OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - All things Figment - from the pages of The Figment Sporting Journal

Jiggs McGee · 01-06-2022, 11:45 AM

JULY 22, 1940

SLUMPING GOTHAMS DROP 10 STRAIGHT

It's the same old story in New York as Gothams fans are suffering through yet another losing season. Things are getting especially bad since the all-star break as the New Yorkers have lost 10 straight and are quickly sinking back to the bottom of the Federal Association. A week ago club owner Leland Winthrop, who rarely speaks publicly about the team, issued an edict that many Gothams fans have been urging for a couple of seasons as the owner told his management staff in no uncertain terms to "Do something."

We do not believe that go out and lose 7 more games this week was the 'something' that Winthrop had in mind. In the Gothams defense, half of those 10 consecutive losses were by a single run including 4 of the last 8 games in extra innings so the Gothams are coming close, but in baseball close does not get you much.

This is shaping up to be the 5th straight season New York has failed to win even 70 games and the way things are trending recently it might be their third last place finish in that stretch. So what has gone wrong since the Gothams tore the team apart and decided to rebuild midway through the 1936 campaign, just months after celebrating the franchise's 4th World Championship Series victory?

For starters pitching remains a huge problem, especially the rotation. Gus Goulding, acquired from Cincinnati over the winter, was supposed to help solve the issue and for a spell he did. Goulding was outstanding in the early going, winning his first 4 starts and posting a 1.00 era in that time. However, he got progressively worse over each of the ensuing 3 months and after absorbing a 7-6 loss in Philadelphia yesterday Goulding's record has dipped to 8-10 with a 4.04 era. Then there is Nate Spear, who looked so good when he was healthy a year ago. The Gothams expected big things from the 24 year old if he could remain injury free, and he has for the most part this season, but his record is 3-8 with a decidedly ordinary 4.02 era. Neither Goulding nor Spear has pitched poorly as their numbers are certainly adequate, but not for your top two starters.

Bob Adams (2-5, 4.12) has looked good at times but he has been bitten by the injury bug nearly as badly as Spear was a year ago. Fred Ratcliffe (7-5, 3.72) has shown signs of being a solid addition to the rotation but others like Bunny Edwards (1-6, 6.10) just haven't figured out how to pitch in the big leagues yet. There is hope, of course, there always seems to be hope in the next top prospect coming up in the Gothams well respected minor league system. In this case it is Ed Bowman, a 20 year old doing a decent job in Class B who is considered the best prospect in the game right now and has been for over a year.

Turning prospects into big league stars has been an issue of late in New York. The so-called Million Dollar infield has collectively taken a step back this year with Walt Messer (.270,5,24) reduced to a platoon rule, Billy Dalton (.234,7,26) bothered by injuries early in the season while Roosevelt Brewer (.264,1,27) and Mule Monier (.261,3,28) have been merely adequate so far. Catcher Pete Casstevens (.250,3,35), another one of those great prospects, is slowly coming along and maybe the pressure in New York is unfair for these players. One has to remember Brewer is still just 20 years old, Casstevens 21 and Messer 22. Another top 100 prospect in 22 year old Fred Vargas recently made his debut in the New York outfield but he, too, is struggling to find his way.

The New York problems can be blamed on their lack of offensive production nearly as much as their pitching. There is little doubt a big bat or two in the outfield would help the offense immensely but that is something that their system does not really have. There usually are plenty of talented veteran corner outfielders available so perhaps it is time the Gothams invested in one or two. Right now the club is young and perhaps should be cut some slack, but the issue is the Gothams are running out of rope, in year five of a rebuild that has not shown any real signs of finally ending. There are always plenty of good prospects on the way but for some reason none of them, at least so far, have been able to take charge and turn the franchise around. Patience is running thin in New York and when owner Leland Winthrop makes a rare public statement, Gothams management would be wise to listen. The trade deadline is a week away, perhaps now it is time for the Gothams brass to listen to their owner and "do something."

TRADE DEADLINE CLOSING IN

Despite the fact that 11 of the 16 teams are within 7.5 games of top spot in their association - or perhaps because of it - there has been surprisingly little chatter regarding big moves as the trade deadline approaches. With just over a week remaining before the July 31st cutoff date there have been just two trades made. Those came late last week as the Detroit Dynamos dealt away a pair of veterans in second sacker Ed Stewart (.209,5,17) and outfielder Alf Pestilli (.213,8,43), getting a pick from Pittsburgh for Stewart and a young pitching prospect from the Chicago Chiefs in return for Pestilli.

There is a good chance this might be one of the slowest deadline days in recent memory simply because of the fact there are so many teams in contention and few marketable veterans that the non-contenders have or would be willing to part with. Let's take a look at the five teams one would consider non-contenders and see what might be available.

CLEVELAND FORESTERS: A big decision for the new Cleveland GM right away as veteran pitchers Dave Rankin (7-10, 3.02) and Dean Astle (7-10, 4.80) might be the two most attractive arms available should the Foresters decide it is time to start stocking the prospect cupboard. A more likely scenario might see 36 year old Rube McCormick (7-9, 3.81) moved as the price would be far lower for him than the other two.

I can't see the Foresters parting ways with 29 year old shortstop George Dawson (.253,0,14) or 28 year old third baseman Mel Carrol (.354,9,48). If Cleveland is shopping someone it would more likely be Dan Fowler (.239,7,48) but the 32 year old outfielder has had a real drop off the past couple of seasons.

MONTREAL SAINTS 35 year old Ed Baker (8-9, 4.35) is still somewhat effective and would provide pitching depth for a contender. Vic Crawford (.260,4,38) was Dan Fowler's teammate at Commonwealth Catholic so many years ago and like Fowler, could be on the block and likely would be the more attractive option to a team considering either of the pair. The New York Gothams could use a veteran outfielder, in their bid to avoid the Federal cellar and Crawford might be a fairly inexpensive fit.

Montreal's most marketable player is Adam Mullins (.292,3,33) and the Saints could likely draw quite a bidding war from Boston, Detroit and the New York Stars should they ever decide to shop him. The Saints have gone on record saying Mullins and 27 year old outfielder Red Bond are untouchable however.

NEW YORK GOTHAMS The Gothams insist they are buyers rather than sellers and are willing to part with some prospects for an established pitcher or possibly a power hitting outfielder. It's desperate times in New York, would they move one of their many good young players for some established veteran(s) to help them at least make a push towards .500?

ST LOUIS PIONEERS This has been a nightmare season for the Pioneers and the question facing their management team is whether or not it is just a one year anomaly or do they need to blow things up and start from scratch? Sam Sheppard (5-6, 3.91) had a great start to the season but the 32 year old has shown the inconsistency that plagued him in past years over the last month. St Louis is shopping him and may yet find a taker but he is too risky a pickup to allow the Pioneers to receive much of value in return. Likewise, 30 year old Jake Smith (1-7, 6.30) has little trade value at the moment. Buddy Long (4-14, 4.72) is just 25 and not pitching as poorly as his record might indicate, and he was so good last year, if the Pioneers are tearing it down and starting over he is their best chance of getting a solid return for one of their pitchers.

Outfielder Gail Gifford (.279,3,27) might also draw some limited interest as could Al Tucker (.251,3,37), Art Cascone (.208,2,11) or first baseman Zip Sullivan (.247,0,21). The problem is all are suffering through very poor seasons.

WASHINGTON EAGLES Not a lot of teams are in need of outfielders (aside from the Gothams) but 29 year old Sam Brown (.281,6,36) might draw some interest as could first baseman Harry Shumate (.246,5,38) but the 30 year old is in the midst of following up a career best season with his worst one.

Jack Elder (6-14, 4.63) is having a rough year but the 29 year old won 20 games last season. Would a team take a chance on him and if so, how much would the Eagles want in return. Leo Proctor (4-3, 3.22) is 37 but might be a cheap alternative for a club looking for depth in their bullpen. What about Bobo White (8-9, 4.27)? The former first overall pick is 26 now and this is actually shaping up to be the best season of his disappointing career to date. Do the Eagles see if there might be a market for him in an effort to recoup some of the draft capital lost last year with the decision to send the 5th overall selection to the Gothams in exchange for Jim Birdwell (2-7, 6.14), who has actually been even more of a mess in DC than he was in the Big Apple.

SUMMARY- There really is not a lot available if a contender is looking to deal with a team that is out of the race but there is always the possibility of two of the 'contenders' hooking up on a deal, or one of the teams still in the race deciding they are better off making a move with the future in mind.

That being said here are some possible fits I see. Not saying either team would be interested in any of these moves but some things I feel that might be of benefit to both clubs involved.

1-New York Gothams send Bunny Edwards to Brooklyn in exchange for Tiny Tim Hopkins - New York might need to throw something else in the deal with the way Hopkins (.282,9,28) is hitting right now and while your initial reaction might be this makes no sense for either team let's look closer. The Gothams are desperate for a power bat and Hopkins certainly fits the bill and could step in at first base and provide that right now. What about Walt Messer you ask? Well, Messer could shift to the outfield or perhaps be flipped by the Gothams for a pitcher. On Brooklyn's side of things the Kings have other first base options such as top prospect Chuck Adams or maybe even making Jim Lightbody a permanent first baseman. Tom Barrell is struggling and the Kings could use another good young arm, but then who couldn't. I am not sure Edwards will ever be the top of the rotation guy the Gothams had hoped but he could be a solid #3-5 starter and maybe he just needs a change of scenery.

2- Brooklyn shops Al Wheeler: Speaking of change of scenery is it perhaps time the Brooklyn Kings and Al Wheeler part ways? Wheeler is having another bad season (.260,10,40), at least by his standards, but the Kings could still land quite the haul in return for him. Likely nearly every contender in the league would be interested in discussing Wheeler and Brooklyn has some outfield depth to withstand the deal short term. The Chicago Cougars for one would be all in on Wheeler as I expect the Miners, Wolves, Chiefs and Keystones may be as well.

3- Detroit sends Mike Murphy to the Philadelphia Keystones or Sailors - Not sure the Dynamos would move to Murphy to the Keystones but he might be the perfect safety net for them to help withstand the loss of Herman Patterson. So far Keystones pitching has been okay without Patterson but it is a long season and I can't help but think the Keystones would feel a lot more comfortable about their situation with a veteran starter. Likewise the Sailors might also be one to pull the trigger on another pitcher. Their rotation is good but one more quality starter might be enough to put them over the top.

4- Montreal sends catcher Adam Mullins and Ed Baker to Boston for catcher Bill Van Ness, Duke Hendricks and Boston's first round pick. I saved the biggest for last. Van Ness is not there yet but the 23 year old will be a very good big league catcher and Hendricks would give the Saints another great pitching prospect who is likely ready for the majors. Add in the first rounder and the Saints are gathering assets for their rebuild. In return Boston gets the upgrade they desperately need behind the plate and add a depth arm to help with their stretch draft. Initial reaction from both teams might be "not a chance" but to me this looks like a move that can help both. It might not be quite enough to lift Boston to being right there with Pittsburgh but it could come very close and the Saints, well they lose an all-star catcher but gain a very good replacement while also adding two more young pieces (Hendricks and a first rounder) in an effort to help dig them out of a decade long second division rut.

QUICK HITS

Lou Robertson (6-1, 1.66) continues to impress for the New York Stars. Promoted June 12, the 25 year old won his first 5 FABL starts and made the All-Star team. He finally lost a game last week, falling 5-4 to Cleveland but rebounded nicely on Saturday with a 6-hit complete game shutout of Cincinnati.
Thoughts of throwing in the towel on the season have left Detroit, at least for now, after the Dynamos reeled off a 6-game winning streak last week. They host Pittsburgh for a 3-game set starting tomorrow in what Detroit skipper Patrick Lictenegger is calling crucial. "Losing the series probably provides a knockout blow to our chances," concedes the manager. Detroit is 5 games back of the front-running Miners.
Toronto's last three series: Swept, Sweep, Swept, Wolves would much better in 7 inning games. They have returned to their way of giving up far too many runs late in games.
Although the Kings GM has changed the Brooklyn team remains a royal PITA for the Toronto squad, 4-9 record this season. Fred McCormick needs to put on the same remarkable second half show as he put on last season as the Wolves are feeling the heat in the Continental Association.
The CA race is bunching up as Toronto struggles to a 3-5 week while second place Cincinnati goes 4-4 to move within a game but Sailors, Cougars and Kings are all drawing closer.
Vic Carroll (1-1, 4.15) is hurt for Cannons. Rookie will miss 2 weeks with a hamstring injury so Cincinnati has made the call to Indianapolis for 25 year old Jim Anderson from AAA. Their 16th ranked prospect (142 overall), the 1937 11th round pick out of Charleston Tech has a big fan in Cannons Scouting Director Rufus Barrell, who sees Anderson as a potential #2 starter. My feelings on him are much more tempered but his 156 ERA+ and a 7-7, 2.55 mark at Indianapolis warrants a look with the big club.
Good news from the farm in Cincinnati is that Bill Sohl looked sharp in his pro debut, going 2-0, 2.50 at AA Erie. Bad news is #1 pick Dick Blaszak may not be equipped to stay at Class B where he debuted. Hit just .130 (3-for-23) in his first week but did homer. Small sample and all so we will give him at least another week before dropping him to C ball.
The Keystones have the same concern as catcher Lou Bayer (B) and RHP Charlie Waddell (B) may also have debuted at too high a level. RHP Joe Quade (A) he won his first 3 starts and pulling off a neat trick with 3 CG, a 1.00 ERA, and only 1 strikeout.
Staying with the Keystones organization, the big club was 4-3, with the three losses coming at the hands of the rejuvenated Detroit Dynamos. Billy Woytek (3 HR this week) has carried his All-Star success into a power surge and picked up Player of the Week honors. Along with Woytek, Hans Wright (4 HR this week), helped the Keystones reach a tie for first in the Fed in round-trippers (85).
Poor Boston. The Minutemen have another big week, going 5-2 but they just can't seem to gain any ground and sit 6 games off the pace in the Fed.
Baseball at it's best. What a pitching duel yesterday between Al Miller and Lefty Allen at Fitzpatrick Park. In 7 innings Allen gives up 4 runs on 4 hits (but only 1 run was earned) and strikes out 6. Miller goes 9, giving up 1 run on 3 hits for the win as the Chiefs beat Pittsburgh to close to within 5.5 games of the Miners. Turning point in the game was a rare error by Pittsburgh outfielder Pablo Reyes that extended the top of the 6th, following which Hank Barnett hit a 3-run HR to put the Chiefs in front for good.
First rounders Bill Barnett and Wally Hunter signed with the New York Stars. Barnett debuts at #26 on the OSA list while Hunter checks in at 39th. Brooklyn signed their second selection of the first round when 22 year old SS Tom Landowski out of St Magnus agreed to terms. Landowski checks in at #71 on the OSA list. The Kings other first rounder, 4th overall selection John Moss, is the only unsigned first rounder after the Sailors came to terms with Pennsylvania high school outfielder Jimmy J Walker, who is ranked 194 by OSA.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 7/21/1940

Hitler gives Great Britain the choice of 'peace now or destruction" in a 3-point offer for a war settlement, which would spare the British Isles from "devastating attack". Nazis claim the proposal calls for a European settlement of continental affairs, the return to Germany of colonies taken from her by Britain after the World War and economic rehabilitation of Europe.
A fierce German bombing raid accompanied the settlement offer as the Nazis made a point of showing their strength and it appears a German attack to land troops in English soil is just days away.
Britain ignored Hitler's "final appeal" for peace on his own terms and London indicated they are ready for a test of strength and undaunted by Nazi threats driven home by one of the worst air raids of the war.
It came out days later but part of Hitler's peace offering was what London termed a "fantastic" plan to offer Canada to the United States.
Italy is claiming more British warships have been sunk in battle near the Greek island of Crete.
Despite opposition from some in his party at the Democratic National Convention, FDR accepts the nomination to seek a third term as President with Henry A. Wallace as his Vice-President. John Nance Garner, who was Roosevelt's VP for the first two terms, opposed the idea of a third term and ran against Roosevelt for the nomination. Defeated handily Nance indicated he planned to go home to Texas and might stay there, leaving Congress, the Administration and the Democratic party to their own devices.

01-06-2022, 11:45 AM	#324
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	July 22, 1940 JULY 22, 1940 SLUMPING GOTHAMS DROP 10 STRAIGHT It's the same old story in New York as Gothams fans are suffering through yet another losing season. Things are getting especially bad since the all-star break as the New Yorkers have lost 10 straight and are quickly sinking back to the bottom of the Federal Association. A week ago club owner Leland Winthrop, who rarely speaks publicly about the team, issued an edict that many Gothams fans have been urging for a couple of seasons as the owner told his management staff in no uncertain terms to "Do something." We do not believe that go out and lose 7 more games this week was the 'something' that Winthrop had in mind. In the Gothams defense, half of those 10 consecutive losses were by a single run including 4 of the last 8 games in extra innings so the Gothams are coming close, but in baseball close does not get you much. This is shaping up to be the 5th straight season New York has failed to win even 70 games and the way things are trending recently it might be their third last place finish in that stretch. So what has gone wrong since the Gothams tore the team apart and decided to rebuild midway through the 1936 campaign, just months after celebrating the franchise's 4th World Championship Series victory? For starters pitching remains a huge problem, especially the rotation. Gus Goulding, acquired from Cincinnati over the winter, was supposed to help solve the issue and for a spell he did. Goulding was outstanding in the early going, winning his first 4 starts and posting a 1.00 era in that time. However, he got progressively worse over each of the ensuing 3 months and after absorbing a 7-6 loss in Philadelphia yesterday Goulding's record has dipped to 8-10 with a 4.04 era. Then there is Nate Spear, who looked so good when he was healthy a year ago. The Gothams expected big things from the 24 year old if he could remain injury free, and he has for the most part this season, but his record is 3-8 with a decidedly ordinary 4.02 era. Neither Goulding nor Spear has pitched poorly as their numbers are certainly adequate, but not for your top two starters. Bob Adams (2-5, 4.12) has looked good at times but he has been bitten by the injury bug nearly as badly as Spear was a year ago. Fred Ratcliffe (7-5, 3.72) has shown signs of being a solid addition to the rotation but others like Bunny Edwards (1-6, 6.10) just haven't figured out how to pitch in the big leagues yet. There is hope, of course, there always seems to be hope in the next top prospect coming up in the Gothams well respected minor league system. In this case it is Ed Bowman, a 20 year old doing a decent job in Class B who is considered the best prospect in the game right now and has been for over a year. Turning prospects into big league stars has been an issue of late in New York. The so-called Million Dollar infield has collectively taken a step back this year with Walt Messer (.270,5,24) reduced to a platoon rule, Billy Dalton (.234,7,26) bothered by injuries early in the season while Roosevelt Brewer (.264,1,27) and Mule Monier (.261,3,28) have been merely adequate so far. Catcher Pete Casstevens (.250,3,35), another one of those great prospects, is slowly coming along and maybe the pressure in New York is unfair for these players. One has to remember Brewer is still just 20 years old, Casstevens 21 and Messer 22. Another top 100 prospect in 22 year old Fred Vargas recently made his debut in the New York outfield but he, too, is struggling to find his way. The New York problems can be blamed on their lack of offensive production nearly as much as their pitching. There is little doubt a big bat or two in the outfield would help the offense immensely but that is something that their system does not really have. There usually are plenty of talented veteran corner outfielders available so perhaps it is time the Gothams invested in one or two. Right now the club is young and perhaps should be cut some slack, but the issue is the Gothams are running out of rope, in year five of a rebuild that has not shown any real signs of finally ending. There are always plenty of good prospects on the way but for some reason none of them, at least so far, have been able to take charge and turn the franchise around. Patience is running thin in New York and when owner Leland Winthrop makes a rare public statement, Gothams management would be wise to listen. The trade deadline is a week away, perhaps now it is time for the Gothams brass to listen to their owner and "do something." TRADE DEADLINE CLOSING IN Despite the fact that 11 of the 16 teams are within 7.5 games of top spot in their association - or perhaps because of it - there has been surprisingly little chatter regarding big moves as the trade deadline approaches. With just over a week remaining before the July 31st cutoff date there have been just two trades made. Those came late last week as the Detroit Dynamos dealt away a pair of veterans in second sacker Ed Stewart (.209,5,17) and outfielder Alf Pestilli (.213,8,43), getting a pick from Pittsburgh for Stewart and a young pitching prospect from the Chicago Chiefs in return for Pestilli. There is a good chance this might be one of the slowest deadline days in recent memory simply because of the fact there are so many teams in contention and few marketable veterans that the non-contenders have or would be willing to part with. Let's take a look at the five teams one would consider non-contenders and see what might be available. CLEVELAND FORESTERS: A big decision for the new Cleveland GM right away as veteran pitchers Dave Rankin (7-10, 3.02) and Dean Astle (7-10, 4.80) might be the two most attractive arms available should the Foresters decide it is time to start stocking the prospect cupboard. A more likely scenario might see 36 year old Rube McCormick (7-9, 3.81) moved as the price would be far lower for him than the other two. I can't see the Foresters parting ways with 29 year old shortstop George Dawson (.253,0,14) or 28 year old third baseman Mel Carrol (.354,9,48). If Cleveland is shopping someone it would more likely be Dan Fowler (.239,7,48) but the 32 year old outfielder has had a real drop off the past couple of seasons. MONTREAL SAINTS 35 year old Ed Baker (8-9, 4.35) is still somewhat effective and would provide pitching depth for a contender. Vic Crawford (.260,4,38) was Dan Fowler's teammate at Commonwealth Catholic so many years ago and like Fowler, could be on the block and likely would be the more attractive option to a team considering either of the pair. The New York Gothams could use a veteran outfielder, in their bid to avoid the Federal cellar and Crawford might be a fairly inexpensive fit. Montreal's most marketable player is Adam Mullins (.292,3,33) and the Saints could likely draw quite a bidding war from Boston, Detroit and the New York Stars should they ever decide to shop him. The Saints have gone on record saying Mullins and 27 year old outfielder Red Bond are untouchable however. NEW YORK GOTHAMS The Gothams insist they are buyers rather than sellers and are willing to part with some prospects for an established pitcher or possibly a power hitting outfielder. It's desperate times in New York, would they move one of their many good young players for some established veteran(s) to help them at least make a push towards .500? ST LOUIS PIONEERS This has been a nightmare season for the Pioneers and the question facing their management team is whether or not it is just a one year anomaly or do they need to blow things up and start from scratch? Sam Sheppard (5-6, 3.91) had a great start to the season but the 32 year old has shown the inconsistency that plagued him in past years over the last month. St Louis is shopping him and may yet find a taker but he is too risky a pickup to allow the Pioneers to receive much of value in return. Likewise, 30 year old Jake Smith (1-7, 6.30) has little trade value at the moment. Buddy Long (4-14, 4.72) is just 25 and not pitching as poorly as his record might indicate, and he was so good last year, if the Pioneers are tearing it down and starting over he is their best chance of getting a solid return for one of their pitchers. Outfielder Gail Gifford (.279,3,27) might also draw some limited interest as could Al Tucker (.251,3,37), Art Cascone (.208,2,11) or first baseman Zip Sullivan (.247,0,21). The problem is all are suffering through very poor seasons. WASHINGTON EAGLES Not a lot of teams are in need of outfielders (aside from the Gothams) but 29 year old Sam Brown (.281,6,36) might draw some interest as could first baseman Harry Shumate (.246,5,38) but the 30 year old is in the midst of following up a career best season with his worst one. Jack Elder (6-14, 4.63) is having a rough year but the 29 year old won 20 games last season. Would a team take a chance on him and if so, how much would the Eagles want in return. Leo Proctor (4-3, 3.22) is 37 but might be a cheap alternative for a club looking for depth in their bullpen. What about Bobo White (8-9, 4.27)? The former first overall pick is 26 now and this is actually shaping up to be the best season of his disappointing career to date. Do the Eagles see if there might be a market for him in an effort to recoup some of the draft capital lost last year with the decision to send the 5th overall selection to the Gothams in exchange for Jim Birdwell (2-7, 6.14), who has actually been even more of a mess in DC than he was in the Big Apple. SUMMARY- There really is not a lot available if a contender is looking to deal with a team that is out of the race but there is always the possibility of two of the 'contenders' hooking up on a deal, or one of the teams still in the race deciding they are better off making a move with the future in mind. That being said here are some possible fits I see. Not saying either team would be interested in any of these moves but some things I feel that might be of benefit to both clubs involved. 1-New York Gothams send Bunny Edwards to Brooklyn in exchange for Tiny Tim Hopkins - New York might need to throw something else in the deal with the way Hopkins (.282,9,28) is hitting right now and while your initial reaction might be this makes no sense for either team let's look closer. The Gothams are desperate for a power bat and Hopkins certainly fits the bill and could step in at first base and provide that right now. What about Walt Messer you ask? Well, Messer could shift to the outfield or perhaps be flipped by the Gothams for a pitcher. On Brooklyn's side of things the Kings have other first base options such as top prospect Chuck Adams or maybe even making Jim Lightbody a permanent first baseman. Tom Barrell is struggling and the Kings could use another good young arm, but then who couldn't. I am not sure Edwards will ever be the top of the rotation guy the Gothams had hoped but he could be a solid #3-5 starter and maybe he just needs a change of scenery. 2- Brooklyn shops Al Wheeler: Speaking of change of scenery is it perhaps time the Brooklyn Kings and Al Wheeler part ways? Wheeler is having another bad season (.260,10,40), at least by his standards, but the Kings could still land quite the haul in return for him. Likely nearly every contender in the league would be interested in discussing Wheeler and Brooklyn has some outfield depth to withstand the deal short term. The Chicago Cougars for one would be all in on Wheeler as I expect the Miners, Wolves, Chiefs and Keystones may be as well. 3- Detroit sends Mike Murphy to the Philadelphia Keystones or Sailors - Not sure the Dynamos would move to Murphy to the Keystones but he might be the perfect safety net for them to help withstand the loss of Herman Patterson. So far Keystones pitching has been okay without Patterson but it is a long season and I can't help but think the Keystones would feel a lot more comfortable about their situation with a veteran starter. Likewise the Sailors might also be one to pull the trigger on another pitcher. Their rotation is good but one more quality starter might be enough to put them over the top. 4- Montreal sends catcher Adam Mullins and Ed Baker to Boston for catcher Bill Van Ness, Duke Hendricks and Boston's first round pick. I saved the biggest for last. Van Ness is not there yet but the 23 year old will be a very good big league catcher and Hendricks would give the Saints another great pitching prospect who is likely ready for the majors. Add in the first rounder and the Saints are gathering assets for their rebuild. In return Boston gets the upgrade they desperately need behind the plate and add a depth arm to help with their stretch draft. Initial reaction from both teams might be "not a chance" but to me this looks like a move that can help both. It might not be quite enough to lift Boston to being right there with Pittsburgh but it could come very close and the Saints, well they lose an all-star catcher but gain a very good replacement while also adding two more young pieces (Hendricks and a first rounder) in an effort to help dig them out of a decade long second division rut. QUICK HITS Lou Robertson (6-1, 1.66) continues to impress for the New York Stars. Promoted June 12, the 25 year old won his first 5 FABL starts and made the All-Star team. He finally lost a game last week, falling 5-4 to Cleveland but rebounded nicely on Saturday with a 6-hit complete game shutout of Cincinnati. Thoughts of throwing in the towel on the season have left Detroit, at least for now, after the Dynamos reeled off a 6-game winning streak last week. They host Pittsburgh for a 3-game set starting tomorrow in what Detroit skipper Patrick Lictenegger is calling crucial. "Losing the series probably provides a knockout blow to our chances," concedes the manager. Detroit is 5 games back of the front-running Miners. Toronto's last three series: Swept, Sweep, Swept, Wolves would much better in 7 inning games. They have returned to their way of giving up far too many runs late in games. Although the Kings GM has changed the Brooklyn team remains a royal PITA for the Toronto squad, 4-9 record this season. Fred McCormick needs to put on the same remarkable second half show as he put on last season as the Wolves are feeling the heat in the Continental Association. The CA race is bunching up as Toronto struggles to a 3-5 week while second place Cincinnati goes 4-4 to move within a game but Sailors, Cougars and Kings are all drawing closer. Vic Carroll (1-1, 4.15) is hurt for Cannons. Rookie will miss 2 weeks with a hamstring injury so Cincinnati has made the call to Indianapolis for 25 year old Jim Anderson from AAA. Their 16th ranked prospect (142 overall), the 1937 11th round pick out of Charleston Tech has a big fan in Cannons Scouting Director Rufus Barrell, who sees Anderson as a potential #2 starter. My feelings on him are much more tempered but his 156 ERA+ and a 7-7, 2.55 mark at Indianapolis warrants a look with the big club. Good news from the farm in Cincinnati is that Bill Sohl looked sharp in his pro debut, going 2-0, 2.50 at AA Erie. Bad news is #1 pick Dick Blaszak may not be equipped to stay at Class B where he debuted. Hit just .130 (3-for-23) in his first week but did homer. Small sample and all so we will give him at least another week before dropping him to C ball. The Keystones have the same concern as catcher Lou Bayer (B) and RHP Charlie Waddell (B) may also have debuted at too high a level. RHP Joe Quade (A) he won his first 3 starts and pulling off a neat trick with 3 CG, a 1.00 ERA, and only 1 strikeout. Staying with the Keystones organization, the big club was 4-3, with the three losses coming at the hands of the rejuvenated Detroit Dynamos. Billy Woytek (3 HR this week) has carried his All-Star success into a power surge and picked up Player of the Week honors. Along with Woytek, Hans Wright (4 HR this week), helped the Keystones reach a tie for first in the Fed in round-trippers (85). Poor Boston. The Minutemen have another big week, going 5-2 but they just can't seem to gain any ground and sit 6 games off the pace in the Fed. Baseball at it's best. What a pitching duel yesterday between Al Miller and Lefty Allen at Fitzpatrick Park. In 7 innings Allen gives up 4 runs on 4 hits (but only 1 run was earned) and strikes out 6. Miller goes 9, giving up 1 run on 3 hits for the win as the Chiefs beat Pittsburgh to close to within 5.5 games of the Miners. Turning point in the game was a rare error by Pittsburgh outfielder Pablo Reyes that extended the top of the 6th, following which Hank Barnett hit a 3-run HR to put the Chiefs in front for good. First rounders Bill Barnett and Wally Hunter signed with the New York Stars. Barnett debuts at #26 on the OSA list while Hunter checks in at 39th. Brooklyn signed their second selection of the first round when 22 year old SS Tom Landowski out of St Magnus agreed to terms. Landowski checks in at #71 on the OSA list. The Kings other first rounder, 4th overall selection John Moss, is the only unsigned first rounder after the Sailors came to terms with Pennsylvania high school outfielder Jimmy J Walker, who is ranked 194 by OSA. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 7/21/1940 Hitler gives Great Britain the choice of 'peace now or destruction" in a 3-point offer for a war settlement, which would spare the British Isles from "devastating attack". Nazis claim the proposal calls for a European settlement of continental affairs, the return to Germany of colonies taken from her by Britain after the World War and economic rehabilitation of Europe. A fierce German bombing raid accompanied the settlement offer as the Nazis made a point of showing their strength and it appears a German attack to land troops in English soil is just days away. Britain ignored Hitler's "final appeal" for peace on his own terms and London indicated they are ready for a test of strength and undaunted by Nazi threats driven home by one of the worst air raids of the war. It came out days later but part of Hitler's peace offering was what London termed a "fantastic" plan to offer Canada to the United States. Italy is claiming more British warships have been sunk in battle near the Greek island of Crete. Despite opposition from some in his party at the Democratic National Convention, FDR accepts the nomination to seek a third term as President with Henry A. Wallace as his Vice-President. John Nance Garner, who was Roosevelt's VP for the first two terms, opposed the idea of a third term and ran against Roosevelt for the nomination. Defeated handily Nance indicated he planned to go home to Texas and might stay there, leaving Congress, the Administration and the Democratic party to their own devices. __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports Last edited by Jiggs McGee; 01-06-2022 at 11:48 AM.