[Jiggs McGee]

SEPTEMBER 16, 1940

MINERS TAKE CONTROL OF FED, CA GOING DOWN TO THE WIRE

A three game winning streak at just the right time has put the Pittsburgh Miners in the drivers seat as they attempt to win the Federal Association pennant for the second straight season and third time in the last four years. When they took the field last Friday against Chicago, the Miners were just a single game ahead of the second place Detroit Dynamos and three up on the Philadelphia Keystones. Both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia won all 3 games over the weekend as the Dynamos were losing theirs, and dropped to 4 games back with just 2 weeks remaining in the season so the Miners have a 3 game cushion on the second place Keystones with 2 weeks remaining in the season.

Pittsburgh's first two wins came over the Chicago Chiefs, a team that took the opener of their three game set and had swept the Dynamos in Detroit the previous weekend. While Pittsburgh was beating the Chiefs, the Dynamos lost twice to the Boston Minutemen setting up a crucial game on Sunday between the Miners and Dynamos, co-favourites to battle for the pennant this season after waging a tough fight a year ago. It was the opener of a 3-game set at Thompson Field and the visitors pulled out a 6-4 win, thanks to a 2-run homer off the bat of Pablo Reyes (.323,12,77) in the top of the ninth. It was the fourth Pittsburgh homer on the day and came after Detroit's Sal Pestilli (.254,32,122) had hit a 3-run shot in the bottom of the eighth to knot the score.

Detroit hosts Pittsburgh for two more games beginning today, and they are crucial contests for the Dynamos, who have 8 games remaining after that with all of them against either Washington or the New York Gothams. The Miners have some tough games left including a pair with the Philadelphia Keystones and 4 against Boston next week. You can't count the Keystones out yet either but a 3-game losing skid to start the week before they rebounded with 3 straight wins certainly hurt their playoff chances.

CONITNENTAL ASSOCIATION
The Cincinnati Cannons are two weeks away from completing an incredible turn around as, if successful, they will snap a 6 season stay in the Continental cellar with their first pennant since 1914. Cincinnati is a game and a half up on both Toronto and Chicago thanks to a 5-1 week that included a pair of victories, both in extra innings, over the Cougars. Cincinnati still has 6 games remaining against the Wolves, who's pennant drought is even longer than that of the Cannons but before Toronto and the Cannons can get together the Wolves face the Cougars twice to start the week. Toronto did sweep a 3-game set with Brooklyn on the weekend but that was not until after the Wolves dropped a pair to their Canadian rivals from Montreal. The oddsmakers feel the Cannons are overwhelming favourites to meet the Miners in the World Championship Series, but there is a lot of important games remaining before either association is decided.

Perhaps it is not fair to bring this up now. It is like rubbing salt in the wound for the few remaining baseball fans that reside in Baltimore. But with the Cannons suddenly a pennant contender and packing in the crowds in Cincinnati it is worth mentioning that if things played out differently one specific day not all that long ago it might have been Baltimore's Banner Field that would be jammed packed with excited supporters next weekend, fans filled with only the mixture of animation and apprehension, frenzy and fright that can describe the ups and downs of a key game in a pennant race. The day in question is December 5, 1935 and the decision, had it been made differently, would quite likely have made the Cannons, the BALTIMORE Cannons, a pillar of strength in the Continental Association by now.

In truth no one really knows if the former braintrust of the Cannons ever seriously considered the move that this writer was saying at the time was the key to turning the club's fortunes around. No one from Baltimore ever addressed it publicly but Jiggs pleaded in print and in conversation at league meetings for the Cannons to broker a deal with the Detroit Dynamos. The Cannons had just finished dead last in the Continental Association for the second straight season but still were not that far removed from a record attendance season and a second straight runner up finish just 4 years prior. We all know what happened as the franchise drafted pitcher after pitcher in the first round, usually raw high schoolers who were not yet ready to help, and ignored the many young hitting stars that were available. Eventually after 6 straight last place finishes played in front of mostly empty seats they loaded up the their belongings and drifted off to Cincinnati.

Detroit was in an even worse state in 1935 as the Dynamos had lost a franchise record 111 games and were in a full fledged rebuild. Detroit was desperate for pitching and badly wanted Rufus 'Deuce' Barrell, widely considered to be the best high school pitcher anyone had ever seen. The problem was the Dynamos picked second that year, right after Baltimore. The Cannons already had John Edwards and Gus Goulding, two good young pitchers they drafted in the top three picks the previous two seasons, as well as highly touted Rusty Petrick, who they had acquired from the Gothams in the deal that sent Rabbit Day to the Big Apple and a rising young star in Pinky Conlan. What Baltimore did not have was much in the way of offensive talent. It seemed like power hitting first baseman Red Johnson would be the ideal fit for the Cannons young club but the problem was Deuce was the clear #1 choice in the minds of everyone at the time.

So it was proposed in TWIFB on a number of occasions that the Cannons should trade down: From the September 9, 1935 issue:
[quote] Moving the first pick might be the better move in the long run for the Cannons should they win the Barrell Cup. Baltimore's top three prospects are all highly touted pitchers and they could likely land quite a haul by dealing the first pick as there would be no shortage of suitors. An ideal situation for the Cannons, who could use offensive help, is to trade down either with Detroit, who will pick second, or the CA club that finishes seventh. This would allow them to select second or third as any trade would certainly include getting a first rounder back.

He won't go first overall as whoever picks first will take Barrell but I really like Red Johnson. The slugger from Central Catholic High School in Portland, Oregon has hit 21 homers in 41 games and was a High School All-American as a Junior, followed by earning honorable mention status this year. Barrell has the makings of being a generational talent but so does Johnson, who has drawn some comparisons to Max Morris. We have seen injury derail the path of many talented young arms over the years and for a rebuilding team like Baltimore Johnson looks like a safe bet, and when you add in the haul dropping down in the draft would bring it may be more beneficial to the club in the long run.
[quote]
As the draft approached and it became official that the Cannons and Detroit would pick 1-2 I suggested the following during the league meetings:

Baltimore and Detroit would both be well served if they reached an agreement before the draft for the Cannons to select Barrell and the Dynamos Johnson, but then flip the two players. I could see Detroit parting with it's first rounder the following season if Baltimore threw in another solid pitching prospect. So the Dynamos would get 2 very good young arms in Barrell and someone else while Baltimore gets the slugger they need in Johnson and would also have two high first round picks (theirs and Detroit's) next year.

Imagine if that had happened. I don't expect the trade to have any bearing on the 1936 standings as Deuce perhaps would get to the majors quicker but would likely have little impact on Detroit's results. So the Cannons would have the first overall pick in 1936 and the right to draft someone by the name of Sal Pestilli. In addition Baltimore would also have the second pick that year (their own) so they could have taken Walt Messer, Billy Woytek or perhaps restocked the pitching a bit with Johnnie Jones.

Regardless of who they picked with that second pick the middle of the Baltimore batting order would have been Sal Pestilli and Red Johnson. With what they have done in Detroit you have to think at the very least Baltimore could have contended for the CA crown last year and that would likely have been enough to save the franchise.

I spoke with the Detroit General Manager and he confirmed as we all know, no offer from Baltimore ever came, but he admitted he would have entertained the idea. "I probably wouldn't have agreed to our first round pick the following year without something else coming back. Trying to put myself back to that time. We needed everything but I was desperate for good pitching."

Baltimore certainly had the young arms to spare with John Edwards, Rusty Petrick and Gus Goulding all ranked in the top 19 by OSA and others such as Ben Watkins and Lee Marshall in the 200 and both considered potential middle of the rotation options by OSA at the time. Baltimore also had Pinky Conlan, who was pre all of his injury woes at this time, and at 26 years of age might have been the second piece the Cannons could have dangled to land Johnson and the pick that would lead to Pestilli.

So imagine if you will, Red Johnson and Sal Pestilli batting 3-4 in Baltimore last season. Because they never added Deuce it is likely the Cannons would have held on to Edwards rather than moving him to Boston so they would still have a pitching staff of Goulding, Edwards and Petrick plus imagine if they also had Walt Messer or Billy Woytek (the players they could have grabbed right after Pestilli in 1936 instead of making another terrible blunder and trading down - thinking Woytek would still be there at 5- and getting stuck with Al Jennings.)

It is quite conceivable had that day played out differently the Baltimore Cannons would have been a pennant contender, and maybe a pennant winner, a year earlier and they would still be the BALTIMORE Cannons. As for Detroit, what would have come of the Dynamos rebuild if that move was made? Yes they would have had Deuce Barrell and a now injury ravaged Pinky Conlan, but no Pestilli, no Johnson and likely a lot of the trades that they made would not have happened. Frank Crawford might still be in Philadelphia because Detroit never dealt Hank Koblenz so the Dynamos might still have ended up okay but likely not as strong as they are now. Perhaps Detroit does not acquire Charlie Wheeler from the Gothams, deciding to hang on to Pete Casstevens. Would Wheeler now be the ace of a much improved Gothams staff or would he have suffered from whatever malady seems to affect anyone who throws for the Gothams? How different things might have played out had one day went a little differently.

QUICK HITS

• John Lawson and Red Bond are going to make for a tough decision for Whitney Award voters in the Continental Association. Is the top hitter Montreal's Red Bond (.345,29,102) or Chicago veteran John Lawson (.353,17,108)? Toronto's Fred McCormick (.340,10,84), who won the last two Whtiney's in the CA is having another outstanding season as is Cincinnati outfielder Moxie Pidgeon (.340,19.95) but those two are only fighting to finish third. My ballot will likely not be decided until the final day of the season but at the moment I am leaning towards Bond but by an ever so slight margin.
• Bond hit 3 homers this week to give him 100 for his career and 29 on the year. He entered the week tied with Cliff Moss and Sam Sanderson for the Saints single season record. Bond is also just 4 behind Moss for fourth on the Montreal career homerun lead. Hal Eason is the leader with 160 in a Montreal uniform. Eason's son Hank, by the way, is a candidate to be the first college name called in January when the 1941 draft begins. Wonder if the Saints are looking at having another Eason in their outfield some day soon. Like his old man, Hank has power. The 21 year old junior hit 14 longballs for Huntington State in 49 AIAA games this season.
• It was a huge week for John Lawson as he returned to the top of the CA batting average lead. The 37-year-old was unstoppable, 18-for-33 with 2 doubles, 4 homers, 14 runs, and 15 RBIs. He's a huge reason the Cougars are still hanging around late, and the 7-Time All Star is slashing .353/.405/.526 (154 OPS+) with 46 doubles, 17 homers, and 108 RBIs while worth almost 7 wins above replacement. With 2,710 career hits, he's also just 290 away form 3,000 and has shown no signs of calling quits.
• Lots to like of late in Montreal, even beyond Red Bond. It was a 6-1 week for the Saints but their best week of the season certainly happened too late. Bond still hitting like a hero and maybe looking at the Triple Crown possibility. Another big week with 3 HR and 11 RBIs, not enough to be player of the week, but enough to be kept into the Triple Crown chase. Beating Canadian rival Toronto twice was a positive and there is still plenty of good news in AAA as Minneapolis won the Century League pennant. That made for a very positive experience for 2B Bob Jennings and OF Bill Greene, both of whom will be battling for roster spots with the big club next season.
• Just 2 HR for Moxie Pidgeon since July 25th and he is still one short of getting 20 with his 5th team but he is contributing in other ways, batting .381 in September including 7 for 20 last week. Very few extra base hits but he has scored 10 runs in the 10 September games he has played. His performance this year prompted Dan Barrell of the OSA to say that no one was more valuable to their team's success this season than the 33 year old Cincinnati outfielder.
• Percy Sutherland says he keeps waiting for the worm to turn for Red Hampton (16-11, 2.97), but in 3 September starts he is 3-0 with a 0.93 ERA. Perhaps the 34-year-old will have a bit of a late career resurgence. His 16 wins are one away from his career high--he went 17-10 in 1934. Hampton was the Chiefs de facto ace when manager Joe Ward arrived, but he is really a back of the rotation guy. What is in his favor is durability--he's had only a few minor injuries with nothing more than 2 weeks. He's had a great run this season, but not sure if it's sustainable (he has a BABIP of .231). The Chiefs do have a decent defense behind him, and with Jack Beach retiring, Hampton will remain one of the Chiefs top 4 starters going into 1941.
• Plenty of frustration in Detroit. "We just haven't performed well in 'big' games this season," explained Assistant General Manager Rankin Trull. "We have 10 games left and realistically have to win them all to have even a shot. The odds are certainly very long but the schedule does break our way allowing us to likely throw Wheeler, Shaffner and Gonzales in 9 of those 10 games. We will go out with our best on the mound." Trull adds "We are going to have to take a very hard look in the off-season a several positions that have been the question marks most of the season. As well as an evaluation of rookie manager Pat Licteneggar who is 20 games over 500 but the expectation was 10-15 more wins."
• The Dynamos have the best run differential in the FA but a less than spectacular effort in September with a 7-8 record mostly at home has certainly been disappointing.
• 38 year old 3B Frank Vance (.305,18,73) has had a great season for Detroit and so far doesn't seem like he is calling it a career. With a 6.1 WAR, 300+ average and over 100 runs scored, he is more than welcome to come back next season.
• The Dynamos talk about using Sergio Gonzales (18-10, 2.88) in 3 of their remaining 10 games but that plan may be complicated by the 28 year old's back. Gonzales has been forced to leave each of his last two starts early because of back pain. He insists he will be ready but the Dynamos lost both of his last two starts and can't afford too many more defeats if they want to keep their shrinking pennant hopes alive.
• Pittsburgh also has a bad back to worry about as ace Lefty Allen (21-11, 2.84), favoured to win his second Allen Award, was forced out of his last start, a 5-1 loss to the Chiefs, with back spasms. Allen also has been pronounced fit to make his next start but both he and Gonzales certainly should be kept an eye on as troubles for either could help decide the pennant.
• A 5-8 September pretty well ends talk of a pennant for the Boston Minutemen. The Minutemen have not had a winning record in September since going 14-10 in 1936. They did manage to almost break even last year, going 18-19 in September/October but the memory of the 1937 collapse when they went 9-20 to finish 6 games back of the Chiefs is still fresh in the mind of most New Englanders.
• Gothams fans were happy to see their club go 3-3 and play a bit of a spoiler roll last week. New York beat Boston twice and took the opener of a 3 game series with Philadelphia but then proceeded to lose three straight over the weekend. The Gothams are 3 games ahead of St Louis so, with only 2 weeks remaining, they should be able to avoid last place.
• Just one hit for Doug Lightbody this week but it was a big one. His 8th inning pinch hit single allowed him to score the game winning run as Keystones rallied for a win over NYG. Lightbody at 1,980 career hits so it would be great to see him sign somewhere next season (if the Keystones don't want him back) to reach 2,000 but it may be tough for him to find a spot anywhere.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 9/15/1940

• Prime Minister Churchill warns the British people to prepare for a German invasion, noting it is perhaps just days away.
• Air raid sirens continue to blare each night this week as the Germans continued a major assault on London. Hamburg is also ablaze after British bombers raided the German shipping center, dropping bombs on what the the Nazi press described as "the thickly populated residential quarter" The RAF would target Berlin with bombing runs later in the week.
• Near week's end the Germans made an unprecedented daytime bombing attack on London, heavily damaging Buckingham Palace but King George and Queen Elizabeth, in an underground shelter, escaped injury.
• Following that attack Hitler warned Britain once more to choose between surrender or destruction saying "London now must choose between the fates of Warsaw and Paris."
• The United States navy has placed an order for 200 warships immediately after President Roosevelt signed the $5.5 billion defense appropriation bill.
• Henry Ford officially threw his support behind Wendell Wilkie in the race for President. Ford described the Republican nominee as a "business man who understands what this country needs first and needs most."
• Sabotage suspected in a blast that destroyed a New Jersey gunpowder plant, killing more than 50.