AUGUST 14, 1939
FORESTERS EXTEND LEAD ATOP CONTINENTAL
What a turn around the first two weeks of August have been in the Continental Association! As July came to a close it was the New York Stars that were flying high in the CA as they finished off July with 5 straight victories including 3 over Cleveland that gave them a 3.5 game lead over the Foresters at the time. Since then New York has tumbled out of first place after dropping 11 of their last 13 games. Meanwhile, the Foresters who limped out of July losing 6 of their final 7 games that month, have certainly turned the page as August arrived. With 9 wins in their first 13 games of August the Foresters have gone from trailing the Stars by 3.5 to enjoying a 3.5 game lead of their own atop the CA.
The Federal Association race has also seen some separation as the Detroit Dynamos, thanks to a 3-game sweep of the Minutemen last week, now have a 3 game cushion atop the Fed. The Dynamos had won 6 straight prior to dropping a pair to last place Philadelphia over the weekend but with Pittsburgh having to settle for a 3-3 week the Dynamos lead is still 3 on the second place Miners. Boston, which looked so good last month against Pittsburgh - taking 6 straight from the Miners to move into first place - has had it's troubles with Detroit of late, dropping all 6 contests the past few weeks with the Dynamos. At 3-9 in August the Minutemen have many Boston fans fearing the clubs annual post all-star break slump is readying itself to take their beloved Minutemen out of contention yet again this year. The saving grace perhaps for Boston is they have 6 games coming up with the Miners over the next two weeks and are 8-2 vs Pittsburgh on the season.
1940 DRAFT PREVIEW : COLLEGE PLAYERS TO WATCH
The opening phase of the 1940 amateur player draft may still be 5 months away but it is never too early to start scouting the draft pool in an effort to determine who the future stars of FABL might be. This week let's take a look at 10 college stars preparing for their junior year who might hear their names called when the draft gets underway in January. They are ranked based upon OSA's current assessment of their pro potential.
1- BILL SOHL :RHP -Lane State (Portland, OR) The Oregon University has had 13 players drafted in it's relatively short history in the AIAA including a pair of first rounders in infielder Biff Henson (1935 9th overall Montreal) and catcher Joe Henry (1937 10th overall St Louis) but Sohl is expected to be the highest drafted pitcher ever produced by th Emeralds. The Detroit Dynamos seem to have a special connection to Lane State as they lead all teams in drafting 4 players from the school including a pair last year in pitchers Bobby Larry and Jimmy Long. Detroit is also home to another Portland native as first baseman Red Johnson, like Sohl, grew up in Portland. The 21 year old Johnson was taken 2nd overall in the 1935 draft out of high school and he and Sohl, who is a year younger but did pitch against Johnson in high school, are the latest in what is a growing number of pretty solid ballplayers coming out of Portland, joining infielders Art Spencer of the Boston Minutemen and Pittsburgh's Les Tucker.
As for Sohl, who is 14-8 with a 3.00 era and 7.4 K/9 over his first two seasons at Lane State, OSA sees the 20 year old as an impact starter. His key to success is pinpoint command and 3 solid pitches as well as a still developing slider. If there is anything holding him back it will be Sohl himself as the big knock on him is some have question whether his heart was really in becoming the best ballplayer he can be.
2- TOM LANDOWSKI: SS -St. Magnus (Rice Lake, WI) The 21 year old was one of three sophomores to be named to Second Team All-Americans last season and his .324 batting average for the Vikings in the spring was the highest among all players returning to college this season. Nicknamed "Gopher", Landowski grades out as an above average shortstop with a lot of offensive talent as well. He won't be a leader as Landowski sees much too shy to be that type, but should give a team an honest effort every time and seems a lock to follow Bob Coon (2nd round Washington) to give St Magnus a January draftee for the second consecutive season.
3-JOHN GRAVES: CF -Detroit City College (Philadelphia, PA) Sheer hard work has made Graves a player you need to know about. A late bloomer, he was a 14th round pick of the Keystones out of high school but decided to go the college route instead of signing with Philadelphia. The move has certainly paid off as OSA sees Graves as someone who has the talent to flourish in the big leagues. Looks like an outstanding defensive center fielder and has been making real and significant progress as a hitter. He has hit 16 homers the past two seasons after hitting just 4 in 3 years of high school ball so perhaps the power tool will also develop but OSA sees him more as a contact guy.
It has been a long time since Detroit City College produced an outfielder that was drafted but they do have a history from the feeder days with Lou Williams of the Sailors and Rich Langton of the Cougars being two that come quickly to mind with Birdie Jackson, who was a 1932 7th round pick of St Louis, being the most recent one but since the feeder system ended it has been rather slim pickings for the Knights, who have only had 3 players, all pitchers selected under the new system and none of three have made the big leagues as of yet. (Herb Armstrong and George Potter 1935 and Jack Thompson in 1938)
4-TUCKER NESS : C -BOSTON STATE (Rochester, NY) Like Graves, Tucker Ness was a 14th round pick out of high school but failed to sign with the Chicago Cougars and went the college route instead. OSA calls him an above average player who could hit .310 in the big leagues thanks to a smooth swing, quick hands and good pitch recognition. A two year starter for the Pirates he is a lock to become the first player from that school to be drafted by a FABL club. Ness posted almost identical numbers his freshman and sophomore campaigns, hitting .301 with 6 homers and 62 rbi's in the two seasons combined.
Rochester, New York - Ness' hometown - has a pretty rich history of producing big league talent, particularly pitchers. Fatty Johnson and Henry Page were 19th century big league hurlers and more recent Rochester born moundsmen include John White, who had a 20-win season for Sailors, current Keystone George M Brooks and Bill Dengler, who's promising career with Brooklyn was cut short by injury. The top Rochester born position player would have to be Ned Vaughn, who spent a decade in Baltimore just after the turn of the century. While a number have played in the minors no Rochester born catcher has ever made it to the big leagues but Ness seems to be a good bet to one day end that trend.
5- BILL TRAYLOR: RHP -Coastal State (Columbus, GA) Traylor is one of two Coastal State pitchers expected to be drafted next season although the other one, Jess Cavanagh, is unlikely to go in January. Coastal State has already seen 7 of it's alumni selected in past drafts led by Pat Powell, a second baseman chosen in the 4th round of the 1937 draft by Boston. 12 players born in Columbus, Georgia before Traylor have played professional baseball including 4 active minor leaguers (Bob Edgin, Billy Kleber, Jack Timmons, Joe Watkins) but none have ever played a FABL game.
Traylor is young - he won't turn 20 until November - but already has two seasons of college ball under his belt including a solid 9-5, 3.69 sophomore season for the Eagles. He has pretty good velocity and throws three pitchers with his splitter being the best of them. OSA seems him as a solid middle of the rotation option one day.
6- FRANK MCNEIL: SS- Daniel Boone College (Decatur, IN) In it's short history Daniel Boone College has produced 14 FABL draft picks inlcuding a pair of second round infielders in Harry Bull (Detroit 1934) and Henry Bush (Stars 1938). Frank McNeil may just become the first Frontiersman to be taken in the first round. A 2-year starter, McNeil has hit .285 in 98 career AIAA games. A true shortstop defensively, McNeil looks like a can't miss every day player in the big leagues one day according to OSA. His biggest strength will be his work in the field but he demonstrates good plate discipline and may hit over .300 in FABL.
7- JIMMIE JAMES: SS- Lane State (Eureka, CA) Lane State should have quite a team this year with James joining pitcher Bill Sohl as Emeralds ranked in the top ten. OSA sees the California native as a second division starter because of just average offensive skills. He hit .280 last season and in two years starting at Lane State has a .271 career average. It is his glove, which is already considered above average and his versatility that will keys to James being a January draft pick. He can play pretty well anywhere except for catcher but OSA sees no reason why he could not handle shortstop as a pro.
Baseball in California is certainly on the rise and James is bidding to become the second Eureka born player to be selected in the first round in the past three years. In the 1937 draft Cy Braden, a third baseman who attended Grange College, was picked 13th overall by the Philadelphia Sailors.
8- EDDIE BARKLEY: 3B-Grange College (Dallas, TX) Another school with a short but rich history of providing high FABL draft picks including Joe Herman, who became the first Mustang to make the big leagues when he debuted with Brooklyn last year. Eddie Barkley reminds some scouts of the previously mentioned Cy Braden, a former Grange College third baseman who was a first round selection of the Sailors in 1937. OSA feels Barkley can become an elite hitter which combined with his terrific speed and consistent defense should make him a front-runner for an audition as a FABL third baseman. The Dallas native has just one season of college ball under his belt so far, hitting .298 with 7 homers in 53 games last season.
Barkley hails from Dallas, a city which has seen 12 of it's native sons make the big leagues with the most successful being current Cleveland pitcher Lou Martino. Of the 12, one third of them played for Cleveland during their careers. They include Martino, Joe Brumfield, Danny Andrews and Bobby Rudd.
9- TOMMY ANDERSON: RHP -Chesapeake State (Hampton, VA) Anderson was a second team All-American selection after going 9-5 with a 2.66 era as a freshman for the Clippers. Last season he was 8-3, 2.91 and is the ace of a Chesapeake State staff that expects to have three pitchers drafted this year. "Tidewater Tommy" is a worm killer who has plenty of movement on each of his four pitches with the best being a plus change-up. OSA sees him as a back of the rotation guy but the way FABL clubs snap up pitchers early you have to think Anderson will hear his name called in January and likely before the regional round (round 3). No player born in Hampton, Virginia has ever made the major leagues with the top player to come out of the city likely Carl Cobb, who played his college ball at Golden Gate and won 81 minor league games before retiring in 1936.
10- BOB REGAN : 1B -Pierpont University (Ansonia, CT) One of the original feeder league colleges, Pierpont has a rich history in the sport but surprisingly only 3 times have the Purple placed a player on an AIAA All-American team. The first was Sam Brown, who was a second team selection in 1930 and now plays for the Washington Eagles. The second and third were both Bob Regan. The Connecticut boy who stayed in state to play for Pierpont was a first team selection as a freshman two years ago and last season earned second team honours behind Maryland State's Bob Johnston Jr. Regan has hit 29 homers in his two seasons at Pierpont and has a chance to be the school's all-time homerun king with a strong junior season as he trails Brown (1929-31) by 8. Regan tied for the AIAA lead last season with 14 homers while batting .308.
Regan was originally a 9th round draft pick by the Chicago Chiefs out of high school but had his heart set on attending Pierpont, one of the prestigous Academia Alliance schools. He is certain to go much higher in the 1940 draft but despite his two very strong seasons at Pierpont OSA feels is ceiling is a bench role. The scouting serivce does concede Regan has plenty of power and an above average high but the knock on him appears to be concerns he will hit for average but even in that regard OSA projects him as a .270 hitter.
In the next couple of weeks we will take a look at some of the top high schoolers eligible for the 1940 draft.
THE FUTURE IS HERE FOR STRUGGLING GOTHAMS
Strategic Move or Marketing Ploy?
With early season dreams of an upward move in the standings now shattered and the possibility of a record attendance total now also gone by the wayside, the New York Gothams are looking for other ways to entice their weary fanbase. Is this a smart roster move? Or the last grasp by a desperate GM?
Either way it will be a date to remember. Mark your calendars, Tuesday, August 15, 1939 is the day the future arrives. On this date the long awaited 'Infield of the Future' will make its appearance at the new ballpark in Queens. 1B - Walt Messer, 2B - Roosevelt Brewer, 3B - Billy Dalton, and SS - Mule Monier will all appear in the Gothams starting lineup against the Chicago Chiefs. As an added attraction, SP Sam Hodge will make his FABL debut. Hodge was acquired from the other Chicago franchise last winter, but had been injured a good portion of this season.
Both Dalton (.293,18,63) and Monier (.267,4,41) have been in New York for quite some time as Dalton made his big league debut in 1937 and Monier came up last year. Brewer (.186,0,1) was called up in early July but has played sparingly so far. It is the 21 year old Messer who will be playing in the big leagues for the first time on Tuesday. Drafted second overall in 1936 after winning the Adwell Award as the top high school player in the nation twice, Messer started this season in AA but was quickly promoted to AAA Toledo. He dominated at that level, hitting .342 with 15 homers in 68 games and was named the Century League player of the week twice in the past month.
When asked about this decision, GM Tom Ward promised, "This is no gimmick. Walt Messer has proven he's ready. Dalton and Monier have been solid all year and Rosey is coming along. We'll give them a look the rest of this season, but I see this as our infield next spring." Bold words, or desperate words? We shall see.
FARHAT AND DETROIT WORLD QUICK TO DEFEND PESTILLI
A column out of Chicago had this to say about Detroit's Sal Pestilli, who has struggled this season at least when compared to what he did a year ago. "He's only 23 so he's likely not done developing, but this season at least, Sal Pestilli looks like a player whose only tool in his toolbox is the long ball. Leading the league with 23 home runs is good, but hitting .265/.303/.517 overall is less than ideal."
That prompted a quick defense from Freddie Farhat of The Detroit World. Farhat, sounding like sobriety is doing wonders for his career, had some key observations on the reigning Federal Association Whitney Award winner. "Yeah he hasn't had a great season with the bat, but neither has a lot of hitters in Detroit (although it is better now than earlier in the season). Alf Pestilli has struggled some since his acquisition and while some don't value RBI's, Sal still is a very good player but just having a down year (and tied for the FABL in RBI's). Last year with the way the Detroit offense was humming, leading the league in RBI's might not have been as big a boast as it can be in other years, but with the offense down and fewer runners on board, he is still in the league lead."
"That says something. I think he will be a career .300 hitter as he has been in years 1 and 2. This year, maybe not. Still I take him defense, power etc. He fits into Thompson Field very well and won't be going anywhere. One more thing on Sal," added Farhat. "He is hitting when the Dyno's have runners in scoring position and not just home runs. He is a much improved 297/349/523 with 6 home runs and 65 RBI's. And you don't want to face him with the bases loaded. 9-19 18 RBI's, but no grand slams...yet."
"Sal has struggled swinging at the first pitch 18-83 217/235/609 and falling behind 0-1 or 0-2 9-55. Maybe they need to change the hitting coach from a power approach to one with a little more patience. Once Sal gets a ball in the count he is a much better hitter except the 2-2 count so far this season. Still I'd rather have him on my team than not."
QUICK HITS
- After a surprise sweep in Boston the Detroit Dynamos stub their toes in Philly (no surprise as the Keys seem to have Detroit's number this season) going 1-2. Still they got the winning road trip record the Dynamos had hoped for at 7-5 and take a 3 game lead back home.
- Stop me if you have heard this one before. The Boston Minutemen are 3-9 in August and not really showing anything after the All-Star break to be honest. Post all-star break slumps are becoming a way of life for New Englanders. Start hot hold their own and fade after the break is Boston's theme song. Hopefully for Boston fans sake, this time they can right the ship before it is too late.
- 3-3 week for the Pioneers but they dropped 2 of 3 to Washington(of course) and then take 2 of 3 from Pittsburgh. The Pioneers are just 7-9 vs Washington this year. Some good news in St Louis though as rookie second baseman Artie D'Alessandro gets six hits in six games including three triples. The not so good was rookie hurler Cal Roe was rocked twice and sent back to AAA Oakland...welcome another rookie SP, Del Thomas will debut against his former organization the Gothams.
- After setting a franchise attendance record last season with over 1.4 million pushing the turnstiles at Kings County, projections this year have the Brooklyn Kings coming up about 300,000 shy of that mark. The Kings had some 20,000+ turnouts early in the season but they barely averaged 11,000 during the last homestand and that was in the midst of a solid winning streak. A tough couple of weeks on the road has likely knocked Brooklyn out of the race completely and they may dip below the 10,000 attendance mark for the first time in quite a few years. Revenue is down substantially as is fan interest.
- The Kings issues on the field are obvious. They are two completely different teams based on the venue. At home the Kings have a CA best 33 wins with just 20 defeats. On the road after a 2-5 record this week with stops in Philadelphia and Cleveland the Kings fall to 19-30….a mark that exceeds only Baltimore in the CA.
- With SP Bill Ross out for 3 weeks, AAA sensation Wally Doyle has been told to pack his gear and will be promoted to Montreal. The 20 year old Doyle is ranked the 6th best prospect according to OSA and was 12-2 with a 2.90 era at AAA Minneapolis this season.
- Is there a more underrated player than Keystones young infielder Marshall Strickland? The 25 year old hit just .234 in half a season with Philadelphia a year ago but has been dynamite at the plate this year, batting .341 with 7 homers and 45 rbi's and has forced manager Bill Libby to shift highly touted 20 year old Billy Woytek to first base in order to make room for Strickland in the lineup. He did get some recognition by being named to the Federal Association all-star team and he just might get some votes in the Whitney balloting this October. Strickland was also named the Fed's top performer this week. Not bad for a 10th round selection as Strickland was way back in 1932.
- A day to remember for another 25 year old as Toronto catcher Don Rogers had a 5 hit game last week. It still wasn't enough to make winners of the slumping Wolves who fell 6-3 to Baltimore in the contest. Rogers has played 36 games for Toronto this season and is batting .263 with a homer and 10 rbi's. He is somewhat of a streaky hitter perhaps as Rogers has just 25 hits this season but has had 7 multi-hit games. Entering the season he was 4-for-16 in 7 games with Toronto.
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 08/13/1939
- The commander of Poland's armed forces delivered an "11th-hour warning" to Hitler that any overt act made by the Nazis to take over Danzig would be met by force.
- Nazi newspapers, apparently by instruction, responded with a furious editorial attack on Poland. Adding fuel the the Nazi tempest of hate was news a German air liner was fired on near the Polish border by an anti-aircraft attachment. The Poles claim it was a military plane, which Germany denies.
- As the week drew to a close the Nazi leader of Danzig, took to the airwaves declaring in a speech that Fuehrer Hitler has personally assured him that Germany is ready to defend Danzig against an attack from Poland.
- Yugoslavia has refused German and Italian demands for use of Yugolsav teritory in war time but the country also reiterated it's policy of "strict neutrality."
- Germany and Italy spend the weekend in a lengthy conference on Rome-Berlin Axis policy and discussion of the situation in Europe.
- Britain put the 133 warships of it's formidable fleet reserve on active service and the Royal Air Force held mock flights over London as 20 million people prepared for the biggest blackout test ever held in peace time.
- President Roosevelt directed heads of Government departments to start a survey "for the purpose of effecting improvements in administration and economies in operation." FDR believes substantial savings can be effected in the cost of running the government, both for this fiscal year and beyond.