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Jiggs McGee · 08-31-2021, 02:21 PM

THIS WEEK IN FIGMENT BASEBALL

August 1, 1938

DYNAMOS MAKE LATE DEAL TO ADD SAILORS MOUND ACE JONES

The Dynamos pulled off a late deal just before the trading deadline to add William Jones, who has long been one of the key pieces of the Philadelphia Sailors staff. The 34 year old righthander is just 4-7 this season but does own a sparkling 2.74 era and has a career mark of 162-108. He also brings Detroit playoff experience with a pair of World Championship titles and makes Detroit's rotation of Jones, Charlie Wheeler, Frank Crawford, Stumpy Beaman and Roger Perry as imposing as any in the Federal Association.

The Sailors are 10.5 games out of the race and perhaps with an eye west where they see a rising powerhouse in the Chicago Cougars, Sailors brass decided they better add some key pieces to stay relevant in the CA into the next decade. It is a nice haul for Jones in that the Sailors add two teenage pitching prospects in Al Duster and David Molina. It is a great destination for the two youngsters as well since the Sailors have long held a reputation for developing quality big league arms.

Detroit has a deep and plentiful collection of righthanders and they dipped into that pool and pulled a pair of them out but the Dynamos do get to hang on to their top two arms, at least according to OSA, in Bill Willman and Ed Whetzel. Molina and Duster are still quality prospects. The 19 year old Molina was a second round selection in 1937 and is presently in Class A after starting the season in B. He is #65 on the OSA list and TWIFB thinks he is a solid middle of the rotation arm once he matures. Duster is also 19, and was selected 4th overall by the Keystones in 1937 before being traded to Detroit last summer. OSA calls him a potential #2 starter and presently ranks him 130th on their prospect list.

The Dynamos also made a depth deal earlier in the evening picking up Chuck Cole from Toronto. The 28 year old is 7-10 for the Toronto Wolves this season and although he did win a CA high 21 games in 1936 he looks more like a bullpen piece in Detroit - perhaps replacing the inconsistent Jim Hawkins (4-7, 5.64) who was jettisoned to Cleveland.

On the field both races tightened up last week as the Brooklyn Kings seemed to have entered their annual extended slump. The Continental Association leaders were swept over the weekend by Philadelphia - perhaps giving the Sailors second thoughts about dealing William Jones to Detroit. Philadelphia is still 9.5 games off the pace but the Toronto Wolves are making Kings fans sweat. The Wolves trail Brooklyn by 6 games and invade Kings County Ballpark for a 3 game set beginning tomorrow and seem to be catching the Kings at the right time. The Kings are playing their worst baseball of the season, losing 9 of their last 13 games including two of three recently in Toronto. The Wolves, on the other hand, have won 7 of 9 and as has been the case all season are led by Fred McCormick (.418,10,65) who had a 5-hit game last week and has raised his league leading average 14 points in the last 12 games - no easy task when you are batting over .400.

Both the Dynamos and Chiefs have reinforcements coming this week with the deadline additions but the race just tightened up again as while Detroit was splitting it's 6 games at home to Pittsburgh and Washington the Chiefs posted back to back sweeps of 3-game sets with Boston and Philadelphia. A nice payback of the Minutemen who had swept Chicago just a week ago.

Good news for Chiefs fans as Al Miller had a pair of very solid starts this past week and improved his record to 9-10. Miller's continued success is a must as Chicago has quietly gone back to a 4-man rotation which puts some extra pressure on older arms like Rabbit Day, Jim Lonardo and Jack Beach. The move is clearly an effort to keep up with the Dynamos but it has it's risks. The 34 year old Day is on pace to top 300 innings, a mark he has not hit since 1932 although he came close last year. Lonardo is on pace for 295 innings of work, which would be a career high for him. Even #4 starter Jack Beach, who is 36, is on a pace for over 250 innings, a total he last hit 4 years ago.

Chiefs manager Joe Ward says the schedule maker has helped him with his pitching assignments. "We've been having a lot of Mondays off, which has allowed us to mostly use a 4 man rotation. That changes in September--starting 9/3, the Chiefs will play 31 games over the final 30 days of the season. Including yet another holiday double header with Detroit."

QUICK HITS

Deuce Barrell finally made his long awaited FABL debut for Baltimore. The 1935 first overall pick didn't look great, giving up 12 hits and four earned in 7.1 innings in a 6-4 loss vs the Wolves, but he also struck out 7 and didn't walk anyone. I had been looking at Al Miller, who turns 23 in about seven weeks and needs 1 win to hit 50 for his career. Deuce is just 21 months younger but looking for that very first win.
Detroit’s Leon Drake has his work cut out for himself if he is going to get his 3rd straight season in the 20-20-20 club. He has 22 doubles so he is good there and has 11 triples and home runs. We he get there over the last 2 months? Some will be surprised to hear that Drake’s name was thrown out there in one proposed trade scenario along with Elmer Nolde’s. Would Detroit have broken up the #1 OF?
The Dynamos were in the market for an upgrade behind the plate but nothing materialized. Washington's Claude Ramsey might have been an option as perhaps was Mike Taylor of the Cougars but there is also some speculation that Detroit was looking at bringing veteran T.R. Goins in from Cleveland. The Detroit GM had great success brining Goins in to help win a World Championship with Cleveland but Goins is now 37 and just a part time player for the Foresters. Regardless, any deal fell through and the Dynamos will rely on 26 year old Clem Bliss (.265,4,25) to do the catching.
It’s basically been 1 full season since Roger Perry was rescued by Detroit from the Cleveland scrap heap (he was going to be sent to AAA) at last seasons trade deadline. In that time he has gone 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA in 29 starts. Not a bad pickup and he once again is pitching like the guy who went 53-27 in the 32-34 seasons. Still only 31 years old.
The Dynamos big question is do they go 4-man rotation with the acquisition of of William Jones or go back to 5-man. Jones moves into the #1 SP role followed by Crawford and Wheeler. The question is if it’s a 4-man rotation who goes to the pen, Roger Perry (9-4 3.87 ERA) or Stumpy Beaman (7-8 3.93 ERA). Beaman has had tough luck in not having a winning record and manager George Theobald loves him as the stopper in the pen. Since the stopper has been a rotating door with Jim Hawkins shipped to Cleveland, it might be worth a try to see Beaman in that role for a month as it would likely be his role if we are lucky enough to hang onto this slim 1 1/2 game lead in the playoffs. The other question the pitching staff with newcomers Chuck Cole and William Jones is at 10. So who gets DFA or shipped to AAA to bring it back down to a still bloated 9
While Lefty Allen (17-9, 3.31) gets most of the attention given out to Pittsburgh moundsman it is worth noting that Bill Ketterman (16-9, 3.95) has quietly won his last 9 starts. Could this be the year the 34 year old finally gets his first twenty-win season? Ketterman twice won 19 games: in 1933 and again two years ago.
Often injured Mahlon Strong (I believe "Often-Injured Mahlon" is now officially his first name)hasn't played since June 4th, but it appears that he is healthy again and ready to join one of the hottest clubs since the all-star break. Just in time for the Miners big series in Chicago. His latest injury occurred in that June 4th contest which was also against the Chiefs. On the year Strong his hitting .348 with 4 homers and 26 rbi's but he has only played 36 games. I guess we take that as a positive because Strong was healthy enough to appear in just 29 last season.
Pete Papenfus (4-0, 2.50) did not factor in the decision but the Chicago Cougars won another of his starts this week - edging the New York Stars 5-4 in extra innings. Peter the Heater went 8 and fanned 6, which is the lowest K total in the 20 year old's 4 starts since being called up from AAA.
Toronto's 20 year old hurler George Garrison (0-2, 7.91) had a slightly better third outing as a big leaguer but was not treated well by his fielders as 4 unearned runs thanks to 3 errors were his undoing. No decision for Garrison as the Wolves rallied for a 9-7 extra inning win over Montreal.
Staying with the Wolves you have to wonder who takes the mound now that Chuck Cole has been moved to Detroit. Toronto is still in the mix, trailing slumping Brooklyn by just 6 games and things could get real exciting in the CA if the Wolves win this week's series with the Kings. Cole (8-10, 4.28) was not having a great season and will likely end up pitching out of the pen in Detroit, but without him the Wolves options for their number 4 starter are very limited. Joe Hancok (16-5, 3.02), Chuck Wirtz (11-6, 3.91) are a solid 1-2 and Bernie Johnson (7-4, 3.25) has had a nice resurgence after summering in Buffalo much of the past two seasons. That leaves a pair of rookies in Garrison or 23 year old Jim Morrison (4-7, 5.72) who was exiled to the pen after some shaky starts. The only other choice appears to be Art Blake (4-2, 4.50) who does not instill much fear in Continental hitters so all indications are it will be the rookies Garrison and Morrison as the back two starters heading into a crucial week for the Wolves.
Congratulations to Pete Layton on his 200th career homerun. Layton was named Federal Association player of the month for July and leads the Fed with a .387 batting average. His last batting crown came a decade ago when he was with the New York Stars. The Chicago Chiefs shortstop is closing in on the 2500 hit mark as well. He needs 66 more to become just the 22nd player to record 2500 career hits.
The Chiefs Hank Barrett (.323,21,81) probably wishes he played his entire career at Whitney Park. The only thing that the 28 year old Barnett might not have a career high in this season is doubles. Unlike his time spent in Montreal, all of his potential doubles are leaving the yard.
After being run over in Boston two weeks ago, the Chiefs extracted a measure of revenge at home--sweeping Boston by a combined score of 26-7 and Chicago 3B Bob Martin is riding a 22 game hit streak. Martin is 2 shy of the longest streak of the season - 24 set by Washington's Jim Beard. Fred McCormick of Toronto also has an active streak sitting at 22 games.
The battle for 6th place in New York this week as the Gothams host Philly, both with 38-58 records. Looking back at the week just passed, the Gothams youngsters held up playing the same teams for a second consecutive week going 2-1 against each of Washington and Pittsburgh. Mule Monier (.365,2,12), Dave Haight (.326,3,56) and Ernesto Perez (.321,1,25) in particular leading the offense.
It's been a rough year for the Keystones and Bobby Barrell (.277,10,59) and Rankin Kellogg (.275,6,52) in particular. This is shaping up to be the worst season of the 28 year old Barrell's career and Kellogg's power has just fallen off the map. Once thought to have a very good shot at 600 homers the 35 year old now looks hard pressed to even reach the half century mark. Kellogg led the Fed in homers 5 straight seasons starting in 1931, averaging nearly 40 a season. He dipped slightly to 36 round trippers in 1936 before falling to 19 last year. He is only on pace to get 10 this season and presently has 468 for his career. Max Morris leads the way with 711. Kellogg is second with a 144 homer lead on 30 year old Al Wheeler, who sits third on the list at 322.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 07/31/1938

Prime Minister Chamberlain declares Britain fears no enemy and says although they seek peace Britain's forces grow stronger by the day and they will defend themselves if attacked. Chamberlain adds he is not unmindful that "though it is good to have a giant's strength it is tyrannous to use it."
Pope Pius XI attacked excessive racism for the third time in two weeks by criticizing Italy's "unhappy imitation" of Germany's racial theories.
reports out of Tokyo say Russian troops fired on Japanese soldiers, starting a battle in Manchukuo. Meanwhile near Hankow, China dozens of Americans are trapped between Chinese and Japanese lines.
An assassin's shot missed it's target: Major General Blanton Winship, the American Governor of Puerto Rico but 2 others were killed in the ensuing chaos.
The latest terrorist bomb blast in Palestine kills 39 in a crowded Arab market place as strife between Jews and Arabs continues in the Holy Land. 23 were killed in the same location just two weeks ago.

08-31-2021, 02:21 PM	#234
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	This Week in Figment Baseball: August 1, 1938 THIS WEEK IN FIGMENT BASEBALL August 1, 1938 DYNAMOS MAKE LATE DEAL TO ADD SAILORS MOUND ACE JONES The Dynamos pulled off a late deal just before the trading deadline to add William Jones, who has long been one of the key pieces of the Philadelphia Sailors staff. The 34 year old righthander is just 4-7 this season but does own a sparkling 2.74 era and has a career mark of 162-108. He also brings Detroit playoff experience with a pair of World Championship titles and makes Detroit's rotation of Jones, Charlie Wheeler, Frank Crawford, Stumpy Beaman and Roger Perry as imposing as any in the Federal Association. The Sailors are 10.5 games out of the race and perhaps with an eye west where they see a rising powerhouse in the Chicago Cougars, Sailors brass decided they better add some key pieces to stay relevant in the CA into the next decade. It is a nice haul for Jones in that the Sailors add two teenage pitching prospects in Al Duster and David Molina. It is a great destination for the two youngsters as well since the Sailors have long held a reputation for developing quality big league arms. Detroit has a deep and plentiful collection of righthanders and they dipped into that pool and pulled a pair of them out but the Dynamos do get to hang on to their top two arms, at least according to OSA, in Bill Willman and Ed Whetzel. Molina and Duster are still quality prospects. The 19 year old Molina was a second round selection in 1937 and is presently in Class A after starting the season in B. He is #65 on the OSA list and TWIFB thinks he is a solid middle of the rotation arm once he matures. Duster is also 19, and was selected 4th overall by the Keystones in 1937 before being traded to Detroit last summer. OSA calls him a potential #2 starter and presently ranks him 130th on their prospect list. The Dynamos also made a depth deal earlier in the evening picking up Chuck Cole from Toronto. The 28 year old is 7-10 for the Toronto Wolves this season and although he did win a CA high 21 games in 1936 he looks more like a bullpen piece in Detroit - perhaps replacing the inconsistent Jim Hawkins (4-7, 5.64) who was jettisoned to Cleveland. On the field both races tightened up last week as the Brooklyn Kings seemed to have entered their annual extended slump. The Continental Association leaders were swept over the weekend by Philadelphia - perhaps giving the Sailors second thoughts about dealing William Jones to Detroit. Philadelphia is still 9.5 games off the pace but the Toronto Wolves are making Kings fans sweat. The Wolves trail Brooklyn by 6 games and invade Kings County Ballpark for a 3 game set beginning tomorrow and seem to be catching the Kings at the right time. The Kings are playing their worst baseball of the season, losing 9 of their last 13 games including two of three recently in Toronto. The Wolves, on the other hand, have won 7 of 9 and as has been the case all season are led by Fred McCormick (.418,10,65) who had a 5-hit game last week and has raised his league leading average 14 points in the last 12 games - no easy task when you are batting over .400. Both the Dynamos and Chiefs have reinforcements coming this week with the deadline additions but the race just tightened up again as while Detroit was splitting it's 6 games at home to Pittsburgh and Washington the Chiefs posted back to back sweeps of 3-game sets with Boston and Philadelphia. A nice payback of the Minutemen who had swept Chicago just a week ago. Good news for Chiefs fans as Al Miller had a pair of very solid starts this past week and improved his record to 9-10. Miller's continued success is a must as Chicago has quietly gone back to a 4-man rotation which puts some extra pressure on older arms like Rabbit Day, Jim Lonardo and Jack Beach. The move is clearly an effort to keep up with the Dynamos but it has it's risks. The 34 year old Day is on pace to top 300 innings, a mark he has not hit since 1932 although he came close last year. Lonardo is on pace for 295 innings of work, which would be a career high for him. Even #4 starter Jack Beach, who is 36, is on a pace for over 250 innings, a total he last hit 4 years ago. Chiefs manager Joe Ward says the schedule maker has helped him with his pitching assignments. "We've been having a lot of Mondays off, which has allowed us to mostly use a 4 man rotation. That changes in September--starting 9/3, the Chiefs will play 31 games over the final 30 days of the season. Including yet another holiday double header with Detroit." QUICK HITS Deuce Barrell finally made his long awaited FABL debut for Baltimore. The 1935 first overall pick didn't look great, giving up 12 hits and four earned in 7.1 innings in a 6-4 loss vs the Wolves, but he also struck out 7 and didn't walk anyone. I had been looking at Al Miller, who turns 23 in about seven weeks and needs 1 win to hit 50 for his career. Deuce is just 21 months younger but looking for that very first win. Detroit’s Leon Drake has his work cut out for himself if he is going to get his 3rd straight season in the 20-20-20 club. He has 22 doubles so he is good there and has 11 triples and home runs. We he get there over the last 2 months? Some will be surprised to hear that Drake’s name was thrown out there in one proposed trade scenario along with Elmer Nolde’s. Would Detroit have broken up the #1 OF? The Dynamos were in the market for an upgrade behind the plate but nothing materialized. Washington's Claude Ramsey might have been an option as perhaps was Mike Taylor of the Cougars but there is also some speculation that Detroit was looking at bringing veteran T.R. Goins in from Cleveland. The Detroit GM had great success brining Goins in to help win a World Championship with Cleveland but Goins is now 37 and just a part time player for the Foresters. Regardless, any deal fell through and the Dynamos will rely on 26 year old Clem Bliss (.265,4,25) to do the catching. It’s basically been 1 full season since Roger Perry was rescued by Detroit from the Cleveland scrap heap (he was going to be sent to AAA) at last seasons trade deadline. In that time he has gone 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA in 29 starts. Not a bad pickup and he once again is pitching like the guy who went 53-27 in the 32-34 seasons. Still only 31 years old. The Dynamos big question is do they go 4-man rotation with the acquisition of of William Jones or go back to 5-man. Jones moves into the #1 SP role followed by Crawford and Wheeler. The question is if it’s a 4-man rotation who goes to the pen, Roger Perry (9-4 3.87 ERA) or Stumpy Beaman (7-8 3.93 ERA). Beaman has had tough luck in not having a winning record and manager George Theobald loves him as the stopper in the pen. Since the stopper has been a rotating door with Jim Hawkins shipped to Cleveland, it might be worth a try to see Beaman in that role for a month as it would likely be his role if we are lucky enough to hang onto this slim 1 1/2 game lead in the playoffs. The other question the pitching staff with newcomers Chuck Cole and William Jones is at 10. So who gets DFA or shipped to AAA to bring it back down to a still bloated 9 While Lefty Allen (17-9, 3.31) gets most of the attention given out to Pittsburgh moundsman it is worth noting that Bill Ketterman (16-9, 3.95) has quietly won his last 9 starts. Could this be the year the 34 year old finally gets his first twenty-win season? Ketterman twice won 19 games: in 1933 and again two years ago. Often injured Mahlon Strong (I believe "Often-Injured Mahlon" is now officially his first name)hasn't played since June 4th, but it appears that he is healthy again and ready to join one of the hottest clubs since the all-star break. Just in time for the Miners big series in Chicago. His latest injury occurred in that June 4th contest which was also against the Chiefs. On the year Strong his hitting .348 with 4 homers and 26 rbi's but he has only played 36 games. I guess we take that as a positive because Strong was healthy enough to appear in just 29 last season. Pete Papenfus (4-0, 2.50) did not factor in the decision but the Chicago Cougars won another of his starts this week - edging the New York Stars 5-4 in extra innings. Peter the Heater went 8 and fanned 6, which is the lowest K total in the 20 year old's 4 starts since being called up from AAA. Toronto's 20 year old hurler George Garrison (0-2, 7.91) had a slightly better third outing as a big leaguer but was not treated well by his fielders as 4 unearned runs thanks to 3 errors were his undoing. No decision for Garrison as the Wolves rallied for a 9-7 extra inning win over Montreal. Staying with the Wolves you have to wonder who takes the mound now that Chuck Cole has been moved to Detroit. Toronto is still in the mix, trailing slumping Brooklyn by just 6 games and things could get real exciting in the CA if the Wolves win this week's series with the Kings. Cole (8-10, 4.28) was not having a great season and will likely end up pitching out of the pen in Detroit, but without him the Wolves options for their number 4 starter are very limited. Joe Hancok (16-5, 3.02), Chuck Wirtz (11-6, 3.91) are a solid 1-2 and Bernie Johnson (7-4, 3.25) has had a nice resurgence after summering in Buffalo much of the past two seasons. That leaves a pair of rookies in Garrison or 23 year old Jim Morrison (4-7, 5.72) who was exiled to the pen after some shaky starts. The only other choice appears to be Art Blake (4-2, 4.50) who does not instill much fear in Continental hitters so all indications are it will be the rookies Garrison and Morrison as the back two starters heading into a crucial week for the Wolves. Congratulations to Pete Layton on his 200th career homerun. Layton was named Federal Association player of the month for July and leads the Fed with a .387 batting average. His last batting crown came a decade ago when he was with the New York Stars. The Chicago Chiefs shortstop is closing in on the 2500 hit mark as well. He needs 66 more to become just the 22nd player to record 2500 career hits. The Chiefs Hank Barrett (.323,21,81) probably wishes he played his entire career at Whitney Park. The only thing that the 28 year old Barnett might not have a career high in this season is doubles. Unlike his time spent in Montreal, all of his potential doubles are leaving the yard. After being run over in Boston two weeks ago, the Chiefs extracted a measure of revenge at home--sweeping Boston by a combined score of 26-7 and Chicago 3B Bob Martin is riding a 22 game hit streak. Martin is 2 shy of the longest streak of the season - 24 set by Washington's Jim Beard. Fred McCormick of Toronto also has an active streak sitting at 22 games. The battle for 6th place in New York this week as the Gothams host Philly, both with 38-58 records. Looking back at the week just passed, the Gothams youngsters held up playing the same teams for a second consecutive week going 2-1 against each of Washington and Pittsburgh. Mule Monier (.365,2,12), Dave Haight (.326,3,56) and Ernesto Perez (.321,1,25) in particular leading the offense. It's been a rough year for the Keystones and Bobby Barrell (.277,10,59) and Rankin Kellogg (.275,6,52) in particular. This is shaping up to be the worst season of the 28 year old Barrell's career and Kellogg's power has just fallen off the map. Once thought to have a very good shot at 600 homers the 35 year old now looks hard pressed to even reach the half century mark. Kellogg led the Fed in homers 5 straight seasons starting in 1931, averaging nearly 40 a season. He dipped slightly to 36 round trippers in 1936 before falling to 19 last year. He is only on pace to get 10 this season and presently has 468 for his career. Max Morris leads the way with 711. Kellogg is second with a 144 homer lead on 30 year old Al Wheeler, who sits third on the list at 322. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 07/31/1938 Prime Minister Chamberlain declares Britain fears no enemy and says although they seek peace Britain's forces grow stronger by the day and they will defend themselves if attacked. Chamberlain adds he is not unmindful that "though it is good to have a giant's strength it is tyrannous to use it." Pope Pius XI attacked excessive racism for the third time in two weeks by criticizing Italy's "unhappy imitation" of Germany's racial theories. reports out of Tokyo say Russian troops fired on Japanese soldiers, starting a battle in Manchukuo. Meanwhile near Hankow, China dozens of Americans are trapped between Chinese and Japanese lines. An assassin's shot missed it's target: Major General Blanton Winship, the American Governor of Puerto Rico but 2 others were killed in the ensuing chaos. The latest terrorist bomb blast in Palestine kills 39 in a crowded Arab market place as strife between Jews and Arabs continues in the Holy Land. 23 were killed in the same location just two weeks ago. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports