August 20, 1945
 

AUGUST 20, 1945

EAGLES FLYING HIGH

Is there any bigger surprise this season than what Lou Ellertson and the Washington Eagles are accomplishing? The Eagles have tantalized their long suffering fans in recent seasons with the occasional foray into the pennant race but as a rule the Eagles are a species of bird that by mid-August is generally roosted deep in the second division. It has been that way since the early days of T.R. Goins, when the young catcher was just spreading his wings, but something has changed this year. While the Detroit Dynamos and Philadelphia Keystones were engaged in a battle of one-upsmanship at the trade deadline, the Eagles brass was seemingly asleep at the wheel. If the first twenty days of August are any indication perhaps the Eagles bosses were just crafty enough to realize they had a great thing going, one that should not be tinkered with.

Ellertson, the 38 year old Texan, is putting together one of the best season ever recorded by a modern day pitcher. His sparkling 1.59 era, if it holds up, would be the lowest qualifying mark since Don Cannady posted a 1.57 as a rookie with the Gothams in 1916. Cannady's ERA+ that year was 170. Ellertson's is presently 226. He is 17-4 in his 24 starts this season and seems a lock to win his first career Allen Award. The 16 year veteran has reinvented himself during his 4 seasons in Washington, going from a back of the rotation starter with the Gothams, to a bullpen piece in Pittsburgh and a closer in Montreal before finding his niche as the ace of the Eagles.

Washington is suddenly the class of the Federal Association, riding the right arm of Ellertson and a 7-game winning streak to the top of the loop, while everyone else in baseball -particularly those that call the Motor City or the City of Brotherly Love home- are left scratching their head wondering how the Eagles -winners of 14 of their last twenty including a doubleheader sweep of the Dynamos in Detroit yesterday- are at the top of the table in the Fed.

It is indeed rare air these birds of Washington have ascended to. While old time records are spotty we can say with near complete certainty the Eagles have not been in first place after August 1 at any point prior to 1927 and quite likely not since their pennant win 1925 campaign. There was a close call two years ago when the Eagles, ever so briefly on July 30 held a slim half game lead on Boston but would lose it with a loss the following day. They would be within a game of top spot a couple of times early in August that year but would never quite get there and eventually fall to third and finish 9 games back. The only other time since '27 the Eagles finished within 10 games of the lead was 1937 but they were well back at the beginning of August and a late charge in September brought them to a final finish of 6 games off the pace. So it may well have been two full decades since the Eagles last had the lead after August 1.

Enjoy it while you can Eagles fans as there is cause for concern today with news that outfielder Roy Carroll will miss possibly the rest of the season with a sprained ankle. The 22 year old was not having a great sophomore campaign in the nation's capital -batting just .237 with 5 homers- but his absence will hurt because of a lack of depth. Bob Coon (.293,2,47) will likely take Carroll's spot in the oufield with Bill Morris (.228,0,31) going from a platoon to the everyday centerfielder.

Detroit, which was on such a high last week after sweeping Philadelphia and then taking 3 of 4 from Boston, ran into a wall against Pittsburgh with 3 straight losses to the Miners prior to the pair of 1-run losses at Thompson Field to the Eagles yesterday. The Miners are another team that stood pat at the deadline and they, like Washington, have been playing some pretty solid baseball of late. Pittsburgh is fourth, just 5 games out of first after winning 8 of their last 11 games. August has not been kind to everyone in Pennsylvania however as the slumping Keystones suddenly find themselves dropped to third place after losing 8 of 12 games since they made the moves to upgrade the left side of their infield. Frank Covarrubias is batting just .208 in the dozen games he has played since swapping his Sailors cap for Keystone garb while the other new Frank - shortstop Frank Davis- is having an even tougher time in batting just .171 since he came over from the Chiefs.

*** Cannons Open Some Ground ***

The Cincinnati Cannons, knowing the Pete Papenfus was close to his return for Chicago after a nearly four year long stint in the Navy, felt they needed a big series in the Windy City against the Cougars to open a little more breathing space before the 1941 Allen Award winner returns to the game to take up the cause for the Chicago nine. The Cannons delivered with a 4-game sweep that allowed them to open a 4-game lead on second place Toronto and 9 on the third place Cougars. The lead, the biggest any CA club has enjoyed this season, was extended despite the fact that for the third week in a row the Cannons lost a veteran to a lengthy injury. This time it was swingman Jake Smith who went down, following on the heels of Jack Cleaves and Sam Brown, but the Cannons did get good news from the Army in the form of Jim Anderson - a 30 year old hurler who went 11-4 for Cincinnati in 1943 before heading off to join the war effort.

It was a worst possible scenario that played out for the Cougars, who had hoped to at least split with the Cannons and remain within 5 games of top spot before mound reinforcements Papenfus and Duke Bybee arrived. Instead, the Cougars split with Toronto and the Philadelphia Sailors but dropped 4 in a row to Cincinnati. Papenfus' return will certainly boost the teams hopes but 9 games, while certainly not impossible, will be very difficult to make up. Chicago does count 4 more games against Cincinnati and 3 vs Toronto, but all on the road, among their 34 remaining contests. The Cougars will also be looking to the Wolves for help as Toronto invades Tice Memorial Stadium on Friday for a big 3 game series with the Cannons with Cincinnati returning the visit for 3 the following week north of the border. The two rivals will also meet 4 times in the final two weeks of the season.

PLENTY OF FAMILY CONNECTIONS IN FUTURE DRAFT CLASSES

By now most keen baseball observers are aware of Yank Taylor. The son of former FABL star and two-time Whitney Award winner Tom Taylor is following in his famous father's footsteps at Chicago's Pullman High School. Yank is a chip off the old block with 32 homers in 69 games the past three seasons and was a High School All-American selection as a sophomore, while earning honourable mention in both his freshman and just completed junior seasons. Now Yank, who's legal name is Thomas Taylor Jr., is entering his draft year and was ranked 4th overall on TWIFB's recent mock draft.

Yank is far from the only son of a famous big leaguer in coming draft classes. Dan Fowler, Tom Bird, Mike Taylor, Al Wheeler, and Harry Carter all have sons expected to one day be drafted by a FABL organization and then there is Charlie Barrell. The 15 year old second baseman from Capital Academy in Washington DC is the grandson of legendary scout Rufus Barrell and the half-brother of Deuce Barrell and minor leaguer Roger Cleaves.

Here is a list of prospects in future classes with family ties already in the sport

JOE AUSTIN- Chesapeake State outfielder is the son of long-time St Louis Pioneers trainer Alex Austin. OSA projects him as a below-average center fielder.

MACK COOK- High School pitcher from Jamesburg, NJ is the younger brother of Dan Cook, a 21 year old former 16th round pick of the Cincinnati Cannons presently playing in Class B. Mack is not expected to be an effective starter in pro ball.

DICK FOWLER- 17 year old was born in Boston while his famous father Dan was lighting up the college ranks at Commonwealth Catholic. Dan is playing AAA ball in Indianapolis this season as his career winds down while Dick is preparing for his senior year at Chicago's Lake View High School. OSA feels Dick has roughtly average FABL talent as a centerfielder.

ERNIE FROST- A 16 year old catcher at New Orleans Military and Maritime Academy High School, his dad -also named Ernie- was an outfielder who spent parts of 4 seasons with Washington and the New York Gothams in the mid-1930s. OSA feels the younger Frost should develop the ability to contribute at the big league level.

CARLOS HARTZOG- Another catcher, the 17 year old is a senior at Clarksville High School in Arkansas with a very high ceiling according to OSA. His dad Buck played high school ball in the old feeder system for Little Rock High, but was undrafted and never played professionally.

BILL HOLTON- Like his dad Andy Holton -the current pitching coach of the AA Akron Wheels who went 2-18 over parts of 4 seasons in Detroit but spent 16 season at AA Newark- Bill is a pitcher. OSA says the 17 year old, who was born in Newark but now lives in Los Angeles as attends Dorsey High School, has the potential to be a spot starter in the big leagues.

AL LUCAS- A 17 year old outfielder from Collins High School in Mississsippi, Al is the son of former Maryland State outfield Bill Lucas. OSA feels Al has a shot at being a reserve in the big leagues one day which is further than Bill, who went undrafted and never played pro ball, advanced.

GENE PATTERSON- Gene is a 21 year old outfielder from Pelham Manor, NY who is entering his junior season at Eastern State University. OSA does not predict stardom for Gene but feels he might make the big leagues as a bench player. Gene is on the list because his younger brother is Stump Patterson, a sophomore third baseman from Pelham Manor High who is eligible for the 1948 draft but, like his brother, is seen as a back-up at best.

DANNY TAYLOR- The 'other' Taylor in this draft class. Danny is not related to Tom or Yank, but is the son of Danny Taylor the former shortstop at George Fox University and a Washington Eagles farmhand who spent a decade in the minor leagues. "Dynamite Dan" as the son is known is a senior at Overland (MO) High School with above average speed and contact potential. The corner outfielder has a chance of being drafted in the human-GM portion of the draft next January but is not expected to be a top pick.

YANK TAYLOR- As mentioned above Yank is the son of Tom Taylor, who was a member of 5 World Champioship Series winners, led his Association in homers 3 times and won a pair of Whitney Awards. Yank is a likely first round selection in January out of Chicago's Pullman High.
BILL BURGESS- Bill is a junior outfielder at Downey High School in California. OSA feels he has the skills to make an impact on a top team and is eligible for the 1947 draft. His older brother Gary is currently serving in the Army but was a 4th round pick in the 1944 draft by the Pittsburgh Miners. After his high school season he spent half a season in the minors and was considered a top 100 prospect before being drafted by Selective Service last November.

DICK and JERRY FORDHAM- The Fordham brothers from Memphis are both eligible for the 1947 draft. Jerry is a 19 year old pitcher entering his sophomore season at Daniel Boone College. Dick is a 16 year old catcher who is playing his high school ball in Forrest City, Arkansas. OSA is much higher on Dick, saying he has the talent to flourish as a catcher, than they are on Jerry, who the scouting service calls on the bubble for a role as a starting pitcher.

ERNIE O'BRAY JR.- 16 year old high school junior at San Angelo High in Texas is considered a below average centerfield prospect. His dad Ernie had a stint in the high school leagues under the old feeder system but was never drafted by FABL.

PAUL and STEVE WILLIAMS- The Williams twins are junior pitchers at Pearsall (Texas) High School. Paul, nicknamed 'U-boat' is a pitcher who went 9-0 over his first two seasons. OSA is not sold on him being able to hold a spot in a starting rotation while Steve, known as 'Steamboat' and went 10-2, appears to lack the command necessary to play in the big leagues.

FRANK WILLIAMS JR.- Not related to the Pearsall Williams', Frank is the son of the former Toronto Wolves pitcher by the same name. Frank Sr. went 7-8, primarily out of the Wolves bullpen from 1929-32. Junior is a college sophomore at Long Island Maritime College. The Wolves drafted him in the third round in 1944 but he elected to go the college route instead and will re-enter the draft in 1947. OSA calls him a below average corner outfield prospect.

1948

As you will see below the 1948 draft class has the offspring of some very famous ballplayers.

CHARLIE BARRELL- When your grandfather is the legendary Rufus Barrell, and your uncle is the head of OSA and takes you in so you can play high school ball at one of the top schools on the east coast, you are probably going to get noticed. Add in the fact that Charlie has two half-brothers playing pro ball including Cincinnati Cannons ace Deuce Barrell and Philadelphia Keystones farmhand Roger Cleaves (currently in the marines) and you know scouts will take notice. Charlie has given them good reason to keep in touch after he hit .545 with 5 homers in 25 games as a freshman at Capital Academy. At this stage scouts project him as a second division starter at second base.

SAM BIRD- The 15 year old catcher born in Naperville, IL would have received plenty of coaching on the position as a child. His dad is 10-time all-star and current Cincinnati Cannons catcher Tom Bird. Sam moved with the family to Cincinnati prior to his freshman season where he now attends Northwest High. He hit .406 in his high school debut. Scouts are uncommitted at the moment but feel Sam can be a reliable hitter but won't approach his famous father's skill level.

HAL CARTER- Hal, or Harry Jr., is the son of New York Gothams pitcher Harry Carter. The elder Carter is having a big season after being discharged from the Navy over the winter. Hal had a pretty solid year (7-3, 1.60) as a freshman at Loyola High School in New York City and at this point grades out as a depth starter by OSA.

JIM HITCHCOCK Jr.- Jim is about to enter his sophomore season at Lubbock High School in Texas. He was an impressive 9-3 with a 1.30 era as a freshman but OSA is worried a lack of a third quality pitch will hurt his big league starter potential. His dad, Jim Sr., was an outfielder with Golden Gate University in the late 1920s and after being selected in the 14th round of the 1928 draft he played parts of two seasons in the minor leagues.

STUMP PATTERSON- Stump was covered in the 1946 class above, where his older brother Gene is a prospect for that draft.

JOEL SPENCER- Hank Spencer was a pitcher who won 26 games over four big league seasons with the Cougars and Detroit. His son Joel plays high school ball at Granville (OH) High and will be entering his sophomore season. OSA feels his ceiling is a bench role.

MICKEY TAYLOR- Mickey and Sam Bird should probably swap stories and may well have played against each other in their younger days when both were growing up in Chicago. While Sam has moved on to Cincinnati with his fathers trade from the Chiefs to the Cannons, Mickey is at Hyde Park High School in Chicago and the son of long-time Cougars 3-time all-star catcher Mike Taylor. Mickey, who it .447 with 3 homers as a freshman is still trying to find himself at the plate. OSA calls for modest production once he fully develops.

STEVE WHEELER- Born in Detroit the year his famous father Al won his first of five Whitney Awards, Steve is a center fielder with more speed than his father has but will be hard-pressed to develop anything close to the power that has Al closing in on 500 career homeruns. Steve has the tools to make an impact in the big leagues, but OSA sees him at this point as a leadoff candidate, not a slugger like his dad.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

Wolves Continue to Lose Ground to Cannons -While most teams would be content with playing .500 away from home that record will not get the job done for the Toronto Wolves. Toronto had another even week, 4-4, which saw them fall two further games back of Cincinnati and now trail by 4. The week started poorly when on Monday after taking a 2-1 lead over the Cougars in the top of the 4th the Chicago bats sent Jim Laurita to an early shower while at the plate in the 4th. Five singles, two walks, one sacrifice fly led to 5 runs crossing home before Manager Bob Call went to get Laurita. Zeiler was not much more effective as the Cougars cruised to a 9-3 victory. On Tuesday 37 year old Chick Wirtz put together a fine pitching performance hurling a complete game 4-0 shutout giving the Wolves hope as they boarded the train to New York for 6 games in 5 days against the Stars and Kings.

The Stars were not welcoming hosts in first two games of the series. Putting up 24 runs in two games on 32 hits as the New Yorkers beat up on the two top pitchers in the Toronto rotation. Garrison was knocked out early for the second time in three starts, in a 13-3 loss. Myer has his second bad outing in a row in an 11-3 spanking on Thursday leaving Call and pitching coach Nichols grasping for answers as to why starters are getting hit hard early in games as of late. On Friday the Wolves got on the board early scoring 4 in the top of the first allowing Bob Walls to cruise to an 8-1 victory for his 10th win of 1945 and a day later Laurita recovered very nicely from his Monday troubles in Chicago pitching a 5-0 complete game in which Walt Pack hit his CA leading 27th HR.

On to Brooklyn for Sunday's two games in which fans got their money's worth. The total time for the two games was 7 hours 22 minutes with each team winning one. Wirtz again pitched a strong game into the 10th before handing the ball over to the 'pen in a game which the Wolves won 4-3 in 14 when Gus Hull drove in the game winner on a fielders choice. If Call or Nichols were hoping that Tommy Anderson could be the answer or even an option to the starter's woes it was quickly snuffed out in the night cap. Anderson did not get out of the third before the Kings had tallied 7 including two balls into the seats by Martinez and Shadoan. The Wolves trailed 7-2 when Anderson left, but led by Stickels the team staged a furious come back that ended up one run short. The tying run was on third, with the go ahead run at second when Pomales grounded out in the ninth.

Wolves have two games left in Brooklyn before heading into Ohio to face the Cannons in a 3 game weekend series. It would seem that taking at least 2 of 3 will be critical for Toronto's post season aspirations. With players starting return in ever increasing numbers from the global conflict the big winners will be the fans. The quality of play will increase at all levels. Chicago Cougars are getting back Peter Papenfus, he last pitched in the FABL in 1941. When ask about Papenfus Call said "I am glad we missed him in Chicago, hopefully we miss him in Toronto in September, The Heater brings it to the plate."

• Washington in first place in August for the first time in two decades is a great story. Not sure they can hold off Detroit and Philadelphia -in fact I doubt they will- but this is a great moment for the franchise that has been the Federal Association punching bag far too long. The injury to Roy Carroll will hurt their depth and further accentuates the organization's failure to make some depth moves at the deadline.
• Eagles infielder Jim Jenkins had his hitting streak come to an end yesterday in Detroit when he went 0-for-5 against Jim Lonardo in the opener of a twin bill. He had hit safely in 36 consecutive games prior to that which is tied for the 12th longest streak and the longest since Frank Vance hit safely 37 games in a row in 1937. The record is 47 set by Toronto's Rich Rowley in 1900.
• Speaking of Vance it looks like the veteran Detroit infielder is going to fall short of 3,000 career hits. The 43 year old is at 2,951 right now including 87 so far this season. He has lost his starting job in Detroit at third base to Mack Sutton and it seems unlikely Vance will be back for another season next year.
• Another homerun for Vance's old teammate in both Detroit and Brooklyn Al Wheeler. The Wonder Wheel has 25 on the year and sits at 486 -14 shy of joining Max Morris as the only players to hit 500 round-trippers. Wheeler is also just 14 shy of another milestone - he has drawn 1,486 career walks. Only 4 players have more. 3 Hall of Famers in Morris, Ed Ziehl and John Dibblee along with current Chicago Cougars infielder Dick Walker.
• Jim Lonardo is now 2-1 since the trade from the Gothams to Detroit and at 288 victories for his career. There is much speculation whether the 41 year old will attempt to return next season in pursuit of 300.
• One bright spot for the Cougars in a very dark week. Pitcher Dick Lyons got a win yesterday in relief against the Sailors. Fact-checkers are scurrying but at 45 years, 64 days Lyons might just be the oldest player in FABL history credited with a win. It was Lyons first appearance since June 5, and he won that game too.
• Catcher Clem Bliss is having a career year, after years of being nothing special at the plate he’s broken out with a .276/.371/.382 line. The 33 year old is having an insane August, .431/.540/.549.
• The Gothams went 1-7 this week which killed any hope of a hot streak moving them up in the standings and getting some momentum going into the offseason. Red Wedge of the New York World Telegram notes there is "no offense in three straight shutouts, then no pitching in the games when they hit."
• 22 year old Bill Payne is making people take notice in New York. In 34 games with the Gothams the 1940 3rd round pick is batting .342 with 3 homers with 14 walks and just 4 k's. Problem is he is a natural first baseman and Red Johnson is ahead of him on the depth chart so the Gothams are experimenting with Payne in right field, but it has been an adventure for him.
• We finally have our first homegrown player to suit up for a Cincinnati FABL club. Ted Stacy came in as a defensive sub in the 8th inning of a game the Cannons would ultimately lose in 11 by a 5-4 score to the Stars. Stacy had a successful sacrifice bunt in his only plate appearance. He would get into 5 more games as well but all just as a late inning defensive replacement so he still has just the one big league plate appearance and no official at bats but he is the first Cincinnati born player to ever suit up for a big league club in the Queen City.

NEXT 60 DAYS HARDEST ON SPORTS, ODT SAYS

Japan's surrender may help solve sports' transportation problem, but ODT Director J. Monroe Johnson thinks the 60 days immediately following the war's end will be a trying period. "Stages of relaxation" already are being studied, Johnson said. Cessation of hosilities does remove the urgency for transporting supplies to the Pacific, but rail and airlines stll will have tremendous problems to cope with.

FABL President Samuel Belton said he thought there would be no further doubt about playing the World Championship Series as they always have, with both cities participating being given the opportunity to host games. Belton added that "the people will want it was one of their victory celebrations."

Turf officials were elated by the sudden turn of events for it opens the way for the return of racing in its normal prewar basis with Florida and other Southern States getting back into the picture. Under current ODT travel restrictions racing is limited to tracks where horses are already quartered.

Football officials prepared to go ahead with plans for New Years Classic Games and other inter-sectional attracktions that have been hanging fire, awaiting a decisive turn in the Pacific. The American Football Association also now believes its full slate, including the preseason contests, is now safe.

TRAVEL BAN REMOVAL ASSURES SPORTS CLASSICS WILL GO ON

This morning the ODT officially lifted all bans on sports travel, paving the way for a full-scale prewar program on all fronts and the assurances that collegiate football's New Year's Day Classic games will all go on as originally planned. The news also meant the traditional Rome State-Annapolis Maritime game could be scheduled in any city and probably would be played in Philadelphia's Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Stadium on December 1. The big rivalry game was contested in Baltimore last season but under the travel ban the ODT had said it could only be staged on the home field of one of the two participants.

MELANSON TO MEET GILL IN FIRST MIDDLEWEIGHT DEFENSE

Frank Melanson will face Todd Gill in his first defense of the World Middleweight crown he won in June with an upset victory over Archie Rees. The bout, set for New York's Bigsby Garden on Friday October 19, will see the champ look to keep his unbeaten record intact. The 28 year old Pittsburgh native and now former factory worker after he left his war supply manufacturing job last week, says he can not fully focus on his fight with Gill. Melanson, who earned a large following with his tremendous effort in topping Rees in Philadelphia, is now 29-0-1 as a professional.

The 33 year old Gill, a Hartford native with a 20-1-4 career mark, had hoped to be the one in Melanson's shoes for the June fight with Rees, but they were unable to work out contract details so Gill fought and beat Steve Adams in June instead. The outspoken Gill has a big right hand and an ego to match but he remained surprisingly silent when the news of his title opportunity was released. Melanson will likely be a slight favourite although the fight is expected to be a very tough challenge for the former factory worker. They each count highly touted middleweight Brooks O'Connor as an opponent with both scoring majority decisions over the veteran who has lost just 3 times in his career.

BAKER DOMINANT IN RING RETURN

Former Army Sgt. Scott Baker was in full command of his fight with Eric Hall in Baker's hometown of Philadelphia last week. The 25 year old, who a few days prior talked about how easy ex-servicemen returning to the ring will have it against fighters who stayed home for the duration, backed up his talk with a first round knockout of the 28 year old New York. Baker, who had not fought since 1941 and spent several months recovering from a broken arm suffered in France, improved to 12-0-2 with the victory and instantly put himself back on the radar of fight experts with the convincing win over an opponent who entered the bout with a 15-3 record and some solid wins on his resume.

That resume mattered not to the powerful Baker as 'The Chef' cooked up a mighty combination just over a minute into the round which led to a wide open uppercut that connected brutally with Hall's head and sent him to the canvas less than a minute and a half into the scheduled 10 round bout. Hall made a gallant try to get off the canvas, rising to one knee before slumping back to the ground in defeat.

DAN MILLER APPEARS TO HAVE SORTED THINGS OUT

West Coast heavyweight Dan Miller seems like a changed fighter since his return from the Navy. The 28 year old had his second straight strong showing in as many outings since his discharge, scoring a lobsided unanimous decision over Todd Pendlebury in Portland last week. Miller was just 16-7-1 when he enlisted immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor, but the Oakland-born boxer looks like a fighter to watch in his division since his return. Miller beat Allen Daniel in April in his first pro bout since 1941.

SEARS, SHELTON VICTORIOUS ON BUSY FRIDAY FIGHT NIGHT

Friday evening was a busy one for boxing across the country with a pair of recognizable middleweights among the many fighters in action. In Minneapolis, Nathan Sears made his long awaited return to the ring after nearly 4 years in the army. The 31 year old last fight was a title shot. It was one that he was clearly not ready for as former middleweight champ Archie Rees knocked him out in the second round of their big fight in Chicago back in the fall of 1941. Sears would enlist just over 4 months later and has been fighting in military exhibitions here and in Europe but did not make his pro return until last week. It was a successful one, although hardly a challenge, as Sears improved to 18-2 with a second round knockout of local punching bag Billy Hensball (19-13-1).

At Hawks Stadium in San Francisco, Millard Shelton knocked out Tommy Hutchinson in the second round of their scheduled 10-rounder. The 28 year old Shelton, who has been busy since his return from the service in February, is now 11-3 overall including 2-1 this year. It had been a rough go of things for the Memphis battler who suffered two broken legs in a military vehicle accident in December 1943.

"I really had a conditioning issue in my first fight back (a Split Decision loss to Jeff Pitchford) but since then I have felt great," Shelton explained afterwards. The outdoor stadium in San Francisco was the largest crowd Shelton had ever fought in front of and said he may just stay out on the west coast for a while. Wherever the venue, he expects to be back in action again very soon noting "I have four years to catch up on."

• On again, off again surrender talks -complicated because Japan delivered some conditions the Allies were unwilling to accept appeared to be complete early in the week, but the world waited tensely for official acceptance from Japan which included surrendering Emperor Hirohito as well as his empire to the Allies. Washington warned that if Japan was stalling, it will go hard with her.
• Tokyo radio is broadcasting fears an Allied landing on Japan's main islands is imminent.
• Early Tuesday morning more than 600 Superfortresses and fighters dropped 3,200 tons of bombs on Central Japan in what was the last raid of the war.
• On Wednesday word of surrender was given and a bright new era of peace began as General Douglas MacArthur ordered Japan to send representatives to Manilla to receive Allied surrender terms. The news set off wild celebrations across the United States.
• By the weekend word was circulating that all rationing -except perhaps sugar and butter- was expected to come to an end in the United States by Christmas.
  
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August 27, 1945
 

August 27, 1945

EAGLES SURVIVE TOUGH WEEK

Surprise Washington Club Continues to Hold Fed Lead

The Washington Eagles passed a big test this week, but just barely. The Eagles had 8 games against Detroit and Philadelphia -their two biggest challengers in the Federal Association flag race at the moment. Washington swept a doubleheader in Detroit last Sunday to get off to a fine start and they followed that up with a split of the final two games in Detroit before moving on to Philadelphia and breaking even in a 4-game set with the Keystones. The result is the surprising Eagles continue to hold down top spot in the Fed, leading both Detroit and Philadelphia by a single game as the season is on the cusp of its final month.

Toronto cut into Cincinnati's lead in the Continental Association as the Wolves waltzed in to the Queen City and took two of three from the Cannons over the weekend. Toronto now trails by two games with the two clubs set for a 3 game rematch this weekend in Canada. The third place Chicago Cougars gained a little ground on Cincinnati as well, now trailing by 7 games. The return of Pete Papenfus was not quite as dominant as hoped for, with some rust clearly accumulated from nearly 4 years out of the game. Papenfus took a 5-1 loss to the Sailors in his return from the Navy on Monday and was credited with the win over Montreal Friday but he allowed 5 earned runs. The good news was Peter the Heater fanned 12 in 13 and 2/3 innings work.

LYONS CONFIRMS HE WILL RETIRE AT SEASONS END

The oldest player in baseball will not be that for much longer as Chicago Cougars pitcher Dick Lyons has announced that, at age 45, this will be his final season of pro ball. Lyons has spent his entire career in the Cougars organization, since being selected in the second round of the 1921 FABL rookie draft out of Frankford State. So he has been in professional baseball since before fellow Cougars pitchers George Oddo and Mike Thorpe were even born. He's been in the big leagues longer then five of the Cougars first six draftees this season (Carl Clark, Dutch Yoak, Pat Todd, Jim Mako, and Alex O'Dailey) have been alive

Lyons, who recently became what is believed to be the oldest pitcher ever credited with a win in a FABL game at 45 years and 66 days, has a career record of 237-187 to go along with 5 all-star game selections and the 1938 Allen Award. He led the Continental Association in era that season while also enjoying the only 20-win season of his career.

A dependable starter for 18 seasons in Chicago, the Cougars have confirmed that Lyons #23 will be retired, just the fourth Cougar (Calvin Kidd, John Dibblee, Jack Long) to receive that honor.

1946 DRAFT PREVIEW PART SEVEN: THIS IS CRAZY - A MOCK OF THE 1948 FIRST ROUND

For the first time, the expanded draft coverage from This Week in Figment Baseball will include a very early look at the draft class that is 2 and a half years down the road. We expect very much to change over the next couple of seasons but here is our ranking of the top high school players entering their sophomore season. This list is compiled based upon input from the OSA and high school stats.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

Toronto Climbs Back Into the CA Race -Faced with a critical week for their 1945 hopes the Wolves rose to the task. Although a 3-2 week is generally nothing to write home about the wins came at the right time to pull the Wolves back within 2 games of the Cannons. Wolves began the week with a 3-1 loss in Brooklyn when Dick Farmer silenced the Toronto bats on 5 hits, one being a Howerton solo shot in the 8th, only his second of the year, accounting for the only run against Farmer. The Tuesday game closing out Toronto's week long stay in New York City featured a surprise starter for Toronto. Manager Call skipped Cookie Myer to call upon Jim Laurita. Call said Myer has been ineffective in his last two starts that coupled with a lighter schedule allowed Myer to go back into the 'pen for the week. Laurita responded with a superior effort firing a complete game two-hitter shutting out the Kings 4-0 with the help of Gus Hull's two-run homer in a 3 run 8th.

Onto the train for an overnight trip into Cincinnati in which there were 2 days off before beginning the critical series. All the Wolves on the train knew that the season could hang in the balance even though it was only the end of August. The fans were treated to a pitching gem on both sides during the Friday mid-afternoon start at Memorial Stadium. Wolves got out to a 1-0 lead in the third when Artuso led off with a triple then scored on a outfield error. Toronto was in position to score more runs, but Cannons started Sam Sheppard battened down the hatches, with an assist from a caught stealing and a shoe top catch in left field for the final out. Walls continued to pitch well until 2 walks followed by a Jim Hensley double allowed two runs to cross in the 5th. The 2-1 Cannons win was one that could have crushed the Toronto players as they stranded 11 in loss.

Wolves responded before a big Saturday afternoon crowd by getting to Cannons starter Red Hampton early and often in a 6-4 victory, in a game where Doria brought Deuce Barrell in to relieve Hampton. Both teams were ready for the pivotal Sunday encounter, Garrison brought his A game outdueling the other Barrell, Tom a 15 game winner, 5-3 for his 15th victory of the season. Toronto was helped by a critical error in the second by Fred Galloway. Toronto leaves Cincy only trailing by two instead of 4 to finish their road trip, currently 12-10, with two games in Cleveland Tuesday and Thursday before heading home to face the Cannons again in another critical 3 game series beginning at Dominion Stadium on Friday.

The other good news was that John Fast has returned from the service. He will report to Chattanooga to immediately begin play. Some office insiders say that Frank Frady may have passed Fast as the apparent heir to Artuso, also intimating that they would not be surprised to see Fast being used as a trade chip over the winter.

• Peter the Heater was definitely rusty in his return to the Chicago Cougars, allowing 13 hits, 12 runs (9 earned), and 11 walks in his 2 starts. Normally a complete game machine, Papenfus went just 7 in a loss to the Sailors and 6.2 in a win over the Saints. The one thing that was there is the strikeouts, as the fireballer set 12 down on strikes.
• Some thoughts from Freddie Farhat with the Detroit Dynamos: I feel like Detroit’s been in this position before. Sitting in 2nd place and just a game back as we shift into September. If we are going to pull this thing off there is going to have to be a reversal of fortune happen. Detroit plays 25 of their last 31 games on the road and the road has not been kind to the club this season (23-29). The hope is that for 11 of these guys that have not been a part of the club in most of those games, they can change that tide. Will all the moves pay off over the next 5 weeks or will Dynamo fans once again swallow the bitter pill of close but no cigar?
  Rookie 2B Del Johnson will make his debut for the club, along with the return of P Charlie Ashmore. OF Sid Williams will be back in a week, but will he have a starting role? Will they be enough of an extra boost the club needs?
• Washington's Lou Ellertson has been great against everyone this season but especially so when pitching against Detroit. Ellertson is 3-0 on the season against the Dynamos giving up just 2 runs in 25.1 IP (0.71 ERA). His last two outings against Detroit have both been 3-hit shutouts The First coming on June 30th 5-0 at Thompson Field and then 2nd one 3-0 on July 22nd in Washington.
• Denton Fox of the Pittsburgh Press points out that Ellertson has a .213 BABIP in 206.1 IP this season. Fox and Miners fans have a not so pleasant memory of the 38 year old from his days in Pittsburgh. "I’ll never forgive him for being the hinge the whole ‘37 series swung on though," lamented Fox.
• Archie Irwin of the Chicago Daily News adds that Ellertson's .213 BABIP, If he stays below William Jones' .215 in 169 innings in 1928, it will be the lowest qualifying opposing BABIP in the human era.
• Another returnee from the war was Hal Hackney in St Louis. The 23 year old made his big league debut Monday in a 4-2 loss to Boston but rebounded to beat Chicago over the weekend. The prize prospect gave up three runs in his first FABL inning but gave up just two runs in his next 14 innings.
• St Louis management expects some tough decision in the spring. Out of the 100+ guys the Pioneers have in the war, 28 of them expect a big league job when they return.
• Doc Shaw chimes in with an update on what has been a tough season for Boston: Great race right now in the FA. Boston sure wishes they were a part of it. Minutemen post a very unlikely 5-1 week after the loss of Dean Astle. The wins in St. Louis were especially surprising as the Minutemen used their #5 starter and two spot starters to take all three games against the Pioneers this week. In all, it was a five game series in St. Louis where the Minutemen came away with four victories. Lefty Allen was actually the only pitcher that was able to best the Bostonians this week. The Minutemen still sit seven back in the standings and it would take a miracle to win the Association at this point, but they are only two out of a spot in the first division, which has become the team goal for the second half of the season. A 9-19 July killed their season.
• A good example of someone getting a chance to play because of the war. SS Lee Kline was drafted in the 10th round by Boston in 1936 and released a few years later. After bouncing around with the independent teams for awhile, he signed a minor league deal with the Chiefs in May. His contract was purchased after Bob Martin was injured. In two weeks, he's hit .349/.348/.442. There is really no chance he keeps that going, but it's nice that he is getting his cup of coffee.
• A minor league no-hitter for Sailors farmhand Jackson Sanders. The 30 year old tossed one in a 3-0 win for Peoria over Terre Haute in Heartland League action. A 1936 second rounder out of Grange College, Sanders has spent much of his pro ball career in Peoria and is 8-5 with a 3.64 era this season. It is not surprising that if the Heartland League has a no-hitter it comes froma Peoria pitcher as the loop has had 8 no-hitters since 1925 and 6 of them have been tossed by Peoria pitchers.

PRO GRID LOOPS FACE COIN BATTLE UNLESS THEY MAKE PEACE

Uncle Sam's nipping of the Nips came late enough in the year to assure clear sailing for the American Football Association at the box office this fall, but there's stiff competition brewing for 1946. War's end found an armed truce between the long established American circuit and the proposed Continental Football Conference which is champing at the bit as it awaits return of prospective players from military service.

Offials of the embryonic league abmit that even if all their ear-marketed talent returned within a month, it would be impossible to start operating this year. But Percy Sutherland, guiding light of the new circuit, asserted that the war's end came at exactly the right time for a 1946 getaway.

The loop holds franchises in two American Football Association cities - New York and Chicago- as well as on the Pacific Coast with Los Angeles and San Francisco. The remaining cities in the 8 team loop will be revealed at a later date.

Sutherland admts that a battle of dollars for talent will play havoc with professional football generally and suggest that club owners in both leagues will be "downright stupid if they don't get together."

Thus far the quarter century old American Association has ignored the hustling newcomer but the fur will surely fly when the CFC owners start luring some big names from the established loop, particularly those who had been recently in fighting clothes. When that happens, and it is inevitable because there are some deep pockets included in the Continental Conferences ownership, the American Conference will be forced to notice the newcomers.

TOP RECRUIT CARTER COMMITS TO TECHSTERS FOR '46

The 1945-46 collegiate basketball season is a long ways off still but college coaches have already been busy securing players for the 1946-47 campaign. A number of the leading high school seniors have committed to colleges already despite their last season of high school ball is, like the college game, still a few months off.

It promises to be a big recruiting class for North Carolina Tech as the Techsters landed the Washington DC duo of Mike Carter and Muzz Hodson. Carter, 6'7" forward out of Dunbar High School is considered the top recruit in the nation and he will be joined by another DC giant in 7'2" Muzz Hodson, believed to be the tallest high school senior basketball player in the nation at North Carolina Tech for the 46-47 season. Hodson presently attends Anacosta High in Washington.

The Techsters, who will lose 5 seniors to graduation next spring, also secured an early commitment from guard Percy Hyatt, who is ranked 6th in the nation among guards and attends nearby High Point High School.

TOP 40 RECRUITS FOR 1946-47 SEASON

KNOCK OUT WINS FOR MIDDLEWEIGHT CONTENDERS

A pair of highly ranked middleweights each posted convincing wins during the week. On Friday night in Cincinnati, Brooks O'Connor exhibited all of the ferocious fighting prowess of a tiger as he methodically battered Haden Gunther into unconsciousness for a ninth round knockout of the Lancaster, Pa. native. A crowd of nearly 10,000 at the Cincinnati Auditorium witnessed the Detroiter tear into his opponent with a vicious two-handed body attack in the opening round. When Gunther doubled over to avoid the punishing body blows, O'Connor shifted his attack to the head with jabs and right crosses that brought blood to Gunther's nose.

Thereafter, with the exception of occasional moments when he tried gamely to thrwart Brooks with jabs and sharp overhand rights, Gunterh constantly was in retreat with O'Coonor stalking him without mercy. The win improves O'Connor's record to 19-3-2 with his only losses -all before the war- coming to World Champion Frank Melanson as well as top contenders Todd Gill and John Edmonds.

*** ERWIN BACK ON TRACK ***

Earlier in the week Tommy Erwin made a successful return from the pounding he took in a quick 1st round knockout loss to Archie Rees back in March when the Brit was still World Champion. Erwin improved to 28-6 with 17 of his wins by stoppages after he knocked out lightly regarded Luke Verret in the 7th round of a bout scheduled for 10 at Detroit's Thompson Arena on Tuesday.

Both O'Connor and Erwin are hopeful of a shot at Melanson, who beat Archie Rees in June to claim the middleweight title, but they will likely have to get in line as there are a number of fighters in the division with resumes impressive enough to deserve an opportunity. The undefeated Melanson has confirmed he will Todd Gill (20-1-4) at Bigsby Garden in October as his first title defense.

WELTERWEIGHT TITLE PICTURE CLEARER

The welterweight division, which has been without a champion since before the war, is much closer to crowning its kingpin after Dennis O'Keefe, seemed to have earned himself a spot in the 'playoff' to finally award a title in the division after scoring a 6th round TKO win over Ronnie Scott in his return to the ring.

O'Keefe (18-1) -the Jacksonville, Fl pugilist who was part of the D-Day invasion force in Normandy a little over a year ago, will next face Rudy Perry, likely in October in one of two semi-final bouts with Mark Westlake to square off with an as yet to be decided opponent in the other semi. The two winners will be contractually obligated to face each other at some point in 1946 with the belt on the line. The full announcement is expected early next month with the fourth member of the group expected to be Hartford's Wayne Dunn, assuming he wins his bout August 30 with Fred Jackson.

OTHER KEY FIGHTS LAST WEEK

Welterweight Ben Bishop (Atlanta, GA) improved to 21-2-1 with a win by decision over Victor Palmer in Minneapolis
Welterweight Mitchell McFadden (Detroit, MI) improved to 22-3-1 with a split decision win over Mark MacHutcheon in Philadelphia
Middlewight Frank 'Farmer' Carlson (Regina,Sk) improved to 12-1 with an unanimous win over Bobby Hill in Boston.
Heavyweight Richard Dunn (Eugene, OR) improved to 25-9-2 with an unanimous decision over Doug Martin in San Diego.
Welterweight Steve Landry (Dayton, OH) drops to 32-14-2 after a first round knock out loss to Jammer McDonald Seattle.

• A typhoon has delayed the US landing in Japan. The first wave of American occupation troops were to arrive in Japan yesterday with warships expected tomorrow but bad weather will postpone the American arrival, led by General MacArthur until likely Tuesday. Radio Tokyo hinted at the possibility that some Japanese troops might rebel against the Japanese surrender decision and fire on American occupation forces.
• Radio Tokyo said that almost 10 million persons -one-sixth of the total population- were killed, wounded or made homeless by American air raids on Japan. The dead alone totaled 260,000 including 90,000 killed by two atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, an official Japanese dispatch said.
• More than 1 million Japanese troops in China are now ready for formal surrender.
• Russia announced the capture of Emperor Kang Teh, Japan's puppet ruler of Manchuria.
• The Soviet Government organ Izvestia says that Russia has flatly rejected proposals by the Western Allies for Allied supervision of elections in liberated countries. Such supervision, Izvestia says, would constitute unwanted intereference with sovereignty of the liberated States.
• Bulgaria yielded to American and British pressure and postponed indefinitely her national elections scheduled for tomorrow. The Western Allies had protested that Bulgaria's single-party system made free elections impossible.
• The Republican party charted a 1946 election course marked by critical questioning of the Truman administration's foreign policy and outright opposition to major home front measures.
• A million Americans are jobless this week as the nation transitions from war to peace. Many workers in war production centers lost their jobs through war contract cancellations within a week after Japan's surrender.
• The Army has declared 252 Government-owned plants costing an estimated $1.48 billion as surplus and the Navy is getting ready to do the same with 134 other plants. They will become available for purchase by private industry.
  
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September 3, 1945
 

SEPTEMBER 3, 1945

PAIR OF LATE RALLIES KEEP CANNONS AT TOP OF CONTINENTAL

After falling 5-2 in the opener of a three-game set in Toronto on Friday the Cincinnati Cannons lead in the Continental Association was down to just a slim half-game on the second place Wolves but following an off-day Saturday to regroup, the Cannons used a pair of late rallies to sweep a twin-bill yesterday and extend their lead to 2.5 games as the season enters it's final four weeks.

Toronto seemed to have all the momentum entering play yesterday -with wins in 5 of it's last 7 games including 3 of 4 over the Cannons. Cincinnati was in a tailspin, dropping three straight and 7 of its last 9 contests. The opener of the two-for-one day was anticipated to be a solid pitching duel with Deuce Barrell and George Garrison on the slab for their respective nines but it did not turn out that way. Toronto struck first with a run in the opening inning but Cincinnati exploded for 5 runs off Garrison in the 4th. Toronto clawed back and both starters were gone by the ninth when, with the game knotted at 5 Chuck Adams came up with one of the biggest hits of the Cannons season. The 28 year old first baseman ripped his 23rd homer of the campaign to give the Cannons a 7-5 victory. There was plenty of drama in the nightcap as well as the Wolves scored in the bottom of the ninth on a Juan Pomales rbi single to tie the game at 4 only to see Cincinnati plate a pair in the top of the tenth and hang on for a 6-4 victory.

The Cannons are up by 2.5 games but there is still plenty of baseball left including 4 more games between the two rivals -with each hosting a pair- in the final two weeks of the season. The third place Chicago Cougars are 7 games back, but have 7 remaining against the two clubs ahead of them -although all 7 will be in the road. Chicago did miss an opportunity to get within 5 games of the lead but the Cougars dropped two of three to Montreal -a team that has had their number this season- including an extra-innings loss in the second game of their doubleheader with the Saints yesterday.

*** Clock Nears Midnight For Eagles ***

The Washington Eagles dream run may have come to a crushing halt after the Eagles dropped a double-header and 3 of 4 games to the Philadelphia Keystones over the weekend. Washington is just 2 games back of Philadelphia with Detroit in between the duo, a game and a half of the pace after the Dynamos fell in New York yesterday. Entering play Sunday morning it was a three-way tie for top spot in the Fed which is rare air for an Eagles team that had not been in first place after even August 1st in modern era (post-1925).

The Eagles may well regroup -the have been full of surprises all season- but you have to wonder if losing 5 of 8 over the past week and a half to the Keystones might just be the beginning of a slide back to reality for manager John Lawrence's crew. Perhaps Washington can take advantage of an opportunity beginning next Sunday when they host last place Chicago for 4 games in 3 days while the Keystones and Dynamos are playing 4 at Broad Street Park at the same time. From there Washington has 3 games left with Detroit, and 2 more in Philadelphia, so there are still plenty of opportunities for the Eagles - and the Dynamos as well for that matter although Detroit has a very tough road schedule to finish off the season.

However, late news that Billy Woytek has been discharged after nearly 4 years in the Navy and is expected to be in the lineup when the Keystones play a pair in Pittsburgh today, may just be enough to sway the flag dash in Philadelphia's favour. Woytek's readiness could be a major factor. He is -or at least was- a very talented second baseman and if he is on the top of his game his arrival may just be the difference. Not that John Busby is not a very capable second sacker but Woytek might just provide the emotional lift the Keystones need to further separate themselves from Detroit and Washington.

SEVEN MORE RETURN TO BIG LEAGUES

Infielders Billy Woytek of the Philadelphia Keystones and Harry Barrell of the Boston Minutemen highlight the list of 7 big league ballplayers who have been discharged over the past few days are expected to be back in big league lineups sometime this week. There were also a number of minor leaguers including Toronto's Jerry York and Tom Buchanan of the St Louis Pioneers. St Louis brass is hinting that Buchanan - a 22 year old lefthander who was selected second overall in 1941 but last pitched in 1942 before joining the Marines- will make his big league debut this week. York is another highly touted pitcher with a bright future but has not pitched since 1942. Many are speculating the Wolves might throw him into the thick of the pennant race despite not having pitched above Class A.

Here are the latest players to return from the war:
BOS - SS Harry Barrell US Army
NYS - 2B Andy Gross US Coast Guard
BRK - 2B Vince D'Alessandro US Coast Guard
WAS - P Jim Fedorov US Army
PHI - 2B Billy Woytek US Navy
CIN - C Earl Sanders US Coast Guard
PHS - SS Rip Lee US Army

Minor Leaguers:
MON - OF Gordon McCarley US Army
CHC - 2B Bob Schmelz US Army
CLE - OF Pete Sigmund US Coast Guard
TOR - P Jerry York US Navy
PHS - P Slick Weselowski US Navy
BRK - P Leo Hayden US Army Air Force
NYG - SS Bill Wilson US Navy
DET - 3B Win Hamby US Army
STL - P Tom Buchanan US Marine Corps
CHI - 3B Fabian Ellis US Army
PHI - OF Wilbur Zimmerman US Navy
NYS - P Foster Smith US Army Air Force
MON - C Frank Reichardt US Army

WOLVES STUNNED IN SUNDAY SWEEP BY CANNONS

Toronto fans were silenced on Sunday by two unexpected losses to visitors from Cincinnati at Dominion Stadium leaving the Wolves trailing in the CA by 2 1/2 games heading into Labour Day. Manager Call was philosophical in a clubhouse interview stating "Although the losses hurt it is not the end by any stretch of the imagination. Baseball is a 154 games over almost six months so you always have a chance to comeback, until you don't by being eliminated from contention. The good thing about this sport is that there is generally a game tomorrow or in our case two. Time to get ready for the Sailors doubleheader, we will be fine."

The week started with finishing the 24 game road trip that began on August 2nd by playing a pair in Cleveland. Toronto came out of the gate fast Tuesday scoring 5 in their first 5 innings. Leading 5-3 going into the bottom of 7 the wheels came off, Laurita was touched up for 3 runs on 5 hits. The Foresters hung on for a 7-6 win showing again how tough Cleveland has played Toronto in '45. After an off-day Toronto rallied to down the Foresters 4-2 in 10 after tying the game in the 9th. Walls picked win number 11 in a complete game thanks to McCormick's double in the top of the 10th. Wolves closed the road trip at 13-11.

All the talk in the train car into Toronto was about the upcoming three games with the Cannons. Wirtz, who had just been named CA Pitcher of The Month, proved equal to the task effectively sawing off Cannon bats until he gave up 2 in the 9th for a complete game 5-2 win. Gus Hull's bases loaded double proved to be the key hit in a 4 run 4th. Hull has staged a strong late season surge, he now has 73 RBI. After a rare day off on a Saturday Toronto conversation was all about the two games on Sunday to be started with a what should have been a pitching classic Deuce Barrell vs George Garrison. Neither pitcher was on top of his game in a 7-5 Cannons victory. To be fair to Garrison most of the damage was due to a critical two-out error by Pack in the 4th which allowed 3 of the 5 runs in the inning to be unearned, turning a 1-0 lead into a 5-1 deficit. Jim Laurita came to the mound under threatening skies for the night cap, he was given a 2-0 lead until the Cannons scored 3 in four, after over an hour's worth of rain delay, on only two hits, a walk, wild pitch, and another error. Some fans though Call should have went to the 'pen after the delay. Toronto rallied twice to tie the game 3-3, 4-4, the second time in the bottom of the ninth. Jim Hensley, who seems to be gathering bounty on wolves, again broke the hearts of the faithful with sacrifice fly in 10 allowing the Cannons to sweep 6-4.

The Wolves are already two games behind Brett's forecast. In other news Jerry York will resume his baseball career in Davenport this week after being mustered out of the US Navy.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN (Tuesday August 28 edition)

Brett's Balance of Season Predictions -Last season Brett put together a rest of season forecast from the Wolves just after Labour Day. The fans seemed to enjoy these predictions given the amount of mail received at the Mail & Empire offices. The mail ran the entire gambit, from agreeing with the Brett's wisdom to questioning either his ability to remain as the beat reporter or in some case his mental aptitude. With the end of the 1945 regular season just over a month in the future, a big series coming up this week before Labour Day with the Cannons Brett will publish his predictions earlier this year.

The Wolves will finish the close to month long road trip this week in Cleveland then head home for 24 dates not leaving Toronto until the last week of September for 5 games in Ohio to finish the season. With 24 of their last 31 at Dominion Stadium the Wolves are in good position to chase down the pennant winners the last two seasons, Cincinnati Cannons.

At Cleveland August 28, 30 1945 Record vs Foresters 8-7
The last two games before heading back to Toronto, Cleveland has played Toronto tough all year. Brett feels the Wolves should take both these games riding an emotional wave coming out of Cincinnati winning 2 of 3. Brett's predicted record after series 75-50

Home to Cincinnati August 31, September 2 (2) Record vs Cannons 9-6
After the tight series last weekend Brett expects Dominion Stadium to bursting at the seams when Cannons come to town. Expect to see both teams top arms over this series as both Call, Doria know this head to head matchup is of extreme importance to both teams. Brett thinks close to 100,000 fans will see the Wolves take two of three bringing their record to 77-51

Home Philadelphia September 3 (2) Record vs Sailors 13-7
This will close the season series against Philly. Toronto has a slight advantage given they stay at home while Sailors travel overnight from Cleveland after a Sunday twin bill. Brett feels this series could a trap after the emotion of the weekend. Brett thinks they will split taking the record to 78-52

Home Brooklyn September 5,6,7,8 Record vs Kings 14-4
After the only off day for 2 weeks on September 4 the Kings invade Dominion. Although the season has gone well against Brooklyn Brett foresees a let down with the Wolves barely hanging on to a series split. Record after Kings leave town 80-54

Home Montreal September 9(2), 10,11 Record vs Saints 10-8
Montreal has played well against Toronto all year. This all-Canadian series will be the front page news in all Canadian newspapers before the hockey season begins later in the month. With Saints havingt many youngsters trying to prove their worth before players return from the war Brett thinks the Wolves will again split. After the Wolves finish with the Saints for 1945 they will be 82-56

Home Chicago September 12,13, 14 Record vs Cougars 10-9
Brett thinks this will be the only losing series on the homestand as the Cougars will come into town with the enhanced pitching staff to take at 2 of 3 from Toronto to move Toronto to 83-58

Home New York September 15, 16(2), 17 Record vs Stars 9-9
Manager Call will remind anyone within earshot of the pastings that the Stars put on the Wolves during their visit into NYC in August as motivation. The CA race, according to Brett, will still be a nail-biter in mid-September. The Wolves win do themselves a huge favour in this series by sweeping the visitors bringing their record to 87-58

Home to Cannons September 19, 20
After a day off when the Stars leave town the Cannons come into town for two. These could, for all intents and purposes, decide the CA crown for 1945. Brett says no, they will split leaving the race tight with Toronto at 88-59

Home to Foresters September 22,23
Wolves finish the home portion of 1945's schedule hosting Cleveland. With the race being as tight as Brett predicts the fans will exit Dominion after witnessing two victories. They will be waiting to queue up for World Series tickets at 90-59

Away in Cincinnati September 25, 26
With off days in the last half of September Call, Nichols will be working overtime to set their pitching rotation exactly the way they want it to play out. Brett sees this series akin to a two-game playoff for the CA title but nothing will be decided as each team wins one game tying them atop at 91-60

Away in Cleveland September 29, 30 (2)
If Brett's dreams play out, Toronto is tied for the lead going into the season's last weekend. Wolves will pull out all the stops with short rest, quick hooks, everyone available for any role to win two of three finishing 1945 at 93-61 awaiting the FA pennant winner.

Brett enjoyed staring into the crystal ball of the future but cautions many things could influence these predictions. Among them being injuries to any key personnel on any team, any team going on an extended hot or cold streak or a September to remember by any player.

• If there is a team that has it toughest down the stretch out of the flag contenders in both loops it has to be the Detroit Dynamos. While Philadelphia (19 of 23) and Washington (15 of 21) play nearly all of their remaing games at home the Dynamos take to the road for 20 of their final 26. A situation compounded by a dismal 26-31 road record for the Detroiters, who have won a FABL best 44 games at home this season. No real advantage in the CA with Cincinnati home for 22 of it's final 27 and Toronto will play 21 of 26 at Dominion Stadium.
• Luke Micheals certainly did not look rusty as he returned last week after nearly 4 years in the war. Micheals hit .500 with nine RBI in 22 AB in his first taste of pro ball since 1941. 23 year old Hal Hackney was another recent war returnee for the Pioneers and made his big league debut on August 20th. In four starts the game's top prospect according to OSA is 2-2 with a 2.32 ERA.
• Speaking of war returnees, nice start for Hiram Steinberg in Cleveland. The 1941 first overall pick made his debut Tuesday against Toronto and earned a victory in his big league debut while allowing 3 earned runs in a complete game 7-6 victory. He went the distance again yesterday against the Philadelphia Sailors, spinning a 4-hitter in a 3-2 victory in which only one of the runs was earned. So two starts, two wins and a 2.00 era for the 22 year old.
• After 2,957 consecutive high school, minor league, and FABL games without an injury, on August 28th Dick Walker got a herniated disc in his back, and missed the Cougars next four games. The almost 39-year-old first basemen will miss the Cougars next three games as well, ending a string of 2,539 consecutive FABL appearances without one missed due to injury.
• With rosters now expanded, #7 prospect Duke Bybee will make his FABL debut with the Chicago Cougars. Recently discharged from the Marines, Bybee spent a week in a ball, allowing just a single run off 11 hits and 4 walks with 15 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched. Bybee will slot into the four spot in the rotation, and is set to make his debut on September 6th against the Sailors. 37 year old Doc Newell, who has won his last three decisions and still has an outside chance at the second 20-win season of his career, will start one of the games in Toronto. Newell is 16-11 on the season.
• Dan Fowler will also return to the majors as the Cincinnati Cannons have promoted the 37 year old long-time Cleveland Foresters slugger for the stretch run. Fowler signed a minor league deal with Cincinnati over the winter and had 12 homers to go with a .230 batting average at AAA Indianapolis this season.
• Rip Lee is set to make his return to baseball with the Philadelphia Sailors in their Labor Day doubleheader in Toronto today. Lee, who was recently discharged from the Army, has been out of baseball since 1941.
• Another minor league no-hitter last week. This one from 18 year old Roy Wendel -an 11th round pick by the Chicago Chiefs this year- who made his 11th appearance as a professional ballplayer one for the history books. He pitched Waterloo to a 1-0 win over Marshalltown for the first no-hitter in the Class C Upper Mississippi Valley Association in more than 2 years. Wendell has been outstanding since joining the baby Chiefs, going 4-4 with a sparkling 1.45 era.

1946 DRAFT COVERAGE

A LOOK BACK AT THE 1935 DRAFT

Despite the fact that 1935 marked the second draft in which the feeders were a thing of the past it was still a player who's roots traced back to the feeder era that was the number one selection. That would Rufus Barrell II, or Deuce as he was better known. Deuce was the nephew of the five ballplaying Barrell brothers and the grandson of the great Rufus Barrell.

The draft itself looked like it would have some great talent and a TWIFB article prior to their senior season centered out three high school pitchers as the possible top three selections. They were Deuce, of course and he would go on to win the 1935 Adwell Award as the top high school player, but also George Garrison and Leon Cavasos. The first two are well known but Cavasos -despite having "front of the rotation potential" according to the league scouting service would take a little more effort to remember. He would be one of those swing men - guys who don't start every game they pitch in high school- that OSA seems to love every so often and would last until the middle of the second round when Pittsburgh selected him. He is now 28 years old and has spent the past 4 years in the Army but Cavasos had 6 years of minor league ball and has yet to pitch above the Class A level.


Before we look back at the first round selections let's go back to 1935 and read what Jiggs McGee had to say about the 1935 draft as it happened. This is from the TWIFB archives and predates the start of the weekly format of the newspaper.

JIGGS MCGEE THOUGHTS ON DAY 1 OF THE 1935 DRAFT (June 1935)

While the start of the 1935 draft was fairly predictable in terms of who was selected there was still plenty of excitement with a flurry of draft day trades. Despite many rumours of big offers coming in to Baltimore for the number one pick a trade never materialized and the Cannons selected the most highly touted prospect in years when they grabbed Georgia High School lefthander Rufus "Deuce" Barrell first overall. The nephew of the five Barrell brothers already in the big leagues becomes the third member of the family to be selected first overall, joining pitcher Tom (1929) and shortstop Harry (1931). Rufus was 23-0 with an almost unbelievable 384 strikeouts vs just 10 walks in 239 innings of ball for Macon High School the past two seasons.

The dealing actually got started shortly after the first pick was announced as Toronto sent 26 year old pitcher Bill Anderson (15-18, 4.83) to Washington for outfielder Larry Vestal (.292,8,63), who is also 26. Drafted as a center fielder it is clear Vestal is below average at that position but might look pretty good in a corner outfield spot for the Wolves. The Eagles had been actively scanning the trade wire for pitching help and Anderson, a 1927 first rounder out of Elmira High School, should be a solid middle of the rotation piece in the nation's capital.

Detroit, as expected grabbed Portland, Oregon high school first baseman Red Johnson second overall. Johnson has been compared to Max Morris in this column previously and I feel is a perfect fit for the Dynamos' Thompson Field with it's short leftfield porch. I feel so strongly about Johnson I think he has a great chance to hit 500 homers if he spends his career as a Dynamo. While that pick was not a surprise, seeing Detroit move up to grab another high schooler with plenty of power potential was a bit of one. The Dynamos sent their first and second round picks acquired from Brooklyn in the blockbuster Al Wheeler/Frank Vance deal to the Chicago Cougars in exchange for the fifth pick which was used on Milwaukee High School third baseman Hard Boiled Henry Koblenz. Hank is almost a copy of Johnson, a righthanded hitting corner infielder with power who could prosper in Thompson Field. All in all, not a bad day for the Dynamos.

Prior to the Koblenz selection the Toronto Wolves tabbed George Garrison, a righthanded pitcher from Carthage(IL) High School who had been rising up the mock draft of late. Many feel Garrison has front of the rotation potential. It was a mild surprise as that left slugging third baseman Mack Sutton, from Arkadelphia High School in Arkansas, available for Washington at pick four. Unfortunately, I expect the Eagles were counting on Garrison being there for them so they fielded several offers for the spot and with a rising young star in Mel Carroll already manning the hot corner, decided to move the pick to Boston getting a very good pitching prospect in 24 year old Roy Price and a second round pick in return.

Boston immediately selected Sutton, dubbed the Arkansas Artilleryman, fourth and after the Dynamos nabbed Koblenz, the Minutemen were back on the clock with their own pick which they used on Ohio high school catcher Bill Van Ness, who was very highly thought of by just about every scouting director in the league.

Next up was the New York Stars at seven and they may have reached a bit in looking for a pitcher. Right hander Bill Keith from St Benedict High School in Chicago was their choice. Keith, like Koblenz is a Milwaukee native giving the midwestern city two of the top 7 selections, which is quite something since Milwaukee has only produced two other first round picks in the history of the draft. They are Joe Richards, a former Boston catcher taken 16th overall in 1915 and Joe Chattman, a former second baseman taken 12th overall by the Baltimore Cannons in 1917. Keith does have some impressive high school stats and OSA feels he could potentially anchor a rotation some day so despite being pegged as a mid-second round pick in the mock draft he may not be as big a reach as the mock suggests.

After the long run on high schoolers we finally saw our first college player come off the board at 8 when the Chicago Cougars, who had traded up a couple of spots in a deal with their cross-town rival Chiefs, went with Smithfield College shortstop Hal Wood. That opened the floodgates a bit for older talent as Montreal and the Chicago Chiefs each followed with a college infielder. The Saints, with a new GM making his first selection for Montreal - but not first in the league as he did run Washington for a spell close to a decade ago - chose shortstop Biff Henson from Lane State and the Chiefs, who were said to be eying Billy Dalton all along, got the Perry College third baseman they had coveted with 10th pick.

What appears to be the final pick of the evening went back to the high school ranks and back to the mound as the Philadelphia Sailors took Puerto Rico native Luis Tapia, an 18 year old lefthander out of Madison High School in Brooklyn. This pick really seems to be a reach for a pitcher as OSA had Tapia earmarked for the fourth round but at the same time he looks like a solid groundball pitcher who potentially could be a middle of the rotation piece one day. In addition the Sailors have a pretty good track record of finding quality arms.

*** OSA MOCK FIRST ROUND FOR 1935 ***

So the above is how TWIFB assessed the top of the first round as it happened. We should also like what OSA had as the mock first round before we take a look back and see how things panned out for the top 16 picks. The scouting service mock first round just prior to the draft looked like this:

TEN YEARS LATER: HOW DID THE GM'S DO?

We now know there was an awful lot of talent at the top of that 1935 draft class and a few late round gems as well. The late rounders were headed by Danny Hern, an 11th round pick of the Chicago Cougars who has turned in to a pretty solid pitcher for the St Louis Pioneers thanks to a pretty big 1938 trade that would also send talented infielder Tommy Wilson to the Gateway City in exchange for a 29 year old Freddie Jones. The then Baltimore based Cannons drafted another pitcher in the 11th round who is also doing well in St Louis. That would be Jasper Moore. The 11th round was good to the Cannons as they also chose Johnny Potter in the 11th. Because of a deep Cannons outfied currently the 28 year old has not played a lot but he has looked very good when given the chance. If we want to look for the best players selected outside the top three rounds we need to go to the fourth round where Brooklyn selected Walt Pack 60th overall. The now 30 year old is closing in on 1,000 career big league games and is a two-time all-star for the Toronto Wolves, who acquired him from the Kings in a draft day deal a year later in a move that sent Jim Lightbody from Toronto to join his cousins in Brooklyn.

The lowest player selected in 1935 to have made the big leagues -at least so far- is Bill Lockwood. The 28 year old turned out to be the second best player to come out of a Portland, Oregon high school that year and was taken in the 23rd round, 356th overall by the Eagles. He sepent part of 1942 with the big club and has been in Washington the full year this season but plays rarely as a reserve outfielder.

But we are here to talk about the first roundes, not the late round gems. So here we go.

1- RUFUS BARRELL II P- Baltimore Cannons: Despite all of the talk that the Cannons -with loads of young pitching already- should consider swapping picks with Detroit and grabbing the second and fifth instead the decision to hang on to the top selection and grab Deuce has certainly paid off for the franchise, although it took a move to Cincinnati before that had time to happen. A decade later, with a pair of Allen Awards and 4 all-star selections to go with a 104-57 career record (as of this writing) Barrell is clearly the class of what was a pretty talented group in this draft class.

2- RED JOHNSON 1B- Detroit Dynamos: No way you can argue with the selection of Portland, Oregon high school slugger Johnson at #2. A pair of Whitney Awards and four all-star game selections are already in 'Big Timber's" closet and he is still just 27 years old. You can't help but wonder if the draft and trade that Jiggs was recommending where Detroit surrendered Johnson and it's first rounder next year (who turned out to be Sal Pestilli) to the Cannons for Deuce might have changed the future for the Dynamos and Cannons -and we suppose the Gothams as well.

3- GEORGE GARRISON P- Toronto Wolves: Another great pick here as the 27 year old Garrison, desipte missing two full seasons to the war, already has 79 career FABL victories.

4- MACK SUTTON 3B- Boston Minutemen: In hindsight perhaps Koblenz was a little better pick that Sutton, but neither has quite lived up to the billing just yet. Sutton is now on the Dynamos after missing 3 seasons due to the war. At age 28 Detroit is hoping for a little more success from Sutton -who has displayed decent power in Boston but does not get on base as often as one would like.

5- HANK KOBLENZ 3B- Detroit Dynamos: Traded from the Dynamos to the Philadelphia Keystones in 1938, the year before he made his big league debut. He had a breakout season as a 26 year old in 1943, hitting a career best .271 and leading the Fed in homers and slugging percentage but found himself in the navy just after the '43 campaign continued. He remains there now but should be back for next season. It will be interesting to see if he builds on that outstanding 1943 season or regresses somewhat to his leve of play the two previous years.

6- BILL VAN NESS C- Boston Minutemn: A lot of catchers have been taken with one of the top six picks in the draft - more than we expected when we searched. In all 14 of them have gone that high including four that have been selected in the past 4 years and are still in the minors.
As you can see from above there are some pretty big stars in that group. Looking at that list Van Ness has not completely underachieved and at age 28 still has a lot of time to add to his legacy but the Boston Minutemen have long been expecting more from their 1935 6th overall draft pick. To his credit Van Ness has been delivering a career year this season so perhaps he is just a late bloomer. He is likely at this point just considered a decent choice and likely the best option the Minutemen could have selected here. I might have preferred Billy Dalton over Van Ness but Boston had just taken it's third baseman in Mack Sutton two picks earlier.

7- BILL KEITH P- New York Stars: This was right in the heart of the era when General Manager's began reaching on pitchers early in the draft and Keith has proven to be a great example of that. OSA had him 36th on it's mock draft and the number 3 pitcher behind Deuce and Garrison but he was a distant #3. Like with so many other 1935 draft picks the war got in the way -Keith joined the Army after the 1943 season- but despite being still just 27 few see Keith as a front or even middle of the rotation starter when he does return from the war. He went 4-8 in 20 appearances for the Stars in 1943 but OSA feels his future is in the pen due to possessing just 2 solid pitches.

8- HAL WOOD SS- Chicago Cougars: The Cougars love to draft shortstops and Wood, who was #6 on the OSA mock draft, has turned into a very good middle infielder. He lacks the defensive skill to stick at short but has been a decent second baseman for the Toronto Wolves, who sent Donnie Jones to the Windy City for Wood and Juan Pomales in 1939. Wood was a 5-year starter in the Toronto infield, batting .277 over that time, until the Army came calling last October.

9- BIFF HENSON SS- Montreal Saints: OSA had him at 11th on their mock draft but that seems like a real stretch in hindsight. The war may be the big reason for that as Henson was one of the first to leave after the attack on Pearl Harbor and has been in the Army ever since. Before he left the 32 year old appeared in a 64 games for the Saints but hit just .204. He has been out of the game since 1941 and OSA feels upon his return he will be best suited for a utility infielder roll.

10- BILLY DALTON 3B- Chicago Chiefs: The Chiefs landed arguably the best of 3 very good third baseman in settling for Dalton after Mack Sutton and Hank Koblenz went off the board ahead of him. Dalton, the only of the three not to go to war, has played more big league games to date than any other 1935 draft pick aside from Red Johnson. He has a pair of all-star selections and 3 World Championship Series rings to his credit, although he was dealt in July the year the Cannons won their second straight WCS. Dalton has always been highly coveted by FABL GMs and has been moved three times but each was quite a deal. He was the big name among a group of prospects and picks the Chiefs sent to the Gothams for Rabbit Day in July of 1936, setting up a pair of series wins for the Chiefs. After winning a WCS with the Gothams in '42, he was dealt to Cincinnati the following June for a package of players that included Frank Covarrubias and young prospects Win Hamby and Rick York and then, a year later after winning a series with the Cannons, he was moved to Boston in a multiplayer deal that sent a first round pick and highly touted pitching prospect Bob Arman to the Queen City. Through it all Dalton has been a very consistent force at the plate..certainly not a superstar but a dependable big league regular.

11- LUIS TAPIA P- Philadelphia Sailors: Did we mention something earlier about pitchers that ended up being a reach? Tapia falls into that category. OSA had him ranked #56 on the mock draft and at the time the scouting service felt he could possibly occupy a mid-rotation slot. Long-time big league scout John Spears felt Tapia was a big reach in round one, calling him an occasional starter at best. He played just one season of high school ball and had some very average numbers but the Sailors must have saw something in the lefthander, and they are a team that has developed a lot of decent pitchers. Tapia, however, would not become one of them and was released in 1943. Perhaps a shoulder injury -his only serious one- that cost him the back half of the 1937 season was a factor but Tapia is now pitching for Houston in the Lone Star Association and likely will never make it to the big leagues.

12- BUD CANFIELD P- Philadelphia Keystones: Unlike Tapia, Canfield had some impressive numbers as a high school senior. Only Deuce Barrell had a lower FIP among draftees and Canfield was among the leaders in his class in each of the per/9 inning categories. John Spears considered Canfield to be the fifth best pitcher available (behind Deuce, Garrison, Bill Keith and Frank Barker) but had him as a late second early third round choice. Canfield did progress nicely for the Keystones, going 12-15 for them over parts of 3 seasons but he joined the Navy in November 1942 and has been there ever since. Certainly not a horrible pick when you compare him to Tapia or #14 selection Dan Rivard.

13- CHARLIE WHEELER P- Chicago Cougars: Drafted by the Cougars but traded to the Gothams as a rookie pro in 1937 for veteran arm Hardin Bates, he would later be involved in a big trade with Detroit that saw catcher Pete Casstevens go to the Gothams. That deal paid off quickly for the Dynamos as Wheeler won 17 games and was an all-star in 1938 at the age of 23. His suffered a serious shoulder injury the following season but rebounded in 1940 with another all-star campaign and led the Federal Association in ERA while going 15-7. His numbers would drop in 1941 when he seemed to suddenly struggle with his control. There were no more injuries to explain it, he just went from a pitcher who averaged roughly 3 walks per 9 innings to one that averaged more than double that. After two losing seasons he joined the Navy in October of 1942 and at 31 years of age remains there. When he returns it will be interesting to see which Charlie Wheeler shows up: the one who was outstanding before and after his injuries in 1938 & 1940 or the one who's control abandoned him in 1941 & 42.

14- DAN RIVARD P- St Louis Pioneers: OSA felt the Canadian from Campion University could perhaps become a number 2 starter one day, it just appears the scouting service was thinking of the Great Western League instead of FABL. A decade later Rivard, now 31, is still in the Pioneers system but even with all of the players who left for the war, he is still just a minor league pitcher -and not even a starter. Rivard seems to have carved out a role for himself as a AAA relief pitcher but appears to be the type that could get squezed out of a job altogether when all the war players return.

15- GABE CAIN JR. 2B- Cleveland Foresters: Yes, baseball fans there was a time when the Cleveland Foresters were very good and picked late in the first round but perhaps selections like this one are a big reason why the Foresters have spent so much time at the top of the draft in recent years. It is hard to call Cain the worst first rounder ever selected by this organization -after they did select Karl Stevens first overall and count other gems like Amos LeBlanc, Bill Bernard, Dick Kennon and Johnny Turner among their first rounders in the late 1920's early 1930s- bu Cain certainly ranks right up there. His dad would play 41 FABL games just after the turn of the century and that would turn out to be 41 more than Junior suited up for. The younger Cain was released in 1940 after 4 years in Class B and is now retired.

In Cleveland's defense OSA had him ranked 14th on it's mock draft but if the Foresters wanted a second baseman they would have been a lot better off with Jim Lightbody. Lightbody had better high school numbers than Cain, better by a decent margin, and was ranked 18th on the scouting service mock list.

16- ELI HARKLESS OF- Cleveland Foresters: In the early mock drafts Harkness was very high on OSA's list but he fell as draft day approached and ended up at #22 on the scouting services final chart. He had some decent numbers in high school but seemed to lack the power to be a corner outfielder in the big leagues. OSA felt he would be a back-up outfielder at best. So if we are going to bash Cleveland for the choice of Cain we do have to give them some small amount of credit for picking Harkless. He is no star, and likely won't even be a starter when he returns fro the Air Corps -of which he has been a memeber since late 1942- but for a couple of seasons he was an average outfielder on a very much below average Cleveland team. Chubby Hall, who went in round 3 to the Cougars or Nat Drake, who was selected right after Harkless by the Cannons, might have been better options for Cleveland but at least Harkless has played over 500 big league games for the Cleveland nine.

SUMMARY- Some very good, and obvious choices in the early going followed by a few reaches, especially on the mound, but that statement really sums up most of the drafts of this era. Among players that went in the second round and in hindsight would be so much better choices than a few of these guys were Nat Drake, Jim Lightbody, Chuck Adams, Mack Burns, Tim Hopkins and Tim Humphrey. Of course, it is always so much easier second-guessing the picks a decade later.

BROOKLYN MAY END UP IN NEW GRID LOOP FOR '46

The Brooklyn Football Kings may be gone, sold off as spare parts because of difficulty gathering enough players and finding a location at which to compete, but there are reports circulating that the borough may again host a professional grid team. That would, of course, entail working out an agreement with the ball Kings magnate Daniel Prescott for use of his stadium, but many feel that won't be an issue as Prescott could be exited to take any opportunity to stick it to the American Football Association despite the fact he owns a small piece of it's Cincinnati club. Prescott is still harboring sour feelings after being denied the opportunity to put his on grid team in New York a year ago, primarily over the objections of the New York Footbal Stars owner Erasmus Scott. Scott had grudginly allowed the grid Kings to play in New York this season but it was no secret he was quite pleased when the Kings folded up shop instead.

Nothing is in stone as of yet, but it is known that Percy Sutherland's prize project, the Continental Football Conference, is determined to spread its wings and take flight next fall. We know New York will have a team in the new loop, as will Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francico but the identity of the remaining 4 teams remains up in the air with the scuttlebutt in the Big Apple this week being Brooklyn will possibly be one of those remaining four cities to get a club. Both Sutherland, and Lt Commander Bob Montgomery -the commissioner of the new conference- remained mum when pressed for details on the identity of the remaining owners or location of the ballclubs.

WELTERWEIGHT SHOWDOWN SET

The Welterweight Division is expected to finally crown a new champion, but it won't happen until the late winter or early spring of 1946. The belt, vacant since British pugilist Jimmy Simpson retired at the age of 37 in 1939. Due to the start of the war in Europe and later the American entrance in 1941 no title fight was ever sanctioned but that will change as 4 boxers will meet over the next several months to determine a new champion.

It will begin in October with four fighters and then the two winners of those bouts will meet with the title on the line likely in February or March. The October bouts have been confirmed to be Rudy Perry vs Dennis O'Keefe in one with Mark Westlake facing Carl Taylor in the other one. It will make for a busy 6 weeks for boxing fans as Heavyweight Champ Hector Sawyer is set to defend his title on September 15 in New Orleans against Chris Sullivan while Middleweight belt holder Frank Melanson makes his first title defense against Todd Gill at Bigsby Garden on October 19. In between those title bouts we will have O'Keefe and Perry tangle in Baltimore at Banner Field on Saturday October 13 with the Westlake/Taylor bout set for Friday October 26 in Chicago at the Lake Side Arena.

Dennis O'Keefe is 18-1 overall including a 6th round TKO of Ronnie Scott in mid-August in what was his return to the ring after nearly 4 years in the Army. The Jacksonville, Fl., native will turn 29 years old a week before his fight with Perry. Perry is a 29 year old Philadelphia native who has also had just one fight since being discharged and is 20-1-1 for his career. Mark Westlake, who is set to take on Carl Taylor, is a 28 year old Mississippi native with a 20-1-1 record. Perry, is also 28 and hails from Baltimore with 18-2-2 career record. Neither Westlake or Perry served during the war and both saw regular fistic action over the past 4 years.

DUNN WINS EASILY BUT SHUT OUT OF WELTER SHOWDOWN

Wayne Dunn was the odd man out when the decision was made on which four fighters will compete in the mini-playoff to fill the welterweight title, which has been vacant since 1939. Dunn demolished Fred Jackson with a first round knock out in Philadelphia last Thursday but learned a day later that he has his 25-6 record were not deemed sufficient to be one of the 4 fighters in line for the title.

OTHER MAJOR RESULTS THIS WEEK
Aug 29- Detroit: HW Allen Bailey (29-4-2) TKO7 over Dale Wright (4-5)
Aug 31- Buffalo: HW Roy Crawford (20-2) UD(10) over Rob Butler (12-14)
Aug 31- Union City,NJ: WW Harold Stephens (15-3-2) KO3 over Keith Bowman (3-3-1)

Another sign sports in Europe is returning to normal as Danny Julian, once considered one of the best young welterweights in Europe, who was 9-0 before his 20th birthday, made his return to the ring after a nearly nine year absence. The English fighter, now 28, scored an 8th round TKO in his bout that was scheduled for 10 against Swede Vic Grabner.

• Yesterday aboard the US Battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Japan signed the documents formally, finally and unconditionally surrendering to the United States and its Allied powers. President Truman proclaim Septeber 2 as VJ-Day.
• Earlier in the week Truman had urged Congress to continue Selective Service inductions of men aged 18 through 25, but with a 2 year limit on their period of service. Truman said "the situation in the Pacific continues to have many elements of danger" and emphasized the danger in "a too early, unqualified formal termination" of the war emergency.
• Two days later the Army announced plans to cut its present strength of 8,050,000 to 2.5 million by next July 1.
• The Japanese Premier says it was the atomic bomb and the Emperor's "love of the people" that made Japan surrender.
• A nine ship task force with 10,000 marines landed in Tokyo as American advance headquarters were established in Japan and the US flag was raised over Japan's home soil for the first time on Wednesday as 30,000 additional US troops arrived.
• Threat of civil war in China apparently eased as the Chinese Communist newspaper New China Daily expressed full support of the Sino-Russian treaty.
• British naval units entered Hong Kong harbor to take over the British Crown Colony from Japanese occupation forces.
• After careful study of a reports on the Pearl Harbor disaster, President Truman concluded that the entire nation was to blame stating that "the whole thing is the result of the policy which this country itself pursued: the country was not ready for preparedness."
• One strong bit of advice from the probe into Pearl Harbor urges for the implmentation of a worldwide espionage system for the US. It noted that the Japanese knew all of America's secrets.
• A study of census data shows that only 9 states plus the District of Columbia steadily gained in population between 1920-43. The nine states with consistent growth were Connecticut, Indiana, Maryland, Florida, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Oregon and California. The study noted there were three definite cycles during that period: industrial expansion from 1920-30, the depression in the early thirites and then finally a cycle that covered the war industry related migration. No other state besides those nine displayed growth in each of the phases.
  
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September 10, 1945: TWIFB begins it's 10th year of weekly Figment sports coverage
 

SEPTEMBER 10, 1945

TWIFB MARKS THE START OF ITS 10th YEAR OF WEEKLY COVERAGE

Much has changed in the world since This Week in Figment Baseball made its weekly debut on September 14, 1936 with a story celebrating Max Morris reaching the 700 homerun plateau with a blast off of Earle Whitten of the Montreal Saints. Morris is a Congressman now, and has been for a while. A world war has come and thankfully just recently gone and all of sports -just like TWIFB- is growing at quite a rate. We have expanded our coverage beyond just the ballpark as football, both pro and college, AIAA basketball and boxing now see ample space on our pages and pro hockey is just around the corner.

CANNONS EXTEND CA LEAD: 4 TEAM RACE IN FED

It is starting to look like the only thing that can stop the Cincinnati Cannons might be the trainers table. The Cannons, on the strength of 8 wins in their last 10 games, have suddenly opened up a 3.5 game lead on the second place Toronto Wolves atop the Continental Association standings. The streak came at a price as the Cannons lost a pair of starting pitchers with injuries, including a big blow that will cost them the services of veteran Tom Barrell for the rest of the season. Barrell, the former 3-time Allen Award winner who has rediscovered himself since a move to Cincinnati and a return to the rotation, suffered a hamstring injury in the Cannons 8-2 win over Montreal on Wednesday. The veteran righthander stuck around long enough to get his team best 16th victory but learned a day later that his season was over.

Jim Anderson, who is 1-2 with a 3.62 era since returning from the Army a little under a month ago, also has a hamstring issue but he is only expected to be sidelined for a week. The Cannons were already missing starting second baseman Jack Cleaves, veteran outfielder Sam Brown and pitcher Jake Smith although both Cleaves and Smith are expected back some time this week.

The second place Toronto Wolves had a solid week -taking five of 8- but despite that found themselves dropping another game in the standings to the Cannons. The Wolves have a big week ahead with 3 games against the third place Chicago Cougars before the begin the final two weeks of the season, a stretch that will include a pair of 2-game showdowns between Cincinnati and Toronto that could well decide the pennant.

*** Brooks Came Within 2 Outs of No-Hitter ***

Speaking of a key series the Philadelphia Keystones and Detroit Dynamos are embroiled in one right now. They opened a 4-game set in Philadelphia that will end the season meetings between the two -barring the need for a playoff tiebreaker- with a split of a twin-bill yesterday. Pitching was the big news of the day as Detroit, once again led by the incredible story that is Dixie Lee, claimed a 3-0 victory in the opener. Lee has been nothing short of amazing since coming over from the New York Stars at the trade deadline. The 32-year old is 7-0 with a 0.14, yes 0.14 era, since the deal. His 10-hit shutout yesterday, while not pretty, was the 6th complete game shutout he has tossed in 7 starts.

The pitching in the nightcap was equally impressive. George M Brooks came within 2 outs of a no-hitter in blanking rookie Carl Potter and the Dynamos 1-0. Brooks masterpiece was spoiled by a pinch-hit single off the bat of Detroit's Don Hersey with one-out in the ninth inning. Brooks already had a no-hitter in his resume, tossing one in 1944 against the Pittsburgh Miners.

The Keystones lead on the Dynamos remains at half a game with 2 more contests between the pair scheduled for today and tomorrow. Washington continues to fade as the 3rd place Eagles lost 3 straight to St Louis before rebounding with a doubleheader sweep of the Chicago Chiefs yesterday. The Pioneers big showing in the nation's capital keeps them in the mix -although time is growing short- as they are 4 games back.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEK

• Detroit and Philadelphia complete their 4 game series at Broad Street Park
• The Dynamos then travel to Washington for the biggest 3 game series of the Eagles season
• St Louis finishes the week with a crucial 4 game series in Philadelphia
• The Chicago Cougars may be about done but they can play a big role in deciding the CA pennant this week when the Cougars play 3 games in Toronto followed by 4 at Cincinnati

Has there been a better story the past year and a half that what Tom Barrell did once he returned to the starting rotation? His career looked over after a couple rough seasons in the Pittsburgh bullpen and he struggled in the pen early last year when Cincinnati first acquired him. But when injuries forced the Cannons to give Tom a shot in the rotation, he suddenly looked like the 3-time Allen Award winner he was a decade ago. Barrell went 11-5 with 2.69 era as a starter last season after going 0-3, 4.15 out of the pen in April and May. He added another victory in the WCS win over the Philadelphia Keystones when he started and won that crucial sixth game. This year has been more of the same as Barrell was 16-5 with a 3.06 era as a starter but 0-1 with a 6.00 era out of the pen. Unfortunately, I say 'was' because Barrell's season is over and once more there is worry his career is on its last legs.

The right leg of Barrell is the problem. He has once more suffered a strained hamstring and will miss the rest of the season. That is the same issue that has cropped up several times before in his career including in 1937 when he missed nearly 3 months of a Brooklyn pennant winning season in 1937. Barrell will be 38 when spring training rolls around again and there will be an awful lot of established big league arms returning from the war and looking for work. The Cannons will need to find room for Bill Sohl, Chris Clarke, Vic Carroll and Bob Arman to name just four. With that in mind you can't help but wonder if baseball -or at the very least Cincinnati- has seen the last of Deuce's famous uncle. Barrell has been counted out before and resurfaced in very impressive fashion. Will he do it again?

*** Quite a Leagacy ***

If this does turn out to be the end of the line for Tom Barrell, he will have left quite a mark on the sport. Four All-Star selections, 3 consecutive Allen Awards, a pair of WCS rings, two-time second team All-American at Georgia Baptist. Then there is the amazing 29-3 season in 1934 -the first of three years when it was hard to argue that Tom Barrell was not the best pitcher in the world. He went 5-2 in WCS play, 179-111 during the regular season for his career. Impressive numbers but on their own likely not quite good enough to get him inducted into the baseball museum in Boone County.

Barrell himself said recently he does not think about the Hall of Fame. His focus is on this Cannons squad and is goal of pitching in another WCS. That goal is likely gone now with the leg injury, but if baseball fans have learned anything about Tom Barrell the past season and a half, it is that you should never understimate him. Who knows? Maybe he will be back in the Cannons rotation again next season. And maybe one day his sheer dominance for 3 years in Brooklyn, and his incredible career revival in Cincinnati may earn him a place in Boone County.

• Quite a pitching display at Broad Street Park yesterday. In the opener of a twin bill between the Dynamos and Keystones we had another shutout for Dixie Lee. He is 7-0 with 6 shutouts and a 0.14 era since the deadline move from the Stars to Detroit. The nightcap saw the home side win 1-0 as George M Brooks came within 2 outs of his second career no-hitter. Don Hersey's pinch-hit single in the ninth spoiled it.
• Congratulations to 38 year old Lou Ellertson, who became the first pitcher this season to reach the 20-win plateau. It marks the first time in his career Ellertson has won that many games. His ERA remains exceptional at 1.56 despite allowing 3 runs in 7 and a third in his most recent outing - a 9-3 win over the Chiefs.
• Percy Sutherland took a break from his planning of the new Continental Football Conference -which is set to kick off next fall- to offer a couple thoughts on the Chicago Chiefs: Bob Martin fractured his finger, which means his season is done after 107 games--which is more than the 74 he played last season. He finishes the year with 2885 career hits. Does he return in 1946 for his age 39 season? Meanwhile, Les Zoller has now lost his last 6 starts, dropping his record to 8-19. 20 losses appears to be on the horizon. And Solly Skidmore his hit first Federal Association home run last week. He followed that with an 1 for 11 skid, which has dropped his average from .333 to .268. But overall, he's looked pretty solid in his debut. Skidmore spent a little time in the big leagues before heading off to war, homering in 6 games with the Cougars in 1942.
• Across town with the Cougars, 23 year old Duke Bybee was cruising in his big league debut, starting with five scoreless frames against the Sailors. Then the 6th came, and things fell apart. He had no one to blame but himself, as the young lefty tried to start a double play, but its hard for a 6'4'' fireballer to hit his 5'6'' shortstop covering second. The error sparked a Sailor rally, as they piled on seven runs (two earned). Five of his eight hits and three of his four walks came in that inning, and he left his first career start with two on and two out.
• You know the Cougars offense is bad when Peter the Heater allows just 2 hits and 2 walks with 8 strikeouts in 9 innings against the team who has allowed the most runs in the Continental Association, and doesn't come home with a win. In his last three starts he's allowed just 3 earned runs in 26 innings with 16 hits, 7 walks, and 25 strikeouts, but has just one win to show for it. He's gotten one run of support or fewer in three of his five starts since returning, and more then half (8 of 15) came in the start he allowed 7.
• September and the tail end of August are extended spring tryouts as the Gothams try to figure out what they have for next season. Red Wedge of the New York Telegram notes the organization should be happy after some decent starts from a pair of pitchers who do not normally start games. "Both Tack Robinson and Harry Frenette gave up no earned runs, but both go only 6.1, so that's something to keep an eye on. Harry Carter picked up his 16th win with a 4-hit shutout in Boston. CF Bobby Boone finally breaks out, going 10-21 with 5 BB for a .476/.577/.667 week. Bill Payne continues his year long offensive attack adding 3 homers this week. For the year Payne is hitting .330/.387/.486 and must be considered one of the top rookies in the FA since his call-up in mid-July."
• Freddie Farhat with some thoughts from Detroit: "A huge week for the Dynamos if they are going to pull this thing off. Unfortunately only 1 start for Dixie Lee this week as he pitched Sunday. You can bet he will be starting against the Eagles in one of those 3 games. Detroit finishes it season series with 2 more in Philadelphia, then move on to Washington and Pittsburgh....So far 8-5 on this road trek and holding their own on the road....Charlie Ashmore made his first start after pitching in relief since coming back from military service. The results were not great, getting torched for 6 runs in 6 IP in a 6-3 loss to Boston. Detroit manager Dick York was not committal if the pitcher would get another start this week.

TOUGHEST GRID COMPETITION IN DECADE IS SEEN

We have been informed by an optimistic lyricist that "just around the corner there's a bluebird on high--just around the corner there's a rainbow in the sky." That statement may not be 100 per cent true, but it applies rather directly to the college football campaign now only a weekend away.

Outside Rome State and Annapolis Maritime, steam rollers running with swift motors, the country at large may have no college outfits to match the best prewar years of Minnesota Tech, St Blane, Noble Jones, Cumberland and others but from early reports there will be improvment and the closest competition the college game has known in more than a decade. With the heart-burning pressure of war removed, there will be larger crowds and greater enthusiasm.

A Southern scout reports: "We may have no outstanding national leaders, although the military academies both have the potential to be very good, but we'll have a flock of teams that will be at least good and just about on even terms. Those include Cumberland, Noble Jones College, Alabama Baptist, Miami State, Maryland State, Northern Mississippi, Bayou State, Richmond State and a few others who will have some veterans back, a swarm of ex-high school players and a few returned stars from other years. This is what makes guessing a tough job.

"The Dixie Race will be a tough one as by our count no fewer than half the teams in the Deep South section could potentially win the title. Alabama Baptist and the two Georgia schools in Noble Jones College and Georgia Baptist might separate themselves from the pack and if we had to pick one we might go with the Alabama school as long as sophomore signal caller Willie Hubbard continues to be the real deal for the Chargers."

With backs Chet Donnelson and Gus Thompson returning as juniors and looking to follow up on All-American seasons a year ago, one has to think the Centurions from Rome State will be just as dominant as they were a year ago. The navy school Annapolis Maritime looks strong as well.

It is the question of how will the entering rookies and returning servicemen effect things that is the big unknown - not just in the south but across the country. The Middle West expects big things from Detroit City College, Central Ohio and Minnesota Tech, the east pins its hopes on Pierpont, St. Patrick's and as nearly always is the case the Fighting Saints of St. Blane. Out west there is talk Spokane State -back after missing two seasons due to the war- might just have a team that can rival mighty Coastal California and even in the southwest there are high hopes for Travis College, Lubbock State and Eastern Oklahoma.

There is also an interesting problem at hand concerning Army and Navy vs athletes now in the service. On one side Army and Navy want to retain has many stars as possible to help out their sporting programs in Europe and the Pacific, where a million or more men will be located for some time to come. And sport will be a major menu to keep the morale up for all those soldiers and sailors. But on the other side of the coin, the footbal, baseball or boxing star stiil in the service likely figures that after two, three or four years away from his game he has only a short time left to ply his trade and cash in on his few remaining wage-earning years. Another year or so in service would about ring down the curtain for more than a few.

KNIGHTS READY FOR BIG GRID SEASON

The Detroit City College Knights feel they have something to prove this year as they prepare for their college football season opener against Great Lakes Navy on Saturday. The Knights got off to a quick 3-0 start a year ago but stumbled against Minnesota Tech and Pierpont before having to settle for 7-3 record and the end of a two-year winning steak over arch-rival Central Ohio. It was even tougher watching Christian Trophy winner Jimmy Rhodes and the Aviators get the invitation to the East-West Classic and complete a perfect season with a win over Coastal California. The East-West Classic is an event the Knights have never been invited to but as the New Year's Day game prepares to celebrate it's 30th anniversay Detroit City College is thinking this might just be the year they get to crash the California party.

The Knights feel pretty good about their chances in the Great Lakes Alliance this season but Cental Ohio, even without their Christian Trophy winning quarterback will tough, as will Indiana A&M and the always dangerous Minnesota Tech. We will get a sneak peak of just what Detroit City College has to offer this year when they get an early start on the season Saturday with what should be the most appealing of a half dozen games on the opening slate.

SATURDAY'S COLLEGAITE GRID GAMES
Blackland Field vs Lubbock State
Scranton State vs Frankford State
Great Lakes Navy vs Detroit City College
Miller College vs Coast Guard
Albuquerque State vs Canyon A&M
Topeka State vs Crete(NE) College

LEGENDARY FRENCH MIDDLEWEIGHT RETURNS TO RING

Desmarais Wins French Title, Set to Face Rees

Edouard Desmarais, the legendary French boxer who went 35-0 before the Germans invaded France and put his career on hold, was back in the ring on Friday night. Desmarais earned a 7th round knockout of fellow countryman Jean Raymond to win what is being dubbed the "Boxing Title of France." It was the first fight in 5 years for Desmarais, who was feared dead for a stretch of the war and later turned up working as a member of the French Resistance. After the bout it was reported that the 29 year old plans next to meet former World Middleweight Champ Archie Rees in London in December.

The duo seemed to be on a collision course for a showdown before the war changed everyone's plans. Rees held the world title from September 1941 until June of this year when he was beaten by Pittsburgh factory worker Frank Melanson. That loss dropped the 32 year old Englishman's record to 35-5-1. Rees had been in the United States for much of the year but recently returned to England. He will fight Desmarais on December 8 in London.

RAINEY UNDER ARREST CHARGED WITH FALSE DRAFT DEFERMENT

Jack Rainey, formerly one of the top ranked middleweight fighters, was in Federal custody last week charged with falsely obtaining a draft deferment. The 27 year old boxer, who beat Doug Smith just two months ago in Baltimore to improve to 22-3, was arrested by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents on an indictment by the Federal grand jury. Also arrested were three former proprietors of welding companies who allegedy told Rainey's draft board that he was employed by them in vital war work.

Howard B. Fletcher, chief FBI agent in Philadelphia, said the investigation proved Rainey never had been employed by the comparines. Fletcher said Rainey's deferment was obtained in June of 1943 and that the welding employment continued to be passed off to his draft board as an ongoing job. The New York City native had boxed regularly throughout the war, and had established his home base in Philadelphia at a gym owned by one of the three men charged along with Rainey. The boxer had been preparing for his next fight at the time of his arrest.

• As American prisoners of war are returning from Japan, they bring tales of barbaric tortures while held captive.
• More American troops rolled into Tokyo this week, with US forces also now occupying Korea.
• British marines have landed at the great naval base of Singapore, in a return to formal occupation after 3 and half years of Japanese control.
• Republican Congressmen are squaring off today against an old foe-the New Deal. President Truman's 18,000 word message to Congress yesterday indicated he had no intention of letting the New Deal die, although it's founder, the late President Roosevelt, had passed from the scene.
• Congressional sources predict the expected Senate-House investigation of the Pearl Harbor disaster will become one of the big issues of the 1946 Presidential campaign. Critics have knocked the validity of the official report released last week
• Soviet reports indicate Russia is planning a large scale development of her northeast Pacific coast and will build new harbors on the Kamchatka Peninsula opposite Alaska.
• The woman known as Tokyo Rose was arrested in Japan this week. A former Los Angeles resident who says she was caught in the war while in Japan visiting a sick aunt said she did not consider herself disloyal to the United States.
• New radios are on the market for public sale now and within a few weeks frequency modulation or FM radios as well as television sets will also be on sale, the War Production board announced.
  
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On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of TWIFB, I need to congratulate Jiggs (and Tiger Fan) for one of the best threads in the forum. Of course, I may be a little biased. But seriously, a great accomplishment.

Thank you.

September 17, 1945
 

SEPTEMBER 17, 1945

EAGLES SOAR BACK INTO FED FLAG FIGHT

Win 6 Straight as Dynamos Dreams Dashed

Don't look now but the Washington Eagles are suddenly right back in the thick of the Federal Association pennant race. Thanks to a 6 game winning streak and 10 wins in their last 11 games the Washington Eagles are just a game and a half back of the front-running Philadelphia Keystones with 2 games coming up this week between the two clubs at Broad Street Park. The odds are not great for the surprise club of the year, as the Eagles have just 4 games remaining in their season compared to 7 for the defending champs but a Washington sweep of the pair this week could certainly make things very interesting down the stretch.

The Detroit Dynamos are not out of it either, but in third place and 3.5 games back after a very rough week Dick York's charges have a difficult road ahead. Losing 5 of 7 over the last 8 days to Philadelphia and Washington put the Dynamos in a very tough situation. Detroit is just 2 back of Philadelphia in the loss column and the Dynamos have 10 games remaining so a big winning streak might get the job done but even with a 10-0 run they will need several losses from the Keystones.

The Cincinnati Cannons inched a little closer to their 3rd straight Continental Association crown with a second straight week that saw them post a 6-2 record. Toronto has gone 11-5 over the same stretch but all that did was drop the Wolves a game further back of the front-runners and they trail Cincinnati by 3.5 with 10 games remaining. The Cannons have 11 left on their docket including a crucial pair of 2-game sets between the two. The first goes Wednesday and Thursday in Toronto and the Cannons may be without Continental rbi leader Chuck Adams, who has been bothered by a thigh bruise suffered over the weekend. The two clubs will meet in Cincinnati the following Tuesday & Wednesday and one has to think the Wolves must take at least 3 of those 4 contests to keep their dreams of a pennant alive.

NAVY SHIPS FOUR BACK TO FABL

Four players will have the opportunity to return to the game for at least a small taste of big league action as the Navy has announced the discharge of four former big leaguers. The four are Detroit outfielder Bob Miller along with pitchers Bud Robbins of Montreal, Cleveland's Dick Lamb and Scotty Thomas of the Philadelphia Sailors.

The 29 year old Miller lasted suited up for Detroit in 1941 and owns a .276 batting average in 83 career big league games. Robbins, now 31, also last played in 1941 where he went 2-3 with a 4.52 era in 37 relief appearances for the Saints. It was his third season in Montreal after beginning his big league career with the Pittsburgh Miners. Lamb is now 25 and spent just one season in Cleveland, going 9-20 with a 3.63 era as a 22-year old rookie in 1942 while Thomas, 29, missed a little less than 2 full seasons, going 9-12 with a 3.62 era for the Sailors in 1943.

Despite the fantastic news out of Maroons camp that the greatest pass catching end in AFA history is back and the big win by the Detroit City College gridders over Great Lakes Naval to kick off the AIAA season, the news is not all good for Motor City sports fan this week. Far from it as the Dynamos picked the worst possible week for a clunker going 3-5 and losing the Monday/Tuesday games in Philadelphia. SP Dixie Lee proved to be mortal as he took a loss in Washington losing to the FA Allen Award winner Lou Ellerston 3-2. Lee will get a chance to still get to 10 wins in 2 months as he will be featured in 3 of the Dynamo's last 10 games.

Rookie Carl Potter will also get 3 starts as well. Potter 14-10 with a 2.51 ERA in 28 starts has shown that even though just a teenager (19) he is ready to be a dominate force in the future. Veterans Art White (7-3 3.11 since trade to Detroit) and Jim Lonardo (who was an afterthought in the deal with NY but has gone 5-2 with a 1.95 ERA) will both get 2 starts. The name missing from the rotation that has been there all season long, is Jimmy Long (15-10 3.19). Long has not been sharp in 3 September starts going 0-3 in 18 IP with a 9.00 ERA. He has been moved to the bullpen for the last 2 weeks but will be inserted into the stopper role by manager Dick York.

So besides playing on the road most of the last month where the club has struggled all season (32-39), it is still a dormant offense that has been the Achilles Heel for the Dynamo's. All the pitching transactions (White, Lee and Lonardo) have worked out well, but the bats acquired have been less than hoped to revive a struggling offense.

LF Howie Smith 232/286/589 2-15
RF Lou Balk 231/270/623 3-20
3B Mack Sutton 241/328/746 7-30
CF Leon Drake 287/377/863 4-20
SS Johnny Guzzo 292/335/855 6-31

Corner OF's Smith and Balk have been a major disappointment since their arrivals. Some have wonder about the players adaptability. 3B Sutton has done what most thought he would and will anchor 3B going forward. OF Leon Drake who was pressed into CF duties has been solid but hasn't been a difference maker. Waiver claim SS Johnny Guzzo has been the best hitter of the 5.

3B/1B Frank Vance has struggled to get going in his age 42 season. Not that it is a huge surprise. He has come on a bit in September and will be the full time 1B in the last 10 games.

Manager Dick York knowing that Detroit's tragic number is just 6, has vowed to shake up the lineup some. Expect a surprise or two with the return of one player off the bench into the lineup against RHP's and someone new playing in the OF. York stated "I going with the hot hands and looking for a spark or two to try and get this offense going."
Once again Bill Ball is complaining. Expect him to be released as soon as the Dynamo's are eliminated or at season's end. GM Martin offered a terse "no comment" on the subject.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

Wolves Still in The Hunt with 10 Left- Toronto's hope of claiming a CA title, with it a trip to the World Championship Series, remain intact as the 1945 approaches the end. Wolves are 3 1/2 games behind Cincinnati with 10 games to play, more importantly four of those are against the Cannons. The fans are talking of those 4 games as if they will decide the pennant winner. They are probably correct!

Toronto is coming off a 6-2 week which saw them gain no ground although they did not lose any ground. Wolves are 11-7 in September while the veterans in Cincy are 14-4 which is basically the difference in the standings. The week began with a 16 inning marathon with the Saints, almost 5 hours after the game began Gus Hull sent the fans home happy with a sacrifice fly to end the contest with a 4-3 victory in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. After a quick nap the team showed its tenacity overcoming a 6-0 deficit to defeat the Saints 9-7 in a wild affair in which SP Jim Laurita was in trouble in almost every inning. Toronto took the season series from Montreal 13-9 by winning 3 or the last 4 games.

The Cougars then came to town with sights on knocking the Wolves out of contention. Papenfus was on top of his game in the opener with a complete game 4-1 victory. The score does not flatter Bob Walls who gave up only 5 hits through 7 but was hampered by a pair of errors from Pack and Howerton allowing 3 of the 4 runs across the plate. Toronto, behind 37 year old Chick Wirtz, rallied to take the second game 4-1. Wirtz, 15-9, tossed his 12th complete game of the season. Wirtz has emerged as a key cog in the pitching staff over August, September. The season finale with the Cougars was a comedy of errors. Wolves spotted the Cougars a 6-2 lead, 5 of the 6 unearned, before staging a furious rally to tie the game at 8 with 3 in their half of the 8th. Billy Crosby again could not shutdown the opposition. He gave a solo shot to Schneider in the 9th for his seventh loss of the year 8-7. Manager Call was just shaking his head after the game bemoaning the 6 errors committed by his squad, "Hope that does not come to haunt us." was his statement. The season series with Chicago ended in a draw 11-11.

Toronto, in somewhat of a payback, were the beneficiaries of Stars defensive woes in Saturday's game. Garrison won his 17th 5-0 when the Wolves only scratched out 4 hits, errors directly resulted in 3 of the 5 runs. After having trouble lately in the Sunday doubleheaders Toronto swept two from New York 5-1, 3-2 with hard luck Laurita, 10-12, Walls, 13-5 picking up the victories. Toronto will win this season series with one game left they already have 12 wins against the Stars.

Toronto finishes their home schedule this week with a Monday game with the Stars. Cincinnati then comes into Dominion Stadium for a 2-game mid week series before Cleveland visits for the weekend. Rumours are that Garrison, Wirtz will face the Cannons. Bob Call is constantly telling the team "Play the game one at bat at a time do not look past the current game, they are all important."

Your intrepid reporter is in the lovely city of New Orleans for two reasons. I am going to get a good look at this year's first round draft pick, first baseman Nate Power, who is settling in nicely for the first-place New Orleans Showboats as they play out their schedule. The second and personally more exciting reason is the heavyweight title fight defense of Hector Sawyer in his hometown.

If you are planning a trip to the mouth of the Mississippi, taking a plane is faster, but do yourself a favor and take the Pennsylvania Railroad's Crescent line. In 27 short hours, you can travel from Philadelphia to New Orleans, hopping on the train in the afternoon and getting there in time the next night to participate in the city's legendary jazz scene.

Fight fans and Sawyer's own fans and friends packed Crescent City Field in New Orleans, home of the Keystones AA affiliate New Orleans Showboats. In what was believed to be the largest crowd ever assembled at the ballpark - 17,255, which is over 1,800 beyond the listed capacity for baseball - Hector Sawyer bruised and battered Chris Sullivan over 11 punishing rounds to retain the WBO heavyweight title. Sullivan never mounted much of a challenge, angering the champ by putting pressure on the neck of Sawyer in tight quarters in Round 2 and getting a stern warning from referee Johnny Addie. Sawyer took it out on Sullivan the rest of the way.

Sawyer came out of his corner to start Round 3 and he went to work right away. He used both hands, stinging Sullivan seemingly at will, and using his footwork to keep Sullivan off-balance and generate the energy behind those punches. A right two minutes into the round stunned Sullivan and a mouse was visible soon after under the challenger's right eye and an uppercut very late in the round visibly hurt Sullivan. The bruise became a bullseye for Sawyer as he clearly targeted that eye with right jabs and left hooks. It almost seemed like big haymakers only served to set up Sawyer's surgical precision on his eye shots. Sawyer toyed with his opponent in Round 4 and exacted some direct revenge from Sullivan's dirty play with an apparent uncalled head butt.

The Crescent City native was playing to the crowd as Sullivan put up less and less of a struggle. Looking at ringside, Sawyer could have disposed of him in the middle rounds, but Sawyer wanted to make an example of Sullivan. As the 31-year-old champ that has been rumored to have lost a step, Sawyer wanted to show his continued mastery of the heavyweight division, with three successful defenses of the belt coming into this one and Sawyer was determined to make this the fourth win since winning the title in January 1940 against German Jochen Schrotter. Sawyer was the People's Champion in defeating a German with a war raging in Europe long before the United States entered the conflict. Sawyer was paraded to boost morale while in the Army until last year. You did not have to be from New Orleans to treat him as your own and root him on, a hometown boy returning to the masses and raining blows upon a mismatched opponent.

Johnny Addie was the referee for the bout and he was a very busy man throughout the fight. No less than 11 times, Addie had to pry the fighters apart. Addie issued two warnings: one in Round 2 because Sullivan was leaning on Sawyer's neck, and in early in Round 11, when Sawyer was warned against low blows. Addie stopped the fight four times, once in each of the last three rounds to allow a physician to inspect the challenger, Sullivan, who was enduring a savage beating, and the final time at the end of Round 11 to inevitably stop the fight.

Sawyer moved to 52-3-1 with the win and earned his 47th win by either knockout or technical knockout. Sullivan, himself also an Army veteran, fell to 16-3-3 and the 27-year-old faces an uncertain future, outside of the top five-ranked fighters in the heavyweight division before the loss. Sawyer’s next opponent will need to be a better fighter. This bout may have played nicely in New Orleans, but New Yorkers or Chicagoans will demand a more even-handed display of pugilism. Where New Orleans had roses waiting for Sawyer, New York or Chicago would have brought raspberries.

SHOWBOATING
The New Orleans Showboats, the Keystones AA affiliate, are angling toward their second straight Dixie League title, holding a three-game lead on Nashville with seven to play. First-round pick Nate Power hit his first professional home run earlier in the month, but he enters the week hitting .349 and slugging .421 in 209 at-bats for New Orleans. At three levels this season, Power is hitting .369, but just that one home run among his first 100 professional hits. The power will come for the 22-year-old first-sacker and Johnny Bologna will be in New Orleans for the next three games against the Atlanta Peaches.
KEEPING BUSY
Johnny Bologna's Travel Schedule:

• Covering series vs DET (9/9-9/11/45)
• depart by train on 9/12 4:32pm, arrive N.O. 9/13 7:55pm
• covering title fight (9/14 background, 9/15 fight)
• covering 3 games (NO vs ATL - 9/17-9/19)
• depart by train on 9/20 10:40am, arrive BOS 9/22 7:10am
• rejoin team in Boston for 9/22 2:05pm game

• President Truman was given a World Championship Series pass by FABL boss Sam Belton at the White House one morning last week and in accepting the President said he hoped to see one or more games of the annual diamond classic, regardless of where it is played.
• Belton was at the White House in part to discuss the Navy's request that this year's World Championship Series winner take a 90-day trip to advanced Pacific bases and put on exhibitions against a team of military players. Secretary of the Navy Forrestal and Admiral Chester Nimitz extended an invitation for such a tour shortly before Japan surrendered.
• Mark your calendars for September 23rd, as 45-year-old Dick Lyons will make his 563rd appearance and final appearance as a Chicago Cougar. In a season with little to celebrate, the festivities will be in full swing, as the Cougars host the Stars for their final home game of the season. Before the game, the Cougars will have a ceremony honoring the veteran southpaw and official retiring of his #23. Lyons has only pitched 26.2 innings this season and will be making just his second start. If he comes away with a win, the 45 year and 99 day old may end up being the oldest pitcher to win an FABL game.
• Should also be the oldest battery, as Lyons (45, 99) will be throwing to Mike Taylor (39, 128), his teammate for the last 13 and a half seasons. There is only one chance that is not a record for oldest battery. We know that 54 year old Lynwood Trease Sr. came out of retirement and caught two games for Boston against Detroit in 1904. The first was started by his 24 year old son Woody so that one falls short but if the second game had 31 year old Herman Tucker, who started 21 for the Minutemen that season, or less likely if 35 year old Mike Craig -who pitched 32 innings in relief for the club- came out of the pen than Lyons-Taylor would have to settle for number 2 on the list.
• A weird finish to the Federal Association schedule leaves Washington with just 4 games remaining while Detroit still has 10 to play. The first place Keystones are right in the middle with 7 more on the docket.
• The season can't end soon enough for the New York Gothams, who have dropped 9 in a row and are 13-34 since August 1.
• The Boston Minutemen are back over .500 on the year thanks to a strong 7-1 showing this week. Take out July, when the Boston nine stumbled its way through an awful 9-19 month and the Minutemen would be right in the middle of the pennant push.
• The Montreal Saints hopes for their first .500 season since 1930 are pretty much over. A 3-11 stretch has left them 7 games below the break-even mark with just 9 left to play. Losing 25 year old Pat Weakley (13-9, 3.25) for the past two weeks did not help.

SAWYER RETAINS WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CROWN

To the delight of his many fans in his hometown of New Orleans, Hector Sawyer once more successfully defended his World Heavyweight Title with an 11th round TKO of Chicago native Chris Sullivan. It was as lobsided as Sawyer's other recent title defences and it would be very easy to argue that Sawyer was in complete control and did not lose a round -although two of the judges did give the 6th round to Sullivan and one also felt the challenger had done enough to win the opening three minutes. Like the champ's victory over Pete Sanderson in June, one can't help but feel that Sawyer's great career, one in which he now has a 52-3-1 record with 47 knockouts, is closing in on it's last legs and any opponent of fine repute would expose the 31 year old Cajun Crushers shortcomings.

Chris Sullivan, hand-picked by Sawyer's camp to ensure a night of festivity in the French Quarter, was clearly not that fighter. On this night it was more of a wild celebration as well over 17,000 -nearly 100% behind the local boy made good- caroused and cavorted their way through round after round, contstantly urging Sawyer to finish off his inferior opponent. The big finishing blow never came, despite numerous opportunities in the early rounds to close out the fight. Finally in the closing moments of the 11th round, with Sullivan unable to see through a welt the size of a tangerine that had nestled itself under his right eye, referee Johnny Addie mercifully concluded the challenger had suffered enough abuse. Twice prior to that Addie had consulted the ring doctor to examine Sullivan's mess of a cheek, but each time the fight was allowed to continue. With just two seconds remaining in the 10th, and Sullivan looking completely defenseless against anything coming from his right side, Addie took it upon himself to call the bout - a decision few, if any, would question.

What has to be questioned is how will Sawyer fare when he eventually is forced to face a higher thought of opponent - a Canon Cooper, Mark Foutain or Scott 'The Chef' Baker? Or will Sawyer's camp continue to trot out these second-rate fighters to keep Sawyer at the top of the payday pile for as long as possible? One thing in Sawyer's favour is neither Cooper or Fountain did themselves any favours when each tasted defeat recently and Baker, while on the rise and of great boxing lineage, likely needs a little more seasoning before he is in line for a title tilt. There is talk that veteran Brit Leo Carmichael, who continues to train in New York and was the one who handed Fountain just the second setback of his career, may be the next opponent for Sawyer. Carmichael is 37, and 30-4-1 but has looked very good in his two bouts this year after a nearly 6 year layoff during the war.

VAUGHT RETURNS TO MAROONS

The greatest pass catcher in American Football Association history has decided to return to the sport he had retired from just 8 months ago. Stan Vaught, who holds nearly every receiving record in the game, has reported to Bliss College in Kalamazoo, where the Detroit Maroons are in the midst of their training camp in preparation for the upcoming season which begins later this month.

Vaught was visited by longtime Maroons boss Rollie Barrell at his farm in Kansas over the summer about reconsidering his decision to retire. However, the veteran end says it was actually another Barrell that talked him in to returning for what will be his 11th pro season. "It was actually Allie (Barrell's 15 year old daughter) who did most of the convincing," Vaught laughed. "She certainly knows her stuff and made a very impressive case."

Allie Barrell is more often than not seen right alongside her father, notebook and pencil in hand, any time the Maroons are playing at Thompson Field and if they repeat as Western Division champions this season the club may have to cut her in for a share of the title game pay, as it would be hard to imagine them taking top spot again had Vaught stayed true to his plan and retired.

The 33 year old Vaught had humble beginnings, being discovered by Rollie Barrell when the Maroons boss came across him playing at tiny Peabody College. The 6'2, 185 pound end from Trumbull, Kansas was signed in 1935 for an unheard of sum back in those days of $300 per game and long-time Maroons coach Frank Yurik rebuilt his entire offense around Vaught.

Over the next decade Vaught would rewrite the AFA record book. His 472 career receptions, 7,689 receiving yards and 82 touchdown grabs are all numbers completely out of reach of any other AFA player. He not only holds the single season record in each of those categories as well, but he completely dominates the leaderboard.

If there is a black mark on Vaught's career it might well be his showing in championship games. In three AFA title contests including last year when Vaught's Maroons fell 30-14 to Philadelphia, the end has caught just 11 passes and has yet to score a touchdown in championship game action. In 1936 the Maroons beat Pittsburgh 24-7 in a game that saw Vaught make just one reception for 8 yards. The Maroons reached the title game again 4 years later when Brooklyn topped Detroit 20-7 while limiting Vaught to just one reception for 31 yards. Last year in the loss to Philadelphia Vaught had 9 catches for 93 yards but once more failed to reach the endzone.

BANNER FOOTBALL SEASON SEEN WITH FIRST BIG TILTS SATURDAY

Football appears to be in for one of its greatest years from both a competitive and attendance standpoint as many of the big powers of the gridiron run full title into formidable opponents on the first big Saturday of the season. Key games include the annual showdown between Los Angeles rivals Coastal California and CC Los Angeles. Detroit City College, which got their season off to a successful early start last weekend with a 30-3 drubbing of Great Lakes Navy, is back at it again Saturday when the Knights face Indiana A&M. Other big games pit Caolina Poly against Columbia Military Academy, Lincoln vs Pittsburgh State and St Magnus meets Iowa A&M. After 6 games to get things started last week there are 33 contests involving major schools this weekend.

WEEKEND RESULTS
Detroit City College 30 Great Lakes Navy 3
Lubbock State 33 Blackland Field 0
Scranton State 27 Frankford State 23
Miller College 20 Coast Guard 10
Canyon A&M 24 Albuquerque State 9
Topeka State 24 Crete (NE) 3

GRID GAMES RETURN IN FULL FORCE THIS WEEKEND

Football is back and while it is not yet quite up to pre-war standards this promises to be a very interesting season for both the collegiate boys and the pay-for-play men. The AIAA actually gave us a sneak peak on the weekend with 6 contests including an easier than anticipated victory for Detroit City College in what has now become an annual meeting with the sailors at Great Lakes Navy. This will likely be the final season for the Great Lakes eleven but the collegiate game seems to be on the verge of a return to normalcy.

The pro game has one final season with the American Football Association as the lone attraction. At least that is what Percy Sutherland and his gang at the new Continental Football Conference are asserting. Sutherland says his new loop will be up and running by this time next year, whether it works in a sort of partnership with the AFA similar to baseball's Federal and Continental Associations or in direct competition with the established circuit.

*** Changes in the Landscape ***

The AFA is what we have now, and once more than circuit will field 10 teams although there have been some changes. The Brooklyn Football Kings are no longer, having been folded and the few players they had under contract sold off to the second year Cincinnati Tigers. With the Kings demise and the return after a war hiatus of the St Louis Ramblers the number of teams stay the same but the division alignments are set to change. Even at this state nothing is set in stone but word is the Pittsburgh Paladins will shift from the Western section to the East, filling the slot vacated by the Kings deposal and allowing the Ramblers to return to the West.

The college game also had a few changes as well. Most are for the positive with the return of football at a number of schools that cancelled the sport due to war related player shortages- schools such as Bluegrass State, Sadler and half the West Coast Ahtletic Association are all back. One conference is gone as the Southern Border Association, which was down to three teams a year ago, has disbanded at least temporarily and its surviving members will play as independents.

We will also see two more New Year's Day Classic games this season with the Oilman Classic to debut in Houston and Tampa, Fl. will play host to the Bayside Classic. That brings the total number of Classic Games to 7.

*** A Look Back Before We Move Forward ***

As a refresher here are some quick reminders of how last season played out on both the college and pro fronts. The big story in the AIAA last year was Rome State as the military academy, led by the sophomore backfield duo of All-Americans Gus Thompson and Chet Donelson, went a perfect 9-0 while outscoring the competition to the tune of 455-52. The military side does not accept Classic invites but the 9-0 record was sufficient to earn the Centurions the top rank in the polls ahead of the Central Ohio Aviators, who added to their 9-0 record with a 10th win over Coastal California in the East-West Classic. Jimmy Rhodes, the graduate student from Parma, Oh. claimed the Christian Trophy after quarterbacking the Aviators thru their perfect season. Rounding out the top 5 a year ago where Iowa A&M, Alabama Baptist and Noble Jones College.

The AFA championship game last December saw the Philadelphia Frigates win their first championship, topping Western Division champion Detroit 30-14 behind the MVP performance of back Ollie Bishop. The Frigates led the way during the regular season with an 8-1-1 record, narrowly topping the 8-2 New York Stars for top spot in the East. The Detroit Maroons and Pittsburgh Paladins led the West with identical 7-3 records but the Maroons earned the trip to the title game on a tie-breaker.

To help prepare you for the 1945 campaign, here is a look back at the AIAA and AFA 1944 season, award winners and past champions.

• General Hideki Tojo, who catapulted the United States into the war with his sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, shot himself rather than be taken as American military troops arrived at his home in Tokyo to arrest him.
• Shigenori Togo, Japan's "Pearl Harbor" foreign minister and number 2 war criminal, was arrested along with 16 other persons accused of war guilt.
• Republicans accused the Truman administration of deliberately keeping men in uniform so war workers could get first crack at peacetime jobs. Meanwhile the Navy unveiled a new points-credit system that will see the release of an additional 423,00 naval personnel immediately.
• Meat rationing across the United States will come to an end October 1 and shoe rationing will follow shortly afterwards as two of the latest announcements signaling a return towards normalcy as the post-war era begins.
• Unrest this week in Argentina as that countries' Vice President says a plot to overthrow the Argentine Government was gaining support and called upon the army to resist all appeals to revolt.
• As the weekend concluded Miami and much of southern Florida were dealing with a gigantic hurricane with winds of more than 150 miles an hour that hit land in the early morning hours yesterday.
  
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September 24, 1945 - Final week of season lies ahead
 

SEPTEMBER 24, 1945

KEYSTONES CLINCH AT LEAST TIE IN FED

Cannons Close on Continental Crown

It is looking more and more like the World Championship Series will be a repeat matchup of last season when the Cincinnati Cannons outlasted the Philadelphia Keystones in a thrilling 7-game set. The Keystones are a single win or a Detroit loss away from winning the Federal Association pennant and punching their ticket after disposing of Washington during the week. The Cannons split their key series in Toronto and lead the second place Wolves by 3 games with 5 remaining for each club in the Continental race.

After claiming victory in 4 of their five games last week including back to back 11th-inning walk-off wins on Monday and Tuesday, the worst the Keystones can hope for is to be forced to stage a playoff tie-breaker with Detroit a week from today. The Dynamos won 3 of 4 this week and have 6 remaining to play. There is no margin for error as the Detroiters- at 4 games back- must win all 6 and hope that the Keystones lose each of their two remaining games in order to force a winner-take-all one game playoff. The Keystones have the next five days to watch and see how things progress in New York and St Louis for the Dynamos. They may well already have the flag clinched when the Keystones host Boston Saturday and Sunday in their season ending series.

It was a week filled with drama at Broad Street Park as each of the Keystones first four games were decided in the final inning. On Monday catcher Chet McCormick was the hero with a walk-off 3-run homer in the 10th inning of a 10-7 win over St Louis after the Keystones had rallied with 3 runs in the bottom of the ninth to force extras. A day later the hero was an unlikely one as 22 year old rookie catcher Jack Kempner, making just his second-ever big league start, delivered his first career rbi in the bottom of the 11th to crush Washington's pennant dreams with a 4-3 victory. This after Billy Woytek -recently back from the war- had tied the contest with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 8th inning. There was drama the next day as well as the Keystones rallied to tie Washington in the bottom of the ninth only to see the Eagles win it in extra innings and remain - but only temporarily- in the picture for participation in a Fed tiebreaker. The Eagles were officially eliminated Saturday when Leo Costello delivered a run scoring sacrifice fly in the top of the 9th inning in Boston to lift the Keystones to a 4-3 win. Only Sunday's game - a 4-2 Keystones win in New England- was not decided in the final inning.

*** Cannons Looking for Third Consecutive Crown ***

There was much less drama in the Continental Association as little changed in the second to last week of the season. On Monday both Cincinnati and Toronto lost, keeping the Cannons lead at 3.5 games. An off-day for both Tuesday preceeded the crucial 2-game set at Dominion Stadium Wednesday and Thursday. When the dust settled the Cincinnati lead was unchanged as the Cannons won the opener 7-6 behind a shaky but ultimately successful effort on the slab from Deuce Barrell while Gus Hall's walk-off rbi double in the ninth inning of the second game kept Toronto's pennant-hopes flickering with a 3-2 victory on Thursday. Toronto would then split it's 2-game weekend set with Cleveland while the Cannons managed to take just 1 of three in a weekend series with the Philadelphia Sailors.

Both of the Continental flag hopefuls have 5 games remaining with the two games between the duo at Tice Memorial Stadium beginning tomorrow being crucial. A Cincinnati sweep ends the Wolves season and gives the Cannons their third straight title, despite the fact that Toronto would still have three games remaining in Cleveland on the weekend. The Cannons will play 2 in Cleveland before Toronto arrives and then finish up Sunday with a single game against the Sailors in Philadelphia. The Cannons are hopeful their stay in Philadelphia becomes an extended one as, if all goes according to plan, the World Championship Series would open Wednesday at the Keystones Broad Street Park.

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ANOTHER TIE-BREAKER NEEDED IN DIXIE LOOP

The 140 game season was not enough to determine a champion in the AA Dixie League. That loop will need an extra game to decide the winner as the Nashville Chieftans and New Orleans Showboats finished with idential 78-62 records. It marks the second year in a row the Dixie loop had a regular season tie as a year ago the Showboats -a Philadelphia Keystones affiliate- claimed the title with a 4-1 win over the Knoxville Knights in the 141st game for each. The Showboats limped into the playoff with 6 losses in their final 7 games while Nashville - a Montreal Saints farm club- won 3 of its last four to force the tiebreaker. The deciding game will be held in Nashville today.

The following teams have won their respective minor meague pennants.

AAA Century League: Milwaukee Blues (Chicago Cougars) -third straight pennant
AAA Great Western League: Portland Green Sox (independent)
AAA Union League: Rochester Rooks (Cleveland Foresters)
AA Eastern Association: Harrisburgh Red Wings (New York Stars)
AA Lone Star Association: Fort Worth Cattlemen (independent) -third straight pennant
A Heartland League: Peoria Pastimers (Philadelphia Sailors)
A Middle Atlantic League: Wilmington Pipers (Cleveland Foresters)
A Western Baseball League: Oklahoma City Chiefs (independent)
B C-O-W League: Salem Warriors (New York Stars)
B Southeastern League: Chattanooga Dynamos (Detroit Dynamos)

The Class C Leagues still have a week remaining in their schedules. Presently in the Gulf States League, the Jackson Jumpers (Pittsburgh Miners) have a 1 game lead on the Beaumont Buffaloes (Philadelphia Keystones) and Hattiesburg Top Hats (Boston Minutemen). The race is also tight in the Upper Mississippi Valley League with the Marshalltown Maples (Brooklyn Kings) holding a 1 game lead on the Ottumwa Owls (Cleveland Foresters), two on the Burlington Bears (Cincinnati Cannons) and three game on the Rock Island Steamboats (New York Gothams).
Oh what a ride it was!
24 years ago, Dick Lyons was the 23rd selection in the 1921 draft,
19 years ago, the then 26-year-old made his first big league appearance,
And yesterday, the grizzled vet made #563.

There was plenty of good (the ring in '31 and the Allen in '38), plenty of bad (the awful '29 staff and the dark years of '34 and '35), and even the time he played left field if you can believe it!.

His leadership, work ethic, and intelligence was always admired by his teammates, as he was a crucial member of the Cougars clubhouse for nearly two decades. He got along well with everyone, and was one of the most popular and well-liked players in the FABL. And for 18 seasons, he was one of the most reliable and dependable starters the game had to offer.

And now, it's ALL officially over...
More disappointment, as the Cougars once again let down their longtime starter, as his brilliant final start didn't earn him the win. Taking the mound in front of over 13,000 fans, Lyons dueled Allen hopeful Eli Panneton and the Stars in his 532nd and final start. After the jersey retirement ceremony, Lyons was defintley amped, getting a quick 1-2-3 inning to start the game. The Cougars quickly took the lead, courtesy of a solo homer from Ray Struble, and the Cougars and Stars traded runs through the top of the third. Tied at 2, Lyons settled in, and put up four consecutive zeros. He left with a standing ovation after six, leaving with 4 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), and a walk. An inning too late, the Cougars took the lead, as Struble once again provided the scoring, this time an RBI single that drove in Ollie Page.
--
A five-time All Star, Lyons was the epitome of longevity, never missing more then a day for an ailment, and throwing nearly 4,000 FABL innings; all with the Cougars. Lyons had an impressive 237-187 record to go with a 3.80 ERA (107 ERA+) and 1.35 WHIP. Despite never being much of a strike out arm, especially towards the end of his career, he struck out (970) more batters then he walked (848). He succeded by generating weak contact and keeping the ball on the ground, and his 0/6 HR/9 in 1932 and 1944 were his high, which many pitchers may have as their low.

Lyons won the 1938 Allen Award, finishing 20-6 with a league low 2.59 ERA (153 ERA+) and 1.15 WHIP. He threw exactly 250 innings with 47 walks and 48 strikeouts, while worth 5.4 wins above replacement. It was one of four 5 WAR seasons for the lefty, who ended up being worth 67.6 WAR for his career. Lyons led the league in HR/9 (0.3) in 1928, BB/9 in 1931 (1.7), 1933 (1.3), and 1943 (1.5), and BABIP in 1940 (.243). Lyons is all over the Cougars career leaderboards as well, ranked first in starts (532), second in wins (237), games (563), innings (3,972), and WAR (67.6), fifth in strikeouts (970), tied for fifth in BB/9 (1.9), tied for 6th in shutouts (16), and 9th in complete games (125). His number now hangs in the rafters with Hall of Famers Calvin Kidd (0), John Dibblee (19), and Jack Long (22), but he's unlikely to join them. For players selected in 1921, he ranks #1 in wins, starts, shutouts, WAR, and innings pitched. For pitchers with mroe then 250 innings, he also led for WHIP, HR/9, and BB/9, and was a member of the Cougars Opening Day roster for 18 consecutive seasons. It's sad he never got a second ring, but Lyons' career is nothing if not a success.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

Wolves Hanging On by a Thread -Toronto enters the last week of the season still with a hope, albeit a small one, of advancing to the post season. Trailing Cincinnati by 3 with 5 to play you have to think that nothing short of 5 wins will be needed, even with that the Wolves need some help from either Cleveland, Philadelphia or both.

A disappointing 2-3 week began with a huge missed opportunity when the Stars upended the Wolves 6-4 on Monday even after Toronto jumped out to a 3-0 lead after one. Manager Call elected to juggle his rotation to set up for a Cincinnati visit handing the ball to Cookie Myer. Myer was under siege all day on the mound when things exploded in the seventh, Stars tallied 4 runs on 5 hits including 2 doubles, a triple before Call went to get him. Many of the faithful were asking "What took so long?" Post game Call said "As much as I told the players to play the game one out at a time we got caught looking past the Stars to the Cannons especially after a quick start."

That loss put more pressure on the team when the first of four extremely important games began with the Cannons on Wednesday. A crowd of almost 15,000 was on hand to watch Deuce Barrell matchup against red hot Chick Wirtz. Wirtz, who has carried the team lately, unfortunately could not make it out of the 5th inning before giving up 7 runs on 11 hits. the Wolves were also all over Barrell putting up 6 runs on the star pitcher through 6 innings. Six was too few by one in a 7-6 loss, the clubhouse was in shock after the game with the consensus being anytime you get 6 you should win the game. Toronto, facing a must win, sent Garrison to the hill on Thursday. Garrison dueled Dan Adams throughout the entire game, and with the scored tied at 2 Gus Hull delivered a clutch double in the bottom of ninth allowing Garrison to win his 18th 3-2.

The Foresters came into town for a two game weekend series to close out the home schedule for the Wolves. On Saturday Cleveland struck for 2 off Laurita in the second to hold the lead until the Wolves bats woke up in the fifth. Toronto tallied all 5 runs they would score in a 5-2 victory in that inning led by Walter Pack's CA leading 31st homer of the grand slam variety sending home over 14,000 slightly damp fans with hope. Sunday afternoon a crowd of 17,346 watched young Richie Hughes throw a gem against the Wolves. Hughes was in total control the entire game surrendering only 2 hits, walking one in 2-0 victory.

The Wolves now head into Ohio to finish the season. Two midweek must wins in Tice Memorial followed by 3 to wrap up the regular season at Forester Stadium. Manager Call is still evaluating his pitching choices, will he start Garrison Wednesday, Sunday?

It is not much of a secret for those that are close to the team, that veteran Detroit Dynamo's SS Bill Ball has been unhappy for a couple of seasons now. While Ball is the team captain and has remained positive in the clubhouse, he has grown more vocal lately. When I asked Bill for a comment, he simply stated I feel that I should be started every day. “I am versatile, and can play SS, 2B and 3B with ease and yet I don’t seem to get the opportunities to play. I spoke with both (manager) Dick and (GM) DD about this last season and they said they would try and honor my request. Now another year has gone by and I am still here and I am still not getting the playing time a player of my stature deserves. I have made it very clear, I will not tolerate that again in 1946.”

So Ball (35 soon to be 36 on Oct 1st) definitely feels he is an every day starter for an FABL club. When I asked GM DD Martin the other day he was quite non-committal, but when a writer in Washington approached him with the same subject he became irate. Now Martin has decided to talk and this is what he had to say. “Bill Ball is a respected player on this team and we have appreciated his contributions over the years. But I have to be honest here since their has been some question if we have tried to honor his request last season. I contacted multiple teams directly and also at league meetings made it very well known that Ball was available for very little in return. Do you know how many people approached me on the subject….zero! Despite what Bill believes about his abilities, they are not shared by everyone or hardly anyone that is in a position to acquire him. But since Bill is so upset, we will not keep him here once the season is completed. We will let him go seek his fame elsewhere and will wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

When I asked GM if he felt that would be in the FABL, he responded that the Lone Star Association or the Western Baseball League were more likely landing spots.

*** Strickland Also Plans On Leaving ***

I have also had confirmation through sources in the Dynamo's office that recently claimed 2B Marshall Strickland has indeed asked to be traded, despite his public denial. Since arriving Strickland has appeared in only 4 games for Detroit with no starts. He is 3-5 with a double and triple in his limited appearances. Some feel Strickland was picked up just for his locker room character.

With the minor league season over and lots of eligible players coming back from the war now that it has ended. Detroit has started cleaning out its system of players that had character issues in the minors. They also DFA several off the 40-man roster in P Dave Volpe and C Johnny Decker. But they also did pick up veteran C Clyde Farr who was placed on the 40 man roster and will be with the club. Perhaps he is a 3rd string C next season with the return of Rick York.

Finally, was that rookie 2B Del Johnson that was patrolling LF at Thompson Field last week for the Dynamo's. In talking with Manager Dick York he had hinted there might be a surprise or two in the lineup. Well Johnson has hit solidly since arriving from college at all levels including here in Detroit where he is hitting 324 in 37 plate appearances. York stated "We wanted to put the best bats we could in the lineup and with several guys struggling in September, we decided to get the kid in some games."
So last week in this column I briefly mentioned the trades that the Dynamo's had done at the July Deadline and the mix-bag of results. The pitching deals have panned out very well, but the position players have been a mixed bag that I'd probably grade a D. But how did the other contender (and champion) in the Fed that was active on the trade front fare? Philadelphia made 2 key trades - 1 with the Chicago Chiefs and the other with the crosstown Philadelphia Sailors. How have those deals helped the Keystones?

In the deal with crosstown rival Sailors, the Keystones acquired 3B Frank Covarrubias (who was also on the Dynamo's radar before the Sutton deal). Since arriving Covarrubias has slashed 225/253/617 with 5 HR and 18 RBI's in 39 games. He was hitting 309/339/743 with the Sailors with 5 HR and 43 RBI's in 100 games. While his power is up his batting slashes have plummeted. While the offensive numbers aren't great he has probably been a bit of an upgrade over John Busby, Ron Hansen, Clyde Duncan and Joe Parker who have had time at 3B this season.

Then they also made a move for former Dynamo SS Frank Davis. Davis hit 274/339/654 in Chicago with 0 HR and 44 RBI's in 98 games. He has arrived in Philadelphia and in 35 games has seen his offensive numbers slide as well hitting just 240/386/582 with just 9 RBI's. Davis has made up for his offense though with his glove as he is a far superior defender than anyone else that the Keystones trotted out to play SS.

Did these deals help Philadelphia clinch the pennant? My opinion is no, not really. The Keystones have had the most consistent pitching in the FA this season and that didn't change. But they gave up less in their deals (their 1st round pick is going to be #15 overall) than the Dynamo's did and for that I give the trades a C grade.

• There might just be hope for the Cleveland Foresters. A pair of their minor league affiliates won pennants (AAA Rochester and Class A Wilmington) but more importantly the youngsters are gaining some valuable experience with the big club. Their two promising 22 year old pitchers in Richie Hughes (6-9, 3.38) and Hiram Steinberg (3-2, 4.43) each returned from the war in time to get a couple of months of big league baseball under their belts and the recent return of Dick Lamb after nearly 3 years in the Navy is also a positive with the 25 year old pitching well despite losing in his first big league game since 1942.
• A milestone for Bobby Barrell as the Keystones outfielder scored 1,500th career run on 9/12/45 in 5-3 win vs CHI. He scored himself on a grand slam homer in the 8th to turn a 3-1 deficit to a 5-3 win. Barrell is 15th in FABL history in runs scored (1,504) and 3rd in Keystones history behind Banks (1,837) and Kellogg (1,679).
• Another Keystone with a big moment was George M Brooks. The hurler has flourished in September and he recently earned the 100th victory in his career. Brooks is 18-5 on the season with a sparkling 2.03 ERA. The wins and ERA are second in the Fed loop to Washington's Lou Ellertson (22-5, 1.64). The 100th win for Brooks puts him one win away from lefty Art Myers and the great 19th century Keystones hurler Martin Tucker for 8th on the team list.
• A name to consider for the comeback player of the year: Al Wheeler of the Cincinnati Cannons. Comeback player of the year nominee - Al Wheeler. Wheeler was basically kicked to the curb by the Chicago Chiefs -dealt for a 7th round pick midway through last season and some thought career was about over. He had a decent second half with Cannons a year ago but slashed .235/.332/.381 combined Fed/CA last season with 19 homers and 67 rbis. This year he is .304/.391/.505 with 28 HR, 93 RBI with a week to play. There might be other candidates deserving of mention but Wheeler's resurgence has been huge for Cannons.
• Noted Chicago sports guru Percy Sutherland agrees Wheeler is the clear choice for comeback player as does John Brinker of the New York Daily Mirror. Brinker adds Wheeler should get Whitney Award contention but if pressed would give the Whitney to Walt Pack of Toronto by a narrow margin. In the Fed it is once again Bobby Barrell of the Keystones who should be the clear winner.
• Great group of rookie of the year candidates too. Carl Potter (14-10, 2.47) as a 19 year old and Lazaro DeLeon (18-9, 2.77) have been big reasons for strong seasons in Detroit and St Louis. John Grimes (13-10, 2.56) has been very good for the Keystones. Ben Brazel (.316,0,53) is 27 but a surprise in Brooklyn. Then there is the next great defensive SS in the CA in Montreal's Gordie Perkins (.291,4,49) or CFers Don Lee (.274,9,62) of the Cougars and the Sailors Addie Allman (.332,3,65).
• Ernie Herr of the Cincinnati Post was talking Allen Award recentlty. His take:"Lou Ellertson had to settle for tying Ferdinand Hawkins (remember him, Kings fans surely do) for 35th lowest era of all-time after he rose slightly in his final starts but the Eagles ace should be the unanimous winner of the Fed Allan Award. CA might be tighter. I am partial of course in picking the Cannons Deuce Barrell (18-5, 2.42) but George Garrsion (18-8, 2.88) of Toronto, the Stars Eli Panneton (19-13, 2.86), Doc Newell (19-11, 2.93) of the Sailors are all in the running as well as perhaps Cougars vet Billy Riley (18-12, 3.18) and a sentimental vote somewhere on the ballot for injured Cannon Tom Barrell(16-5, 3.26).
• After outlasting the Stars in an 11-inning victory on the 22nd, the Cougars clinched their 7th consecutive season with 80 or more wins, the longest active streak in the FABL. They are also looking to finish 3rd or higher for the 7th consecutive season, but the Sailors are just a game back with three two play. Philly gets two in Cleveland and one at home with the Cannons, while the Cougars have two in Montreal and one in New York to finish September.
• Changes coming in Toronto? If so, the GM is remaining tight-lipped. Brett Bing of the Toronto Mail & Empire has had talks with the Wolves front office. GM Burns has been non-committal on the future of either players returning from the conflict or some aged veteran hands in Toronto or the system. "I have read the comments coming out of Detroit on some of their players. We will not engage in public debate over the future of any player. We have had discussions, in private, with some players thoughts on retirement along with chances of staying in the game in a coaching capacity. We have a total of 86 players still currently attached to a branch of the military, each one will be handled as an individual case based on the player's merits. We have been working since early 1942 with numerous plans for the system and returning veterans. The plan is a constantly evolving document, we do have the basis of plan."
• There are some rumors in Detroit that GM Martin might be stepping down in the off-season. The Detroit World's Freddie Farhat will have a look at the GM's career in Detroit and whether the rumors have any merit at all after the season ends next Sunday....

PIONEERS, EAGLES BEST SHOT AT TOP PICK

The updated draft lottery numbers give the best chances of landing the first overall selection in January's annual FABL rookie draft to the St Louis Pioneers and Washington Eagles. The two clubs have each shown dramatic improvement over last season and that earns them -as the two clubs with the highest improvement over the previous season- 3 balls each in the draft lottery. The next two teams -which in this case are Boston and Detroit- will each get two entries in the lottery while the Gothams, Chiefs and Pittsburgh get one. Philadelphia, assuming the Keystones clinch the pennant will select 15th.
The odd draft slots go to the Fed this season with the lottry determining who picks 1st,3rd, 5th etc while the Continental Association will have a similar draw for the even slots in the draft. Based on that Montreal and Toronto -assuming the Wolves don't overtake the Cincinnati Cannons in the final week- have the best chance at claiming the second selection. The CA flag winner will automatically select last.

The TWIFB mock draft done last month names Piedmont University pitcher John Stallings as the top talent available for selection in January. A trio of high schoolers in centerfielder Sherry Doyal from New Orleans, Ohio catcher Lew Mercer and Yank Taylor - a corner outfielder from Chicago and the son of former FABL slugger Tom Taylor are next in line with Mamaroneck, New York righthander Larry Beebe rounding out the top five.

RECORD DAY FOR DOUGLAS LEADS WASPS IN AFA LID LIFTER

The American Football Association campaign got underway on two fronts over the weekend and in each case the hometown fans left the stadium disappointed but in Pittsburgh at least they were treated to a record setting performance. Johnny Douglas of the visiting Washington Wasps became just the second player ever to surpass 200 yards receiving in a single game. The Wasps end caught 7 balls for 226 yards, smashing Stan Vaught's previous mark of 203 established in 1941. Included in Douglas' 7 catches were three touchdown grabs - for 77, 50 and 10 yards- all on heaves from rookie quarterbak Bob Krohn. The effort was sufficient to carry the Wasps to a 20-14 win over the Pittsburgh Paladins in what has to be considered a big upset.

While most of the attention was focused on Douglas, the man who threw him the ball should also deserve some credit. Krohn has a somewhat unique backstory. A CCLA alum, he played for the Coyotes in 1941 & 42. From there he went into Army in '43 and played for Fort Benning that fall. The Wasps noticed him and selected him in the 5th round of that April's AFA draft but right about the same time, while in training to be sent to the fight in Europe, Krohn suffered a knee injury and was honorably discharged. He still had college eligibility and once his knee healed he returned to CCLA last season before finally joining the Wasps this season.

Led by Douglas and Krohn it was certainly a nice start for a Wasps team that went 1-4 on the road and 3-6-1 overall last season against a Pittsburgh club that had not lost at Fitzpatrick Park since October 10, 1943. Of course a major difference for Pittsburgh this season is that Billy Bockhorst is not their quarterback. The all-star signal caller and former Christian Trophy winner joined the Air Corps and hurt his knee while playing for the Second Air Force 'Superbombers' team and, although he is now out of the miliary, he is expected to miss the entire season with the knee woes. The Paladins are hopeful he can return next year.

In the only other contest on the opening week the Cincinnati Tigers held off a late charge to beat the Cleveland Finches 21-14. A three-yard interception return for a touchdown by Fred Fykes late in the third quarter proved the difference, putting the seocnd year Tigers up 21-0 before Cleveland rallied with a pair of fourth quarter majors to make it close. The Finiches did themselves no favours when quarterback Phil Colvin was intercepted two more times in the closing minutes while pushing for the equalizer. In all, Colvin was picked off 5 times on the afternoon.

SUNDAY'S RESULT
Washington 20 Pittsburgh 14
Cincinnati 21 Cleveland 14

UPCOMING GAMES
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 30
Chicago at Detroit
Cleveland at St Louis

SUNDAY OCTOBER 7
New York at Washington
Boston at Pittsburgh
Cincinnati at Detroit
Chicago at St Louis
Cleveland at Philadelphia

DOLPHINS CONTINUE GRID DOMINATION OF COYOTES

Coastal California continues to be class of Los Angeles collegiate football as the Dolphins knocked off City College of Los Angeles for the 7th consecutive game with a 21-0 shutout. With a greatly reduced contingent of teams in the West Coast Athletic Association each of the past two seasons the long-time rivals met twice in both 1943 and 1944. They will also meet twice again this season with the next showdown set for the regular season finale for each school on December 1.

In the Great Lakes Alliance the Detroit City College Knights improved to 2-0 with a 17-0 shutout of Indiana A&M a week after the Knights pounded non-conference foe Great Lakes Navy 30-3. Great Lakes Navy earned some revenge against the GLA nine this week with a 20-10 doubling of Wisconsin State but that was the only blemish for GLA schools in a slate that included 2 other non-section games. Those contests saw Lincoln shutout Pittsburgh State 27-0 and St Magnus hammer Iowa A&M 41-10 while in the GLA opener for both Whitney College dumped Wisconsin State 28-10.

There was also a single section game in both the Deep South and South Atlantic Conferences. Mississippi A&M topped Central Kentucky 14-7 in the return to play for the Tigers after shutting down for the war while in the South Atlantic opener Carolina Poly had an easy time with Columbia Military Academy, claiming a 31-6 victory.

COLLEGE SCOREBOARD
MIDWEST
Detroit City College 17 Indiana A&M 0
Minnesota Tech 23 Daniel Boone College 7
Lincoln 27 Pittsburgh State 0
St. Magnus 41 Iowa A&M 10
Whitney College 28 Wisconsin Catholic 10
Great Lakes Navy 20 Wisconsin State 10
Payne State 17 Topeka State 0

EAST
St. Pancras 28 Brunswick 14
Penn Catholic 27 Frankford State 7
Eastern State 31 Coast Guard 0

SOUTH
Mississippi A&M 14 Central Kentucky 7
Carolina Poly 31 Columbia Military Academy 6
Western Florida 26 Camp Blanding 3
Opelika State 10 Alabama A&T 10
Noble Jones College 40 Paducah State 0
Barksdale Field 17 Arkansas A&T 16
Coastal State 51 Charleston (IL) 3
North Carolina Tech 31 Camp Lee 7
Charleston Tech 37 Elizabethton State (TN) 6
Alexandria 37 Conway & Collins 3
Huntington State 20 Western Ohio 0

SOUTHWEST
Amarillo Methodist 28 Lawrence State 7
Lubbock State 40 Canyon A&M 10
Red River State 37 Corpus Christi NAS 0
Oklahoma City State 7 Hondo Field 0
Texas Gulf Coast 39 Lackland Field 3
Travis College 45 Bergstrom Field 0
Darnell State 44 Ellington Field 0
College of Waco 33 Killeen State 0

FAR WEST
Coastal California 21 CC Los Angeles 0
Northern California 13 Golden Gate University 7
Mile High State 24 Mountainview State 16
Boulder State 20 Fort Warren 9
South Valley State 59 Albuquerque State 10

EDMONDS PRESTIGE GIVEN BOOST BY WIN OVER MOORE

John Edmonds took a big step forward in the middleweight division with a gutsy decision over a very combative Joe Moore in Columbus, Oh. Saturday night. The 27 year old native of Muncie, In., overcame a slow start but thoroughly dominated the second half of their 12 round bout and notched his 20th victory against just one defeat. Edmonds, who's lone loss was early in his career to Doug Smith, appears to be just a victory or two away from earning a shot at the world title. The west coast fighter Moore drops to 11-2 after dropping a fight he had full control of in the early rounds.

The tide turned in the 6th when Edmonds, who has won 16 of his 20 victories by knock out, caught Moore with a sizzling cross to the chin that dropped the native of Spokane, Wa. Moore beat the count and got back to his feet but was not the same fighter the rest of the evening. Moore's stock had been on the rise and he was very impressive in Army bouts before being discharged.

IT'S NOT PRETTY BUT SCHULTZ GETS JOB DONE

He has a glass jaw and admits it. He isn't what the fans call a crowd-pleasing fighter. He's cautious, skillful and his punch wouldn't shake up Aunt Minnie. Nevertheless the well-muscled fram of 26 year old Pittsburgh welterweight Bobby Schultz, today loomed a little larger in the national welterweight boxing picture.

Schultz, who now is basking in the limelight after easily scoring a 10-round decision over Tim Andersen of Brooklyn last week, seems to have recovered nicely from the lesson he learned at the hands of Carl Taylor a couple of months ago. Schultz still lacks style, and punching power, but he kept busy and easily outpointed Andersen to improve his record to 15-4. Now 4 losses in 19 outings does not make Schultz seem like all that much for the big names to worry about, but prior to the setback against Taylor he had been on a real run with 9 straight wins - and against some top-notch opponents.

• General MacArthur announced that the occupation in Japan was proceeding so smoothly that all "citizen soldiers" in the Pacific probably can be demobilized within 6 months, leaving the garrisoning of the enemy homeland to 200,000 regular army troops. Not all were in agreement as in Washington the War Department was shocked by the General's comments, noting just days earlier it expected the need for 900,000 men in the Pacific theater.
• Russia apologized for shooting down an American Superfortress on a mercy flight over northern Korea and the case was closed. It happened on August 29, two weeks after Japan's surrender when it ignored signals from 4 Russian Yak fighter planes to land. All 12 American crewman escaped injury.
• Government action is expected in the automobile industry wage dispute before spreading strikes balk the nation's reconversion program.
• Congress approved a large tax deduction in their first year back to civilian life for all discharged service men.
• The senate began debate on a modified unemployment compensation bill after the original plan, calling for maximum benefits of $25 a week for 26 weeks, was turned down by the Senate Finance Committee.
• Senator Claude Pepper (D,FL) says he believes the United States will help reconstruct war-ravarged Russia, but he gave no estimate of the amoung of such aid.
• The hurricane that lashed Florida over the week left 2 dead and caused a reported $60 million in damage. It hit the Carolinas at mid-week.
  
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October 1, 1945 - Series is all set
 

OCTOBER 1, 1945

REMATCH!

CANNONS AND KEYSTONES SET FOR FIRST REPEAT SERIES SINCE '35

For just the second time since the early days of the First World War and the first time since 1934-35 the World Championship Series will feature a rematch of the previous season's Fall Classic. The Cincinnati Cannons and Philadelphia Keystones both successfully completed the difficult task of repeating as pennant winners and will meet in the WCS beginning Wednesday at Philadelphia's Broad Street Park. The last time the WCS had the same two combatants was 1934-35 when the New York Gothams and Cleveland Foresters each claimed a title. Prior to that you need to go all the way back to 1913-14 when the Baltimore Clippers -who are now the Cincinnati Cannons- faced the Washington Eagles.

The Cannons Continental Association conquest -their third straight pennant- ended up being by 4 games over the Toronto Wolves but you could not ask for much more from a pennant clinching game on Wednesday afternoon -and well into the evening as it turned out- in Cincinnati. The Cannons had needed a walk-off rbi single for Gail Gifford in the bottom of the 9th to beat the Wolves 3-2 the previous day. That extended Cincinnati's lead to 4-games and with 4 remaining for each side on the season it eliminated all of Toronto's margin for error. The clinching game was one for the ages as the Cannons and Wolves would battle through a scoreless game for 20 innings. Finally, in the top of the 21st inning with the contest closing in on the 6 hour mark, Wolves catcher Clarence Howerton doubled in Ed Hamor with the game's opening run. It did not stand up as the Cannons would clinch thanks to an rbi double from Jack Cleaves and then, out of pinch-hitters, Cannons pitcher George DeForest ended the game with rbi single...certainly the biggest hit of DeForest's career. To further tax the Cannons bullpen they would play an 18 inning game in Cleveland the following day -and win that one 7-4.

The Keystones celebrated their second straight pennant without having to take the field. The quirky war-time schedule left the Philadelphia nine with a 5-day break before a season ending 2-game series with Boston on the weekend. Meanwhile Detroit, with no room left for mistakes, had 6 games left and needed to win all six -plus have help from the Minutemen- just to force a tie. The Detroit dream died on the same day the Cannons clinched the CA, falling 9-5 to the Gothams in New York which doomed the Dynamos to being not quite good enough in the Fed once again. Since their last pennant in 1929 the Dynamos have finished second or third 10 times. The other six they were distant 7th or 8th.

*** Cannons Eye Third Straight WCS Win ***

The World Championship Series will begin Wednesday in Philadelphia and be a rematch of the thrilling 7-game set staged by the two sides a year ago. Not a lot has changed on either roster from last season although each did get a key piece back from the war in the past few months: second baseman Billy Woytek for the Keystones and outfielder Fred Galloway for the Cannons. Each also lost a key piece or two as well as the Keystones surrendered Pepper Tuttle to the war effort and the Cannons will be missing Chris Clarke and Bob Griffiths after each joined the service. Griffiths, interestingly enough, had his rights traded from Cincinnati to the Keystones over the winter.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES PREVIEW: HOW THEY COMPARE

Looking at the stats below one would think things would weigh pretty heavily in favour of the Cincinnati Cannons. The two teams were about even in allowing runs with just a slight edge for the Keystones. However the offense looks like a mismatch with the Cannons deep lineup plating 130 more runs, or close to a run a game more than the Keystones produced. A position-by-position break down also seems to heavily favour the Cannons, who have sizable advantages behind the plate, at first base, shortstop and in right and center field. Second base also looks very one-sided by that might be a bit deceiving as Billy Woytek just recently returned from the war and is still a very talented ballplayer despite his struggles the past month. Third base might rate out a little closer to even and it is interesting that Frank Covarrubias and Denny Andrews used to be battling it out for the starting third base job with the Cannons.

The pitching also grades out close to even, although once more the Cannons likely have the edge due to their depth, so that leaves just left field as the one position the Keystones clearly have the better talent. That is not to say Gail Gifford isn't a very good ballplayer but for the past couple of years Bobby Barrell has been the best player in the world. The question is can Barrell do enough to carry the Keystones to victory despite seemingly long odds? He came very close a year ago and just might accomplish the feat this time around with homefield advantage if the series goes the distance.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES PREDICTIONS

JIGGS MCGEE, TWIFB: A tight series once more between these two but the Cannons get their spot in history with a third straight WCS win - this one, like a year ago, coming in 7 games.

JOHN BRINKER, New York Mirror: Well, I would say that the Cannons should win in 6 (possibly 7 - more on this in a bit) because while both teams are abundantly talented and the mound corps for both teams are generally superb, the Cannons have a decent edge at the plate (Bobby Barrell being the exception, as he's the most dangerous hitter on either club) and a slight edge on the mound as well. The Series could go the distance and the Keystones could win it - but they need to find a way to get Ross to the mound three times. On the Cannons' side, Deuce & Sheppard (yes, I said Sheppard) are the go-to guys and should get as many starts as possible.

DAN BARRELL, OSA: Cannons win in six. The CA is just significantly stronger than the Fed right now.

ARTHUR IRWIN, Chicago Daily News: Cannons in 5 -- think the threepeat will be pulled off quickly

ARTHIR MORTIMER, New York Herald Tribune: Cannons in 5.

FREDDIE FARHAT, Detroit World (or a local sanitorium): Keystones in 6.

ERNIE HERR, Cincinnati Post: Cannons have too much offense and just enough pitching to match Philadelphia. Cincinnati wins it's third straight WCS in 6 hard-fought games.

BRETT BING, Toronto Mail & Empire: I think the Cannons will repeat and win in six games.

PERCY SUTHERLAND, Chicago Herald-Examiner : I'm going with Cannons in 6.

Johnny Bologna is saying Keystones in 7 - The pitching the Keystones have had all year needs to play a bigger role than it did last year, and it will. While Red Ross and George M Brooks are a year older (and Brooks did not even start the year in the rotation), they are playoff-tested now. They have to answer for last year's Series sins against Cincinnati. Brooks lost Game 2 and only lasted two innings in Game 5 (0-1, 16.50 ERA). Ross lost Games 4 and 7 (1-2, 3.92 ERA), coming up smallest in the final game where he allowed five runs in 6-2/3 innings. Jim Whiteley (15-10, 2.92 ERA in '45) will take Pepper Tuttle's spot in the rotation and John Grimes (13-10, 2.56 ERA) will round out the four-man rotation. Manager Otto Schmidt, careful to sidestep questions about how last year's rotation was handled in the Series against the Cannons by his predecessor John Heydon, said "our pitching is deeper this year and we have last year's loss still eating away at us. We know what it takes to win." Game 7 ended with the tying run at the plate. They get it done this time.

Joey Mahoney will say Cannons in 5 - I may be the new kid on the block, but I have a radio. I listened to last year's Keystones-Cannons clash and it was not as close a seven-game series as you might remember. Where Philadelphia has Bobby Barrell, Cincinnati has both Al Wheeler and last year's Series MVP Chuck Adams, who hit two homers and drove in seven. Oh yeah, and they have the pitching, too. Deuce Barrell (18-5, 2.41 ERA) is the ace of the staff, but Red Hampton has caught fire since his acquisition from Chicago (3-4, 2.28 ERA with CIN). Deuce and Hampton are southpaws and the Keystones are 17-23 against lefties this year. What's more, Hampton was 2-0 at Broad Street Park this year as a member of the Chiefs. Look for the Cannons to get both at Philadelphia to start the series and the Cannons can close it out on their home turf without a return ticket to the City of Brotherly Love.

SHOWBOATS NEVER LEAVE DOCK IN DELTA SWOON

Johnny Bologna spent some time in New Orleans last week after covering the Hector Sawyer-Chris Sullivan middleweight title fight to witness the AA Keystones affiliate Showboats and their attempted march to their second straight Dixie League title.

The headline was supposed to the coronation of the Showboats as back-to-back champs, but they lost the three games I saw and their opponent, the last-place Atlanta Peaches, was better in the last two and won a humdinger of a first game of the series.

Keystones first-round pick Nate Power is a fast-riser in the organization. After a three-game sojourn with Beaumont in the C-level Gulf States League, he was assigned to A-ball in Allentown, where he hit .441 and reached base 44 of 77 times (.571 on-base percentage), but only had three doubles and a triple. Cue the puns on his last name. However, the bat-to-ball skill was evident, and Power was called up to New Orleans, where he has called home since that promotion.

Power has continued to hit after some initial growing pains getting used to the AA level, but he has improved every month, from a 9-for-33 (.273) start in July, to a .359 August with 16 RBI to the first two weeks of September, where Power has owned a .372 average and – alas! – his first professional home run in an 11-6 win in Birmingham on September 4th.

The first game of the series against Atlanta was a 14-10, 10-inning loss where pitching was optional and had a flair for the dramatic. Recent call-up Samuel Harris showed that he is not ready for the brighter lights of the Dixie League, allowing six runs in his Showboat debut in four innings. Harris took Gene Stanley’s (13-11, 3.34) spot in the rotation after he was lost for the year from a knee injury.

Power saved Harris’s record when he hit a crucial three-run homer in the bottom of the 9th to key a five-run push to tie the game at 10-10. Bright spots in the game besides Power included 1943 4th round pick Walt Harris added two hits and scored two runs, scrappy rightfielder Danny Battles went 2-for-5, driving in a run and scoring a run. Battles, whose name is an aptronym like Power in that he “battles” in every at-bat according to Showboat manager Bill Memory.

On Tuesday, after 16 hits in the 14-10 loss the previous day, the Showboats put their bats in cold storage, only mustering six hits in 13 innings in a 1-0 loss to the Peaches. This time, the pitching was the bright spot as Ray Hitchcock, now 32 years of age, pitched eight innings of three-hit ball. Keystone fans may remember Hitchcock haunting their dreams, bumbling his way to a 2-5 record and 6.16 ERA in 1943, but he has found a home in the Crescent City. Hitchcock returned to pitch the season in AA after failure at higher levels, but he has been at his best here with a 17-5 record and his eight scoreless lowered his ERA to 3.38.

I also came to see third baseman Bill Bartlesby, who was tied for the Dixie League in home runs (8) and led the circuit in RBI (81). He underwhelmed, going 1-for-9 on Monday and Tuesday. He did not even play on Wednesday, a 4-1 loss to Atlanta, in which Pat Wheeler last seven innings, but manager Memory did not pull him quickly enough. Wheeler allowed two runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach for the Showboats.

As if my departure back to cooler climes was a signal, the Showboats’ Bob Armstrong went the whole way in a 5-0 win to avert a sweep. That was the last win of the year for New Orleans. A three-game sweep by Knoxville forced a playoff with Nashville, which made up three games in the final week. New Orleans stumbled in a 25-8 thrashing at the hands of the Chieftains and the prospects of a repeat championship went up in smoke.

One thing, however, is clear after my visit with the Showboats. By this reporter’s estimation, Nate Power is ready and he may get a chance to show everyone else next spring.


Dynamo’s GM DD Martin arrived in Detroit in May of the 1935 season when he bolted the Cleveland Foresters after winning the 1934 World Championship Series, leaving just 2 weeks into the 1935 season. The Foresters would go on to win the 1935 CA pennant but fell in the '35 Series to the New York Gothams. For Martin and the Dynamo’s, the 1935-37 seasons were tough sledding. Admittedly he walked into a dumpster fire here in Detroit. The team had been neglected by management and ownership for a few seasons. The minor league system didn’t even have coaches in all positions and some teams were run by “team captains”. Scouting and Player Development were not even afterthoughts. Martin came in and made a few bold trades to try and build the club for the future. The team was predicted to finish last in the FA in 1935 in the pre-season projections by everyone and what transpired after trading Al Wheeler, Frank Vance and others was not surprising. The club finished with just 43 wins in 1935 and losing a staggering 111 games. While the club “improved” in 1936 to 54-100 and then again in 1937 to 63-91, the Dynamo’s became the first team in FABL history to lose 300+ games in 3 consecutive seasons (160-302). Martin was already 142 games below 500 as the GM.

Then came the surprising opening of the window in 1938 where the Dynamo’s came out of nowhere to win 94 games (94-60) Spurred by a couple of trades and some fortunate top of the draft picking that netted CF Sal Pestilli and 1B Red Johnson. In most seasons 94 wins is enough, but that year the red hot and rival Chicago Chiefs won 102 games. A 2nd place finish which seemed like a huge victory. Things were looking up and the Dynamo’s played well in 1939 going 93-61 but again finished 2nd to the Pittsburgh Miners who went 94-60. 1 game out but wait until next year, right? Well next year came in 1940 and the Dynamo’s went 90-64, but guess what they finished 2nd for the 3rd straight season once again to Pittsburgh who went 92-62. Hey 1941 will be our year, right? Wrong the Dynamos went 86-68 and didn’t finish 2nd….they finished 3rd this time as Boston snuck up on everyone and finished first with a 90-64 record.

The window abruptly shut on the Dynamo’s in 1942. No one except Dan Barrell was thinking this team would suddenly turn sour, but it did. Led by the sudden and drastic decline and injuries to several of the key members of the starting rotation, the Dynamos crash to an ugly 62-92 record. Manager Dick York came on the scene midway through the season after the club fired Pat Lichtenegger. It was not much better in 1943 but the club rebounded slightly to go 69-85.

Then came a mass exodus of players as the war really heated up and nobody knew what to expect from any of the clubs. Detroit was figured to be a 2nd division club but somehow out of nowhere despite trading 1B Red Johnson midway through the 1943 season, the 1944 club responded with an unlikely 82-72 record, but of course that was only good for 2nd place, again! So, there was optimism going into the off-season, but there were no deals made. Sure there was a flash fire of deals this July, but if something had occurred in the off-season, or the trade that fell through for Montreal’s Crawford, maybe the Dynamo’s would be celebrating a pennant and World Championship Series instead of another 2nd or 3rd place finish. Just short of the goal once again.

So Dynamo fans, how much patience do you have with the club and the GM. Manager Dick York has been fantastic and should be given a 10-year extension if you ask me. Why league rules prohibit this is beyond me. But what about the GM? Should he be given the opportunity to continue on? His career mark as GM of the Dynamo’s is 813-892 in his almost 11 full seasons. Yes, one can argue that since inheriting the dumpster fire and the 3-year period of futility in 35-37, that he is actually above 500 since then with the club finishing in the top 3 in 6 of those 8 seasons. But has he won the Federal Association? That is what this game is about, winning. We’ve seen New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Philadelphia all win the FA. Detroit is on a 16 year run since their last FA crown and in the same class as St. Louis (last FA crown 1921) and Washington (1925) who have also not won.

There is also no secret that Martin and team owner Powell Thompson do not see eye to eye on much. Would Martin entertain leaving Detroit on his own accord to pursue another job in the FABL or should we show him the door now and let someone else take a crack at turning this club into a winner? Right now the team seems competitive during this period of war baseball, but soon a lot of the boys will be back. Is Martin the right man to led the club? Will it be more of the same of near misses, and not quite good enough? The season ended yesterday and Detroit was close once again. We will watch what happens this off-season after the Series is played in 2 other cities and not Detroit.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

Wolves Eliminated in a Marathon -The Toronto Wolves knew going into Cincinnati taking both games in the short two game series was a must to have realistic pennant hopes. The series began on Tuesday on a cloudy windy afternoon with Deuce Barrell on the hill against Wolves Wirtz. A pitching duel it was with Barrell, Wirtz mowing down opposing hitters, Barrell held Wolves hitless until the 6th although Toronto score a run on a walk, fielders choice, error, wild pitch in the second. Nursing a 2-1 in the ninth the Wolves tied the game on a walk, two singles. Call then sent Wirtz out in the Cannons half of the ninth but a single, walk, single by Gail Gifford clinched at least a playoff for the Cannons 3-2. That was nothing compared to what happened at Tice Memorial On Wednesday.

In a game that may go down in the FABL annals as a classic the Wolves and Cannons played game that took 5 minutes short of 6 hours holding each other scoreless for 20 innings. In the top of the 21st Pomales began the inning by flying out to left followed by a Henderson strike out, Hamor single, wild pitch, Howerton doubles in Hamor for a 1-0 lead, PH Huddleston strikes out to end the inning. In the bottom of the 21st Wheeler greets Zeiler with a single then Zeiler hits Sala. Cleaves doubles in Wheeler, and with runners on 2nd and 3rd Galloway is walked intentionally setting the stage for George DeForest who delivers a game and pennant clinching single. The game featured 12 pitchers tossing a total of 575 pitches. Wolves went to their clubhouse numbed listening to the celebration across the field.

To finish out the season the Wolves swept the Foresters 11-3, 5-3, 1-0 which is a credit to their competitive spirit. Wolves 91-63 record was just not enough finishing 4 games behind Cincinnati. Brett will provide a season wrap later during the World Series between the Cannons, Keystones. Brett thinks the Cannons will repeat in six games.

The office of Cincinnati Cannons manager Ad Doria is a small, cramped space nestled next to an undersized locker room buried deep under the third base stands of a clearly ancient looking Tice Memorial Stadium, although many still think of it simply as Monarchs Park. The office has likely seen little change since its construction in 1901. Across the wall to Doria's right when he is sitting at his modest desk that still seems too big for the room is an old cork board, with small chunks missing from it and seemingly more papers and notes than should comfortably fit attached to it with push pins. One of the notes, well below the spot where the Continental Association standings were updated daily and half covered more often than not by notes on the current day's lineup and opposing pitcher is a small card with just a phrase and some numbers scrawled across it, penned in Doria's handwriting that is often so illegible you would swear it was scrawled by the team physician.

It simply reads "Reach for the Stars" and has the numbers 1924, 1925 and 1926 written under it. This writer first noticed it in early May and when asked, Doria confirmed he placed it there on Opening Day, as a gentle reminder of what he and his charges wanted to accomplish this year.

The 1924-26 New York Stars are the only team in the entire history of FABL to win three straight World Championship Series. No one else has done it. Not even the mighty Boston Minutemen teams that won 5 straight Federal Association pennants at the turn of the century nor the powerhouse Brooklyn Kings who were, until Wenesday, the last Continental side to claim three straight pennants.

"It is a daily reminder of what our goal is this season," explained Doria to me on that rainy morning in May. A day much like the 76 others that Doria would arrive at this office six to eight hours before another home game was to begin. "We've accomplished so much as a group these last two years. It's good to have another target to shoot for."

The Cannons are now just 4 wins away from accomplishing that goal. Having held off a pesky pack of Wolves from north of the border and the rest of their Continental foes for a third straight year. All that stands in the way now are the Philadelphia Keystones -the same opponent the Cannons faced in a grueling seven-game set last October.

The Keystones are, like the Cannons, very much the same roster that competed last fall. A 23 year old rookie by the name of John Grimes stepped in to fill the void in their rotation created when Selective Service called Pepper Tuttle's name but Red Ross, George Brooks, Jim Whitely and reliever Tim Walters are still the core of their pitching staff. The Philadelphia lineup is also only slightly changed with the late season return of Blue Collar Billy Woytek following nearly 3 years in the Navy being the biggest addition. The big bat of Bobby Barrel, Deuce's uncle, is still to be feared although perhaps just a touch less ferocious than it was a year ago when he claimed the triple crown. The Keystones will be tough. Of that there is no doubt and if the series is pushed to its limit it will be them, rather than Doria's Cannons that get the luxury of the home crowd for the seventh game.

But these Cannons are a battle-tested lot with 40 World Championship Rings already scattered amongst them. They also have a pair of veterans in Gail Gifford and Sam Sheppard -with 7 all-star berths and an Allen Award between them- focused on winning their first title. Those two, who came over from St Louis during the winter, and veteran lefty Red Hampton are the newcomers to the group this season with Fred Galloway and Deuce Barrell back after a one year absence due to military service for the former and a badly damaged elbow for the other. The Cannons are ready for the challenge the Keystones and the Broad Street Park faithful will throw at them beginning Wednesday afternoon. They should be ready. They have been preparing for this moment, a chance to cross paths with history since Ad Doria pinned the club's goal for this season on his board April 17th - the day the Cannons opened the season with a celebration of last year's title with a 4-3 victory over Toronto. Here is to hoping there is one more big celebration on the way. One only the 1924-26 New York Stars can know what it feels like.

ANOTHER LINK TO KINGS GREATEST ERA RETIRES

We knew it was coming. We have known since that chilly November day nearly two years ago when Del Lyons informed the Brooklyn Kings he was needed more by the Navy than he was on the hill for the Kings. Lyons left the game to become a physical education instructor while he likely still had something to give the sport. Many others, both before and after Lyons, did the same in foregoing baseball for battle and many sacrificed much more of their prime baseball years than Lyons. Of that we can be certain. But we can also feel sad today as another piece of the greatest era in Brooklyn baseball slips away as Del Lyons has officially confirmed he is done with the game, announcing his retirement in a brief one paragraph statement distributed to reporters last week.

The 40 year old left quite a mark on the game but in a role no one really wants. Deemed not quite good enough to make the Brooklyn starting rotation, he found a home and set records working out of the bullpen. No one in the history of the sport has been crediting with saving more games than the 182 Lyons racked up on behalf of the Kings. He also holds the single season mark with 29 saves in 1938 - one of 5-times he led the Continental Association in that stat and the third of three straight pennants for the Kings. He pitched in 674 career games -all with the Kings. No other Brooklyn pitcher even approached 400 but Lyons, despite being named to the All-Star team 4 times, was never the star of the show in Brooklyn. That designation was reserved for the Barrells, Al Wheeler, Mike Murphy, Frank Vance, Joe Shaffner and many others while Lyons quietly went about his business of being ready to pitch in the 8th and 9th innings and ensure that Tom Barrell or Shaffner, or Murphy or whoever earned that precious victory.

True Kings fans know just how important Lyons was to the club in those glory days. They also know those days are long gone as piece by piece the stars moved on. The great rotation of Tom Barrell, Mike Murphy, Joe Shaffner and Art White. The tremendous lineup of Fred Barrell, Dan Barrell, Doug Lightbody, Frank Vance, Bill May, Al Wheeler, Joe Perret and John Langille. All have left. Even the youngest of the bunch Harry Barrell was moved to Boston a couple of years ago. Lyons and Jake Shadoan, who was dealt away after the first title but returned a couple of years ago, were the final pieces of the greatest team in Brooklyn sports history.

But now Lyons has officially called it quits and the new reality of so many recent second division finishes is all that remains in Brooklyn. Every great dynasty comes to a crashing halt one day. We were just reminded of that fact once more with the news from Lyons. At least we have the memories and while Lyons may not be the first name to come to mind when reliving those glory days at Kings County, I can think of 182 reasons why it still deserves to be mentioned.

• With Walt Potter's Achilles' injury in September, the Keystones called up 22-year-old Jack Kempner for his first taste of FABL action. However, Kempner is not playoff-eligible and the only other catcher besides Chet McCormick who can be added to the Series roster for Philadelphia is Vern Mullen, who has been honing his craft at AA New Orleans.
• Was Chicago Cougars infielder Skipper Schneider the most consistent hitter in baseball? With just one game left in the season, the six year vet entered Dyckman Stadium with four triples. While that may not sound all that impressive, that tally was identical to his triple total in each of his first five seasons. In what looks to me one of the strangest, most consistent performance a baseball player could put together, Skipper's first three trips to the plate ended in two ground outs and a walk. Down 5-3 with two outs in the 9th, Skipper got one more at bat against eventual 20-game winner Eli Panneton. With the streak almost a lock to continue for a sixth season, Skipper hit a flyball over Bob Riggins' head out in center, and the 24-year-old hustled into third with his fifth triple of the season in his personal high 602nd at bat. The young shortstop had his best season yet, worth nearly 11 wins above replacement with a 119 WRC+ and 51.4 zone rating in 152 games.
• Eli Panneton of the New York Stars became the only 20 game winner this season in the Continental Assocation. The 23 year old went the distance yesterday to beat Pete Papenfus and the Chicago Cougars 5-3, improving his record to 20-13 with a 2.96 era. Three CA pitchers finished with 19 wins: Toronto's George Garrison, Doc Newell of the Sailors and the Cougars Billy Riley. The Fed also had just one twenty game winner as Lou Ellertson of the Eagles went 22-6 with a FABL best 1.61 era. St Louis rookie Lazero DeLeon was 19-13, 2.63 to be the Fed's only 19 game winner.
• Toronto Wolves SS Charlie Artuso started all 154 for the Wolves 742 Plate Appearances yielded .283/.349/.394 with a 38.1 ZR, .984 Fielding % on 774 total chances, 4.84 Range Factor, 1.121 Efficiency. Now if the Wolves could only find a 2B not named Dr. Strangeglove...
• To the point on Artuso, Archie Irwin of the Chicago Daily News points out just how good the overall talent in the CA at shortstop is. There are just three guys with a zone rating above 10 league wide, with Artuso and the two 50+ club members Skipper (51.4) and Hensley (52.2). The CA holds all top five for zone rating and efficiency, with the talented trio joined by Otto Deal (9.9, 1.059) and Gordie Perkins (6.5, 1.050). Deal can't hit a lick, but the other four offer plenty at the plate. No qualified Fed shortstop was an above average hitter and defender, and the best defender (4.4, 1.047) has 91 WRC+ and the best hitter (99 WRC+) has a .967 efficiency
• Frank Vance of the Detroit Dynamos is just 30 hits away from 3000 in his career. Does he come back for one more summer in the sun? Is he a HOF player now or does he need to reach 3000 to make the cut? Freddie Farhat will look into his chances and career stats after the season. The top 10 players who have 3000 hits have all made the HOF. Only active player Al Wheeler and recently retired John Lawson are the only 3000 hit club members that are not in (and aren't eligible yet). Bob Martin (Chiefs) and Bobby Barrell (Keystones) are both closing in on 3000. Martin needs 115 next year and Barrell needs 151. Farhat expressed hope that Vance does return noting the 43-year old "hasn't indicated he wasn't going to but with him being so close to 3000 I hope he does. He hasn't been the great player this year as he has for most of his career but I'd like to see him get to 3000 next year and become just the 13th player to do so."
• Al Wheeler, Vance's long-time teammate in both Detroit and Brooklyn, will head into next season needing 11 homeruns to reach the 500 mark -something only previously achieved by the great Max Morris. Bobby Barrell is 2 and a half years younger than Wheeler and needs 22 homers to get to 450. Barrell socked a FABL best 39 this season.
• Besides Vance there is also speculation as to whether Jim Lonardo will return to continue his pursuit for 300 victories. The 41 year old was moved from the Gothams to Detroit at the deadline and went 7-2 for the Dynamos down the stretch running his career record to 293-208.
• The 93 losses by the Chiefs are the 3rd most in franchise history. Overall, just three 90-loss seasons for the Chiefs: 1908 - 93, 1914 - 98 and 1945 - 93
• Congratulations to the Montreal Saints organization and Nashville for its Dixie League title. Nashville crushed New Orleans, 25-8, in the one-game playoff for the championship. The Showboats were sunk by an 11-run 2nd inning. Al Huck (4-for-4, 7 RBI) had a grand slam in that inning off starter and loser Pat Wheeler (15-9).
• With the minor league seasons coming to an end a number of former FABL players who had been in the farm loops this season have announced their retirements. They are highlighed by George Thomas who won 108 games while pitching for Montreal, the Chiefs and Pittsburgh and also include Ray Russell (St Louis), Leo Clark (Cincinnati, Cleveland and Pittsburgh), Rudy Fisher (Sailors and Stars), Max Plourde (Chiefs), Mike Knight (Washington, Pittsburgh), Nick Lake (Gothams, Cleveland), John Wicklund (Gothams, Boston, Detroit), Bob Reid (Chiefs), Lou Marion (Montreal) and Earl Michael (Boston, St Louis).

MAROONS HOLD OFF WILDCATS

There might have been bad news to start the week in Detroit when the Dynamos were once more eliminated in the Federal Association pennant race, but nothing puts a smile on the face of Detroiters more than a win over the Chicago Wildcats. The Maroons did just that, delighting a crowd of nearly 32,000 at Thompson Field by hanging on for a thrilling 35-31 victory while the baseball Dynamos were taking a season ending loss to the Chiefs at Whitney Field in Chicago.

The game looked like it would be a rout early on as the Maroons were clearly fired up to have Stan Vaught back from his so-called retirement, and they jumped out to a 35-7 lead late in the second quarter. Vaught, who quit the game after the December title game loss to Philadelphia but changed his mind and return midway through training camp, was a big reason why Detroit built such a big lead. The 33 year old Kansas native caught a pair of touchdown passes in the first half to run his career total to 84 and made 7 catches in all on the day.

Chicago's Dan Vanatta was successful with a 30 yard field goal attempt as the first half clock wound down, cutting the Detroit lead to 25 points but that did litle to dampen the spirits of the Detroit fans. It also seemed to allow the Maroons to join in on the festivities in the locker room at the break as Coach Frank Yurik's club looked much different in the second half. After scoring touchdowns on 4 consecutive possessions in the opening 30 minutes, the Dynamos did not reach the endzone in the second half. They were shut out and Chicago crept closer with majors in the opening minutes of both the third and fourth quarter as veteran Wildcats quarterback Gus Brown went to work.

With the score now 35-24 and the Wildcats driving once more in the middle of the 4th quarter the Maroons finally got the break they needed to secure the win. Chicago had moved the ball to the Detroit 29 yard line with 4:47 remaining but the Wildcats Dutch Hoffman coughed up the pigskin and Milton Dillon fell on the loose ball. The Wildcats would eventually get it back and even scored once more to cut the deficit to just 4 points, but that was within just over a minute remaining and Detroit was able to run out the clock and preserve the slim 35-31 victory.

*** Ramblers Retun ***

Football has returned to St Louis after a two year absence but this might be a long season for Ramblers fans. Forced to play at Leclede University because the baseball team was using Pioneers Field for it's season finale, the Ramblers looked lost against the Cleveland Finches -the club they partnered with last year- in absorbing a 24-7 loss. Bob Holt was back to lead the St Louis eleven, but looked nothing like the rookie sensation he was in 1942 when he ran for 1,037 yards. Perhaps he was just rusty, or maybe the war has robbed his legs of the amazing combination of speed and power they once possessed but on this day Holt carried that ball 10 times and gained just 32 yards. He also handled the passing duties for the Ramblers, but with a similar lack of success in completing just 5 of his 21 heaves and for just 50 yards.


SUNDAY'S RESULT
Detroit 35 Chicago 31
Cleveland 24 St Louis 7

UPCOMING GAMES
SUNDAY OCTOBER 7
New York at Washington
Boston at Pittsburgh
Cincinnati at Detroit
Chicago at St Louis
Cleveland at Philadelphia

Central Ohio Forced to Settle For Tie in Opener

Though somewhat shot up in the process, the Coastal California Dolphins established a powerful lien on the Far Western half of the 1945 East-West Classic with victory as advertised over Northern California's Miners, 17-14, on Saturday after a much more convinvcing season opening 21-0 blanking of CC Los Angeles to mark their 7th straight victory over the Coyotes. Saturday's victory for the Dolphins was not nearly as impressive as lobsided results posted by Rome State, Annapolis Maritime, Detroit City College and Alabama Baptist, but at least it was a victory, unlike what happened to the Central Ohio Aviators in their game with Daniel Boone College. The Central Ohio Avaitors were a perfect 10-0 last season and some would argue deserving of at least a share of the National Title that was awarded to 9-0 Rome State, but they stumbled in a big way in their season opener, having to settle for a 10-10 draw with a Frontiersmen grid team that was just 5-5 a year ago.

It is far too early to say that draw ended Central Ohio's hopes for a return trip to the west coast on New Year's Day but it certainly made their season much more of a challenge. Great Lakes Alliance rival Detroit City College is 3-0 after another impressive victory, blanking St Ignatius 34-0. Alabama Baptist had an easy time of things in their season opener, smashing Kessler Field's defenses to the tune of 53-0. The two service academies also got off to smooth starts as Rome State shutout Louisville Field 36-0 while Annapolis Maritime overwhelmed Penn Catholic 41-0.
*** Big Return ***
A record 101 yard touchdown run occurred in the Merchant Marine game with Troy State on Saturday. Marine back Buddy (Stormy) Weathers had the spectacular run after intercepting a pass behind his goal line early in the fourth quarter. It was a big day for Weathers, who also scored the Marine Academy's other 3 touchdowns but in much more conventional fashion. Weathers played for Whitney College last year.

WEEKEND COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS
MIDWEST
Detroit City College 34 St. Ignatius 0
St. Blane 17 Lincoln 14
Daniel Boone College 10 Central Ohio 10
St. Magnus 13 Indiana A&M 13
Whitney College 13 Great Lakes Navy 10
Wisconsin State 24 Wisconsin Catholic 20
Western Iowa 44 Berg Field 13
Iowa A&M 31 Iowa Northern 0
Topeka State 34 Eastern Kansas 14
Central Kentucky 17 Queen City 3
Lawrence State 21 Mile High State 10
Northern Minnesota 16 Mathers 7
Lambert College 36 Kearney Field 0
Laclede 58 Humphrey State 7

EAST
Annapolis Maritime 41 Penn Catholic 0
Grafton 9 St. Patrick's 7
Liberty College 40 Trescott College 3
Pierpont 41 Ellery 13
Pittsburgh State 14 Huntington State 0
Henry Hudson 37 Eastern Virginia 0
George Fox 20 Miller College 9
Brunswick 22 Frankford State 13
Commonwealth Catholic 41 Squantum NAS 3
Scranton State 17 Coast Guard 6
Empire State 37 Irondequoit 7
Merchant Marine 27 Troy State (NY) 10

SOUTH
Alabama Baptist 53 Keesler Field 0
Rome State 36 Louisville Field 0
Carolina Poly 31 Bogue Field 0
Cumberland 28 Cowpens State 14
Miami State 16 Western Tennessee 10
Western Florida 20 Mississippi A&M 10
Noble Jones College 28 Coastal State 7
North Carolina Tech 13 Georgia Baptist 12
Bluegrass State 17 Cookeville State 10
Eastern State 24 Charleston Tech 23
Alexandria 27 Petersburg 21
Conwell College 38 St. Pancras 0
Maryland State 16 Gentry 10
Richmond State 27 Salisbury Christian 7
Opelika State 40 Maxwell Field 21
Columbia Military Academy 65 Charleston (IL) 15
Northern Mississippi 51 Marquis College 6

SOUTHWEST
Bayou State 34 Red River State 0
Eastern Oklahoma 41 Arkansas A&T 10
Travis College 28 Killeen State 0
College of Waco 3 Darnell State 0
Lubbock State 21 Amarillo Methodist 0
Payne State 29 Canyon A&M 3
College of Omaha 31 Oklahoma City State 24
Texas Gulf Coast 27 Corpus Christi NAS 3
Provo Tech 31 Kit Carson University 7
South Valley State 45 Lubbock Field 6

FAR WEST
Coastal California 17 Northern California 14
CC Los Angeles 38 San Diego Navy 3
Rainier College 13 Portland Tech 13
Spokane State 24 Idaho A&M 7
Idaho Marines 27 Cache Valley 24
Golden Gate University 23 Kit Carson University 0
Camp Beale 17 Lane State 10
Mountainview State 6 Boulder State 5
Pueblo State 27 Colorado Poly 21

ERICKSON WINS AGAIN

Mac Erickson, the young Minnesota welterweight who fought a terrific fight against Danny Rutledge when he was still in the Navy last September, ran his pro record to 4-0 with a unanimous decision over Dirk Joseph in New York on Saturday evening. It was the first time Erickson was forced to go the ditance in a bout and, although the outcome was never in doubt, he felt it was a good test for him to have to rely on his boxing skills rather than just his power -which is considered to be on par with the top welterweights of this generation.

Davis Owens, who like Erickson is one of the top young fighters around, imrpoved his record to 4-0 as well with a decision over Jeff Nevill in Lewiston, Me., on Friday evening. The 24 year old middleweight was a top amateur fighter out of Cleveland and won his pro debut in April just after his discharge.

BOXING MONTHLY ROUNDUP

TWIFB's boxing staff will provide a quick recap of what is happening in each of the three weight classes and what to expect in the weeks ahead.

HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION

World Champion Hector Sawyer, aka 'The Cajun Crusher' ran his record to 52-3-1 as the 31 year old made his 4th successful title defense by an 11th round TKO of Chris Sullivan earlier this month in Sawyer's hometown of New Orleans. At 31 years of age and off a long sting in the Army, many fear Sawyer is showing signs of slowing down and each of his title defenses have been against slightly weaker opponents. It is expected his next fight will be either against top ranked challenger Mark Fountain or perhaps English fight veteran Leo Carmichael, who has been fighting in the United States this year.

Most had expected 24 year old Cannon Cooper, a Rockford, IL. fighter who spent time in the Coast Guard, to be the fighter to fear in the division but Cooper had to settle for a draw with veteran Bobby Nelson (25-8-3) in March -his second fight since his military discharge- and the was shockingly upset but lightly regard Clancy Little in August when his bout was stopped amidst protests from Cooper and his corner due to a cut above his eye that Cooper's camp claimed came from a head butt but the referee disagreed. With Cooper at least temporarily out of the title picture the top young fighter mantle falls to Scott 'The Chef' Baker - the youngest of the family of fighting Baker Boys out of Philadelphia.

MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION

The upset of the year occurred in June when Pittsburgh factory worker Frank Melanson surprised British legend Archie Rees to claim the title. Melanson is set to make his first title defense against contender Todd Gill in a couple of weeks. The other fighter to watch is Edouard Desmarais -the great French fighter many feared was killed during the war and later resurfaced as part of the French Resistance fighters. Desmarais, who has never lost as a professional, made his ring return earlier this month with a win over Jean Raymond in what was billed as being for the French Title. Desmarais and Archie Rees -who has now returned to England after the loss to Melanson- are set to fight in December for the European Title and the winner will likely head to America to get a shot at Melanson or anyone who might dethrone him in the meantime.

The division also has a young New Yorker by the name of Jim Ward who likes like one to watch. The 24 year old was a dominant force in many Army bouts during the war and recently celebrated his discharge with a quick knockout victory in Honolulu on his way back from the Pacific to run his record to 10-0.

WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION

This weight class has been in a flux since before the war and without a champion following the 1939 retirement of British great Jimmy 'The Kid' Simpson. A recent announcement confirmed that the 4 top ranked fighters will stage a 'playoff' of sorts to crown a champion in the division. It will begin this month with top ranked Mark Westlake facing Carl Taylor while Rudy Perry and Dennis O'Keefe will tangle. The two winners will then meet at some point in the new year with the title on the line.

Whoever wins may just be the caretaker of the belt until the three great young fighters earn their stripes. The oldest of the three is Ira Mitchell, a 25 year old Chicago native who was a decorated marine in the Pacific theatre. He is 11-1 as a pro. Next we have 21 year Louisville, Ky native Danny Rutledge. Rutledge is still in the army and believed to be somewhere in the Pacific at this time but he was given some furlough time after being in Africa and fought twice as a professional, easily winning both times. Rutledge was also part of the September 1944 title card in England when he beat Mac Erickson in a 12 round brawl between the two rising stars. Erickson, is the third of the three, a 25 year old St Paul, Mn. native who was recently discharged from the Navy and is 5-0 as a pro.

• The White House made public last night the report of a presidential investigator who charged American military treatment of homeless Jews in Germany and Austria is on a level with that they received from the Nazis, "except that we do not exterminate them."
• American troops have arrested 41 prominent German men and women in one of the biggest raids in Germany's American zone ince the Allied occupation began.
• General Douglas MacArthur has ordered all Japanese funds frozen, both at home and abroad. He also stripped newspapers in that country of government control and banned research into atomic power. The financial order was seen as a step toward securing reparations from Japan and toward thwarting attempts of Japanese war profiters to unload their wealth in an effort to escape war guilt trials.
• Emperor Hirohito, during an unprecendented visit with MacArthur, promised to do everything in his power to insure faithful fulfillment of the surrender terms and also hinted he would be willing to abdicate his throne.
• Congressional leaders say prosposals to merge the army and navy into a single department of national defense have been abandoned, at least for the present.
• President Truman told Democratic members of the House Ways and Means Committee that he felt the Senate has "let him Down" and that he was standing by his original proposal for expanding unemployment pay. The Senate would not go for Truman's proposal of $25 weekly for 26 weeks of unemployment benefits.
• The latest in a rash of strikes across the country has brought New York City to the ground. Literally, as 15,000 elevators operators and building service employees in Manhattan are on strike. Meanwhile, the Federal Government is ready to step in and seize oil plants as work stoppages across the country keep 671,000 oil industry employees off the job.
  
  https://i.imgur.com/s0YMGY1.jpg

October 5, 1945 WCS Games 1 & 2
 

OCTOBER 5, 1945

KEYSTONES TAKE 2-0 SERIES LEAD

The Continental Association had no answer for the Cincinnati Cannons powerful offense during the regular season but the Philadelphia Keystones certainly found one, at least in the first two games of the World Championship Series as the Keystones claimed a 2-0 lead thanks to a pair of outstanding pitching performances. The series now shifts to Cincinnati for Game Three tomorrow afternoon.

George M Brooks handcuffed the Cannons hitters in Wednesday's opener, leading the hometown Keystones to a 4-1 victory. On Thursday it was veteran Red Ross leading the way with 7-innings of solid pitching before the much maligned Philadelphia bullpen took over and did the job in a 3-2 victory in an 11 inning marathon. Bobby Barrell is having a great series, going 6-for-9 in the two contests but it was lesser lights Chet McCormick, with a 3-run double in the opener, and Bobby McHenry, who scored the game two winning run after hitting a 2-out triple in the 11th, that were the heroes so far.

In the Cincinnati clubhouse the problem is obvious. Cannons pitchers Deuce Barell and Red Hampton combined to go 5-for-7 at the plate in the games at Broad Street Park but the rest of the Cincinnati lineup went just 10-for-66 (.152), scoring just 3 runs and never leading in Philadelphia. Al Wheeler went 0-for-9. Chuck Adams 1-for-5 but at least he homered but was also surprisingly pinch-hit for twice after leading the Continental Association in rbi's. Denny Andrews 1-for-8 and Fred Galloway 1-for-8. Jack Cleaves did get a hit in the opener but it would prove to be his only WCS at bat as the 38 year old went back on the injured list with a knee injury.

The Keystones just need to keep doing what they are doing. Relying on clutch hitting and getting key hits from some unlikely sources as they are half way to getting revenge for last year's series loss to the Cannons and claiming their first WCS win since 1933. Cincinnati needs to hope a return to Tice Memorial will awaken the most potent office in FABL this season. They averaged nearly 5 runs a game during the regular season but scored just 3 times in the first two games of the Series.

It is not unfamiliar territory for the Cannons who lost the first two games of the 1943 series in Boston before winning 3 straight at home and eventually taking the series in 7. Last year against the Keystones the series also went seven when the Cannons lost the opener at home and trailed 3 games to two before winning games 6 and 7 at home. The Cannons are just 2-7 on the road in the post-season during their 3-year run but are 6-1 at Tice Memorial Stadium.

The Philadelphia Keystones drew first blood in the World Championship Series, riding an outstanding pitching performance from George M. Brooks and a clutch him from Chet McCormick to a 4-1 victory before nearly 18,000 fans at Broad Street Park. Brooks had a terrific game, scattering 5 hits and fanning 7 over 7 2/3 innings before giving way to Tim Walters. He did walk five but kept the Cannons hitters off balance all day.

Philadelphia had a big fourth inning that made all the difference in the game. Bobby Barrell, who tripled off his nephew -Cincinnati pitcher Deuce Barrell- in the opening inning, lead-off the fourth with a double. A walk to Leo Costello and a seeing eye single from second sacker Billy Woytek loaded the bases. It looked like the Cannons might get out of the jam went Deuce induced shallow pop ups from Chuck Hood and Frank Davis but with 2 out McCormick played the hero with a bases-clearing double that would provide more than enough offense for the Keystones on this day.

Cincinnati would get a run in the 7th when Brooks uncorked a wild pitch with runners on the corners allowing Deuce Barrell, who singled twice in the contest, to race home and make the score 3-1. McCormick would factor in the scoring once more when the Keystones quickly regained their 3-run lead in the home half of the inning when a Hank McKay two-out single plated the Keystones catcher, who had doubled for the second time. It could have been a whole lot worse for the Cannons but with two out and runners on first and second Deuce fanned his Uncle Bobby to get out of the inning.

The Cannons had a last gasp in the top of the 9th when pinch-hitter Johnny Porter singled and moved to third on a Gail Gifford double -the only extra-base hit the Cannons had all day. Reliever Tim Walters settled down and fanned Denny Andrews and Nick Wallace, who had surprisingly been called on to pinch-hit for Chuck Adams, to end the game.

Hank McKay's single with two out in the bottom of the 11th inning plated little-used Bobby McHenry with the game winning run to lift the Philadelphia Keystones to a 3-2 victory over the Cincinnati Cannons and in to a 2-0 lead as the series shifts to the Queen City for Saturday's third game. McHenry, who had just 55 at bats this season and hasn't hit a big league triple since 1941, ripped one of Cannons starting pitcher Red Hampton -who was still on the mound- with 2 out in the bottom of the 11th to set the stage for McKay's walkoff excitement.

The story of the game up to that point was Bobby Barrell as the Keystones superstar had 4 hits to raise his average in the series to .667, and the Keystones bullpen which kept the Cannons bats silent for 4 innings in relief of Red Ross. Ross and two relievers allowed just 8 Cincinnati hits and 3 of them were to Cannons pitcher Red Hampton.

As they did in the series opener the Keystones struck first when Barrell led-off the second with a solo homerun. A Frank Davis sacrifice fly would plate Leo Costello with the second run of the inning and it was needed as the Cannons Chuck Adams tied the game with a 2-run homer in the top of the third. The contest did not see another run until Mckay's rbi to end the game.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

A LOOK BACK AT THE SEASON - I have decided to change the order of the off-season writings on your Wolves. Usually I provide a position summary of the team, but this may came later this winter, as before the Fall Classic we will start with a month by month summary of how the team did in 1945. This comes out while the team is smarting from the failure, by 4 games, to catch the Cannons who are now in Philadelphia playing the Keystones.

April- the team got off to an uneven start with a 4-5 record. Charlie Artuso led the way offensively with a .395/.477/.605 line in a slow month for most batters. Gus Hull led the team in RBI with 6 despite only hitting .206. George Garrison led the pitching staff showing no ill effects from his war service. A trend that would haunt the team all season showed up in April. The bullpen was charged with 4 of the losses including 3 blown saves. A positive 1945 also was evident as the team's 4 wins came in 2 double header sweeps.

May- After Spring sprung in Canada the Wolves heated up with the weather. Toronto has their best record of '45 at 21-10 as the war ends in Germany. The bullpen led by Cookie Myer seems to find its way. Myer goes 6-1, along with 2 saves, for the month prompting a soon to come rotation change for Call as Tommy Anderson struggles as a starter. Artuso continues his hot start to lead the offense with assistance form Wayne Henderson, Walter Pack.

June- The biggest news a the month was McCormick's return from active duty. After a few day tuning up in Buffalo like Garrison Fred seemed to step right back into the FABL as if he had missed 4 days rather than 4 years. McCormick's .311/.469/.514 3 HR month was great for the fans although the team struggled at 14-14. Wirtz, Laurita, Anderson, who would soon be going to the 'pen then Buffalo, all had poor months on the mound.

July-Toronto rebounds to lead the CA by the slimmest fo margins at the ASG with a 20-11 record. Garrison, 6-1, Myer, 4-0, Wall, 3-0, lead the staff as Billy Crosby emerges of the anchor of the relief corps. Pack, now at the hot corner full time, leads the offense with help from Pomales, Artuso. The CA race is now down to four teams with Cincinnati, Toronto, Chicago, Philadelphia distancing themselves from the pack.

August- In an almost month long road trip as the World War ends with the surrender of Japan team goes 16-11. Gus Hull who, was the subject of the team's management trying to upgrade at the trade deadline, contributes a line of .293/.43/.511 25 RBI which makes the Toronto acquisition of right hand hitting Ed Hamor a superfluous move. As Garrison has his worst month Wirtz comes to the forefront of the starters.

September- The memories are still too fresh in fans minds to take up much room in this article, Garrison, 4-0 1.50 ERA 243 ERA+, Wirtz, 4-2, try to carry the team past Cincinnati from the mound. Chink Stickels, Pack try the same from the plate but the it not enough as the team finishes second by exactly the same number of games, 4, to the Cannons for the third year in a row.

Going forward over the off-season we will look at the team for 1946. The entire face of baseball along with life will change as the world shifts from war to peace reintegrating the veterans. This column will attempt to give insights into the future of the team at all levels. This winter's articles will be looking at the future rather the past of the Toronto and the FABL.


Just like every other team in the FABL the St. Louis Pioneers are in flux. With the end of the war returns about 100 players per organization and the questions of what to do with them. It is safe to say that the STL 24 and 40 man rosters at the end of the season will not be the same on opening day 1946. It’s early but we didn’t make the World Championship Series so we decided to predict what those rosters might look like going into next year.

The Pioneers were lucky enough to have two of their young pitching prospects return early enough in 1945 to get some playing time. Hal Hackney and Tom Buchanan both pitched well for STL down the stretch but Hackney seemed to tire down the stretch. The hometown kid from Fulton, Missouri posted a 2.06 ERA in his first six starts but managed just a 6.13 mark for his last five. Buchanan was available for just six starts after returning from the war but he posted a 2.39 ERA despite walking more than he struck out. The two late additions will join rookie Lazaro DeLeon(19-10, 2.63 ERA) in the rotation next year. The 23-year old Cuban led all of the FABL with 38 starts and finished fourth in innings pitched. The fourth and final piece of the rotation will be veteran Buddy Long. Long finished second in the FED Allen award voting following the ’44 season after winning 21 games and posting a 2.60 ERA. After that he decided to join the Air Force for the final stages of the war.
ROTATION
1. Buddy Long(31 ’46 opening day age)
2. Hal Hackney(25)
3. Lazaro DeLeon(23)
4. Tom Buchanan(23)

The St. Louis bullpen was the best in the FED with an ERA of 3.00 and it should be even better next year. Russ Peeples notched a career high 21 saves and moved into third on the Pioneers career list with 81 jumping over Ben Curtain and within nine saves of Hal Galvan. His 77.1 relief innings were tops on the team and his 2.44 ERA wasn’t bad either. Peeples roll could be diminished in 1946 as Tony Dixon could take over the top relief role. Dixon will be 23 when the season starts and OSA scouts love him saying he could be an elite bullpen presence with a dominating sinker and splitter that will generate a lot of ground balls. Veterans Harry Sharp(2.70 ERA) and Dixie Dennis(3.99) should also return to the big leagues next year. Danny Hern led the FED in innings pitched this past season but next year he will be relegated to a swing role on the staff. Pitching our of the pen and starting when double headers make it necessary. His 3.39 ERA was a career low but next season he will be needed more in relief.
BULLPEN
1. Russ Peeples(29)
2. Tony Dixon(23)
3. Harry Sharp(28)
4. Dixie Dennis(27)
5. Danny Hern(29)

The Pioneers sure have missed Heinie Zimmer. Once the pride of the teams prospects Zimmer became a solid big league catcher and a very difficult one to replace once he left for the war following the 1943 season. He’s not always been a great hitter but he has always been able to get on base. His last five seasons saw him average 109 walks per season while averaging just 580 plate appearances over the same span. He will do the bulk of the catching and maybe getting some time at first base to get him into the lineup more. Tucker Ness played in just five big league games before he got the call to war. He was a top 50 prospect at one time and he will be pegged to back up Zimmer starting 30~35 games. His eye should be almost as good as Zimmer’s but only time will tell if he can make it in the big leagues.
CATCHERS
1. Heinie Zimmer(31)
2. Tucker Ness(27)

First base is a curious position for the Pioneers. GM Herb DeSpain is best known for trading away Fred McCormick because he thought Zip Sullivan could replace him. He couldn’t and they have been searching for something close ever since. Hal Sharp was called upon to play the majority of the games at first this past season and he finished third in the FED batting race. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Hal Sharp is one of the world's worst fielders, even at first base. Sharp will likely be forced into a bench role next season as the team looks to Bob Johnston JR and Dutch Breunig to fill the first base void. Johnston hit .373 in 38 games of action in 1942 while Breunig has hit at every level including .315 in a full season of work in 1943.
FIRST BASE
1. Bob Johnston JR(27)
2. Dutch Breunig(28)

Like Zimmer mentioned above second baseman Artie D’Alessandro is someone the team has missed dearly. Like Zimmer his best asset is his ability to get on base. D’Alessandro hit just .264 in 1943 but he led the FED with 110 bases on balls dethroning Zimmer who had led the league each of the three years prior. With D’Alessandro and Zimmer at the top of the lineup there will be plenty of base runners for the big bats to drive in. Something the team has been missing in recent seasons.
SECOND BASE
1. Artie D’Alessandro(29)

Homer Mills is not a great fielding shortstop but there are very few of those to go around. The team hopes he can improve his fielding as he gains experience but the expectations are not that high. He did improve at the plate from 1944 to 1945 and he is expected to build on that and climb towards the .300 mark next year. He doesn’t have a lot of power but he has extra base speed. He led the FED with 14 triples this season, making up over a third of his 36 extra base hits. Luke Michaels return from the war swinging. He played in 28 games for the Pioneers hitting .333. Some doubt he can come close to those numbers in a full time role so he will most likely be a backup infielder next year.
SHORTSTOP
1. Homer Mills(24)
2. Luke Michaels(27)

Tommy Wilson is one of the premier fielders at the hot corner but his bat has been consistently bad the past three seasons posting batting averages of .244, .246, and .243 respectively. His glove will get him into the starting lineup once again as the youngster Homer Mills at short will need all of the help he can get in the field. The team is hoping Wilson will return to the hitter he was in ‘41/’42 when he averaged about .285 and posted an OB% of about .360.
THIRD BASE
1. Tommy Wilson(30)

The 1945 outfield trio of Al Tucker, Cal Page, and rookie Larry Gregory all made the all star team with Tucker and Page voted in as starters. All three will return to the big league team next year but their jobs are not guaranteed. Ok, barring injury Tucker and Page will have guaranteed spots but Gregory will have to fight for his. Tucker is the team’s best hitter. A former batting champ and four time all-star who boast a career batting average of .323. Page is a very good fielder who seems to have finally learned to hit big league pitching. Gregory had a decent rookie season but he will have to battle with switch hitting Dutch Peters, one of the team’s top hitting prospects. Peters came to St. Louis in the Gail Gifford/Sam Sheppard trade so he has a lot to live up to.
OUTFIELD
1. Al Tucker(33)
2. Cal Page(25)
3. Larry Gregory(23)
4. Dutch Peters(25)
BENCH
1. 1B/OF Hal Sharp(32)
2. IF Frank McNeil(27)
3. OF Hack Mills(24)

REST OF THE 40 MAN(sure to change)
1. P Herb Armstrong
2. P Mal Bianco
3. P Ben Fiskars
4. P Johnny Kretzschmar
5. P Jasper Moore
6. P Preacher Pietsch
7. C Eddie Schroeder
8. C Artie Smith
9. OF Pershing Christian
10. OF Buck Pusey
11. OF Leo Davis

• A U.S. scientest at the Crosby Research Foundation claims to have a defense against the atomic bomb. Larry Crosby, brother of film star Big Crosby and head of the foundation which helped with early work on the bomb refused to discuss even the basic principle of the bomb defense but said the secret would be turned over to the proper authorities on condition that he be used solely to "compel other nations to play fair with the United States."
• The abrupt arrival of chilly weather added new urgency to efforts to end the strike of 30,000 workers in major oil refineries and on the pipelines. Negotiations went into their third day with no apparent sign of progress. In the meantime, a cold spell has hit much of the East and Midwest.
• Meanwhile, 26 army ships and 166 merchant vessels are idled after a longshoremen's strike hits the northeast coast.
• Britain is in a tough spot as it prepares to answer President Turman's request that the gates of Palestine be opened at once to provide haven for 100,000 Jews in Germany. As late as early August some of the Jews who survived Nazi persecution where still herded into European concentration camps, dying by the thousands from lack of food, clothing or decent shelter.
• President Truman has ordered the abolition of the War Production Board effective Nov 3. It will be replaced by a new agency called the Civilian Production Administration.
  
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October 8, 1945 World Championship Series Games 3 & 4
 

OCTOBER 8, 1945

CANNONS PUSHED TO BRINK BUT PROLONG SERIES

The Philadelphia Keystones came within a whisker of completing a 4-game sweep of the Cincinnati Cannons in the World Championship Series, but the Cannons pulled out a 12-innning 5-3 victory yesterday and have managed to prolong the series at least one more day. Everything seemed to be going the Keystones way for the first 3 games and 7 and a half innings until suddenly it wasn't.

Trailing 3-2 and seemingly resigned to their fate, the Cannons gained new life when Al Wheeler, who had been having an awful series up to that point, doubled in Gail Gifford to tie the fourth game at three with two out in the bottom of the 8th inning. It went to extras -for the second time in the series- and it appeared the Keystones had it clinched when Bobby Barrell -who has dominated the series with his bat- led off with a triple in the top of the 11th and scored the go-ahead run on a Leo Costello base hit. But veteran Cannons catcher Tom Bird hit a solo homer to keep the Cannons faint hopes of winning a third straight World Championship Series alive. An inning later, after Denny Andrews slapped a two-out single it was Chuck Adams -last year's Series MVP- smacking his 2nd homer of the series to give the Cannons the walk-off 5-3 victory and force a fifth game to be played at Tice Memorial Stadium in Cincinnati today.

It remains a herculean task for the Cannons to come back and seems just a matter of time before the Philadelphia Keystones -who's pitching staff has humbled the big bats of the Cannons- claim their first title since 1933. The Cannons have faced elimination before: they trailed Boston 2 games to none in the 1943 series and lost game five a year ago to trail the Keystones three games to two before eventually coming back to win both series in 7 games. After scoring just 4 runs in the first three games combined the Cannons scored 5 yesterday despite getting just 9 hits, but for a change they had a couple of clutch hits. Will that win be enough to wake the Cannons from their series-long slumber and can they find an answer for Bobby Barrell?

Deuce Barrell, who has been marvelous at the plate in the series going 3-for-5, managed to more or less keep his uncle in check yesterday but Bobby did get a key triple that looked, for at least a little while, like it might have been the series clinching run and is 9-for-18 in the series with 3 homers and a 1.278 slugging percentage. It will be up to George M Brooks, who pitched an outstanding game in the series opener, to try and close things out today. Red Hampton -the game two loser- gets the call for Cincinnati.

GAME 3

The Cannons took the lead for the first time in the series when Denny Andrews hit a solo homerun in the first inning to the delight of the 17,919 on hand at Tice Memorial Stadium. They would have little else to cheer about as while Sam Sheppard did keep the Keystones off the scoresheet until the 6th inning, the Cincinnati offense accomplished nothing else. Bobby Barrell tied the game with a solo shot in the top of the 6th and after the Keystones had taken a 2-1 lead on Charlie Enslow's 7th inning RBI double, Barrell lit up Sheppard for a second time in the game with a 3-run homer in the 8th that put the game away.

GAME 4

The Keystones should have completed the sweep. Right from the second inning when they took a 2-0 lead while managing just 1-hit as a pair of errors, a wild pitch and 2 walks created a lot of trouble for Cannons starter Deuce Barrell. The Cannons scratched out one-run in the 4th but they hit into 5 doubleplays and failed repeatedly to deliver the key hit to make anyone think they had a chance of prolonging the series. Deuce pitched well and kept it 2-1 until, unexpectedly, Al Wheeler had his first extra base hit of the series -a two out double to play Gail Gifford with the tying run. It stayed 2-2 until the 11th and by then both bullpens were in use. Bobby Barrell's triple and subsequent run on a Leo Costello base hit seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for the Cannons. However, Tom Bird had other ideas and hit a solo homer in the home half to keep the series going. An inning later Chuck Adams was the walk-off hero with a 2-run shot to allow Cincinnati to claim a 5-3 victory and the opportunity to play at least one more game this season.

The Cannons are still alive. Somehow, some way even though they have no right to be. Even though they are, excluding pitchers, batting just .181 as a team. Even though Al Wheeler is a decidedly unwonderful 3-for-17 with a .235 slugging percentage. Even though they have scored just 9 runs in 4 games. Even though they have left 20 men stranded on base and that number would have been substantially higher had they not grounded into 8 doubleplays including 5 in Game Four alone.

The Keystones pitching has been outstanding, even better than advertised and their bullpen surprisingly good. We all knew Bobby Barrell was an incredible ballplayer but what he has done in the first four games is likely beyond what anyone would have imagined. Barrell is batting .500 and slugging 1.278. He has 6 extra base hits including 3 homers in the 4-games and it feels like he is just getting started.

There is absolutely no reason to think the Cannons can come back from a 3 games to none deficit. Even though it has happened once before. That was 1911 when Toronto dropped the first three games to Detroit only to roar back and win 4 straight including, as it turns out, those Wolves got the comeback started with an extra-inning victory in Game four. Sound familiar?

Do we dare dream that it might happen again? Is the dream of 3 straight World Championship Series still alive? Are the Cannons bats suddenly awake again - spurred on by big homeruns from Tom Bird and Chuck Adams, motivated by a fist-pumping and shouting Deuce Barrell trying to rally the troops after reaching base yet again -on a 2-base error- late in game four? It just seems too much to ask and common sense says 'not a chance'. Did we not get more than our fair share of breaks with comebacks from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits in the last two WCS, or from the miracle run, combined with the Cougars collapse, in the second half of last season when the Cannons made up a 20-odd game deficit in the standings. They are battered, struggling and rife with injuries but perhaps just a seed of doubt has crept into the minds of the Keystones pitching staff. Could that possibly be enough to turn the tide and give the Cannons a chance in a series most thought they would dominate? This writer's head says "not a chance" but his heart says "you never know."

OFFENSE RULES IN BUSY PRO GRID WEEKEND

Professional football seems to have used the success of superfortresses in the war for inspiration and decided the air game, rather than pounding it out on the ground, was the key victory. In the first Sunday with a full slate of action, the quarterbacks and ends were the story on a high scoring Sunday of American Football Association action. Three signal callers in all, led by Boston Americans aerial ace Del Thomas, passed for over 200 yards as offense was clearly the word of the day.

Thomas completed 23 of 37 heaves for 325 yards including 3 touchdown tosses to lead the Yanks to a 31-14 win on the road in Pittsburgh. The passing display by the veteran Boston star was the second most passing yards ever tossed by a quarterback in a single game, trailing only the record Thomas himself set with 396 in a contest two years ago, which was also against the Paladins.

The defending league champion Philadelphia Frigates had their season opener but fans at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial seemed more focused on hearing updates over the loudspeaker from Cincinnati where the Keystones were trying to complete a sweep of the Cannons in the World Championship Series. The out of town news was not so good as the Keystones lost in extra innings but the grid locals gave fans plenty to smile about with a dominant 30-0 white-washing of the Cleveland Finches. Frigates quarterback Bob Allen was the star of the show on both sides of the ball. Allen threw for 223 yards while splitting the passing duties with Jay Carey and on defense he added an interception and 4 tackles. Cleveland drops to 1-2 with the loss.

A dramatic finish at Thompson Field kept the Detroit Maroons unbeaten. Stan Vaught caught a 14 yard scoring pass from Rich Coleman with just 1:51 remaining in the game to give the Maroons a 21-17 win over a determined bunch of Cincinnati Tigers. Detroit is 2-0 and the only unbeaten team in the Western Division while the second year Tigers fall to 1-1.

Chicago is also 1-1 after the Wildcats travelled to St Louis and thumped the hapless Ramblers 49-6. Chicago did not turn the ball over while the Ramblers committed 6 turnovers including one that Wildcats lineman Warren Staggs returned 13 yards for the opening score of the game. As usual, Gus Brown was very effective at quarterback for the Wildcats, completing 13 of 22 attempts for 166 yards and 3 scores while back Mark Lautzenheiser ran for 90 yards and a score, while catching 6 passes for 75 yards and 2 more touchdowns.

Finally in Washington, Wasps rookie Bob Krohn had another big day. The former CCLA back threw for 219 yards, passed for one score and ran for another while kicking a field goal and adding 4 extra points. Oh, and just to round out his day he also intercepted a pass on defense to lead the Wasps to a 37-17 win at home over the New York Football Stars and improve to 2-0.

SUNDAY'S RESULT
Washington 37 New York 17
Boston 31 Pittsburgh 14
Detroit 21 Cincinnati 17
Chicago 49 St Louis 6
Philadelphia 30 Cleveland 0

UPCOMING GAMES
SUNDAY OCTOBER 14
Philadelphia at Cincinnati
St Louis at Detroit
Boston at Washington
Cleveland at Chicago
New York at Pittsburgh

ROME STATE MAKES FOUR LONG SCORING RUNS TO ROUT FIGHTING GREEN

The Rome State Centurions have picked up right where they left off a year ago - with another dominant season well underway. The army academy's amazing collection football toters ran away from Cowpens State Saturday to the tune of 36-9 as almost every play the Centurions engineered on a wet, slippery field was turned into a touchdown threat. Junior backs Chet Donelson and Gus Thompson -both All-Americans a year ago- each scored on a pair of long touchdown scampers to help lead Rome State to a 30-3 lead at the break. Mercifully for Cowpens State, the Centurions second and third stringers saw much more action in the second half or the score could have been incredibly lobsided. In two games the Centurions -who were 9-0 and National Champions a year ago- have outscored their opponents by a 72-9 count.

Next week might be a little more of a test for the Centurions when they square off at the Bigsby Oval against 4-0 Detroit City College. The Knights are off to a strong start and improved to 2-0 in Great Lakes section play with a 27-7 win over St. Magnus on Saturday. It will be the first-ever grid meeting between the two schools. Despite the 4-0 start many feel it could not have come at a worse time for Detroit City College, a team of enthusiastic but green youngsters who will face a battalion of army tanks on the loose - perhaps not the mighty machine of last year but still with devastating power.

A couple of highly touted teams suffered a real scare this week but both emerged with narrow victories. Annapolis Maritime needed a last minute field goal to sneak past a gutsy Carolina Poly team 20-19 in a game many of the Navigators called their "toughest game since the loss to Rome State a year ago." Meanwhile in Deep South Conference action Alabama Baptist scraped out a 31-24 win over Bayou State thanks to 3 touchdowns engineered by quarterback Willie Hubbard in the second half. The outstanding sophomore quarterback threw for a pair of scores and ran 9 yards early in the fourth quarter for what would prove to be the winning touchdown.

The big shock on Saturday came from the west coast where mighty Coastal California was the victim of a sneak attack from Golden Gate University Pre-Flight. The fliers played tenacious defense and despite never getting into the end zone themselves, won the game 15-13 thanks to 5 field goals.

Other key results say Central Ohio smash Western Iowa 44-0, St Blane knock off Georgia Baptist 23-17, Miami State nip Noble Jones College 21-20 while Northern California and Rainier College battled to a 7-7 draw.

COLLEGE SCOREBOARD
MIDWEST
Detroit City College 27 St. Magnus 7
Central Ohio 44 Western Iowa 0
St. Ignatius 23 Central Kentucky 0
Wisconsin State 23 Whitney College 14
Minnesota Tech 48 College of Omaha 17
Indiana A&M 10 Lincoln 6
Iowa A&M 26 Lawrence State 7
Great Lakes Navy 34 Fort Benning 0
Northern Minnesota 31 Scranton State 7
Olathe Navy 29 Eastern Kansas 28
Laclede 30 Boone College-St. Louis 0
Payne State 20 Lambert College 3
Wisconsin Catholic 37 Penn Catholic 14
Wichita Baptist 7 Topeka State 7

EAST
St. Blane 23 Georgia Baptist 17
Annapolis Maritime 20 Carolina Poly 19
St. Patrick's 24 George Fox 7
Henry Hudson 24 St. Pancras 10
Ellery 27 Commonwealth Catholic 0
Liberty College 14 Empire State 7
Pierpont 21 Grafton 0
Dickson 40 Miller College 6
Pittsburgh State 47 Frankford State 7
Sadler 34 Eastern Virginia 3
Brunswick 24 New London Submarine 7
Conwell College 41 Bigsby College 3
Merchant Marine 41 Lupine 3

SOUTH
Rome State 36 Cowpens State 9
Alabama Baptist 31 Bayou State 24
Miami State 21 Noble Jones College 20
Baton Rouge State 21 Western Florida 14
Bluegrass State 23 Mississippi A&M 21
Northern Mississippi 24 Opelika State 10
Cumberland 16 Richmond State 6
Maryland State 44 Petersburg 7
Columbia Military Academy 17 Camp Blanding 0
Chesapeake State 16 North Carolina Tech 13
Charleston Tech 17 Coastal State 10
Eastern State 19 Alexandria 14
Huntington State 30 Tinker 12
Western Tennessee 53 Cookeville State 0

SOUTHWEST
Eastern Oklahoma 48 Mile High State 9
Amarillo Methodist 21 Arkansas A&T 14
Texas Gulf Coast 30 Daniel Boone College 13
Travis College 19 College of Waco 0
Darnell State 23 Oklahoma City State 20
Red River State 50 Killeen State 0

FAR WEST
Golden Gate University Pre-Flight 15 Coastal California 13
CC Los Angeles 27 College of San Diego 6
Northern California 7 Rainier College 7
Portland Tech 24 Idaho A&M 6
Boulder State 20 Provo Tech 19
Mountainview State 40 Herington Field 3
Fort Warren 17 Colorado Poly 14
South Valley State 21 Canyon A&M 7
Spokane State 17 Lane State 6
The field is finalized for each of the 3 major preseason tournaments to get the 1945-46 AIAA collegiate basketball season underway. The events, which will be held the weekend of November 8-11 are as follows:

JACK EASTION TIP-OFF CLASSIC - Boston
*CC Los Angeles Coyotes (21-10, ranked #15 last year)
*St Patrick's Shamrocks (25-6 ranked #3)
Lambert College Stags (16-14)
Travis College Bucks (17-12)
*Charleston Tech Admirals (21-11)
Huntington State Miners (15-14)
St Andrew's College Barons (14-15)
Grange College Mustangs (12-17)

NEW YORK CITY TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS - Bigsby Garden
*Liberty College Bells (27-5, ranked #6)
*Brunswick Knights (16-17)
Brooklyn State Bears (19-10, ranked #24)
Great Plains State Buffaloes (20-10)

PRESEASON AIAA SHOWCASE - Lake Side Arena, Chicago
*Rainier College Majestics (26-6, ranked #7)
*Annapolis Maritime Navigators (26-4, ranked #4)
Dickson Maroons (21-10)
Alabama Baptist Panthers (20-10)
*made National Tournament last March.

The following weekend will see five more preseason tournaments with the Bigsby Festival being the biggest of that group.

SAWYER TO FACE BRIT HEAVY IN FEBRUARY

World Heavyweight Champion Hector Sawyer says he got quite a chuckle out of reports in TWIFB and other papers claiming he had lost a step and lacked the ability to close out a fight. "Sounds like you guys are calling me old," laughed the 31 year old in a meeting with reporters to announce his next title defense. The bout will be at Detroit's Thompson Arena on Friday February 8 and will see The Cajun Crusher square off against veteran British battler Leo Carmichael.

"If I am old, what do you guys think about Leo? He's gotta be closing in on fifty now," joked Sawyer. "With our ages you will want us fighting at that ballpark in Cincinnati with all 'em washed up ballplayers. From where I sit, you guys were wrong about the Cannons being too old as well."

Carmichael is actually 37 years of age but looked much younger in scoring a unanimous decision over Cliff Baker - the eldest of the battling Philadelphia brothers- in DC last July. He had knocked out Mark Fountain in his previous bout and his record now sits at 30-4-1 but thanks to the Nazis there was a more than five year hole in his boxing resume although he did keep busy during his time in the British armed forces fighting in exhibitions.

The knock on Sawyer is not that he hasn't been successful -he is 3-0 since his return from the Army with all three fights ending earlier than scheduled to push his career mark to 52-3-1 with 47 of his wins coming due to a knock out or TKO. The worry is he fought clearly overmatched opponents and took a lot longer to finish the job than most felt Sawyer should have, or would have in his pre-war days. Sawyer has fought a lot of rounds in his career, especially when you lump in the Army tussles so the worry is perhaps all that boxing is starting to catch up with him. The champ's response is that is 'hogwash' and says he is poised to prove it with another victory in February. Mark Fountain had that same idea about 8 months ago and Carmichael made him look very bad. The champ better be wary he does not suffer the same fate.

• The CIO Oil Workers Union staged a 'war of nerves' against the Government after President Truman declared the Federal Government seized oil plants and ordered 35,000 striking members back to work. By Saturday, under the watchful eye of the Navy, the oil men went back to work, at least temporarily.
• The longshoremen's wildcat strike appears near its end but now long-distance telephone operators in the New York City area have threatened to walkout.
• The United States and Soviet Russia engaged in a bitter long-distance debate over which nation was responsible for the failure of the London Foreign Ministers Conference. US Secretary of State James F. Byrnes says that Russia wanted "a few presently powerful states" to make the peace but the only way the conference could have continued would be for the US and Britain to "yield their views and convictions" to the Russians.
• A frontier patrol wounded seven Jewish colonists in Palestine during a clash of custody over a group of illegal immigrants, British Army headquarters announced as Jewish groups plan a general strike to protest British restrictions on immigration.
• Baron Kijuro Shidehara, newly named Premier of Japan, pledged unstinted co-operation to American and Allied military authorities in the performance of his new duties and expressed hope for the support of "all right-minded Japanese."
• The Government is not targeting November 1 as the date for ending all meat rationing.
  
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October 11, 1945: Keystones win World Championship Series
 

OCTOBER 11, 1945

KEYSTONES WIN!

Claim First WCS Title Since 1933, Barrell Again the MVP

A party that some claim rivalled that of the V-E Day celebration erupted at Philadelphia's Broad Street Park and quickly spilled into the street and surrounding neighborhoods late Wednesday afternoon when an estimated 100,000 people gathered in celebration of the Keystones first World Championship Series. The impromptu gathering was to celebrate the Keystones Game Six 7-3 win over Cincinnati to claim their first WCS title since 1933. Like he was all series, Bobby Barrell was the hero for the Keystones, smacking his 5th home run of the series -a new WCS record- and batting .462 as the Keystones discovered the third time was the charm. They had taken a 3 games to none lead in the series but suffered a heart-breaking extra-innings loss in game four and then fell the next day in the Queen City as well. But given a third chance to close out the Series, and now back on friendly ground, the Keystones made no mistake with Barrell and Billy Woytek -who went four-for-four with a 3-run homer and 3 runs scored in the deciding game- proving too much for the Cannons to overcome.

As much as the story was Barrell, who proved beyond a shadow of a doubt he is the best player in the game, it was the Keystones pitching that really made the difference in the series. The Keystones arms were not too highly thought of but they combined to hold the top half of the most dangerous batting order in baseball to just a .189 (18-for-95) batting average with the two big boppers in the Cincinnati lineup hitting .182 (Chuck Adams) and .136 (Al Wheeler).

The victory caps quite a twelve month stretch for the city of Philadelphia beginning last October when the Keystones won the Federal Association pennant only to fall in 7 games to the Cannons. The pennant win was followed by an American Football Association championship -it's first ever in grid action- by the Philadelphia Frigates and then a very strong run in college cage action to the National Quarterfinals for Liberty College before the Keystones put a big bow on the the proceedings with their third-ever WCS title. The Keystones previously won it all in 1927 and 1933. They also won the Federal Association title in 1892 -the inaugural year of FABL- but the World Championship Series did not begin until the following season.

GAME FIVE

When Bobby Barrell smacked a 2-run homer -his record 4th of the Series- and the Keystones sent 8 men to the plate in a 4-run top of the first inning, everyone in the ballpark seemed to think this was the end of the Cincinnati Cannons. But just like Cannons starting pitcher Red Hampton, the Keystones George M Brooks had a rough first inning. Brooks walked 3 and allowed the Cannons to get right back in the game with 3 runs of their own. Hampton would settle down and not allow another Philadelphia run in tossing a complete game while the Cincinnati bats finally started delivering clutch hits and came away with an 8-4 victory to cut the deficit to 3 games to two and send the Series back to the east coast.

GAME SIX

The Cannons struck first as a throwing error by Bobby Barrell -one of the few times Barrell was not perfect in the series- allowed Denny Andrews to score the game's opening run and perhaps gave the Cannons hope that they might just keep the comeback rolling. The feeling did not last long as Cannons starter Dan Adams, in the game to replace another injured Cincinnati player in pitcher Sam Sheppard, quickly found himself in trouble with the bases loaded an nobody out. Adams did get out of the jam with mimimal damage but not before the Keystones managed to tie the game at 1.

Cincinnati fans will say even the weather conspired against them as rain caused a 34 minute delay in the bottom of the third inning. When it stopped, Adams returned to the bump but the ride was bumpy to say the least as Billy Woytek quickly singled and Bobby Barrell smacked his record 5th homerun of the series to give the Keystones a lead they would never relinquish. An inning latr Woytek, who's great series was overshadowed by Barrell, started the Broad Street Park crowd's celebration with a 3-run homer to make the score 6-1 Philly. The Cannons would finally get to Keystones starter Red Ross in the 7th inning, scoring twice but not before the Keystones had increased their lead with a Harry Shumate rbi single in the bottom of the 6th.

Nothing summed up the entire series more than the final play of the clinching game. The Cannons, trailing 7-3 had managed to quiet the boisterous crowd by loading the bases and bringing the tying run in the form of Denny Andrews to the plate with one out. Tim Walters was on the hill for the Keystones and he would collect his second save of the series when Andrews, with an opportunity to send the game hurtling towards extra innings with one big swing, instead did what the Cannons big bats had done all too often in the series - he grounded into a series ending double-play to set off the festivities on Broad Street.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES COMPOSITE BOXSCORE

• Bobby Barrell was named the Series Most Valuable Player for the second time in his career. He also won it in 1933 -the last time the Keystones were World Champions.
• Barrell set a number of Series records including most homeruns (5), highest slugging percentage (1.231), highest on-base plus slugging percentage (1.712) and most total bases (32).
• Barrell became just the 4th player in WCS history to homer twice in the same game when he hit 2 in Saturday's Game Three victory. The others are all Federal Association players in Boston's Bill Moore in 1943, Cliff Moss of the Chiefs in 1938 and Detroit's Hank Jones in 1929.
• Barrell is also now the career WCS leader in homeruns with 9 and total bases with 78 while also owning the best post-season slugging percentage. Max Morris with 7 and the Cannons Chuck Adams with 6 are the only other players with at least 5 career WCS longballs.
• Billy Woytek hit .500 for the series but that is good for only a 6th place tie on the Series leaderboard. Fred Barrell hit .609 of the Cougars in 1931 series, followed by three old-timers in Ossie Julious (.600 -1898), Nate Toth (.588-1905) and George Williams (.565-1894) with Washington's Glenn Morrison .529 in 1923 ranking fifth.
• Al Wheeler surpassed injured teammate Jack Cleaves for the career lead in WCS games played. Wheeler has been in 36 of them with 3 teams - Detroit, Brooklyn and Cincinnati. Cleaves is at 32. Bobby Barrell is tied for 17th with 24 WCS games under his belt which moves him one ahead of Harry for the family lead.
• Wheeler -with 4 of them this series- is now tied for 3rd with 16 career WCS strikeouts. Elias Laatsch and Tom Taylor share the lead with 17.
• Chuck Adams walk-off homer in the 12th inning of Game Four is just the second walk-off extra-inning homerun in WCS history. Charlie Berry had the first for Cleveland against the New York Gothams in 1935.

TWIFB HANDS OUT REPORT CARDS ON ALL 16 FABL CLUBS

By Brett Bing, Toronto Mail & Empire

Another season is in the books and with the war over and all the stars returning there is plenty of excitement -and a lot of roster juggling to make room for the returnees- over the winter that lies ahead. Before we cast our eyes firmly forward, the team at TWIFB wants to take one last look back at what was accomplished in 1945. We called on Toronto Mail & Empire sports editor Brett Bing, who is no stranger to doing report cards on the local nine- to offer organization grades on each of the 16 clubs. Who performed over expectations and who was a disappointment in 1945? Read on to find out.

Boston: Preseason Prediction 91-63 1st, Actual 79-75 4th, Pythagorean -2 Grade D
Minuteman gave up 30 more runs than expected including a total of 125 unearned runs. Given that they were a team targeted at the deadline the pieces are there if they tighten up the defense.

Chicago: Preseason Prediction 74-80 6th, Actual 61-93 8th, Pythagorean -4 Grade D
A pitching staff with an ERA north of 4 led the team to worst run differential in FA. Will returning players bring the Chiefs back to respectability?

Detroit: Preseason Prediction 76-78 4th, Actual 84-70 3rd, Pythagorean +3 Grade A
Dynamos return to being a FA factor, management can always be counted on to aggressively pursue a pennant if they are even close.

New York: Preseason Prediction 75-79 5th, Actual 65-89 7th, Pythagorean -5 Grade D
Gothams were thought to be a factor early in the season then a lack of offensive punch hung a quality pitching staff out to dry.

Philadelphia: Preseason Prediction 72-82 7th, Actual 87-67 1st, Pythagorean +1 Grade A
After holding off a number of challenges for the pennant the Keystones take down the Cannons in the World Series. What else needs to be said?

Pittsburgh: Preseason Prediction 85-69 2nd, Actual 76-78 6th, Pythagorean -3 Grade D
Expected to challenge Boston never got rolling another team that has to shore up their defense.

St. Louis; Preseason Prediction 69-85 8th, Actual 78-76 4th, Pythagorean -1 Grade B
A team always talked about being on the rise. Will 1946 bring talk to fact?

Washington: Preseason Prediction77-77 3rd, Actual 85-69 2nd, Pythagorean +7 Grade A
Led by Lou Ellerston the Eagles remained in the race until the closing days of the season. The on-field performance was so good this season, and surprising enough to keep their grade at A despite the fact the front-office gets a failing mark for standing pat at the deadline, costing the Eagles any real chance at winning their first pennant of the modern era.

Brooklyn: Preseason Prediction 54-100 8th, Actual 61-93 7th, Pythagorean +3 Grade C
Did not lose 100, after a good start in April, May faded far too fast in the CA. Another CA that needs a spark post-war.

Chicago: Preseason Prediction 92-62 2nd, Actual 82-72 3rd, Pythagorean +1, Grade D
Another disappointing season for the Cougars. Less hurtful than the 1944 collapse but fell off again in the second half.

Cincinnati: Preseason Prediction 103-51 1st, Actual 95-59 1st, Pythagorean -3 Grade B
Best run differential in the FABL, veterans proved their worth down the stretch, 3 consecutive pennants. 'Nuff said.

Cleveland: Preseason Prediction 58-96, Actual 60-94 8th, Pythagorean+1 Grade C
Still caught in a rebuild cycle. Is enough coming back from the service to make a difference for the Foresters?

Montreal: Preseason Prediction 76-78 5th, Actual 75-79 5th, Pythagorean +3 Grade C
Another team with a bright future, has to start progressing at least into the first division.

New York: Preseason Prediction 84-70, Actual 71-83 6th, Pythagorean -4, Grade D
The other NY team with great pitching that under performed, Stars faded quickly in 1945.

Philadelphia: Preseason Prediction 67-87 6th, Actual 81-73 3rd, Pythagorean -5 Grade B
The Sailors hung tough all season, had the reverse of the Wolves, bad fortune in close games, 12-23. What if that record was reversed in 1945?

Toronto: Preseason Prediction 84-70 4th, Actual 91-63 2nd, Pythagorean +4 Grade D
Another season where the Wolves fall short, their record was flattering to the team. Playing 57 one-run games, winning 34, speaks to good luck. Repeatable? Probably not. Much like the situation in Washington in that for their work on the field the Wolves deserve a B but management's inability or unwillingness to pull the trigger on a big deadline deal rates an F and might well have cost them the pennant.

• Production of oil, vitally need in reconversion neared normal today and the tangled Detroit auto workers labor picture cleared but strikes in the nation's soft coal fields now challenge Government ingenuity. Meanwhile in New York, negotiations with the longshoremen's untion fell through and harbors remain shut while in New England they are dealing with the worst transit strike in 33 years.
• There are growing indications the Truman Administration favors 15 to 20 percent wage boosts with price increases where necessary. Secretary of Commerce Wallace told a radio audience labor must be given higher wages to offset the loss in take-home pay caused by reduced hours and the elimination of incentive premiums.
• We barely won. That is the message from General George C. Marshall noting that the United States barely squeezed through to victory in World War II and should be ready to mobilize 4 million trained men swiftly in case war threatens again.
  
  https://i.imgur.com/m9g3OVV.jpg

Friday October 12, 1945
 

Editor's note- Figment is on a one week pause after the completion of the 1945 World Championship Series as our commissioner is unavailable for the week due to work commitments. So we will have a daily update or two as news arrives while we wait.

FRIDAY OCTOBER 12, 1945

CHANGES COMING

Like every aspect of our society, baseball was greatly impacted over the past four years due to the world war. The war is over and now close to 1,500 professional ballplayers are returning home and like millions of other soldiers and sailors looking to return to work. The issue that many will find is the sport only has a finite number of jobs. Roughly 135 openings in the minor league system of each organization plus 24 on the big league roster. Nearly all of those positions were filled -although many with over the hill veterans or youngsters clearly not up to the snuff of pre-war baseball- and now the trickle that began a year ago with some players returning to the sport has become a gushing hose that will leave most organizations forced to cut roughly 50 players each, and that is just to get to manageable numbers for spring camp. Once the season starts there could be another 300-400 players across the league suddenly out of work.

There is never much of an off-season for the front office braintrust of each FABL club, and never has that applied more than this year. The Cincinnati Cannons say they cut 43 players in the two days after their season came to an end with a World Championship Series loss to the Philadelphia Keystones. Most were raw minor leaguers few have ever heard of but there were some big league names in the group including veteran pitchers Larry Brown and Fred Hall as well as aging slugger Dan Fowler.

"We wanted to give these men as much time as possible to find employment elsewhere should they wish to continue their pro careers," explained Cincinnati Assistant General Manager Red Franklin. "They were all quality people but we are going to be in a position where there will not be positions in our organization so we felt we owed it to them to make that perfectly clear right away."

Many other organizations were doing much the same as baseball enters what surely will be its busiest off-season since the war began, and quite possibly busiest ever. Percy Sutherland of the Chicago Herald-Examiner notes it will be toughest for those guys who were on the bubble--5th and 6th outfielders, utility infielders--who have been replaced by other (younger) guys on the bubble. They are the ones who will need the Mexican league.

There has been talk that of a new league forming, possibly in Mexico, to meet the demand for more baseball -both from fans eager for a return to normalcy and many talented players who will be looking for work, but so far nothing concrete has been announced about a new summer league or the possible winter loop being discussed for Cuba.

Change is coming and in many cases has already started. Here is a look around the league at early news from many of the 16 organizations:


CHIEFS- Big names leaving the Chiefs organization so far are Les Zoller (1941 - 1945, 128 games started, 1056 IP, 55 wins, 62 losses, 3.85 ERA) and Jim Watson, was plucked out of the Rule 5 draft in December of 1940 and spent the war years (1941 - 1945) as the Chiefs primary left fielder. In 643 games, he hit .294/.349/.440 with 42 home runs and 272 RBI. A WAR of 12.7 and a wRC+ of 128. Watson, as it would turn out, became one of the best Rule 5 selections ever made. Sutherland adds that "Some of this feels harsh: You've served your country for the last four years, thank you for your service, here's your release."

COUGARS- Archie Irwin of the Chicago Daily News says the Cougars are busy prepping for next season and the organization is very excited to be at full strength again. They are returning a lot of really talented players:
Last Full Season
Leo Mitchell (1944, 150 WRC+)
Hank Barnett (1944, 137 WRC+)
Clark Car (1943, 134 WRC+)
Billy Hunter (1944, 132 WRC+)
Ray Ford (1942, 130 WRC+)
Carlos Montes (1942, 119 WRC+)
Pete Papenfus (1941, 140 ERA+)
Donnie Jones (1942, 133 ERA+)
Joe Brown (1943, 130 ERA+)
Johnnie Jones (1943, 111 ERA+)

CINCINNATI- Cannons parted ways with a number of veterans including the previously mentioned Fred Hall, Larry Brown and Dan Fowler who all spent some time with the big club this year. Other cuts with big league experience in their past include John Langille, Billy Winfrey, Harry Pickering and Levi Redding.

DETROIT- Freddie Farhat of The Detroit World reports the Dynamos have already done some cutting with a few veterans including the disgruntled Bill Ball cut loose. Farhat adds that Detroit will have quite a youth movement on their hands next season. While they have collected a crew of veterans the belief is that the Dynamos will be making a lot of changes. If they both return though P Jim Lonardo and now 1B Frank Vance will be welcomed back and pursuing their milestones. Lonardo needs 8 wins for 300 and Vance needs 30 hits for 3000.

Expect the following rookies to be on the opening day roster: 2B Del Johnson, SS Stan Kleminski, IF Win Hamby. CF Edwin Hackberry, P Wally Hunter, OF Dick Estes and perhaps a few more.

MONTREAL- Marc McNeil of the Montreal Star reports that 40yo veteran Ernie Baker been released by the Saints after getting his 201st win this season. Finished the season with 7 losses in a row. 18 year veteran played for the Sailors and Montreal, 3x All-star and 1 WCS chamions with Philly... Baker did not confirm his retirement yet but said he will consider all options!

NY STARS- The Stars have the '46 roster pretty well set, according to Artie Mortimer of the New York Herald-Tribue. Some tough cuts for sure. Lew Seals may be up for grabs on the block. We have a lot of OF talent ready for the Figs and he may be the odd man out.


KEYSTONES- No rest for the new World Champs. The Keystones will need to figure out a few things says Johnny Bologna of the Philadelphia Inquisitor. Including:

• 1B: Hans Wright returns, how much gas does Harry Shumate have left?, did Leo Costello impress enough to stick?, is it time for Nate Power?
• 3B: Hank Koblenz returns, Davey Robicheaux might take a few starts, what to make of Frank Covarrubias's time with the Keystones?
• LF: Robicheaux returns, will that move Bobby Barrell back to RF?
• CF: Bob Griffiths returns and will be in the mix for the Keystones, will Charlie Enslow get more playing time?, will Chuck Hood be a spare OF or be traded?
• RF: If Barrell slides over to RF, will Hank McKay be a spare OF or be traded?
• Pitching staff: Lloyd Stevens, Pepper Tuttle, and Abe Abingdon return, who stays in the rotation (Ross, Brooks, Whiteley, Grimes, Brown). Who slides to the bullpen and what does that mean for Gene White, Herman Patterson, and Tim Walters? Will prospects Sid Moulton or even Joe Quade make a dent in '46?

PITTSBURGH- Denton Fox of the Pittsburgh Press reports that the Miners are hoping George Cleaves and Pablo Reyes still have gas in the tank. That’s potentially 10-15 WAR coming back if they both didn’t lose a step.

TORONTO- Brett Bing of the Toronto Mail & Empire reports the Wolves have cleared their goal of slashing $50,000 off the payroll, and expects there will be more to come. Toronto continues its off-season roster rationalization. After going through the the military list for Toronto and Buffalo one think is become very clear. Of 31 players evaluated so far in three categories Keep (14), Maybe (8), Cut (9) this is going to be wild. The fallout down the chain will be a big boost to the indy leagues. More thoughts from Brett Bing in his column below.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

Wolves Off-season Outlook- As the FABL enters another winter teams are as usual making plans for the future. This winter is markedly different as with the end of the hostilities worldwide all teams have a number of difficult decisions to make with their rosters. Baseball is just a microcosm of the world as the every facet of life changes from war footing to a peace time economy. Businesses are like baseball on a larger scale, adjusting their facilities to meet the demands of a new world. Toronto either has or will have a total of 86 players to make determinations on over the next few months as they are released from the service.

The fallout has already begun as there are unconfirmed reports that seven players from the 1945 Buffalo squad have been given their unconditional releases. Jim Dirks, Wally Starr, Red Barrett, Joe Bradbury, Tommy Newman, Steve Clarke, Frank Kirby are the ones rumoured to have already been told they will not be returning to the Nickels next season. Brett has been told that Kirby, Clarke have or will be offered coaching positions if they want to remain in the game in that capacity. Insiders have also told Brett that the GM's office has a list of all 86 returnees classified into three categories Keep, Maybe, No Future. This is a list that has been in existence within the scouting department since the war began in Europe in 1939. The list has been kept updated as conditions changed, players aged over the conflict. Brett was secretly given the approximate number in each category, Keep (24), Maybe (25), No Future (37). It may seem the ultimate insult that at least 37 players who served their country during a time of great need will not be returning their chosen pre-war job although that also mirrors society as a whole in this time of change.

There will also be life changing events for the a given number of the players in that group of 49. If the Mail & Empire calculations are correct there is only room for 11 of the 49 on a rosters in the Toronto system. That means that 37 either returning from the war or currently in the organization will not be with the Wolves in 1946. For round numbers Brett estimates 50, if that is expanded to the total FABL it would mean about 800 baseball players will be seeking jobs by the time teams report for Spring Training. Does this open the door for another high level league in the USA or Latin America? Will we return to the uncertainty for both teams, players we saw before the FABL was created over 50 years ago?

More pressing in Toronto is the protected 40-man roster for 1946. If all speculation is true the Wolves at best will have 15 spots to fill on that roster if anticipated retirements become fact. Every big league club will face the same numbers crunch which brings us to the Rule 5 draft. This draft will be a nightmare for every GM, who do you protect? The youngster with promise or the proven veteran? Overall the FABL along with baseball as a whole will present a better brand of the game in 1946 after many hours of discussion, followed by anguishing keep or cut moves made by all clubs.

In closing Brett would like to comment on the calls, mail received on his article on post season grade he gave all 16 FABL clubs. Wolves D grade gave a great many offence if the mail received in mail room is to believed to be opinion of all fans. Some people who Brett has had relationships with in the Wolves office for years were taken aback by the grade. They seem to getting over their anger with the passage of time. One person told Brett that his grade was nothing like Owner Millard's tirade during team meetings held while the World Series. Brett was given this quote "After begging to be given the latitude to acquire a difference maker to bring the CA title to Toronto Ed Hamor was the best you could do? If that is your best maybe I have the wrong people in jobs of responsibility for the Wolves!"

REQUIEM FOR A CHAMP

Raise a glass. One last toast to bid adieu to the 3 year long wild party that has played out before us on the big stage of Tice Memorial Stadium. One that came to a crashing close with a thud a week earlier than it was supposed to courtesy of a Philadelphia Keystones club that acted like a boorish, uninvited guest. This was supposed to be a much different column. One that we all expected and felt there was no way it would not happen. The best collection of offensive talent in the league would surely prevail over the Keystones and equal history with its third straight World Championship season.

It didn't happen as someone forgot to explain to Bobby Barrell and company just what their role was supposed to be in this play. Even when they trailed 3 games to none, a few still believed this collection of Cannons was destined to blast its way into the history books. Give Ad Doria's boys credit for battling gamely with a pair of victories at home before finally succumbing on the east coast. It certainly gives all of us a new found appreciation of just what a special and incredible achievement the 3 straight WCS wins of the 1924-26 New York Stars were.
The Cannons run may continue. There quite possibly could be a fourth straight season of October baseball for the Queen City. But the odds are greatly against it. To win a pennant -just one, never mind 3 or 4 in a row- takes an awful lot of luck and quite a few breaks along the way. To repeat is so much harder as you go through the season with a target on your back. Cannons management made all the right moves along the way it seemed. Tom Barrell, Al Wheeler, Rabbit Day, Tom Bird, Sam Brown, Sam Sheppard, Gail Gifford, Billy Dalton, Jack Cleaves. All of them big name acquisitions and most at a big price tag in terms of young potential sacrificed. But each prospered and played a role in at least one of those pennants. However, there comes a time when the piper comes calling and the price must be paid for all of the future discarded to create success in the present. And now might just be that time.

The Cannons will still be a good team. The mess we stole away from Baltimore in 1940 has never finished worst than 10 games above the breakeven mark and given the state of much of the Continental Association a first division finish certainly seems possible for at least the next few years. But the days of October baseball may be gone for a while. Age is catching up to the veterans rapidly, as the rash of post-season injuries indicated. Retirements may come as early as next week with Jack Cleaves and possibly Tom Barrell as a pair of likely candidates. There is plenty of talent coming back from the war. No doubt the Cannons will be better with Charley McCullough, Adam Mullins, Bill Sohl and Vic Carroll back in the lineup but that is the problem. Every team will be better.
Certainly the Chicago Cougars with more arms than an octopus capable of mowing down big league hitters. The Toronto Wolves will likely be better as well. The Sailors and Saints appear to be on the rise and the New York Stars will be frighteningly good. As the Cannons age and their chief rivals get an influx of talent from both the veterans returning and deep farm systems the Queen City gang might well fall behind.

With the goal of equaling the great 1924-26 New York Stars with 3 straight WCS wins gone, do the Cannons sink back to the middle of the pack? Or do the vets band together for one more magical season in pursuit of a new goal? No Continental Association nine has ever won 4 straight flags. An no one in the Fed has done it since the Boston Minutemen ended their string of 5 in a row in 1906. Perhaps that is some new bulletin board material for Cannons skipper Ad Doria to keep the club motivated.

• Ad Doria made some decisions a few might question in the WCS, with his calls to pinch-hit for Chuck Adams twice being front and center on that list. But the Cincinnati skipper must be doing something right. Among managers with at least 500 big league games under their belt only three have a better winning percentage than Doria's .575. They are George McFadden, who had two different stints with the Cougars between 1890-1903 and is at .618. Jim Wilson, who was .585 over 6 seasons in Cleveland before abruptly retiring and Otto Schmidt -first year manager of the Keystones who just won a WCS with his second organization after earning one with the Stars. Schmidt is 447-323 for his career, good for a .581 clip.
• Given that this was a rebuilding season for the Chicago Chiefs, one of the organization's primary goals was to get some younger players some playing time. In that regard, AGM Slim Bloom says he wasn't playing close attention to the individual results during the season. Now digging deeper today, some things are jumping out (like Elmer Hutchins's great season). 24-year-old pitcher Bill Yelverton pitched 155 innings, allowing 163 hits, 59 walks, and picking up 70 strikeouts. Not bad. But then you notice that he also gave up 31 home runs. Oops.
• Staying with the Chiefs, here are a pair of interesting images. The first is the Chiefs top 6 hitters by BatR. Five old men and Dave Krieger. The second shows the largest impact of the returning war vets for the Chiefs will be on the pitching side.
  
  https://i.imgur.com/HULUus3.jpg
  Small sample sizes, but both Solly Skidmore and Dick Blaszak struck out in less than 10% of their at bats.
• A Chiefs prospect who had some kind of bump last season is right fielder Charles Yates. Yates was drafted in the 17th round in 1941. Last season at class B he hit 16 home runs in 91 games (193 wRC+). Now that Dick Blaszak and Billy Brown have graduated to Chicago, Yates is the Chiefs highest ranked outfield prospect (OSA has him at 102nd overall). The Chiefs scouts actually see him as the right fielder with the highest ceiling (ahead of Brown). He'll start 1946 at class AA, and we'll see if the 1945 performance was just the result of the watered-down minor leagues of the war years.

CARMICHAEL IN RIFT OVER FIGHT GRAVY

British heavyweight challenger Leo Carmichael and his advisors charged angrily this week that Promoter Chester Conley was trying to deny them their share of television receipts in the proposed February title fight with Hector Sawyer. Carmichael and his manager Darwin Middleton had agreed in principle to the terms of the February 8 fight to be staged at Detroit's Thompson Arena but upon examination of the contract they claim it failed to guarantee them 20 percent of the television receipts as they had understand would be the case. Instead, Middleton claims the contract gives Conley the power to decide on the renumeration from that source.

It was learned that the broad outline of the contract called for Carmichael to receive 20 percent of all receipts -gate, radio and movies as well as television. But Carmichael and his advisors asserted there was a loophole in the television clause. Despite the new hitch it is believed that the Carmichael camp would do an about-face and sign for the rich match, perhaps as early as today.

ROME STATE RATED 27-POINT EDGE OVER DETROIT CITY IN GRID TOPLINER

Unbeatens Rome State and Detroit City College are slated to clash in New York at Bigsby Oval tomorrow in the top college football game of the day and the smart-money boys have established the Centurions from Georgia as 27-point favourites. A sold out crowd, well over 50,000, is anticipated to push their way into the old ballyard to get their first look at the 1945 army trainees, who have piled up 72 points while conceeding only 9 in their first two games of the season. It is the Centurions first visit to the big town since they blasted St Blane 54-7 last November on their way to a perfect season and the National Championship.

Always a power in the Great Lakes Alliance and usually at their best when they come east, Detroit City College is expected to provide the first real opposition this season for the Nation's number one ranking eleven. The Knights are 4-0 this season with each of their wins being very convincing starting with a 30-3 drubbing of Great Lakes Navy and continuing with shutouts of Indiana A&M and St Ignatius before dowing St. Magnus 27-7 last Saturday.

The big question is will the Knights have an answer for the Rome State running game led by Chet Donelson and Gus Thompson, who were each named All-Americans as sophomores a year ago and seem charted on the same course this time around.

• A move to give 12 million low income individuals a tax cut without taking them off the rolls entirely was developing in the Senate today in connection with the $5.3 billion revenue-reducing bill the House passed yesterday 343-10.
• Strong support is developing in Congress for new anti-strike legislation.
• President Truman condemned the policy of the Daughters of the American Revolution barring Negro artists from Constitution Hall, recalling that racial discrimination against artists and musicians was one of the first steps taken by the Nazis when they came to power.
  
  https://i.imgur.com/cJivQhL.jpg

October 14, 1945
 

OCTOBER 14, 1945

PIONEERS YOUNG ACE NAMED TOP ROOKIE

1945 had a bumper crop of rookie stars but the best of the bunch was Lazaro DeLeon. That is the announcement coming today from the Chicago Sportswriters Association, which named the 23 year old St Louis Pioneers righthander as the top newcomer for the 1945 season. DeLeon finished second in the Federal Association with 19 victories and his era of 2.63 was the fourth best in the loop this season.

DeLeon claimed 5 of 9 first place votes to outpoint Chicago Cougars outfielder Don Lee, who was at the top of 3 ballots, with teenage Detroit sensation Carl Potter earning the final first place nod. The 1945 rookie class was considered one of the deepest in recent history, so deep that Montreal shortstop Gordie Perkins -who was not on the original ballot of 6 - was included by two voters as a write-in name- and finished 5th in the voting.

The Cuban born DeLeon moved to the United States in his early teens and played his school ball at Midwood High in Brooklyn, where he was an honourable mention for the High School All-American team as a senior in 1941. The Pioneers selected him in the fourth round of the '41 draft and he made his big league debut in September 1944, going 8 innings in a 4-2 win over Detroit for his first big league victory. He made the Pioneers rotation out of camp this year and quickly worked his way to the top of the St Louis moundsmen, being named Federal Association rookie of the month for June, when he went 5-0, and September, when he was just 3-4 but had a 1.03 era in 7 starts.

PLAYERS ON THE BLOCK, BUT DEALS MAY BE HARD TO COME BY

With an eye towards reducing the strain on their secondary rosters as all the players who missed time during the war return home, several teams have put some interesting players on the trade block. The issue is, however, those clubs may not find a lot of takers as virtually every organization is searching for ways to fit many of the players returning from the war on to their secondary rosters. That seems to rule out the moving of draft picks for players unless they are elite talents and or the player being acquired can be had at a discount.

The most compelling of the players on the trade block may well be 22 year old pitcher George Oddo. The youngster made his big league debut for the Chicago Cougars this past season and posted a respectable 7-7 reocrd with a 3.02 era in 17 starts. OSA calls Oddo a 'finesse pitcher who has the potentail to anchor a rotation' so the price will not be cheap but Chicago has an abundance of pitchers and is looking to make some moves.

Other Cougars said to be on the block are veteran reliever Rusty Petrick, 19-game winner Billy Riley and 31 year old Joe Brown, who was an 18 game winner in 1943 but was in the Army the past two years. The Cougars are also talking about fielding offers on Johnny Peters -the All-American outfielder from Liberty College they selected third overall last January who hit .275 at Class A in 75 games. Unlike the others, as a rookie pro Peters would not need to be shoehorned into the secondary roster.

The two New York teams also are sending out some feelers in the trade market. The Stars are loaded in the outfield with rookie Bob Riggins off to a great start to his career and a number of big names led by Bill Barrett returning from the war, have decided to shop Lew Seals. The 31 year old has been in the coast guard since 1943 but OSA believes he is still an above average ballplayer. The cross-town Gothams are shopping 4 players but none will likely be more than spare parts on most clubs. They are pitchers Jim Baggett and Cy Sullivan along with third basemen Fred Pecora and Don Hallam. Baggett had a decent season as a 32 year old rookie in 1944 but really tailed off last season while Sullivan, now 31, spent some time as a top 40 prospect but has been traded twice and never really lived up to expectations.

The World Champion Philadelphia Keystones were made up of pitching, defense, and Bobby Barrell. Here are the grades for each position, compiled by Johnny Bologna and Inquisitor staff:

Catcher - Grade: C - Walt Potter earned more of the starts over Chet McCormick, 83 games to 68 games, but neither impressed. McCormick hit for more power (6 HR), but Potter was on base more (.312 OBP). The grade was raised because of McCormick's play in the WCS with his 4 RBI, including a bases-clearing three-run double in Game 1. Charlie Gump, Charlie Gagnon, and Glen Sexton all return from the war and could push McCormick and Potter for starts.

In the system (ranked 6th/16) - Top prospect: Lou Bayer (ETA 1947), 1946 Opening Day projected starter: McCormick, Next man up: Sexton

First baseman - Grade: C - Harry Shumate declined year-over-year (.261/.357/.315) and Leo Costello emerged during the season (.246/.367/.377, 13 SB), earned his lineup spot in the WCS. Costello was only 3-for-19 in the Series, while Shumate was 4-for-6, starting one game and coming off the bench in three other contests. Neither player is in the long-term plans for the club, as there may be better options on the current team, returning from WWII, and in the minor leagues.

In the system (15th/16) - Top prospect: Nate Power (ETA 1947), 1946 Opening Day projected starter: Hank Koblenz, Next man up: Hans Wright

Second baseman - Grade: C - John Busby (.255/.323/.316, 11 SB) was an All-Star, but honestly, he had the best offensive first half of a very thin offensive position with the bias of a great June (.341/.426/.390), when voters are most influenced. Busby hit .225 in the second half and when Billy Woytek (.170/.255/.318, 3 HR in 88 AB) returned from the Navy, Busby went to the bench. Busby split his time between 2B and 3B, which led for playing time for Johnnie Wolsey (.229/.305/.255) and Marshall Strickland (.205/.283/.298 in 161 AB), the latter of which was waived in August. Woytek may have only hit .170 in his September return, but he was 12-for-24 with a homer, 3 RBI and 6 runs scored. Woytek is also only 26 years old, so he will resume his spot in the everyday lineup in 1946.

In the system (9th/16) - Top prospect: Ray Roberts (ETA 1948), 1946 Opening Day projected starter: Woytek, Next man up: Busby

Shortstop - Grade: D - Jake Creel (.248/.332/.338) was acquired in a salary dump from Detroit before the season started and Frank Davis (.240/.285/.302 with PHI in 129 AB) was acquired from the Chiefs at the trade deadline, who provided mostly sure-handed defense. In between, Wolsey (.229), Clyde Duncan (.190), and John Rutter (.189) took turns proving to the Keystones brass they needed an upgrade. 26-year-old Frank Schmidt (5-for-18) was a stopgap measure right before the Davis deal. No shortstops are coming back from the war, which made the deal for the 29-year-old Davis even more important with a weak prospect cupboard at the position.

In the system (13th/16) - Top prospect: Roy Thornton (ETA 1949), 1946 Opening Day projected starter: Davis, Next man up: Creel or Schmidt

Third baseman - Grade: B - John Busby started the most games at third base before Frank Covarrubias (.227/.259/.377, 5 HR in 154 AB) was acquired from the Sailors at the trade deadline to take over the everyday at-bats. Covarrubias was expected to feast on left-handed pitching, but only went 3-for-29 down the stretch against LHP for the Keystones. Ron Hansen (.321/.367/.401 in 137 AB) played a secondary role and earned a postseason roster spot. Joe Parker (.193) and Clyde Duncan received the odd start at the hot corner. Covarrubias struggled at bat (1-for-16) and in the field (1 error) in the WCS. The Keystones will get its biggest shot in the arm among its war returnees with Hank Koblenz and Davey Robicheaux coming back, which will either make Covarrubias suddenly expendable or move someone to first base.

In the system (13th/16) - Top prospect: Harry Strickland (ETA 1948), 1946 Opening Day projected starter: Covarrubias, Next man up: Robicheaux

Left field - Grade: A - Bobby Barrell (.331/.400/.591, 39 HR, 126 RBI, 115 R) was All-World again in 1945 and stands to win his fourth Whitney Award (and second consecutive Whitney) with a dominant season. He started all 154 games in left field. The only blemishes on Barrell's record was actually in the field, as reports were he did not cover as much ground as he used to and his arm was weak, even for a leftfielder. So, how could Bobby Barrell be displaced from left field? Davey Robicheaux, a man without a position, may resume his spot in left field, which was when back when Barrell patrolled center field. If Robicheaux displaces The Georgia Jolter, Barrell would slide over to right field.

In the system (16th/16) - Top prospect: Rusty Matthews (debuted in 1944), 1946 Opening Day projected starter: Robicheaux, Next man up: Hank McKay

Center field - Grade: C - Chuck Hood (.275/.345/.312) was basically a singles hitter in 1945, with 114 of 123 hits going for one-base hits, but he played solid defense and held down the position. While Hood was the incumbent starter entering the season, 23-year-old Charlie Enslow (.219/.314/.316, 8 SB) was given a lot of chances, but his bat caused him to take on a bench role as the season wore on. Enslow may get his chance in the future, but he will overcome Hood's lock on the position and he will also have to battle Bob Griffith. Griffith was acquired from the Cannons last offseason and returns from the Army to vie for the starting job and the leadoff spot in the lineup. Ed Greenwood also returns from war-time service, but he will likely start in AAA.

In the system (4th/16) - Top prospect: Johnnie Porter (ETA 1948), 1946 Opening Day projected starter: Griffith, Next man up: Enslow

Right field - Grade: B - Hank McKay (.258/.343/.333, 26 SB) spent most of the season on the leaderboard in stolen bases and spent 394 plate appearances at the top spot in the lineup. He was hottest in the summer, hitting .320/.417/.480 in July and .287/381/.406 in August, but he only hit .238 the rest of the season. Bobby McHenry will forever be known in Keystones lore for his two-out triple in the 11th, scoring the winning run in their 3-2 win in Game 2. But, McHenry (.218) was a spare outfielder during the regular season and the nine-year veteran's days may be numbered in Philadelphia.

In the system (6th/16) - Top prospect: Ben Thompson (ETA 1948), 1946 Opening Day projected starter: Bobby Barrell, Next man up: McKay

Starting pitcher - Grade: A - While the offense was led by Bobby Barrell, the team was driven by its pitching. The mediocre offense was buttressed by its league-best arms. The Keystones allowed 37 runs fewer than the next closest team in the league (Detroit), leading the FABL with a 2.95 ERA and tying for the best WHIP in the Fed at 1.29. George M Brooks (18-5, 3 SV, 2.07 ERA, 1.08 WHIP) spent April in the bullpen before starting in his last 29 appearances to tie for the team lead in wins. Red Ross (18-13, 3.01 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) was the defending Allen Award winner coming into the year, but you can say Ross had the fourth-best season of the staff. Jim Whiteley (15-10, 2.92 ERA, 1.12 WHIP) led the league in walks per nine innings (1.9 BB/9). John Grimes (13-10, 2.56 ERA) had an impressive rookie campaign, while 1944 All-Star Jonah Brown (11-11, 3.26 ERA) performed admirably in his 27 starts. The five-man rotation to start the year was also remarkably healthy, starting 149 of 154 games. Sid Moulton (1-2, 13.14 ERA) returned from the war and was fast-tracked to spell Brown for a few starts before getting sent down and Gene White started a couple of doubleheader games.

Lloyd Stevens, Pepper Tuttle, and Abe Abingdon return from the service, while several starting pitching prospects will also return to the organization. Stevens was the staff ace when he left three years ago (17-7, 2.71 ERA in 1942) and he is still only 29 years old. Tuttle is 30 years old and only missed the 1945 season in the service, going 15-12 with a 2.85 ERA and 1.17 WHIP in 1944, splitting his two starts in last year's WCS loss to Cincinnati. Abingdon is 25 and also missed three years, going 2-2 with a 2.92 ERA in five late-season starts in 1942. Also returning will be Henry Shaffer, who pitched well as a rookie in 1940 before taking a step back upon his return call-up in 1942. Shaffer and fellow returnee Bud Canfield may not have room for them to make their mark again for the Keystones in the short-term.

In the system (3rd/16) - Top prospect: Charlie Waddell (ETA 1947), 1946 Opening Day projected rotation: Brooks-Stevens-Ross-Tuttle-Whiteley, Next men up: Grimes, Abingdon.

Relief pitcher - Grade: B - Tim Walters (8-6, 24 SV, 2.46 ERA) is a perfect war-time pitcher. Walters was drafted in 1923 by Montreal, but released before the 1924 season began. The Keystones signed him as a minor league free agent in 1925, finally making his major league debut in 1943 at the age of 38. At the conclusion of the war, the 40-year-old Walters can count himself a two-time All-Star and he was the top fireman in the bullpen and led the league in the unofficial category of saves. More importantly, he appeared in 61 games and finished 51 of them, also leading the league. Herman Patterson (2-4, 3 SV, 3.83 ERA), Gene White (0-3, 4.78 ERA), and George Buckley (2-2, 2.68 ERA in 37 IP) also contributed in the bullpen this season.

Don Fluharty is the biggest returning name for the Keystones and he may play a role in next season's bullpen. Connie Upchurch came back from the war late in the season to the Keystones organization and played out the season at AAA Louisville. He is down the list on players who could see major league time in 1946.

In the system (T-9th/16) - Top prospect: Billy D'Amato/George Leggett, 1946 Opening Day projected bullpen: Fluharty-Walters-Grimes, Next man up: Patterson

• A trivia question to start today's very brief Caught on the Fly. Only one player in FABL history has won a Whitney Award and a major college individual trophy for a sport other than baseball? Can you name him? As a hint, his son also played in the big leagues.
• Frank Huddleston, Ed Marshall have been handed their walking papers by the Toronto Wolves with probably more to come in the future. Some are on the razor's edge like Al Jensen and Phil English but they are considering retirement, which some of the Toronto brass hopes that is the route they go, as both have been loyal to the organization and it would prefer them leaving on their own terms.

• Federal officials are pleading striking longshoremen in New York to return to the job as stikes and threats of strikes in transportation add to the nation's industrial problems. 400 vessels remain tied up by the 13-day old strike.
• A dock workers strike in London is also playing havoc with Britain's food supply. Approximately 50,000 idle dock workers stood by and watched as soldiers unloaded food ships in six ports.
• The Senate is scrambling to quickly fill coveted posts on a nine-man special committee to handle atomic energy legislation.
• Argentina is virtually without a government today in a political crisis which exploded into open civil strife in downtown Buenos Aires.
  
  https://i.imgur.com/b8erVu3.jpg

TRIVIA ANSWER- Clint Casstevens, whose son Pete is a catcher for the New York Gothams, won the 1924 Whitney Award in the Federal Association with Pittsburgh after leading the Fed in hits, doubles and triples that year. He was selected 13th overall by Montreal in the 1917 draft after winning the College World Championship Series with Dickson College. Casstevens was also the star of the Maroons basketball team and was the Collegiate Basketball Player of the Year in 1916-17 making him the only Whitney Award winner to claim a college player of the year in a sport other than baseball.

October 14, 1945 - special evening edition
 

OCTOBER 14, 1945

ENOUGH RETIREMENTS TO FILL AN ALL-STAR TEAM

With a great wave of ballplayers returning from the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific, many of the veteran greats have decided to step aside a make room. And they stepped aside in record numbers including 11 pitchers who have won at least 100 career FABL games and 10 position players who appeared in more than 1,000 big league games.

The list of retirees includes: Pitchers Dick Lyons (CHC 237-187), Joe Shaffner (StL 217-186), Ed Baker (MON 201-190), Tom Barrell (CIN 179-111), Mike Murphy (DET 177-133), Ben Turner (CLE 154-168), Jim Crawford (CIN 130-127), Herb Flynn (BKN 116-114), Les Zoller (NYS 116-130), Gene Stevens (PIT 111-98), Bernie Johnson (TOR 108-124) as well as Frank Vance (DET 2374 G, 2970 H), Cliff Moss (CHC 2203 G, 2221 H), Moxie Pidgeon (PIT 2189 G, 2557 H), Mike Taylor (CHC 1968 G, 1915 H), Dan Fowler (CIN 1779 G, 1643 H), Frank Huddleston (TOR 1520 G, 1267 H), Ray Cochran (NYS 1471 G, 1426 H), Tom Bird (CIN 1451 G, 1558 H), Sam Orr (CHI 1331 G, 1325 H) and Len Jones (BOS 1047 G, 1035 H),

Even the managers got in on the act as 66 year old Otto Schmidt retired after just one season at the Keystones helm. It was a magical season as Schmidt led the Keystones to a World Championship Series victory and leaves with a very successful record as a skipper that includes 2 WCS wins and 6 pennants.

SALE OF MINERS FINALIZED

The Pittsburgh Miners have new ownership after it was announced that Al Maday has purchased the club from the Fitzpatrick family. FABL President Sam Belton confirmed that the sale had been approved by league owners and a press conference to introduce the 55 year old Maday was held yesterday.

Maday, who hails from Hartford, Ct., is a financier and investment magnate who expects big things from his latest purchase, boasting to the press corps, "All my life, everything I've touched has turned to gold. I expect the Pittsburgh Miners to be the best baseball organization in the league and will work tirelessly toward that end."

The Miners are fresh off a 6th-place finish this season, compiling a 76-78 mark in the Federal Association. The club has won 9 FABL pennants but only once -in 1901- were they victorious in the World Championship Series. Maday becomes just the third owner in franchise history. The Miners started out as the Quarries -one of the original clubs of the Border Association- before founding owner Marin Elswich became the first in history to switch leagues when they jumped to the Century League before moving to the Federal Association when the FABL organization was created in 1892. Elswich's clubs were a powerhouse at the turn of the century, winning four straight pennants from 1898 to 1901. When he passed away in 1912 his estate sold the club to foundry owner Daniel X. Fitzpatrick, who opened a brand-new ballpark made with Fitzpatrick Steel in 1923, naturally naming the park after himself. Fitzpatrick is 76 years old and rumoured to have had some health issues, a factor that likely contributed heavily to his decision to sell the team after 35 years of ownership.


The Keystones won their third World’s Championship Series and seventh league title in their 70-year history in a four games to two win over the Cincinnati Cannons. Philadelphia’s third title and fifth pennant in the modern era takes a back seat to no other team in the FABL. But this one was different. In 1927, the Keystones hit .304 as a team and pitched to a less-than-stellar 4.61 ERA. In 1933, they pitched better (4.03 ERA), but collectively hit an amazing .306. This year, the Keystones had their best team ERA since 1918, as the staff put up a 2.95 ERA, while the team hit only .249.

Bobby Barrell is undisputedly an all-time great, but Barrell has also managed to bridge the gap from the days of Rankin Kellogg and Carl Ames to the present day. All three were big cogs in the 1933 Championship and 1932 Fed pennant. Now, the circle is complete, as Barrell paired his 1933 Most Valuable Player Award in the World’s Championship Series with his total domination of this year’s edition. Barrell earned his second WCS MVP with a record-setting performance. Barrell homered five times in six games to take over the all-time WCS lead with nine round-trippers. Carl Ames is now a bench coach with the Keystones and he sees the similarities. “You see Bobby take the team on his shoulders and that is what Killer [Kellogg] did for so many years. This team has been in great hands for over 20 years now and Barrell has plenty of game left before he needs to pass the torch to the next generation”, Ames said.

My thoughts and comments follow each game story:
The Keystones won with Barrell’s power-hitting, timely hitting from unlikely sources, and an amazing pitching staff. The four starters combined for a 2.23 ERA, allowing 11 earned runs and 40 hits in 44.1 innings. George M Brooks won Game 1 (7.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 7 K) and Chet McCormick had the big moment with a three-run 4th-inning double to open the scoring in the series.

JB’s notebook after Game 1:

• For the Keystones to win, they need to keep the scores down. They will not win slugfests. This is the type of game that fits their team identity.
• The home crowd was up for this one, chanting “Bob-beeeeee” after a great sliding catch by Barrell to close the top of the 5th inning.
• After allowing the first run of the game to Cincinnati in the top of the 7th inning, the Keystones got the run right back.
• Brooks pitched very well. The key to a good bullpen is not having to use it and I am hoping the Keystones do not have to use it.

Game 2 was a pitcher’s duel between Red Ross (7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) and Red Hampton of the Cannons. The 2-2 tie was broken in the 11th by Hank McKay, who singled home Bobby McHenry after he led off the home half with a triple, making a winner out of Herman Patterson.

JB’s notebook after Game 2:

• Manager Otto Schmidt was thinking of bumping Chet McCormick up to 7th, but decided against it. Woytek hitting second today. Both pitchers coming in hot. Hampton likes pitching in Philly.
• Keystone fans are encouraged by the good numbers for a couple of the guys against Hampton: Billy Woytek (.429, 2 HR in 28 AB, but last faced him 4 years ago), Chuck Hood (.389), Chet McCormick (.387), and Bobby Barrell (.354, 7 HR in 164 AB)
• Red Ross went 1-2 last year, but the one win was in Game 1
• More BOB-BEEEE chants from the partisan crowd after his second inning homer to open the scoring account in Game 2. Barrell's Backers in the LF stands are seeing him up to his old tricks in the first two games
• Cincinnati 1B Chuck Adams, last year’s Series MVP, has given the Cannons their first big hit of the Series, a two-run shot to tie the game in the third.
• Frank Covarrubias making a bid to justify the #3 spot in the lineup [with line drive to LF with runners on 1st & 2nd , Gail Gifford made a spectacular sliding catch to end the 5th]. The crowd jeers with Barrell waiting patiently on deck.
• Offense early, but the pitchers (Keystone RHP Red Ross and Cannon LHP Red Hampton) have taken control .
• Leo Costello is a right-handed fielder, so that play down the line [Gifford grounder with runners on 1st & 3rd with 2 out] was a bit easier for him.
• Another missed opportunity (strikeout with 2nd & 3rd with 2 out to end the 7th) for Covarrubias with Barrell on deck
  Covarrubias has had a tough game. He went over to Woytek with a hearty “thank you” for not having to wear the goat horns (E5 with no one out in the top of the 9th, Woytek started 4-6-3 DP after fielding a sharp ground ball to the next hitter, Jim Hensley.)
• Covarrubias was 0-for-5 with 6 left on base in Game 2. He really struggled.
• Bobby McHenry! He is obviously the 24th man. He came so close to being designated for assignment so many times. Also, with the servicemen returning, this might be his last series as a Keystone. That triple might have made the Keystones faith worth it.
• With McCormick in Game 1 and both McHenry and McKay in Game 2, the Keystones have the luck of the Irish.

The series moved to Cincinnati for Game 3 and the unlikely Philadelphia story continued. Two prognosticators picked the Keystones to win – The Detroit World’s Freddie Farhat, and yours truly. The Keystones, behind a complete game win from Jim Whiteley (9 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K), moved one game away from a sweep, defeating the Cannons, 5-1. Barrell put the game out of a reach with a three-run moon shot, measured over 410 feet from home plate for the final margin.

JB’s notebook after Game 3:

• Otto Schmidt is pushing the right buttons. Jim Whiteley didn't get a start in last year’s Series, but he did have a good long relief stint in one of the games.
• Charlie Enslow in for Chuck Hood in Game 3 and Ron Hansen played a strong third base while Frank Covarrubias took a breather after a horror show of a first two games in Philadelphia.
• Cautious optimism from the Keystones fans after going up 3-0 against a superior offensive team.
• They were calling me a hopeless homer, but he might just have shown that young buck Joey Mahoney a thing or two.

Cincinnati made it very interesting, getting up off the mat late in Game 4, finally getting to rookie starter John Grimes (8.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) on an Al Wheeler double in the 8th. The Keystones took a 2-0 lead in the second and the Cannons hung around all game until their bats arrived. Yes, the Keystones even took a 3-2 lead in extra innings after Barrell tripled and made it home on a Tom Costello single. But, Tom Bird tied the game in the 11th and 1944 WCS MVP Chuck Adams won the game in the 12th, the only runs that Tim Walters surrendered all series. The game featured seven double plays, five by the Keystones.

JB’s notebook after Game 4:

• CF Chuck Hood and SS Frank Davis are two of the better defensive players for the Keystones. Frank Covarrubias fields his position well also. All 3 have had errors in the series.
• (Through five innings) 12 outs to get for the Keystones. Grimes needs to get another 6.
• Big groundball for Smiley (Bottom of the 6th, man on 1st with 0 out, Wheeler grounding into a 4-6-3 DP)
• How long does Otto Schmidt stick with the rookie Grimes? 6 more outs for the Keystones. Grimes comes out for the 8th.
• Big gamble keeping Grimes in to face the big bats four times. Gail Gifford singled to lead off the bottom of the 8th and Al Wheeler hit a two-out RBI double to tie the game.
• Bobby Barrell, again, waiting on deck (after Billy Woytek 6-4-3 DP in top of 10th). It has happened a lot this Series.
• The faint raucous cheers for Barrell from the few Keystones fans that made the trip to Cincinnati after Barrell led off with a triple in the top of the 11th.
• (Entering the 12th) The suspect bullpen for the Keystones will not make this a long game. Schmidt is not going to go Ross, a former stopper, if it goes long because he is the Game 5 probable. Jonah Brown might make an appearance.
• (After the 12-inning loss) Saved most of the bullpen at least. Never expected a sweep, but the Keystones were two outs away from victory.
• Most Keystones fans were hoping to take at least one in Cincinnati to be able to clinch at home. They got greedy in Game 4, but Game 5 will have Brooks on the mound and a hope to nail this thing down.

Game 5 was the only game where the Keystones were completely outclassed. In this one, Philadelphia scored four runs in the first – including another homer by Barrell – before Cincinnati ever came to bat. By the end of the first, the Cannons were within one run. Cincinnati scored two more in the third and single runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings for an 8-4 win. Brooks (4 IP, 6 H, 3 ER (6 R), 5 BB, 4 K) was victimized by a key error by Billy Woytek that preceded a two-out two-run double in the third that gave Cincinnati a lead it would never relinquish.

JB’s notebook after Game 5:

• Like I said before Game 1, for the Keystones to win, the scores need to be low. Game 5 was a relative slugfest with 12 runs scored. Philly is not winning those types of games.
• Chuck Adams is taking the Cannons on his shoulders with his third homer of the series.

Red Ross brought home the title for the Keystones in Game 6, as he pitched into the ninth inning (8.1 IP, 10 H, 2 ER (3 R), 4 BB, 5 K) in a 7-3 victory. The game followed a similar script as Game 5 with the home team allowing the first run of the game before quickly getting on the board in the home half. But, unlike Game 5, the Keystones were the home team.

JB’s notebook after Game 6:

• I remember some murmurs in 1933 that Kellogg wasn't a good postseason player. He did hit 2 HR in 1927, but only hit .227. He went 2-for-16 in the sweep at the hands of the Stars in 1932. Kellogg's last appearance was the memorable one. The next season, Kellogg hit .407 with 2 HR in the Keystones title run.
• Bobby Barrell holds postseason records in homers (9), slugging percentage (.821) and total bases (78, including a whopping 32 this Series).
• Bobby Barrell rightfully won the MVP, but Billy Woytek came on like a freight train during the series. After almost four years away from the FABL, he hit .170/.255/.318 in 88 September at-bats. It was like Spring Training for him before the postseason began. He had hits in 5 of 6 games and multi-hit games 4 of 5, including a 4-for-4 with a three-run shot to give the Keystones a 6-1 lead.

Philadelphia allowed 20 runs while scoring 24 runs. In fact, the run totals were even through five games although the Keystones had a 3-2 series lead. The defense was unusually suspect, committing 12 errors against 8 for the Cannons, though there was also an unusual amount of double plays in the series. The Keystones did gain the slight edge, 10-9.

https://i.imgur.com/Xv9TJW5.jpg

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

Spotlight Players in Toronto Organization -With all the expected player movement in this coming off-season here is the first of an attempt at a series of articles to inform Wolves fans of what they may be able to see in future years at Dominion Field. These articles will try to focus on "under the radar prospects" at AAA, AA, A, possibly B, but Vancouver players are still probably to unproven to evaluate into the future.

First a look at the players in the OSA Top 100 in the Wolves system:
1-John Fast-SS- (11): After returning from service this past summer Fast who is still only 23 put up impressive numbers at Chattanooga .288/.429/.485 in 19 games before joining Buffalo for 7 games at season's end. Expect Fast to be in Buffalo at a combination 2B, SS in 1946 to give him options other than being blocked by Charlie Artuso.

2- Jerry York- RHP- (16): Another late summer return. Pitched a total of 25 inning between Davenport, Chattanooga in '45 posting a 2-1 record sub 3 ERA. This 24 year old, 1942 1st rounder will graduate to Buffalo this season.

3- Harry Phillips- RHP- (35): In the Navy since January 1942 is expected to be released in the coming weeks. With only 71 innings of pro experience, at C in 1941, this 23 year old has lots of questions about his future. Could start at Vancouver then go to A if he has any success at all early in the season.

4- Harry Finney- SS- (59): A 1945 second round pick struggled this summer in B .225/.316/.353 in just under 120 time at the plate. Expect him to start in B playing all over the infield as versatile Finney is reputed to be able to play anywhere on the infield.
5- Adam Grayson -RHP- (68): Expected to get out of the Army, where he has been since 1943, before Christmas this 24 year old, drafted in 1939 will have to hit the ground running. This will be a season of determination for Grayson in at least Class A.

6- Ray Hatch- RHP- (89): This high school 15th rounder in '42 has spent 3 seasons in C. While showing improvement every year it is time to move up or out for Hatch. At 20 he still has time but not a lot, early season at B will be critical for Hatch.

7- Sam Jordan- RHP- (92): Almost a duplicate of Hatch but at AA. At 23 he has to prove that he can dominate in AA.

8- Otis Porter -RHP- (96): A flame thrower with control issues, Porter shows promise but must turn this into reality at least in A at 23.

Now for the spotlight player at AAA. Frank Frady, who will turn 25 in the next few days, has turned heads in the front office. Give credit to the scouting department along with the minor league staffs who have aided in the development of this 24th round pick from Bayou State College in 1942. After being selected 375th Frady started in Tuscaloosa with not much fanfare. After being prompted to Class B midseason in 1943 his bat came alive hitting .319. After hitting .319/.374/.459 in B he went to Davenport for the second half after 1944 again hitting over .300. Last year was a breakout year for this versatile infielder. After a line of .374/.432/.524 terrorizing A pitchers for 45 games he went to AA for with the same results, .375/.411/.558 in 34 games. On to Buffalo to face a AAA challenge for the final third of 1945. Different city, different level, same results. In 36 games .303/.357/.387. He has also proven not be a fielding determent at either SS, 2B, or 3B, which is usually the deciding factor for Toronto in promotion to the FABL. Frady has earned enough respect in Toronto to be a probable invitee to ST in 1946. A real find for the Wolves.

October 15, 1945 - Defensive awards
 

OCTOBER 15, 1945

FABL GLOVE AWARDS HANDED OUT

The Chicago Sportswriters Guild has once again named a team of 'Premium Fielders' for the 1945 season. A special formula devised by the nephew of Chicago Herald-Tribune sports editor and founder of a proposed new football league Percy Sutherland, who is a Whitney College mathematics professor, is used to determine the best fielder at each of the nine positions.

The Toronto Wolves, Boston Minutemen and Chicago Chiefs led the way in each placing two members on the team, which has been selected for the fourth time but was not awarded a year ago. The Wolves outfield duo of Chink Stickels and Juan Pomales are each first time selections as is Chiefs pitcher Frank Sears, but he is joined by Chicago teammate Ron Rattigan who along with St Louis third sacker Tommy Wilson are the only players named to the team each of the four seasons it was presented. Outfielder Pete Day of the Boston Minutemen makes his second appearance on the team while catcher Bill Van Ness is a first time winner.

BARRELL BACK IN BROOKLYN

Keystones Hire Schmidt's Replacement

The Brooklyn Kings have a new manager. Just days after retiring as a player Tom Barrell has been hired to replace Powell Slocum as the manager in Brooklyn. Barrell pitched for Brooklyn from 1932 thru 1940 where he won three straight Allan Allen Awards in 1934, '35 and '36. Barrell struggled with leg injuries which ultimately cooled the sizzle on his fastball and he ended up relegated to the bullpen in Pittsburgh. He enjoyed a renaissance of sorts with Cincinnati, where he pitched the last two seasons of his career and showed he still had some life in his arm, finishing the 1945 season with a very respectable 16-5 record and 3.26 ERA before his old leg injuries prevented him from pitching in what would have been his fifth World Championship Series.

"I've been blessed," Barrell told reporters. "Blessed to have played the game I love since childhood, blessed to make a good living doing it, and blessed to have done it in my hometown of Brooklyn, New York. Now," he added with a grin, "I am back home and look to restore the Kings' luster and help them reassume their spot atop the Continental Association and the FABL."
The World Champion Philadelphia Keystones quickly moved to fill their managerial opening, inking veteran skipper Jack Everhart to fill the role vacated by the retirement of Otto Schmidt. Everhart has been working as a scout in recent years, last managing in 1938 when he was 35-52 in part of a season for a dreadful Washington Eagles club. Prior to that he spent a season at the helm of the Philadelphia Sailors and a number of years as the Sailors Assitstant General Manager. Some observers were surprised that long-time Keystones catcher and current bench coach Carl Ames did not earn the promotion to the manager's seat. It does appear that Ames will remain with the organization in his present role of bench coach.

*** Real Reason Schmidt Left Keystones ****

Philadelphia Inquisitor sports editor Johnny Bologna had wondered in a recent column "what is it about this rash of Keystone manager retirements, year after year. Otto Schimdt did the job that John Heydon couldn't quite accomplish -win the WCS. The story for Schmidt's retirement is accomplishing his final managerial magic trick in only one year. I wonder if his previous experience with the Stars came into play here. He won in his first season (1939) and could not win another one, despite a pennant in his last season (1942). All in all it was quite a record for Schmidt in five seasons: 2 titles (1939, '45), 3 pennants (1939, '42, '45), a 2nd place finish and a 4th place finish. His teams finished above .500 all 5 seasons and retired with a .557 winning percentage (720-572)."

However, John Brinker of the New York Mirror reports that "It turns out that there's more to Otto Schmidt leaving baseball than just a desire to retire from the rigors of big league management. Schmidt was born in the city of Bad Schwalbach in Germany, located west of the city of Frankfurt. And he left behind family - an older sister who did not emigrate to the United States when their parents and young Otto did back in 1893. Irma Köhler (nee Schmidt) is 80 years old, and a widow. Both of her sons as well as three grandsons were killed in the war. Her husband died back in 1938. And she lives in Cottbus, a city that is located about 75 miles south of Berlin, a location now firmly in the Soviet Occupation zone. Otto, concerned about his older sister, has gone back to Germany; his goal is to bring Irma back to the United States. Failing that, he wishes to at least move her into the American zone near their family's original home in Bad Schwalbach."

Today marks the end of an era in Detroit. Dynamo great Frank Vance has hung up his glove and spikes and retired. Many had hoped that Vance, even at age 43, would come back for one more year in the sun, but he feels now is the right time to retire. Said Vance "I was considering retirement several years ago after Sal was drafted and then Red was traded. But I felt that with all the change and with the war going on, I wanted to stay. Stay and play the game and put out the best effort I could, even with father time creeping up on me. The fans of Detroit deserve a winner and I will be rooting for the Dynamo's with everything I have." When I asked Vance if he would consider coaching he simply stated "Someday yes I would love to come back to the game I love and it would be especially sweet if it were here in Detroit. For right now I am going to enjoy the off-season and spend time with my family. My son is playing in Jr. High and I want to be able to see as many games of his this year as I can before he goes onto high school ball. But I have been invited to spring training as a special hitting instructor for the organization and I will work hard to assist the Dynamo's in any way I can. This organization means a lot to me!"

I asked Vance why he wouldn't want to try and get the 30 hits he needed to get to the 3000 for a career and he quipped "Because I didn't want to become the all-time Dynamo strikeout king". Vance is 2nd amongst Dynamo's with 796 strikeouts trailing all time leader Danny James with 827.

Vance is Detroit's all time leader in many statistical categories and among the leaders in many others. His career was remarkable and there is a movement by long time fans to see Vance's Dynamo # retired. Hopefully they decide to do that this year. He was #8 for most of his career in Detroit. Maybe someday the Hall of Fame will call Vance's name. I think he should be in. To my friend Frank Vance, thanks for the memories and here's to seeing you down the road back in Detroit very soon.
Interesting times in New York. After an unexpected championship and some less than exciting years during the war, the Gothams wait for their players to return from military service. Then again so do all the other teams. This should make for a most interesting offseason and 1946 regular season. Who will thrive with this excess of talent? That's in the future. For now teams are waing through stacks of scouting reports, including any info they've gathered on the condition of players in the military, to pare down their organizations. They must determine which older players still have a place and where to slot men who were 18-19 when they left, but are now. much more mature.

For the Gothams, this means deciding whether pitchers like JIm Baggett and Cy Sullivan were placeholders or can be future contributors. With younger pitchers returning and maturing that seems unlikely. Many starting spots will be filled by established veterans like Messer, Brewer, Monier and the recently acquired Sal Pestilli. Pestilli is an interesting case. The Gothams took a chance, giving up even more draft capital to reunite Pestilli with Red Johnson. However there are some that say he may be a diminished player at age 30. Other scouting organizations say there should be no worries.

Another question for team management is, what to do with Ed Ziehl? The former manager and lifelong Gotham left the team to work for the war effort when his son and Gothams reserve Eddie Ziehl was drafted. By all accounts the elder Ziehl put in long hours helping to sell war bonds and talk to enlisted men as they were shipping out. Now with the war over and his son expected to return, though unlikely to find a spot on the Gothams roster, some have asked whether Ziehl would return to the team? Bud Jameson has led the squad the past season to an uninspiring finish. Does he deserve a shot with a full roster? My inquiries indicate that Jameson will continue as manager with Ed Ziehl taking an advisory position with the team, perhaps moving into an Assistant GM position at some point.

So much player movement. More to come as players return. It will be an interesting season.

• It seemed almost immediately after Tom Barrell announced his retirement, word came from Brooklyn that the former Kings legend would have his #45 jersey retired by the club. Barrell, who won 3 consecutive Allen Awards and led the Kings to three straight pennants, will be the first jersey ever retired by Daniel Prescott's club. As it turns out Barrell will still need that jersey. Not as a player, but as the next manager of the Kings as it was announced just this morning that Barell will replace Powell Slocum as Kings manager.
• Speaking of Slocum you have to think he is a front-runner for one of the remaining vacant jobs. A return to Pittsburgh -with a Miners team Slocum briefly managed in between stints in Brooklyn- might be the best fit.
• Chicago Cougars skipper Clyde Meyer's new projected Opening Day lineup has six (1B Ford, 2B Car, 3B Barnett, LF Mitchell, CF Montes, RF Hunter) new faces with four (Jones, Papenfus, Brown, Jones) new members in the rotation. The new lineup members make up the 1-6 spots against lefties and 1-5, 7 against righties, and the top three members of the rotation.
• The Toronto Wolves appear to have settled their 40-man for the most part, 38 with one open spot before Rule 5. Rule 5 list down to 71, going to be an interest few months in the FABL.
• Today's trivia question:Who is the first overall draft pick with the most career FABL wins? Impossible level bonus question. Who is the lowest drafted pitcher to ever win a FABL game? Answer at the bottom of this issue.

MAROONS REMAIN PERFECT WITH WIN OVER RAMBLERS

The Detroit Maroons ran their record to 3-0 with a 16-0 victory over the winless St Louis Ramblers at Thompson Field yesterday. As usual it was end Stan Vaught leading the way for the Detroit eleven, as the veteran hauled in 7 catches for 101 yards while also adding a fourth quarter interception to help preserve the shutout for the Maroons.

The Detroit defense was the difference in the game, as Frank Yurik's crew held the woeful Ramblers attack to just 135 net yards on the day and forced three turnovers. The closest St Louis came to scoring was on their opening drive but Bob Holt was unsuccessful on a 36 yard field goal attempt. The Detroit offense was far from dominating but the ever dependable Vaught made some big catches including a 15 yard grab in the closing minute of the first half that set up a 1 yard scoring run from Joe Shores. Shores would score both Detroit majors, each on a 1 yard plunge with the only score of the second half coming when St Louis quarterback Fran Jackson was tackled in his own endzone for a safety with just seconds remaining in the game.

Boston and Philadelphia are also undefeated, as the Eastern Division co-leaders each improved to 2-0. The Americans beat Washington -which was 2-0 entering the game- thanks to Del Thomas throwing for 210 yards and a pair of touchdowns while also forcing two Wasps fumbles. The Boston win came despite another big game from the Wasps passing duo of rookie quarterback Bob Krohn and receiver Johnny Douglas. Krohn threw 12 completions for 154 yards with Douglas, who had 8 catches for 103 yards and 2 scores, being his primary target. In Cincinnati, the visitors from Philadelphia followed up the city's World Championship Series win over the Cannons by winning again at Tice Stadium. This time it was the grid Frigates -defending AFA champs- who prevailed 7-3 in a defensive struggle. The Tigers took a 3-0 lead but the Frigates, who would also miss two field goals on the afternoon, put together a 13 play, 67 yard drive in the second quarter that culminated in a 3 yard run from Greg LePage for the games only touchdown. Cincinnati missed a glorious opportunity to start the second half when, with a first and goal on the Frigates 2 yard line, Gus Knox had a pass picked off by Bob Allen to keep the Frigates lead intact.

Chicago scored 10 points in the fourth quarter including an 8 yard pass from Gus Brown to Mark Lautzenheiser with 3:05 remaining in the game to lift the Wildcats past the Cleveland Finches 24-21. Lautzenheiser had a dominant game: rushing for 95 yards, making 4 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown while also chipping in defense with 6 tackles and an interception.

The other game also ended 24-21 with the New York Football Stars holding off the winless Pittsburgh Paladins 24-21. The Paladins had an opportunity to tie the game but Ron Johnson's 36-yard field goal attempt with 22 seconds left in the contest was no good. Pittsburgh could not get out of it's own way as the Paladins committed 7 turnovers including giving up the ball on each of their first five possessions, leading to 3 New York first quarter touchdowns.

The big game next week to watch will be the Philadelphia Frigates trip to Minutemen Stadium to face the Boston Americans as a pair of 2-0 teams stage the first of their two meetings this season. The Frigates have wins over the two Ohio teams, blanking Cleveland 30-0 at home before yesterday's 7-3 win in Cincinnati. Boston was on the road for both of its wins as they won 31-14 in Pittsburgh to open their season last week before edging Washington 24-21 yesterday.

SUNDAY'S RESULT
Philadelphia 7 Cincinnati 3
Detroit 16 St Louis 0
Boston 24 Washington 21
Chicago 24 Cleveland 21
New York 24 Pittsburgh 21

UPCOMING GAMES
SUNDAY OCTOBER 21
Philadelphia at Boston
Washington at New York
Pittsburgh at Detroit
St Louis at Chicago
Cleveland at Cincinnati


A crowd of 52,000 that flocked to the Bigsby Oval Saturday hoping- or fearing- that Rome State, the nation's number one team a year ago, would wallop the tar out of a young but hard working Detroit City College eleven. They got the result they hoped for-or feared- as the Centurions waltzed to a 41-14 triumph. Fortified with a human tank in the person of fullback Chet Donelson, and a jeep-sized zipping halfback in Gus Thompson, two lads who snared all but 10 of Rome State's 380 yards gained on the ground, it made for a long day for the Detroit City College lineman.

Annapolis Maritime is also, like Rome State, unbeaten at 3-0, after blanking Liberty College 27-0. The Navigators were short-staffed, missing their top two rushing threats but they cashed in on the breaks, taking advantage of 7 turnovers committed by the now 2-1 Bells.

45,000 jammed Tyrone Stadium to witness the St Blane Fighting Saints run their season mark to 3-0 with a 44-3 pasting of Grafton, marking the first mid-western appearance in several years for the Academia Alliance school. Other notable results came from the west coast were CC Los Angeles surprised Northern California 10-0 and Rainier College nipped Spokane State 7-6

COLLEGE SCOREBOARD
MIDWEST
Rome State 41 Detroit City College 14
Indiana A&M 59 College of Omaha 0
Central Ohio 3 Wisconsin State 0
Iowa A&M 13 Daniel Boone College 10
Whitney College 14 Western Iowa 7
Wisconsin Catholic 43 Eastern Kansas 0
St. Ignatius 16 Pittsburgh State 10
Minnesota Tech 72 Fort Warren 6
Fort Bragg 26 Charleston (IL) 9
Lawrence State 48 Wichita Baptist 16
Lambert College 53 Brookings State 9
Topeka State 33 Marles 3

EAST
Annapolis Maritime 27 Liberty College 0
St. Blane 44 Grafton 3
Henry Hudson 27 George Fox 10
St. Patrick's 28 Penn Catholic 0
Commonwealth Catholic 24 Bigsby College 14
Pierpont 37 North Carolina Tech 6
St. Pancras 6 Huntington State 3
Empire State 34 Eastern Virginia 0
Conwell College 38 Frankford State 6
Dickson 36 Irondequoit 0
Troy State (NY) 13 Coast Guard 0

SOUTH
Alabama Baptist 51 Columbia Military Academy 10
Noble Jones College 17 Central Kentucky 0
Georgia Baptist 44 Alabama A&T 7
Cowpens State 27 Carolina Poly 27
Cumberland 38 Western Tennessee 6
Western Florida 40 Bluegrass State 3
Alexandria 21 Charleston Tech 17
Richmond State 14 Chesapeake State 3
Maryland State 45 Merchant Marine 20
Mississippi A&M 24 Ruston Tech 0
Northern Mississippi 30 Northern Minnesota 3
Miami State 37 Laclede 3
Coastal State 30 Pensacola NAS 0

SOUTHWEST
Eastern Oklahoma 17 Texas Gulf Coast 9
Red River State 27 Baton Rouge State 0
Bayou State 28 Darnell State 14
Travis College 21 Oklahoma City State 17
College of Waco 3 Payne State 3
Lubbock State 23 Arkansas A&T 3
Canyon A&M 17 Amarillo Field 7

FAR WEST
CC Los Angeles 10 Northern California 0
Coastal California 30 San Diego Navy 13
Rainier College 7 Spokane State 6
Golden Gate University 27 College of San Diego 3
Lane State 16 Portland Tech 7
Mile High State 24 Provo Tech 17
Boulder State 20 Colorado Poly 7
Farragut Navy 21 Idaho A&M 17
Mountainview State 20 South Valley State 20
Cache Valley 37 Custer College 13

O'KEEFE PROVES 'RING KILLER' IN STOPPING PERRY IN 2ND

Dennis O'Keefe emerged in the role of a killer in the ring in his first big test against a top flight opponent. The timing was perfect for the the man known as the Jacksonville Jackhammer as just, 4 days after celebrating his 29th birthday, the Florida welterweight knocked out Ray Perry in a key bout that paves the way for O'Keefe to fight for the ABF title in the coming months.

The Florida born welterweight exhibited all of the ferocious fighting prowess of a tiger Saturday night in Baltimore as he quickly battered Perry into unconsciousness for a second round knockout of the Philadelphia native. The victory means O'Keefe's next fight will be against the winner of the October 26 duel between Mark Westlake and Carl Taylor with the World Title at stake. The welterweight division has been without a champion since 1939 when Jimmy 'Kid' Simpson retired at a not so childlike age of 37. Due to the war, no fight for the title has been fought since but a recent announcement set up the two 'playoff' bouts including the O'Keefe-Perry battle to set up a title fight.

Perry, who suffered just the second loss of his professional career and now sits with a 20-2-1 record, had a nice start and convincingly won the opening round. However, early in the second round O'Keefe caught Perry with a solid hook to the ribs that clearly hurt and left Perry trying to protect that spot. That left him exposed up top and O'Keefe landed a solid combination that staggered Perry before a final blow to the chin had the Philadelphian out before he hit the canvas. There was only slight movement from the downed fighter before referee Johnny Galloway reached a count of 10.

CONLEY, CARMICHAEL IRON ON DIFFERENCES

As expected the World Heavyweight Fight slated for February 9 in Detroit will go as planned. The bout, to feature champ Hector Sawyer against veteran Englishman Leo Carmichael had hit a snag when there was some disagreement over the sharing of television money but fight promotor and long-time Sawyer manager Chester Conley has confirmed he has a signed contract in his hands and Sawyer will indeed face Carmichael February.

UPCOMING KEY FIGHTS
OCT 19- Bigsby Garden, New York. Frank Melanson defends his World Middleweight Title against Todd Gill.
OCT 26- Lake Side Arena, Chicago. Mark Westlake vs Carl Taylor. Winner to meet Dennis O'Keefe for welterweight title.

• The Government warned the nation it was headed for the worst winter of hardships since the depression unless there was an early end to the soft coal strike.
• Fifty Superfortresses began to shuttle food and medicine in Okinawa, isolated and ravaged by the worst typhoons in 20 years.
• The new Japanese cabinet abolished all restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly while also completing the dissolution of home naval and airfleet headquarters in compliance with American directives.
• Col. Jaun D. Peron, fallen Argentina strong man, was arrested by Federal police who told him he better surrender so that it would not appear he was encouraging resistance to the government change in the South American country. The arrest was confirmed by Evita Duarte, radio actress and protege of Colonel Peron.
• Late word out of Luxembourg says that General George S. Patton, Commander of the US 15th Army, was injured in an automobile accident. No immediate word on how serious the injuries might be or details on the cause.
  
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TRIVIA ANSWER: Tom Barrel, selected by the Chicago Cougars in 1929 is the leader in career pitching wins by a first overall draft pick. Barrell is presently 179-111 for his career. Toronto's Joe Hancock (139) and Barrell's nephew Deuce Barrell of Cincinnati (108) are second and third among first overall picks. The bonus question of the lowest drafted player to ever be credited with a win in a FABL game is Washington's Kid Campbell, who was selected 390th overall in 1932. It took him a while but won his first game in 1944, and went 12-8 this season.

October 22, 1945 Awards handed out
 

OCTOBER 22, 1945

ANOTHER WHITNEY FOR BOBBY BARRELL

CA Hurler Vote Among Tightest Ever

It comes as little surprise that for the second year in a row Bobby Barrell was the unanimous choice as the Federal Association's Whitney Award winner. It was not quite as dominant as his triple crown season of a year ago, but the Philadelphia Keystones star outfielder still managed to lead all of FABL in both homeruns and rbi's. That, along with his .331 batting average and nearly single-handedly carrying the Keystones offense to a second straight pennant and a World Championship Series victory was more than enough to convince all 16 voters that Barrell should once again top each of their ballots for the best hitter in the Fed. Barrell is still just 35 years old but already owns 4 Whitney Awards, 2 World Championship Series MVPs and has been selected to the All-Star Game 10 times. Only Max Morris, with 8, and Cincinnati's Al Wheeler, with 5, have won more Whitney Awards.

Wheeler finished second in the Continental Association Whitney poll, with Toronto's Walt Pack leading the way to claim his first Whitney. The 31 year old Wolves infielder led the Continental Association in homeruns with 31 and his .514 slugging percentage was also tops in the loop. Pack garnered 8 first place votes with Wheeler and the Chicago Cougars Skipper Schenider -who finished 3rd- claiming 3 each while Toronto's Charlie Artuso and Cincinnati's Chuck Adams each were named first on a single ballot.

It was the Continental Association Allan Award that may be the topic of much debate over the winter. George Garrison of the Toronto Wolves received just 6 of the 16 first place votes but his 94 points earned was one better than Cincinnati's Deuce Barrell despite the fact Barrell was the top name on 8 ballots. The remaining two first-place votes went to New York Stars rising young star Eli Panneton, who finished third. For the season Garrison was 19-8 with a 2.79 era to claim his first Allan Award.

There was no controversy in the Federal Association Allen selection as just like the Fed Whitney, the top pitcher in the loop was also a unanimous selection and rightly so. Washington veteran Lou Ellertson was a very deserving winner after posting a 22-6 season with a dominating 1.61 era. That 1.61 earned run average was the lowest seen in either association since Don Cannaday's 1.57 in 1916 as a 22 year old rookie with the New York Gothams.

FINAL TWO MANAGERIAL VACANCIES FILLED

The Cleveland Foresters and Pittsburgh Miners have each named their new manager, filling the last of the four vacancies that had opened since the World Championship Series concluded. The Foresters elected to stay within the organization to select their new skipper, promoting Pinky Howard from AAA Rochester to the big seat at Forester Stadium while in Pittsburgh the Miners opted for big league experience in tabbing former Keystones bench boss Bill Libby for the role.

Libby is a 59 year old who captained the Keystones from 1939 thru 1943, compiling a 391-379 record in the process. He also spent some time as the bench coach of the Philadelphia Sailors but the former hurler earned his greatest success as a pitching coach, winning a pair of WCS titles with Detroit and Brooklyn while helping guide the Kings staff of the mid-1930's to five straight 90-win seasons. As a player, the Rochester, NY native had a long minor league career but played just one season in the majors -compiling a 9-18 record for the 1908 Montreal Saints.

The 51 year old Howard replaces Dick Gallo with the Cleveland Foresters following Gallo's dismissal after three seasons at the helm. Like Gallo, Howard spent some time in Rochester before getting his first big league job but enjoyed great success with the AAA Rooks. Howard led the Rooks to an 80-60 record and a Union League title this past season -hist second pennant in three years with the Foresters top farm team. He also won pennants in the Heartland League and Lone Star Association as a hitting coach but his managerial experience is limited to 3 very strong seasons in Rochester and two very bad years with the Newark Aces of the same Union League a dozen years ago. As a player, Howard spent 7 seasons in the St Louis Pioneers outfield, winning a World Championship Series in 1921 and leading the Federal Association in doubles the following season.

A little over a week ago the Brooklyn Kings filled their vacancy with the hiring of recently retired pitching ace Tom Barrell while the Philadelphia Keystones tabbed Jack Everhart to replace the retired Otto Schmidt. The four managerial changes in one off-season is the most the league has seen in quite some time. Powell Slocum's dismissal after spending the past decade in Brooklyn makes Boston's Bill Boshart and Joe Ward of the Chicago Chiefs the deans among active managers. Each will embark on their 10th season in charge of their respective clubs when Opening Day arrives for the 1946 season. Here are the 4 newcomers and a list of managers ranked by years in their current job effective next April.
It was unnoticed by most but GM DD Martin's contract expires at the end of the season. Martin has been conducting business and has been discussion a contract extension in Detroit with team owner Powell Thompson for some time. Word has come out that Thompson who often has clashed with Martin privately has offered the GM a 3-year contract extension to remain in Detroit. No word yet if the contract has been accepted by Martin but he did show up at the Dynamo office's this morning and when he left at the end of the day he was not carrying out any boxes. There is rumor of the GM discussing the possibility of leaving Detroit. Some have said he longs to go back to the west coast, others have said that when "Big Money" Ed Thompson passed away his passion for the Dynamo left as well. While he did enjoy a better relationship with Big Money Thompson, that relationship was not always smooth sailing. Could Martin leave Detroit and go to the West Coast Great Western League? There have been rumors of that circuit moving forward away from the FABL umbrella and establishing it self as a 3rd big league association. Or could his eyes be on another destination in the FABL?

The Dynamo's future for next season is uncertain. While the club has been very competitive (some say over-achieving) the last 2 seasons, there is concern that the talent coming back from the war is not what it was when they left. While the organization has a great farm system with still many impact bats will they all be ready for the 1946 season? Time will tell if Martin signs the contract and stays in Detroit or he rides off into the sunset. When I asked him about the contact he didn't really answer just saying he was planning to spend some time away from the office for a week or two and be with his family.

*** DYNAMO'S MAKE ROSTER MOVES ***

Well always late to the party the Dynamo's have finally made some moves. Yes the D-Men have made minor league waiver claims on 3 players. We will see if any stick or can crack the big league lineup. On the other side of the coin Detroit made some moves to add returning players to their 40-man roster finally. After the moves the Dynamos will have 38 slots occupied but started the day at 32. They added the following 7 players.
SS/2B Gil London
SP Wally Hunter
SP Ed Whetzel
C Rick York
3B/U Constantine Peters
RP Frank Gordon
CF Ollie Williams

They also DFA C Tommy Morris as they did not want to carry 4 catchers on the 40-man roster. Detroit also started the process of cutting players in the lower levels of their organization. No notable names released but the process has finally started before the GM leaves town for a little vacation to mull over the contract offer. The changes on the 40-man roster are likely not done. There is some talk that CF Aart MacDonald will be traded or let go eventually. They are still looking at several players both on the current 40-man roster and some that will likely end up there.

When asked about the youngster like SS Stan Kleminski, CF Edwin Hackberry along with others, the GM just said those decisions are not required now. But if those kids make the club in spring training, and they will have every opportunity to do so, they will force our hand to make further moves. Most feel that SS Kleminski will be in Detroit to team with 2B Del Johnson meaning that both Hank Grant and Gil London could be on the trade block.

With 3B Frank Vance's retirement that virtually assures that 3B/U man Constantine Peters will be the Opening Day 3rd sacker with Mack Sutton perhaps moving to 1B. Who knows maybe Peters will be the 1B going forward or join the overcrowded OF group. Grant and London will probably get lots of opportunities all over the infield this spring if they remain with the club.

• With all 4 big league openings filled it appears that Powell Slocum has finally ended his association with the game after being involved in the sport for 41 years. The Hall of Fame player spent the past 10 seasons at the helm of the Kings and had a previous stop in Brooklyn as well as a stint in Pittsburgh that left him 14th all-time with 2,427 big league games as a manager. He led the Kings to 3 pennants and the 1937 World Championship Series title.
• Outrage in Cincinnati as Cannons supporters feel like Deuce Barrell got a raw deal in Allen Award balloting. It would have been Deuce's third Allen win, matching his uncle Tom but it was not to be as Toronto's George Garrison won by the narrowest margin quite likely in the history of the FABL awards.
• Toronto is surprised at the Garrison win, Brett Bing didn't even have him first on his ballot. Pack was deserving he is doing off-season work on his hot corner skills. With McCormick at 1B he will have to handle the other corner position. Call was adamant in his exit interview that stepping up his defense is a must, the question fans are asking is "Where does leave Holiday?" Look for the Wolves to move someone from the logjam of infielders over the winter.
• Today's trivia question. We covered pitchers last week so on the hitter side a similar question. Who is the first overall pick with the most career FABL hits and who is the lowest drafted player with at least one career big league hit?

MELANSON AND GILL BATTLE TO DRAW

Rematch Likely With Middleweight Title At Stake

15 rounds of fistic action between Frank Melanson and Todd Gill determined nothing, other than the fact that rematch is most certainly warranted and will be in great demand. The two staged one of the most entertaining fights the Bigsby Garden has hosted in years but in the end no winner could be determined as the bout, with Melanson's recently acquired World Middleweight Title at stake, was declared a majority draw.

Two of the judges scored it dead even with the third giving the challenger a narrow 2 point victory. It was a fight that went back and forth, and one that seemed certain to be over in the 13th round when Melanson, who won the title in June with a suprise upset victory over Archie Rees, caught Gill as the challenger was moving in with a quick hook. It was a bit of a delayed reaction but the punch -that was clearly right on the button- saw Gill drop to the canvas. Referee Jimmy Hooper had reached 9 on his count when Gill finally made it back to his feet. He did not look steady and Melanson gave him everything he had in the most lobsided round of the fight but someone Gill made it through the final two minutes of the round. Melanson tried to finish it the 14th but came up short and clearly wore himself out in doing so as both fighters spent most of the final round leaning and holding while each was gasping for breath.

Melanson, who was still working in a Pittsburgh war plant when he beat Rees for the title, still has never lost as a professional. The 28 year old Pittsburgh native is 28-0-2 with his other draw coming back in 1936 in just his fourth fight as a pro. Gill, a 33 year old Hartford native sees his record now sitting at 20-1-5.

MELANSON HANGS ON TO BELT BUT DISAPPOINTS IN 15-ROUND DRAW

For anyone who thinks 15 rounds are too long for a boxing match, this bout could change your mind. For anyone who thinks 45 minutes must be enough to settle things, do I have a story for you! Frank "The Tank" Melanson, in his first title defense as World Middleweight Champion, and challenger Todd Gill fought to a majority draw at Bigsby Garden in New York. They say ties are like kissing your sister, and if that is true, this tie was Times Square on V-J Day.

Melanson and Gill had one loss between them, but the two combatants took their time in dispensing with hostilities. The two fighters spent more time circling, dancing, clutching, and grabbing than slugging in the early rounds. Gill was impressing early from what punching did take place, but no noticeable weakness was evident in either fighter. On my card, Melanson really scored his first good shot with a hook about a minute into the fourth round, followed by a combination to the body seconds later.

In Round 8, Melanson started making his move late in the round with the jab. He was able to get out of his corner and force Gill to retreat as the bell sounded to end the round. However, much like the rest of the fight, Melanson could not carry that momentum into the next round. This trend continued in the next couple of rounds. Melanson took what Gill could dish out early in the round and came back with an offensive in the final minute to leave a good impression on the judges as they scored the round.

As the fight entered the final rounds, Melanson started to take control of the bout. Undoubtedly upon instruction from his corner men, Tank came out firing in the 12th round with an early cross and worked some more on the body with combos, while Gill was clearly on the defensive. Melanson’s best claim to retain his belt was in the 13th round, going right at Gill to start the round. Gill did not create space to trade punches and Melanson caught him with a hook that sent Gill to the canvas in the only knockdown of the fight.

Gill managed to reach his feet on a nine-count and as Melanson went in for the kill, dominating the rest of the round. But was it too little, too late to win the fight? Round 14 had Melanson pushing to end the fight, but he clearly ran out of gas for the final round where the final impression could have made a difference. It was Melanson’s fight to win in the final moments and he could not land that final crushing blow.

It went to the judges’ cards and both of the American arbiters scored the fight 142-142. The Canadian judge had it 143-141 in favor of the challenger, but the official decision was a “majority draw”. Melanson held on to the WBO Middleweight belt, as his record moves to 29-0-2, while Gill will settle for a 20-1-5 fight card.

Melanson lives to fight another day, but so does Gill. The Tank was the only fighter to stay on his feet. However, his sudden rise to the championship did not afford him the reputation he needed to curry the necessary favor of the judges. Gill was one count away from losing the fight, but he showed well in the first half of the fight, which carried him to the draw. If the bout went another round, Melanson could have won. Alas, rules are rules and ties are ties. Pucker up.

HENDRICKS WINS AGAIN

JC Hendricks, a scrappy 23 year old Detroit middleweight, continues to draw praise as he improved his record to 8-1 with an easy decision over Mike Ross in New Haven last night. Hendricks, who's only loss came in 1940 when he was leading Thomas Erwin but was disqualified when his opponent was cut by a headbutt, is rapidly rising the middleweight ranks. He gained a lot of attention for a July win over previously unbeaten Canadian Adrian Petrie and last night's mauling of Ross (12-6-7) did nothing to change that opinion.

AMERICANS WIN EAST SHOWDOWN

Take Defensive Battle Over Defending Champs

The defense led the way as the two teams expected to battle it out for top spot in the Eastern Division met at Minutemen Stadium in Boston. When the dust settled it was the hometown Boston Americans left standing as the only unbeaten team in the Eastern section thanks to a hard-fought 7-0 win over the Philadelphia Frigates. The Boston defense was outstanding, holding the defending AFA champions to just 157 yards of total offense on the day but the Frigates were left wondering what might have been after squandering a pair of first half opportunities.

The game was scoreless at the end of 30 minutes but Philadelphia fans would lament the play that as it turned out cost them the ballgame. It came late in the first quarter after the Frigates had very little success on each of their first three possessions. The Frigates seemed to get a break when the Americans Billy Van Overloop fumbled a punt return. Don Hulsey of the Philadelphia eleven came out of the pile with the ball and the Frigates had outstanding field possession, starting at the Boston 41 yard line. Nine plays later Frigates end Norm Kirschke caught a pass on the Boston 3 but as he turned towards the endzone he was belted by a Boston defender and coughed up the pigskin. John Marcantonio recovered from the hometown Americans and the Frigates would lose a glorious opportunity to open the scoring.

A second opportunity to pick up the games' opening points was also squandered as Bob Allen shanked a 17 year old field goal attempt late in the second period. Boston would get the game's only points on the opening drive of the the second half, with Del Thomas connecting with Oscar Sweeney for a 17 yard touchdown. The Frigates had some hope early in the fourth quarter when a tremendous goal line stand held and prevented a second Boston score, but they failed to take advantage of the opportunity and accomplished nothing of value on their final 3 possessions before the clock ran out.

*** Dominant Day For Vaught ***

Stan Vaught might have had a fairly slow start to the season -at least by his standards- but the veteran Detroit Maroons end had a dominant day Sunday at Thompson Field to help lead the Maroons to a 43-21 win over Pittsburgh. Vaught caught 9 balls fror 191 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Those totals pushed him over 8,000 career receiving yards in a league where no other player has even amassed 3,000. The 191 yards was the fourth highest single game mark ever achieved and the second most in a game by Vaught himself.

Elsewhere the passing duo of Bob Krohn and Johnny Douglas had another big day for Washington. The rookie Krohn threw for 219 yards while Douglas caught 7 passes for 165 yards and his league leading 6th touchdown grab of the season but it was the ground game, and in particular Bob Rochman's three rushing touchdowns -for a combined total of 4 yards- that proved the difference in a 28-10 Wasps win over the New York Football Stars.

Gus Brown continued his steady play under center for the Chicago Wildcats. Brown threw for 202 yards and 4 touchdowns to lead the Wildcats to a 35-7 victory over the struggling St Louis Ramblers. On the year Brown has made 100 pass attempts, tossed 12 for touchdowns and been interecepted only once.

The Cincinnati Tigers secured bragging rights for the state of Ohio with their second win this season -both against Cleveland- topping the Finches 14-2. The second year Tigers defense has been outstanding this season but their offense continues to struggle although Tony Greenwood had a good day with 3 catches for 69 yards including a 12 yard touchdown grab. Greenwood leads the Tigers with 3 touchdowns this season.

SUNDAY'S RESULT
Boston 7 Philadelphia 0
Washington 28 New York 10
Detroit 43 Pittsburgh 21
Chicago 35 St Louis 7
Cincinnati 14 Cleveland 2

UPCOMING GAMES
SUNDAY OCTOBER 28
Boston at New York
St Louis at Philadelphia
Pittsburgh at Washington
Chicago at Cincinnati
Cleveland at Detroit

NO MORE CHOPPY WATER FOR NAVIGATORS

After barely surviving a scare from Carolina Poly two weeks ago the Annapolis Maritime grid eleven have fired a shot across the bow of the rest of collegiate football. The Navigators blanked Liberty College 27-0 a little over a week ago and nearly pulled off another clean slate, surrendering just a late score to the Gators in a 39-6 pasting of Georgia Baptist in Baltimore on Saturday. The navy boys, along with cadets at Rome State -who cavorted their way thru a 54-0 sinking of Melville PT Boats on Saturday- are two of a shrinking list of teams with a perfect record. The Centurions were once again led by the touchdown twins -Chet Donelson and Gus Thompson- who each ran for three scores and had the vast majority of the 527 yards rushing Rome State acccumulated on the day. The Centurions, like Annapolis Maritime, are 4-0 on the season.

In a battle of a pair of unbeatens from the South it was Willie Hubbard that made all the difference in the world. Hubbard passed brilliantly before a 25,000 hometown audience to pace Alabama Baptist to a 23-16 victory over previously unbeaten Cumberland in a game billed as likely to produce at least one of the major post-season Classic participants. Hubbard's throwing and punting kept the Cumberland Explorers in constant trouble through the first half and gave his team a decisive 17-0 lead before the invaders made their first threat. Vicious Baptist line play, led by powerful senior center Billy Underwood, also was a major factor in helping the Chargers improve to 4-0.

St Blane is also a perfect 4-0 after the Fighting Saints dumped Pittsburgh State 27-6. Other notable contests saw Central Ohio remain perfect in Great Lakes Alliance section play with a 17-7 win over Whitney College. Lubbock State and Travis College are both 5-0 in the southwest after the Hawks beat College of Waco 14-6 and the Bucks outscored Arkansas A&T 45-42. On the west coast Oregon gained the bragging rights on their northern neighbors as Lane State blanked Rainier College 10-0 while Portland Tech trimmed Spokane State 10-7.

COLLEGE SCOREBOARD
MIDWEST
Central Ohio 17 Whitney College 7
Wisconsin State 17 Lincoln 14
Indiana A&M 24 Western Iowa 9
St. Magnus 20 Minnesota Tech 17
Iowa A&M 42 College of Omaha 10
Daniel Boone College 48 Eastern Kansas 7
Topeka State 38 Fort Riley 10
Lambert College 41 Mile High State 10
Wisconsin Catholic 37 Great Lakes Navy 29
St. Ignatius 31 Dearborn State 0
Laclede 20 Peoria State 3
Northern Minnesota 21 Penn Catholic 16

EAST
St. Blane 27 Pittsburgh State 6
Henry Hudson 27 Empire State 21
Ellery 23 St. Patrick's 23
Liberty College 23 Frankford State 6
Sadler 16 Brunswick 10
Dickson 26 New London Submarine 0
Bigsby College 30 Elmhurst College 13
Conwell College 34 Huntington State 0

SOUTH
Alabama Baptist 23 Cumberland 16
Rome State 54 Melville PT Boats 0
Annapolis Maritime 39 Georgia Baptist 6
Opelika State 23 Baton Rouge State 13
Miami State 28 Western Florida 0
Western Tennessee 27 Alabama A&T 3
Noble Jones College 27 Bayou State 14
Central Kentucky 21 Bluegrass State 14
Maryland State 24 Chesapeake State 16
Cowpens State 21 Charleston Tech 20
Richmond State 16 Alexandria 0
Northern Mississippi 38 Maxwell Field 0
North Carolina Tech 28 Cherry Point Marines 0
Petersburg 16 Gentry 7
Merchant Marine 14 Eastern Virginia 6

SOUTHWEST
Lubbock State 14 College of Waco 6
Oklahoma City State 30 Lawrence State 10
Texas Gulf Coast 13 Red River State 13
Travis College 45 Arkansas A&T 42
Darnell State 28 Amarillo Methodist 0
Payne State 54 Kit Carson University 0
Eastern Oklahoma 45 Provo Tech 14

FAR WEST
Coastal California 34 College of San Diego 6
CC Los Angeles 30 Golden Gate University Pre-Flight 0
Lane State 10 Rainier College 0
Portland Tech 10 Spokane State 7
Mountainview State 6 Boulder State 3
Golden Gate University 68 McClellan Field 0
Custer College 17 Idaho A&M 16
Cache Valley 31 Colorado Poly 0

CAGE TOP PLAYER AWARD NAMED AFTER BARRETTE

The annual award presented to the best collegiate basketball player in the nation now has a name and a trophy to go with the honour. After much debate in which several possibilities were considered the decision has been made to call the award the Art Barrette Trophy.

It is named after the winningest coach in collegiate cage history as Barrette, who retired after the 1941-42 season, spent 31 seasons as a head coach including 26 at the helm of the Coastal California Dolphins. Barrette is the all-time winningest coach in AIAA history with a 789-263 mark and led his team to 18 conference titles and 12 appearances in the National semi-finals with 3 of those including a berth in the championship game. Despite all of his on-court success the one thing that eluded Barrette was a National Title.

Born in Inez, Kentucky, the 66 year old moved west as a small child and starred in football and baseball as a high schooler. He attended Portland Tech University where he played football and club basketball from 1903-06. It was not yet officially recognized as a intercollegiate sport by the AIAA but that changed in 1909 when Barrette was hired to coach Idaho A&M in the debut year of college basketball. He spent five seasons with the Pirates and led them to a berth in the National Tournament in 1914. Coastal California came calling that summer and he would spent the better part of three decades leading the Dolphins program with 19 of his players being named All-Americans.

Here are the players who won the AIAA Player of the Year Award which is now called the Barrette Trophy

• John Lewis, head of the United Mine Workers union, has directed more than 200,000 striking soft coal miners to return to work Monday, which would bring an end to a strike which has curtailed fuel production for 26 days.
• The Senate Finance Committee voted in favour of a bill the House passed last week, exempting 12 million low paid individuals from Federal Income Taxes next year.
• The late President Roosevelt is being accused of running out on a pre-election pledge to American Jews for the establishment of a Jewish national homeland in Palestine. Republicans accused him of secret agreements bowing to British and Arab opposition.
• Former Vichy Premier and Nazi puppet was executed by firing squad in Paris as a traitor.
• General Dwight D. Eisenhower reports that German Communists virtually rule the roost in Berlin but expressed belief that a "fair and impartial" election would end their dominance.
• The Japanese cabinet balked at taking any immediate action on Gen. Douglas MacArthur's demand that industrial monopolies be broken up.
• A provisional junta has taken over the government of Venzuela and announced it would rule until free elections could be held. The group took over the presidential offce of deposed Presistend Isaias Medina and issued a release stating "the situation is under control, both in Caracas and the interior." But a day later rebel planes bombed the capital and fighting between revolutionary troops and national guard units loyal to the deposed President broke out.
  
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TRIVIA ANSWER: A fairly easy one as Max Morris (#1 in 1913) leads the way with 3651. Al Wheeler (1925 with 3072) and Rankin Kellogg (1922 with 2770) round out top 3. Much tougher for the lowest draft pick with at least one big league hit as it was done by a player selected not once, but twice in a round that does not even exist any more. Jay Combs was a 28th round pick twice (and in the 12th round once as well making him one of the few to be drafted three times) and likely the only player selected 3 times by the same team: St. Louis. The final time Combs was selected was with pick 456 in 1923. First hit came for him with the New York Gothams in 1927.

October 29, 1945
 

OCTOBER 29, 1945

TEXAS TWOSOME TURNED DOWN IN EXPANSION BID

There are reports that FABL had been approached about expanding with two new teams based in Texas but were turned down by FABL President Sam Belton. The two biggest markets in the Lone Star Association -Dallas and Houston- are said to have contacted FABL about making the jump to the big leagues, likely for the 1946 campaign. The owners, Paul Burnett in Dallas and Houston's John Mark, felt the timing was perfect for expansion with all of the players returning from the war creating a great surplus of talent.

The duo would presumably have joined either the Federal or Continental Association, bringing one of those two loops up to ten teams while the other remained at eight. However, the idea was quickly shot down by the league office, citing unofficially the uncertain financial picture of the league and travel concerns as two stumbling blocks although there was speculation the league is eyeing California, and not Texas for any possible future expansion plans.

FABL President Sam Belton refused to give any confirmation he had been approached by the two Lone Star Association club owners and made no comment on expansion beyond stating that FABL is very happy with it's current 16 team structure.

MANY BIG LEAGUERS LOOKING FOR WORK AS WAR RETURNEES RECLAIM JOBS

Karl Wallace, George Rotondi, Larry Colaianni, Steve Summers and Don Miller. Those are just a few of the ballplayers who spent last season in the big leagues but now are in danger of finding themselves out of the game entirely. Hundreds of players -mostly minor leaguers but 28 players who appeared in at least one FABL game last season- have been released since the conclusion of the World Championship Series and many more will follow. The reason: With the end of the war nearly every player who left the sport for the service has returned and all are looking to reclaim the jobs they held before the war. For the top players that is certainly happening but there are also hundreds of minor leaguers who will not have a job to return to.

Certainly the biggest name on the list has to be the 36 year old Colaianni. The third baseman was among the Federal Association leaders when he hit .325 last season but with Mel Carrol returning from the Navy the Eagles had no room for the two-time all-star. Washington also gave outfielder Don Miller his walking papers despite the fact the 31 year old started 123 games in the Eagles outfield last season and hit .274. Former rookie of year Jesse Alvardo's impending return made Miller expendable and the Eagles also saved money by letting glove first shortstop Jack Bush go.

The New York Stars were in the same situation with shortstop Steve Summers. Summers hit .263 a year ago but the 32 year old had some misadventures in the infield and was clearly just a stopgap until Joe Angevine returned from the Navy, which he is slated to do in the next month. Pitcher Johnny Cook was another casualty in New York, joining Karl Wallace, who won 11 games last season for the Philadelphia Sailors, longtime Cincinnati reliever Larry Brown and Bob Cummings from the Chicago Chiefs on the unemployment line.

*** Rebel League a Possibility ***

Many estimate there will be well over 1,000 professional ballplayers out of work next summer when the dust settles and all those who aided in the war effort have returned. That has fueled speculation of another minor league or perhaps multiple leagues being formed. Some have even go as far as suggest there is a growing movement south of the border in Mexico to open a full fledged professional league -perhaps with an idea of one day expanding to the United States and taking FABL head on. The rumour has become so rampant that the phrase "better brush up on your Spanish" or words to that effect have been bandied about by many a fringe big leaguer.

No details have been released yet and no potential league organizers or team owners have revealed anything to the general public but multiple sources are indicating there will be at least one more baseball league active when play resumes in the spring. All it takes is a quick glance at the list of free agent baseball players and it is easy to see that there will be more than enough players looking for work and likely many eager for the opportunity.

• The Eagles cut ties with Jack Bush, releasing the 32 year old shortstop last week. Bush seemed doomed from the start in Washington when in the spring before his big league debut Lemonhead McGuire -the Eagles manager at the time- threw a heap of pressure on the the 24 year old by annointing Bush as a future Hall of Famer despite the fact he was about a .240 hitter in the minors and had never stepped on a big league ballfield. Needless to say it did not go well. Bush was a terrific gloveman, and still is, but barely hit his weight in parts of six seasons in the nations capital, batting just .197.
• This week's Trivia Question: Powell Slocum announced his retirement from the game after 41 years as a player or manager. The Hall of Famer is the all-time leader in career hits and career batting average, having hit at a .375 clip over his 21 seasons in the majors. Slocum's .435 average in 1913 is the highest single season total ever recorded. Slocum batted at least .400 seven times in his career. Only 6 other players this century have hit .400 in a season and only one has done it more than once. The easy level question is name the player with multiple .400 seasons since 1900 and the expert level question is who are the other five to do it once?

PAIR OF UPSETS HIGHLIGHT PRO GRID ACTION

The Chicago Wildcats have only visited Cincinnati twice but they clearly do not enjoy the trip as the second year Tigers knocked off the Wildcats at Tice Memorial Stadium for the second consecutive season. The 28-14 Tigers victory was one of two upsets in Sunday grid play as the Washington Wasps were surprised at home, falling 24-16 to a Pittsburgh Paladins eleven that snapped a 4-game skid with it's first victory.

Four interceptions thrown by the usually reliable Gus Brown including one that Tigers back Barry Abbott returned 19 yards for a third quarter touchdown to tie the game at 14 was the difference in Cincinnati. In the nation's capital it was a pair of scoring runs by Syl Tyma that helped the Paladins claim their first victory, one that came despite 2 more touchdown catches and 188 yards receiving from Johnny Douglas of the Wasps.

There was no upset in Detroit as the Maroons improved to 5-0 by thumping Cleveland 45-6. Stan Vaught had another big game for the winners, making 8 catches for 189 yards including three touchdown receptions. Greg LePage ran for 204 yards to pace the Philadelphia Frigates to a 42-0 whitewashing of the winless St Louis Ramblers while at the Bigsby Oval the visiting Boston Americans pitched their second straight shutout in a 16-0 win over New York. Del Thomas led the way for the Yanks with 128 yards passing while also making 5 tackles and picking off a pair of passes on defense.

SUNDAY'S RESULT
Boston 16 New York 0
Philadelphia 42 St Louis 0
Pittsburgh 24 Washington 16
Cincinnati 28 Chicago 14
Detroit 45 Cleveland 6

UPCOMING GAMES
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 4
St Louis at New York
Philadelphia at Washington
Detroit at Chicago
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Cleveland at Boston

ROME STATE CONTINUES TO SET THE PACE

After a perfect season that culminated in a National Championship a year ago the Rome State Centurions are well on their way to duplicating that feat. Rome State improved to 5-0 with a 58-17 plastering of Carolina Poly Saturday and the cadets sit atop the first edition of our 1945 collegiate grid rankings. It seems that no other school can compete with the mighty Rome State running game after they flattened a valiant but overmatched Cardinals team before 42,000 at the Bigsby Oval on Saturday. On the Centurions first play from scrimmage speedy back Gus Thompson broke smack through the Cardinals line and bulldozed his way 54 yards to a touchdown, and from that point on it was only a question of how tall a score the Rome State invincibles wanted to run up.

Annapolis Maritime barely escaped with a victory against Carolina Poly a couple of weeks ago, nipping the Cardinals by a single point, yet the Navigators hold down the number two spot in our rankings. A point made just to illustrate how much of a gap their appears to be between the Centurions and everyone else in AIAA grid play. The Navigators are also 5-0, and were quite impressive in a 43-23 win over Pierpont on the weekend but face a big test when they will travel to Cleveland for a neutral site game against St Blane, which is ranked third after the Fighting Saints waltzed thru the Western Iowa line for 545 rushing yards in a 53-0 walloping.

Alabama Baptist had little trouble improving to 5-0 and claiming the fourth spot in the polls with a 34-10 win over Noble Jones College. Those four appear to be the class of the sport, at least thus far, with another dozen teams that likely could make a valid claim why they belong amongst the final six additions to TWIFB's top ten.

TOP TEN RANKINGS
1- Rome State (5-0)
2- Annapolis Maritime (5-0)
3- St Blane (5-0)
4- Alabama Baptist (5-0)
5- Travis College (6-0)
6- Henry Hudson (5-0)
7- Detroit City College (4-1)
8- Central Ohio (4-0-1)
9- Maryland State (5-0)
10-Cumberland (4-1)

COLLEGE SCOREBOARD
MIDWEST
Detroit City College 17 Lincoln 7
St. Magnus 17 Whitney College 17
St. Blane 53 Western Iowa 0
Central Ohio 13 Minnesota Tech 7
Indiana A&M 26 Payne State 14
Lawrence State 21 Topeka State 6
St. Ignatius 27 Wisconsin Catholic 24
Daniel Boone College 26 College of Omaha 13
Northern Minnesota 27 Lambert College 7
Great Lakes Navy 31 Bliss College 0
Laclede 37 Olathe Navy 17
Camp Mackall 38 Charleston (IL) 17

EAST
George Fox 23 Brunswick 7
Pittsburgh State 17 Conwell College 7
Henry Hudson 24 Ellery 10
Grafton 13 St. Pancras 9
Annapolis Maritime 43 Pierpont 23
Manhattan Tech 24 Bigsby College 20
Sadler 31 Garden State 3
Dickson 20 Coast Guard 0
St. Patrick's 30 Empire State 7
Coastal State 20 Columbia Military Academy 13
Merchant Marine 27 Commonwealth Catholic 7
Frankford State 24 Eastern Virginia 7

SOUTH
Alabama Baptist 34 Noble Jones College 10
Arkansas A&T 24 Mississippi A&M 14
Rome State 58 Carolina Poly 17
Western Florida 24 Marquis College 0
Georgia Baptist 29 Opelika State 19
Cumberland 37 Penn Catholic 0
Bayou State 35 Bluegrass State 0
Richmond State 24 Charleston Tech 13
Chesapeake State 21 Eastern State 14
Miami State 45 Ohio Poly 0
Maryland State 20 Huntington State 9
Queen City 10 Central Kentucky 7
Salisbury Christian 38 Petersburg 14

SOUTHWEST
Travis College 20 Red River State 7
Darnell State 20 Lubbock State 3
College of Waco 7 Canyon A&M 3
Texas Gulf Coast 15 Baton Rouge State 13
Oklahoma City State 55 Eastern Kansas 2
Eastern Oklahoma 30 Amarillo Methodist 6

FAR WEST
CC Los Angeles 17 Portland Tech 10
Rainier College 10 Coastal California 6
Spokane State 34 Idaho A&M 17
Provo Tech 24 Colorado Poly 13
Northern California 13 Kit Carson University 0
Cache Valley 23 Mile High State 14

CARL TAYLOR HANDS WESTLAKE FIRST LOSS SINCE '37

Taylor to Face O'Keefe for Welterweight Crown

Fans of the sweet science could not have asked for a much better display than the one put on at Lake Side Auditorium by welterweight hopefuls Carl Taylor and Mark Westlake on Friday evening. The duo, with the the prize at stake for the winner being a title shot against Dennis O'Keefe, gave it all they had for 12 hard-fought rounds before it went to the scorecards to determine the victor. Few could argue when referee Wayne Kelly lifted the rigth arm of 28 year old Baltimore native Carl Taylor in victory after the result was read.

Taylor was ahead on all three cards and this reporter had the rounds scored 7-5 in the winner's favour. Taylor was by far the busier fighter, but Westlake did a terrific job much of the fight dodging the blows and connected with some big shots of his own. It seemed clear to all in attendance that were they to fight again the results could easily have gone in the other direction. This was the second meeting between the two and shows just how far Taylor has progressed since being knocked out in the second round by Westlake back in 1940 when both were very early in their careers.

Next up for Taylor, who sports a 19-2-2 record as a professional, will be a fight March or April to finally crown a champion in the welterweight division -something it has not had since Jimmy Simpson hung up his gloves in 1939. Taylor's opponent will be The Jacksonville Jackhammer, a Florida brawler by the name of Dennis O'Keefe who improved to 19-1 with 11 knockouts by turning the lights out on Rudy Perry in the second round of their bout a couple of weeks ago.

Westlake, the Biloxi, Ms. born battler with a 19-2-1 mark, may just await the winner especially if Taylor prevails as it would make quite a spectacle for his first title-defense.

• President Truman told the nation in an historic Navy Day address that the United States, while retaining possession of the atomic bomb "as a sacred trust," intends to maintain it's armed might to preserve world peace as the only sure method of making this country's own freedom secure.
• Truman also has called for Congress to prescribe universal military training for one year of the nation's young men between 18 and 20 years old, calling it necessary to protect the peace and prevent-in an era of atomic warfare-"the destruction of this great nation."
• The Communists and Gen. Charles De Gaule shared victory in France's first general election in nine years. First semi-official returns gave Communist candidates 142 national assembly seats, 2 more than De Gaule's second place Socialist-Catholic popular Republican Party and nine over the third place Socialists.
• The death toll is pegged between 2000-5000 according to 11 Americans returning from revolt ravaged Venezuela.
• An official source says that an agreement has been reached between President Truman and British Prime Minister Attlee on the Arab-Jewish controversy in Palestine and details probably will be announced next week.
  
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TRIVIA ANSWER: .400 hitters since 1900. Max Morris is the only one other than Powell Slocum to hit at least .400 in more than one season. Mighty Mo did it in 1921 (.412) and 1925 (.418) with St Louis. The other five to have a .400 season this century are Jack Arabian (1901), Thomas Watkins (1902), George Cary (1903), John Dibblee (1911) and Mel Carrol (1937). All but Carrol, who is still active in Washington, and Cary are in the Hall of Fame.

November 5, 1945
 

NOVEMBER 5, 1945

PLANS UNDERWAY FOR REBEL BALL LOOP

With all the talk of rival football leagues and expansion bids for FABL being turned down many felt it would just be a matter of time before a new baseball league would attempt to climb the podium and compete with the Federal and Continental Associations. It appears that the first steps towards the reality of a third major baseball loop were taken this week and a name very familiar to sports fans was right in the middle of things. There are stories circulating out of the south that a new big league ball loop is coming and the man behind it is a prominent member of the Bigsby family.

Thomas X. Bigsby, the grandson of that old blackguard Charles Bigsby well known from the early days of big league baseball, is the said to be the main force behind the planned league. The younger Bigsby is, unlike most of his family, a straight shooter who attended Rome State and has spent the majority of his adult life in the U.S. Army. Aged 45 at war's end, Colonel Bigsby was a battalion commander under General Patton and like his mentor, is a hard-charging type who takes no bull and takes no prisoners. Now out of the military, he's looking to get back into the old family business of baseball.

Bigsby has not spoken to the media to confirm any plans for a possible new league so there is certainly no mention from him or anyone associated with his new endeavour of plans to challenge FABL head on. However, there is plenty of chatter coming out of the southwest that this potential new ball loop has aspirations much larger than just becoming another minor circiut.

Bigsby has found a perfect pair of partners in Paul Burnett and John Mark. The two Texans, owners of the Lone State Association's Dallas Centurions and Houston Bulls respectively, had approached FABL recently about the possibility of a pair of expansion teams for the state of Texas, but were quickly rebuffed by FABL boss Sam Belton. The duo have means -they are both "oil barons" with deep pockets whose families made their fortunes in oil- and are well acquainted with Bigbsy. After going to college together at Darnell State, Burnett and Mark joined the Army in 1942 and were company commanders in Patton's Third Army where they made friends with Bigsby.

When expansion hopes quickly dissipated, Bigsby is said to have stepped in and suggested a much more ambitious course of action. The trio are now reported to be close to rounding out a field of six to ten potential teams for their new loop with a likely infringement on the Great Western League's hold in California, as well as Mexico, considered probable targets. The three have stated very little publicly so far, but all indications are they expect this league to begin play in 1946 and may well attempt to raid FABL organizations for talent, although there will be a substantial pool of free agent players with big league experience due to the surplus caused by the war returnees.

PLAYERS WOULD WELCOME NEW BALL LOOP

There is a lot of noise coming out of Texas where a couple of ballclub owners from the Lone Star Association suddenly seem to have big league aspirations. It is no secret that the owners of the Dallas and Houston teams in the low level Texas based league tried to convince the Continental Association they needed more teams but FABL boss Sam Belton would have none of it.

Well, now it sounds like a member of the Bigsby family -although at least one much more upstanding than the typical thugs, well dressed yes, but thugs nonetheless that carry that surname- is in cahoots with the Texas boys to try and upset FABL's applecart with a league of their own. No word on if they have big league aspirations or are simply looking to form another high level minor league, but something tells me that whatever they attempt it will be without Belton, or FABL's, blessing.

*** Big Need For More Teams ***

While the magnates, particularly those out in California which is expected to be part of any new southwest based loop, want nothing to do with more competition, the ballplayers -nearly to a man- will be quite happy to see anything new that helps employee some of their brethren. We caught up with Fred Galloway of the Cannons the other day and he said that during his time in the coast guard he had severl discussions with fellow players over the concern of whether there would still be jobs for many of the ballplayers after the war. Now All-Stars like Galloway or Adam Mullins are clearly safe, but he was referencing the many minor leaguers who may not get another opportunity in the game once they made it back home.

From that standpoint, a new league seems like a very welcome addition. The worry is those Texas boys -and with a Bigsby at the helm- may just get too big for their britches and try and take a run at ballplayers under contract to FABL organizations already. We expect it to happen in football when, or possibly if, Percy Sutherland's new Continental Conference gets up and running and Jack Kristich and the AFA bosses are on pins and needles waiting to see what sort of bidding war might erupt for some of the top collegiate players, or even some of the existing AFA athletes. The last thing baseball wants is to see that happen in their sport, and you can bet more than a few of the FABL magnates are watching the situation in Texas very closely.

***Sheppard May Be Odd Man Out in Cannons Slab Staff ***

It is looking more and more like veteran Sam Sheppard may not have a job when the Cannons get around to starting a new ball season in April. The slab is clearly crowded this season with Chris Clarke, Bill Sohl, Charlie Griffith and Vic Carroll all expected to reclaim the big league jobs they held before the war. Add in highly touted 24 year old Bob Arman and that fills five of the eight or nine pitching slots. Deuce Barrell and Red Hampton are both locks as is Butch Smith, despite the rough go of things for the 1944 Allen Award winner last season.

At the most the Cannons will carry nine and there is quite a crew eyeing that last spot. Dan Adams went 14-9 a year ago and seems to have the inside track with Jake Smith, Glenn Payne, Jim Anderson and George DeForest likely all on the outside along with Sam Sheppard. It is entirely unlikely that Sheppard, a 14 year veteran who was acquired along with outfielder Gail Gifford last winter, will be willing to go to the minors and with every team facing a logjam his trade value will be low despite an Allen Award, a 191-153 career record and 3 all-star appearances including one just 2 years ago on his resume.

That leaves Cannons brass with a tough call. If Sheppard is not likely to make the Opening Day roster and not willing to take a minor league assignment does the club expose him in the rule 5 draft and risk losing him? The smart play may just be to drop him from the 40-man protected list in favor of a younger player with some minor league options.

*** Bengals Botch Big Opportunity ***

The Cincinnati Tigers certainly still have some growing to do. Fresh off an impressive upset win over the Chicago Wildcats -making it twice in a row the Tigers proved to be the big cat in the league- one could almost see the mane of hair on Tigers bench boss Jack Conn's dome turning from black to grey yesterday as the second year club showed its immaturity in a 20-17 loss in Pittsburgh. Offense is a big concern for Conn, but it was never more evident than in the second half against the Paladins porous defense. The Tigers managed just 2 first downs and only 47 yards of total offense, ruining a chance to go to 4-2 and be in the thick of the Western Division race.

The Cincinnati defense is solid, maybe among the best in the league, but until the Tigers find someone, anyone, who can direct the offense there are going to be ups and downs like we witnessed the last two weeks. How they can beat Chicago -a team that just knocked Detroit from the unbeaten ranks- a week ago and then go into Pittsburgh and fall to a Paladins team that entered the game with just one win and with one of the worst defenses in the league along with an offense with nearly as many holes as the Tigers is beyond me.

• The New York Gothams made a couple of tough decisions surrounding their pitching staff. Deciding it more prudent to protect younger players, the Gothams waived Jim Baggett and Cy Sullivan after they found no interest for either on the trade market. Baggett, 33, finished second in rookie of the year voting a couple of years ago but had a terrible 1945 and was deemed expendable with all of the war returnees. The 31 year old Sullivan was originally a 4th round pick of the Cougars and was highly touted by OSA as a young player but despite numerous opportunities with both Detroit and the Gothams he failed to pan out. The Gothams also waived outfielder Nat Drake.
• More players with past big league experience were released this week, perhaps further advancing the case for another big league loop that might be in the process of being added in the southwest. The Saints released long-time reliever Billy Stall who was 37-51 over the last 9 seasons with Montreal and was an all-star in 1942 while Detroit cut loose veteran infielder Johnnie Sundberg, who had over 700 FABL games under his belt. The Dynamos also released catcher Tommy Morris, infielder Alan Hawkins and pitchers Art Keeter, Jack Snyder, Lou Barker, Norm Brown and Hal Siddoway - all of whom had previous FABL experience.
• Trivia Question: No-hitters in FABL almost seem to be a thing of the past. We had 7 no-hitters in the 1930s although three of them were tossed by Doc Newell of the Philadelphia Sailors but just three since the 1940s began. Can you name the three pitchers to throw a no-hitter this decade? Answer at the bottom of this report.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Many Tough Calls Lie Ahead in April

FABL General Managers have been making some tough decisions on cuts after the rosters of most organizations became bloated due to all the former players returning from the war. The task of setting the 40-man secondary roster and paring down each of the minor league affiliates to manageable numbers is well underway for most organizations, but there will be a second crunch coming in April when the 24-man rosters must be finalized on the eve of Opening Day.

There will likely be a lot of veteran players who are valued enough to stick on a 40-man secondary roster but just might not make the cut for the 24-man active roster. The problem is most of those players are out of minor league options or, even if they have some remaining, likely will refuse a ticket to the farm and riding buses after spending the past several years in the luxury of sleeper cars and big league clubhouses. Here is a list compiled by Jiggs McGee of veteran players who may find themselves in such a predicament unless they have a stellar spring and leave their team with no choice but to make room for them. We are not saying all of these players will be available, or even the majority, but it seems a good bet at least some of them will be exposed on waivers or released in April.

BOSTON- Dick Higgins, Roger Perry, Walt Wells, Ed Wood, Bob Donoghue, Art Spencer, Alf Pestilli, Joe Watson.
BROOKLYN- Curly Jones, Hal Lucas, Bill Johnson, Frank LeMieux, Howard Brown Jr.
CHIEFS- John Douglas, Ducky Jordan, Frankie Kitchen, Al Haynes, Freddie Jones.
COUGARS- Rusty Petrick, Dick Walker, Rabbit Mudd, Rich Langton, Ray Struble.
CINCINNATI- Sam Sheppard, Jake Smith, George DeForest, Glenn Payne, Nick Bennett, Charlie Ross, Al Horton
CLEVELAND- Earle Robinson, Billy Parker, Mickey Patterson
DETROIT- Fred Ratcliffe, Aart MacDonald, Lou Balk. (last two more for financial reasons)
MONTREAL- Jake DeYoung, Bill Ross.
NY STARS- Robert Curry, Hank Mittan, Cliff Ray, Mike Roberson.
NY GOTHAMS- Sam Hodge, Jim Miller, Don Hallam, Fred Pecora.
KEYSTONES- Jonah Brown, Tim Walters, Gene White, Herman Patterson, Johnnie Worsley.
SAILORS- Ray McCarthy, Rube Fields, Bill Stewart, Ed Reyes (more likely trade candidate), Alex Juris.
PITTSBURGH- Speed Brown, Billy Ligons, Don Miller, Red Moore, Wally Flowers.
ST LOUIS- young staff so unlikely but slight possibility Danny Hern could be in trouble with a rough spring. Hal Sharp might be traded if not could spell end of line for either Bob Johnston Jr. or Dutch Breunig in St Louis.
TORONTO- like St Louis probably none in danger but if anyone it could be Chuck Wirtz or Bob Walls. Flexibility to pitch or catch helps but Roscoe Zeiler may be in trouble as might Ockie Holliday.
WASHINGTON- Bill Willman, John Wood.

HOME COOKING STORY OF GRID WEEK

Home field advantage certainly was just that in American Football Association action yesterday with each of the home elevens ending up adding one to the victory column. The big news is out of Whitney Field where the Chicago Wildcats rallied with 21 fourth quarter points to hand the Detroit Maroons a 35-28 defeat -the first loss of the season for the Motor City crew. Each of Chicago's final three possessions resulted in majors including a pair of Dutch Hoffman scoring runs. Gus Brown threw 3 touchdowns for the winners to increase his AFA leading total to 16 on the season. It was a big aerial day for the veteran Chicago quarterback, who completed 24 passes for 365 yards on the afternoon.

The Detroit loss leaves 5-0 Boston as the only unbeaten squad in the 10-team loop. The Americans handed Cleveland it's 5th straight loss as Del Thomas and Tom Molloy hooked up on a pair of touchdown tosses to lead the Yanks to a 24-14 win over the Finches.

Rookie Bob Krohn led Washington to a big win at Columbia Stadium over the defending champion Philadelphia Frigates. The35-7 win vaulted the 4-2 Wasps into second place in the eastern section, a half game up on the 3-2 Frigates. Krohn threw for 207 yards and 3 touchdowns -two to Johnny Douglas who continues to challenge Stan Vaught for the leading receiver this season- in the Wasps win. Elsewhere, Tommy Milatz ran for 77 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns to help the New York Football Stars trounce winless St Louis 42-7 while in Pittsburgh the hometown Paladins nipped Cincinnati 20-17.

SUNDAY'S RESULT
New York 42 St Louis 7
Washington 35 Philadelphia 7
Chicago 35 Detroit 28
Pittsburgh 20 Cincinnati 17
Boston 24 Cleveland 14

UPCOMING GAMES
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 11
New York at Philadelphia
Pittsburgh at Boston
Detroit at St Louis
Cincinnati at Chicago
Cleveland at Washington

FIGHTING SAINTS TOO MUCH FOR NAVIGATORS

St Blane decisively outplayed Annapolis Maritime on the ground and the air to remain unbeaten but nearly gave the game away with some costly turnovers in a 28-16 victory in matchup featuring two of the top three schools in the country. Despite full domination in nearly all facets the Saints lead was just 14-10 at the half and remained that way until early in the fourth quarter even though St Blane continued its domination of field position and time of possession. Three times in the third stanza the Saints were deep in Navigators territory but came away without a point thanks to a pair of missed field goals and an unsuccessful 4th and goal attempt from the 1 yard line. Annapolis Maritime took a brief 16-14 lead on a 76 yard interception less than 30 seconds into the fourth quarter before the St Blane passing game finally started to click and they scored a pair of late touchdowns to pull out the victory.

It gets even tougher for St Blane next week and they will need to capitalize on whatever opportunities they get as they will meet top ranked Rome State. The Centurions improved to 6-0 with a 54-0 pasting of Penn Catholic on Saturday.

There was a big surprise out west as Golden Gate University upset Coastal California 23-20 and really threw a wrench into plans for who will represent the Pacific in the East-West Classic. Typically the spot has gone to the champion of the West Coast Athletic Association but that loop has no clear dominant team. CCLA has just one loss but it was to Coastal California, which has now suffererd 3 defeats. Golden Gate is 4-1 and appears to be gathering support to invite the Grizzlies to the East-West Classic. If that happens it would be the first time since 1919 one of the current members of the WCAA did not participate in the New Year's Day game. In 1919, as the first World War was coming to a conclusion it featured a pair of military teams in Great Lakes Navy and Mare Island Marines.

Another game of note was Maryland State's 30-10 victory over Richmond State. Both schools were 3-0 in South Atlantic section play entering the contest. The Bengals, at 6-0, have had quite a turnaround from a team that went just 3-6 a year ago.

COLLEGE SCOREBOARD
MIDWEST
Detroit City College 37 Minnesota Tech 9
Central Ohio 17 St. Magnus 14
Wisconsin State 41 Western Iowa 3
Lincoln 21 Great Lakes Navy 7
Indiana A&M 37 Bryant-Bowman 0
Iowa A&M 31 Eastern Kansas 6
Laclede 21 Lambert College 7
Whitney College 31 Pittsburgh State 3
Wisconsin Catholic 24 Northern Minnesota 23
St. Ignatius 17 Daniel Boone College 9
Lawrence State 23 College of Omaha 14
Topeka State 21 Girard State 14

EAST
Rome State 54 Penn Catholic 0
St. Blane 28 Annapolis Maritime 16
Maryland State 30 Richmond State 10
George Fox 14 Grafton 0
Ellery 22 Coast Guard 3
Henry Hudson 43 Brunswick 14
St. Patrick's 17 New London Submarine 0
Liberty College 13 St. Pancras 0
Pierpont 33 Sadler 0
Eastern State 34 Huntington State 20
Irondequoit 14 Bigsby College 13
Conwell College 38 Eastern Virginia 3

SOUTH
Alabama Baptist 43 Central Kentucky 0
Opelika State 13 Western Florida 3
Bayou State 24 Mississippi A&M 0
Cumberland 37 North Carolina Tech 0
Northern Mississippi 26 Baton Rouge State 10
Noble Jones College 20 Western Tennessee 0
Carolina Poly 24 Georgia Baptist 13
Miami State 21 Coastal State 0
Charleston Tech 24 Chesapeake State 9
Alexandria 10 Bluegrass State 7
Cowpens State 69 Charleston (IL) 3
Petersburg 34 Oceana NAS 13

SOUTHWEST
Travis College 17 Texas Gulf Coast 14
Arkansas A&T 48 Darnell State 17
Amarillo Methodist 21 Oklahoma City State 17
Lubbock State 37 Killeen State 0
College of Waco 10 Red River State 7

FAR WEST
Golden Gate University 23 Coastal California 20
Portland Tech 7 Rainier College 7
Spokane State 9 Northern California 3
Lane State 31 Idaho A&M 10
Canyon A&M 31 Dalhart Field 6
Colorado Poly 28 Pueblo State 7
South Valley State 28 Boulder State 0
Mile High State 20 Provo Tech 16
Idaho Marines 14 Cache Valley 7

1945-46 AIAA CAGE SEASON PREVIEW

Another college season is set to get underway this week with the 3 major pre-season tournaments to be held in Boston, New York and Chicago and involve many of the contenders expected to be around next March when the National Tournament gets underway.

Before we look at who the top teams are expected to be this season let's take a quick glance back to last year. The National Champion was South Atlantic Conference powerhouse Carolina Poly Cardianls as they won an All-Cardinals title game beating Ohio Poly -which also goes by the nickname Cardinals- by a 55-50 count. Many of the Carolina Poly squads big names have graduated including Barrette Award winner Terry Flowers, who was a two-time first team All-American.

PREDICTED TOP TEN

1- Liberty College- Three time National Champs in the past decade including 1941-42, the Bells are always in the mix come tournament time. The bowed out in the quarterfinals last season but are on the shortlist of teams to beat led by All-American candidate Winfred Dupre and a rising star in sophomore Ward Messer, brother of Walt Messer of the New York Gothams.

2- Wesern Iowa - Last year was a down season for all of the Great Lakes Alliance due to many key players have left for the war. The conference looks much stronger this time around and the Canaries, who went 26-4 a year ago but were upset in the opening round of the tournament, might be the best of the section. They have been waiting for former baseball prospect Joe Hampton to develop into one of the best guards in the AIAA and perhaps this year, his senior season, will be the time that happens. Fellow senior David Brown is a sweet shooter and a perfect match to pair with the smooth passing Hampton.

3- Mobile Maritime - The South Atlantic Conference is loaded and the Middies were a rather pedestrian 18-12 last season but they are our pick for a darkhorse team. They have not won a tournament game since reaching the National semi-finals in 1933-34 but this might be their year after they got a taste with an opening round loss last season.

4- Central Ohio - Another Great Lakes Alliance team looking to rebound. They have two bona fide All-American candidates in junior guard Art Pugh and sophomore forward Ziggy Rickard. Add-in senior Burl Rone, who should provide plenty of offense, and the Aviators should be back in thr tournament after a two-year absence.

5- Carolina Poly- The defending National Champs lost a lot of talent to graduation but senior Eric Hummer gives them a candidate to follow up the departed Terry Flowers as possible Barrette Trophy winning material. Also keep an eye on junior forward Paul Cowans, a Raleigh native who spent 3 years in the Marines and looked very good in early workouts.

6- Garden State - National Champs in 1938-39, the Redbirds are a tournament fixture and reached the National Semi-Finals a year ago after two successive early exits. Forward Colby Niles and guard David Bobo are both seniors and will be counted on to have big seasons, with Bobo on the preseason shortlist for National Player of the Year.

7- Miami State- The Gulls have only made the tournament twice since 1930 but they won an opening round game last season for the first time since 1916-17. A pair of local boys in senior forward Ward Claxton and towering 6'10" junior center Long Werth will be counted on to lead Miami State to it's best season ever after a 22-9 season brought them within 2 of the single-season school win record. Werth might just be the co-favorite with Winfred Dupre of Liberty College for Barette Trophy consideration.

8- Annapolis Maritime - The Navigators have been a college cage power for a decade and a half, and made the National Championship game two years ago. They have a deep group of Navy trainees to pick from with the best of the bunch likely being senior forward Tony Rodriguez.

9- Lane State- The Emeralds have often been overshadowed in the West Coast Athletics Association by Rainier College and the two Los Angeles schools and this might be the year they win their first conference title since 1928-29. They will have plenty of competition in their section once again but the Emeralds, who did make the AIAA tournament title game in 1939-40, are poised for a deep tournament run. They lack a true superstar to carry the team but have good depth led by senior guard Scott Brown, an Oregon native, and juniors Hoss Wilmers and Andrew Williams.

10- Brunswick - It has been over a decade since an Academia Alliance school advanced to even the quarterfinals of the National Tournament but the Knights might just be the team to break that streak. They were just 16-17 a year ago but won the Academia Tournament to reach the national showdown for the first time since 1939. That gave valuable experience to senior leaders Jimmy Dupree and Rudy Stanford but the key to a successful season may hinge on how sophomore point guard Kevin Francis develops this season. It might be a long shot putting Brunswick in the top ten but we have a feeling they will surprise a few teams.

Other Schools to Watch: St Patrick's, North Carolina Tech, Detroit City College, Great Plains State, CCLA, Rainier College, Noble Jones College, Miami State, Alabama Baptist, Texas Gulf Coast, Bayou State and Coastal State.

ALL-AMERICAN CANDIDATES
David Bobo G Garden State
Ira Bomar F, Brooklyn State
Morris Crocler C Carolina Poly
Winfred Dupre, F Liberty College
Joe Hampton G Western Iowa
Darrel Hanson F Noble Jones College
Eric Hummer F Carolina Poly
Art Pugh G Central Ohio
Ziggy Rickard F Central Ohio
Stephen Rubalcava G Detroit City College
David Shane F St Patricks
Long Werth C Miami State

AIAA CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

BOXING MONTHLY ROUNDUP

TWIFB's boxing staff provides a monthly recap showing the top fighters in each weight class and some quick comments on what happened last month and what to look forward to in the next few weeks.

HEAVYWEIGHT

A quite month for the big boys with the biggest battle taking place out of the ring. It took a while but the contract has been signed by both parties and Hector Sawyer's next title defense will be February 9 at Thompson Arena in Detroit and will pit the champ against Leo Carmichael. There was a disagreement over television revenue between promoter Chester Conley and Carmichael's handlers but it has been sorted out and both sides confirm the fight will happen.

In the ring the only top flight heavyweight to see action in October was Scott Baker as the 25 year old Philadelphia native scored a unanimous decision over Greg Bullock on October 30 to run his record to 13-0-2.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

October brought us a tremendous title fight with Frank Melanson making his first defense since upsetting Archie Rees in June. It was a battle with highly ranked contender Todd Gill and after 15 rounds the judges could not reach an agreement and it was scored a draw. A rematch seems certain to take place but nothing has been confirmed as of yet. For his efforts, TWIFB is bumping Gill up one slot to be the #2 contender in the division. Top contender Edouard Desmarais, the former French Resistance fighter against the Nazi occupation has confirmed he will face former champ Archie Rees December 8 in England.

WELTERWEIGHT

It was a very busy month in the welterweight divisions as two key fights were held setting the stage for a title match in the spring to fill a void that has existed since former champ Jimmy Simpson retired in 1939. The top ranked fighter in the division is no longer Mark Westlake after the 28 year old lost a unanimous decision to Carl Taylor last week. Taylor, a 28 year old Baltimore native will square off with Dennis O'Keefe for the title with March being the likely month of the bout, although no details have been finalized. O'Keefe, known as the Jacksonville Jackhammer, lived up to his nickname with a quick knockout of Rudy Perry in the second round of their bout earlier this month.

O'Keefe now holds top spot in our rankings, followed by Taylor -who moves up from fourth to second, and then Westlake, Wayne Dunn, Ben 'Baby Face' Bishop and finally George Gibbs, who breaks into the top six after Rudy Perry falls out following his quick faceplant against O'Keefe.

Gibbs is one to watch in a division full of rising talent. He is now 28 years old and still just has the 14 total fights because his career has been interrupted twice. He made his debut as an 18 year old in 1936 but suffered a broken leg in a car accident in the winter of 1938, sidelining him for close to a year. He returned to action late in 1938 but immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor Gibbs enlisted in the Marines where he spent nearly four years in the Pacific and saw significant combat. He was discharged in August and returned to the ring a month later with his first fith in nearly 4 years. Like his other 13 bouts, this one was a knockout as 'Mr. Sandman' has yet to have a fight be decided by the judges with all 14 of his wins coming by knockout.

• Upwards of 7 million workers, about a fifth of the nation's industrial force, may become idle as a result of a series of strike votes underway.
• In a speech to the nation, President Truman has called for wage boosts with no price increase.
• Rioting in Palestine has spread to Europe where Arabs rigidly enforced a general strike.
• An undeclared civil war gripped China with more than 1 million central government and Chinesse Communist troops fighting it out for control of 11 key provinces.
• Brazil's President Getullio Vargas was overthrown in a bloodless revolution and elections will be held Dec. 2. Vargas had ruled the country as a virtual dictator for the past 15 years.
• There is speculation that Russian scientists may have developed their own atomic bomb.
  
  https://i.imgur.com/jusyA8I.jpg

TRIVIA ANSWER: The 3 no-hitters tossed this decade came from a pair of Cincinnati Cannons in Roger Perry (1941) and Deuce Barrell (1942) as well as George M Brooks of the Philadelphia Keystones in 1944. We did not have a big league no-hitter in 1945.

November 12, 1945
 

NOVEMBER 12, 1945

CAN THE CANNONS WIN AGAIN?

Jiggs McGee with an early look at the Continental Association

There will be a lot of changes in baseball when the 1946 season gets underway in 5 months time. With all of the war returnees -both established veterans and top prospects who missed substantial development time- big league rosters are going to look substantially different than they did just a few months ago. However, in the Continental Association it is still expected to be a three-team race, or at least it looks that way right now. As much as things will change next year, we see one thing quite likely remaining the same: barring some very unexpected developments, the Chicago Cougars, Cincinnati Cannons and Toronto Wolves will once again duke it out for Continental Association supremacy.

Sure there is a chance one might slide, or one of the other five clubs might rise to join the big three, but the odds seem very much in favour of one of those three being the last left standing come next October. The New York Stars, with pennants in 1939 & 1942, know how to win and the Stars will get the great Bill Barrett back, plus Joe Angevine and Eli Panneton will have some quality company on the mound with the return of Chuck Cole and Vern Hubbard. One has to think that if one of the bottom five jumps into contention next summer it would have to be the Stars.

The other four seem to have little chance contending in '46. The Sailors return Marion Boismenu -who we last saw hoisting the 1944 Whitney Award- but lack the supporting cast of the big three. The Saints are a team to watch going forward with the rapidly improving Gordie Perkins at shortstop and a young pitching staff that will be bolstered by the return of Wally Doyle and Bert Cupid. The Kings have some nice prospects on the way but for next season it will be Vernon Ruch and an aging Jake Shadoan with little else for support. Cleveland has some nice young pieces, particularly moundsmen Richie Hughes and Hiram Steinberg, but the Foresters are not out of the woods yet and likely destined to once more finish 7th or 8th.

The Cannons, Cougars and Wolves are clearly a class above the rest in the Continental loop. It is not the most scientific gauge but a peak at the OSA position rankings illustrates there are not a lot of holes in the lineups of any of the Big Three:
The Cincinnati Cannons are a focused bunch despite losing certain Hall of Famers in Rabbit Day and Tom Bird, along with possible Hall of Famers Tom Barrell and Jack Cleaves, to retirement over the past 13 months. They have won 3 straight pennants but failed in their bid to become just the second team ever to win three straight World Championship Series when the Philadelphia Keystones crashed their party last month. The Cannons still have a history making goal in mind this year as no Continental side has ever won 4 straight flags. The Cannons really don't have a weakness and they added one of the league's best catchers in Adam Mullins and a terrific second baseman in Charley McCullough as well as a boatload of pitching -no, literally a boatload as Charlie Griffith, Bill Sohl and Chris Clarke are all being returned by the Navy. Age is a concern with the veteran Cannons but perhaps less so this year with the depth that has returned.

The big question in Cincinnati is how will Al Wheeler perform? The 38 year old had a career resurgence in his year and a half with the Cannons after looking like he was on his last legs in Chicago with the Chiefs. But then he had just an awful September and a terrible WCS to allow the doubt to creep back in from some observers.

The Toronto Wolves have finished second to the Cannons three years in a row, and were 4 games back in each of those three seasons. Toronto had it's opportunities but came up short each September so in our look at Toronto let's start, rather than finishing with the big question about the Wolves in 1946. And 'finishing' is that question. Can the Wolves finish strong enough to hold off the Cannons and Cougars and claim just their second pennant since winning the 1911 series? Toronto did get one just 5 years ago but over the past decade no team -other than the Federal Association's Detroit Dynamos has come so close so often.

The Wolves have a lot going for them led by Whitney Award winning first baseman Walt Pack and Allen Award winning righthander George Garrison. Fred McCormick returned to the fold early last season after an excruciatingly long time in the army and pitchers Jim Morrison and Jimmy Gibbs are back as well. One can't help but feel the Wolves are always just one piece short and that management's conservative approach to taking action at the trade deadline might have ensured long-term competitiveness but may also have cost the Wolves a title or two. There is some talent in the system and perhaps Toronto's success in '46 hinges on adding one more big bat to help keep pace with the Cannons and Cougars. The other worry might be around Chuck Wirtz. Does the veteran, who won 16 games as a 37-year old last season, still have plenty left in the tank? One good thing is the Wolves do have some young arms waiting in the wings should Wirtz stumble.

Cougars fans have to feel this is finally the year for the snakebit franchise. Sure they won a pennant in '41 but the club should have won at least one and possibly two more during the past 4 years. Forget about that awful collapse of a couple of years ago. The news now is all good in the Windy City. The band is back together with Pete Papenfus, the Jones brothers, Joe Brown, Harry Parker and Billy Riley it is hard to imagine a pitching staff anywhere being deeper than this crew. The bats are also back as Leo Mitchell and Hank Barnett lead a collection of what could be 6 position players in the everyday lineup who spent last season in the service.

As good as Cincinnati and Toronto look, it is hard to imagine anyone topping the Cougars assuming good health for everyone. Yet, we have uttered that statement before. "The Cougars should win the Continental Association" has been said in several recent springs but somehow, some way things went wrong for the Chicago nine. That is perhaps the only question mark standing in the way of a Cougars trip to the World Championship Series. Can they get off to a good start and keep it up all season long? If so, no matter how strong the Cannons and Wolves look they both may be sitting on the outside watching the Cougars next October. Regardless of the final outcome, this promises to be a very interesting season in the Continental Association.

SHEPPARD RETURNS TO FEDERAL ASSOCIATION

Veteran Righthander Joins Chiefs

The Chicago Chiefs have added to their pitching depth with the acquisition of 37 year old righthander Sam Sheppard from the Cincinnati Cannons. The 1935 Federal Association Allen Award winner and 3-time all-star spent the first 13 years of his career with the St Louis Pioneers before being dealt to the Cannons last season. He went 12-6 with a 3.63 era to help the Cannons win their third straight Continental Association pennant and improve his career record to 191-153 but was deemed expendable by the Queen City nine with all of the pitchers returning to the organization from the war.

Sheppard is expected to add veteran depth to a Chiefs roster than plans to use a pair of rookies in Ernie Espanoza and Ralph Kendall along with veteran war returnees Al Miller and Gus Goulding. In return Chicago sends it's 6th round pick and minor league outfielder Jack Curtsinger to Cincinnati. Curtsinger is an Ohio native selected in the 19th round by the Chiefs in the 1945 draft. He split last season between Class C and A, batting .281 with 2 homers in 72 games.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

Mail & Empire Looks At Wolves Possibilities in 1946 -As the hot stove league heats up during this off-season your reporter will give his opinions on the options facing Wolves manager Bob Call along with his staff in spring training early next year. Toronto will be faced with a number of player decisions going into the first post war season since 1942 in the USA. All other FABL teams will have to decide on roster construction, some will have a clearer path while others will have a cloudier future. Do teams jettison older players to go with an entirely new look or hope the veterans have one more season while the youngsters reestablish themselves in the minors?

Here is a short synopsis on the roster by position you may see at Dominion Stadium Opening Day 1946:
Catcher: This is one of the positions that may give Call the least amount of worry, Clarence Howerton should be penciled for the majority starts backed up capably by Walter Loera. Should the rigors of Howerton's 14th big league season start to catchup Loera should be able to take more of the load behind the plate with, hopefully, no discernable drop in game management.

First Base: Fred McCormick's return last summer was a boost to the squad, unfortunately not enough to overtake Cincinnati. After missing almost 4 entire campaigns his bat was just a little short of expectations in '45. Those expectations are high given McCormick's history, are expectations too high for this 36 year old or will a winter of rest rejuvenate this perennial all-star? Expect Call to give Fred more days off this season moving Walter Pack across the diamond.

Second Base: This will be a battle in the spring. Incumbent Wayne Henderson will face stiff challenges from war veterans Hall Wood, Mike Rollinson, possibly super utility man Tom Fredrick, highly touted John Fast. Call's major focus in the spring will be on the defensive play at second, 4 of 5 players, excluding Fast, have proven they can hit in the FABL. This would make Rollinson the clear favourite to claim position.

Third Base: Whitney winner Walter Pack should be at the hot corner when not relieving McCormick at first. Pack purchased a residence in Florida, he is said to be working on his foot, glove work around third over the winter. Call was not happy with errors Pack made in critical games down the stretch in September. Where does this leave Ockie Holliday, Joe Bell? Surely there is not room for both of them on the major league roster although Bell is out of options.

Shortstop: Charlie Artuso will again bring his reliable bat, magic glove to this key defensive post. Do not expect Artuso to start all 154 games again this year as he did in 1945. Will Wood stick around to backup all three infield positions?

Outfield: Expect to see a steady diet of Pomales, Stickels, Giordano left to right on the outfield grass. The feeling here is that Tom Fredrick will backup all over or does Frederick push Stickels over to right with Giordano starting the season in Buffalo? And where does this leave Gus Hull who picked his game in September but does not bring a superior glove in right?

Starters: New pitching coach Johnny Franklin under Call's close scrutiny is faced with the tough job, even after the surprise retirement of Bernie Johnson, of deciding which 4 will follow clear #1 Allen Award winner George Garrison. Picking from a group of Chick Wirtz, Bob Walls, Jim Laurita, Cookie Myers, Jim Morrison, Jimmy Gibbs, Jim Carter will be a daunting task. This should leave the Wolves with one of the most dominate rotations in the CA. It may come down to a numbers game. Only Carter, Gibbs have minor league options left so it is probable the team will lose pitchers if exposed to waivers. Call, Franklin will have to make the hard choice of which to waive.

Relievers: Lou Jayson's return should solidify the bullpen after Phil English's retirement. Expect Call to go with 10 pitchers total with some potential starters finding themselves relegated to relief duties to avoid waivers. Does Chick Wirtz find himself finishing his career as a reliever? Will Myers return to the 'pen?

Seeing Toronto's decisions should give the fans an insight of how intense the competition will be this spring. Wolves are joining the other 15 teams in what promises to be a very interesting March, early April in the FABL.

We will continue to shine the spotlight on players in the system along with some thoughts on the composition of the Wolves roster in 1946. As the world approaches the 27th anniversary of the end of WWI, supposedly the war to end all wars, we are all faced with a rapidly changing world as everything changes dramatically post the latest war. Baseball is no different, after years of scrambling to find enough players of even marginal talent to fill rosters all FABL teams find themselves in a situation where they have more players than available roster spots. Doing some back of the envelop math Brett figures there are, at a minimum, 2250 players available in the upcoming Rule 5 draft. This is obviously an oversupply which has led to the speculation of the formation of a third league calling themselves a major league. Brett does not think the Rule 5 draft will be busy due to the fact that all teams are filling their protected 40-man roster with home grown talent. If a team team does not have open protected slots they cannot select in the Rule 5 free for all.

The Mail & Empire will now look at a highly regarded prospect, Chattanooga's Bobby Mills, before looking at the Wolves 1946 presumptive roster. Mills, a south paw starter, was selected in the second round out of Marlington High School, Alliance, Ohio in 1942. Mills spent the summer of '42 along with all of 1943 in Tuscaloosa refining his trade at Class C. His numbers were relatively pedestrian although he was promoted to Vancouver for the second half of 1944 where again his pitching was satisfactory, not stellar, on the Class B pennant winner. Last season things starting coming together for this 21 year old. Mills began the season at Davenport going 10-4, 2.92 in just over 100 innings before continuing at AA posting a record of 6-2, 3.53 in the Dixie League. Mills problem is the amount of free passes to opposing hitters, the scouting department thinks his control with improve as he matures, Bob Call along with new Pitching Coach, Johnny Franklin are known to favour control over pace on pitches. If Mills' control does improve he could find himself north of the border in the next few years. Or is he one the many supposed phenoms who feasted on a lower quality of player at all levels during the war?

Our next article will focus on the Wolves roster where there is speculation that management is considering the movement of players via trade over the winter. Some names being whispered to Brett will come as a surprise to fans.

• FABL winter meetings are underway this week. There likely won't be a lot of moves of note. With all of the war returnees must teams feel they have an excess of depth and may be waiting for the Rule Five draft to see if they can fill any holes at pretty much no cost.
• An interesting rumour out of Toronto where it appears the Wolves are considering shopping reigning Continental Association MVP Walt Pack. When Fred McCormick returned after 4 years in the army Pack was shifted from first base back to third base, displacing Ockie Holiday so they would be okay in the field without Pack but not sure how Toronto would plan to replace his bat. Unless the Wolves think this is the peak year for the 30 year old and if they can get a big return now they should go for it. But many believe dealing Pack without getting a comparable bat back -and there aren't any of those likely to be available- means Toronto has given up on any pennant hopes in '46.
• Red Wedge reports that pitchers Jim Baggett and Cy Sullivan, as well as outfielder Nat Drake, have all told the New York Gothams they would report to AAA Toledo next season but a Gothams source says that does not mean the organization might not instead decide to release one or more of them outright.
• From the desk of Percy Sutherland: Joe Posnanski had an interesting tidbit in his column, a list of the number of 140 plus RBI seasons by decade. So I did the same thing for Figment:
  1891 - 1900: 5 (174 - John Jones, 1895)
  1901 - 1910: 0
  1911 - 1920: 0
  1921 - 1930: 11 (195 - Joe Masters, 1928)
  1931 - 1940: 11 (162 - Bobby Barrell, 1936)
  1941 - 1950: 1 (152 - Bobby Barrell, 1944)
  It surprises me a bit that there has only been 1 so far in the 1940s.
• And the same thing for 40 HR seasons:
  1921 - 1930: 9 (60 - Max Morris, 1923)
  1931 - 1940: 8 (53 - Bobby Barrell, 1936)
  1941 - 1950: 1 (46 - Bobby Barrell, 1944)
• Trivia Question: With the rumours of Walt Pack being on the trading block our trivia question tackles traded Whitney Award winners. Only 3 times has the reigning Whitney Award been traded, ie moved within a year of winning the top hitter award. Can you name the 3 players? Answer at the bottom of this report

AMERICANS SUFFER FIRST LOSS

The last unbeaten team has fallen in American Football Association action after the Boston Americans were upset at home 14-3 by the Pittsburgh Paladins. It marked the second win in a row for the Paladins but the big question after the game surrounded Del Thomas. Boston's outstanding passer played in the game but for some reason did not handle any of the passing duties. That chore was instead delegated to Tom Griggs and he had a rough outing. Griggs was interecepted five times on the day including a pair in the first quarter that led to the only touchdowns to be scored on the day. Thomas did not attempt a pass despite having thrown for over 1,000 yards already this season. He did carry the ball once for a 24 yard gain and contributed three tackles on the defensive side of the ball.

The Boston loss, coupled with Washington's 21-0 win over Cleveland leaves the Yanks just a half game up on the Wasps as the season moves past its midway point. The defending AFA champion Philadelphia Frigates hopes of repeating are all but dead after they fell at home to the New York Stars by a 27-24 count.

Chicago is now tied with Detroit for top spot in the Western Division after the Wildcats blanked Cincinnati 14-0 while the Maroons were upset 21-17 in St Louis. In Chicago, Wildcats quarterback Gus Brown threw for 198 yards and touchdown while the Chicago defense held the sputtering Cincinnati offense to just 167 total yards. Stan Vaught had 8 catches for 142 yards and two scores in St Louis but it was not enough as his Detroit Maroons allowed the Ramblers to claim their first victory since 1942. The Ramblers had shut down operations each of the past two years because of war-related player shortages.

SUNDAY'S RESULT
New York 27 Philadelphia 24
Pittsburgh 14 Boston 3
St Louis 21 Detroit 17
Chicago 14 Cincinnati 0
Washington 21 Cleveland 0

UPCOMING GAMES
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 18
Washington at Philadelphia
Cincinnati at New York
Detroit at Pittsburgh
Chicago at Boston
St Louis at Cleveland

ANOTHER DOMINANT WIN FOR ROME STATE

Some may argue, but the general opinion is that this years Rome State team rates with the best college football elevens of all history. The way the Centurions romped over St Blane, 44 to 3, in Bigsby Oval on Saturday should be the clincher. The score could have gone higher, if Rome State had wanted to run it up. To dismantle the second best team in the nation as easily as the Centurions accomplished their business on the weekend, leaves little hope for any other collegiate squad laying claim to the top ranking this year.

The impressive thing about this year's game was that all 44 points were products of honest effort, with a nary a present from the Saints in the war on pass throwing gambles such as helped Rome State run up the 1944 total to 54 t0 7.

The 1945 St Blane team was better than last year's too. Even though slightly battered from last weekends victory over Annapolis Maritime in Cleveland, the Saints players were able to play to their full capacity. Unfortunately, Rome State's capacity was much greater. The blinding fleetness of Chet Donelson, the modern Urban Dane, and Gus Thompson, the nearest human thing to the speed of light, were the main factor in Rome State's rout of the boys from Latrobe, Pa., helped somewhat by the furious blocking of the Centurions line, headed by tackle Jeff Box.

*** Good Ship 'Annapolis' Sinking ***

Rome State's touchdown production was not unexpected. The news of the week -and a crushing blow to any hoped for big buildup for the annual Rome State-Annapolis Maritime showdown at Philadelphia's Sailors Memorial Stadium on December 1- was that the Navigators fell for the second week in a row. After losing to St Blane, it was Detroit City College which prevailed 14-0 over the navy cadets this week, making a good case that the Knights may just be the second best team in the nation.
COLLEGE SCOREBOARD
RANKED SCHOOLS
Rome State 44 St. Blane 3
Detroit City College 14 Annapolis Maritime 0
Travis College 17 Lubbock State 13
Maryland State 27 Alexandria 7
Central Ohio 10 Pittsburgh State 7
Cumberland 20 Mississippi A&M 0
Eastern Oklahoma 30 Payne State 24
Pierpont 50 Henry Hudson 7

MIDWEST
Lincoln 32 Western Iowa 0
St. Magnus 7 Wisconsin State 3
Indiana A&M 34 Minnesota Tech 14
Whitney College 61 Ohio Poly 0
St. Ignatius 17 Great Lakes Navy 17
Northern Minnesota 40 Queen City 3
Lambert College 30 Iowa Northern 3
Laclede 40 Fort Riley 7
Topeka State 30 Kearney Field 7
Wisconsin Catholic 23 Lawrence State 0
College of Omaha 23 Eastern Kansas 10

EAST
George Fox 17 Ellery 7
Empire State 27 Brunswick 14
Dickson 24 Merchant Marine 6
Sadler 7 Grafton 3
Penn Catholic 48 Commonwealth Catholic 7
St. Patrick's 20 Coast Guard 7
Liberty College 20 Conwell College 20
Garden State 21 Eastern Virginia 16
Bigsby College 17 Bethlehem College 3

SOUTH
Bayou State 20 Northern Mississippi 7
Noble Jones College 37 Western Florida 0
Georgia Baptist 28 Baton Rouge State 14
Miami State 20 Columbia Military Academy 10
Opelika State 27 Marquis College 0
Western Tennessee 27 Bluegrass State 19
Richmond State 13 North Carolina Tech 6
Carolina Poly 33 Charleston Tech 0
Coastal State 27 Chesapeake State 0
Eastern State 52 Petersburg 0
Huntington State 14 Central Kentucky 14

SOUTHWEST
Darnell State 21 Texas Gulf Coast 10
College of Waco 14 Amarillo Methodist 7
Red River State 17 Arkansas A&T 10
Oklahoma City State 28 Iowa A&M 9

FAR WEST
Coastal California 14 Northern California 6
Rainier College 13 Lane State 0
Spokane State 21 Portland Tech 10
Golden Gate University 45 San Clemente 3
Cache Valley 10 Boulder State 0
Mountainview State 20 Pueblo State 17
Mile High State 30 Colorado Poly 7
Farragut Navy 31 Idaho A&M 30
South Valley State 52 Provo Tech 7

AIAA CAGE SEASON UNDERWAY WITH BIG PRESEASON EVENTS

The three major collegiate basketball tournaments that usher in the start of a new season were completed over the weekend. There were a couple of upsets along the way but in the end the tournament champion in each event was the team expected to win it all.

Liberty College, our pick as the favourite to be cutting the netting at the Bigsby Garden in early April, took the scissors for a test spin yesterday with the Bells dumping Brunswick 45-23 at the Garden to win the Tournament of Champions. Winfred Dupree, the senior forward considered by many to be a candidate for the Barrette Trophy this season, led the Bells with 11 points in the title game while sophomore center Ward Messer had 10 rebounds and chipped in with 5 points.
TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPION RESULTS
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 10
Liberty College 38 Great Plains 33
Brunswick 53 Brooklyn State 51
SUNDAY NOVEMEBER 11
Liberty College 45 Brunswick 23 (championship game)
Brooklyn State 61 Great Plains State 52

In Boston, the original tournament that has been around since 1909 and named after the game's founder Jack Easton, went to City College of Los Angeles but just barely as the Coyotes held off a determined Huntington State quintet to claim a 52-50 victory in the title game. Jumbo Hinman led the way for the west coasters, scoring a game high 14 points in the championship contest after netting 28 points in the first two games combined.
JACK EASTON TIP-OFF CLASSIC
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 8
CC Los Angeles 55 Grange College 40
St Andrews College 40 St Patrick's 31
Huntingon State 43 Lambert College 38
Travis College 51 Charleston Tech 43
SATUDAY NOVEMBER 10
CC Los Angeles 53 Travis College 39
Huntington State 40 St Andrews College 33
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 11
CC Los Angeles 52 Huntington State 50

The biggest upset of the opening week occured in Chicago at the Preseason AIAA tournament when Annapolis Maritime was shocked 44-39 in their opener by Dickson of the Academia Alliance. The Maroons were led by a career high 17 points from senior forward Marion Lilly in the upset victory. The luck ran out the next day as Lilly scored a more realistic number for him of 7 points as Rainier College won easily by a 64-52 count.
PRESEASON AIAA CHICAGO SHOWCASE
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 10
Rainier College 58 Alabama Baptist 46
Dickson 44 Annapolis Maritime 39
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 11
Rainier College 64 Dickson 52 (championship game)
Annapolis Maritime 51 Alabama Baptist 43

WELTER TITLE BOUT SET

O'Keefe and Taylor to Clash March 9

It has been more than six years in the planning but the world will finally have a welterweight boxing champ once more as it has been confirmed the Dennis O'Keefe and Carl Taylor will meet at Bigsby Garden on March 9 with the long-vacant title at stake. The division has been without a champion since Brit Jimmy 'Kid' Simpson retired in 1939 and with the war raging in Europe at the time no fight was scheduled to declare a new champion.

Last month O'Keefe and Taylor each won 'qualifiers' to earn the right to square off for the belt. O'Keefe, the 29 year old Florida native known as 'The Jacksonville Jackhammer' knocked out Rudy Perry in the second round of their bout to improve his recor to 19-1 while Taylor scored a unanimous decision over Mark Westlake two weeks ago. Taylor, a 28 year old from Baltimore, is 19-2-2 as a pro.

The early word from the bookmakers is this one is too close to call. O'Keefe, with 11 knockouts to his credit, certainly has a much better capability than most welterweights to end a fight with one punch, but Taylor is going to be the most technically sound opponent that O'Keefe has ever been tasked with defeating.

*** Another Win For Cline ***

Tommy Cline, the rising young heavyweight born in Tennessee but grew up in Ohio where he became that state's amateur champ, has been busy. Just 8 days after celebrating his 21st birthday, Kline won his 6th bout of the year, dropping Brody Miller in the second round of their scheduled six-rounder in Scranton on Thursday. Cline is now 5-0 since turning pro in January with all five wins coming by a knockout blow. Many observers feel he will be in the title picture a couple of years from now.

• President Truman signed the 1946 income tax bill, giving the nation a nearly $6 billion cut, the first in 16 years.
• We are all sick of the labor war. That is the message from President Truman who told both labor and management that the American people are fed up with industrial strife and expect the contending parties to achieve permanent "peace and progress." A national labor-management conference got underway this week in Washington.
• British Prime Minister Attlee arrived in Washington for discussion with Truman. Many topics were on the agenda, foremost of which was how to make atomic energy the servant rather than the destroyer of mankind.
• Communist sources charged that American forces were fighting in China's undeclared civil war on the side of the Central Government. Charges US officials call groundless.
• Late in the week the Government did confirm that 3,000 American planes will be transferred to the Chinese Nationalist Government.
• Moscow is puzzled as Josef Stalin remained mysteriously absent from the formal ceremonies marling the 28th anniversary of the Red rovlution.
• Anti-Jewish rioting in the Middle East spread westward to Tripoli and the British Ministry of Information announced that 74 Jews had been killed in a serious outbreak in that city.
• New York City has a new Mayor -it's 100th as William O'Dwyer was elected in a record setting turnout. The Mayor-elect said city-wide projects to provide postwar jobs were his first priority.
  
  https://i.imgur.com/mqYYlFa.jpg

TRIVIA ANSWER: The 3 traded Whitney winners are Max Morris, Hank Barnett and Mel Carrol. Mighty Mo was dealt from Cleveland to St Louis less than a month after winning the 1919 Whitney. Barnett was actually dealt from the Chicago Chiefs to the Chicago Cougars immediately after the 1942 season and a week later he would become the first Whitney winner to be property of a team in the other association at the time of his win. Finally we have Carrol who won the 1937 Whitney when he hit .407 for the Washington Eagles but was dealt to Cleveland in July of 1938.