JANUARY 27, 1941
ARABIAN & WILSON RECEIVE CALL TO JOIN HALL
After falling just short a year ago Jack Arabian and Charlie Wilson can now call themselves Hall of Famers. The two turn of the century stars, who were teammates briefly with Cleveland in 1901 each earned enough votes to qualify. Arabian was selected unanimously, appearing on all 12 ballots, while Wilson was recognized by 10 of the voters. Last year each received 7 votes falling two shy of the 75% number required for admission.
Next year bodes well for Thomas Watkins. The outfielder, who had 3,143 hits in his 17 year career finished third in the balloting with 6 votes, up from just two the previous year. There were 3 managers on the ballot this year but none received enough votes to join Ossie Julious, George Theobald and Edward Wakeham as skippers in the Hall. The ballot was doubly tough on long-time New York Stars player and manager Bill Craigen as he was on the ballot as both a player and manager but received just one vote in each case.
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1941 HOF VOTING RESULTS
(need to appear on 9 of the 12 ballots for election)
PLAYERS
2B Jack Arabain 12 - elected
P Charlie Wilson 10 - elected
OF Thomas Watkins 6
P Bill Temple 3
P Jim Golden 2
SS George Melvin 2
OF Bill Craigen 1
1B Jim Jones 0
P Phil Miller 0
MANAGERS
Walter Love 3
Bill Craigen 1
Joe Johnson 1
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE JACK ARABIAN
The Woonsocket, Rhode Island native is one of just six players to record over 3,300 career big league hits. He made his big league debut in 1896 and won 3 Continental Association batting titles with Cleveland including in 1901 when he hit .406 and led the Foresters to their only pennant during his tenure with the organization. He remains the Foresters all-time leader in hits, games played and at bats even though the final six seasons of his career he was a St Louis Pioneer.
In 1910 the Foresters shocked Cleveland fans by sending the then 35 year old Arabian to St Louis in exchange for infielder Jimmy Walker and outfielder Simon Westlund. Walker would last one year in Cleveland before being dealt back to the Pioneers while Westlund was released in spring training and never suited up for Cleveland. So while it would be topped a decade later by the decision to trade another Cleveland legend and future Hall of Famer in Max Morris to the Pioneers it was still a costly move. The Foresters were already a bad team when they moved Arabian but they would hit new lows with 3 straight last place finishes shortly after the deal. Arabian was starting to age at that time but he still managed to play over 500 games with St Louis and hit .319 as a Pioneer. Like Cleveland in the Continental Association, Arabian's final years were also tough times for the St Louis squad in the Fed as they failed to finish above 7th place in any of his seasons with the team. He played his final game at the age of 40 in 1915 and now is finally a Hall of Famer.
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE CHARLIE WILSON
Wilson was one of the youngest big league ballplayer of all-time when he made his debut in 1889, weeks before his 17th birthday, with the Boston Brahmins of the old Century League - three years before the birth of FABL. It was an impressive debut for the teen from Mooresville, North Carolina as he posted a 17-13 record playing against men, a good percentage of whom were twice Wilson's age. That was a time of plenty of jumping from team to team for players so Wilson would move to New York the following season and at the age of 18 he really started to earn his nickname as "The Tar Heel Thunderbolt." Wilson led the Century League in wins and strikeouts for each of the next two seasons. A new era came in 1892 when, after years of two and sometimes three rival leagues battling for players, peace was obtained with the formation of FABL. With Wilson leading the way the Gothams would become an early Federal Association power, winning the very first World Championship Series in 1893 and another one two years later with Wilson front and center among the key contributors. In 1895 Wilson won the first of his two pitching 'triple-crowns.' His second one came the following year but it was with a new team in a new league as, after winning 1895 series the Gothams allowed Wilson to move to the Phiadelphia Sailors of the Continental Association. His 1896 campaign in Philadelphia (37-12, 2.14, 188 strikeouts) earned him a second triple crown but the Sailors finished in second place, two games back of the Chicago Cougars.
That changed in 1897 as the Sailors, once again led by Wilson's league leading ERA and strikeout total (but his 32 wins were four shy of Toronto's Harrison Geter) took the pennant. The Sailors made a bit of history in the postseason that year - they won the first World Championship for the Continental Association. The first four matchups had all gone to the Feds with the Gothams winning three times and the Brahmins once. This time, the Sailors won the series with the Washington Eagles four games to two. Charlie Wilson was the big star for Philly, winning all three of his games by 6-0, 11-2, and 5-3 margins - and of the five runs scored by Washington against Wilson, only two were earned giving him a 3-0, 0.67 ERA for the series.
Wilson would pitch two more seasons for the Sailors before he was on the move again, this time back to the Federal Association and the Chicago Chiefs. He lasted just two seasons in the Windy City despite winning 26 games in 1899 and 20 the following season before he was on the move once more with a stop, that would prove to be the final one of his big league career, in Cleveland where he teamed with Jack Arabian for a pennant winning season. Wilson, now 29, was just a spare part on that Foresters club, posting a 6-2 record with all but 3 of his 28 appearances on the year coming in relief. The last of his wins that year was the 332nd of his career, a total still good for fifth most all-time, but he would never pitch in the big leagues again.
There was no injury, at least none diagnosed but he clearly did not have the same thunder in his right arm the final two seasons of his big league career. He spent a few seasons kicking around the minors but by 1906, at the age of 34, like so many other pitching heroes of this era his career was over before his 35th birthday. Wilson led his Association in wins and ERA five times and in strikeouts six seasons.
1941 DRAFT: SAMUELS TOPS REGIONAL ROUND
The most sought after player in the regional round of the 1941 draft might well have been Lorenzo Samuels, an 18 year old first baseman out of West High School in Cleveland. At least two other teams had declared their interest in Samuels but it was the Cleveland Foresters who ended up selecting their hometown product with the first choice in round three. The regional round is the only one in the draft that requires teams to select a player from either their home state or a neighboring state. Samuels is described by OSA as a prototypical home run slugger with the potential to be a second division starter and is one of five players who were selected by their hometown ballclub.
The others were New York born shortstop Glenn Carney and catcher Henry Brown, who went to the Gothams and Stars respectively, as well as shortstop and Cincinnati native Ted Stacy who was tabbed by the Cannons and the Chiefs choice of Chicago born infielder Frank Stephens.
In an twist the two Canadian teams each invaded the other's hometown with the Montreal Saints selecting Toronto born infielder Ed Montague, son of former Wolves second baseman Eddie Montague, while the Wolves nabbed Montreal born Jake LeFleur, a catcher who is now playing college ball at Carolina Poly.
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1941 FABL DRAFT SECOND ROUND RESULTS
PK TM POS PLAYER AGE SCHOOL HOMETOWN
33 CLE 1B Lorenzo Samuels 18 West HS, Cleveland Cleveland, OH
34 STL P Dick Long 17 Des Moines (IA) HS Des Moines, IA
35 MON 2B Ed Montague 20 St Blane College Toronto, ON
36 NYG SS Glenn Carney 17 Irwin HS, New York City New York, NY
37 BKN OF Bill Sikorski 18 Peckham Tech, Buffalo NY Buffalo, NY
38 WSH 3B Gabby Platt 20 Canyon A&M Danville, VA
39 BOS P Charlie Todd 17 Torrington (CT) HS Torrington, CT
40 PHS 3B Mule Richmond 20 St Patrick's University Newark, NJ
41 NYS C Henry Brown 17 Prospect Park (NJ) HS New York, NY
42 CHI 2B Frank Stephens 18 McKinley HS, Chicago Chicago, IL
43 CIN SS Ted Stacy 18 Hillcrest HS, Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH
44 PHK OF Billy Kimball 18 Chester (WV) HS Chester, WV
45 CHC SS Jim Dickinson 21 Calumet Catholic College Springfield, IL
46 DET P Bobby Cummins 17 Lima(OH) Central Catholic Lima, OH
47 TOR C Jake LeFleur 21 Carolina Poly Montreal, QC
48 PIT P Charlie Pierce 18 Roman Catholic HS Philly Philadelphia, PA
NEW YORK GOTHAMS PROSPECT PROFILE
Courtesy of the New York World Telegram
During the long cold winter let's take a look at a future Gotham or two. Today we'll focus on the recently acquired Marcus Mangum. Mangum joined the organization in October as part of the deal sending Nate Spear to Detroit. Gothams management seemed to have given up on waiting for Spear to string together a couple of healthy months and cashed him in for a couple of pitching prospects and 2B Arnold Allen. Mangum was a first round pick of Detroit in 1939, going 5th overall. As with Spear injuries have been his biggest roadblock to development. He did flash promise when on the mound and struggled when challenged at higher levels. Scouting reports say he shows an above average slider and a decent cutter. There is concern with his control which may slow his movement through the system. Still there are reasons to be optimistic as the most recent OSA prospect rankings have Mangum jumping up to #87, his highest ranking in his short career. Gothams management feel that if he can stay on the mound for a stretch of time the 5-10 lefty could progress through the system and maybe reach the big club by the end of 1943.
QUICK HITS
- Johnny Bologna of the Philadelphia Inquisitor is taking Keystones management to task on Rounds 2-3. "In the second round, the Keystones passed over a highly regarded player, Bob Montgomery, at a position - shortstop - where the Keys need to get better within the organization. They continue to hope Tim Humphrey will be the shortstop of the present, as well as the shortstop of the future, but his hold on that moniker is tenuous at best. Instead, Philadelphia opted for "Go-Go Joe" Burns, falling in love with his potentially elite speed. That pick did not age well, as the Keystones were left with another centerfielder in the regional stage, going for West Virginia's Billy Kimball. Kimball strikes me as an ersatz prospect and a lesser version of Burns. Maybe the Keystones brass is hoping one of the two realize their potential. Word is the higher levels of the organization looked at Kimball as the consolation prize, as they were hoping hulking first-sacker Lorenzo Samuels would fall to them, but the Ohio native was snatched smartly by Cleveland."
- The Cincinnati Cannons were also disappointed they failed to land Samuels but were happy to select shortstop Ted Stacy, a Cincinnati native who currently attends Hillcrest High School in the city. Stacy will become the third player born in the Queen City to play in the organization joining AA outfielder Frank Lee and Class B pitcher Carl Planner. There are presently just 2 Cincinnati born big leaguers in Chiefs infielder Bob Martin and outfielder Harvey Brown of the Philadelphia Sailors.
- Rumor out of Chicago that the Chiefs are looking to replace scouting director Rube Carter. Sources are telling me that a disagreement over scout evaluations have arisen between newly hired general manager Ed Peluso and the 63-year-old Carter.
- The New York Stars are excited to welcome our second choice of catcher, local boy "Downtown" Henry Brown, as their regional round selection. He'll be groomed through the system and hopefully hit the bigs in '46
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 1/26/1941
- As he began his historic third term President Roosevelt used his inauguration to call to all Americans to perpetuate democracy "in the face of great perils never before encountered." The celebration included a salute to the first third-term President with a military parade and an armada of 235 army and navy airplanes.
- More labor problems to slow US military production as 7,000 auto workers walk off the job in Milwaukee halting work on $20 million dollars worth of Government defense orders.
- Winthrop Rockefeller, 28 year old son of John D. Rockefeller Jr is now Private Rockefeller after enlisting in the army this week.
- Charles Lindbergh told the House Foreign Affairs Committee this week that even American entry into the war alongside Great Britain could not bring victory without an internal collapse in Germany. Lindbergh believes the only hope is a negotiated peace.
- Hitler and Mussolini say they are in "complete agreement" on all questions after meeting this week to discuss Axis war plans.
- Widespread rioting in Rumania with street fighting and bombings as the bitter rivalry between extremists and more conservative elements in Rumania's iron guard increases in tension. Nazi supporters are also said to have participated in a mass murder of Jews in Bucharest.