WAVE OF YOUNG PITCHING TALENT WASHES OVER FABL
Are we about to enter an era dominated by elite pitching? It might be hard to believe that will happen, especially after batting averages were up and ERA's soared last season in both leagues over the previous year. However, it is hard to argue that we are not at the beginning of a golden era of elite pitching talent.
Let's start with a look at the young pitching stars that are here now. Tom Barrell, Dean Astle, Ed Wood, Bill Anderson, Bernie Johnson, Milt Fritz and George Thomas were all 26 or younger last season and all won at least 12 games. Brooklyn's Barrell had a breakout year as a 26 year old, winning his first Allen Award and posting a jaw-dropping 29-3 record. Cleveland's Astle won 17 games as 24 year old and looks like he also may earn an Allen Award or two before his ballplaying days are done. Ed Wood is a former Forester who had a breakout season as a 25 year old with the Boston Minutemen, posting a 16-11 record. In Canada there are a pair of new General Manager's and high hopes for the future of both clubs in no small part to some young arms. George Thomas just turned 25 but has already pitched parts of 4 seasons for the Montreal Saints, including a 12-11 campaign a year ago and in Toronto the Wolves have a pair of young studs in former first round draft picks Bill Anderson and Bernie Johnson, each of whom won 14 big league games a year ago. And one must not forget that the much travelled Milt Fritz is still just 25 years old and has already won 100 career FABL games. Fritz won an Allen Award as a 21 year old but that was 3 years and 3 teams ago as he has since been moved in blockbuster deals to Montreal and more recently the New York Gothams after beginning his major league career as a teenager with the Chicago Chiefs before being acquired by Brooklyn for a kings ransom.
Next we have the prospects, some of whom like Curly Jones, Dick Higgins, Joe Hancock and Dixie Lee look ready to make their FABL debuts this season while others like Lefty Allen, Al Miller, Bobo White and Gus Goulding are still a couple of years away. Just look at the riches of pitching talent the first round of the last few drafts have given us. 15 pitchers drafted in the first round of the last 4 drafts rank in the top 50 overall prospects.
Code:
PROSPECT
YR PICK TEAM NAME RANKING
1931 9 *St Louis Dixie Lee 17
1932 1 Gothams Curly Jones 4
1932 4 Pittsburgh Lefty Allen 1
1932 11 Boston Roy Price 40
1932 15 Keystones Gene White 26
1933 1 Toronto Joe Hancock 11
1933 2 Boston Dick Higgins 6
1933 3 Baltimore John Edwards 13
1933 4 Chiefs Al Miller 9
1933 5 Brooklyn Earle Robinson 46
1933 7 Brooklyn Bob Cummings 41
1933 10 *Baltimore Rusty Petrick 19
1934 1 Washington Bobo White 21
1934 2 Baltimore Gus Goulding 32
1934 9 Keystones George M Brooks 47
*originally drafted by a different organization
It is not only the first round that has provided some great pitching potential as these three later round picks look to be steals as each has cracked the top 50 prospect list.
Code:
PROSPECT
YR PICK TEAM NAME RANKING
1932 60 Cougars Cy Sullivan 31
1932 98 Toronto Buddy Long 33
1932 111 Keystones Herman Patterson 34
And if the OSA scouting reports are to be believed the pool of elite pitching prospects will only get deeper over the next few seasons. Here are some names to watch as they all stand a good chance of being first round picks and eventually top fifty prospects.
Code:
POTENTIAL FUTURE FIRST ROUND PICKS : HIGH SCHOOL PITCHERS
NAME SCHOOL HOMETOWN CLASS DRAFT YEAR
Rufus Barrell II Macon (GA) HS Egypt, GA SR 1935
George Garrison Cathage (IL) HS Piggott, AR SR 1935
Bill Keith St Benedict(IL)HS Milwaukee, WI SR 1935
Leon Cavasos St Edmund Prep (NY) Newark, NJ SR 1935
Manny Franco Old Westbury (NY) HS Atlanta, GA JR 1936
Johnnie Jones St. Paul (MN) HS Albert Lea, MN JR 1936
Pete Papenfus West Plains (MO) HS Willow Springs, MO JR 1936
Al Duster Council Bluffs(IA)HS Bellevue, NE SO 1937
Dave Volpe Ochards (WA) HS Portland, OR SO 1937
POTENTIAL FUTURE FIRST ROUND PICKS : COLLEGE PITCHERS
NAME SCHOOL HOMETOWN CLASS DRAFT YEAR
Bill Seabolt Central Ohio Univ. Brooklyn, NY JR 1935
Frank Baker Sadler College Yarmouth, MA JR 1935
Jack Clements Northern Mississippi Dayton, OH SO 1936
Bunny Edwards Red River State Kansas City, MO SO 1936
Frank Beckman Whitney College Tonawanda, NY SO 1936
Lou Robertson Oklahoma City State New Castle, PA SO 1936
Preacher Pietsch Brooklyn Catholic Raleigh, NC FR 1937
There is no guarantee all of the above will still be as highly regarded when their draft begins and some, like Peter 'The Heater" Papenfus, have already seen their stock drop in the eyes of OSA evaluators but there will likely be others emerge. Either way I think you can expect the trend of pitchers dominating the top half dozen or so picks to continue.