April 28, 1941
BREAKING NEWS: DRAFT NOTICES SEND SHOCKWAVE THROUGH FABL
Concern is rising across the Federally Aligned Baseball Leagues as players have begun receiving draft notices. With a handful of players already having traded their baseball duds for Army green, a new batch of notices were recently received by players who would form a solid core for an All-Star team: Bobby Barrell of the Keystones, Mel Carroll of the Foresters, Fred McCormick of the World Champion Wolves and George Cleaves of the Federal champion Miners all revealed that they received draft notices this week.
All four players noted that they have applied for deferments. No details on the bases these players used for the deferment requests, though most speculation centers around their head-of-household status in supporting spouses and children. Each of the four are married men and several have children of school age or younger.
The draft board in each man's home state will review their cases individually and a final decision for each is expected within two to four weeks. One thing is certain, if any of these men do head off to the Army, it will have a significant impact on the fortunes of their ballclubs.
In other draft news former Boston Minutemen pitcher Mike Lee reported to the same artillery camp in Massachusetts that New York Stars pitcher Dixie Lee (no relation) is presently at. The Minutemen's Lee missed most of last season with a shoulder injury and started this season at AAA Columbus before getting his draft notice.
Doleful talk today in Toronto - at any cigar store, tavern or street corner:
"Guess the Wolves can't win now."
"Nope, not with McCormick out of there."
The surprise news came this week. Fred McCormick, the great hitter of the Toronto Wolves, received his formal orders from the military for induction into the Army and barring a successful request for a deferment, will report to a military base in his native Ohio sometime next month. There was similar dour talk in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia as news broke that Miners catcher George Cleaves and Keystones outfielder Bobby Barrell had also each received notice that their 'numbers' came up. Certainly not a pennant contender like the other three, but the Cleveland Foresters were also invited to this party as star third baseman Mel Carrol was also given notice.
There is still the possibility that none of the four all-stars leave during the season as deferments are possible in each case, but these latest announcements hit home for FABL clubs just how serious Hitler's war in Europe is to the survival of the sport over the next few years.
I caught up with Washington club owner William Stockdale, who has the ear of FDR. Stockdale stated he has no intention of requesting preferential treatment of baseball players in connection with their being drafted for military service. He has no plan to suggest for deferring players and stands by an earlier statement that baseball, with other industries, will contribute it's share toward national defense.
"I've been misquoted on that subject several times," says Stockdale, "and I want to get it straight once and for all. I have no idea of asking favors for players. If our boys have to go then they'll go - that's all."
"I do believe, though, that some of the local draft boards have been a bit hasty in classifying some players with dependents in class 1-A."
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Cleveland's Mel Carrol is expected to appeal contending he is the sole support of his parents. Carrol has received no official notice of his classification from the local board in Erie, Pennsylvania, but Chairman W. B. Crumpton has stated Carrol has been placed among the Army eligibles. Under customary procedure, Carrol will not be called for induction until after May 15th at the earliest.
The basis for Carrol's appeal will be the fact that his father has a double hernia and is unable to work. Ownership of a gas station in Erie, which provides year-round revenue, may operate against Carrol's chances of being reclassified. He already has passed his physical examination but may also attempt to request a four-month deferment.
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Keystones Libby Feels the Heat- Managing a big league ballclub, especially a contender, is a difficult job even in the best of times. But in times like this it is downright near impossible to do. Just ask Bill Libby. Libby is in his third year at the helm of the Philadelphia Keystones and by all accounts doing a fantastic job although the team is off to a slow start this season. His club is full of rising young talent and is considered to have a very good shot at winning the Federal Association pennant. However, Uncle Sam may be on the verge of destroying the Keystones pennant hopes for this season with word that Bobby Barrell's number has come up and he has been added to the Army's growing roster of prospects. No, nothing is set in stone yet as there is a chance that Barrell might get a deferment but that is not a certainty and it clearly throws Libby, and the rest of the Keystones, into a panic. Losing Bobby Barrell, the club's on-field leader and, aside from spare part Doug Lightbody, their elder statesman would be a devastating loss.
"I am not sure how we could fill that hole," said a shocked Libby upon first hearing the news. "But it is looking like this thing is going to affect a whole lot of ballclubs." Libby paused and then added "Losing Bobby would be a huge blow to this club."
STARS OFFENSE IS OUT OF THIS WORLD
It is no wonder the New York Stars own the best record in baseball at 11-2. The Stars offense has dominated opponents in the early going, averaging well over 7 runs a game with budding superstar Bill Barrett (.429,6,20) and ageless wonder Dave Trowbridge (.455,1,10) leading the way. While the offensive display is impressive but likely won't last at it's current pace, it does not come as much of a surprise as the Stars pitching has in the early going. Heading into the season there were concerns about their depth on the mound but Billy Riley (3-0,2.05), Chuck Cole (2-0, 2.50), Chris Clarke (2-0, 2.70) and an incredible start from Vern Hubbard (3-0, 0.38) have alleviated those concerns and even 5th starter Lou Robertson (1-1, 3.57) has done a solid job.
ABALO CAREER IN DOUBT
The bad news gets even worse for the St Louis Pioneers as they learned that pitcher David Abalo's career is likely over following his latest injury. For the second time in less than a year Abalo was forced to leave the mound with a serious shoulder injury. Many in the crowd could hear something pop in the top of the 5th inning against Chicago when the Pioneers lefthander unleashed a pitch to the Chiefs Hank Barnett. Abalo immediately walked off the mound, cradling his tender left arm. It was learned yesterday that the club doctor has advised the 27 year old his baseball days are over. The diagnosis is a torn rotator cuff and becomes just the latest in a series of injuries to St Louis pitchers.
Abalo suffered a similar should injury last July but had said he felt no pain or discomfort in his 4 spring appearances or his first start a little over a week ago. If this is indeed the end, and all indications are it is, Abalo leaves with a career mark of 87-59 over 8 seasons with the Pioneers. He had three consecutive 17 win campaigns starting in 1935 as a 21 year old but since 1938 he has been hampered by a series of injuries.
It was an improbable run for the native of Venezuela who got his start in North American baseball as a 16 year old when he attended an open tryout for the Lone Star Association prior to that league's inaugural season. It took him 4 years before he made his minor league debut and but was then immediately noticed by Pioneers scouts, who pushed for the team to acquire him from San Antonio of the Lone Star loop in 1933. After just over a year in the St Louis system Abalo made his FABL debut in May 1934, two months before his 21st birthday, beating Washington 5-3 with a complete game. He would go 8-8 that season. His best season might well have been 1935 when Abalo (17-12) combined with Sam Sheppard's (28-7) Allen Award winning season to carry the Pioneers to second place in the Federal Association, just two games back of the champion New York Gothams.
Lately the Pioneers organization has fallen on hard times with Sheppard's decline and injuries to Abalo being tabbed as a key reason for the struggles.
QUICK HITS
- Bad news for Boston beyond the loss of 24 year old pitcher Mike Lee to military service. Slugger Bob Donoghue suffered a bit of a setback from the knee injury he picked up in spring training and his debut this season will be delayed a few more days. The Minutemen had hoped to have the 27 year old, who led the Federal Association in homers in 1939, in the lineup last week after he had been sidelined over a month. Donoghue's health is key to a successful season for the Minutemen.
- I have said it here before but it bears repeating after his start this season. I see Bill Barrett emerging as perhaps the best player in FABL this year. He is already a two-time all-star and hit .320 with 13 homers last season but that is just the tip of the iceberg for what the 21 year will accomplish in this sport. Barrett had a 5-hit game last week and in back to back games hit 2 homers while extending his hitting streak to 20 games. Barrett is batting .429 with 6 homers and 20 rbi's and the season is just 2 weeks old. He won't keep it up but his pace right now suggests a 71 homer, 237 rbi season.
- The bad news for David Abalo means good news for Buddy Long as the Pioneers are expected to recall the 26 year old Long from Oakland to replace Abalo in their rotation. Long is 41-41 in his FABL career despite suffering through a 9-21 season a year ago in St Louis.
- Going back to last season Ron Rattigan of the Chiefs now has hit safely in 30 consecutive games. That is the longest such streak since the Keystones Bobby Barrell had a 35 gamer back in 1936. The FABL record is 47 games set by Rich Rowley of the Toronto Wolves in 1900.
- Should the Cannons request overtime pay? A 5-2 week included a 21 inning win over Cleveland with their two losses coming in 16 innings (to Toronto) and 15 innings (vs Sailors)
- Percy Sutherland points out that it may be time for the Kings to conclude that Harry Barrell is just no longer a lead-off hitter. He had -13.8 batting runs in 1940 and is on pace for -24.5 in 1941, hitting just .228/.279/.333. Some argue Barrell is a much better hitter than what he has shown so far but Sutherland points out this is the second season of this level of performance from the Kings shortstop.
- The Keystones have struggled out of the gate to a 5-9 record. Leadoff hitter Hank McKay is hitting .037. He's followed in the batting order by Billy Woytek, who is hitting .050. Yes--those averages have a zero as the first digit.
- Dan Barrell with some early thoughts on streaky play across the league. "The Keystones have been the biggest surprise to me so far," said the OSA boss. "I wouldn't expect the offense to continue to sputter any more than I would expect the Stars offense to continue at its current torrid pace. We've got some hot & cold running offenses around the league right now."
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 4/27/1941
- German forces are knocking on the gates of Athens and Berlin quarters predict the swastika would be planted on early next week atop the hallowed acropolis where Solon and his colleagues fashioned the first democracy 2,450 years ago.
- The British Mediterranean fleet bombarded Tripoli, capital of Italian Libya and landing point for German forces in north Africa.
- A close call for an American merchant ship off the coast of Spain when a British sub fired shells just over the ships bow. It was foggy weather and the British craft claimed it could not see the US flag or markings.
- The US takes one step closer to entering the war as FDR confirms that the Navy will step up an extend patrol system - to all the seven seas if necessary - to counteract Axis patrols and make good "our promise to get war supplies to Britain."
- Roosevelt also sharply criticized Colonel Charles Lindbergh and others who express the opinion that the Axis will defeat Britain. Their viewpoint, he told a press conference, is like that of appeasers who wanted George Washington to surrender during the hardships of Valley Forge. He added that Lindbergh and other doubters constitute a small American minority. Lindbergh resigned from the US Army Air Corps Reserve in response.
- The Treasury suggested that Congress cut non-defense expenditures as much as $1 billion and raise $3.6 billion in new revenue by imposing drastic surtaxes on middle and lower class incomes and a general increase in all other taxes.