JANUARY 8, 1940
TEN THINGS I THINK
WITH JIGGS MCGEE
1- We should be hearing about the 1940 nominees for the Baseball Hall of Fame in the next few weeks. That got me thinking about some of the stars who finished their careers after 1925 - so players we were able to see perform at least for a short term in the 'modern era' of human GMs. Obviously guys like T.R. Goins and Pete Layton are locks to someday gain entry to the currently under construction shrine in Boone County, Illinois but what about some of the others. Just looking at players that are already retired there is quite a collection of pitchers worthy of having their candidacy debated. Names like Danny Goff, Denny Wren, Ken Carpenter, Mose Smith and Bill Ross all immediately come to mind. None have the impressive numbers like 300 wins that so many of the turn of the century guys racked up but each likely is worthy of at least being on the ballot someday down the road, but most of those might end up falling just short of election. Perhaps not as many hitters come to mind, although Joe Masters, Hal Eason and Paul Tattersall may deserve some mention as possible candidates one day as well.
2- It was the best of times. It was the worst of times as the Brooklyn Kings of the past half dozen seasons were equally one of the most successful ballclubs in recent FABL history but also the most maddingly inconsistent. This is a crossroads for the franchise coming off a dismal 70 win campaign that snapped their record 5 consecutive 90+ victory seasons. In to the fire steps a new General Manager, tasked with the pressure of determining if 1939 was just a minor blip on their record of continued success, or a signal that a tear down and rebuild is necessary.
3- It has been an unexpected 12 months for baseball fans in the center of the universe as all three New York area teams have undergone or perhaps are about to undergo drastic transitions. We have the previously mentioned Kings situation and now word is the Gothams, mired in what feels like a perpetual rebuild the past half decade, may have parted ways with their General Manager. Details are sketchy but sources say the current GM considered stepping down although late indications are he may have changed his mind. If the early rumours of his exit are true it would be shame if the GM is unable to complete his rebuild. Meanwhile, you have the suddenly stable Stars - a franchise that had been in a freefall until their new boss rode in on a white horse from Cleveland a year ago and carried the club from the depths of the second division to the top of the World (Championship Series that is). No way I would have said at the conclusion of the 1938 WCS that the Stars would be the most successful of the 3 New York clubs a year later, but here we are.
4- Are there two people under more pressure in the Federal Association this season that Detroit Dynamos GM DD Martin and his new manager Patrick Lictenegger? Bridesmaids in the Fed race each of the past two campaigns despite winning over 90 games in both seasons...but this might just be the year Detroit gets over the hump. It has been quite a turnaround for the organization the past couple of years, both on the field and at the box office with record setting attendance numbers, but there is a lot of disappointment in the Motor City because they fell one game short of Pittsburgh last year. With George Theobald gone to Cincinnati after losing his claim to Eddie Thompson's shares of the club, the Dynamos promoted Lictenegger from AA where he had been managing their affiliate in Akron the past four seasons. He has no major league experience, none as a player or coach but he has enjoyed great success with the minor league Wheels, winning two pennants and finishing second the other two seasons. Martin, who we are told is not in new owner Powell Thompson's good books, is banking his job on Lictenegger's ability to deliver a winner in Detroit. Second place does not cut it in the Motor City this time around.
5- Detroit does remind me of the Brooklyn Kings just before they reeled off their three straight pennants. Like the Dynamos the Kings had a pair of 90+ win seasons but were forced to settle for second place both times - ironically behind a Cleveland team run by the current Detroit GM - before finally breaking through. It is obviously very early but the feeling here is this will be the Dynamos year.
6- For that to happen Detroit needs a healthy Sal Pestilli. By all accounts the 24 year old, who is already a three-time all-star, is back to 100% and fully recovered from the nagging shoulder injury suffered in late August that many point to as the single reason the Dynamos did not win the pennant. It is hard to argue with that line of thinking as Pestilli hit just .197 with 2 homers in 31 games after suffering the injury.
7- I already mentioned my early favourite in the Fed is the Dynamos although both Pittsburgh and Boston might have something to say about that, and who knows, maybe the Chicago Chiefs will as well. In the Continental Association is it finally time for this column to give the New York Stars some respect? Well, yes and no. The Stars are a clearly a very good club and I think Bill Barrett, who recently turned 20, will build on the outstanding World Championship Series he had in October and take a huge step forward this season. But I am not ready to call the Stars a repeat champion. I, and many others of course, just love what the Chicago Cougars have put together over the past couple of seasons and if you forced me to pick a winner in the CA right now, I would tell you it will be the Chicago Cougars.
8- If the Cougars do win the CA I expect a lot of the credit would go to Leon Drake. The 30 year old struggled a bit last season in Detroit and his extra base hits were down substantially especially in the first half of the season. Drake, who is the only player in FABL history to have back to back seasons with at least 20 homers, 20 triples and 20 doubles when he turned the trick in 1936 and 1937 and did it with two different teams, will be counted on to have a big season in Chicago.
Here is the complete list of players to have a 20-20-20 extra base hit season:
Code:
[20 2B-20 3B-20 HR
Sal Pestilli 1938 Detroit
Leon Drake 1937 Detroit
Leon Drake 1936 Cleveland
Frank McCormick 1934 St Louis
Alex Ingraham 1932 St Louis
Alex Ingraham 1930 St Louis
Bud Jameson 1927 Gothams
9- The Cincinnati Cannons are poised to make FABL history later this month in the draft. No team has ever owned both the first and second overall picks in the draft and to the best of our records no club has ever had 3 picks in the opening round and certainly not three of the top five selections. The Cannons will be the first, as they added #1 and #5 overall in a trade that sent Gus Goulding to the New York Gothams, to go along with their own pick which will be second overall.
10- Will a new city, a new management team and a fresh start allow the now-Cincinnati based Cannons to escape the Continental Association cellar after the franchise spent the past 6 years there? It will be tough as the CA does not really have a weak team. I think both Brooklyn and Toronto will be improved. Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago and the New York Stars all could challenge for the pennant in a pretty balanced loop which perhaps leaves only Montreal as a target the Cannons could surpass this year.
MINOR LEAGUE RULE FIVE DRAFT RESULTS
A very quiet phase two of the annual Rule Five draft as just 5 players were selected and one of the five shocked his new club by abruptly retiring. There have been some calls for the minor league phased to be abandoned and word is FABL executives are pondering doing just that.
As for this season here are the five players who were selected:
Gothams take 2B Don Griffin from Cannons- The 26 year old has had two very productive seasons at AAA Indianapolis the past two years but his path in Cincinnati (formerly Baltimore) was blocked. Not sure he will have much more success getting to the big leagues in New York with Roosevelt Brewer standing in his way.
Cannons take P Bob Stiles from Keystones- The Cannons are reported to be desperate for big league quality pitching so they took a flier on the 25 year old former 24th round draft pick who went 13-12 for AAA Louisville a year ago but with a 7.30 era.
Sailors take 1B Zip Murphy from Miners - An 8th round pick of Pittsburgh in 1935, Murphy hit .328 as a 22 year old in Class A last season.
Stars take P Hank Spencer from Cougars - The 30 year old Spencer had 4 seasons of big league experience under his belt but spent last season in AAA. Upon being informed the Stars had selected him, rather than report to the organization Spencer opted to retire, saying his "heart just isn't in the game anymore."
Dynamos take C Lou Bennett from Pioneers - Detroit addressed a need for a third string catcher in the 23 yer old Bennett. The 1934 14th round selection spent last season in AA, batting .324 in 85 games.
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 1/7/1940
- Using the blustery winter weather to full advantage the Finns have cut off much of the Russian invading force from it's supply chain. It is believed over 10,000 Red Army troops were forced to surrender this week.
- Brits were shocked while Germany was pleased at the news of the forced resignation of Leslie Hire-Belisha as British War Minister. The decision caused a blast of criticism against the British government and opposition party demands that Prime Minister Chamberlain "tell all" about the departure from his war cabinet of one of his most vigorous and popular ministers.
- President Roosevelt made an emphatic plea for national unity in the face of war-born disintegration abroad. FDR also called for Congress vote in favor of new taxes to finance "emergency spending" for a "common sense" national defense.
- The United States formally protested to the British Government following Britain's seizure of mail from the United States destined for Germany.