DECEMBER 22, 1941
34 MORE PLAYERS JOIN THE FIGHT
Plenty of bad news for big league clubs this week as 34 more players have left the professional baseball ranks to join either the Army or the Navy. All told a total of 64 players under FABL team control plus Jim Hatfield, a former Baltimore Cannon who was with San Antonio of the independent Lone Star Association, have either been drafted or enlisted.
Among the clubs hit hard this week we have the Washington Eagles and Cincinnati Cannons. The Eagles lost three more players including Jim Douglass (15-12, 4.96) their promising 24 year old right hander and second baseman Karl O'Reilly (.274,0,30). Cincinnati said farewell to all-star second baseman Charley McCullough (.268,1,59), who had been granted deferments over the course of the past season, as well as up and coming outfielder Mike T Taylor (.298,13,92). Others to ship out very shortly include Rip Lee (.279,2,81), the veteran Philadelphia Sailors infielder, Brooklyn's 25 year old second baseman Jim Lightbody (.335,3,49) and promising young pitchers in Detroit's Ed Whetzel (6-6, 4.66) and Jim Morrison (5-7, 3.02) of Toronto.
Below is the complete list of players lost so far by each FABL club:
Boston: Les Rich joins Mack Sutton and Mike Lee
Brooklyn: Jimmie Field and Jim Lightbody added this week with Jack Goff, James Slocum and Charlie Britton previously declared
Chiefs: Lou Eaker, Bill Jones, Ralph Kendall, Sam Patterson, Sam West to join George Chadwick
Cougars: Fred Vargas added to the list that starts with Pete Papenfus and also includes Rusty Watts, Alex Ingraham and Harl Haines.
Cincinnati: Charley McCullough, Eddie Seguin, Mike T. Taylor join previously announced Bill Sohl and Sam Goodwin
Cleveland: Si Crocker added to George Dellinger and Wes Parks
Detroit: Paul Grell, Bob Miller, Johnnie Sundberg, Ed Whetzel join Frank Gordon and Joe York
Montreal: Ed Jordan added to list that had Bud Robbins and Pete Wood
Gothams: Rube Dixon, Tom Henderson and Earl West to join John Phillips
Stars: no one new but already had lost Robert Curry, Johnny Hopper, Dixie Lee and Joe Rainbow
Keystones: Ed Greenwood joins Billy Woytek.
Sailors: Willie Hall, Rip Lee, Johnny Zeidman join Cotton Dillon and Lee Marshall
Pittsburgh: Art Brandon and Frank Buchanan added to Joe Owens.
St Louis: Les Hendrix and Jim Vaughn join Luke Micheals
Toronto: Jim Morrison and Packy Peck as well as Fred McCormick, who was released but reupped.
Washington: Jim Douglass, Karl O'Reilly and Juan Tostado are new this week joining Rube Norris.
QUICK HITS
- Interesting news out of Detroit as rumours are swirling that one of the Schneider triplets may have failed his Navy physical. Details are sparse at this point but, if accurate, that means that only two of the boys will be entering the service next week. Buddy is the star second baseman of the Boston Minutemen, Skipper a shortstop with the Chicago Cougars and Bart is a minor league pitcher in the Cleveland Foresters system.
- A swift succession of military mandates promised virtual extinction of all West Coast tradition sports events for the duration of the war. College football's East-West Classic on New Year's Day has been shifted to New York and college hoops teams are scrambling to reschedule games further inland in places such as Arizona or Texas. Several west coast golf tournaments will also find new homes in the southwest and horse racing has been halted in California although the most prominent track in the state has asked the Army to reconsider it's decision and permit racing to continue. What that means to the Great Western League baseball schedule for 1942 is uncertain. League execs are taking a wait and see attitude for the AAA loop which contains five independent squads but also the top farm clubs of the Pioneers, Sailors and Stars. It seems unlikely the league would be able to relocate as a whole and play somewhere else but at least one owner is optimistic they will be given the go ahead to start their season come spring.
- Barring unforeseen developments on the war front which might abruptly change the outlook, the Brooklyn Kings still plan to spend two weeks training in Cuba next spring just prior to the start of the Grapefruit games. Team officials do say they now only plan to bring minor leaguers to Havana and the vast majority of their big league club will remain in the United States and assemble in Florida.
ALL-AMERICA TEAM AND CHRISTIAN TROPHY WINNER ANNOUNCED
It was delayed a week after the attack on Pearl Harbor but the AIAA handed out it's season ending awards and named the All-America team in a ceremony Friday that was much more subdued than in past years. There was a new addition to the awards as the Ipswich Trophy joined the Christian Trophy and Bryan Award for the first time. The Ipswich is in honor of two-time All-American lineman Ed Ipswich who was killed in action during the first World War. Discussions to donate the award had been ongoing with Ipswich's father and the events at Pearl Harbor prompted the quick addition of the Trophy.
The initial winner of the Ipswich Trophy was judged to be Dickson College senior guard Jerry Rand. The Christian Trophy is named after coaching legend John Christian, and not to be confused with college baseball's Christian Trophy which is named for John's brother Frank, who was a famous AIAA baseball coach. The Bryan Award is in honor of Buster Bryan, a coach at Whitney College and Detroit City College and a former player. Often the Bryan Award and Christian Trophy are presented to the same player but that was not the case this year.
The Christian Trophy, to be given to the player judged to be the Most Outstanding during the season, was presented to Minnesota Tech senior halfback Harry Claiborne. Quarterback Sam Metcalf of Redwood University receives the Bryan Award, which is presented annually to the best All-Around Player.
Here is the All-American team for 1941:
Code:
POS NAME CL SCHOOL HOMETOWN
QB Sam Metcalf SR Redwood Milwaukee, WI
HB Bob Holt SR Eastern State Lynchburg, VA
HB Harry Claiborne SR Minnesota Tech Alexandria, MN
FB Syl Tyma SR Detroit City Coll. Adrian, MI
E Gary Reis SR Alabama Baptist Birmingham, AL
T Vince Harris JR Minnesota Tech Minneapolis, MN
G Jerry Rand SR Dickson Hollis, NH
C Earl Mackens SR Daniel Boone Coll. Independence, MO
G John Miskelley SR Rainier College Olympia, WA
T Gary Jones SR Baton Rogue State Lafayette, LA
E Mark Richardson JR St Blane Canfield, OH
- The college football regular season came to an end with City College of Los Angeles (3-7-1) winning on the road over Western Florida (4-6) by a 14-3 score. It was at least a positive ending to a disappointing season for the Coyotes who went 1-6-1 in West Coast Athletic Association play including a 19-9 defeat at the hands of rival Coastal California 2 weeks ago.
- The National Champion decision will possibly hinge on the outcome of New Years Day games involving Darnell State or Travis College but many feel that Annapolis Maritime, with a perfect 9-0 record that included wins over Academia Alliance champion Pierpont, 9-1 Richmond State as well as 7-2 St Blane, is the clear choice for the top ranking despite the Navigators decision not to participate in a classic game.
- Carolina Poly (9-0) and Darnell State (10-0) are the only other teams besides Annapolis Maritime to be perfect this season. The Cardinals will face a weak Commonwealth Catholic team in the Sunshine Classic while the Legislators meet 8-1 Daniel Boone College in the Cajun Classic. Travis College (9-1), with just the one loss that came to Darnell State a few weeks ago, is also getting a lot of support for the top ranking because of impressive non-conference wins over Oklahoma City State (7-2) and Bayou State (6-3-2) and some feel a big win over Alabama Baptist (8-2) in the Lone Star Classic might just give the Bucks the number one ranking if Darnell State does not come up with a convincing win over Daniel Boone College.
WEST COAST BASKETBALL TEAMS RETURN TO ACTION
Nearly all of the basketball programs along the west coast have returned to action, some for the first time since the attack on Pearl Harbor earlier this month. None of them, at least none of those in California, Oregon or Washington are playing at home as of yet although word is the Oregon and Washington schools will be allowed to play home games after Christmas.
Second ranked CC Los Angeles easily beat Springfield State 57-32 to run their record to a perfect 5-0 but their 'home game' was actually played on the campus of Flagstaff State. It was the Coyotes first game since December 1st. Portland Tech (#10) and Rainier College (#15) join the Coyotes as West Coast Athletic Association schools ranked in the top twenty. Coastal California is the reigning WCAA champ and reached the National Title game last year before falling to Brooklyn State, but the Dolphins are off to a slow 5-3 start this season.
Code:
AIAA BASKETBALL TOP TWENTY FPV REC LW
1 Great Plains State Buffaloes (72) 12-0 1
2 CC Los Angeles Coyotes 5-0 2
3 Detroit City College Knights 6-1 6
4 Brooklyn State Bears 6-1 9
5 Columbia Military Academy Cadets 7-0 5
6 North Carolina Tech Techsters 9-1 7
7 Chesapeake State Clippers 7-1 8
8 Central Ohio Aviators 7-1 11
9 Garden State Redbirds 8-1 10
10 Portland Tech Magpies 7-0 12
11 St. Ignatius Lancers 6-2 3
12 Liberty College Bells 8-2 4
13 Dickson Maroons 8-0 16
14 Minnesota Tech Lakers 6-0 15
15 Rainier College Majestics 5-1 19
16 Bethlehem College Falcons 5-0 20
17 Wisconsin State Brewers 4-1 21
18 Whitney College Engineers 6-1 24
19 Charleston Tech Admirals 7-1 13
20 Western Florida Wolves 4-1 NR
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 12/21/1941
- President Roosevelt revealed "for all history to read in amazement, in sorrow, in horror and in disgust" a documented chronology of Japan's perfidious peace negotiations which culminated in the sudden "stab in the back" at Pearl Harbor. Included was evidence of the fact that the Japanese Ambassador delivered to Secretary of State Hull, a treacherous profession of peace intentions one hour after the air and submarine attack on the Hawaiian Islands actually had begun.
- Japan's long-range strategy involves 'capture' of the White House to enable dictation of peace terms to the United States. The from Admiral Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese Pacific Fleet, as told to the newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun.
- Tokio claims troops have landed in British Borneo and to have taken Hong Kong although the British dispute that statement, saying the fight for the island continues to rage. Meanwhile the United States reports of great success in bombing strikes on Japanese vessels 200 miles southeast of Manilla.
- Portugal may soon be drawn into the war as reports indicate the Japanese have occupied the Portuguese island of Macao off the China coast.
- The United States, Great Britain and Russia are meeting to map plans for their war strategy.
- A German report acknowledges the Nazis were "astonished" by the Red Army because it "remains unimpressed" by the Axis military achievements and continues to hold off and in some cases, push back the Germans.
- More than 100 A.F.L. leaders meet in Washington to approve a five-point plan to eliminate all walkouts in defense industries so that Japan will be made to "pay in full measure" for it's "treacherous attack" on the United States.
- Orders from President Roosevelt has 3,000 soldiers guarding key areas, such as the waterfront, water and power supply stations as well as railroad terminals, in New York City. The White House says it is purely a precautionary measure.
- To help offset the immense cost of war the Government is urging Americans to purchase defense bonds or stamps which can be purchased at many retail stores. Even the winner of this week's golf tournament in Miami, Florida accepted his $2,500 first place payout in war bonds.