbed as the missing piece that might get Chicago over the top but instead the Packers had to settle for fourth place and quick exit from the playoffs courtesy of Finch and the Shamrocks. Hopes were high heading into the current campaign but a slow start -something that is becoming a Packers trademark- saw them go 1-8-0 to start the campaign and they never did get untracked. Tommy Burns has had some slumps during the season but the center is still one of the best players in the NAHC and ranks among the league leaders in goals, with 21, and points, with 48. Beyond the 31-year-old captain, there are plenty of issues with the Packers. Tommy's brother Wes, now 34, is no longer an elite scorer and a lack of offensive production has helped derail the season. Only Burns' wingers Marty Mahoney (10-16-26) and Max Ducharme (9-16-25) have tallied more than 20 points this season and the Packers 109 goals are 29 less than any other squad and a whooping 62 -or well over a goal a game- behind the Boston Bees who lead the NAHC with 173 goals. A lack of scoring may not have been an overwhelming obstacle in the past, back when Norm Hanson was winning the Juneau Award but the 30-year-old netminder has struggled on some nights and could sue teammates for non-support on others. The Packers have conceded 71 goals more than they have scored- by the far the biggest deficit in the league and with a popgun offense they simply cannot afford to allow 5 plus goals a night -something they did in three of their last four games. *** Packers Can Look Forward to Draft *** Junior players take a few years to develop into productive NAHCers but the Packers have the opportunity, should they choose correctly, to add a marquee player to their system with the first pick in the July draft. It is likely going to be a blueliner as three of the four top candidates eligible in the draft are rearguards highlighted by three defenders who are captains of their junior clubs. Those would be Bobby Fuhrman for Trois Rivieres, Ben Voyechek from Brantford and St. John's Guy Bernier. The fourth player who may be in the running for the top pick is Hubert Labbe, a right winger from Halifax. Bernier might be the most talented of the group but the 18-year-old, who has 28 points in 25 games, has not played since late November due to a concussion. Labbe has also been injured, missing much of the season with rib cage troubles. Drafting successfully is guesswork at best and when you throw in injuries to the top prospects it becomes an even tougher endeavor. It is something that the Packers have not had a lot of success at in recent years, at least if you trust the OSA's prospect rankings. The Packers top prospect is winger Bill LaChance, a 20 year old who is learning the ropes in Pittsburgh but LaChance was not a Chicago draft choice. The New York Shamrocks selected LaChance fifth overall in the 1949 draft -with a pick they received from the Packers in the Bert McColley trade, but released him and Chicago alertly signed the youngster. Even though only three of the top 34 prospects according to OSA are Packers, and not a single Chicago defenseman, there is some depth in the Chicago minor league system and because of that OSA credits the Packers with having the second best system in the league, trailing only Boston. Last year's number one selection for the Packers was Mathieu Harnois, a defenseman from St. John who is back with the Saints for his 19 year old season and on pace to match his 62 points in 60 games of a year ago. Harnois is ranked 35th on the OSA prospect list. Here is a look at the future of the NAHC with a glance at the top prospects.   NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 14 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 15 Toronto 1 at 8 Montreal :Ian Doyle and Jimmy Backus each had 3 points while Tom Brockers made 34 saves as Montreal completed a home and home series with Toronto by blasting the Dukes 8-1.Chicago 3 at 5 Boston : Boston extended its lead on Toronto for the final playoff spot to 10 points with a 5-3 victory over the last place Chicago Packers. Wilbur Chandler scored twice in the first period and added an assist to pace the Boston attack. SATURDAY FEBRUARY 17 New York 2 at 1 Boston : After a five days off the front running New York Shamrocks ended their two game losing streak with a narrow 2-1 triumph in Boston. Conn Cundiff opened the scoring for the Bees in the second period before Orval Cabbell tied it with his 20th goal of the season. Jim Macek got the game winner for the Greenshirts just under two minutes into the third period.Toronto 2 at 0 Chicago :An important two points for the Dukes, who snap a 3-game losing streak with a 2-0 win in Chicago. Gordie Broadway was only forced to make 18 saves for his fourth shutout of the season. Tim Brooks scored what proved to be the game winner just 24 seconds into the game with Kenny Woolley adding an insurance marker in the second stanza. SUNDAY FEBRUARY 18 Detroit 4 at Montreal 2 : Harry Remington scored the game winner with just over five minutes remaining in the game and Vincent Arsenault added a late empty-netter to secure a 4-2 road win for the Motors. Adam Vanderbilt and Andy Critchlow also scored for Detroit while Shel Herron and Paulie Mosca were the Montreal marksmen. The result leaves the two teams tied for second place, 5 points back of New York, but the Motors do have three games in hand.Chicago 2 at 6 Toronto :A four point weekend against Chicago allows the Toronto Dukes to crawl back to within six points of Boston for the final playoff spot. Luke Brisebois scored twice as the Dukes notched four unanswered goals to claim a 6-2 victory despite being outshot 34-28 by the Packers, who see their latest losing skid reach four games. UPCOMING GAMES MONDAY FEBRUARY 19 Detroit at New York WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 21 Detroit at Toronto New York at Chicago THURSDAY FEBRUARY 22 Boston at Montreal SATURDAY FEBRUARY 24 Toronto at Boston Detroit at Chicago SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25 Detroit at Montreal New York at Toronto TORONTO SPLITS FOUR GAMES, PLAYOFF BERTH IN JEOPARDY The Toronto Dukes lost twice to Montreal midweek before rebounding to take two from the Chicago Packers over the weekend. In something that would have thought to be impossible on October the team is now in a steep uphill fight to even make the playoffs in the NAHC. With 15 games to play Boston leads Toronto by 6 points for the final berth and it was much worse entering the weekend when the Dukes were 10 points back of the Bees. Toronto hosted the Vals on Wednesday night in front of one the largest crowds of the season at Dominion Gardens. The game was a fast, clean, hard checking affair with plenty of action. With Tom Brockers for Montreal and Dukes rookie Scott Renes between the pipes, the visitors scored the only marker of the first period when Charlie Skinner took a cross ice feed from Ian Doyle then found a wide open cage. The second 20 was much like the first, up and down the ice, and both goaltenders were called on to make numerous saves. The Dukes took a 2-1 lead by scoring twice with the man advantage in the middle frame. Miles Norman tied the game at 11:22 followed by Pollack's 28th at 16:58 making it 2-1 after 40. Toronto fell into a defensive shell in the third trying to protect the lead rather than attacking to increase the lead. The strategy worked for the first half of the period then then Dukes and Renes finally paid the price. After killing off two minors early the third Montreal capitalized with Luke Brisebois serving two for holding when Arlen Doherty beat Renes after his pass deflected off a defender in front of the Dukes net. Less than 2 minutes later Paul Mosca scored what would prove to be the game winner from the high slot assisted by Rey Sclisizzi and Adam Sanford. The Dukes could not manage to turn back on the offense in a 3-2 loss when they were outshot 14-3 in the third. The two teams played again the next night in Montreal in a game where Montreal scored the first eight before Doug Zimmerman broke Brokers' shutout bid with less than 5 minutes left in a 8-1 blow out for the Vals. Brockers made 34 save on the night while Gordie Broadway was beaten 8 times on 44 shots. The Dukes went into Chicago on Saturday facing an increasingly bleak playoff outlook. After Renes substandard performance in Montreal, Barrell decided to go to Gordie Broadway against the Packers. Chicago looks like a team with no purpose suffering through an extremely difficult year. Broadway only faced 18 shots to pick up his 4th shutout of the year. Goals by Tim Brooks in the first and Kenny Woolley in the second were the only two shots of 29 to beat Ned Hanson in a boring 2-0 Toronto win breaking a 3 game losing streak. At Dominion Gardens Sunday the game looked like it might be another sleeper when goals by Trevor Parker and Lou Galbraith put the Duke ahead 2-0 before the game was 12 minutes old. Chicago showed some fight by tying the game before the first intermission on Kevin Braun's first then Marty Mahoney's power play goal from Tommy Burns, Pete Moreau. Those would be the only two that would get behind Broadway for the game. Toronto took control of the game in the middle of the second when goals by Mike Navarro, Brisebois and Brooks in a 6 minute span made it 5-2 after two. Brisebois scored his second of the game in the third as the Dukes won going away 6-2. Coach Barrell- "We played two good periods out of 6 against Montreal. We fell into a shell too early in the third Wednesday then got beat up in their barn Thursday. The two wins against Chicago were desperately needed, hopefully that will get us going in the right direction. It is obvious what we have to do going forward. Big games ahead of us." EAST DIVISION PREVAILS IN CAGE ALL-STAR GAME The stars of the Federal Basketball League's East Division took the lead early in the second quarter and never let go of as the downed the top performers from the West Division 111-98 in the fifth annual Federal Basketball League All-Star game. New York Knights forward Scott Lagasse, who is among the league leaders in both points and rebounds this season, scored 20 of the former and added 14 of the latter to pace the Eastern squad. For his efforts the 27-year-old fifth year pro out of Chesapeake State was named the game's most valuable player. Veteran Boston Centurions guard Gerald Carter also had 20 points for the winners while the West Division had a trio of players net 18 points including rookie sensation and league scoring leader Luther Gordon of the Chicago Panthers. Buffalo's Larry Yin and Ziggy Rickard of the Cleveland Crushers also had 18 for the West. The league structure has changed much through its first five seasons but the East Division has prevailed in four of the five All-Star contests, with last years 103-95 win for the West being the lone exception. 
MORE ACCOLADES FOR GORDON courtesy The Chicago Daily News A fifth Player of the Week for Luther Gordon, who averaged 29 points and 23 rebounds a game in the Panthers 3-1 week. His 26.9 points per game continue to league the FBL, while his 17.5 rebounds are now up to third behind just Larry Yim (21) and Ward Messer (18.1). It's hard to pick a best game on the week for Gordon, but his 34 points were crucial in a two point win over the Knights right after the All-Star break, and his 32/22 game against the Buffalo Brawlers was his sixth 30/20 game of his rookie campaign. Along with the good play on the court, the Panthers got good news off it as well, with young guard Efrain Boland returning from injury. The 24-year-old is an excellent perimeter defender and is averaging 11.3 minutes off the bench per game.  BASEBALL THOUGTHS NOT SLOWING BARRELL DOWN While one could excuse Charlie Barrell for being distracted from his studies and his college basketball commitment to Noble Jones College after FABL's Cincinnati Cannons selected him first overall last month in the annual baseball draft. Barrell, who also plays football for Noble Jones College and will complete his final season as the Colonels second baseman in the spring before turning pro, has not let all of the baseball talk derail him from his outstanding season on the hardwood. The junior guard is averaging a career best 11.4 points per game this season and while the Colonels are not matching their unbeaten record of a year ago, they still look like they will be on the short list of favourites when the AIAA tournament commences a month from now. Noble Jones College is 19-5 overall on the year and tied for second place in Deep South Conference play with a 5-3 section record. The latest rankings have the Colonels still firmly entrenched in the top ten, a spot they have occupied most of the season. As for Charlie, OSA still projects him as a high first round selection in the 1952 Federal Basketball League draft, and Barrell continues to insist he will play college football and basketball next season, as being allowed to do so will be a condition of any contract he agrees to wth the Cincinnati Cannons.  RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY FEBRUARY 12 at #14 Pittsburgh State 38, Granville 28 #19 Lambert College 52, at Plover College 45 at #22 St. Blane 78, Chicago Poly 69 TUESDAY FEBRUARY 13 at #5 Frankford State 55, Freemont State 33 WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 14 #7 Opelika State 46, at Bluegrass State 37 #8 Noble Jones College 49, at Western Florida 37 at #10 Coastal California 56, Spokane State 55 #12 Ellery 78, at George Fox 56 at #13 Brunswick 70, Pierpont 48 #14 Pittsburgh State 48, at Pueblo State 42 #18 Dickson 52, at Sadler 47 #21 Utah A&M 52, at Mile High State 44 at #25 Alabama Baptist 48, Cumberland 39 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 15 at #1 Western Iowa 62, St. Magnus 53 at #3 Carolina Poly 67, #23 Charleston Tech 56 #4 Whitney College 63, at #24 Detroit City College 55 at #9 Indiana A&M 48, Lincoln 34 at #11 North Carolina Tech 59, Lexington State 46 at Minnesota Tech 69, #15 Central Ohio 61 #16 Chesapeake State 59, at Petersburg 39 at #17 Mobile Maritime 63, Coastal State 52 Laclede 63, at #19 Lambert College 59 #20 St. Ignatius 49, at Wisconsin State 41 St. Matthew's College 50, at #22 St. Blane 41 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 16 at #6 CC Los Angeles 62, #2 Rainier College 44 at #5 Frankford State 56, Hamman 34 SATURDAY FEBRUARY 17 #1 Western Iowa 58, at Minnesota Tech 44 at #3 Carolina Poly 64, #11 North Carolina Tech 42 at #4 Whitney College 61, Wisconsin State 42 #7 Opelika State 55, at #8 Noble Jones College 44 at #9 Indiana A&M 58, #20 St. Ignatius 57 #12 Ellery 47, at Henry Hudson 38 #18 Dickson 45, at #13 Brunswick 40 at #15 Central Ohio 63, St. Magnus 54 at #16 Chesapeake State 54, Bulein 41 #17 Mobile Maritime 52, at Columbia Military Academy 47 at #21 Utah A&M 43, Cache Valley 33 Grant (IN) 61, at #22 St. Blane 58 at Maryland State 44, #23 Charleston Tech 43 #24 Detroit City College 65, at Lincoln 58 at #25 Alabama Baptist 57, Central Kentucky 49 SUNDAY FEBRUARY 18 at #2 Rainier College 53, Portland Tech 34 Redwood 82, at #6 CC Los Angeles 74 at #10 Coastal California 61, Lane State 39 MITCHELL SET TO DEFEND WELTERWEIGHT TITLE ABF World Welterweight Champion Ira Mitchell will step into the ring at Boston's Denny Arena this Friday in his first attempt to defend the belt he claimed in November with a TKO win over Dale Roy. Mitchell may have his hands full as his foe in the 15 rounder will be Danny Rutledge, the number one ranked contender. It will be the second meeting for the two and like the first one, this will also be at Denny Arena. The two squared off three years ago with Rutledge coming away with a narrow but unanimous decision. Since that date Mitchell has gone 8-1 including an impressive knockout of Danny Julien last September that earned him the right to face Roy for the title. It was Mitchell's second title shot as he lost a decision to former champ Harold Stephens in 1948. The 31-year-old Chicago native will enter his rematch with Rutledge sporting a career mark of 27-5.ll meet in next month, three years ago and Rutledge came away with a narrow but unanimous decision. It will be the second title shot for Rutledge, who had his famous battle with former champion Mac Erickson when both were undefeated in the summer of 1949. Erickson defended his title with a unanimous decision but while the former champ's career has taken a downturn, the 25 year old Rutledge has scored impressive wins over the likes of Rudy Perry and former champs Mark Westlake and Dennis O'Keefe. At 22-1-1 and looking to be at the top of his game, the signs point to yet another change of ownership for a welterweight belt that has switched hands many times in recent years. RECENT KEY RESULTS
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 2/18/1951
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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05-29-2024, 03:02 PM
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#952 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,735
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February 26, 1951
FEBRUARY 26, 1951  WELTER BELT CHANGES HANDS AGAIN! RUTLEDGE GOES DISTANCE TO WIN DESPITE KNOCKDOWN Denny Arena, Boston, Mass. – Ira Mitchell (27-5-0, 19 KO) vs. Danny Rutledge (22-1-1, 15 KO) – Referee: Jerry Rowe Ira Mitchell is the Welterweight Champion and he reached the pinnacle of the weight class through hard work and persistence. Mitchell failed on his first chance at the belt but capitalized on his second chance. The veteran pugilist was trying to successfully defend his title, which no welterweight has done since Mac Erickson in November, 1949. Danny Rutledge is a boxer most fans would recognize because of a good battle in his first title shot. While he was knocked down four times, he lasted until the judges’ cards were counted. Erickson was unstoppable at that point in his pro career and Rutledge licked his wounds and bided his time. As you can see from his record, the loss to Erickson was Rutledge’s only blemish on his won-lost record. The bookmakers took in as much money from those who backed Rutledge as those who backed Mitchell. While Mitchell stood in the champion’s corner, the odds favored the challenger, albeit slightly. Most pundits felt this bout would be a toss-up. Referee Jerry Rowe was officiating his fourth welterweight title fight – and fifth overall – in his career for the veteran official who is one of the most respected in the profession. Denny Arena was filled with fight fans and neither side had a larger rooting section. Boston, with its long history of hosting boxing matches, has been without a title fight in almost three years and in that last fight, Erickson won the welterweight title. Mitchell and Rutledge were ready to go. Rutledge missed on his first punches while Mitchell was quick to get away from any potential harm. Mitchell, the southpaw, countered with a left hook to the body that was a great opening shot. For the next minute, Rutledge alternated favoring his ribs, clinching and missing with his attempts, but he finally connected on a solid hook about two minutes into the opening round for his first scoring punch. From there, Rutledge got his licks in during the final twenty seconds of the first round to gather some momentum. The second-round script was the same as the first round, with Mitchell starting strong and Rutledge getting even towards the end of the round. A wayward hook by Rutledge with seconds left in the round caused instant swelling under Mitchell’s right eye. In Round 3, Mitchell was a little more aggressive with an impactful cross that caused Rutledge to swing against the ropes. His jabs kept Rutledge at bay until a hook to Mitchell’s jaw stopped him in his tracks. Rutledge received a pep talk in his corner between Rounds Three and Four, with his trainer instructing him to start the round on time, which focused Rutledge. This time, it was Rutledge who came out firing with a cross that forced the champion to hold on to the challenger. Rutledge did not wait for Rowe to pull them apart, as Rutledge pushed Mitchell off him to continue his offensive. Rutledge owned the battle in the fourth round despite a body shot from Mitchell as the bell sounded. The swelling of Mitchell’s right eye was noticeable as both fighters retreated to their corners. It was clear that Rutledge was trying to target Mitchell’s eye and went upstairs with most of his punches, which also stopped Mitchell from being able to mount a counteroffensive. Rutledge had the upper hand for the next few rounds and began to build a lead. Mitchell was able to turn the tables in Round Nine. The round started innocently enough, with the challenger coming through with a cross, but he let his defenses down, if only for an instant. Mitchell saw the opening and began peppering Rutledge with hooks, but graduated to crosses, uppercuts, and a combination that finally felled Rutledge. For a fight that was heavily tilted towards Rutledge, this sequence by Mitchell brought life to the crowd and set the scene for the final rounds. Rowe counted to five and Rutledge reached his feet and was ready to continue. Swelling was evident around Rutledge’s left eye during Mitchell’s barrage in the ninth round. After an evenly battled Round 10, Rutledge went back to controlling the match in the eleventh round. After catching a couple of well-timed jabs from Mitchell, Rutledge landed a hook, followed by a couple of uppercuts to put Mitchell in the danger zone. Mitchell tried to use his shoulder to sucker Rutledge’s jaw, but Rowe saw that illegal move and stopped the fight to warn Mitchell. By Round 13, both combatants looked worse for wear. The swelling and puffiness were not helped with a full minute of attention from each boxer’s corner. While both fighters may not have seen each punch coming, both measured their punches extremely well as a lot of them landed. Mitchell carried the round and Rutledge carried the next one. Heading into the final round, both fighters touched gloves in the center of the ring. Within ten seconds, Rutledge had Mitchell in a headlock, throwing punches at Mitchell’s head. Rowe issued a warning. Later in the round, Mitchell pinned Rutledge’s arms and leaned on the challenger’s neck. Rowe issued another warning. Both fighters were pulling out all the stops in a match that seemed to hang in the balance. The fight went the distance and no fewer than 50 Big Boppers were thrown. There were haymakers in every round and 11 of the 15 rounds contained at least one from both sides. It was a wonder there was only one knockdown in the fight! By any measure, it was a slugfest. Mitchell had the only knockdown of the fight and attempted more punches, but Rutledge carried the play for most of the bout and landed more punches. Two of the judges gave Mitchell three rounds and the third judge awarded five rounds to Mitchell, but Rutledge was too much to handle. Danny Rutledge (23-1-1), much like Mitchell before him, became the Welterweight Champion of the World on his second try. Rutledge is five years Mitchell’s junior and at 26 years old, he still may have his best fighting years ahead of him. Mitchell (27-6-0) will go back to the grindstone and his deep well of persistence. Maybe he gets another shot at Rutledge, maybe he has to wait it out. But even at the age of 31, only a fool would count him out. BOLOGNA’S BIG BOPPERS Round 1: Tied, 2-2 (M: 0:45 left hook/body, 2:20 hook/head; R: 2:40 hook, 3:00 combo) Round 2: Rutledge, 3-1 (M: 0:50 uppercut; R: 1:18 right/head, 1:54 uppercut, 2:52 hook/head) Round 3: Tied, 1-1 (M: 0:24 cross; R: 1:55 hook/jaw) Round 4: Rutledge, 4-1 (M: 3:00 right/body; R: 0:11 cross, 0:47 jab, 1:21 cross, 1:52 right/chin) Round 5: Rutledge, 2-0 (0:46 hook, 2:24 hook/head) Round 6: Tied, 1-1 (M: 0:40 cross; R: 1:36 cross/face) Round 7: Rutledge, 3-1 (M: 1:52 right; R: 0:54 combo, 1:09 hook/midsection, 2:29 hook/midsection) Round 8: Rutledge, 3-1 (M: 0:42 hook; R: 0:27 hook, 1:04 right/jaw, 2:52 right/midsection) Round 9: Mitchell, 4-1 (M: 0:33 hook/side, 1:04 hook, 1:22 cross, 2:32 combo/knockdown; R: 0:19 cross) Round 10: Mitchell, 2-1 (M: 1:05 combo, 2:54 left/midsection; R: 0:19 uppercut) Round 11: Rutledge, 4-1 (M: 2:43 hook/midsection; R: 0:54 hook, 1:09 uppercut/head, 1:47 uppercut, 2:22 right) Round 12: Mitchell, 2-0 (1:45 combo, 2:49 hook) Round 13: Mitchell, 3-1 (M: 0:11 uppercut, 1:30 left, 1:47 combo; R: 0:31 right/ribs) Round 14: Rutledge, 2-0 (0:56 hook/head, 1:35 combo) Round 15: Rutledge, 2-0 (0:47 combo, 2:15 uppercut) TOTAL: Rutledge 30, Mitchell 20 SCORECARD FROM RUTLEDGE TITLE FIGHT WIN OVER MITCHELL  UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
DEFENDING CHAMPS TO OPEN CONTINENTAL SLATE FABL Unveils '51 Schedule April 16 may just be declared a civic holiday in Cleveland as that will be the day the Foresters hang their 1950 World Championship Series winning banner at Forester Field. It will go alongside the 1934 flag as just the second WCS win in franchise history. The Foresters will have the full attention of the Continental Association on that day as they will host the Philadelphia Sailors in the lone CA game on the docket. A day later, Tuesday April 17, the rest of the CA will shift into action. The Federal Association slate also opens with just a single game on April 16. That will be the annual lid-lifter in Washington as the Eagles will open against the Philadelphia Keystones. President Truman has not yet confirmed but is expected to be on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, should his other duties not interfere with the task. THESE ARE YOUR NEW YORK GOTHAMS? It wouldn't be surprising if many fans didn't recognize the starters for the first week or two of spring training games when Citrus League action gets underway March 5 against St Louis. Yes, it's that time again. A couple of weeks to knock off some rust and now we play games. Except, you might not catch Red Johnson or Walt Messer at the plate or Ed Bowman toeing the rubber. With six weeks of games manager Bud Jameson, as has been his habit, will use the first week or two to get a look at prospects and callup possibilities. "Having been through this myself many times, it's my opinion that the vets don't need more than 20 or so games to get ready. Players like Red and Walt don't want to be leaving too many hits on the spring training field. Our veteran staff only need 5 or 6 starts to be ready. And it's a chance for me to see some of the kids and make decisions on the reserve roles for the season." Players Jameson will be looking at include pitchers Jerry Fordham who was in Cuba this winter, along with Jimbo Williams, Alfie Barnes and Doc Woodward. Catching prospect Jack Hebert, infielders Harry Murray and Hank Estill. Adam Sharp and Chief Lewis will get a look in the outfield. Most likely these players will return to minor league camp later in the spring. But you never know when a kid will show that he's ready now for the big leagues. In other camp news, Lefty Allen has been working on a new pitch and seems happy with his progress. When asked about adding to his arsenal at 36 years old he smiled and said, "After almost 500 games they've seen everything I've got. I decided to add a couple of wrinkles to keep them guessing." Allen, who had his first 20 win campaign in 10 years last season, now sits at 245 wins in 479 starts. He is the active leader in wins and with a couple more strong seasons would put him in serious contention for the Hall of Fame. SHAMROCKS EXTEND LEAD, DUKES DEALT CRITICAL BLOW The New York Shamrocks moved closer to locking up their second straight NAHC regular season title thanks to a four game winning streak that has extended their lead on second place Montreal to 7 points with 12 games remaining. Orval Cabbell continues to hold the hot stick for the New Yorkers after notching 10 points in his last four games. Cabbell has 23 goals and a league best 67 points on the season. Toronto's Quinton Pollack is second in scoring with 55 points, including an NAHC best 28 goals, but that is likely the full extent of Pollack's production this season. The 28-year-old center crashed into the boards Wednesday evening against Detroit and suffered a concussion that is likely to take seven weeks to recover. With just a month remaining in the season and the Dukes six points back and looking up at Boston for the fourth and final playoff berth, Toronto's task of reaching the post-season just became a whole lot more difficult. Injuries may also play a role in the battle for second place. The Detroit Motors have not been the same club since Graham Comeau was hurt on January 13. Comeau was among the league goal scoring leaders with 19 in his first 39 games but a serious shoulder injury has hampered him. Comeau has suited up for 5 games in the past month but has not scored and is clearly having difficulty handling the puck. Detroit has gone 6-10-3 since his injury and the Motors, after losing in Montreal last night, now trail the Valiants by two points in the battle for second place and home ice advantage in the semi-finals.  NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK MONDAY FEBRUARY 19 WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 21 Detroit 2 at 3 Toronto : An important two points for the Dukes who are chasing Boston for the final playoff spot but it came at a hefty cost as club scoring leader Quinton Pollack suffered a concussion that likely spells the end of his season, and perhaps the Dukes faint postseason hopes. Tim Brooks, J.C. Martel and Rob Painchaud all scored first period goals to stake Toronto to an early lead and they held on for the win.New York 4 at 3 Chicago : Orval Cabbell had a goal and two helpers to pace the Shamrocks past Chicago 4-3 in a game that saw the Packers forced to play without Tommy Burns, who is sidelined for a week with a minor elbow injured suffered in practice earlier this week. THURSDAY FEBRUARY 22 Boston 1 at 3 Montreal :The Valiants pulled ahead of Detroit and into sole possession of second place after they overame an early deficit and pulled out a win over the fourth place Bees. Jacob Godin gave Boston a lead just over two minutes into the game but Montreal tied it in the second period when Brett Lanceleve found the back of the net before Shel Herron got the game winner midway through the third period. Wayne Augustin added an empty netter, his 16th goal of the season.SATURDAY FEBRUARY 24 Toronto 0 at 1 Boston : In a game with big playoff implications for both clubs, Oscar James and Gordie Broadway hooked up in a goalie duel. James and the Bees got the better of the encounter with the 27-year-old Boston netminder making 21 saves for his 4th shutout of the season. Mike Brunell, with his 17th of the season, scored the game's only goal - a powerplay marker early in the third period. Boston is now 6 points ahead of Toronto in the battle for the final playoff spot. The Bees have 12 games remaining, one less than the Dukes.[*]Detroit 4 at 2 Chicago :[/b] Detroit pulled back into a second place tie with idle Montreal by doubling the Packers 4-2. Lou Barber scored twice and added an assist to pace the Motors offense.SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25 Detroit 1 at 2 Montreal : A tight-checking possible preview of the semi-finals saw the Montreal Valiants nip Detroit 2-1 thanks to Claude LeClerc's 9th goal of the season with just over seven minutes remaining in the game. The two clubs had traded first period goals with Adam Sandford lighting the lamp for the Vals before Nick Tardif notched one for the visitors. New York 6 at 2 Toronto : The Shamrocks exploded for four unanswered goals including three in the final six and a half minutes to down the Toronto Dukes 6-2. Orval Cabbell had four more points, including two goals, to increase his league leading points total to 67, 12 ahead of injured Dukes center Quinton Pollack. UPCOMING GAMES WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 28 New York at Detroit THURSDAY MARCH 1 Toronto at Montreal Chicago at Boston SATURDAY MARCH 3 Toronto at Detroit New York at Boston Montreal at Chicago SUNDAY MARCH 4 Montreal at Detroit Boston at Toronto DUKES PLAYOFF HOPES DIMMING Playoff hopes are fading for the faithful followers of Toronto hockey. The week started with a big win then ended with two losses including a heartbreaker to Boston that leaves the Dukes six points back of the Bees entering the final month of the season. On Wednesday the Dukes ran their winning streak to 3 with a victory over Detroit in Dominion Gardens. Toronto came out fast against the Motors ambushing the visitors in the first to take a 3-0 after 20 on goals by defensemen Tim Brooks and J.C. Martel, along with recently returned after missing a few games Rob Painchaud. Toronto continued to carry the play in the middle stanza testing Millard Touhey 16 times in the Detroit net but Touhey robbed the home side on numerous occasions. Dukes goalie Gordie Broadway was far less busy in net although he surrendered the only goal of the second when Francis McKenzie lit the lamp at 3:45. Between periods many Dukes fans were murmuring that the team should have put the Motors away in 40 minutes, the game was far tighter than the play. Detroit came out with new life in a fast paced final period. The crowd went silent when Lou Barber narrowed the gap to one assisted by McKenzie and Spencer Larocque just before the eight minute mark. Toronto did not fall into a defensive shell continuing to press Detroit. Both Touhey and Broadway did not let another puck past them allowing the Dukes to hang on to a 3-2 win. Early in the third period Quinton Pollack had to be helped from the ice after appearing to be knocked out after hitting his head on the ice when dumped on a hip check. He would not return for the balance of the week. Travelling into Boston for another important game with the Bees Saturday both teams, knowing the importance, came out tentatively in a dump and chase game. It was a chippy first with lots of penalties for stickwork. Toronto has a golden opportunity when Willis Beane received a major for a headshot by could not take the lead. Boston started to take the game over in the second, hemming the Dukes in their own end for extended periods of time. Broadway stood tall, but he was beat on a rebound off a Robert Walker shot that went to Mike Brunell for a tap in. Toronto carried the play in the third though they had no success in putting one behind Oscar James who chalked up his 4th blank sheet of the year 1-0. Quinton Pollack's absence was keenly felt in this loss. Home Sunday to play the league leading Shamrocks the Dukes seemed to shake off the gut wrenching defeat in Boston in the first period. In a wild first Alfie Dennis opened the scoring only to have Toronto come back with two by Lou Galbraith and Painchaud, with his 11th, to take a 2-1 lead. Orval Cabell, who feasts on Toronto, beat Scott Renes in the last two minutes of the period to send the teams to the dressing rooms knotted at 2. The fast pace of the game continued after the ice was resurfaced with many scoring chances at both ends. Only one chance was successful when the Shamrocks Rusty Mullins found a loose puck in Renes' crease to make it 3-2 with just over three minutes remaining in the second. New York tried to protect the lead until the Dukes ran into penalties after the midway mark of the final period. The parade to the box opened the door for the Shamrocks to put three more behind Renes in the last 6 minutes - two by Alfie Dennis and then Cabell again, while up a man and New York won it going away 6-2. Coach Barrell- "We did not lose any ground to Boston over the week but then again did not gain any. 6 points out with 12 to play. Pollack is out for at least a month, everyone else is going to have to dig deeper. I still have faith in my players. We can make the post season if we play to our potential. Lou Carlson will wear the "C" for the balance of the regular season. With both Pollack and Bobbie Sauer out we need a entire team game to advance."
 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT PICTURE COMING INTO FOCUS With two weeks left in the collegiate basketball season the 32 teams that will make up the field for the annual year end AIAA championship tournament are starting to take shape. Fifteen of the 32 berths will go to the champions of each of the 15 division one conferences and the remaining 17 positions will be selected as at large teams. If the tournament were to start today the Great Lakes Alliance and South Atlantic Conferences would lead the way with five schools from each section cracking the final 32. Next up would be the other two power sections in the Deep South Conference and West Coast Athletic Association, each of whom has three schools projected to make the field including Noble Jones College, the defending national champions from the Deep South Conference. Here is a look at the teams on the bubble and the projections for each of the bigger conferences.   RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY FEBRUARY 19 none TUESDAY FEBRUARY 20 none WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 21 #7 Noble Jones College 57, at Georgia Baptist 48 #9 Coastal California 49, at Northern California 36 Western Florida 51, at #10 Opelika State 49 at #12 Ellery 62, Eastern State 59 at #13 Brunswick 47, Sadler 38 #19 Utah A&M 60, at Cache Valley 54 at #21 Dickson 53, Henry Hudson 32 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 22 #1 Western Iowa 54, at Lincoln 45 #3 Carolina Poly 65, at Richmond State 48 #14 Central Ohio 72, at #4 Whitney College 65 #8 Indiana A&M 66, at Wisconsin State 47 #11 North Carolina Tech 35, at Petersburg 34 at #16 Lambert College 54, Northern Minnesota 44 at #17 Charleston Tech 43, Central Carolina 40 at #18 Chesapeake State 45, Coastal State 36 #20 Mobile Maritime 40, at Bulein 26 at #25 Detroit City College 47, St. Ignatius 36 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 23 at #2 Rainier College 53, Spokane State 43 #6 CC Los Angeles 63, at #24 Lane State 50 at #13 Brunswick 65, St. Blane 60 SATURDAY FEBRUARY 24 at #1 Western Iowa 74, St. Ignatius 43 at #3 Carolina Poly 58, Coastal State 40 #4 Whitney College 64, at Lincoln 41 at #7 Noble Jones College 50, Cumberland 27 #8 Indiana A&M 60, at Minnesota Tech 56 at #10 Opelika State 58, Mississippi A&M 46 #11 North Carolina Tech 54, at Bulein 40 at #12 Ellery 51, Grafton 37 at #14 Central Ohio 66, #25 Detroit City College 39 at #16 Lambert College 69, Ferguson 47 #17 Charleston Tech 52, at #20 Mobile Maritime 41 #19 Utah A&M 57, at Wyoming A&I 48 George Fox 46, at #21 Dickson 38 SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25 #2 Rainier College 92, at Idaho A&M 64 #6 CC Los Angeles 45, at Portland Tech 36 at #24 Lane State 73, Spokane State 43 ST MATTHEW'S ABANDONS FOOTBALL DUE TO "UNCERTAINTY OF TIMES" St. Matthew's University in Washington DC has decided to drop intercollegiate football, effective at once. It was such an unexpected move that even the school's athletic director was taken by surprise. The announcement was made by the president of the university, who made public a letter written to his athletic heads. By its decision, St. Matthew's because the first "name" college to quit the gridiron, although about several other smaller football programs, including Strub College, earlier made similar decisions. The uncertainty of the times with the possible draft of 18-year-olds before the next academic year, was a paramount factor in the decision. St. Matthew's already has adopted an accelerated scholastic program to help give its students as much education as possible before their induction into the armed forces. *** Other Sports to Continue *** The school president did emphasize that St. Matthew's would continue to field varsity teams in basketball, baseball and track, as well as such minor sports as golf and tennis. The Senators had a 9-game schedule arranged for next autumn, but as the president noted, only a few were to be played at home. The Senators, who played as an independent went 2-6-1 last season and their now former head coach, while admitting his disappointment, said he "saw the handwriting on the wall" in steadily declining gate receipts and the uncertain future of student enrollment. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 2/25/1951
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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05-30-2024, 12:37 PM
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#953 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,735
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March 5, 1951
MARCH 5, 1951  SAWYER'S DECISION: RETIRE AS CHAMP OR FIGHT ON? The boxing world holds its breath as the venerable Hector Sawyer, known far and wide as the Cajun Crusher, ponders his future in the sport he has dominated for over a decade. At 36 years old, Sawyer stands at a crossroads, his next move being the subject of much speculation and anticipation. With a record of 65-3-1, including an astounding 58 knockouts, the New Orleans native has cemented his legacy as the greatest heavyweight champion in history. Sawyer's most recent last December bout saw him deliver an eighth-round knockout to the rising star Brad Harris, a 22-year-old contender from Akron, Ohio. This victory marked Sawyer's 17th consecutive successful title defense, a record in the annals of boxing history. From New Orleans to New York, from the battlefields of Europe to the sun-drenched arenas of California, including a record-breaking crowd of over 100,000 at Santa Ana Stadium, Sawyer has fought and conquered on every stage. Yet, as time marches on, so does the inevitable wear and tear on even the most indomitable of champions. The question now facing Sawyer and his longtime manager, Chester Conley, is whether to hang up the gloves and retire as the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world or to step into the ring once more and risk tarnishing a near-perfect legacy. The decision is not one to be taken lightly. The allure of another payday, another chance to prove his mettle against a new generation of fighters, may be tempting. However, the specter of age looms large. The same speed, power, and resilience that have characterized Sawyer's career are not what they once were. Even a slowed-down version of the Cajun Crusher has proven to be more than a match for all challengers, but the sands of time wait for no man. Sawyer's career has been nothing short of legendary. From his dramatic victory over Jochen Schrotter in 1940 to claim the heavyweight crown, to his numerous defenses against the likes of Cannon Cooper and the aforementioned Brad Harris, his reign has been a testament to skill, determination, and an unwavering fighting spirit. But the decision to fight on or retire is one that carries significant weight, not just for Sawyer but for the sport of boxing itself. Should Sawyer choose to retire, he will do so as a champion, his legacy untarnished, his place in history secure. Should he choose to fight on, he will once again have to summon the strength and fortitude that have defined his career, knowing full well that each bout carries the risk of diminishing the grandeur of his legacy. In the coming months, Sawyer and Conley will deliberate, weighing the risks and rewards of another fight. The boxing world will watch and wait, knowing that whatever decision is made, the Cajun Crusher's impact on the sport will endure. Whether he chooses to retire as a fighter who never lost a championship fight or to step into the ring once more, his legacy as one of the greatest, if not the greatest fighter of all time is assured. The next couple of months will reveal the path Sawyer will take, and the boxing world will be ready to witness the final chapter of a remarkable career. RECENT KEY RESULTS
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
PLAY BALL! FLORIDA CIRCUIT GETS UNDERWAY TODAY Most FABL clubs have had a week to get used to the Florida sunshine, as training camps opened across the loop in late February. However, it is today that marks the official return of baseball as all 16 teams from the Federal and Continental Associations will commence their six weeks of tune-up games. Among the highlights include the defending World Champion Cleveland Foresters facing the New York Stars and the Federal Association flag winning New York Gothams will square off with St. Louis. Do not expect to see a lot of easily recognizable names in the early box scores as with 36 games to play over a six week stretch, most of those competing in the first week or two will be minor leaguers trying to make a positive impression along with a few hotshot rookies getting their first taste of big league ball.
ANOTHER HOT STREAK HAS VALS DREAMING OF TOP SPOT Give the Montreal Valiants credit. When they get on a roll, they seem almost invincible. The Valiants latest run is a five-game winning streak that has allowed them to easily surpass Detroit for second place and are now turning their sights on first place New York. The Shamrocks lead on the defending Challenge Cup Champions is just 3 points and the teams will meet three more times before the season ends on March 25. Montreal, which finished third a year ago and then downed Toronto in the semi-finals before beating New York in 5 games in the final, seemed like it would have its work cut out just to make the playoffs this season. In early January the Vals were in a heated battle with Boston and Toronto for places three thru five in the NAHC standings and were an even dozen points back of Detroit. That changed with a stretch that began, innocently enough, with a late goal by Nikolas Roach that secured a 4-4 tie in Chicago avoiding what would have been a fourth straight loss for the slumping Vals. Instead, it was the beginning of a 12-game undefeated stretch that would see the Valiants win nine and tie the other three. When it ended Montreal was just two points back of Detroit for second place. A month later, the latest stretch of 5 consecutive victories -including two over the Motors- has the Valiants suddenly six points ahead of Detroit with three weeks remaining. The difference between second place and third is home ice advantage in the semi-finals and the Valiants are much more successful on Montreal Arena ice. At home the Vals sport a 21-9-2 record while on the road they are just a .500 club. The season is far from over, and the Valiants look like a team that won't slow down until it passes the Shamrocks for first place.  NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 28 THURSDAY MARCH 1 Toronto 0 at 8 Montreal : The Valiants have won six of their last seven games after a dominating display in which they outshot Toronto 59-22 and outscored the Dukes 8-0. Jimmy Backus and Ian Doyle each scored twice for the winners with Wayne Augustin adding three assists. Tom Brockers earned the shutout. Brockers was named goaltender of the month for February prior to the game. Chicago 3 at 3 Boston :Marty Mahoney was the story as the Packers collect a rare point with a 3-3 tie in Boston. Mahoney scored all three of the Chicago goals -one each period- giving him 13 on the season. All of Boston's scoring came in the third period. SATURDAY MARCH 3 Toronto 1 at 6 Detroit: The injury riddled Dukes were no match for Detroit on this night as Lou Barber, who was named player of the month for February, scored twice and added two assists for the Motors. Spencer Larocque and Ben Witt each picked up 3 points in the 6-1 victory.New York 1 at 2 Boston : Wilbur Chandler's goal midway through the third period was the difference as the Boston Bees trimmed the New York Shamrocks 2-1 and moved closer to securing a playoff spot. Boston leads Toronto by nine points for the fourth and final postseason berth. Montreal 2 at 1 Chicago : Clarence Skinner scored six minutes into the third period as the Vals ruined an outstanding effort by Norm Hanson in the Chicago net. The Packers have just one win to show for their last 17 games. SUNDAY MARCH 4 Montreal 6 at 1 Detroit : Montreal won for the fifth straight game and extended their lead on Detroit for second place to six points with a 6-1 victory at the Thompson Palladium. Claude LeClerc scored twice and added two assists to lead the Montreal attack.Boston 3 at 5 Toronto : The Dukes slim playoff hopes remain alive with a 5-3 win over Boston. The two points move the Dukes to within seven of the fourth place Bees with 9 games remaining for each club. Mike Navarro scored twice for the Dukes, who outshot Boston 44-23 including 22-9 in a wild third period that saw Toronto collect three goals and the Bees two. UPCOMING GAMES MONDAY MARCH 5 Chicago at New York WEDNESDAY MARCH 7 Boston at Detroit Montreal at Toronto New York at Chicago SATURDAY MARCH 10 Toronto at New York Montreal at Boston Detroit at Chicago SUNDAY MARCH 11 Chicago at Detroit New York at Montreal Boston at Toronto DUKES SEASON ON LIFE SUPPORT Any hopes of the fans in Toronto watching playoff hockey at Dominion Gardens are fading fast. With nine games remaining in the season the Dukes trail fourth place Boston by seven points. While not mathematically eliminated, nothing short of a miracle will allow the season to extend past March 25th, the last day of the regular season. In a critical week the team started by getting trounced by the fast rising Montreal Valiants at Montreal Arena. The Vals have risen to second place after passing Detroit in February and are now trailing pace setting New York by only three points. The game seemed never to be in doubt, only some spectacular netminding by Scott Renes kept the Dukes within shouting distance for 30 minutes. The Vals laid siege in the Toronto zone in the first bombarding an almost defenseless Renes with 18 shots. Renes held the team in the game by allowing only one goal by Jimmy Backus at 10:54 with Clyde Lumsen in the penalty box. The siege continued in the second only Renes kept the score 1-0 past the 10 minute mark. The Vals scored three in the last 10 minutes one each by Shel Herron, Ian Doyle, Clarence Skinner to make it 4-0 after 40. The shot totals through two periods were Montreal 44, Toronto 15. Montreal did not try to protect the lead in the third beating a listless Dukes team 4 more times to make the final 8-0 with Tom Brockers picking up his third blank of the season, Barrell closed the dressing room to reporters post game. If Barrell, along the fans, were expecting a better game from their favourites on Saturday in Detroit they were to be sadly disappointed in the effort against the Motors. The game was not as lopsided as in Montreal but, although it was closer, the home side was in control from the start of the game. Detroit scored twice on Gordie Broadway in the first with Adam Vanderbilt and Lou Barber doing the damage on 14 shots. The Dukes tested Millard Touhey in the Detroit cage a dozen times without success. Leading 2-0 Detroit scored the only goal of the second off of Lou Barber's stick in a more defensive period. In the third Detroit put he game away. Vincent Arsenault, Bob Pilon and Spencer Larocque all scored to make it 6-0 before Alex Lavalliere spoiled Touhey's shutout bid with less than 4 minutes left in another bad loss for the Dukes. It was the Dukes first goal in 146:16. Detroit used their power play to make Toronto pay, going 3 for 6 when up a man in the game. For all intents and purposes a loss at home to Boston would have ended all hopes for the post season in Toronto. The first period was a tight checking affair that ended the way it: started 0-0. The home team picked up the pace a little in the second testing Oscar James 15 times in the Boston net. Toronto managed to grab a lead for the first time in 4 games when J. C. Martel's shot made it 1-0 at 11:13. Ken Jamieson doubled the lead with his third of the year less than 5 minutes later only to have Len Bentley cut the lead to 2-1 with 66 seconds remaining in the period. Trevor Parker's 12th made 3-1 with less than 9 minutes to go only to have Mark Dyck to cut the lead to one less than a minute later. Mike Navarro would score twice in the third. He made it 4-2 at 12:23 to give the Dukes a little breathing room which they would need when John Bentley beat Broadway with 55 seconds left on the clock. Navarro got his second at 19:25 after the Dukes pinned Boston in their end not allowing James to be pulled from the net. The 5-3 final for the Dukes kept alive a faint hope for the playoffs. Coach Barrell- "I do not know what to tell you. This is as bad a slump this team has had since my return to Toronto. With Pollack and Sauer out guys are cheating by blowing our zone early to try to generate offense. We are getting burned by these lapses and turning the puck over as we try to breakout. Guys are also choking their sticks, rushing passes when we finally get into the opposition's end. Now we have to win along with getting some help, We are not out yet. It would be a nice time to go on a winning streak, say 9 games."
 CANARIES FLY TOWARDS TOURNEY TOP SEED AND GLA TITLE The Western Iowa Canaries basketball team moved one step closer to claiming the top seed in the 42nd annual AIAA basketball tournament following a 61-53 victory over fifth ranked Whitney College on Saturday. That win improves the Canaries Great Lakes Alliance leading section record to 13-1 with two games remaining including a potential title showdown in Terre Haute against Indiana A&M on the final day of the regular season this Saturday. The Reapers are 12-2 in GLA action, tying a school record for conference victories. If Western Iowa can finish with wins over Detroit City College and the Reapers this week, they will be 27-2 and almost assuredly enter the AIAA tournament as the number one seed. It looks like three other teams from the Great Lakes Alliance will join Western Iowa and Indiana A&M in the March tournament, as Central Ohio, Whitney College and Detroit City College all appear to have done enough to warrant at large bids. There are some fierce battles to be waged for crowns in other conferences as the regular season comes to a close this weekend. The West Coast Athletic Association has Rainier College (12-3) a half game up on CC Los Angeles and a game ahead of Coast California. CCLA has completed its slate but the Majestics, who sit second in the polls with a 24-4 overall record, need to beat Northern California Friday evening to win their second straight WCAA title and fifth in the past eight years. A loss opens the door to a potential three way tie with the two Los Angeles schools as the Dolphins finish up with a game against Redwood on Friday. The CCLA Coyotes would win any tiebreaker as they swept both the Majestics and Dolphins head to head this season. The South Atlantic Conference crown will also go down to the wire as Carolina Poly and Mobile Maritime each sport identical 11-2 section marks with two games remaining including a meeting between the two in the season finale Saturday in Alabama. The Deep South, the final one of the big four conferences, has no suspense remaining in the final week as Opelika State, thanks to a tremendous 11-1 conference record, has already clinched its first section title since 1926-27. The Wildcats Cinderella team that season won the AIAA championship but have not made it back to the tournament since then. That will change this season as the conference title ensures then a berth in the 32-team tournament field. The way it stands right now they will be joined in the tournament by defending champion Noble Jones College as well as Deep South members Alabama Baptist and Central Kentucky but the last two are on the bubble. As for schools that have already clinched a berth in the tournament with conference titles, Opelika State is joined by Rocky Mountain Athletic Association champion Utah A&M, which wins its sixth straight conference title. Lambert College has a two game lead on Laclede with two to play in the Midwestern Association and should win any potential tiebreaker between the two. The University of New Jersey is in a similar position in the Eastern Six, with Boston State two games back with two to play. None of the other conference winners have been determined as of yet with the exception of the Academia Alliance where the Ellery Bruins finished one game ahead of three teams. It marks just the second time in school history the Bruins have won their section regular season title. The Academia Alliance is the only conference to have a post-season tournament and the Bruins have had some success in that event, winning last year and on five other occasions. Both Ellery, which is 24-5 overall, and 22-7 Brunswick seem assured of collecting tournament invitations regardless of whether they win the Academia championship event this weekend.  RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS MONDAY FEBRUARY 26 None TUESDAY FEBRUARY 27 None WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 28 #9 Opelika State 52, at Georgia Baptist 48 #10 Noble Jones College 65, at Bayou State 34 #12 Brunswick 61, at Henry Hudson 49 Pierpont 62, at #13 Ellery 58 #22 Dickson 70, at Grafton 62 THURSDAY MARCH 1 at #1 Western Iowa 68, #18 Central Ohio 43 Cowpens State 49, at #3 Carolina Poly 48 at #5 Whitney College 56, St. Magnus 46 at #20 Detroit City College 53, #8 Indiana A&M 51 at #11 North Carolina Tech 59, Huntington State 42 #14 Chesapeake State 52, at #21 Charleston Tech 49 #15 Lambert College 57, at Payne State 43 #17 Mobile Maritime 46, at Richmond State 41 FRIDAY MARCH 2 #2 Rainier College 86, at #25 Redwood 61 Northern California 58, at #6 CC Los Angeles 53 #7 Coastal California 61, at Idaho A&M 41 SATURDAY MARCH 3 #1 Western Iowa 61, at #5 Whitney College 53 at #3 Carolina Poly 52, Central Carolina 39 #4 Frankford State 73, at St. Patrick's 53 #8 Indiana A&M 61, at #18 Central Ohio 49 at #9 Opelika State 59, Alabama Baptist 42 Northern Mississippi 44, at #10 Noble Jones College 37 #12 Brunswick 58, at George Fox 38 at #13 Ellery 53, #22 Dickson 46 #14 Chesapeake State 53, at #11 North Carolina Tech 46 #15 Lambert College 60, at Central Illinois 30 at #17 Mobile Maritime 59, Alexandria 51 at #20 Detroit City College 54, St. Magnus 46 #21 Charleston Tech 41, at Lexington State 30 SUNDAY MARCH 4 at #6 CC Los Angeles 47, Spokane State 35 #7 Coastal California 41, at Portland Tech 27 at #25 Redwood 72, Lane State 70 The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 3/04/1951
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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05-31-2024, 05:06 PM
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#954 |
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March 12, 1951
MARCH 12, 1951 32 TEAM FIELD SET FOR THE AIAA CAGE TOURNAMENT The participants are confirmed for the 42nd annual edition of American Intercollegiate Athletic Association's annual championship basketball tournament. Headlining the field of 32 teams will be the number one ranked Western Iowa Canaries. The Canaries, who went 15-1 in section play to win their third straight Great Lakes Alliance conference title, are the top seed in the Midwest Region following a 27-2 campaign. Other number one seeds include 2nd ranked Carolina Poly, South Atlantic Conference champs, in the East Region, Deep South Conference winner Opelika State in the South Region and Rainier College in the West Region. The Majestics were in a three-way tie for the West Coast Athletic Association title but finish second behind CC Los Angeles on a tie-breaker. The opening round games of the tournament will be played Saturday and Sunday. *** Canaries Top Midwest Seeds **** Western Iowa will open against Abilene Baptist on Sunday. The Canaries, who are led by senior center Darryl Baugher - projected #2 by OSA for the June Federal Basketball League draft, have not missed the AIAA tournament since 1937-38 and made it to the national semi-finals last year. Since '38 they have been to Bigsby Garden for the semis three times but have never won it all. Abilene Baptists went just 14-16 during the season but claim their first ever tournament bid by virtue of winning the South Border Conference title. This is just the fourth season the Chapparals have played Division One basketball. The WCAA champion CC Los Angeles Coyotes are the number two seed in the Midwest and they will face Lubbock State, winners of the Southwestern Athletic Association. The Hawks pulled off a pair of upsets in last year's tournament and reached the quarterfinals. CCLA makes the event for 39th time in its 42 year history. The Coyotes have won 4 national titles, a number only matched by North Carolina Tech, and their 39 tournament appearances trail only their Los Angeles rivals from Coastal California in that category. They will go as far as often-injured senior forward Henry Piercy will carry them. Piercy missed more than a month each of the past two years but averaged more than 14 points per game when healthy during that span. Tripp Ruby and Gus Barnett combine with Piercy to make the Coyotes very strong on the boards. North Carolina Tech and its rich tournament history are the number three seed in the Midwest. The Techsters are the only school to win three straight tournaments, accomplishing that feat in the early 1920s. The reached the semi-finals three times in the 1940s but also had a three year tournament drought before returning in 1948-49. Last year they bowed out in the second round with a loss to Western Iowa. Senior center Lane Armentrout, who scores nearly 13 points per game, is their leader. They will face Lambert College, champions of the Midwestern Association. Lambert College has only made the tournament six times previously in its history but the Stags have had recent success with four tournament invites in the past five years. The final opening round game in the Midwest Region is the 4-5 contest between Academia Alliance regular season champion Ellery and football power St. Blane. The Bruins stumbled in the semi-finals of their conference tournament (the Academia Alliance is the only conference to have a post-season tournament) but their 25-6 record was good enough for an at-large bid. Ellery reached National Semi-finals in 1911. The Bruins won Academia Alliance tournament last year giving them their first national tourney berth since 1937-38 and they surprised Coastal California with an upset win in the opening round before falling to Indiana A&M in the second round. St.Blane, an independent, went just 19-10 on the year but snuck in to the field with an at-large berth. It marks the 6th straight season the Fighting Saints have qualified for the tournament, coming on the heels of a 17 year tournament drought. *** Carolina Poly Team To Beat In East *** South Atlantic Conference champion Carolina Poly, 25-4 and ranked #3 in the nation, is the top seed in the East. The Cardinals are led by senior forward Mel Turcotte - projected #1 by OSA for FBL draft. They have only missed out on selection for the tournament three times since 1919 and reached at least the quarterfinals each of the past four years. Carolina Poly has won the national championship three times with the most recent title coming in 1944-45. They will open the 1951 event against NW Pennsylvania State, winners of the Keystone Alliance for the first time since 1939. Academia Alliance champion Brunswick is the second seed in the East and will open with a game against local rival University of New Jersey. The Knights have made the AIAA tournament 5 of last 7 years with best showing in that stretch being a trip to quarterfinals in 1946. They are one of the original powers of the sport, reaching at least the semi-finals six straight years in the 1910s and winning three titles that decade. University of New Jersey won the Eastern Six conference and reach the tournament for the sixth time in the past seven years but only once won their opening round game. There big star is Jim Russell, a sophomore forward out of Maryland who was among the top scorers in the AIAA with a 13.3 ppg average. This is a tough bracket with Whitney College holding the #3 seed and defending national champion Noble Jones College slotting in at number 4. The Engineers struggled down the stretch, losing their last 3 games to finish 8th in the national rankings with a 21-7 record. Junior Solly Morris may be top pick of 1952 FBL draft and he will be looking to have a big tournament after he and the Engineers failed to qualify last year. Whitney College, with titles in 1946-47 and 1924-25, is the only current Great Lakes Alliance member to win the national title. Former conference member Chicago Poly won while part of the GLA in 1917. With Morris, along with fellow junior Edd Petty and sophomore Sam Doane, all averaging more than 10 points per game the Engineers might be the early favourite next year to win a national title. The Engineers open against Mississippi Tech (23-7). The Cougars are led by the top scorer in the nation as senior guard Adam Cheatham is averaging more than 19 points per game. This is the first time the Cougars, who play as an independent, have ever been selected for the AIAA tournament and their 23-7 record is the best mark the school has ever accumulated in a season. Noble Jones College is led by sophomore forward Jim Graybeal and Cincinnati Cannons first overall pick Charlie Barrell, a junior guard. The Colonels completed a perfect season a year ago -the first in AIAA basketball history- with a championship game win over a Liberty College team featuring current Chicago Panthers rookie sensation Luther Gordon, but went 23-7 this time around. Two years ago the Colonels reached the title game but lost to Lexington State. Noble Jones College is bidding to become just the third school ever to play in three consecutive title games. The North Carolina Tech won three in a row between 1921 and 1923 while Brunswick made four straight title game appearances from 1910-1913, winning the first two. Independent power Frankford State, 26-3 and ranked 4th in the nation, adds to the depth in this region as the 5 seed and opening opponent for Barrell and the Colonels. The Owls are led by senior guard Rod Bookman, expected to be top guard in FBL draft. Between Bookman and fellow senior Von Murray the Owls may have the best starting backcourt in the country. Their top scorer was senior center Rick Sims, who like the two guards, scored in double-figures this season. The are in the tournament for the third time in four season after missing selection a year ago. *** Opelika State Looks to Build on Dream Season *** The Opelika State Wildcats won the Deep South Conference for the first time since their AIAA championship winning 1926-27 season. It is also their first tournament appearance since that game. The Wildcats will rely heavily on seniors Eric Warren, a center, and forward Jumbo Harms if they want to make a deep tournament run. 26-3 on the season and ranked 7th in the poll, the Wildcats will begin their quest for a second title as the top seed in the South and will open against Brooklyn State (18-14), champions of the Liberty Conference. Second seed Coastal California has only missed the tournament once in 42 years and won more tournament games (70) in its history than any other school but the Dolphins have had nothing but hard luck at Bigsby Garden. They have made the national semi-finals 13 times and the title game on 3 occasions but have never won the national championship. This years club is led by national player of the year candidate Chris Martines, who averages more than 18 points a game. They will open the tournament against the Flint Foxes (20-9), winners of the Central Athletic Alliance. The Foxes have made the tournament 8 times but have never won a post-season game. Central Ohio of the Great Lakes Alliance is the #3 seed and will face Academia Alliance school Dickson. The Aviators look to have a bright future with a pair of sophomores leading the team in scoring in guard Charlie Stark (12.6 ppg) and forward Lee Woolridge (11.9 ppg). Central Ohio reached the national semi-finals -their best ever showing- in 1947 but did not qualify for the tournament last year. It will be just the 4th tournament appearance in the past 35 years for the Maroons, who finished with a 21-10 record. The 4-5 matchup in the South Region will see Chesapeake State (22-7) face Detroit City College (19-10). For Chesapeake State, it snaps a three year drought by returning to the AIAA tournament. The Clippers won a national title in 1931 and were one of the top teams in the thirties, but have had their struggles over the past decade. Detroit City College has missed the tournament just once since 1931 and been to the semi-finals three times but has never won a national title in basketball. *** Rainier College Tops West *** With six appearances in the semi-finals and three National Championships -all since 1939, Rainier College is one of the top programs in the nation. The Majestics ended the season with a loss to Northern Cal, and that cost them the West Coast Athletic Association title but they still finished #2 in the national ranking behind only Western Iowa. The Majestics have not missed selection for the tournament since the spring of 1934. This year's team is led by a pair of sophomores in T.J. Grimm and Doc Daniels, who have picked up the slack after Don Higgins (brother of former FABL pitcher Dick Higgins) was suspended for academic reasons in January. Their opponent Quaker College won the California League title for the second time in four years despite the fact that no Bulldogs player averaged more than 8.5 points per game. Great Lakes Alliance runner-up Indiana A&M (22-7) is the number two seed in the West Region where the Reapers will open against Oklahoma City State, winners of the Plains Athletic Association. Indiana A&M reached the semi-finals last season before losing to eventual champion Noble Jones College. This marks the fourth straight season the Reapers are in the tournament but it is just the fifth time in the past 22 years. They may have a tough time making it to Bigsby Garden this time around as junior Ollie Courville, their top scorer, will likely miss the first three rounds with an injury. Freshman Sherman Burkhalter has had an outstanding season at guard and seems a look to be named a freshman All-American. Charleston Tech of the South Atlantic Conference makes the long trek west to be a third seed and the Admirals will face Utah A&M in their opener. The Admirals(22-7) qualify for back to back tournaments for the first time in school history. They lost in the opening round a year ago as a 4th seed. Utah A&M is led by senior forward David Campbell (12.6 ppg) as the Aggies win their sixth consecutive Rocky Mountain Conference title. Only once in their history did they win a game in the tournament. That was three years ago when they upset a #2 seed in Texas Gulf Coast. The Aggies are 1-14 overall in tournament play. The final matchup in the West Region is rivalry game between a pair of Alabama schools in fourth seeded Mobile Maritime and #5 Alabama Baptist. The Middies, from the South Atlantic Conference, went 21-8 this season and finished 21st in the final poll, two spots ahead of the Panthers. Alabama Baptist was also 21-8 and finished tied for second in the Deep South Conference. The return to the tournament ends a three absence for the Middies, who have been selected only eight times in their history but do have three trips to the quarterfinals and an appearance in the 1934 national semi-finals on their resume. For them to succeed this season, senior guard Bill Van Buskirk (13.3 ppg) is going to need a big tournament. Alabama Baptist is led by a name familiar to Figment sports fans as senior center Les Lightbody, a cousin of former FABL stars Doug and Frank Lightbody, teams with fellow senior Edmund Spell to make one of the top rebounding tandems in the country. The Panthers make the tournament for the third time in four years, reaching Bigsby Garden three years ago when they made it to the semi-finals before losing to CC Los Angeles. A year ago, Detroit City College knocked them out in the second round.   RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS WEDNESDAY MARCH 7 #7 Opelika State 53, at Northern Mississippi 52 Baton Rouge State 61, at #11 Noble Jones College 59 #15 Utah A&M 56, at Provo Tech 40 at #23 Alabama Baptist 48, Bayou State 43 THURSDAY MARCH 8 at #1 Western Iowa 59, #20 Detroit City College 45 #3 Carolina Poly 58, at Maryland State 39 at #9 Indiana A&M 65, #8 Whitney College 58 at #12 Chesapeake State 49, #21 Mobile Maritime 40 #14 North Carolina Tech 69, at Richmond State 49 Wichita Baptist 49, at #17 Lambert College 34 at #18 Charleston Tech 46, Bulein 45 at Wisconsin State 61, #19 Central Ohio 48 FRIDAY MARCH 9 Northern California 59, at #2 Rainier College 57 at #5 Coastal California 69, Redwood 41 SATURDAY MARCH 10 #1 Western Iowa 51, at #9 Indiana A&M 40 #3 Carolina Poly 65, at #21 Mobile Maritime 49 #7 Opelika State 55, at Bayou State 43 at Minnesota Tech 52, #8 Whitney College 45 #11 Noble Jones College 57, at Central Kentucky 55 #12 Chesapeake State 57, at Central Carolina 44 at Maryland State 65, #14 North Carolina Tech 46 at #15 Utah A&M 60, Mile High State 46 at #17 Lambert College 53, Eastern Oklahoma 45 #18 Charleston Tech 52, at Huntington State 41 #19 Central Ohio 53, at St. Ignatius 45 #20 Detroit City College 61, at Wisconsin State 60 at #23 Alabama Baptist 51, Baton Rouge State 41 END OF REGULAR SEASON BASEBALL IS BACK Spring Action Underway Sure, they are just meaningless preseason games contested in the Florida sunshine and filled with players who are more likely to spend their summer in Newark instead of New York or Toledo rather than Toronto but to baseball diehards that matters not because, as Leland Kuenster of the Chicago Herald Examiner summed it up with his two-word headline for his local column -- BOX SCORES! The first of six weeks of tune-up contests before professional baseball's 75th season throws out its first pitch for real were completed yesterday and with those first delectable collection of linescores to read comes plenty of optimism from most of the 16 big league clubs. High hopes that have plenty of time to be dashed - for some even before opening day but for others not until reality kicks in around June. At the moment though, every club has something to cheer about. Let's take a quick trip around the league and read what some of the local papers have to say about the opening week. CLEVELAND- WCS hangover perhaps? The Foresters are the only FABL club still looking for their first spring victory after an 0-7 week. Three of the losses were by a single run and the bats may not have made the trip south from Ohio as the Foresters were shut out in three consecutive games, scoring just 3 runs over their last 5 contests. DETROIT- The Dynamos started the week with positive news from development camp as four of the six players who attended had what scouts are terming as positive improvement. On the field they also had a nice week from minor league invitees Dino Sharp and Ralph Capriotti in the opening spring games. Each had a couple of hits for their two games of action and now both can return to the minor league camp with a little more confidence. Some nice pitching performances as well with Detroit going 4-3 for the week. Rule five pick Walt Stanton threw 4 shutout innings while youngster Fred Washington also looked very good. NY STARS- The Stars own the best record in baseball after a 6-1 start. Lots to like as many of the big bats looked to be in midseason form, players like Mack Sutton, Bill Barrett, Bill Barnett and even catcher Dan Atwood enjoyed strong starts at the plate. Is Billy Bob Nelson a hidden gem? The 27-year-old career minor leaguer turned some heads with a career year at AAA Los Angeles last season (.362,12,93) and picked right up where he left off last week with a 6-for-13 performance in spring play including a .588 on base percentage. Arthur Mortimer, who covers the Stars for the New York Daily Mirror also reports that development camp went very well for the organization. "The Stars hot pitching prospect Paul Anderson adds a Sinker to his arsenal, jumping him up the OSA prospect list from $46 to #30 and pitcher Jimmy Morris jumps up the rankings to #23 overall after getting his pitch speed up a notch. Others who prospered include 21-year-old third base prospect Gene Curtis, who increased his quality of contact and teenage centerfield top ten prospect Eddie Dickey had an outstanding time raising his bat speed! Dickey has increased home run power and increased his power ceiling as well. SAILORS- Shortstop Les Cunha was on fire last week, going 11 for 16 (.688) with 4 extra base hits. Some of the veteran pitchers struggled but not newcomers Lou Robertson and Jackie James. Robertston, a 35-year-old waiver wire pickup from Brooklyn, tossed three strong innings in a 4-1 loss to Montreal on Thursday while James, a 30-year-old selected in the rule five draft from the Kings, had a solid start against Toronto on Friday. PITTSBURGH- There was bad news out of Bradenton as Pittsburgh third baseman Lou Hooker suffered a broken kneecap, ending his 1951 campaign far too early. The 27-year-old spent last season in AAA but has over 100 games of big league experience with the Chiefs, Gothams and Miners. ST LOUIS- Lots to love for the new GM with the Pioneers. Let's start with the fact that OSA's very early preseason prediction is calling for the St Louis nine to duplicate its 1947 turnaround when the Pioneers, last in 1946, won the first of back to back World Championship Series. OSA believes the Pioneers will be the class of the Federal Association after spending last season in the cellar. Of course the scouting service does reserve the right to make changes to his prognostication on Opening Day. The other good news. His tongue is planted firmly in cheek but Clarence Keenan of the St Louis Star-Times gushes that the Pioneers may have found a 1B!! Claude Kade hit .700 for the week with a HR & 3 RBI.....that 1 HR is more than last season's starting 1B hit all season.... THERE IS JOY IN MUDVILLE!!!!! (at least temporarily). TORONTO- The news is not so good in Toronto where the Wolves are trying to recover from their worst season in twenty years. Two pitchers went down for extended periods in the opening week including Harry Phillips, a regular in the Toronto bullpen each of the past two years. He will miss the next month with a sprained elbow while AAA pitcher Lee Woodward, a 26-year-old scrambling for a spot in the wonky Wolves pen is out of action for at least three weeks with shoulder troubles. Meanwhile things did not go well for first overall picks John Wells (1949) and Les Ledbetter (1947). Wells went 2-for-12 at the plate but at least he did not commit an error at shortstop after making 22 miscues in 51 games last year. Ledbetter, who looked overmatched in AAA last summer and recently in the Cuban Winter League, did himself no favours with a dreadful debut spring outing, allowing 5 runs (4 earned) and did not survive the third inning of what became a 12-4 loss to the New York Stars on Thursday.  PLAYOFF PICTURE TAKING SHAPE With two weeks remaining in the regular season the playoff matches look to be close to being finalized. The New York Shamrocks came up with a big 3-0 victory on the road in Montreal last night, snapping the Valiants 7-game winning streak and extending their lead on Montreal for first place to 5 points with 6 games remaining for New York. Montreal has five to play and seemingly will finish second. If the Vals do indeed fail to catch the Shamrocks it will mean Montreal will face Detroit while New York takes on Boston in the semi-finals. The Motors took three of a possible four points from Chicago over the weekend and now have 71 points on the year. That leaves Detroit 7 back of Montreal for second but also 5 ahead of Boston. The Bees and Toronto skated to a scoreless tie at Dominion Gardens last night which all but ends the Dukes playoff hopes. Boston has a 9-point lead on Toronto for the fourth and final playoff berth with six games remaining for each team. What is worth noting in the playoff picture is Montreal and New York still have two meetings left so a sweep could keep the Valiants in the run for the regular season league title. Boston is five points back of Detroit for third place but the two clubs still have a home and home series to play next weekend. Meanwhile Toronto does have one game left with the Bees but the nine point deficit is a seemingly insurmountable a task. MNOR LEAGUE NOTES The Hockey Association of America's regular season came to an end with the Springfield Hornets finishing with a league best 96 points in 70 games. The Hornets, a Boston Bees affiliate, boast the league scoring champ Arnie Kullman, a 23-year-old center who led the way with 66 points. The Toledo Tigers, who are one of two unaffiliated HAA clubs, led the West Division with 79 points. The Pittsburgh Rovers, who finished third in the West, won the league title a year ago, knocking off Springfield in the finals. The Great West Hockey League has not only completed its regular season but is also done the semi-finals. The championship series will feature first place Portland against second place Seattle. The Ports eliminated 4th place Vancouver in five games while the other semi-final went the distance with the Emeralds doubling the San Francisco Wings 4-2 in game seven of their series. The finals begin tonight in Portland. Enio Sclisizsi, brother of Montreal Valiant forward Rey Sclisizzi, led the GWL in scoring this season with 70 points. As for the junior loop, the defending Canadian Amateur Hockey Association champion Saint John Saints finished with the best regular season record in the league, posting a 41-15-8 mark for a league best 90 points. They were just one point ahead of second place Verdun in the East Division while the Brantford Blue Legs topped the West Division with 84 points. CAHA playoffs will get underway this week. The scoring champ was 18-year-old Alex Monette of the Halifax Mariners. Monette, who will be eligible for the 1952 NAHC draft, finished with 107 points including a league best 50 goals.  NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK MONDAY MARCH 5 WEDNESDAY MARCH 7 Boston 5 at 2 Detroit : The Bees continue to put pressure on Detroit, closing to within 3 points of tying the Motors for third place. Three unanswered goals in the final 16 minutes lifted the Bees to a 5-2 win.Montreal 2 at 1 Toronto : Make it six wins in a row for the Valiants who are trying to close the gap on New York for first place. The 2-1 Montreal win, coupled with Boston's win in Detroit, likely spells the end of Toronto's playoff hopes as the Dukes are now 9 points back of Boston. Clarence Skinner and Ian Doyle scored for Montreal while Trevor Parker had the lone Toronto goal. New York 2 at 3 Chicago : Perhaps a parade is needed in Chicago after the Packers claim a rare victory, downing the first place Shamrocks 3-2 behind a 3-point night from Jeremey MacLean. MacLean scored twice in the first period and assisted on Max Ducharme's game winner early in the third. SATURDAY MARCH 10 Toronto 2 at 4 New York: John Beaudoin scored twice while Jocko Gregg notched his 27th goal of the season to help New York double Toronto 4-2. The Dukes are still playing without Quinton Pollack and his league best 28 goals. Pollack is done for the season with a concussion that has sidelined him since February 21.Montreal 3 at 2 Boston : Three goals in just over ten minutes to open the game proved enough for the Montreal Valiants to hold off Boston 3-2 and win for the seventh consecutive game. Ray Sclisizzi, Shel Herron and Adam Sandford handled the scoring duties while Robert Walker and Wilbur Chandler replied for the Bees in the second period. Detroit 2 at 2 Chicago : Break up the Packers! A win followed by a tie gives Chicago 29 points on the season. Tommy Burns scored his 23rd goal of the season and assisted on Marty Mahoney's game opening goal as Chicago built a 2-0 lead before Spencer Larocque and Nick Tardif allowed the Motors to salvage a point at Lakeside Auditorium. SUNDAY MARCH 11 Chicago 1 at 2 Detroit : Defensemen Tyson Beddoes and Joe Todd scored the Detroit goals as the Motors won the back end of a weekend home and home with the Packers by a 2-1 count. Jarrett McGlynn's goal late in the third period was the only Chicago shot to find twine behind Detroit netminder Millard Touhey.New York 3 at 0 Montreal : Etienne Tremblay made 26 saves for his second shutout of the season as New York blanked Montreal 3-0, ending the Vals 7-game winning streak. Orval Cabbell, the NAHC's leading point producer, had a goal and an assist with Joe Martin and Simon Savard also scoring for the Shamrocks, who outshot Montreal 48-26. Boston 0 at 0 Toronto : What we believe was the first scoreless tie of the season happened in Toronto with Gordie Broadway making 25 saves in the Toronto net and Oscar James turning aside 23 for Boston. UPCOMING GAMES WEDNESDAY MARCH 14 Chicago at Toronto THURSDAY MARCH 15 Chicago at Montreal Detroit at New York Toronto at Boston SATURDAY MARCH 17 Montreal at New York Detroit at Boston Toronto at Chicago SUNDAY MARCH 18 Boston at Detroit New York at Montreal Chicago at Toronto DUKES PLAYOFF HOPES STILL ALIVE, BARELY Fans would usually be happy in a week in which the Dukes only surrender 6 goals in three games thinking that would be good for a minimum of two wins. Not so this past week in the NAHC. The Dukes only gained one point over the three games. While only giving up 6, they only scored 3 times in the trio of games. Midweek with Dominion Gardens packed almost to the rafters the Dukes hoped to atone for last week's 8-0 shellacking at the hands of Montreal. Knowing that without Quinton Pollack in the lineup goals would tough to come by the Dukes concentrated on protecting their goal for the entire game. After a scoreless first thanks to Montreal goalie Tom Brockers' solid puck stopping the Dukes opened the scoring at 6:37 of the second with Trevor Parker knocking home a Charlie Brown rebound while on the man advantage. Six minutes later Clarence Skinner tied the score on a wild goalmouth scramble in front of the Dukes Scott Renes. Both Brockers and Renes held the fort until Paulie Mosca found Ian Doyle alone at the post on Renes' glove side for a tip in into a wide open cage. Dukes could not mount any serious challenges to tie the score, Montreal leaves with a 2-1 win. Toronto went into New York on Saturday to face the Shamrocks. New York showed why they are in first by controlling the pace of the game for all 60 minutes. Toronto opened the scoring in the first minute when Tim Brooks' floater beat Freddy Hubbs 32 seconds after the drop of the puck. Jocko Gregg tied the score at 17:21 firing the puck by a down and out Broadway on the power play. Power play goals would become a theme in this game as the Dukes ran into penalty trouble often in the final 40 minutes. Broadway kept the team in the games making 15 saves in the second, the 16th shot was in the last minute of the period. John Beaudoin scored at 19:21 just after Brown had be rung up with a roughing minor along with a misconduct. Simon Savard's 20th made it 3-1 again on the power play only to have Trevor Parker make it 3-2 16 seconds later. Again Toronto could not find the tying goal. Beaudoin's second of the game with 91 seconds left made the final 4-2 NY. Home to face Boston again on Sunday. Everyone knew what was on the line in this game, The teams reverted to their old style of play, rough and tumble. Gordie Broadway picked up his 5th shutout of the season with 25 saves, he was matched by Oscar James in the Boston net also with 5th whitewash on 23 saves in a 0-0 tie in front of 13,827. Coach Barrell- "We are not mathematically eliminated yet, down 9 with six to play. We are going to need help but we need to win along with some that help for other teams. Back to work we need some goals."
  ----- The Panthers may have found their match in the Detroit Mustangs, who won back-to-back games against them in back-to-back weeks. Since February 18th, the Mustangs have been the only team to beat the Panthers, and if you go back to the beginning of February, Chicago is 1-5 against Detroit and 8-1 against everyone else. The losses allowed Rochester to reclaim a share of the West lead, as the Rockets and Panthers are both 31-17, three games clear of the Mustangs. The key for Detroit seems to be their own young star power forward, Ward Messer, who seems to be the only person in the world that can stop Luther Gordon from taking over a game. Gordon does have three 30 points games in the five recent contests, but he was held to 15 or fewer rebounds three times and was held to 5-of-27 scoring on just 18 points in the most recent loss. Gordon will be crucial in snapping the first real cold stretch for Chicago since the season ended, and head coach Geoffrey Mount is hoping to get star center Richard Campbell back at some point this week. It likely won't be for back-to-back home games against the struggling 8-40 Brawlers, but Campbell is expected to suit up in Sunday's game in Buffalo on a minutes restriction. He'd had issues fouling out early, but Campbell has still managed 15.6 points and 11.5 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game.----- It has already been announced that their will be a new coach of the Packers next season, and while the entire season has been a lost cause, the struggling team now has one goal: reach double digit wins. They're now two away after a 3-2 win in New York, but with seven games left it's going to be tough for Chicago's ice team to reach what should have been an easy task for even an HAA team. With just 29 points in 63 games, the Packers have been one of the worst NAHC teams ever, and that's even with one of the games top performers in Tommy Burns. The captain has still managed to be nearly a point per game player, with 52 in 56 games, as he's netted 23 goals and assisted on 29 others. His 23 goals are more then the total point totals for all but two Packers skaters, as Marty Mahoney (15, 19, 34) and Max Ducharme (12, 20, 32) have had much success producing points. After a rumor sell off went nowhere, just a few bites on the superstar Burns who was deemed as untouchable as Luther Gordon, Pete Papnefus, and Skipper Schneider, the Packers front office will have a long offseason to try to salvage the club.One thing Packers fans can look forward to is the #1 pick, and the team has four names with a super shortlist of two. The top two are rumored to be Guy Bernier (14, 14, 28) and Bobby Furham (27, 74, 101), a right and left defender. Bernier is projected as the better talent, but he's missed a lot of time with a concussion, while Bernier has excelled for the Trois-Rivieres Trappers of the CAHA and is considered to be a potential plug-and-play option behind Bert McColley (4, 6, 10) and Jesse Santoro (8, 10, 18), who have both severely underperformed like many on the team have. BUSY WEEK FOR MOTOR CITY SPORTS FANS One of my favourite weeks of the year is upon us. We have the start of spring training for the Detroit Dynamos. The Motors and Mustangs are heading to the stretch run in the ice and cage seasons while Detroit City College prepares for its annual foray into the AIAA basketball tournament with its opening game slated for Sunday. Let's start with the Dynamos. A sure sign that winter is waning as we have some boxscores from Lakeland. The Dynamos opened with 3 straight victories last week including a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Keystones in the spring debut at Clearwater. It was mainly rookies seeing action for the Dynamos and young Andy Conklin had 2 hits and drove in 3 runs in his first test in a Dynamos uniform. Those in attendance also saw the debuts of former third overall picks Dino Sharp and Ralph Capriotti. Sharp stroked a single while Capriotti went 0-for-2 but the 18 year old had hits in each of his next two games. All three are likely heading back to the minor league complex this week but they are more signs of the bright future that we all hope is close to arriving for Dick York's bunch. The Motors lost to both Montreal and Boston at home in recent games but rebounded by taking three of four points from a pathetic Packers team over the weekend. Having lost virtually any chance at second place and home ice advantage for the semi-finals because Montreal went on a 7-game winning streak, the Motors now have to hang on for two more weeks to end up third. They are 5 points ahead of Boston with six games to play. Montreal also has a chance to catch New York so it is still unknown if Badger Rigney's club will face the Shamrocks or the Vals in the playoffs. Detroit is 7-4-2 on the year against the Valiants but is winless in its last four against Montreal. The had a terrible start against the Shamrocks, winning just 1 of the first six between the two clubs but finished a little better and are 5-8-0 on the year head-to-head. Rollie Barrell and basketball Mustangs are riding high. Faced with the toughest stretch of games they will play all season -featuring a steady diet of the Chicago Panthers and New York Knights- the Mustangs have won six straight including four against Luther Gordon and the Panthers. Veteran Coach Frank Jones made some tweaks to his gameplan and it has been paying dividends of late. On the college circuit three wins in their last four games was enough to allow Detroit City College to sneak into the AIAA tournament with a 19-10 overall record, including a fourth place finish in the Great Lakes Alliance at 9-7 in section play. The Knights have not won the GLA title since the 1941-42 season and are far cry from the dominant team of the early 1930s that won six section crowns in a seven year span. The Knights have failed to qualify for the spring tournament just twice since 1920 but also have never won the event. At least they did reach the quarterfinals last year after two straight first round exits but there is worry they will not survive Chesapeake State when they meet Saturday in this year's opener. For starters Tony Trussell, their starting center, is still injured and then there is the worry that Chesapeake State is peaking at the right time. The Clippers season record was 22-7 but they won their last four, including victories over ranked teams Charleston Tech, North Carolina Tech and Mobile Maritime. The Clippers really are a two-man team, led by forward Rick Bower and guard Greg Wells. DCC is a little balanced with Chris Corbett, Tommy Henry and Ron Jakel leading the way will Solly Cardone provides depth scoring. I would feel a lot more comfortable if center Trussell was healthy but I am going with the Knights win, in a tight low scoring contest. That will be as far as I expect the Knights to advance as I have them losing to Opelika State in round two. My full bracket is below and I see Rainier College beating Western Iowa in the national title game with defending champion Noble Jones College and Coastal California rounding out the national semi-finals. BOB MURPHY TOURNAMENT BRACKET  EDMONDS SET TO DEFEND MIDDLWEIGHT TITLE John Edmonds says he is ready to go as he prepares for his third defense of the ABF World Middleweight title he won last March. Edmonds will face Millard Shelton at Thompson Palladium in Detroit on St. Patrick's Day this Saturday. Edmonds, who owns a 33-3 career record, beat Bill Boggs in New York last March to claim the ABF world title vacated with the death of French middleweight Edouard Desmarais in a 1949 plane crash. After beating Boggs, Edmonds successfully defended his belt in May with a 9th round knockout of Italian Hugo Canio and then outpointed Frank Melanson in Melanson's comeback attempt on September 29. It marks the second time Edmonds has held the belt as he was briefly champion in 1947 after upsetting Melanson in the then-champ's hometown of Pittsburgh but he lost the rematch to the Tank five months later. Shelton, a 30-year-old from Memphis. TN., enters the bout with a 30-5 record but has won 19 of his last twenty outings with the lone blemish being a disqualification for repeated low blows in a bout that turned into a street fight against Frankie Townsley nearly two years ago. Shelton is ranked as the #4 contender to Edmonds middleweight crown in the most recent TWIFS quarterly rankings.  RECENT KEY RESULTS
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 3/11/1951
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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06-03-2024, 12:30 PM
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#955 |
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Hall Of Famer
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March 19, 1951
MARCH 19, 1951 SHELTON WINS MIDDLEWEIGHT BELT AFTER TWO LATE KNOCKDOWNS IN UNANIMOUS DECISION Thompson Palladium, Detroit, Mich. -- John Edmonds (33-3-0, 22 KO) vs. Millard Shelton (30-5-0, 19 KO) – Referee: Denny Nelson Through 13 rounds of the Middleweight fight in Detroit this evening, it was a toss-up. John Edmonds, the two-time Middleweight Champion, and Millard Shelton, the willing and able challenger for the belt, were trading punches all evening. Neither boxer had scored a knockdown. The only visible damage done was due to an accidental clash of their heads, which caused swelling under Edmonds’s left eye. Edmonds came into the match on a ten-fight winning streak. His last loss was at the hands of Frank Melanson in a rematch where Edmonds was the reigning Middleweight Champion. Instead of leaving the public consciousness, Edmonds came back to relevance and won the title over Bill Boggs, a title vacated after the tragic accident that took the life of Edouard Desmarais. As champion, Edmonds continued to fight well, winning handily over Hugh Canio and denied Melanson as he returned to the ring. Millard Shelton is a veteran fighter who has been around the block a couple of times. He has won 19 of 20 fights after an uneven start to his professional career. Shelton has been known to fight dirty when the situation called for it. The lone loss in those 20 bouts was a disqualification due to low blows. Shelton had earned this title shot not only because of recent success, but also because the division is not teeming with strong challengers. The 30-year-old Memphis native’s time is now to try to take the belt away from Edmonds. The two fighters came to the center of the ring to hear the instructions from referee Denny Nelson, who was officiating his first title fight in his career. Shelton threw the first punch of the night, as they met in the middle of the ring, but the punch glanced off Edmonds’s shoulder and Edmonds counterpunched with a right jab followed by a left hook to the body. Edmonds tried to slow the action down and held on to Shelton. Shelton broke free and started to work the jab. In the second round, an accidental clash of heads caused swelling that started to become evident under Edmonds’s left eye. This would start to hamper Edmonds in the middle rounds. Edmonds got the better of the action Rounds 3 and 4, but in the fifth round, Edmonds’s eye was noticeably getting worse. Shelton took advantage late in the round with two haymakers in the closing seconds with a hook to the head, followed by an uppercut just before the bell to signal the end of the round. The bout almost took a turn to a street fight, which would have suited Shelton just fine, as Shelton connected on an uppercut as the bell sounded to end Round 6. The punch touched off an altercation with both fighters not giving an inch and continue to fire away. The corner men for each side jumped into the ring with the rookie referee Denny Nelson working hard to separate the men. Edmonds was riled up and fought angry, taking the fight to Shelton in Rounds 7 and 8. The champion blitzed Shelton with solid right hands and a hook to the jaw that stunned the challenger. Shelton came back in the rounds that followed, as Edmonds’s right eye was getting worse. It was anyone’s boxing match heading into the 14th round. The championship hung in the balance, but Shelton removed any doubt in the final two rounds. After a good hook from Edmonds early in the penultimate round, Shelton stopped him in his tracks with a right hand that landed on Edmonds’s chin. It did not look like Edmonds saw that punch coming. Shelton kept coming with a combination that caused Edmonds to drop to the canvas. Edmonds got to his feet on the count of seven. The final three minutes of the bout saw Shelton dominate and showing he still had energy to finish. With ten seconds left, Shelton landed a perfect hook that dropped Edmonds. The champion could still have been counted out as a ten count would have been just before the final bell. Edmonds stood up as Nelson reached an eight count and while the champion did not look ready to continue, Nelson let it go to the judges’ cards. Shelton (31-5-0) finished strong and deserved the victory, while the two-time champion Edmonds (33-4-0) lost for the first time in over three years. Shelton was only the fourth-ranked contender entering this bout, so there will be many new contenders vying for a chance. It goes to show how wide open the middleweight division truly is, but on this night, Shelton beat the champion to be crowned the best middleweight in the world. BOLOGNA’S BIG BOPPERS Round 1: Edmonds, 1-0 (0:43 left hook/body) Round 2: Shelton, 1-0 (2:39 hook/midsection) Round 3: Edmonds, 2-1 (E: 0:53 right/ribs, 1:56 elbow/warning; S: 2:22 combo) Round 4: Edmonds, 2-0 (0:11 hook, 2:13 combo) Round 5: Shelton, 3-0 (1:14 hook/midsection, 2:46 hook/head, 3:00 uppercut) Round 6: Shelton, 2-1 (E: 0:30 hook; S: 0:44 uppercut/head, 2:59 uppercut/head) Round 7: Edmonds, 4-1 (E: 0:48 cross, 1:58 hook/jaw, 2:38 right/head, 2:52 cross/ribs; S: 1:17 cross/face) Round 8: Edmonds, 2-0 (1:53 hook, 2:42 combo) Round 9: Shelton, 2-1 (E: 0:20 hook; S: 1:15 uppercut, 2:22 uppercut) Round 10: Shelton, 1-0 (2:05 left) Round 11: Shelton, 2-0 (0:13 hook, 1:25 hook/midsection) Round 12: Shelton, 1-0 (0:32 combo) Round 13: Edmonds, 3-2 (E: 1:03 uppercut, 2:45 right, 3:00 right/body; S: 1:40 uppercut, 1:54 uppercut) Round 14: Shelton, 2-1 (E: 0:15 hook; S: 1:31 right/chin, 2:06 combo/head-body/knockdown #1) Round 15: Shelton, 3-0 (0:13 right/midsection, 1:26 right, 2:47 hook/knockdown #2) TOTAL: Shelton 21, Edmonds 17 SCORECARD OF SHELTON VICTORY OVER EDMONDS  UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
PLAYOFF FIELD SET BUT TOP SPOT STILL UP FOR GRABS The Boston Bees blanked Toronto 1-0 on Thursday to officially clinch fourth place and eliminate the Dukes from playoff consideration but with a week to go in the regular season there is still plenty left to decide. The Bees will finish fourth. That much we know first to third are have yet to be decided although the Detroit Motors, despite a 5-game unbeaten streak, are nearly assured of finishing third. Only three Detroit victories coupled with a pair of losses by the Montreal Valiants in their final two games will boost the Motors into second place. The two clubs would be tied with 83 points but the Motors own the better head to head record. While third place is unlikely for Montreal, the Valiants do not want to settle for second. They are just a single point behind the New York Shamrocks in the fight for first place after gaining 3 of a possible 4 points in a weekend home and home series between the two. The Valiants have two games remaining -against Detroit Wednesday and Toronto Sunday- with both on the road. The Shamrocks, seeking their second straight regular season title, have three to play with road contests in Toronto Wednesday and Boston Saturday before finishing the season at Bigsby Garden against the Bees on Sunday.  NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK WEDNESDAY MARCH 14 THURSDAY MARCH 15 Chicago 4 at 6 Montreal : Montreal moved to within 3 points of the New York Shamrocks for first place with their 8th win in the last nine games. Six different Vals scored in the 6-4 win with defenseman Shel Herron enjoying a 3 point night.Detroit 4 at 2 New York : Detroit doubled the Shamrocks 4-2 thanks to three goals in the final 10 minutes of the game. Lou Barber, Louis Rocheleau and Brock Ternovatsky each had 2 point nights for the winners. Toronto 0 at 1 Boston : Boston clinched fourth place and officially eliminated Toronto from the playoff picture with a 1-0 victory keyed by a 23 save performance from Oscar James. It was his 6th shutout of the season and third in his last four starts against Toronto. Alex Gagnon scored the Bees goal, shorthanded, in the first period. SATURDAY MARCH 17 Montreal 4 at 3 New York : Nikolas Roch scored a powerplay goal with less than five minutes remaining in the game to lift Montreal to a 4-3 win over the Shamrocks and allowed the Vals to close to within a point of New York for first place. Wayne Augustin had 3 assists in a game that saw the Greenshirts forced to use rookie Freddy Hubbs in net because Alex Sorrell and Etienne Tremblay were both feeling under the weather.Detroit 2 at 1 Boston : Detroit won for the fourth straight game, clinching at least third place and leaving the Bees forced to settle for fourth. Spencer Larocque and Louis Rocheleau scored for the Motors, who outshot Boston 37-19. Toronto 3 at 3 Chicago : With the playoffs out of reach for both clubs, Toronto and Chicago skated to a 3-3 tie. Lou Galbraith scored twice for Toronto. SUNDAY MARCH 18 Boston 2 at 3 Detroit : Detroit beat Boston by a goal for the second time in three nights to keep their very slim hopes of catching Montreal for second place alive. Ben Witt had a goal and an assist for the winners.New York 2 at 2 Montreal : Alexandre Lapalme scored with just 2 second remaining in regulation to allow the Shamrocks to salvage a 2-2 tie with Montreal and keep New York's slim one-point lead on the Valiants for first place. Robert Sharpley opened the scoring for New York in the second period before Brett Lanceleve and Ian Doyle scored for the Vals in the third period of a game that New York outshot Montreal 37-18. Chicago 1 at 1 Toronto : A second straight tie between the Dukes and Packers. Miles Norman gave Toronto the lead in the second period before Marty Mahoney finally solved Dukes goaltender Scott Renes midway through the final frame in a game that Chicago outshot Toronto 42-24. UPCOMING GAMES WEDNESDAY MARCH 21 Montreal at Detroit New York at Toronto Boston at Chicago SATURDAY MARCH 24 New York at Boston Detroit at Chicago SUNDAY MARCH 25 Chicago at Detroit Boston at New York Montreal at Toronto END OF REGULAR SEASON DUKES ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFFS In a disappointing season Toronto's NAHC hockey team was officially eliminated from the playoff picture last week. The elimination marked just the second time since 1940 that the Dukes have failed to make the playoffs. It perhaps adds a small strand of optimism if we remember that the last time the Toronto hockey club missed the playoffs (1946-47) they followed that up with back to back Challenge Cup wins. In what was becoming a foregone conclusion became reality with a win, a loss, along with two ties in four games over a five day span. At home to the Packers on Wednesday the Dukes kept their faint hopes alive with a 5-1 victory over the basement dwellers from Chicago. Three goals in the opening frame were the key to the win. Les Carlson had two after Trevor Parker opened the scoring with a short handed effort less than three minutes into the game. After a fairly high paced opening 20 minutes the game settled into slow, methodical game for the final 40 with the home team carrying the play but not taking a lot of chances offensively. Alex Lavalliere made it 4-0 near the midpoint of the game before Tommy Burns, his 24th, beat Gordie Broadway for the only time in the game with 66 seconds remaining in the second. Broadway made 23 saves on 24 shots for the evening. Trevor Parker scored his second of the game, 16th of the campaign midway through the final stanza as the fans started to head for home with the score 5-1. At Denny Arena the next night every one of the 14,108 on hand knew the importance of the game for Toronto as Boston was the club they were desperately chasing for fourth place. Neither team took any chance of being caught out defensively the entire game. With the Dukes on a power play Alex Gagnon was sent in alone on Broadway when sprung by Jacob Godin. Gagnon deked the Toronto netminder then deposited the disc into a wide open cage. No one knew but this would be the only time the red light turned on behind either goal in this game. Toronto could not generate any high quality scoring chances around Oscar James' cage. James got his 6th shutout of the season, including two in a row facing the Dukes, with 23 saves and the Dukes were officially eliminated from playoff contention. Toronto started a home and home series with Chicago on Saturday night. The disappointment of the loss to the Bees was evident in the way that the Dukes played at Lakeside Auditorium. After a scoreless first both teams scored twice in the second. Jarrett McGlynn and Jeremy MacLean made it 2-0 Packers before Lou Galbraith and Les Carlson tied the game at 2 before the second intermission. Galbraith put the visitors ahead with his second of the night before Ed Delarue scored with just six minutes left to make the final 3-3. Toronto was outshot by Chicago 39-24 for the game. Toronto again came out listless on Sunday as again the Packers took the game to the Dukes. Toronto actually held a 1-0 lead on a goal by Miles Norman in the second. The lead was strictly due to Scott Renes heroics in net. After making 33 saves in the first two periods Marty Mahoney finally got a puck past Renes at 7:47 of the third in a game that ended 1-1. Renes made 41 stops during the game 18 more than the 23 made by Norm Hanson in the Packers net. Barrell- "I would like to apologize to the fans for an unsuccessful season. The team underperformed throughout the entire year which means I did not do my job. With all the talented goal scorers on this team I am confounded by the fact we have only scored 161 times in 68 games. Defensively we have been good but not great, but our goals against have been inflated by a number of blowout losses. We have two games left against Montreal then New York. I want the guys to play with pride in an attempt to influence the final standings. Then it will be time to figure out what has to change before we head north in September...and change is necessary. These results are unacceptable to give our fans. I have to be better for the team to be better next season." ROUGH AIAA TOURNAMENT TO BE A THREE SEED Three of Four #3 Seeds Knocked Out in Opening Round The 42nd annual American Intercollegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament got underway on Saturday and while each of the eight number one and two seeds moved on, it was a tough weekend for three seeds. Three of the teams ranked #3 in the four regions of the event were upset by sixth seeds with the lone exception being Whitney College. The results spelled out bad news for Charleston Tech, Dickson and North Carolina Tech in a weekend that, aside form those 3-6 matchups, went pretty much according to script. The East Region followed the script perfectly as each of the four higher seeds advanced led by #1 Carolina Poly. The Cardinals flew out to a 25 point halftime lead on NW Pennsylvania and coasted to a 56-36 victory keyed by 20 points by senior forward Mel Turcotte. Next up for Carolina Poly will be the defending national champion Noble Jones College Colonels. The #4 seed was taken to overtime by Frankford State but a 10-0 run to begin the extra period lifted the Colonels past the Owls 71-61 behind 16 points from Carlton Hicks and 15 from Charlie Barrell. Second seed Brunswick overcame a 20-point evening from University of New Jersey sophomore forward Jim Russell to beat the Warriors 56-47 while David Griffin's set shot from the top of the key with 26 seconds remaining proved the difference in Whitney College's 52-50 victory over an upset minded Mississippi Tech team that was making its AIAA tournament debut. *** Four Mismatchs In South *** None of the four opening round games in the South Region were close with #2 seed Coastal California's 76-44 beatdown administered on the Flint Foxes being the most lobsided. Chris Martines, candidate for National Player of the Year, led the way for the Dolphins with 21 points despite sitting out the final 10 minutes since the contest was well in hand. Next up for Coastal California, which has only missed the tournament once in 42 years but also never won a national title, will be Dickson after the Academia Alliance quintet shocked #3 seed Central Ohio 51-33 in the opening round. The other side of the South bracket will see Opelika State meet Detroit City College. The top seeded Wildcats, champions of the Deep South Conference, had three players score in double-figures led by Larry Carter's 14 points in a 58-48 win over Brooklyn State. The Bears led by 3 at the half and by one with less than eight minutes remaining but Opelika State finished the game on a 18-7 run. Fifth seed Detroit City College needed a strong second half as well, outscoring the Chesapeake State Clippers by 16 in the second half to claim a 57-47 victory. *** Baugher Scores 15 to Lead Western Iowa *** The Midwest Region saw the nation's number one ranked team get off to a slow start but when the dust settled the Western Iowa Canaries dumped 8th seed Abilene Baptist 52-33. Darryl Baugher, a potential first overall selection in the June Federal Basketball League draft, led the Canaries with 15 points. Western Iowa will now prepare for St. Blane after the Fighting Saints, behind 16 points from Wayne Wyrick, rallied to upset #4 seed and Academia Alliance regular season champions Ellery 57-54. Wyrick was the hero by stealing a pass to set up the winning basket and then, after grabbing his game high 7th rebound, he sank two free throws with 7 seconds remaining to ice the victory.Second seeded CC Los Angeles scored 42 points in the opening half and waltzed to a 63-39 victory over Lubbock State. The Coyotes spread the scoring around as Tripp Ruby had 14 points, Henry Piercy 12 and Gus Barnett 10 to lead the way. Next up for the Coyotes is upset minded Lambert College after the Missouri school surprised third seed North Carolina Tech 59-50 thanks to a 42-29 run in the second half. Junior guard Walker Smith keyed the Stags offense with an 18 point game. *** Majestic Start For Rainier College *** The most dramatic game came in the 4-5 matchup in the West Region. Mobile Maritime went 42 minutes between times it lead its game with rival Alabama Baptist but the Middies somehow prevailed 73-70 in overtime. Bill Van Buskirk led all opening round scorers in this tournament with 28 points as the Middies rallied from a 31-19 deficit at the break and sent the game into overtime with a basket with just 3 seconds remaining in regulation. They trailed all game as Alabama Baptist opened the contest with a 10-2 run and Mobile Maritime never pulled even until that Rip Hawkins bucket with 3 seconds remaining. The took their first lead since scoring the opening basket of the game when Van Buskirk put them up 68-66 a minute and a half into the extra period and went on to outscore the Panthers 9-6 in the five minute overtime. Next up for the 4th seeded Middies will be the Rainier College Majestics, who are looking for their fourth AIAA title since the spring of 1940. The Majestics started slow but finished strong in a 55-40 victory over Quaker College to open the West Region. The other round of sixteen game in the West Region will see Indiana A&M face Utah A&M. The second seeded Reapers, with Ollie Courville a surprise early return from injury, beat Oklahoma City State 56-48 as Courville scored 10 points less than three weeks after suffering a broken collarbone. Utah A&M raced out to an early lead against Charleston Tech and continued the dominance of 6th seeds over #3's with a 65-44 victory over the Admirals. Senior David Campbell was successful on 9 of his 14 field goal attempts to lead the Aggies with 22 points.  THURSDAY'S GAMES MIDWST REGION (1) #1 Western Iowa (28-2) vs. (5) St. Blane (20-10) (2) #6 CC Los Angeles (24-6) vs. (6) #17 Lambert College (25-5) EAST REGION (1) #3 Carolina Poly (26-4) vs. (4) #11 Noble Jones College (24-7) (2) #10 Brunswick (26-7) vs. (3) #8 Whitney College (22-8) FRIDAY'S GAMES WEST REGION (1) #2 Rainier College (25-5) vs. (4) #21 Mobile Maritime (22-8) (2) #9 Indiana A&M (23-7) vs. (6) #15 Utah A&M (25-5) SOUTH REGION (1) #7 Opelika State (27-3) vs. (5) #20 Detroit City College (20-10) (2) #5 Coastal California (24-6) vs. (6) #22 Dickson (22-10)
 SPRING INJURY BUG BITES EAGLES Rats! All-Star to Miss Start of Season It is the one thing FABL managers fear the most every spring as they try to balance enough playing time for their stars to be in peak form come opening day without be injured in a meaningless game. The Washington Eagles somehow crossed that line Friday afternoon and as a result their hopes of getting off to a quick start in the upcoming season were dealt a setback after news broke that five time all-star outfielder Rats McGonigle broke a bone in his hand after being a hit by a pitch in a spring game. The 32-year-old was hit by an offering from New York Gothams hopeful Alfie Barnes in the second inning of a game the Gothams would ultimately prevail by a 6-0 score. Afterwards the focus was entirely fixed upon the banged up appendage of McGonigle and x-ray's confirmed the Eagles worst fears: the bone was broken and McGonigle is not expected to be able to make his 1951 regular season debut until early May. The eight year veteran hit .266 with 31 homers and 109 rbi's a year ago while leading the Federal Association in walks drawn. McGonigle's injury was not the only serious one sustained last week. In fact, it was not even the only serious one dealt to the Eagles. Earlier in the week Bill Haile, a 25-year-old likely ticketed for AAA Kansas City, suffered a back injury that will shut him down for the final four weeks of spring action. Cincinnati outfielder Mike T. Taylor, who missed close to half of last season with back problems of his own, is on the shelf again. The Cannons are expected to shut the 1949 all-star down for the rest of spring training after Taylor tweaked his back while fielding a ball in a 7-5 victory over Toronto on Wednesday. The club is hopeful a few weeks rest will have Taylor back in game shape but whispers in the Cannons front-office suggest some serious worries after the same issue limited the Mississippi native to just 85 games a year ago. In the opening week of spring play the Boston Minutemen lost veteran lefthander Joe Sargent, who went 5-12 in 30 starts last season, with shoulder troubles that are expected to sideline him until at least August while Pittsburgh reserve infielder Lou Hooker's season ended very early when he suffered a broken kneecap in the club's fourth spring game. 
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 3/18/1951
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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06-04-2024, 02:50 PM
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#956 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,735
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March 26, 1951
MARCH 26, 1951 FIELD SET FOR CAGE SEMIS IN NEW YORK The 42nd annual edition of the AIAA basketball tournament is down to four teams as the best of the best are set to gather at New York's Bigsby Garden for the semi-finals on Saturday followed by next Monday's national championship game. The field will include just a single number one seed out of the four regions. That would be from the Midwest where the top ranked team from the regular season in the Great Lakes Alliance champion Western Iowa Canaries survived with a 62-50 victory over City College of Los Angeles on the weekend. The Canaries will be joined by a pair of number two seeds in Coastal California and Brunswick along with the surprise winners from the West Region in the Utah A&M Aggies. The Aggies, a 6th seed in their group, will face Coastal California in the opening semi-final Saturday, followed by the Western Iowa game against the Brunswick Knights. Western Iowa, which breezed through the always difficult Great Lakes Alliance season with a 13-1 record, has to be the favourite after finishing the regular season as the top ranked team in the country. The Canaries improved to 30-2 on the campaign with three relatively easy tournament victories to reach the semi-finals. They started with a 52-33 drubbing of 8th seeded Abilene Baptist and followed that up on the weekend with wins over St. Blane and CC Los Angeles. Highly touted senior center Darryl Baugher paced the attack with 16 points in Thursday's 60-39 victory over the Fighting Saints while Tim Jacobus was the top scorer with 15 on Saturday as the Canaries dumped CCLA 62-50. Next up for Western Iowa will be Brunswick College. The Knights were the number two seed in the East Region following a 28-7 season that ended with a win in the Academia Alliance conference tournament. The Knights upset top seed Carolina Poly, a team featuring possible first overall FBL draft pick Mel Turcotte, 59-58 on Saturday in the East Region finals thanks to a 17 point effort from senior guard Brian Jones. Jones had 13 points and Bryan Gaston added 12 as the Knights beat another national top ten team in Whitney College 60-46 on Thursday to reach the regional final. Brunswick has a rich history as one of the early powers of the sport, winning 3 national titles in the 1910's and reaching the national semi-finals 9 times in its history but this is their first appearance in the final four since the 1920-21 season. Another school with a rich history is the Coastal California Dolphins, winners of the South Region after upsetting top seed and Deep South Conference champion Opelika State 55-41 yesterday. Chris Martines, the star senior forward who finished second in the nation in scoring average, led the way with 31 of the Dolphins 55 points in the win over the Wildcats. This after Martines was held to just 10 points and was successful on just 4 of his 19 shots in the Dolphins 47-30 second round win over Dickson. For the Dolphins it will be yet another chance to end their tournament curse. Coastal California has played in more national tournaments, won more games and reached the national semi-finals more times than any other school but they have never won the tournament. They had an amazing 5 year fun of trips to the semi-finals beginning in 1921 but did not win a single tournament. In all, this will be the Dolphins 14th trip to the semi-finals. The Dolphins will face Utah A&M, which is certainly the surprise team of the group. The entire West Region was a bit of a mess as the top two seeds in Rainier College and Indiana A&M each fell in the second round leaving the Aggies and the 4th seeded Mobile Maritime Middies to play for the right to travel to New York. Utah A&M continued its dominant tournament with a 56-31 victory behind a balanced offense keyed by Harry Mattice, David Campbell and Nate Wilson, each of whom scored in double-figures. Campbell had 22 in the tournament opening 65-44 win over 3rd seed Charleston Tech and 21 in the second round 67-59 victory over the Indiana A&M Reapers. This is uncharted territory for the Salt Lake City school, which entered this year with a 1-14 tournament record all-time. This is the Aggies fifth straight appearance in the tournament as champions of the Rocky Mountain Conference.  UPCOMING GAMES SATURDAY MARCH 31 Western Iowa vs Brunswick Coastal California vs Utah A&M MONDAY APRIL 2 National Championship Game Full AIAA stats and standings are available here SHAMROCKS HOLD OFF VALIANTS TO CLAIM TOP SPOT IN NAHC For the second consecutive season the New York Shamrocks have finished with the best regular season record in the North American Hockey Confederation. The Shamrocks finished with a win over Boston last night in the final game of the season, to finish two points ahead of the defending Challenge Cup Champion Montreal Valiants. The Valiants, who finished third a year ago, upset the Shamrocks a year ago by taking the best-of-seven final series in five games. New York entered the final day of the season secure in the knowledge that first place was theirs as even with a Shamrocks loss and a Montreal win the New Yorkers would claim top spot as they would have finished with one more victory than Montreal accumulated. Next up for New York will be a meeting with Boston, an old rival. The fourth place Bees were the dominant team of the 1940s and faced the Shamrocks three times in the postseason that decade, winning on each occasion. This time, unlike in each of those past meetings, it will be the New York squad that is the higher seed. The Shamrocks, with the league's best offense and most stingiest defense, should be an overwhelming favourite to advance to the finals for a second straight season but upsets can happen. *** Cabbell Sets Scoring Mark *** The Shamrocks offense is led by Orval Cabbell as the 33-year-old center ran away with the league scoring race and, thanks to two goals in the final game of the season set a new NAHC record for points scored in a campaign. The Shamrocks captain had 29 goals and 53 assists, both tops this year, for 82 points. That point total is one more than Les Carlson accumulated for Toronto a year ago and two more than Cabbell had last season when the duo broke and tied a twenty year old record established by Bert Cordier with Boston in 1929-30 when he scored 80 points in a much shorter schedule than the 70 games NAHC clubs now participate in. Cabbell had a whooping 21 point lead on Tommy Burns of Chicago, who finished second in the scoring parade followed by Cabbell's winger Simon Savard. Savard has suffered a minor ankle injury and his availability for the opening game of the series is in doubt. The Shamrocks also had the top goaltender in the league as Alex Sorrell posted an NAHC-low 1.92 goals against average. The other playoff series will be between the red-hot Montreal Valiants, a team that has dominated the second half of the season, and the third place Detroit Motors. The Valiants and Motors have not faced each other in a playoff series for well over a decade as each had some tough stretches of finishing outside of the playoff race during that stretch. The Valiants are defending Challenge Cup champions after a surprising run a year ago and with goaltender Tom Brockers at the top of his game -he led the NAHC in save percentage- the Vals are favoured to win what might be a very low scoring series. Detroit's Millard Touhey, a long-time Valiant, has had a strong season in net as well.  NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK WEDNESDAY MARCH 21 New York 4 at 4 Toronto :Despite allowing a pair of third period goals to Toronto, the visiting Shamrocks clinched first place in the NAHC and extended their lead on Montreal for top spot in the NAHC to 2 points with a 4-4 tie against the Dukes. New York scored three times in an eleven minute span in the third period before Toronto battled back with third period goals from Trevor Parker and Rob Painchaud to earn the tie. Boston 1 at 1 Chicago : Last place Chicago has points in three straight games thanks to Jeremy MacLean's goal with a minute and a half remaining in the game. That earned the Packers a 1-1 tie with Craig Simpson scoring for Boston on the powerplay in the middle frame. SATURDAY MARCH 24 New York 2 at 3 Boston : The Boston Bees held off the Shamrocks 3-2. New York is 2 points ahead of idle Montreal with each team having a single game remaining but with 2 more victories than the Valiants, the Shamrocks have already clinched first place.Detroit 1 at 4 Chicago : A meaningless game for the Motors, who will finish third, but a nice statement for the Packers who are now unbeaten in their last four games. Tommy Bruns scored once and added two assists while Marty Mahoney had two goals for Chicago. SUNDAY MARCH 25 Chicago 4 at 4 Detroit : Five straight without a loss to finish the season for Chicago as Max Lavigne scores twice in a 4-4 tie with Detroit. Nick Tardif had a pair for the Motors who now look towards their semi-final series with Montreal.Boston 2 at 4 New York : The Shamrocks snapped a 5-game winless streak with a 4-2 win over Boston in a preview of this week's semi-final series. Orval Cabbell scored twice for New York to finish with 82 points on the season, a new NAHC record. Montreal 2 at 1 Toronto : Wayne Augustin had a goal and an assist to help Montreal head into the playoffs on a positive note with a 2-1 victory over Toronto in the season finale. END OF REGULAR SEASON DUKES SEASON ENDS AS IT BEGAN, DISAPPOINTING To finish the 1950-51 the Dukes brought an end to their 70 game journey by hosting the top two teams in the NAHC, New York then Montreal. On a midweek evening the fans got see the Shamrocks for the last time this season. A surprising large crowd of 13,940 was on hand knowing that their team was not advancing to the post season. This speaks to the support of the team in the city. Toronto was on the defensive from the opening puck drop seemingly more content to limit New York's high quality scoring chances than be a threat to Freddy Hubbs between the pipes at the opposite end of the rink. Acting captain Les Carlson put his team ahead just before the 12 minute mark on a shot that beat Hubbs over his glove side shoulder on a feed from Jamieson. Rusty Mullins found a loose puck in the crease for a tap-in with a minute and a half left in the first after Broadway had stopped the initial shot. In the second Charlie Brown brought the fans to their feet when he came in the from the point to take a pass from Mike Navarro then snap a wrist shot in for his 4th of the year. As has been far too common this season the Dukes broke down for about a 10 minute span allowing New York to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead putting three past Broadway. Joe Martin started the barrage at 5:27 followed by Mark Theriault just under five minutes later then Jim Macek increased the lead to two with his 21st at 16:54. Two period shot totals were NY-24, Toronto-14. During the intermission may fans were overheard saying that the Dukes may get trounced by the high powered Shamrocks in the final twenty. The team did not fold up their tent, a strong 16 save performance by Broadway in the third allowed the Dukes on goals by Trevor Parker and Rob Painchaud allowed Toronto to escape with a point in a 4-4 tie. The hottest team since 1951 began was in town for the final game of the '50-51 schedule at Dominion Gardens. Montreal Valiants came in with slim hopes of finishing atop the standings. They needed a victory coupled with a Shamrocks loss to Boston to finish tied for first. Scott Renes got the start for the Dukes, good experience for the future to play a playoff bound team with a lot to play for. He was a little shaky in the first allowing 2 on 12 shots. Wayne Augustin opened the scoring while up a man with Tim Brooks in the sin bin at 5:58. Four and a half minutes later Ed McRae made the lead two on a pass from Augustin. That would be the last puck past Renes for the regular season. Toronto made it 2-1 on Galbraith's 18th in the last minute of the second. That was as close as the Dukes would get. Tom Brockers' 29 saves proved to be the difference in Montreal's 37th win of the year, 23 of which have come since January 1st. Montreal found out in the dressing room that the Shamrocks had beaten Boston 4-2 to secure first place. The semis will now feature a New York, Boston matchup along with a Montreal, Detroit series. Chicago, Toronto will store their gear until camp in the fall. Coach Barrell- "We need to sit as a group to do an analysis of what went wrong but also the positives from this disappointing year. We obviously were challenged on offense scoring only 166 over 70 games, a road record of 9-20-6 will not get the job done. A few days off then we will start our internal discussions."  --- It was a brutal week for the cage Panthers, with both Cory Myers and Joe Hampton leaving games with injuries, as the Panthers drop two of three. Hampton will be out longer, likely to miss a month with a broken foot. Hampton has done an excellent job commanding the Luther Gordon led offense, averaging 11.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game. Named again to the All-Star team, Hampton is one of the top young point guards in the game, and will be surely missed. Myers will miss just three weeks with a sprained ankle, but the center turned small forward will be a big loss too. He's averaged 9.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game, and will miss his first game since the 1947 season.It's always tough to replace injured starters, but PG and SF are two areas the Panthers have covered. Efrain Boland and Joe Lee will pick up the starting minutes, with Riley Petrillo expected to pick up major minutes off the bench. Lee has started 15 of his 54 appearances, pitching in 6.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Boland has only started 2 of his 38 appearances, missing some time with injury himself, but the former 2nd Rounder started 25 games as a rookie. Neither is expected to play a major role in the upcoming month, as Luther Gordon continues to do most of the heavy lifting. Winning Player of the Week again, Gordon averaged 26 points and 13 rebounds a game. That's not a traditionally strong Gordon week, as he had just 16 points in a loss to the Rockets, but it came after 37 in a win, and he's still leading all FBL ballers with 26.3 points per game
 
EARLY WAKE UP CALL INSPIRIES TIERNEY TO SHORT NIGHT IN TORONTO Jack Tierney learned a valuable lesson as he continued along his path that some say will lead to the ABF World Heavyweight Title as soon as Hector Sawyer decides he longer wishes to wear the crown . The 23-year-old Detroit slugger who shares a manager in Chester Conley with the legendary Cajun Crusher, ran his unblemished record as a professional to 23-0 but only after veteran pugilist Dick Kowalski taught the youngster a trick in Toronto Friday evening. Dick Kowalski was Tierney's latest victim but on this night also a valuable instructor for the young Detroiter with a career that seemingly knows no ceiling. In the end the 29-year-old Canadian didn't stand a chance against the hurricane force that was Tierney on this evening despite that fact that he surprised Tierney with a huge uppercut that sent the young American to the canvas, albeit briefly, in the opening round. Tierney spent the first 30 seconds timing Kowalski's dance moves in the ring before catching the Halifax native with a mighty right hand that landed flush on Kowalski's chin. That blast sent Kowalski reeling into the ropes and from Tierney's viewpoint the fight was over. All he had to do was finish off Kowalski with one more big blow but the veteran fighter, despite being badly overmatched in the skill department, had a trick up his sleeve by pretending to act like he had nothing left to give. As Tierney charged forward like a lion eyeing his wounded prey, he put everything he had into the knockout blow and caught...nothing but air. Kowalski sidestepped the punch and countered with a huge uppercut of his own that sent a surprised Tierney to the canvas. It was just the third time in his career that Tierney had been knocked down but more shocked than wounded he was back on his feet practically before referee Paul Field had started his count. That was the only trick Kowalski had up his sleeve and Tierney, with nothing but his pride wounded, fumed in his corner staring directly at Kowalski for the entire break between rounds. When the bell for round two sounded Tierney raced off his stool and less than a minute later had Kowalski on the floor. The veteran struggled to his knees as the count reached seven and just barely made it upright in time to continue. Perhaps he should have stayed on the ground as Tierney was only slightly more cautious this time as he rained blow after blow on Kowalski. By the 2:31 mark of the second round, referee Field had seen enough and stepped in to bring a halt to the beating being administered by Tierney. The technical knockout is the 14th time in his 23 bouts that Tierney did not need to the distance.  UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 3/25/1951
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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06-05-2024, 12:16 PM
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#957 |
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Hall Of Famer
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April 2, 1951
APRIL 2, 1951 TWO SCHOOLS WITH PLENTY TO PROVE SET TO CLASH FOR COLLEGE CAGE CROWN It will be a case of two teams looking to end decades of coming up short on the biggest stage as the Coastal California Dolphins and Western Iowa Canaries will meet tonight at Bigsby Garden to determine who the 1950-51 AIAA basketball champion will be. For the Dolphins, the most successful program in all of college basketball never to have won a title it will be a chance to finally get over the hump, in this their 14th appearance in the semi-finals and 4th in a championship game that they have never won. In some respects the weight is even heavier on the Canaries, who carry the hopes of an entire conference. The Great Lakes Alliance, which the Canaries won this season for the third consecutive season, has had a long history of coming up short come tournament time with only Whitney College ever breaking through and winning the national title. The Canaries, in this their 4th appearance at Bigsby Garden for the semi-finals and now second chance at a tile game, it is a chance to add credibility to a conference that claims to be the best in college basketball but rarely proves it in the first week of April. Coastal California advanced to the finals with a 47-40 victory over an underdog Utah A&M quintet. As usual it was Chris Martines leading the way as the second highest scorer in all of the AIAA this season poured in 15 points to pace the Dolphins attack. That brought an end to the Aggies surprising run as a sixth seed in the West Region where they knocked off third seed Charleston Tech, #2 Indiana A&M before beating Mobile Maritime, which had upset top seeded Rainier College, in the quarterfinals. The Dolphins game with the Aggies was a tentative affair taking more than 10 minutes for a team to reach double figures in scoring. David Campbell, Utah A&M's All-American candidate, had his typical strong game and scored in the dying seconds of the opening period to cut the Dolphins lead to just one point, at 20-19, entering the half. The contest stayed close for the first ten minutes of the second half with Utah A&M holding a lead on occasion and trailed by just two until Chris Martines, who scored 11 of his 15 points after the break, began to assert himself as the Dolphins pulled away in the closing minutes. It was a similar situation in the second game where Brunswick stayed close to Western Iowa and even took the lead early in the second half. After the Knights went up 23-22 a minute into the final period, the Canaries took over with a 41-28 push the rest of the way. Senior center Bryan Gaston had a strong defensive game for the Knights in slowing Canaries star Darryl Baugher, who managed just 7 points on the evening. However Gaston forced a lot of shots and finished just 4-for-13 from the field. In the end it was just a case of Western Iowa owning too much depth and had too big of an advantage on the boards. Baugher and reserve forward Dinny Cox each had 9 rebounds while Leo Beck added 8 as Western Iowa's big men dominated in rebounds. It was a balanced offensive attack for Western Iowa as well, with five Canaries scoring at least 9 points to complete a run for the top ranked team in the regular season to within a game of a national title. It is a title that has eluded both schools. Western Iowa is fairly new to being considered a power school in basketball but the Canaries have missed the AIAA tournament just once since 1933. They lost in the semi-finals twice during that stretch including coming up short against a Luther Gordon led Liberty College team a year ago. Their only previous trip to the title contest came in the spring of 1939 when they fell to Garden State. It is Coastal California that carries the burden of missed opportunities in New York although none have come recently. The Dolphins last reached the semi-final in 1943-44 and last lost in the title game four years prior to that. There were back to back semi-final exits twice in the mid-1930s and that amazingly frustrating run from 1921-25 when they reached the semi-finals five times -and the title game twice- but did not win a single tournament. All of that was under coach Art Barrette, the winningest coach in AIAA history and the man for whom the National Player of the Year trophy is named after, but Barrette, try as might, never could get the Dolphins over the final hurdle. Now Dick Gist, who took over in 1942 when Barrette finally retired, has a chance to complete the job.    In both of those years, and it seems like nearly every other season for the past dozen, I hitched my wagon to the Chicago Cougars and, just like the fans in the Windy City, I was disappointed time and again. So you figure with two straight pennants, a team of talented young stars led by Sherry Doyle and Hiram Steinberg, I just have to pick the Foresters this time around. Nope. I am predicting they will finish second but there is something about the rare air of three straight pennants - an accomplishment only seen four times in the Continental Association history (1943-45 Cannons, 1936-38 Kings, 1928-30 Sailors and 1924-26 Stars) and not done since 1905 in the Federal Association when the Boston Minutemen won the last of their record five straight flags- that has me leaning once more towards my usual selection. That's right. You would think I would learn but once more I am calling for a Chicago Cougars pennant. I figure if I pick them often enough eventually the team that still possesses the most talent in the CA -although Cleveland is closing fast- will finally prove me right and win a flag. CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH The Cougars are still, in my opinion, the most talented team in the Continental Association. Certainly their starting rotation is the deepest in the loop and Leo Mitchell, Sal Pestilli and Red Bond give them plenty of offense. Skipper Schneider is a terrific shortstop and Cougars fans are hoping John Moss, who had a dreadful season after coming over from Brooklyn, will look more like the 1949 version of himself. I just can't bet against a team that has the Jones brothers, Peter the Heater, Duke Bybee and now veteran Jim Morrison available to pitch, plus we may just finally see young phenom Bob Allen on the hill at Cougars Park this year.1: CHICAGO COUGARS 1950 finish tied 5th (80-74, 5 games back) Last Pennant 1941. Last WCS win 1931 Surprisingly the Cougars were barely over .500 at home last season. That has to be one of those crazy things that derail this team year after year. Things like terrible luck in one-run games or a terrible losing streak always seemed to pop up and prevent the Cougars from getting back to the WCS - a destination they have not seen since 1941. We say it every year. The Cougars are the best team on paper in the Continental Association. They just need to finally live up to that billing on the field. 2: CLEVELAND FORESTERS If Chicago runs into its usual run of bad luck the Foresters will be ready to capitalize. This is a franchise that may just rival the Cougars of the 1940s for talent in the 1950s. Unlike Chicago, who sees many of their big names surpassing thirty, the Foresters are loaded with young stars on the rise and appear to be a team that will win several more pennants in the coming years. 1950 finish 1st (85-69) second straight pennant Last Pennant 1950. Last WCS win 1950 3: NEW YORK STARS The Stars have some big bats led by 4-time Whitney Award winner Bill Barrett, Jack Welch and Bill Barnett but pitching depth beyond Eli Panneton and Jack Wood held them back a year ago and may do the same again this time around. If New York can land a big arm at or near the trade deadline it might just be the difference between a pennant and just another season in the first division. The Stars have finished in the top four each of the past five seasons.1950 finish 2nd (84-70, 1 game back) Last Pennant 1946. Last WCS win 1946 4: CINCINNATI CANNONS Starting pitching was the key to the Cannons success last year. Deuce Barrell is clearly an ace but the focus this time around will be on whether the likes of Charlie Griffith, Mickey Mills and Jim Anderson can duplicate terrific seasons from a year ago. The offense is a concern, even if the pitchers all live up to their lofty 1950 standards.1950 finish tied 3rd (81-73, 4 games back) Last Pennant 1945. Last WCS win 1944 5: MONTREAL SAINTS For a while there it looked like the Saints 30 year flag drought, longest in baseball, was going to come to an end. Unfortunately injuries to table setter Joe Austin and one of their big bats in Maurice Carter led to a stumble down the stretch. Still the Saints completed their third straight season of playing at least .500 ball, something that has not happened in Montreal since 1923-25. In fact, prior to 1949 the Saints had enjoyed just two winning seasons in the modern era. I have them out of the first division this season primarily because there is so much depth in the league where any of the top seven could potentially win the flag with a few breaks, but also because I have some concerns that the Montreal pitching staff may not be quite as strong as it was as a group a year ago.1950 finish tied 5th (80-74, 5 games back) Last Pennant 1921. Last WCS win 1921 6: BROOKLYN KINGS Ron Berry had a breakout season. Bob Arman and Joe Potts are both very steady starting pitchers. Ralph Johnson was the Whitney Award winner for the third time in four years. Billy Bryant and Pat Petty are dependable players. Charlie Rogers, Ken Newman and Fred Miller look to have bright futures. Despite all of this the competition level is high so I have the Kings finishing sixth. Add in the fact that this is a lame duck season in Brooklyn before they move to Kansas City for the 1952 campaign and you have to wonder if that diversion will have a negative impact. I do not believe they are yet ready to win the flag, but a few breaks and they could easily finish in the first division.1950 finish tied 3rd (81-73, 4 games back) Last Pennant 1938. Last WCS win 1937 7: PHILADELPHIA SAILORS The Sailors are just one of those teams that always seems to be in the mix but rarely wins. I would say they don't have highs and lows - are just a steady .500 or slightly above ballclub although they did put that assessment to test in recent years with back to back pennants followed by an 8th and a 7th place finish. 25-year-old centerfielder Billy Forbes seems on the verge of stardom, assuming his elbow -seriously injured twice already- can stay healthy. The potential and unfortunately the injuries make Forbes remind me of Doug Lightbody, which is a pretty good comparison for any young player but also foretells of a career filled with time on the Injured List. The Sailors are pretty good for a seventh place club but in my mind they lack the elite leader to challenge for the flag unless the competition all stumble. They lack a power bat and age may be catching up to the high average guys Ed Reyes and Marion Boismenu. They lack an elite starter but have some solid guys I would classify as mid-rotation. If the breaks go there way I could see the Sailors sneaking into the first division.1950 finish 7th (71-83, 14 games back) Last Pennant 1948. Last WCS win 1930 8: TORONTO WOLVES Age caught up with the Wolves and they sold off a few pieces although likely a year too late. The road back to respectability is going to be a long one, made even longer if recent number one overall selections Les Ledbetter and John Wells don't live up to their billing. The jury is still out on Ledbetter but Wells, if can solve his fielding issues, may start to shine. Toronto management needs to remember he is just 20 years old and development will take time. Patience should be the mantra preached by manager Fred Barrell and the entire organization as this could be a season filled with struggles to match a year ago. One has to think the Wolves should consider selling anything of value come the trade deadline, even the great Fred McCormick, as the future at Dominion Stadium should be focused entirely towards the future.1950 finish 8th (54-100, 31 games back) Last Pennant 1940. Last WCS win 1940 
TALES FROM THE LAIR Brett Heads To Florida -After the Dukes' season came to early end Brett packed his bags to head to his second job as beat writer for the Wolves. Here are some initial thoughts on the team in the spring: The team is now 10-16 in tune-up games with 27 players remaining in camp. Randy Hendrix was DFA this week, P Lynn Horn, Otis Porter were optioned to Buffalo leaving 3 more moves to be made before Opening Day. As of now there are 16 position players in camp along with 11 pitchers. Looking at the fielders the biggest decision to be made will be who stays as Fred McCormick's backup at 1B? Tony Ballinger is making a strong case with his bat, his numbers in 32 trips to the plate are impressive, .448/.500/.759 with an OPS of 1.259 3 HR or does Manager Fred Barrell elect to keep Frank Brunch's LHB around to give Ballinger everyday AB in Buffalo to continue to develop? Brunch's bat has started to awaken from hibernation over the past couple of weeks. The everyday infield seems to be set with McCormick at first, John Wells, Harry Finney in the middle, Joe DeMott at the hot corner. Wells, Finney have been swapping back and forth at shortstop and second base. Brett thinks Barrell will go with the best defensive set during the early days given Wells' struggle at short in Cuba this winter. They may flip a few times a week to give Wells time at short. John Fast has had a hot spring that may give him the inside track to the backup infield job. Tom Fredrick, the versatile one, will be around as super sub along with top pinch hitter. If this happens Frank Frady's days in Toronto could be numbered, he may be DFA in coming days. In the outfield Brett sees either Ducky Cole or Dom Tripp being optioned out to Buffalo as both are LHB. An outfield consisting of Hank Giordano, Wally Boyer and Kirby Copeland seems to be in the cards with Cole or Tripp along with Frederick providing spells for the starters. Boyer has had an awful spring at the plate. Copeland has seen time in CF so Barrell has some options if Wally's bat does not come around in April. A rotation of George Garrison, Joe Hancock, Frank Sartori a lefty Rule 5 claim, and Jerry York, with swingman Lou Burrows seems ready to start the season. The bullpen will probably lose at least one with Zane Kelley the betting favourite at the moment. Lefty Bobby Mills has probably pitched his way onto the team this spring. Harry Phillips is another option although he has been out all spring with an elbow issue. Management hopes to send him on a rehab assignment before deciding on his fate. If the team starts with a nine-man staff one of the batters may sneak in as the 24th man on the roster. SHAMROCKS, MOTORS DRAW FIRST BLOOD IN PLAYOFFS The first place New York Shamrocks opened the playoffs on Saturday evening the exact way they finished the regular season : with a 4-2 victory over the Boston Bees. The opener of the best-of-seven semi-final series saw the Greenshirts come out flying, blitzing Boston goaltender Oscar James with 14 first period shots and beating him three times to cruise to victory. Ryan Kennedy opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal just over seven minutes into the opening stanza. James made several big saves as the Bees were outshot 14-4 in the frame but two quick goals with just over a minute remaining sealed the Bees fate. First it was Samuel Coates beating the beleaguered Boston goaltender and then just seconds after the ensuing faceoff Joe Martin extended the lead to 3-0. Samuel Coates with his second of the game, with league scoring leader Orval Cabbell drawing his second helper, extended the Shamrocks lead to 4-0 before Mickey Bedard finally got the Bees on the scoresheet at the 17 minute mark of the second period. Boston, which had just 20 shots in Alex Sorrell in the New York net all night, did add one more in the closing minutes of the third period when Wilbur Chandler scored his 27th career playoff goal but the Bees could get no closer. Game Two goes tomorrow night in New York before the series shifts to Denny Arena for Friday's third game. Montreal battled all season to finish second and earn the right to home ice advantage against Detroit in the semi-finals but it took just 60 minutes for the defending Challenge Cup champions to surrender it. Rookie Bob Pilon scored with a little over four minutes remaining in the second period and that stood up as the game winner in Detroit's 3-2 road victory. Adam Sandford had opened the scoring for Montreal seven minutes into the first period but it was a swarming Detroit offense that outshot their hosts 18-7 in the opening frame and benefited from goals off the sticks of Adam Vanderbilt and Hank Walsh to take the early lead. Pilon extended it to 3-1 in the second but the Vals made it close when Clarence Skinner scored just over 4 minutes into the third period but that would be the last shot to elude veteran netminder Millard Touhey in the Detroit net. Game two will be Wednesday night at the Montreal Arena.  CABBELL LEADS NOMINEES FOR MCDANIELS TROPHY The NAHC released the names of the three finalists for each of its post-seaon awards but they might as well just give the McDaniels Trophy to Orval Cabbell now and be done with it. Cabbell, the New York Shamrocks star center, established a new NAHC single-season points record with 82 and won the scoring title by 21 points over runner-up Tommy Burns. Burns, the Chicago Packers captain who won three consecutive McDaniels Trophy's beginning in 1945-46, is also nominated for the award as is Wilbur Chandler of Boston, another three time winner but there is little doubt that the 33-year-old Cabbell should be collecting the first Most Valuable Player award of his career. Alex Sorrell of the New York Shamrocks, who had the lowest goals against average in the league this season, heads the three finalists for the Juneau Trophy, presented to the top goaltender in the loop. Sorrell became the first Shamrocks goaltender since Chris Schneider in 1926 to win the award when he was selected last season. The other nominees are Millard Touhey of Detroit and Montreal's Tom Brockers. Brockers, who led the NAHC with 33 victories and had the best save percentage, has won the award four times, but all when he was with the Boston Bees. The finalists for the Yeadon Trophy, for gentlemanly play, are a pair of Boston Bees in veteran winger Tommy Hart and defenseman Jamie Nargang along with Simon Savard of the New York Shamrocks. The final award is the McLeod Trophy, presented to the top rookie in the loop and its finalists are 24-year-old Bob Pilon, a Detroit winger who scored 30 points this season, Boston winger Mike Brunell who led all rookies with 45 points and Montreal rearguard Ed McRae, who had 31 points this season and was a solid defender for the Valiants. PANTHERS CONTINUE TO BE BIT BY INJURY BUG Injuries begin to pile up for the Panthers, who after losing Cory Myers and Joe Hampton last week, will now be without Myers' replacement Joe Lee for a month with a dislocated shoulder. Lee left his second start of the week with the injury, shooting just 1-of-14 between the two games, though he did have 19 rebounds in the first of two losses to Toronto. On the season, Lee is averaging 6.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, and will likely return to the roster as the 6th or 7th man with Cory Myers ready to go in two weeks. Replacing Lee in the lineup is second year guard Riley Petrillo, who will be filling in at small forward. An excellent three point shooter, Petrillo made his first career start in Chicago's 86-73 win over Rochester, plying 42 minutes and shooting over 40% with 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. He's averaging a bit under 20 minutes per game (18.9) overall, adding 2.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in his time. Now as a member of the starting lineup, he'll be getting far more touches then he may have expected at the beginning of the season, and the Panthers will rely on his excellent defense as they look to maintain their position in the top three. Of course with the start of a new month, that also means the announcement of more awards, with star Luther Gordon adding another Rookie of the Month to his collection. Already arguably the top player in the sport, he averaged 24.5 points and 16.3 rebounds in March, giving him 26.4 and 17.4 on the season. Him and Brian Threadgill of the Boston Centurions have won each respective Rookie of the Month this year, as the two dominant power forwards are unstoppable on the glass and rank third (Threadgill, 18.3) and fourth in rebounds per game this year
  RECENT KEY RESULTS
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 4/01/1951
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles Last edited by Tiger Fan; 06-05-2024 at 12:30 PM. |
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06-06-2024, 12:14 PM
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#958 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
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April 9, 1949
APRIL 9, 1951 DOLPHINS FINALLY REACH PINNACLE OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL The Coastal California Dolphins were taking bows Monday evening as the AIAA basketball champions after downing Western Iowa 70-62 in the championship game of the 42nd annual AIAA collegiate basketball tournament. Chris Martines ensured his status as an All-American and likely improved is Federal Basketball League draft stock after the senior forward scored 26 points to end a decades long title drought and bring Coastal California its first national crown in a major sport since the 1931 & 1932 Dolphins grid eleven won back to back national football titles. While the Dolphins, led by head coach Dick Gist, were obviously thrilled to become the first Dolphins team ever to win the cage title despite making a record 14 appearances in the semi-finals, no man in attendance at Bigsby Garden Monday evening would have been prouder than Art Barette. The 76-year-old is the winningest coach in college basketball history, orchestrated the rise of west coast basketball in his three decades at the helm of the Dolphins and guided the team to 18 West Coast Athletic Association titles and 10 trips to the Garden for the semi-finals. Barrette, who retired from coaching following the 1941-42 season, is now a special consultant to Gist and the Dolphins but back then, for all his success including 789 coaching victories, he was best remembered as the coach who could never win the big one on the national stage, highlighted by five straight empty trips to the semi-finals in the 1920s. All of that was long forgotten as Barrette whooped and hollered standing courtside as the final seconds ticked off and a wild celebration decades in the making began for the Dolphins and their supporters. Martines, who entered the game ranked #20 by the OSA on its list of candidates for the 1951 Federal Basketball League draft, took complete control of the game in making 8 baskets from the field while also adding 10 points from the charity stripe. The 22 year old easily surpassed his scoring average of nearly 19 points per game, which was the second highest total in the nation behind only Adam Cheatham of Mississippi Tech. The native of Torrance, CA. would secure his place in Dolphins history and only the great Morgan Melcher would finish with more than the 1,884 points Martines accumulated during his four years in Los Angeles. While Martines received most of the glory for his offensive prowess, the contribution made by Dolphins center Roman Casillas was just as valuable. The senior center, who started just 1 game in his first three years with the Dolphins, was given the task of keeping Darryl Baugher in check and he passed that test with flying colours. Casillas hounded Baugher at every turn, matched his 6 rebounds and held the Canaries leader to just 4 points in the game. Baugher is still ranked #2 by OSA for the Federal League summer draft behind only Mel Turcotte of Carolina Poly but he was certainly overshadowed on this evening. The Dolphins never trailed in the game, bounding out to a 6-0 lead in a slow opening 7 minutes and extending that lead to 22-10 15 minutes into the opening half before the Canaries finally got going and cut the deficit to 6 points at the break. In the second half the closest the Canaries could get was when they briefly cut the Coastal California lead to three points at 59-56 with just under two minutes remaining in the game. Martines would answer just seconds later when he sank both of his free throw attempts after being fouled and the Dolphins finished off their victory. The Dolphins become the first team ever to score 70 points in a national title game and the two schools combined to make this the highest scoring championship game in the history of the AIAA.   UPSETS IN THE MAKING AS BEES AND MOTORS EACH LEAD SERIES The New York Shamrocks and Montreal Valiants finished first and second atop the NAHC standings, but each finds themselves trailing two games to one in best-of-seven semi-final action. After dropping the opener last Saturday, the fourth place Boston Bees battled back with a pair of one goal victories to take the upper hand in their series with the Shamrocks while in Detroit Saturday evening Joe Todd scored 16 minutes into overtime to lift the third place Motors to a 3-2 victory and a two games to one series lead over the Valiants. *** Boston Rallies With Two Wins Over Shamrocks *** After dropping the opening game of the series by a 4-2 score the Bees rode a quick start to a 3-2 victory at Bigsby Garden in Tuesday's second game. Craig Simpson scored on the powerplay less than two minutes into the game and the veteran Boston forward would also score at even strength seven minutes later. In between Simpson's two markers the Bees also got a goal from Jacob Gron to take a 3-0 lead after twenty minutes. New York would get two of the goals back in the middle frame with Jocko Gregg and Simon Savard doing the honours but that would be as close as the Shamrocks would come thanks to some stellar netminding from Oscar James in the Boston cage. James made 29 saves in all including 12 in a hectic final period when New York was desperately searching for the equalizer. The series shifted to Boston for Friday's third game. Following an uneventful opening period each team got on the scoreboard early in the middle stanza. It took just 27 seconds of second period action for Simon Savard to notch his second goal of the playoffs with league scoring champion Orval Cabbell setting up his linemate. It was Cabbell's fourth assist of the series. A little over a minute later Jacob Gron evened things up with his second goal in as many games. The only other goal came just over two minutes into the third period when veteran Boston winger Tommy Hart scored his 27th career playoff goal. It would be the game winner and the Bees, with a 2-1 victory now hold a 2 games to one lead in the series heading in to tonight's game four at Denny Arena.  *** OT Winner Put Motors in Drivers Seat *** Joe Todd picked a perfect time for his first career playoff goal. The 27-year-old Detroit Motors defenseman, who scored just 6 goals in the regular season and entered the game having never scored in 28 career playoff games, found himself in the unlikely position of standing in front of the opposition net and banged in a rebound of a shot by his defense partner Spencer Larocque 14 minutes into the first overtime period to lift the Motors to a 3-2 victory over Montreal and a 2 games to one series lead. The Motors scored the only goal of the opening period when Adam Vanderbilt converted a pass from Nick Tardif but Montreal's Clarence Skinner evened things just before the midway point of the second period when he beat Detroit goaltender Millard Touhey. The two teams traded third period goals with Francis McKenzie giving the home team the lead before Jimmy Backus tied the game up with 8 minutes remaining on the clock. Detroit dominated the third period, outshooting the Vals 18-6 and were even more explosive in the overtime firing 20 shots in the extra period but Montreal's Tom Brockers, who faced 56 shots in the game, made several outstanding saves to prolong the game as long as he could. It was a much needed bounce back game for the Motors and in particular goaltender Touhey, who were embarrassed 6-2 in the second game, a contest that saw Montreal put five pucks past Touhey in the opening period. That victory allowed the Vals to salvage a game on home ice after they were defeated 3-2 in the series opener. The news was not all good for Detroit as the Motors have lost Lou Barber likely for the rest of the playoffs. The 22-year-old who had 19 goals and 42 points in 62 games during the regular season, suffered a shoulder injury late in the third game and did not return. Detroit was already dealing with the absence of another 19 goal scorer in Graham Comeau. Comeau suffered a shoulder injury of his own in January and has made a couple of attempts to play since then but has been largely ineffective. He had not dressed for a playoff game but may be forced into action with the Barber injury. Montreal is also nicked up as center Ian Doyle (15-25-40) missed game two with a minor injury and defenseman John McDonald hurt his knee in the opening game and has yet to return to the lineup.    FEDERAL ASSOCIATION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH The Gothams 96 wins a year ago has only been surpassed by three Federal Association teams in the modern era. They may not duplicate that total this year but it seems hard to imagine them not finishing with the best record in the loop once again. The only thing I see slowing New York down is injuries. Age makes that a real concern: On the mound Lefty Allen is 37 but coming off a season that rivals his glory days in Pittsburgh. Can fellow 37-year-old Joe Brown and 36-year-old Buddy Long stay healthy for the full season? And then there is George Cleaves, who caught more than 140 games for the second year in a row with New York but is now 37-years-old. All the Gothams Federal Association foes can do is hope age catches up with New York otherwise the Gothams will be celebrating their 8th pennant of the modern era.1: NEW YORK GOTHAMS 1950 finish 1st (96-58, 13 game lead) Last Pennant 1950. Last WCS win 1942 2: CHICAGO CHIEFS The Chiefs followed up a last place finish in 1948 with a surprising march to win the World Championship Series in '49. Last year they were 10 games below .500 but there is some talent and we are guessing this will be another rebound year for the Chiefs. Not quite pennant worthy, but Pete Casstevens, Tim Hopkins and maybe a breakout year from 22-year-old Rod Shearer may be enough to make the Chiefs give the Gothams a run for their money. John Stallings will likely be closer to his 20-5 performances two years ago than the 13-11 hardluck season he endured last year. If there is a worry about picking the Chiefs for second it is whether Charlie Bingham and Al Miller can do the job on the mound. Bingham won 15 games last year but is 40 years old and Miller may have been lucky to go 15-9 a year ago.1950 finish 6th (72-82, 24 games back) Last Pennant 1949. Last WCS win 1949 3: PHILADELPHIA KEYSTONES They are always fun to watch. That is for certain. Any team with Bobby Barrell and Hank Koblenz will generate some runs and catcher Roger Cleaves seems to be improving every year. Pitching, as often seems to be the case, is the weak link in Philadelphia especially the back half of the rotation. Bobby Barrell will turn 41 in July and it would be nice to see The Georgia Jolter go out on top (assuming this is his final season) but the Keystones will need some teams to stumble, and to find a surprise starter or two to round out the rotation beyond Lloyd Stevens and Jim Whiteley for any chance of Bobby Barrell seeing October baseball.1950 finish tied 2nd (83-71, 13 games back) Last Pennant 1945. Last WCS win 1945 4: BOSTON MINUTEMEN The Minutemen are loaded with young prospects just ready to breakout. The question is will Boston decide that now is the time for their four high end prospects to play every day. We are referring to centerfielder Rick Masters -the number one prospect in the sport in the eyes of the OSA- as well as first baseman Danny Taylor and the much anticipated middle infield duo of Marshall Thomas and Joe Kleman. Even if management delays some or all of them, there still may be enough talent to keep the Minutemen in the first division, something they missed three of the last four years.1950 finish 4th (76-78, 20 games back) Last Pennant 1943. Last WCS win 1941 5: DETROIT DYNAMOS Is this finally the year Dynamos fans have been promised? Will the latest collection of young talent accumulated by both their former and current General Managers finally be mature enough to lead Detroit to its first pennant since 1929? Odds are the answer is no. Detroit has some young talent, there is no mistaking that as Edwin Hackberry and Carl Potter are two of the best in the game. The system has produced some fine players in recent years like Del Johnson and Jack Miller and we are told there is much more on the way.1950 finish 5th (74-80, 22 games back) Last Pennant 1929. Last WCS win 1929 The problem is Detroit fans have heard this all before. Yes, they had a couple of close calls through the years including three straight second place finishes but it simply feels like this team has been in a rebuild since they dealt Hall of Famers Al Wheeler and Frank Vance to Brooklyn in 1935. When is the great talent the Dynamos have added through the years ever going to pay off in a flag, something that has not adorned Thompson Field since 1929? Detroit is improving but then so are a number of other Federal Association clubs like Boston and Pittsburgh. The Dynamos issue is right now the Gothams are simply too good for them and who knows how good the Minutemen will become when their deep collection of prospects -the best in the sport- start to make their mark on the Fed. Detroit might finish in the first division, but so far GM Tiger Fan, who worked magic in Cincinnati and success in Brooklyn, has not been able to duplicate the formula in the Motor City. 6: PITTSBURGH MINERS Perhaps the Toronto Wolves should take notice of Pittsburgh. The Miners were where the Wolves are right now back in 1947. A aging team in need of a rebuild. They had some young talent at that time - players like Irv Clifford and Bill Newhall- and made the tough decision to deal the two faces of the franchise in George Cleaves and Lefty Allen to New York. Hard times continued but the light can now be seen as Ernie Campbell, Dino Robinson and Roy Snedden - three pieces from that deal begin to contribute at the big league level. Pitching is still a big concern, but the offense is improving and while they are unlikely to crack the first division, I can see the Miners sneaking up on a few clubs.1950 finish 7th (67-87, 29 games back) Last Pennant 1940. Last WCS win 1901 7: WASHINGTON EAGLES For much of the modern era the Eagles seemed a directionless club, mired in mediocrity and often prone to trading its star players to Cleveland (see Goins, TR and Carrol, Mel). That changed when the current General Manager took over and since 1943 the Eagles have not finished lower than fourth - something no other Federal Association team can lay claim too. I bet you would never guess the Federal Association team that has won the most games since 1943 is the Eagles. Washington went 667-565 over that period, a full 22 games better than the Keystones, who are second in that category. They even won a pennant in 1946, a first of the modern era for the nation's capital.1950 finish tied 2nd (83-71, 13 games back) Last Pennant 1946. Last WCS win 1923 This year I think that streak will come to an end. The Eagles are still a good team but there are a number of clubs that I think will be just a little better this time around. 8: ST. LOUIS PIONEERS The new GM in St. Louis must be a glutton for punishment. Rumoured to have turned down the Cleveland Foresters job in order to work closer to home in St. Louis, he has inherited a team that needs a lot of work. Now, I don't think the Pioneers are as bad as their record indicated last year, especially on the mound but generating offense will be a challenge for the club that was outscored by every team in FABL last season except the woeful Toronto Wolves. The pitching staff needs a bounce back season from each member of the 3-H club as Danny Hern, Hal Hackney and Hiram Steinberg each had significant drop-off from the back to back WCS winning seasons of 1947 and 1948.1950 finish 8th (65-89, 31 games back) Last Pennant 1948. Last WCS win 1948 Al Tucker won his third batting title last year but he is 38 and may be slowing. They hope a full season of George Atkins will help the offense, but the club is desperate for a power bat to supplement Larry Gregory. Adding former first overall pick Jim Adams Jr. is a step in the right direction and the decision to play Win Hamby every day at shortstop won't move the needle on offense but may help the pitching staff return to form. If everything goes right maybe the Pioneers finish 6th but the realist in me suggests another last place finish is in the cards.  TALES FROM THE LAIR Wolves Ready to Begin 1951, Almost -As manager Fred Barrell makes the final preparations to open the season next Wednesday in Philadelphia Brett sees a team with more questions than answers for the fans in 1951. The team made one roster move this week, sending Dom Tripp to Buffalo leaving them 2 more moves to make before Opening Day. Brett has learned from reliable sources on the team that one of the players not heading all the way to Toronto will 1B Tony Ballinger who will stick around for the last three ST games then begin the year with the NIckels in the Union League. Ballinger made a strong case for staying causing numerous discussions at all levels of the team. Brett believes that the decision came down to playing time for him, starting every day in Buffalo was far more valuable in the long run than staying in Toronto to get a start once maybe twice a week. Fred Barrell has reportedly told Ballinger to "keep doing what you are doing you will force our hand." Keeping 2 extra players for the last week in the spring circuit is also protection against injuries, the Wolves have been relatively healthy through the spring, but the injury bug can bite at any time. It just making things smoother if an injury crops up before heading north. The other player to be taken from the big league roster will more than likely be a relief pitcher. Brett has plans to sit down with Fred Barrell before the season begins, this is his initial assessment of what fans can expect to see over the summer. Pitching will be, as always, a key to any success for the Wolves. The team can, probably will, go with a 4-man rotation for the month of April given the light schedule. It is important that the new revamped bullpen contribute early as the starters buildup their stamina. It cannot be the disastrous dumpster fire it was in 1950 in which the manager had no consistently reliable arm to turn to in the late innings. Defensively there has been improvement in Florida, which was a point stressed by the entire on field staff from the first day of spring training. Better defense will make pitching look better statistically which leads to more wins. The team will be on the wrong end of the score more than twenty times on the Grapefruit Circuit. The team could be challenged all year in the run scoring department unless that can find a proven big bat to bring in, Brett does not see that happening early in the season. Their big bat in the spring has been Ballinger who appears to be headed down to AAA. John Wells had a good spring with the bat which is encouraging along with some better defensive play. Relying upon a 20-year-old to be your biggest run producer might be too much to ask this season, On the other end of the scale is 41-year-old Fred McCormick who has been the big bat for years. The question would be how many games can Barrell coax out of McCormick as the summer begins to heat up? Kirby Copeland will contribute at the plate, he does not possess to bat that makes the 3-run HR a common outcome, more of a single or double to the gap to drive in runs. This past week, against maybe not all pitching that will start in the FABL, the Wolves were held to one hit twice, two hits once in seven games. Unless there is a dramatic turnaround at the plate the Wolves will have to win a lot of low scoring tight games therefore pitching, defense.
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 4/08/1951
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles Last edited by Tiger Fan; 06-06-2024 at 07:37 PM. |
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06-07-2024, 03:34 PM
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#959 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,735
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April 16, 1951
APRIL 16, 1951 NAHC FINAL SET: VALS VS BEES In a rematch of the 1946 Challenge Cup final it will be the Montreal Valiants and Boston Bees meeting to determine who will be crowned champion of the North American Hockey Confederation for 1950-51. The Valiants, winners of last year's Cup, knocked off the Detroit Motors in six games after winning the final three of the series including two in overtime. Boston, which finished fourth in the regular season, knocked off the first place New York Shamrocks in last night's game seven to reach the finals for the first time in three years but are making their 9th finals appearance over the past 14 seasons. Boston, which beat Montreal in six games in the 1946 final, also eliminated the Valiants in two of their three meetings since 1940 in the semi-finals. The Bees have hoisted the Challenge Cup on 7 occasions, trailing only Toronto with 8 Cup wins, but have not won one since the spring of 1947. Montreal owns 4 Challenge Cup victories including last season's victory over the Shamrocks in the finals which snapped a 0-4 Valiants streak in Challenge Cups since 1928. All-time the Bees and Vals are 2-2 in Cup finals with Boston prevailing in the two most recent meetings- 1946 and 1938- while Montreal had the upper hand in the 1924 and 1928 finals against the Bees. The Valiants dropped the opening game of their series with Detroit on home ice and trailed two games to one before reeling off three straight victories with two of those wins coming in overtime. In all three of the six games needed extra time to determine a winner including Tuesday's fourth game. That one was a 3-2 Montreal win as Jimmy Backus scored twice before the game was five minutes old. The hometown Motors got one back on a Nick Tardif tally late in the frame and it remained 2-1 until Vincent Arsenault pulled the Motors even with a goal nine minutes into the third period. The Vals dominated much of the game, outshooting Detroit 18-5 in the opening frame and 14-7 in the third period but Detroit goaltender Millard Touhey made some big saves to force the extra period. It was all Montreal as the Motors failed to register a shot in overtime and the Vals fifth shot on goal of the period, a deflection from just outside the crease by Brett Lanceleve of a Shel Herron point shot, gave the Valiants a 3-2 victory and evened the series at two games apiece. Montreal dominated game five on home ice, blasting Detroit 4-1 led by two Wayne Augustin goals in a game that saw the Valiants once more outshoot Detroit -this time by a 30-19 margin. Shel Heron and Clarence Skinner also scored for the winners while Bob Pilon's first period marker was the only Detroit shot to eluded Tom Brockers in the Montreal net. ***Wild Third Period Highlights Game Six *** As they had in games four and five the Montreal Valiants struck early with the opening goal of the sixth game. Clarence Skinner would get his first of two in the game just past the two minute mark but Moe Treadwell would even things for Detroit a minute later. The second period saw each team score once more with Skinner collecting his fifth of the playoff before Ben Witt again pulled Detroit even. That set up a wild third period that saw Montreal score three times in the first ten minutes to take a 5-2 lead only to see Detroit storm back with three of their own including Treadwell's second of the game, with 1:28 remaining on the clock, to force overtime. The first overtime was wide open with Detroit, hoping to prolong the series and return to Montreal for game seven, firing everything it had including 18 shots at Brockers but the veteran goaltender who already owns four Challenge Cup rings seemed dialed in on getting a shot at fifth one by stopping all 18 of the Motors shots. The game went to a second overtime and it took just two minutes for Paulie Mosca to end the game and send Montreal to the finals with his first goal of the playoffs. It was a hard fought series that left both clubs banged up. By series end the Motors were missing four forwards from their top nine including a pair of 19 goal scorers in Graham Comeau and Lou Barber. The Valiants also have four players nursing injuries including key defenseman Shel Herron and Isaac Finnson along with 30+ point producers Jimmy Backus and Arlen Doherty. There are some questions about the availability of each of the four for the Challenge Cup Finals opener tomorrow night. *** Bees Nearly Squander Big Lead *** When Bryant Williams scored in overtime of game four to give the Boston Bees a commanding three games to one lead on the New York Shamrocks it looked as if the Bees would have an easy time of things eliminating the top team in the regular season. The Shamrocks had much different ideas as New York came out flying at Bigsby Garden Wednesday evening for game five. Rusty Mullins scored just 2:16 into the game and that opened the floodgates as Greenshirts rolled to a 6-0 victory with Alex Sorrell making 28 saves for the shutout of this years playoffs. Simon Savard would score twice with Jerry Finch, Joe Martin and Orval Cabbell adding singles. Armed with a little momentum the Shamrocks went into Boston Friday evening looking to even the series and force a seventh game. Of that they were very successful in skating to a 5-2 victory. Rusty Mullins opened the scoring for the second game in a row before Tommy Hart and Mickey Bedard replied to give the Bees a 2-1 lead. Three second period New York goals, off the sticks of Martin, Eric Abbott and Geoff Hartnell turned the tide and Hartnell's second goal of the game, early in the third frame finished off the scoring. There was a scary moment for the Shamrocks when Martin was clipped near his eye by a high stick and did not return. The injury would later be diagnosed as serious enough to end his playoffs but not bad enough to cause any long term damage to his eye. Last night's game seven saw another early goal but this time it was Mickey Bedard of Boston doing his best to silent the cheering of 14,300 rabid Bigsby Garden fans when he beat Sorrell just 2:10 into the game. Jack Watkins would tie it up for New York a little less than five minutes later but Wilbur Chandler restored the Boston lead with a goal late in the opening period. Midway through the second period league scoring leader Orval Cabbell was whistled for interference and late in the ensuing power play the Bees extended their lead to 3-1 when Jacob Gron notched his fourth goal of the series. Rusty Mullins, with a goal for the third straight game, cut the deficit to 3-2 just over a minute after Gron's powerplay marker but New York would get no closer. Robert Walker, with his first of the playoffs, rounded out the scoring late in the second period and Oscar James and the Boston defense held tough the rest of the way, sending the Bees to the Challenge Cup finals with a 4-2 victory in game seven. The best of seven Challenge Cup Finals will open Tuesday evening in Montreal. The regular season series between the two was close with the Valiants holding a slight edge with 7 victories while Boston had six with the final meeting ending in a draw. What might be telling is in each of the last four games the two clubs met, Montreal came out on top and outscored the Bees 16-6 over that stretch.   TALES FROM THE LAIR Wolves Head North To Begin Season - The Toronto Wolves finished their preseason on a positive note by winning to two of three as they head north for game 1 of 154 on Wednesday in Philadelphia to face the Sailors who are the early favourites in the CA if the early March OSA predictions are to be believed. The team brought the roster down to 24 which will consist of 14 hitters along with 10 pitchers. One the last two pared from the roster was as expected, Tony Ballinger will begin the campaign in the Union League. Brett feels that fans at Dominion Stadium will see him in Toronto sooner rather than later this summer if his bat continues at the pace he showed in the south. The other move came as somewhat of a surprise. In a series of moves in the bullpen Lou Burrows was sent to Buffalo with lefty John Marsh joining the relief corps. The third move necessitated by those two changes was to DFA 29 year old Jim Carter. The move to bring Marsh into the mix was made when Bobby Mills, who prior to last week had enjoyed a fine camp, was hit hard and often in two of the last three spring games. Brett was told that the original plan was to have Mills as the only southpaw in relief until this week. Mills' performance exposed the need for another left handed option for manager Fred Barrell. Starting Les Ledbetter in the bullpen was an optioned discussed then rejected with a consensus that his long term value in Toronto is in the rotation. Brett is trying to secure a sit down interview with Fred Barrell before Opening Day to discuss the team's outlook for 1951. Most prognosticators have the Wolves as also-rans in '51 with little improvement from the 100 loss of last season. Brett, who also has one eye on the NAHC final, sees signs of hope for the fans. Although 1951 may turn out to be only a little less trying than 1950 the foundation is in place for the future. Pitching and defense will be the key this year as run scoring could prove to be challenging for this group.
 KURTZ WANTS OUT A thoroughly disappointing season is about to come to an end for the Detroit Mustangs in just the latest chapter of a series of disappointments thrust upon growingly discouraged Motor City sports fans. More on that in a moment but lets look at Jack Kurtz first. He may have been born in Louisiana but make no mistake about it, the Mustangs veteran center is a Detroiter. He came to this city in the fall of 1940, as a top ten recruit for Detroit City College and over the ensuing four years he left his mark in helping DCC win one Great Lakes Alliance title, reach the quarterfinals of the AIAA tournament twice and the national semi-finals once as a starter each of his final three years with the Knights. Kurtz made a brief trek to Washington to play for the Statesmen in 1945-46 but when Rollie Barrell announced there would be a Detroit entry in the new Federal Basketball League that he was creating, Kurtz was one of the first to sign with the new loop and of course chose the Detroit Mustangs. Over the past five years he averaged more than 17 points a game and 9 rebounds. Kurtz was instrumental in back to back West Division titles for the Mustangs but for some reason, even last season when all was going well on the court, he privately asked to be traded. When the Mustangs struggled this year Kurtz has renewed his demands and Mustangs owner Rollie Barrell says the club will do its best to accommodate their longtime center. It seems like there is a row between Kurtz and young star Ward Messer as the trade demands began shortly after Messer became the darling of the league and won rookie of the year two seasons ago and league MVP last year. Head coach James Williams was willing to overlook the differences his two big men had with each other when the team was winning - and they did claim back to back West Division titles each of the past two seasons. This year has been different as the Mustangs, while not officially eliminated with 3 games left in the season and trailing the Chicago Panthers by 3 games, appear destined to finish out of the top three. This after the bitter disappointment of a collapse against an injury ravaged Toronto Falcons five in the playoffs a year ago. Detroit fans, long starved for a title in any professional sport, had expected one a year ago after the Mustangs had reached the finals two seasons back. Instead came the collapse against a Toronto team missing its two best players. Now this season the club has been plagued by inconsistent play - long winning streaks to be sure but also far too many stretches of indifferent play and multiple instances of consecutive losses. Kurtz is certainly deserving of some of the blame, just as he received plenty of the credit for past successes. His numbers may be down slightly this season but the 29-year-old is still one of the better big men in the league. It just feels like Thompson Palladium is not big enough for both Kurtz and Messer these days so that fact, combined with an underachieving season from the team as a whole, has prompted the Mustangs to consider moving their long-time center.  Given time for the wound to heal we will probably look back at this as a successful season for Badger Rigney's bunch. They at least made the playoffs after a terrible collapse in the second half of last season when the Motors went from challenging for first on Christmas Day to breaking out the golf clubs early when April rolled around. There were shades of a similar slump this time around - the Motors certainly fell off in the second half of the season but part of the reason for that can be the injury to leading goal scorer Graham Comeau that cost him most of the final two and a half months of the season. Give the Motors some credit. They regrouped and held on to a playoff spot. They then taunted us with a terrific road game in the playoff opener against Montreal but followed that up with a real stinker in taking a 6-2 thrashing in game two. The game three 3-2 victory in which the Motors outshot the defending Cup champions 56-28 and pulled out a win on a goal by, of all people, Joe Todd after firing 20 shots in the extra period alone at Tom Brockers, had fans dreaming of an appearance in the Challenge Cup finals for the first time in a decade and maybe even a small glimmer of hope for a chance at just the second Challenge Cup in franchise history. If the Motors have taught us nothing over most of their existence it is that we should always be ready for the other skate to drop. And it did. With a thud. Sure we almost won the series with two overtime losses in the final three games but truth be told Montreal dominated all three of the contests and was clearly the better team in the series. So to recap. The Mustangs have yet to win a cage title. The Motors have missed the playoffs in a league where four of the six teams qualify, four out of the last seven years and have not won a playoff series since the spring of 1942. The Maroons 4-8 season is considered a success on the football field after back to back 2-10 debacles. Then we have the Dynamos who have the longest running pennant drought in the Federal Association, stretching back to 1929. But Detroit sports fans always look to find a small glimmer of hope to hang on to so today, as we prepare for another lid-lifter on the ball season with the Dynamos opener in New York against the defending champion Gothams tomorrow I am certain that many of us are thinking - "hey the Dynamos finished tied for the best record in all of FABL in Florida play and Edwin Hackberry won the 'coveted' Citrus loop batting crown. This just has to be our year!  Richard Campbell is now healthy and ready for the final week, but after getting Cory Myers healthy, he's now dealing with a broken finger and is day-to-day for the final week. With just three games left, and one win needed, the Panthers can take it easy with Myers, who has averaged 8.9 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game. It is expected that Eliseo Worth, who started all 181 games he appeared in from 1947 to 1949 with Chicago, will start at small forward while Myers rests up. He has just one this year, averaging 17.3 minutes per game in 31 appearances. He's provided 3.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game, and has dealt with some injuries of his own. CAGE ALL-AMERICAN TEAM ANNOUNCED Collegiate basketball officially came to an end for another year with news of the season ending awards and selection of the All-American teams. The national player of the year award, known as the Art Barrette Trophy after the legendary Coastal California coach, was presented to Pierpont University center Chris Rogerson. The 6'10"senior center from Jersey City, NJ, averaged 14.0 points per game and 8.1 rebounds to help Pierpont to a 21-11 record this season. Rogerson follows 1919-20 winner Joe Redding as the second member of the Purple to be named the collegiate basketball player of the year. Joining Rogerson as first team All-American selections are forwards Solly Morris of Whitney College and Chris Martines of Coastal California along with T.J. Grimm from Rainier College and Western Iowa's George Sommer as the guards. Martines and Sommer, both seniors, hooked up in the AIAA championship game a week with Martines scoring 26 points in the Dolphins 70-62 victory. The California native averaged 18.8 points per game, second highest total in the nation. Because he helped lead the Dolphins to the national title, Martines played 34 games this season, helping him accumulate 640 points. That is the second highest scoring total ever record in the AIAA, trailing only Luther Gordon's 677 as a senior at Liberty College last year. Sommer, who hails from Tampa, FL., scored at an 8.6 ppg clip while his 202 assists led the nation and was only the third time in AIAA history that a player topped the 200 assist mark. Former Carolina Poly and current Toronto Falcons star Major Belk owns the single season record with 233 assists in 1948-49. Morris and Grimm are both underclassmen. Morris, a junior from Chattanooga, TN., and the number two ranked recruit behind only Junior College transfer Luther Gordon in his class, led the Engineers in scoring with 11.8 points per game. Grimm, who hails from Salt Lake City, is just a sophomore but was among the top scorers in the nation with his 15.5 ppg average. Three seniors and two juniors were named to the second team. They included senior center Darryl Bougher, a teammate of Sommer at Western Iowa and with Adam Cheatham of Mississippi Tech, who's 19.3 ppg topped the nation in scoring average. The third senior to make the second team was Frankford State guard Rod Bookman. The juniors selected were forward Rankin Egbert of the AIAA champion Coastal California Dolphins and Central Carolina guard Danny Thomas. Evan Frank, who led Opelika State to a 28-4 record in his first season at the Alabama school after previously serving as an assistant at Carolina Poly and St. Blane, was named the coach of the year. The 60 year old had previous head coaching experience at Coastal State and Henry Hudson. He guided the Wildcats to a 13-1 section record, claiming their first Deep South Conference title since 1927. The top freshman was Lambert State guard Ray Wilson. The St. Louis native was not a highly sought after recruit, landing at just #223 in OSA's ranking of his senior class a year ago, but he started all 27 games for the Stags, averaging 8.9 ppg and 3.2 assists per contest.  AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR named the Art Barrette Trophy in 1943 
UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS
The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 4/15/1951
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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06-10-2024, 11:42 AM
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#960 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 9,735
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April 16, 1951 - One day sim to get us to Opening Day.
APRIL 16, 1951 -FABL OPENING DAY EDITION PLAY BALL! By Jiggs McGee Picking the New York Gothams to meet the Chicago Cougars in the World Championship Series, a bit of clairvoyancy unveiled by yours truly in the spring and locked in for the season which left 14 other major league clubs unperturbed - well 13 I suppose as Bernie Millard in Toronto is burying his head in one of his coal mines in thinking he is not the boss of a last place ballclub- also inspired a visit to the files. It has been a while but the Gothams and Cougars have actually clashed three times in the World Championship Series. The most recent was 1931 when the Cougars, led by the pitching of Max Wilder and the bat of a young catcher by the name of Fred Barrell, prevailed in six games. Prior to that you have to go all the way back to the dawn of the sport. 1895 and 1896 to be exact. Back when the WCS was a mere toddler, not the ripe old age of 59 the Series will turn this coming October. The Gothams were an early power of the sport, winning three of the first four Series contested, including the two over the Cougars. I am not alone in my call for a Gothams-Cougars series this fall. Brett Bing, lackey of the aforementioned Millard in Toronto with the lapdog decision to be possibly the only scribe in the world willing to go on record as saying the Wolves will not be the worst team in the Continental Association this summer, got something right when he agreed with yours truly that it will be the Gothams and Cougars left standing when October baseball begins. The Gothams are a popular choice with the pundits, and well they should be with a dominant roster that it appears can only be stopped during the season to come if key injuries were to arise. They have Ed Bowman and Lefty Allen, two of the best arms in the game when right, and a collection of offensive talent too numerous to mention. It seems everywhere you turn in the Gothams clubhouse you bump into an all-star. Only two buck the trend and suggest the Detroit Dynamos are finally mature enough to overtake the Gothams and end a pennant drought that has stretched for more than two decades. Those two would the OSA annual prediction and Percy Pringle Jr. of the Brooklyn Eagle. Neither is straying far from the pack as each suggests the Gothams will finish right behind the Detroiters in second place. On the subject of the Continental Association, the prognosticators are much more divided. Depending upon who you ask, the choice of pennant winner in the CA could be anyone of four teams. The Cougars certainly have their support as OSA backs me up in suggesting the Windy City Kitties will finally live up to a decade of missed expectations and claim the Continental crown. However, there is also much support for Ohio - in equal measures for both the two-time defending flag wavers from Cleveland and the once proud Queen City Cannons. There is even a call that Brooklyn, with perhaps the best player in the Continental Association in 26-year-old Ralph Johnson -who is already a three time winner of the Whitney Award- will win its first flag since that last of its glory years in 1938. There are great expectations and plenty of opinions as to what will happen. At the moment each of the 16 ballclubs are tied for first but reality will slowly set in for most teams and quickly for a select few as the game returns. The first step towards that reality begins this afternoon on two fronts - in Cleveland where a WCS flag will be unfurled and in Washington where the President will take a momentarily break from controversy and uncork the first pitch of the season- as big league baseball begins its 60th campaign. Here is a look at OSA's call for the 1951 season and the opinion of a cross-section of writers.   MY FEARLESS 1951 PREDICTIONS Opening Day is upon us and time to look ahead to see what the season will bring. Here is how I see the two associations shaping up this season. FEDERAL ASSOCIATION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH 1- New York Gothams: They came ever so close to a championship last season, and with their old GM back at the helm, I have full confidence in the Gothams repeating as Federal pennant winners. No one has the star power that the Gothams do, and that will serve them well. George Cleaves (.310, 21, 77) is the best FABL catcher. And its not even close. Red Johnson (.259, 39, 109) and Walt Messer (.290, 38, 122) are the bests at first and left respectively. And I'm comfortable saying Ed Bowman (23-7, 2.82, 135) is the best pitcher in the game. It doesn't stop there either, as Lefty Allen (21-11, 3.10, 56) is coming off a vintage season, Joe Brown (11-14, 3.86, 75) and Buddy Long (16-5, 3.70, 30) are reliable veteran innings eaters, and while he not might be the best shortstop in the league, Cecil LaBonte (.319, 4, 59, 23) is certainly in the conversation. With all this talent and a strong supporting cast in the lineup, it's going to be hard for anyone to slow down the Gothams, with really the only thing preventing them from returning to the playoffs a string of bad injuries. They don't have much depth on the big league club, and aside from 24-year-old third basemen Hank Estill, they don't really have an impact prospect ready for this season. Health and consistency is the key to their success, but don't think it will be easy. After getting embarrassed by the Gothams last season, none of the many competitive Fed squads are going to lay down easy. I'm ready for an intense pennant race!2- Philadelphia Keystones: Honestly, you can line up 2 through 8 however you want. I for one am going to start with the super slugging Keystones who will want to give their star Bobby Barrell (.270, 24, 90) one last run. Between him, Hank Koblenz (.269, 48, 123), Roger Cleaves (.285, 30, 87), and breakout slugger Rudy Minton (.336, 17, 56), this team is going to hit a ton of home runs. I can't imagine any team outhomering or even outscoring them, as aside from these legit boppers, they got a great second basemen in Billy Woytek (.273, 21, 77), rising star in former 4th pick Don Berry (.269, 9, 46), and gifted leadoff man Charlie Enslow (.275, 16, 80, 10). The only easy out is Ted Stacy (.278, 3, 47, 8), but he had an under-the-radar 96 WRC+ -- more then good enough from your eight hole hitter -- and if he can provide solid shortstop defense it's more then worth it. The real issue is the pitching, as ace Lloyd Stevens (17-11, 4.96, 70) is coming off a rough season and their #2 is the young George Polk (4-6, 4.72, 19), who has been alright in his season and a half. Sure, they added pitching, but Andy Lyon (3-1, 3.55, 37), well, isn't really any good, and they paid a hefty price that included top 100 prospect Herm Kocher. I mean sure, he was an okay swingman, but if I'm giving up a highly touted prospect I want someone with more talent and/or a longer track record. A big pitching acquisition would have put them over the top, but I think they'll instead be the first team looking up to the Gothams. 3- St. Louis Pioneers: Sometimes for everything to go right, it has to go completely wrong first. That's what has happened in St. Louis, as after back-to-back titles, the Pioneers have been back-to-back cellar dwellers, with their talented rotation completely falling apart as the offense was almost non-existent. I just can't see that happening again. The rotation is probably the second best in baseball, and the best in the Fed, led by one of their two Allen Winners Danny Hern (14-18, 4.06, 90). Despite the poor record, Hern has produced an ERA+ above 100 in his last five seasons with at least 20 starts, while he's had a FIP- below 100 in each of his eleven seasons, regardless of sample size. That level of consistency is impressive, and the 34-year-old has quickly made Pioneers fans forget the Freddie Jones trade. In another strong trade they picked up Hiram Steinberg (14-11, 4.10, 102) from the Foresters, and he's been a quality co-ace since joining. The real wild card is the wild Hal Hackney (9-19, 4.71, 144), who has seen his effectiveness plummet after a dominating 22-win Allen winning season. He seems to have gotten unlucky lately, like the other two H's, which could mean big things are in store for the Pioneers. But none of this would be possible if it wasn't for an excellent pickup St. Louis' new GM made, poaching star third basemen Jim Adams Jr. (.283, 6, 40, 4) to fill a massive hole in their lineup. With Adams there is plenty of risk, he loves spending time on the IL, but he appeared in 148 games in the Foresters' 1949 season, and owns an excellent .280/.374/.410 (122 OPS+) career line as a former #1 pick. The cost was quite affordable, costing them zero top 100 prospects, and now Al Tucker (.336, 5, 72) and Larry Gregory (.300, 13, 100) have some help in the outfield. There are still plenty of weak spots in the lineup, which is what's keeping them from being a legit contender, but 21-year-old center fielder George Atkins (.281, 2) seems to have made the team out of camp, and he has the talent to develop into one of the top center fielders in the game. He's the reason they were willing to part with Forester star Sherry Doyal (.312, 27, 111) in the Steinberg trade, and if he hits his stride in '51, the Foresters could shock many in another epic comeback from last place. 4- Detroit Dynamos: Which Dynamos team are we going to get this season? The world beaters that we all think they can be? Or the team with all this talent that's just waiting to click? I see equal arguments for both, though one things is for certain: as long as Carl Potter (13-20, 2.87, 177) and Edwin Hackberry (.295, 23, 77, 9) are on the roster, they're going to have a shot to win. The issue is the supporting cast. Is there enough pitching behind Potter? Is Dick Estes (.316, 29, 105) for real? And is this really a lineup that's average or better top-to-bottom even if they refuse to score? I'm not sure I have the answers to any of these questions, though I do think Dick Estes is going to hit a lot. Maybe not another 142 WRC+ season, but 20+ doubles and 20+ homers with a lot of walks and a solid batting average seems like something you can pencil in for each of the next ten seasons. He reminds me a lot of Leo Mitchell (.333, 13, 73), with the strikeout totals to match, and that level of consistency will be huge with Hack frequently on base when he's up. I'm less sold on the rotation, even if I really want the oft-traded Roy Schaub (7-10, 3.81, 58) to be the #1 pick he's supposed to be, as Bill Sohl (14-10, 4.64, 77), Jack Miller (11-8, 4.41, 59), and the 23-year-old version of Fred Washington (0-1, 9.78, 4) don't inspire much confidence. Washington could be a mid rotation guy, just probably not this season, so to compete the Dynamos will really need to rely on their lineup. Is this the year Stan Kleminski (.279, 4, 37) figures things out? Was Tommy Griffin's (.262, 1, 49) 1949 the outlier, not his true form? And will Dick Blaszak (.253, 6, 53) ever develop into the slugger all the scouts that watched him in high school? A lot of questions like this is never a good thing, so either the Dynamos are going to prove me wrong (or right if the questions count as belief?) and put together a great season, or are they going to be stuck in the middle of the pack like they've been for the past half decade plus. 5- Boston Minutemen: I think there is only one team that can finish in any spot between first and eighth. That's the Boston Minutemen. This team has so much young talent, both on the farm and on the big league roster, and with a collection of future starts like Yank (.286, 7, 45) and Danny Taylor, #1 prospect Rick Masters, and excellent middle infield duo of Joe Kleman and Marshall Thomas, they could have top three players at five different positions as early as 1952. Some or all of these guys could be up this season, I'm guessing both Taylor's crack the Opening Day roster, and with elite young talent there is a huge range of how good they can be, and how good they perform. Then there's the issue of pitching. Even without the young stars, they have good bats in Billy Dalton (.321, 16, 62), Harry Barrell (.293, 2, 60, 20), and the criminally underrated Ben McCarty (.294, 18, 117). What will hold them back, however, is the pitching. Ray Dalpman (16-12, 3.52, 69) is great, but he's getting old, and one of their only real pitching prospects that is close to the majors is former 5th Rounder Eddie Whitney, who has a chance to break the rotation. They do have a solid 26-year-old in Alf Keeter (15-10, 3.97, 84), but I see a lot of room for improvement. One thing that could help is Johnny Harry (5-4, 9, 2.12, 22) shifting from stopper to starter, but he's a pitch to contact guy and they'd lose their reliable game finisher. Boston did try grabbing an arm this winter, and if they're close to first, I can see them dipping into their prospect depth for a big arm. Maybe a George Garrison... Who knows! 6- Pittsburgh Miners: Another team with good hitting that needs some pitching, the Miners tried moving young outfielder Charlie J. Williams (.316, 7, 67) for an elusive arm, but they weren't able to get a bite. That means they'll be relying on Bill Traylor (17-9, 3.31, 107) and Dave Low (10-7, 3.79, 64) leading their rotation after both had excellent 1950s. Beyond that, I have no idea how the rotation will shape up, and none of their top 15 prospects are pitchers close to the majors. Luckily, they can hit, from the veteran Bob Lopez (.317, 4, 74) to the triples machine Erne Campbell (.324, 1, 54). Jeep Erickson (.300, 14, 75), Irv Clifford (.307, 1, 88, 21), and Paul Williams (.310, 9, 62) are all coming off excellent seasons, and if they can get Reid McLaughlin (.242, 61, 76), who has started every Miners game for the past three seasons, back on track, they're going to have one of the longest lineups in the game. A lot of contact, a lot of speed, and even some power, they'll score plenty of runs, but until they fix the staff, I don't see them finishing over .500. 7- Chicago Chiefs: The Chiefs are an interestingly constructed team. They're not really bad, they're just not really good either. They have some great pieces, with fireballer John Stallings (13-11, 3.71, 139) atop the rotation and quality bats in Pete Casstevens (.264, 38, 113) and Tim Hopkins (.264, 42, 123), but without a true star or a collection of above average talent, I think they're going to get passed up in a very competitive Fed field. That being said, they have two stars in the making, Ed Bloom (.298, 4, 28, 6) and Rod Shearer (.412, 1), so breakouts from those two talented youngsters would quickly make me eat my words. The thing is, I think that's a must for the Chiefs to compete, as Al Miller (15-9, 4.49, 74) may be on his last leg, and I don't see many safe quality starts behind him. One guy I have my eye on is Johnny Duncan (9-13, 3.86, 62), who aside from a ton of walks succeeded in his rookie season, and improving his command could make him a #2 or even a middle of the rotation arm. Add on the thin farm, and if things don't go right, it will be very tough for the Chiefs to bolster their squad on a pennant run. 8- Washington Eagles: Someone has to finish last, and while I think it's far from a sure thing, I think the most likely last place team is the Washington Eagles. Its funny, for a while a bet for the Eagles would be the commonplace, but they've won 80+ games in each of the last six seasons, and they haven't finished below .500 since going 60-84 in 1942. So why do I think they'll be last? Well, for starters Mel Carrol (.315, 2, 39) is 39, and despite a nice .315 batting average, it was pretty much all singles, as his .368 slugging was actually lower then his .386 OBP. Then there's the pitching. Juan Tostado (14-13, 4.22, 63) and Dan Everett (13-10, 3.99, 75) are okay, but nothing special. Buckeye Smith (16-15, 3.41, 114) is kind of an ace, but he's been inconsistent, and you don't really know what you are going to get. And Billy Riley (12-13, 4.19, 72) didn't finish great and may be at the end. But at the same time, a lot of Fed teams have issues pitching, and there is a case for the Eagles offense. Rats McGonigle (.266, 31, 109, 8) should be back by May, Jesse Alvarado (.276, 28, 111, 11) is an excellent outfielder in his own right, and Sig Stofer (.211, 21, 72) can hit the ball a mile. On the infield, they're hoping for big seasons from young infielders Bill Wise (.311, 2, 62, 5) and Tom Perkins (.303, 67, 24), but they're both so young and don't offer much slug. Then at catcher they'll hope Ike Perry (.271, 6, 51) can take a big step forward in his second season as a starter. It's tough though, aside from McGonigle and Alvarado, all the guys they will be relying on are incomplete players, and with a farm devoid of any top prospects, it may be tough for them to sustain any sort of run without a few guys we aren't expecting production from putting themselves on FABL's biggest stage. CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH 1- Brooklyn Kings: I may be jumping the gun a bit, but I just really think the Brooklyn Kings are going to win the Continental this season. The main reason for that is 3-Time Whitney Winner Ralph Johnson (.320, 19, 89, 6), who again led the CA in OBP (.410), WRC+ (153), wOBA (.410), OPS+ (153), and WAR (7.0). It was the fourth consecutive season he led the association in WAR, though after three consecutive seasons with the most runs, he failed to reach 100 with "just" 92. No matter how you shake it, Johnson has been the CA's best hitter since he became a regular in 1947, and a star like that can be all you need to survive the season. He's got help in the lineup with Chuck Lewis (.248, 16, 79), Pat Petty (.277, 12, 81), Charlie Rogers (.309, 8, 64, 18), Ken Newman (.293, 8, 55), and Dan Smith (.263, 16, 71), all young, quality players who could easily take a step forward together. The pitching staff is solid too, led by one of the more underrated pitchers in Joe Potts (12-11, 3.42, 96). They'll welcome back 20-game winner Ron Berry (20-11, 3.12, 149), who is hoping to avoid the sophomore slump, and after such a nice pickup from the Cougars last offseason, the Kings doubled down, adding George Oddo (5-11, 5.05, 70) as a bounce back candidate. You can't forget about CA strikeout (and walk) leader Bob Arman (17-13, 4.19, 155), with former Kellogg winner Leo Hayden (13-13, 4.25, 109) rounding out a solid rotation. It's not going to be easy, but the Kings have the assets to compete, and if a few things can break their way, they're going to return to the WCS since their run of three straight pennants in the 30s.2- Montreal Saints: Yesterday was supposed to be the Saints year. But then the injuries started to hit, and they didn't have the depth to make up for it. I think that's going to be the case again this year. A team that seems to be a piece or two away from dominance, the Saints finally have an offense at the Parc Cartier, led by slugger Maurice Carter (.267, 24, 86) and the oft-injured Gordie Perkins (.284, 8, 56), who has reached the 135 game mark just twice in his six seasons. Joe Austin (.234, 6, 44, 29) had a huge sophomore slump, and missed some time himself, but in 1949 he was the best leadoff man in the game. Otis O'Keefe (.284, 15, 83) is quite good, Luke Weaver (.290, 8, 48) was great until he got hurt, and Bill Greene (.236, 6, 45, 7) has been a mainstay in the lineup for the last decade. The pitching staff is solid, led by last year's ERA champ Pat Weakly (12-8, 2.81, 86), but guess what? He missed time too! Then you have Bert Cupid (13-16, 3.90, 125), coming off his "worst" season, and then the inconsistent Wallys (Wallies?) Doyle (10-13, 3.98, 135) and Reif (16-14, 3.12, 104), who have all the talent in the world but you never know which pitcher you're going to get. With all this talent, the Saints might be the best team in the CA, but I don't no if they can handle the wear and tear of the season. 3- Cleveland Foresters: If you asked me who would win the Continental on February 1st, I'd say the Cleveland Foresters. And then they went and traded Jim Adams Jr. Now let me preface, trading an injury prone star isn't the worst thing in the world, but when you have huge holes that can prevent you from winning the title, maybe fill those instead of grabbing a few guys who don't crack the league's top 100 list. Now you may think "well they have Jim Urquhart (.288, 1, 60, 12) and Lloyd Coulter (.309, 5, 33) at second and third" and you would be right. But guess what? Those three could co-exist, as Adams has played both corner outfield, and the Foresters biggest weakness is left field. You know, a position Adams can play! So that's why I have the Foresters here in third instead of first. Having Adams Jr. left over Paul Porter (.272, 34) makes the Foresters a lot more dangerous, but I guess CWL standout and top prospect Joe Wood could fill the left field spot. Even if that is the case, Adrian Czerwinski (19-13, 3.31, 111) could have used some extra help in the rotation. Larry Beebe (7-9, 3.60, 63) was solid, but he's just 22 and there's risk he'll slump like young pitchers tend to. Ducky Davis (8-13, 3.71, 89) seems to be the only other arm they can count on, and he's more solid then star. Though it may not matter, they score a lot of runs, led by 23-year-old star Sherry Doyal (.312, 27, 11) and Kellogg winner Larry McClure (.337, 13, 83). These two are going to be a problem for CA pitchers for seasons to come. It just might not be enough this season if they can't keep runs off the board. 4- New York Stars: The thing about the Stars is they have stars. And none shine brighter then Bill Barrett (.316, 20, 94). But last season he wasn't quite himself, hitting fewer then 25 homers for just the second time since 1941. With Bill Barnett (.281, 33, 93), Jack Welch (.267, 29, 85), and Mack Sutton (.251, 30, 106), they don't lack for slug, and they added second basemen Charlie Woodbury (.320, 6, 32) from the Cougars to lengthen the lineup. The pitching could be fine, led by ace Eli Panneton (17-14, 3.88, 104), but Vern Hubbard (12-12, 4.62, 73) was awful last season and they got lucky that Ed Cornett (11-10, 3.62, 75) started out so hot. The rotation could use an upgrade, but they do have a talented young lefty in Paul Anderson waiting in AAA. With a solid roster like this, they might be a Bill Barrett Whitney season away from another pennant, and you can't count them out in a competitive association that lacks a true heavyweight champion. 5- Chicago Cougars: Readers, let me give you some good advice: don't trust the Chicago Cougars. Every year they look like they're going to be good, and every year they let down their fans. Don't let them fool you again. Yes, the pitching is great, led by Allen winners Donnie Jones (16-12, 2.97, 141) and Pete Papenfus (14-12, 3.51, 146), and the duo follows a talented trio of southpaws. Johnnie Jones (16-8, 2.95, 95) is coming off his best post-war season, former Wolf Jim Morrison (9-16, 3.98, 92) will spend his first full season in Chicago, and Duke Bybee (13-13, 3.75, 106) is looking to return to his 21-win form in 1948. All with David Molina (10-7, 20, 2.59, 35) closing the door in the ninth. But it won't matter, something will go wrong, whether it's a swift decline of vets Leo Mitchell (.333, 13, 73) and Red Bond (.287, 27, 89), another Sal Pestilli (.261, 6, 44, 28) power outage, or a lack of offensive production from glovemen John Moss (.219, 4, 48) and Skipper Schneider (.243, 3, 49), they'll find a fun and unique way to disappoint the Cougar faithful. Thankfully, they can all look forward to next season, something they do so well, as the absolutely loaded farm system is expected to graduate Bob Allen and Jerry Smith, who could lead the next generation of Cougars. Both have star potential, but guess what? They'll probably let down Cougar fans when they're up here as well! 6- Cincinnati Cannons: An aging team that will start without Jim Anderson (16-8, 3.31, 107), I think the Cannons are going to fall onto tough times. Their pitching was amazing last season, but aside from Rufus Barrell (15-14, 3.02, 117), there might have been a lot of smoke and mirrors. I want to believe in fireballer Mickey Mills (16-8, 3.15, 116) being a legit #2, but he tailed off in the second half and his 3.71 FIP (94 FIP-) was more average then great, and along with Charlie Griffith (17-14, 3.80, 91) and Tony Britten (11-15, 3.95, 87) he had an awful spring. They need the pitching to dominate, as the lineup is weak aside from Mike T. Taylor (.310, 5, 34, 13) and Chuck Adams (.287, 33, 118). Denny Andrews (.246, 9, 56) and Fred Galloway (.251, 5, 48) are starting to show their age, and while the glove is still elite, Jim Hensley (.235, 3, 35) really struggled at the plate. Still, in a crowded field, perhaps what they need are some vintage performances with some emergence from the next generation. Recently turned 25-year-old Buzz McIlwain (.258, 3, 24, 7) turned some heads as a rookie, Dan Scurlock (.281, 7, 46) did not hit like a rookie catcher, and second basemen Nick Remillard (.370, 4) had a nice cup of coffee last September. The mix of youth and veterans could be the right formula, but I just don't trust everything breaking their way. 7- Philadelphia Sailors: The Sailors haven't had losing seasons three years in a row since their decade of suckage in the early years where, they finished below .500 every season from 1905 to 1917. I think it'll finally happen this season. A team in need of a rebuild, they have a lot of good young bats in Billy Forbes (.304, 12, 81, 23), George Rutter (.292, 9, 46), and Al Farmer (.293, 5, 38) to build around, as well as a wealth of top 100 position prospects. They do have a pair of young pitchers in George Reynolds (1-4, 7.20, 19) and Gordon McDonald who can work their way into the rotation this year, but both are seemingly lacking the polish to be reliable this season. If they want to commit to the rebuild, there are a lot of enticing pieces for contenders. If made available, staff ace Win Lewis (7-14, 3.37 120) could fetch a huge return, while Al Duster (17-10, 3.20, 115) and Charlie Gordon (9-13, 4.37, 77) could help fill the middle and back respectively of a competitors rotation. The lineup had reliable vets in Ed Reyes (.373, 2, 36) and Marion Boismenu (.348, 3, 50), who have combined for the last six batting titles, but the Sailors made the surprising move to waive both. Both are close to 40, so a trade return wouldn't be overly impactful, but I would be surprised if either veteran cleared waivers. They had an outside chance of the first division, but I think their best path forward is to retool with an eye on 1953, as cutting two productive regulars who could still hit might seal their fate in the bottom of the standings. 8- Toronto Wolves: I think the only thing I'm really confident in the final order of the standings are that the Toronto Wolves will finish last. Sorry Wolves fans! At least you can look forward to John Wells and Les Ledbetter dominating the league for years to come! And you get to enjoy what may be the last season of Hall-of-Famer Fred McCormick (.257, 5, 51)! Looking to the future should be the plan, and there's already a lot of solid youngsters donning the new Wolves gear. Let's start with Kirby Copeland (.334, 10, 69), who turns 25 later this month, and was almost the forgotten member of the Kellogg race despite having a Kellogg-worthy season. He's the leader of the next generation that includes Wells, Joe DeMott (.302, 2, 59), and Wally Boyer (.251, 4, 49, 9). They can move on from vets like Hank Giordano (.253, 9, 5), George Garrison (12-19, 3.80, 102), and Joe Hancock (13-9, 3.04, 114) opening up spots for the continued youth movement. My bet is two more seasons of futility for Toronto club, but once Ledbetter and Wells hit their stride, you better watch out! This club is going to be a problem!  PREDICTIONS FOR THE 1951 FABL SEASON Here is an off the cuff prediction of how I see the 1951 season playing out in big league baseball. FEDERAL ASSOCIATION One thing I'll say about the Federal Association - it's the Gothams to lose, and the Miners are almost a lock for last place, but the middle six you could put in almost any order. If the Minutemen start bringing their youngsters up, they can be a real factor.1- New York Gothams 2- Detroit Dynamos 3- Washington Eagles 4- Boston Minutemen 5- Chicago Chiefs 6- St. Louis Pioneers 7- Philadelphia Keystones 8- Pittsburgh Miners CONTINENAL ASSOCIATION The Cleveland Foresters are for real. They are loaded with young talent and I see no reason they can't win a third straight CA pennant. The Stars, Kings and Cougars are all good enough to win it, and the Cannons & Saints could too, if everything falls right. The only teams that are really out of will be the rebuilding Sailors and Wolves.1- Cleveland Foresters 2- New York Stars 3- Brooklyn Kings 4- Chicago Cougars 5- Cincinnati Cannons 6- Montreal Saints 7- Philadelphia Sailors 8- Toronto Wolves TALES FROM THE LAIR Brett Sits Down With Fred Barrell - As the team worked its way north towards Philadelphia for their opener on Wednesday the Mail & Empire had a chance to sit down with the manager for his thoughts on the upcoming season. Mail & Empire: What were your general impressions of the spring for the Wolves? Fred Barrell: Overall we accomplished many of things that we wanted to use the preseason for, we moved guys around to give us versatility, had a hard look at some the younger guys coming through our system, gave our veterans enough work for them to ready to start the year. Our record of 14-22 of course is not what we wanted it to be, getting our strategy in place, having guys work on different positions, sorting out the bullpen were more important than the record in Florida. We got a good look at Tony Ballinger, Bob Mills, along with guys that will start the year in the minors to give us a good idea of what they need to work on to be ready for a role on the Wolves. M&E: Ballinger was quite the hit in more ways than one during the spring. FB: Yes he was, he made our decision very, very difficult to have him start the season in Buffalo. I know you have reported this before, you were correct when you reported that it came down to playing time. With Fred, probably a first ballot HOFer, at first I could not see myself putting Tony's name on the lineup card more than once or twice a week even with Fred being 41. He has earned, deserves the respect of being the everyday starter at first. I have learned that Fred will come to me if needs a day off or thinks he is hurting the team's chances. Ballinger was told to continue working on his game in the field, his bat seems ready for the FABL, make it impossible for us not to call him up. Bob Mills was impressive after his time in Cuba, again he needs to work a little in the field along with honing his bat to ball skills. Others like Fred Miles, George Dwiggins, Pat Todd showed us their wares, they were all sent down with instructions of areas to improve along with being told they could get the call anytime to Toronto. M&E: I noticed that you did not mention any pitchers, the bullpen will look much different to start 1951. FB: Yes it will, Bobby Mills will be the only one with no FABL experience though others have very little. John Marsh has 7 games, Zane Kelly has 9 games all as a starter, Ray Hatch has been on an FABL mound 21 times. All winter we talked about a need to revamp the bullpen. It is no secret that pitching was problem, except for a few, last year. I think the staff will be much better overall this year by adding lefty Frank Sartori to the rotation, He had a good spring after being picked up during the Rule 5 draft in December. I wish I had of given the starters a little more work in the spring. I see a 4-man rotation for the first part of the season with the off days before we go to the fifth starter. To start there will be 6 men in the 'pen who all will see work because the starter probably will not go the distance even if they are pitching well. As soon as I, Johnny Franklin, or Dick Dennis sense he is beginning to tire I will be going to get the ball. Pitching will be a big part of any advancement for the team this year. M&E: Notice you did not mention Les Ledbetter. FB: I wish the fans, media would get off his back. He is only 22, this will be his fifth year of pro ball. The fans expectations for him have always been very high, he has put too much pressure on himself. Mark my words, he is going to be a staff leader one day. I look forward to that day. M&E: What is your message to the Wolves faithful for 1951? FB: I think the fans will see a team on the rise. We have improved defensively which was a problem, I think I have improved as a manager. My record of 126-182 over two years is not something I am proud of, the team has gone from being one of the oldest to now being on the younger side even with grizzled vets Joe Hancock, Fred McCormick. The message to the team is to learn everyday, don't make the same mistake twice. Last season we got into ruts in which losses just started piling on each other then guys got down on themselves. Baseball is much different than my brothers John's sport. In baseball we generally have a game the next day to win where the Dukes have days and days off to dwell on a loss. The attitude I want to instill is learn from mistakes do not dwell on mistakes today is a new game. Are the youngsters going to make mistakes, have challenging times? Undoubtably, they have to get past that to move forward. Our team lacks a true day in, day out power bat that puts the fear into pitchers that their next mistake will become a souvenir for a fan. McCormick or Kirby Copeland could become that threat, until that becomes a fact we will have to be aggressive on the base paths. Not running into outs, more maximizing our chances at scoring runs. That said we cannot give the opposition free runs by walks or errors. We have to tight on the mound, in the field. I am not predicting parades on Bay or Younge Street in October what I want the fans to see is a team that knows how to lock down wins, not beat themselves. The CA has plenty of strong teams, Sailors, Stars, Foresters, of course the Cougars so every series will be a challenge. Every year there is a surprise team in the league, Why not the Wolves in 1951? I want to show the faithful we are heading in the right direction, We will not be a team that others are counting as a daily win. M&E: Thank you. looking forward to Wednesday. There was more to this interview that Brett may publish later in April. Mail & Empire 1951 Predictions Continental 1- Chicago 2- Philadelphia 3- New York 4- Montreal 5- Cleveland 6-Toronto 7- Brooklyn 8-Cincinnati Federal 1- New York 2- Detroit 3- Boston 4- St. Louis 5- Chicago 6- Pittsburgh 7- Washington 8- Philadelphia GOTHAMS AIMING FOR THE TOP After a 96 win campaign that fell short in the Series, your New York Gothams are returning with much the same team focused on taking the big prize this time. When you win by 13 games with a veteran roster, why make big changes? Manager Bud Jameson is confident his team can repeat the regular season success of 1950. One change will be in the rotation where 24 year old Jerry Fordham will make the jump from AAA. Fordham is turning a successful 1950 season at AA and AAA into a shot in an otherwise veteran rotation. Once again Ed Bowman is the ace, with Lefty Allen, Joe Brown and Buddy Long providing solid support. Given the ages of the last three the team had some depth with last season's 5th starter Jerry Decker and Pinch Lenhart ready to take some starts. The lineup remains unchanged. The only spring surprise who just missed making the club was 2B Harry Murray. Murray was solid all spring, however with no prior experience above AA the team prefers to have him playing every day. Word out of camp is that he will also work on playing other infield positions. With injuries the only thing that could derail this train, the team is satisfied with their depth at AAA. Hank Estill joins Murray as an infielder near ready for the big leagues. In the outfield Chief Lewis, on the ML bench, and George Bundy and Jack Kintner at AAA are ready to fill in. So with a loaded lineup of LaBonte, Cleaves, Messer, Johnson, Brewer, Jeffries, Robinson and a Moody/Lewis platoon I see no reason not to pick the New Yorkers to take the Federal. My predictions for this season: FEDERAL ASSOCIATION 1- Gothams 2- Washington 3- Philadelphia 4- St. Louis 5- Detroit 6- Chicago 7- Boston 8- Pittsburgh Over in that other league let's say: CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION 1- Cincinnati 2- Brooklyn 3- Cleveland 4- New York 5- Montreal 6- Philadelphia 7- Chicago 8- Toronto The Week That Was Current events from 4/16/1951
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Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles |
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