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Jiggs McGee · 09-03-2021, 01:16 PM

THIS WEEK IN FIGMENT BASEBALL

August 22, 1938

JUST GRIN AND BARRETT

It has been quite an eventful week for 18 year old Bill Barrett. Perhaps it would have been enough for Barrett simply to make his major league debut and hit 3 homers in his first seven games in a New York Stars uniform but there was so much more than that to the young outfielder's week. It started with Barrett sitting in the manager's office in Class A Scranton receiving word he was dealt to the Detroit Dynamos in exchange for five prospects and word had it the Dynamos were poised to bring him straight to Detroit for his big league debut after just 13 professional games. However, the trade was voided because both sides involved failed to realize there was a league rule prohibiting any trade, include those not on the 40-man roster, at any point between August 1st and the conclusion of the World Championship Series.

Barrett was packed and preparing to board a train bound for Detroit in anticipation of joining his new teammates and making his big league debut when he was tracked down at the Scranton train station and handed a ticket with a new destination. That would be New York as the Stars, after being informed by the league the deal was not legal, decided to call up the teenage outfielder that scouting guru Rufus Barrell deemed major league ready weeks before the June FABL draft.

Barrett, despite not playing since July 17th because the Stars did not want to take any chances with an arm strain he suffered in a game on that day, arrived at Dyckman Stadium and was in the lineup Monday when the New York Stars squared off against the Baltimore Cannons. His debut in New York last Monday was the most anticipated event since Al Jolson graced the silver screen as The Jazz Singer with 10,581 fans in the ballpark on that day, although as the years go by you can be quite certain thousands of others will also claim to have been in attendance at the youngster's debut. The debut itself was nothing special as young Baltimore pitcher Gus Goulding induced a lazy fly ball from the teen in the bottom of the first inning for Barrett's first big league plate appearance. Barrett would end up going 0-for-4 on the day but he did get an rbi on a fielder's choice.

With the weeks of inactivity due to the minor injury Barrett's timing was off and he went hitless the next two days as well but he did draw a pair of walks in his third game. The finale of the 4-game set with the Cannons was when Barrett earned his first career hit...and his second. Both were homeruns, each a solo shot off of Pinky Conlan, and helped the Stars take 3 of 4 from Baltimore with a 6-3 win. He also finished the week with another homerun - his third - and a triple yesterday but the Stars fell 9-6 in Montreal.

"To be honest, I had no idea what to think," admitted Barrett about his crazy week. "I went from the high of being told I was going to Detroit, playing with (Sal) Pestilli and all those other great players and being in a pennant race. Then I hear the deal is off and I had no idea what's happening. Fortunately the Stars decided to bring me up and it was a whirlwind. Took some time to get my bearings I think but getting that first one under my belt was a huge relief."

Thru his first 7 big league games Barrett is batting .227 but with 3 homers, 6 rbi's and a .727 slugging percentage and the Stars posted a winning record, going 4-3. The Bill Barrett era in New York is underway!

CHIEFS "NEW YORK CONNECTION" ONCE AGAIN HANDLES THEOBALD GANG

Just as they did a week ago Rabbit Day and Jim Lonardo shut down the big guns of the Detroit Dynamos and led the Chicago Chiefs to a series win over Detroit. The victories, number 19 for Day in a 4-3 win Friday and the 18th for Lonardo in a 5-2 triumph Saturday increased the Chicago Chiefs lead over Detroit atop the Federal Association to 3 games. As they did last week when the two sides squared off in Chicago, the Dynamos did salvage the Sunday contest with a victory to lower the Detroit deficit to two games.

The Sunday game featured a dramatic Detroit comeback as the Dynamos scored twice in the bottom of the ninth after Chicago had taken the lead with a pair of their own in the 8th inning. The Detroit heroes were their big three of Red Johnson, with an rbi single to tie the game, Sal Pestilli with a double to move Johnson to third and Leon Drake with a game ending sacrifice fly.

That result may prove to be huge as the season prepares to enter it's final month. Had Chicago held on the lead would be four games and being swept by the Chiefs on their home field might have sent the Dynamos reeling into a funk that even the great George Theobald could not manage his way out of. Instead cutting the margin down to two gives Detroit some hope as the club prepares to embark on a 16 game road trip that will include a Labor Day twin bill at Whitney Park.

Even two games may be insurmountable the way the Chiefs big guns Day and Lonardo are firing. Day is 19-7 with a 3.38 era while Lonardo, who came over from the Gothams in the winter to join his former New York teammate in Chicago, is 18-6 with a FABL best 2.09 era. He is 8-1 in his last 10 starts and together the pair of 34 year old's are a major reason the Chiefs have gone 31-12 since July 2nd.

KINGS CONTINUE TO RULE CONTINENTAL

After a rough spell following the All-Star break the Brooklyn Kings are back to playing consistent baseball as they steadily seem to win two of every three games they play. Brooklyn went 4-2 last week and added a half game to their lead over second place Toronto atop the Continental Association. The Kings, who are seeking their third straight CA pennant, have won 13 of their last 17 games to counteract the July swoon as they head out on a 10 game road trip that begins with a two game stop in Toronto. The Wolves are 9-9 against Brooklyn and one of the two teams that has given the Kings trouble this season with the Philadelphia Sailors, who Brooklyn also visits in the week ahead, being the other one. Brooklyn is just 8-9 against the Sailors this season. The Kings will catch a break against Toronto in that they should avoid having to face Wolves ace Joe Hancock (18-6, 3.00). The 25 year old lost to Cleveland yesterday and, at 4-5 over his last 9 decisions, may be slowing some signs of wear on the season. One Wolves player who is not wearing down is first baseman Fred McCormick (.412,10,70) who is coming off another big week as he continues to chase .400.

There might have been worries that Bob Worley (.211,8,40) would not be able to contribute enough offensively in Brooklyn after being acquired along with several prospects from the Chicago Chiefs at the deadline in exchange for speedster Bill May but Worley has been more than an adequate replacement. In 16 games with Brooklyn the 29 year old center fielder is batting .347 with 4 homers and 11 rbi's as he and Alf Pestilli (.293,15,56) have given the Kings a new look in their outfield.

QUICK HITS

Not a recognized stat in this era but Del Lyons had 3 more saves this week to boost his season total to 25. He is one shy of the FABL single season record of 26 set by Bill Mendine of the 1922 Cougars. The Kings tried a few times to make Lyons a starter but he couldn’t cut it, but has enjoyed great success coming out of the pen. Lyons is now 7 saves shy of 100 for his career at the age of 33. Only 10 players have hit the century mark in saves led by Stan Waters (1914-27 PHK & Mon) with 164. Mendine is tied with former King and Pioneer Hal Galvin for second at 137.
Brooklyn third baseman Frank Vance joined the 2000 Hit club last week. The milestone marker was a single off of Montreal's Jake DeYoung and allows the 35 year old to become the 64th player to reach 2000 FABL hits. Vance is one of 3 current Kings included in those 64 joining Al Wheeler, who also joined the club this season, and veteran backup John Kincaid. The Chicago Chiefs also have 3 players with at least 2000 hits in Pete Layton, Jim Hampton and Bob Martin. Other active players with at least 2000 hits include Rankin Kellogg of the Keystones, Cleveland's TR Goins and Charlie Barry, Dave Trowbridge of the Stars and John Lawson of the Cougars. The Cougars also recently claimed Lou Kelly on waivers. The 36 year old sits 8 hits shy of the 2000 mark but is currently 0-for-4 in a backup role.
Mixed emotions for the New York Gothams. The club takes two of three from both Chicago and St Louis and has won 7 of 9 to help solidify their hold on 6th place in the Fed but the bas news is impressive 22 year old rookie shortstop Mule Monier's season is over after he broke a finger last week. Monier (.347,3,18) was riding a 15 game hitting streak and has had at least one hit in 30 of his 34 career big league games since being called up just after the all-star break.
Maybe Pete Casstevens WAS bored in the low minors. This season 16 g at class C - .277/.347/.431, moved to class B - 70 g .237/.295/.333, Still we bumped him to class A - 13 games - .405/.440/.429. Casstevens is one of the Gothams many elite prospects and is #6 overall (and the top catcher) according to OSA.
Only a 3-3 week for the Chicago Chiefs but it didn't hurt as Detroit posted the same mark. Not completely unexpected from the Chiefs with a 6-man rotation to ensure Day and Lonardo faced Detroit again. 2 losses were from Charlie Bingham and the other from Gene Jones but the plan worked as Day and Lonardo allowed the Chiefs to take 2 of 3 in Detroit.
Disappointing week for Detroit on several fronts going 3-3. Obviously would have loved to have added Barrett to this lineup and it would have been very special to watch Sal Pestilli, Red Johnson and Bill Barrett in the same lineup. Detroit didn’t lose any ground but the opportunity to have won Friday’s game only to lose it late might haunt them the rest of the season. SP Roger Perry is showing us that we made a mistake in not throwing the veteran SP in either of the Chicago series.
The league doesn't have a comeback player of the year but if they did Detroit's vote has to be for the Chiefs Jim Lonardo. He has handcuffed the Dynamos in both recent starts and his addition has been huge for the Chiefs. He obviously is in the Allen front running group and if so it would be his fourth Allen Award.
Lefty Allen and Bill Ketterman both get their 20th win for Pittsburgh last week, while Charlie Stedman has a lower ERA than both and is stuck at 10-13. One observer remarked that sounds like Stedman's career as he rarely seems to get a break. The 36 year old is 180-158 with only one twenty win season to his credit (1929 in Montreal) despite consistently posting very strong ERA+ numbers.
Brooklyn's Tom Barrell (10-10, 4.13) is another one having a rough year. Barrell's run support is the lowest of the 5 Kings starters and his ERA is the highest among the group of 5 despite have the lowest FIP on the staff. Last week he lost 4-0 to Gus Goulding of Baltimore a day before the Kings exploded for 9 runs in blasting the Cannons with his nephew Deuce Barrell on the mound.
Brooklyn manager and former Baltimore great Powell Slocum is the all-time career batting average leader hitting at a .375 clip over his nearly 3000 big league games. Number two on the list? Fred McCormick, the former Pioneer and current Toronto Wolves star who is chasing his first .400 season. McCormick's career mark to date is .357. The only other players to have a career average over .350 are all still active as well in Freddie Jones of St Louis, Brooklyn's Doug Lightbody and Glenn Morrison. Who you might ask is Glenn Morrison still playing for? Well, after 730 FABL games he was cut loose by Washington at age 28 and has spent the past decade in the Great Western League with independent Portland. The now 38 year old is 19th all-time in GWL hits with 1223 and counting.
A real head scratcher. Johnny Guzzo, who earned a special place in Pittsburgh history last season for hitting .375 down the stretch after being called for a successful pennant run due to a rash of middle infield injuries, is back in Pittsburgh and back to hitting the ball. He hit .455 with a homer and 8 rbi's last week despite being just a .243 career hitter and regarded as a glove only shortstop. Oh, but he did commit 4 errors last week.
The Miners are optimistic about young lefty Doc Wiseman. He seems to have electric stuff and has had solid K/9 rates across several levels. He's got control problems and is still learning how to pitch, but he showed his potential in picking up his first big league win against Boston with a 8.1 IP, 5 ER, 12 K performance. He had an 8.40 K/9 in AA (99.2 IP) and a 7.79 K/9 in AAA (54.1 IP)
Leo Mitchell (.331,8,58) was player of the week in the CA. The Chicago Cougars 25 year old outfielder hit .565 last week and is a .324 career hitter after his first 322 FABL games.
We don't hear much about Washington anymore but that is because their pitching is so bad. The bats have been working just fine and Moxie Pidgeon (.301,18,72) is the latest proof of that fact. The 31 year old outfielder was named the player of the week in the Fed after hitting .519 with a pair of homers and 10 rbi's last week. The Eagles did have a winning week, going 4-2 but credit the offense which averaged over 8 runs a game and the club still lost twice.
After going 0-2 in his first three starts as an Eagle, Sergio Gonzales (11-12, 3.72 overall) is settling in nicely atop the Washington rotation. He is 3-3 with a 3.80 era in 8 starts since coming over from Cleveland.
For the first time in over a month DC posted a 4-2 week record, mainly due to the leadership of Moxie Pidgeon and Gonzales 2 quality starts. However, it seems the Eagles can't win for losing when it comes to pitching. This time it is injury as 28 year old Mike Knight is expected to miss 13 months with elbow troubles. For it to happen when Knight (7-7, 4.46) just seemed to be finding a bit of a groove makes it even tougher to take in Washington. And he wasn't the only one to go down for an extended period of time last week. Outfielder Don Miller's season may be over after getting hurt last week. Miller (.298,2,52) was leading the league in SB this season.
Eagles brass has brought up two players from AAA: Pitcher Ike Beaver will join the bullpen after progressing thru multiples levels this season and developing quite nicely. The 23 year old will be given to chance to prove this is not just a lucky season. Coincidence or not, this will be the third pitcher in the DC squad being named "Ike", should we call them the "Ike Squad". To replace Miller, 24 year old outfielder Jim Hankshaw, prospect #59 according to OSA, been called to patrol the CF position, at least until Wally Flowers is healthy, which is expected to be about a week. Hankshaw had a very good training camp before getting injured in the last week of spring to be sent down for rehab following the injury.
The alternately very good and very bad Bill Anderson will get a chance in the rotation again to replace Knight. Privately there is big worry in DC that Knight will ever play baseball again in the FABL after multiple injuries and this one being the longest recovery he will be dealing with.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 08/21/1938

US Marines, armed with machine guns and bayonets drove invading Japanese troops out of the American sector of the International Settlement in Shanghai. It is believed Japan has nearly 1 million soldiers in the area poised to attack the Chinese capital of Hankow.
Berlin expels a British officer from Austria amidst claims Germany had "proofs of his conducting espionage."
FDR made a vigorous plea for the long-debated St Lawrence Waterway Treaty and said unless the US and Canada take joint governmental action a "group of American interests" may gain a monopoly in developing the river.
20,000 customers were left scurrying for alternate means of transportation to Chicago after railway employees walked off the job in protest of a 15 percent wage cut order.
Howard Hughes sets his second flying record in recent weeks when he landed his transport plane in New York just over 10 and a half hours after leaving Los Angeles. His trip smashed the previous record for a transport plan by nearly 30 minutes.

09-03-2021, 01:16 PM	#237
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	This Week in Figment Baseball: August 22, 1938 THIS WEEK IN FIGMENT BASEBALL August 22, 1938 JUST GRIN AND BARRETT It has been quite an eventful week for 18 year old Bill Barrett. Perhaps it would have been enough for Barrett simply to make his major league debut and hit 3 homers in his first seven games in a New York Stars uniform but there was so much more than that to the young outfielder's week. It started with Barrett sitting in the manager's office in Class A Scranton receiving word he was dealt to the Detroit Dynamos in exchange for five prospects and word had it the Dynamos were poised to bring him straight to Detroit for his big league debut after just 13 professional games. However, the trade was voided because both sides involved failed to realize there was a league rule prohibiting any trade, include those not on the 40-man roster, at any point between August 1st and the conclusion of the World Championship Series. Barrett was packed and preparing to board a train bound for Detroit in anticipation of joining his new teammates and making his big league debut when he was tracked down at the Scranton train station and handed a ticket with a new destination. That would be New York as the Stars, after being informed by the league the deal was not legal, decided to call up the teenage outfielder that scouting guru Rufus Barrell deemed major league ready weeks before the June FABL draft. Barrett, despite not playing since July 17th because the Stars did not want to take any chances with an arm strain he suffered in a game on that day, arrived at Dyckman Stadium and was in the lineup Monday when the New York Stars squared off against the Baltimore Cannons. His debut in New York last Monday was the most anticipated event since Al Jolson graced the silver screen as The Jazz Singer with 10,581 fans in the ballpark on that day, although as the years go by you can be quite certain thousands of others will also claim to have been in attendance at the youngster's debut. The debut itself was nothing special as young Baltimore pitcher Gus Goulding induced a lazy fly ball from the teen in the bottom of the first inning for Barrett's first big league plate appearance. Barrett would end up going 0-for-4 on the day but he did get an rbi on a fielder's choice. With the weeks of inactivity due to the minor injury Barrett's timing was off and he went hitless the next two days as well but he did draw a pair of walks in his third game. The finale of the 4-game set with the Cannons was when Barrett earned his first career hit...and his second. Both were homeruns, each a solo shot off of Pinky Conlan, and helped the Stars take 3 of 4 from Baltimore with a 6-3 win. He also finished the week with another homerun - his third - and a triple yesterday but the Stars fell 9-6 in Montreal. "To be honest, I had no idea what to think," admitted Barrett about his crazy week. "I went from the high of being told I was going to Detroit, playing with (Sal) Pestilli and all those other great players and being in a pennant race. Then I hear the deal is off and I had no idea what's happening. Fortunately the Stars decided to bring me up and it was a whirlwind. Took some time to get my bearings I think but getting that first one under my belt was a huge relief." Thru his first 7 big league games Barrett is batting .227 but with 3 homers, 6 rbi's and a .727 slugging percentage and the Stars posted a winning record, going 4-3. The Bill Barrett era in New York is underway! CHIEFS "NEW YORK CONNECTION" ONCE AGAIN HANDLES THEOBALD GANG Just as they did a week ago Rabbit Day and Jim Lonardo shut down the big guns of the Detroit Dynamos and led the Chicago Chiefs to a series win over Detroit. The victories, number 19 for Day in a 4-3 win Friday and the 18th for Lonardo in a 5-2 triumph Saturday increased the Chicago Chiefs lead over Detroit atop the Federal Association to 3 games. As they did last week when the two sides squared off in Chicago, the Dynamos did salvage the Sunday contest with a victory to lower the Detroit deficit to two games. The Sunday game featured a dramatic Detroit comeback as the Dynamos scored twice in the bottom of the ninth after Chicago had taken the lead with a pair of their own in the 8th inning. The Detroit heroes were their big three of Red Johnson, with an rbi single to tie the game, Sal Pestilli with a double to move Johnson to third and Leon Drake with a game ending sacrifice fly. That result may prove to be huge as the season prepares to enter it's final month. Had Chicago held on the lead would be four games and being swept by the Chiefs on their home field might have sent the Dynamos reeling into a funk that even the great George Theobald could not manage his way out of. Instead cutting the margin down to two gives Detroit some hope as the club prepares to embark on a 16 game road trip that will include a Labor Day twin bill at Whitney Park. Even two games may be insurmountable the way the Chiefs big guns Day and Lonardo are firing. Day is 19-7 with a 3.38 era while Lonardo, who came over from the Gothams in the winter to join his former New York teammate in Chicago, is 18-6 with a FABL best 2.09 era. He is 8-1 in his last 10 starts and together the pair of 34 year old's are a major reason the Chiefs have gone 31-12 since July 2nd. KINGS CONTINUE TO RULE CONTINENTAL After a rough spell following the All-Star break the Brooklyn Kings are back to playing consistent baseball as they steadily seem to win two of every three games they play. Brooklyn went 4-2 last week and added a half game to their lead over second place Toronto atop the Continental Association. The Kings, who are seeking their third straight CA pennant, have won 13 of their last 17 games to counteract the July swoon as they head out on a 10 game road trip that begins with a two game stop in Toronto. The Wolves are 9-9 against Brooklyn and one of the two teams that has given the Kings trouble this season with the Philadelphia Sailors, who Brooklyn also visits in the week ahead, being the other one. Brooklyn is just 8-9 against the Sailors this season. The Kings will catch a break against Toronto in that they should avoid having to face Wolves ace Joe Hancock (18-6, 3.00). The 25 year old lost to Cleveland yesterday and, at 4-5 over his last 9 decisions, may be slowing some signs of wear on the season. One Wolves player who is not wearing down is first baseman Fred McCormick (.412,10,70) who is coming off another big week as he continues to chase .400. There might have been worries that Bob Worley (.211,8,40) would not be able to contribute enough offensively in Brooklyn after being acquired along with several prospects from the Chicago Chiefs at the deadline in exchange for speedster Bill May but Worley has been more than an adequate replacement. In 16 games with Brooklyn the 29 year old center fielder is batting .347 with 4 homers and 11 rbi's as he and Alf Pestilli (.293,15,56) have given the Kings a new look in their outfield. QUICK HITS Not a recognized stat in this era but Del Lyons had 3 more saves this week to boost his season total to 25. He is one shy of the FABL single season record of 26 set by Bill Mendine of the 1922 Cougars. The Kings tried a few times to make Lyons a starter but he couldn’t cut it, but has enjoyed great success coming out of the pen. Lyons is now 7 saves shy of 100 for his career at the age of 33. Only 10 players have hit the century mark in saves led by Stan Waters (1914-27 PHK & Mon) with 164. Mendine is tied with former King and Pioneer Hal Galvin for second at 137. Brooklyn third baseman Frank Vance joined the 2000 Hit club last week. The milestone marker was a single off of Montreal's Jake DeYoung and allows the 35 year old to become the 64th player to reach 2000 FABL hits. Vance is one of 3 current Kings included in those 64 joining Al Wheeler, who also joined the club this season, and veteran backup John Kincaid. The Chicago Chiefs also have 3 players with at least 2000 hits in Pete Layton, Jim Hampton and Bob Martin. Other active players with at least 2000 hits include Rankin Kellogg of the Keystones, Cleveland's TR Goins and Charlie Barry, Dave Trowbridge of the Stars and John Lawson of the Cougars. The Cougars also recently claimed Lou Kelly on waivers. The 36 year old sits 8 hits shy of the 2000 mark but is currently 0-for-4 in a backup role. Mixed emotions for the New York Gothams. The club takes two of three from both Chicago and St Louis and has won 7 of 9 to help solidify their hold on 6th place in the Fed but the bas news is impressive 22 year old rookie shortstop Mule Monier's season is over after he broke a finger last week. Monier (.347,3,18) was riding a 15 game hitting streak and has had at least one hit in 30 of his 34 career big league games since being called up just after the all-star break. Maybe Pete Casstevens WAS bored in the low minors. This season 16 g at class C - .277/.347/.431, moved to class B - 70 g .237/.295/.333, Still we bumped him to class A - 13 games - .405/.440/.429. Casstevens is one of the Gothams many elite prospects and is #6 overall (and the top catcher) according to OSA. Only a 3-3 week for the Chicago Chiefs but it didn't hurt as Detroit posted the same mark. Not completely unexpected from the Chiefs with a 6-man rotation to ensure Day and Lonardo faced Detroit again. 2 losses were from Charlie Bingham and the other from Gene Jones but the plan worked as Day and Lonardo allowed the Chiefs to take 2 of 3 in Detroit. Disappointing week for Detroit on several fronts going 3-3. Obviously would have loved to have added Barrett to this lineup and it would have been very special to watch Sal Pestilli, Red Johnson and Bill Barrett in the same lineup. Detroit didn’t lose any ground but the opportunity to have won Friday’s game only to lose it late might haunt them the rest of the season. SP Roger Perry is showing us that we made a mistake in not throwing the veteran SP in either of the Chicago series. The league doesn't have a comeback player of the year but if they did Detroit's vote has to be for the Chiefs Jim Lonardo. He has handcuffed the Dynamos in both recent starts and his addition has been huge for the Chiefs. He obviously is in the Allen front running group and if so it would be his fourth Allen Award. Lefty Allen and Bill Ketterman both get their 20th win for Pittsburgh last week, while Charlie Stedman has a lower ERA than both and is stuck at 10-13. One observer remarked that sounds like Stedman's career as he rarely seems to get a break. The 36 year old is 180-158 with only one twenty win season to his credit (1929 in Montreal) despite consistently posting very strong ERA+ numbers. Brooklyn's Tom Barrell (10-10, 4.13) is another one having a rough year. Barrell's run support is the lowest of the 5 Kings starters and his ERA is the highest among the group of 5 despite have the lowest FIP on the staff. Last week he lost 4-0 to Gus Goulding of Baltimore a day before the Kings exploded for 9 runs in blasting the Cannons with his nephew Deuce Barrell on the mound. Brooklyn manager and former Baltimore great Powell Slocum is the all-time career batting average leader hitting at a .375 clip over his nearly 3000 big league games. Number two on the list? Fred McCormick, the former Pioneer and current Toronto Wolves star who is chasing his first .400 season. McCormick's career mark to date is .357. The only other players to have a career average over .350 are all still active as well in Freddie Jones of St Louis, Brooklyn's Doug Lightbody and Glenn Morrison. Who you might ask is Glenn Morrison still playing for? Well, after 730 FABL games he was cut loose by Washington at age 28 and has spent the past decade in the Great Western League with independent Portland. The now 38 year old is 19th all-time in GWL hits with 1223 and counting. A real head scratcher. Johnny Guzzo, who earned a special place in Pittsburgh history last season for hitting .375 down the stretch after being called for a successful pennant run due to a rash of middle infield injuries, is back in Pittsburgh and back to hitting the ball. He hit .455 with a homer and 8 rbi's last week despite being just a .243 career hitter and regarded as a glove only shortstop. Oh, but he did commit 4 errors last week. The Miners are optimistic about young lefty Doc Wiseman. He seems to have electric stuff and has had solid K/9 rates across several levels. He's got control problems and is still learning how to pitch, but he showed his potential in picking up his first big league win against Boston with a 8.1 IP, 5 ER, 12 K performance. He had an 8.40 K/9 in AA (99.2 IP) and a 7.79 K/9 in AAA (54.1 IP) Leo Mitchell (.331,8,58) was player of the week in the CA. The Chicago Cougars 25 year old outfielder hit .565 last week and is a .324 career hitter after his first 322 FABL games. We don't hear much about Washington anymore but that is because their pitching is so bad. The bats have been working just fine and Moxie Pidgeon (.301,18,72) is the latest proof of that fact. The 31 year old outfielder was named the player of the week in the Fed after hitting .519 with a pair of homers and 10 rbi's last week. The Eagles did have a winning week, going 4-2 but credit the offense which averaged over 8 runs a game and the club still lost twice. After going 0-2 in his first three starts as an Eagle, Sergio Gonzales (11-12, 3.72 overall) is settling in nicely atop the Washington rotation. He is 3-3 with a 3.80 era in 8 starts since coming over from Cleveland. For the first time in over a month DC posted a 4-2 week record, mainly due to the leadership of Moxie Pidgeon and Gonzales 2 quality starts. However, it seems the Eagles can't win for losing when it comes to pitching. This time it is injury as 28 year old Mike Knight is expected to miss 13 months with elbow troubles. For it to happen when Knight (7-7, 4.46) just seemed to be finding a bit of a groove makes it even tougher to take in Washington. And he wasn't the only one to go down for an extended period of time last week. Outfielder Don Miller's season may be over after getting hurt last week. Miller (.298,2,52) was leading the league in SB this season. Eagles brass has brought up two players from AAA: Pitcher Ike Beaver will join the bullpen after progressing thru multiples levels this season and developing quite nicely. The 23 year old will be given to chance to prove this is not just a lucky season. Coincidence or not, this will be the third pitcher in the DC squad being named "Ike", should we call them the "Ike Squad". To replace Miller, 24 year old outfielder Jim Hankshaw, prospect #59 according to OSA, been called to patrol the CF position, at least until Wally Flowers is healthy, which is expected to be about a week. Hankshaw had a very good training camp before getting injured in the last week of spring to be sent down for rehab following the injury. The alternately very good and very bad Bill Anderson will get a chance in the rotation again to replace Knight. Privately there is big worry in DC that Knight will ever play baseball again in the FABL after multiple injuries and this one being the longest recovery he will be dealing with. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 08/21/1938 US Marines, armed with machine guns and bayonets drove invading Japanese troops out of the American sector of the International Settlement in Shanghai. It is believed Japan has nearly 1 million soldiers in the area poised to attack the Chinese capital of Hankow. Berlin expels a British officer from Austria amidst claims Germany had "proofs of his conducting espionage." FDR made a vigorous plea for the long-debated St Lawrence Waterway Treaty and said unless the US and Canada take joint governmental action a "group of American interests" may gain a monopoly in developing the river. 20,000 customers were left scurrying for alternate means of transportation to Chicago after railway employees walked off the job in protest of a 15 percent wage cut order. Howard Hughes sets his second flying record in recent weeks when he landed his transport plane in New York just over 10 and a half hours after leaving Los Angeles. His trip smashed the previous record for a transport plan by nearly 30 minutes. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports Last edited by Jiggs McGee; 09-03-2021 at 04:57 PM.