JANUARY 15, 1940
BIG TRADES OVERSHADOW OPENING DAY OF THE FABL DRAFT
A pair of major trades made over the weekend upstaged the annual FABL draft. The league was buzzing on the eve of the draft's commencement when the New York Stars traded away one of the key pieces of their championship team by moving 33 year old outfielder Moxie Pidgeon to the Cincinnati Cannons in exchange for the 5th overall selection and the Cannons second round choice. Cincinnati also netted journeyman pitcher Larry Brown in the deal. Speaking of journeys it is almost unbelievable that a talent like Pidgeon will now join his fifth FABL club.
"I look at it as I guess I am just in demand," laughed the veteran left fielder after hearing about the move just days after celebrating his 33rd birthday. "I suppose it's good to be wanted...as I prefer not to think about the alternative point of view."
Pidgeon is a 5-time all-star who has won a World Championship with 3 different teams (Cleveland, the Gothams and Stars) and is coming off a very impressive .296,21,99 season in his lone season with the Stars. Pidgeon, who's final home run of the 1939 season was the 250th of his career putting him in a select group that numbers just eight, also recently notched is 2000th career hit. He broke in as a 21 year old with Cleveland in 1928 before moving to the Gothams in 1935 following a WCS winning season with the Foresters. He would be on the winning side again the following year as he helped the Gothams get revenge on Cleveland in the '35 series but was moved to Washington midway through the 1936 campaign when the Gothams did a massive sell-off following a dreadful first half of the year. Last winter his address changed again when, after two and a half seasons in the nation's capital, he was dealt to the Stars and played a major role in their improbable run from the depths of the Continental Association to World Champions. He will attempt to play the same role with another bad CA team in the Cincinnati Cannons for 1940.
The Cannons are hoping Pidgeon can help them escape a 6 year stay in last place in the Continental Association and the butt of many jokes that the club was subjected to while previously based in Baltimore. Pitching seems to be a weak spot still in Cincinnati, which had many questioning the decision to move top starter Gus Goulding to the New York Gothams in exchange for the first and fifth overall picks as well as two players. However, when the dust settled the Cannons ended up with Moxie Pidgeon, the first overall pick, catcher Jack Flint and pair of depth pitchers in Larry Brown and Dan Adams in exchange for Goulding and Cincinnati's second round pick.
DAN BARRELL'S TAKE ON PIDGEON TRADE:The defending champion Stars sent a couple of proven players to the rebuilding Cannons, receiving a pair of draft picks - one the fifth overall - in return. This deal is an interesting one in many respects. Let's start with the biggest name in the transaction: veteran outfielder Marty Pidgeon. Yeah, everyone calls him Moxie and that's because the diminutive 5'7 Pidgeon works his tailfeathers off. Pidgeon is a skipper's dream come true: he's smart, hard-working and best of all, talented. This Pidgeon has also flown the coop a lot over the course of his career: the Cannons will be his fifth FABL club. Surprising for someone as good as Moxie is. He's hit 20 or more home runs for all four of his previous clubs and can be considered a near-lock to do it again in Cincinnati. For a club in a new city that is looking to both bounce back from a decade of terrible baseball and find a spot in the hearts of an entirely new fanbase, Pidgeon's "Moxie" is a giant step in the right direction.
Also moving to the banks of the Ohio is another much-traded guy: pitcher Larry Brown. "Suitcase" Brown will also be playing for his fifth club. For those who believe in team chemistry the southpaw is another good pickup for the Cannons. His performance on the field... well, Cincinnati is pitching-starved and while Brown is not a main course, George Theobald hopes he can be a tasty side dish. He's been a starter in the past, with moderate success but he has control problems and may be best-suited for the bullpen at this point in his career. He is 31, which is not old, but is on the downslope of a player's career. Still, he's likely a stop gap who can eat some innings for the Cannons while they wait for Vic Carroll to mature and for the next batch of draft picks to turn into something.
Speaking of picks... that's what the Stars got back for Pidgeon & Brown. New York has a slew of relatively high picks now, with five in the first two rounds, two in the 1st and three in the 2nd (this includes a run of three in a row at the end of the first, start of the second: 16th thru 18th overall, the last being the second pick just acquired from the Cannons). The tops of these is the fifth-overall received in this deal. The team has already tapped Bill Barnett with this pick. "B.B." Barnett is a first sacker with big power. He's only 17, but shouldn't be too long before he joins a Stars lineup that already features a phenom just out of his teen years in that other B.B.: Bill Barrett. Yes, their names are really similar and that might cause some confusion but the pair could end up being dubbed the "Killer Bees" for what they potentially can do with the hickory. The Stars also received the Cannons' second round pick, and the feeling here at OSA is that there will be a good talent there for them - as long as GM Brian Chapman and scouting director James Marcou tap the right guy. Always a roll of the dice with draft picks beyond the top handful, so it's a bit of a gamble for the Stars, but one probably worth making.
Ultimately, as is always the case in trades built on draft picks, this one will take years to reveal any winners or losers. For now, the deal helps the Cannons immediately and the hope in NY is that their outfield depth can absorb the loss of a proven star like Pidgeon. Brown is certainly more valuable to the Cannons than he would have been to the Stars. But B.B. Barnett is a likely star (no pun intended) in the making and that 18th overall pick just might turn out to be a good prospect as well.
COUGARS-EAGLES SWAP PITCHERS
As the opening day of the draft drew to a close there was another impactful deal made with news that the Chicago Cougars added yet more veteran pitching in a trade with the Washington Eagles. The centerpiece is 33 year old Eddie Quinn (20-10, 3.31), who was drawing plenty of consideration for the Allan Award last season before a late season slump knocked him out of contention and then an arm injury ended his campaign in September. However, Quinn still finished third in balloting. It was a career season for the 10 year veteran who now finds himself joining his 4th team as the Eagles shipped him to Chicago in exchange for Del Burns and a pair of minor leaguers.
Both Quinn and Burns were former first round picks but each was surrounded in controversy at the time and both struggled to find their form in the early days of their respective careers:
The Chicago Daily News summed up the deal this way:
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If you polled Figment GM's, and asked them what the two most controversial first round picks, you'd probably get Eddie Quinn and Del Burns. Now, the two pitchers will be linked together forever. Burns, along with Art Saunders and Arnie Scurlock, will pack their bags and head to Washington in exchange for "Caveman" Eddie Quinn. The 33-year-old was selected 2nd overall in the first ever human draft, as the then Toronto manager traded up to grab the Kings pick to select Quinn. This shocked most, as Quinn likely would have still been available at Toronto's pick, and they gave up a lot of assets to secure the pick. The drama may have gotten to him early, as he struggled as a minor leaguer, but it didn't stop him from debuting in 1930. His first two seasons in Toronto were almost entirely out of the pen, but he became a full time starter in 1932 and has made 30 or more in all but one subsequent season, and he won 20 games for the first time this season.
Quinn started in Toronto, then went to Cleveland, before three seasons in Washington. He was best with the Foresters, going 43-35 with a 3.47 ERA (130 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 243 walks, and 304 strikeouts in 783.1 impressive innings. In total, he has thrown 2,184 and started 253 of his 360 appearances. He's 119-122 with 14 saves, a 3.80 ERA (113 ERA+), 1.42 WHIP, 745 walks, and 838 strikeouts. Last year was one of his better ones, 20-10 in 35 starts before a torn labrum ended is season. It was the first injury of more then five days for the 33-year-old, but finished with 106 walks, 107 strikeouts, and a 3.31 ERA (127 ERA+) and 1.38 WHIP. This has got him ranked 13th in the current top 20 pitchers list, between Jim Lonardo (6th) and Dick Lyons (16th). The Cougars are expected to slot Quinn in the three spot, and he really lengthens the Chicago rotation.
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Del Burns was a third overall pick by Detroit in 1934 as the Dynamos reached for a pitcher ahead of players like Adam Mullins, Lew Seals or Bob Donoghue in that draft class which makes his selection seem very similar to the drafting of Quinn by Toronto nearly a decade before. Like Quinn, Burns struggled in his early days in the minors but unlike Quinn, who remained in Toronto and made his big league debut with the team that drafted him, Detroit dealt Quinn to the Chicago Cougars midway through the 1937 campaign. He blossomed last year in AAA (11-3, 4.10), and made his big league debut with the Cougars in September. Burns is presently ranked #97 on the OSA list of top prospects. Also going to the Eagles is Art Saunders, a 22 year old righthander who was 14-3, 2.58 between A and AA last season and shortstop Arnie Scurlock, who is also 22 and coming off a decent half-season at three levels of minors following his selection in the 6th round last year out of Cumberland University.
JIGGS MCGEE'S TAKE ON THE DEAL: This is a unique deal in that it feels like a player is being traded for a version of himself from a decade previous. It seems very much that the start of Burns career is very much like the start of Quinn's but the question is does that continue?
The Cougars get themselves another veteran candidate for their rotation as they do not yet feel comfortable with highly touted prospect Pete Papenfus starting regularly due to an ongoing issue with walks. If Quinn can regain the form he showed last season it is a steal for the Cougars, at least in the short term, and early indications are the the torn triceps - his first serious injury of his career - should be fully healed. Quinn had a slow start in Toronto followed by some decent seasons after being dealt to Cleveland. Then he was below average once he was moved to Washington in 1937 and awful in 1938 when he was 4-13, 5.15. So the big question is "was last season a one-time career year for Quinn or the start of some decent seasons that he provides decent value?" If it turns out to be the latter the Cougars got themselves a great deal for 3 players that really did not factor heavily in their long-term plans.
For Washington perhaps it was a case of selling high as Quinn's trade value has never been higher, but that arm injury certainly dampened interest somewhat. The Eagles are likely hoping Burns can end up being like Quinn, a high draft pick that struggled early but had some decent campaigns later in his career. If so Burns can be a fixture in the Washington rotation for much longer than Eddie Quinn will be around.
Bottom line is this is a deal that could go either way. Perhaps both teams will be happy with the results - the Cougars in the short-term with Quinn helping them perhaps to a pennant and the Eagles if Burns can prove to be a long-term mid-rotation piece.
EARLY STAGES OF DRAFT GOES ACCORDING TO SCRIPT
Despite trading the #5 pick away (which came thru the Gothams originally from Washington) the Cannons still took center stage at the draft as they became the first team in FABL history to own both the first and second overall selections. Cincinnati went with a big bat in Bronx high school outfielder Dick Blaszak with their first pick. The 'Polish Hammer' is all about power and projects to be an elite big league outfielder. With the second selection the Cannons made a move to eventually replace Gus Goulding, who was dealt to the Gothams, by grabbing Lane State pitcher Bill Sohl second overall. The 20 year old is projected by Cincinnati Scouting Director Rufus Barrell to have top of the rotation potential.
Picking third the Philadelphia Keystones went with a local Pennsylvania kid by the name of Joe Quade. Little is known about 17 year old Joe Quade as he has not played high school ball, preferring to focus on track and basketball the past couple of seasons. In fact the slight (5'11", 150 pounds) teen is said to perhaps have Olympic potential as a distance runner. The Keystones reportedly were alerted of his baseball skills by a local scout and from semi-pro ball and private workouts Quade is said to have the potential to anchor a rotation. He clearly looks like an all or nothing pick - someone who could turn out to be an ace but also might just be overhyped. The Keystones will be watching nearby West Chester High very closely this spring to see how their prize prospect fares in high school play before he turns pro in July.
The Brooklyn Kings, under new management, selected fourth and went with bloodlines - something the Kings have been well known to do under their old management- by selecting the cousin of current Chicago Chief Cliff Moss in Lexington, Kentucky high schooler John Moss. Like his cousin, John is a centerfielder coming out of school and has a quick bat, elite skills in the field and a high ceiling.
Next up was the New York Stars with one of the picks they acquired from Cincinnati in the Moxie Pidgeon deal. The much travelled fifth overall pick originally belonged to Washington but was traded to the New York Gothams a couple of months ago before being recently sent by the Gothams to Cincinnati as part of the Gus Goulding deal. When the dust settled the selection was used to pick Bill 'B.B.' Barnett, a High School All-American first baseman out of Brunswick, Ohio. Barnett's biggest asset is his tremendous power potential and he tied first overall selection Dick Blaszak with 11 homeruns, the second most in the high school ranks last season. Barnett is looked at as the eventual heir to Dave Trowbridge at first base for the Stars although the 41 year old Trowbridge is coming off one of the best years of his career and appears to have no intentions of leaving. It may get a little tricky for Stars fans as this pick sets up the potential for a New York lineup to include both Bill Barnett and superstar in the making Bill Barrett. In addition to the name similarity the newest Star may just have the power potential to rival World Championship Series hero Barrett.
Rounding out the selections made at press time we have a pair of outfielders in John Graves from Detroit City College going to the Toronto Wolves at 6th and the Chicago Chiefs following with Ohio high schooler Joe Rutherford.
OSA scouting head Dan Barrell felt the early picks of the draft pretty much followed script. "I kind of expected Barnett to go top 4," explained the former Brooklyn King turned scouting guru. "It was a lock that Blaszak and the two pitchers would be top 4 - Barnett was the guy I thought would round out that group. He and Barrett might make a deadly duo for the Stars." Barrell added that Moss was a solid pick by Brooklyn at #4 but he felt Barnett's power potential would boost him up a slot.
TWIFB columnist Jiggs McGee added the following notes on the first seven selections.
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It does not appear the glut of outfielders/first baseman will ease anytime soon, but also GM's don't seem to be concerned about it when 4 outfielders and a first baseman are counted among the top seven picks with the other two being, of course, pitchers.
Last year also saw 2 pitchers go in the top 7 (Vic Carroll at #1 to Cannons and Marcus Mangum 5th to Detroit) with 3 others being selected later in the opening round. 2 outfielders were among the top 7 a year ago with Bill Greene (#3 Montreal) and Rats McGonigle (#4 Brooklyn) being the pair and 2 others would go later in the round. No first baseman taken in round 1 last year but it was a 3B heavy draft at the top with Wally Fuller #2, Davey Robichaud #6 as well as Whitey Dorsch at #15. There were also 3 shortstops taken but the first one did not go until 7th when the first of the Schneider triplets was selected.
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QUICK HITS
- Newest Cincinnati Cannon Moxie Pidgeon is already the only player in FABL history to hit at least 20 homers in a season with 4 different teams and stands a pretty solid chance of increasing that number to five during his upcoming tenure in the Queen City. Others to hit at least twenty in a season with multiple teams are:
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20 HOMERUN SEASONS WITH MULTIPLE TEAMS
NAME 20 HR YRS # OF DIFFERENT TEAMS HITTING AT LEAST 20 HR
Moxie Pidgeon 9 4 Cleveland, Gothams, Washington, Stars
Max Morris 16 3 St Louis, Gothams, Cleveland
Al Wheeler 9 2 Detroit, Brooklyn
Dan Fowler 8 2 Boston, Cleveland
T.R. Goins 6 2 Washington, Cleveland
Frank Vance 6 2 Detroit, Brooklyn
Danny James 6 2 St Louis, Detroit
Ed Stewart 6 2 Pittsburgh, Detroit
Hal Eason 5 2 Montreal, Keystones
Tom Taylor 5 2 Sailors, Cougars
John Lawson 5 2 Stars, Cougars
Leon Drake 5 2 Cleveland, Detroit
Pete Layton 4 2 Stars, Chiefs
Cliff Moss 4 2 Montreal, Chiefs
Fred McCormick 4 2 St Louis, Montreal
- Lou Kelly came close to hitting 20 with two different clubs. He hit at least 20 homers six different times with Baltimore but never got there with any other club although he did hit 29 round-trippers in 1935 but it was split between the Cougars and Pittsburgh. Kelly would also hit 19 for the Miners the following season.
- Jim Hampton has more homeruns (160) than any other player who never hit twenty in a season. Three times Hampton hit 19 for the Chiefs (1929,1930 & 1933) but he never could reach the 20-homer plateau. He is still active but failed to homer in 221 plate appearances for Chicago last season. Number two on that list is Keystones catcher Carl Ames who hit 137 homers including 2 last season but never hit more than 16 in a single season.
- Pidgeon is going to be a key piece of the new look Cincinnati Cannons offense, and I don't think their offense will be that bad at all this season after some lean years in Baltimore. Pitching is another story as while there is potential in last year's first overall selection Vic Carroll and in former #1 overall Deuce Barrell (if he can get untracked) they rotation looks very thin. Adding veteran William Jones from the Stars over the winter will help but Jones is not expected to be ready until May after hurting his shoulder last August. I do find it very surprising that with all of the high draft picks the Cannons have used on arms the last few years that their pitching is such a mess. Whether you blame that on scouting for not selecting the right players, or minor league coaching for not developing them is up to you. But Cincinnati has made wholesale changes in both areas trying to end the 6 year string of last place finishes.
- I love the Cougars move to add Eddie Quinn. It may not pan out but if not there really is nothing lost that the Cougars don't have replacements for elsewhere in the organization. But if Quinn does duplicate his last year performance then Look Out! The Cougars will be well on their way to winning to winning their first pennant since 1933.
- The New York Stars WCS title last year gave them their 9th CA pennant, tying them with the Chicago Cougars for the most all-time. Chicago has been pretty steady winning at least one pennant every decade: 1895 & 96, then 1899 &1900 followed by 1910, 1918, 1922,1931 and 1933. So you would think they are about due.
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CA PENNANTS BY TEAM
CLUB PENNANTS LAST TITLE
New York Stars 9 1939
Chicago Cougars 9 1933
Brooklyn 6 1938
Philadelphia Sailors 6 1930
Cleveland 5 1935
Montreal 4 1921
Cincinnati/Baltimore 4 1914
Toronto 4 1911
FEDERAL ASSOCIATION PENNANTS BY TEAM
CLUB PENNANTS LAST TITLE
Pittsburgh 8 1939
New York Gothams 8 1935
Boston 8 1915
Detroit 7 1929
Washington 7 1925
Chicago Chiefs 4 1938
Philadelphia Keystones 3 1933
St Louis 2 1921
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 1/14/1940
- Finns claim their ski patrols have destroyed a big Soviet base in the Artic wilderness and have the Russians reeling. Following the defeat reports out of Moscow indicate more than 100 Soviet officers had been called back from the Finnish front, many to face trial before special courts. Later in the week, Moscow denounced the Finns claims, reporting that the Red Army has penetrated Finnish territory on multiple fronts and calling reports of Finnish battle victories "fabrications."
- Nazi planes continue furious assaults on commercial vessels off of Britain while London says British artillary is making some headway in counteracting the attacks.
- For the past five days German bombing planes have been spotted cruising over British ports as fears of attack increase. These were just scout planes, flying at a high altitude, and did not drop any bombs.
- Tokyo's Premier and Cabinet resigned, bearing out predictions that his government would fall if the United States failed to react favorably to Japanese proposals for reopening trade.
- The United States Senate, after hearing sharp attacks on the Administration's spending and defense policies, voted for a joint Congressional investigation of the proposed 1941 budget. However, attempts to stall the House Appropriations Committee's okay for immediate emergency defense outlays of $268 million for the army, navy, Coast Guard and FBI failed as The House overwhelmingly approved the outlay.