1958 BARRELL BROTHERS UPDATE
ROLLIE BARRELL
The Detroit Maroons return to prominence in the AFA, finishing 8-4 and though they lose in the playoff to the LA Tigers, Rollie considers the season a success. Rollie, despite the advice of his daughter Allie, releases the troublesome QB Sam Burson in the offseason (Burson eventually signs with the St. Louis Pioneers during the preseason). To replace him, the team drafts bespectacled QB Sled Hicks from Valley State. He appears in every game, taking over as the starter in week two, acts like a consummate professional and is a big reason for the team's success.
JACK BARRELL
Jack enters the 1957-58 season with high hopes - the team acquired the aging (38 y/o) Tommy Burns from Chicago in the offseason, adding a second stellar centerman to complement Quinton Pollack. Jack envisions a slew of goals, a first-place finish and a Challenge Cup. But it doesn't work out that way. Burns' play slips a bit, perhaps due to age, perhaps due to playing second fiddle to Pollack - but regardless his finishes with a somewhat disappointing 50 points on 22 goals and 28 assists. Pollack again leads the league in scoring, but his production is down as well - 69 points on 34 goals (2nd in the NAHC) and 35 assists (3rd). As for the team, they go 33-25-12, good for a third-place finish. Worse, they lose the first-round series in seven games to... yep, the Detroit Motors, who go on to win the Cup.
DAN BARRELL
The Chicago Poly hoops squad starts the season ranked #21, drops its first game and remains unranked despite going 20-11. They miss the tournament but are again ranked - this time #22 - at season's end. Dan suffers a bit of melancholia at season's end as Steve's collegiate career ends. He is considered a top 10 pick in the upcoming FBL draft after another solid season leading the Catamounts in scoring (14.7 ppg). With Steve Barrell having graduated, the football team has a disappointing 5-6 season.
FRED BARRELL
Fred elects to remain in his counterintelligence role in Ottawa, turning down offers of postings to West Berlin and Saigon. Family is the reason - his two younger sons are both playing junior hockey and Fred Jr. is a professional golfer. Tillie jokes that by turning down more important postings Fred's becoming a "boring beauracrat" but adds that she loves him for it.
TOM BARRELL
Tom's life has settled into a familiar routine. He spends weekdays in the main NARF office, which means he's home in the evenings to spend time with Marla and their two children Don (age 7) and Maureen (5). His weekends are spent at the various races as the NARF footprint begins to spread out of the southeast and into the midwest and notably, California as well.
BOBBY BARRELL
Bobby remains the color man for NBC's Game of the Week as well as the Keystones' radio affiliates. Bobby is unhappy with the club for dealing his nephew Roger to the Cougars, and goes directly to club owner Ed Meachum to complain about it, but remains professional on-air and does not mention his feelings when discussing the move on the team's opening day broadcast. For his part, Meachum offers Bobby a job working in the front office with an eye towards perhaps being general manager some day. Bobby thinks about it, but enjoys the broadcast job too much to accept.
HARRY BARRELL
Harry becomes a father for the third time as his second wife, Ruth, gives birth of February 18 to a son they name Leland Barton Barrell. Ironically, the baby helps bring Harry closer to his daughter Barbara who is enthralled at having a baby half-brother. Sarah remains distant, but Harry is pleased that his son Reid and now Barbara as well, are still in his life. Harry's seventh season as the Minutemen's manager sees the club post an 82-72 record, their third straight season over .500 and good for second-place behind the Detroit Dynamos. The pitching has improved and the offense is built around power - ironic for Harry, who never hit double-figures in homers in any season and finished with just 54 in 2606 games played.
TOM BOWENS
Tom completes his second year as coach of CCLA, again posting a 6-4 record in the tough West Coast Athletic Association. His record as a top-tier end in pro football -and his time as a pro coach- resonates with his players and he finds that he enjoys working with collegiate athletes far more than he did with professionals.
DEUCE BARRELL
Deuce continues to enjoy a career renaissance as he wins another Allen Award, his second straight and fifth overall, at age 41 after going 19-11 with a 3.29 ERA. He also tops the 300-win mark, finishing the season with 312 for his career. Though he had been considering retirement, he tells his wife that he's having too much fun and will continue to pitch for "as long as my arm holds up." The team has a somewhat disappointing 82-72 mark and finishes third in the Continental Association behind the pennant-winning Kings and the Montreal Saints.
ROGER CLEAVES
Roger finds himself in a new situation as he joins the Chicago Cougars, coming over in an offseason trade. With young catcher Stan Czerwinski the starter behind the dish, Roger is pleasantly surprised when he leaves spring training as part of the Cougs' rotation behind the plate and at first base. He catches 37 games and plays 13 more at first base, getting into 84 games. His batting average continues to disappoint as he hits only .228 and manages to belt seven homers in 193 at-bats. He finishes the year six shy of 250 HRs for his career and privately tells Evelyn that he thinks 1959 might be his final year as he'd "like to get to 250" before hanging it up.
CHARLIE BARRELL
Charlie prioritizes baseball in 1958, though he ignores the unwanted advice of Anna and plays basketball as well. His baseball season see him record his most at-bats since his rookie season with the-then-New York Stars, making 520 at-bats, and hitting .310 with 20 home runs. On the hardwood in 1957-58, Charlie plays 39 games, averaging 14.6 points, 6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. His defense continues to be stellar as well. He leaves in mid-February for baseball, noting that his team mates seem more than a little upset with him for putting baseball first. They point out -correctly- that the Stars are a last-place team and would be one with or without him, while the Panthers are a contender. Back in LA, Charlie mentions this to his stepfather, Tom Bigsby (owner of the Stars), who tells Charlie that the Stars are rebuilding around him and "everyone knows basketball is a second-rate sport. Baseball is king." Meanwhile, Anna Czerwinska continues to make surprise appearances when Charlie least expects it, even interrupting a date at the Brown Derby on Wilshire, telling the young lady with Charlie that "Charlie hasn't accepted it yet, but he's going to be my husband." After she leaves, Charlie tells his date that Anna "is nuts" but the young lady breaks up with him later that week, leaving Charlie furious.
MIKE BARRELL
The US Army reorganizes into the Pentomic structure and Lt. Mike Barrell, attached to the 2nd Battalion of the 9th Infantry Regiment is sent to Fort Benning, GA where the 2nd Infantry Division is reorganizing - 2nd Battalion of the 9th Infantry becomes the 2nd Battle Group in the redesigned 2nd Infantry Division.
STEVE BARRELL
Steve completes his collegiate career with one final season on the hardwood for Poly, leading the team in scoring at 14.7 ppg. He's a bit disappointed at being played at point guard (he started his career at small forward) but the team goes 20-11 and ends the season ranked #22, the first-ever appearance in the top 25 in school history. He's also considered a potential top 5 pick in upcoming the FBL draft. As for pro football, he is told by several AFA teams that they would consider drafting him... as a halfback. Steve has no desire to change positions and informs the AFA that he will be playing professional basketball.
FREDDY BARRELL
Freddy is now a full-fledged pro golfer, having rolled the dice by resigning his position with NARF and going on the pro tour. He is still feeling his way, though he does work with his uncle Rollie on his swing, and makes the cut only twice in 16 tour events entered.
BENNY BARRELL
1957-58 was a mixed bag for Benny. He saw a bit of preseason action with the Motors, having turned 19 and thus eligible for the NAHC. Ultimately he returned to Hull, where he was enjoying another great season before suffering a fractured jaw in January which sidelined him for nearly eight weeks. At the end of the season, he'd played 44 games, scoring 26 goals and adding 49 assists.
HOBIE BARRELL
Fred's youngest son, Hobie is drafted by the Halifax Mariners of the CAHA and joins his brother Benny as a junior hockey player. Hobie immediately makes an impact. A left wing, he combines speed, power and finesse and despite being just 16 years old, finishes 8th in CAHA with 99 points, 40 goals and 59 assists in just 46 games after breaking his toe in November. NAHC teams are salivating at the thought of adding Hobie to their roster when he becomes draft eligible.
RALPH BARRELL
Ralph Barrell completes his final season of HS baseball by hitting 17 home runs in 166 at-bats and hitting .446 with a 1.328 OPS. This earns him a slot as the 2nd player picked in the draft as the LA Stars draft him, hoping to pair him with his cousin Charlie some day. He signs and joins the Mobile Commodores of Class C, and his .283 with 3 homers in 226 at-bats in 60 games.
REID BARRELL
Like his cousin Ralph, Reid enjoys a solid senior season of HS baseball, posting a 1.280 OPS at Boston Latin. And like Ralph he is drafted in the first round (it is later learned the Stars were hoping to draft him in round two), as he is selected seventh overall by the Pittsburgh Miners. He is assigned to Jacksonville in class C, does quite well there, showing great speed (14 SB in 52 games) while slashing .313/.418/.469, and earns a promotion to Class B Spokane. He plays 19 games there and posts decent numbers for an 18-year-old, .287/.305/.412; it is his defense that coaches feel needs the most work and some in the Miners organization think he may end up at third base rather than following his father as a stellar shortstop.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Bowens, coaching CCLA, 1958
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------