JANUARY 5, 1942
TOP PROSPECTS LEAVING GAME FOR WAR
The expected increase of players leaving baseball to join the war effort after Christmas has certainly occurred with the latest count estimating that 342 professional ballplayers have either been drafted or enlisted. The big names remain Pete Papenfus, Fred McCormick and Joe Owens but while the number of big leaguers leaving has slowed, it is ramping up in the minor leagues. Since Christmas it is believe over 150 players have announced they are leaving the sport and that group includes some names that are very well known, at least to the scouts. It includes 14 players presently ranked in the OSA top 100 prospects including three from the Philadelphia Keystones and two each from Cleveland, St Louis and Montreal.
The Keystones top prospect is 23 year old Ernie Espanoza and the #10 ranked player on OSA's list is off to the Navy. Another good young pitcher is also leaving, 1940 3rd overall pick Joe Quade, to join the marines. Finally the Keystones also say good bye to 22 year old first baseman Ernie Mitchell, who is ranked 83rd by OSA.
The Pioneers lost a pair of young pitchers in 20 year old Hal Hackey (59th on OSA list) and 19 year old righthander Tony Dixon (#89. Cleveland also lost a pair of fine young arms in Richie Hughes (#20) and Bill Martino (#29). The Saints will be without outfielder Otis Parker (9th) and third baseman Norman Houser (#79). Other teams to lose a top 100 prospect include the Chicago Cougars (#16 Duke Bybee P), the Chicago Chiefs (#25 Bob Crowley P), Philadelphia Sailors (#34 Cotton Dillon OF), New York Stars (#46 Jerry Decker P) and Detroit (#99 Paul Grell P).
Lost perhaps in all that has transpired over the past four weeks in this country is the fact that there is a draft of a different sort fast approaching. Unlike the one conducted by Selective Service which is random, this one is far from it as the FABL clubs look to stock their cupboards with the next wave of young baseball talent. The top pick, for the first time in memory belongs to the World Championship Series winners as the Boston Minutemen somehow swindled the Washington Eagles into surrendering their top selection over the summer. It is an almost certainty that the now former Washington general manager did not envision his team sinking to the bottom of the Federal Association but he most assuredly had to know that was a possibility. Apparentlyl he must have thought he saw something in Al Gross well beyond the .265 AAA batting average and subpar glove the 22 year old showed prior to the deal. Now Gross is not a bad prospect - he was taken 12th overall by Cleveland in 1937 - but he does not appear to be much more than an 80th ranked prospect as OSA sees him and certainly not worthy of being dealt straight up even for the 5th overall pick in a draft, let alone the top selection.
Whether this is a move that further sets the long struggling Eagles organization back substantially further remains to be seen as the current crop of draft eligible's lack a clear cut superstar such as New York High Schooler Hiram Steinberg,who went number one to Cleveland a year ago after his arrival was anticipated for four years. There are a pair of college players that appear to be the class of this group, both teammates at Bluegrass State in centerfielder Ernie McCoy (.311,7,46) and righthander Bob Arman (11-1, 1.75), but no word on which way Boston is leaning, or if the champs perhaps have another name at the top of their list, one of those under-scouted guys with big potential they found on a sandlot somewhere and are prepared to make him the first selection before he has played an inning of high school or college ball.
The expectation right now is Boston will likely be leaning to McCoy although Arman will be a tough player to take a pass on. Either way, one can be sure the new General Manager of the Washington Eagles would have loved to have either of those Bluegrass State Mustangs on his depth chart.
The other big unknown, far more pressing to most club's than who the Minutemen might select, is just how many players will heed the call of Uncle Sam over FABL? Selective Service will grab more than it's share of the college crop and there is a good chance a large percentage of the high school boys might choose to join the Army or Navy and defer their pro career. There perhaps is also a higher than normal possibility that a number of high schoolers may refuse to sign and attend college instead, deferring both their baseball career but also the potential call of the war. Like everything else that has gone on this year, the draft promises to be a very interesting time.
-------EAGLES HIT HARDEST BY ARMY -------
While there is no arguing that Pete Papenfus and Fred McCormick are without a doubt the two best players to trade their bats and gloves for guns and grenades I would say that the team with the most difficult job of replacing departed players in 1942 is the Washington Eagles? What! you might exclaim. Well, hear me out. You don't just put another arm on the mound and say Peter the Heater is replaced but the Cougars have more than enough pitching depth to withstand the loss of their young Allan Award winner. Toronto didn't show it last year, but none of the blame for their shortcomings can fall on Walt Pack, who filled in admirably at first when Fred left. Likewise, the Boston Minutemen will be just fine without Mack Sutton. The New York Stars, assuming that Buster Farrar can solve their catching concerns, can handle the departure of Robert Curry. Pittsburgh can get by without Joe Owens. The Cincinnati Cannons can survive the absence of Mike T Taylor and all-star Charley McCullough. No Ed Whetzel or Frank Gordon in Detroit is not a major issue either.
But Washington. Take Jim Douglass (15-12, 4.96) out of the mix, as Selective Service has done, and there is very little pitching left. Then Uncle Sam also grabs Juan Tostado, the one young arm who might have stepped into the void created with Douglass' departure is also gone. What does that leave you besides Jack Elder and Del Burns - who both underachieved last year- to round out the rotation? Not much. Then to add insult to injury the Eagles also lose second baseman Karl O'Reilly. Now they won't miss O'Reilly's glove, as groundballs often did, but the absence of his bat will be a big issue, especially if outfielder Don Miller's leg troubles are career threatening. The Washington double play duo now looks to be some combination of Jack Bush, a good glove but .192 career hitter, Al Gross, a 22 year old middle infielder who lacks the glove to play shortstop and might struggle at second and hit .229 in 51 games last season, Henry Bush, a 24 year old who would be a very good defensive second baseman but there are doubts if he can hit, and Arnie Scurlock, who batted just .215 over 80 games in his FABL debut last summer.
So while Douglass, Tostado and O'Reilly are certainly not the best players to join the war effort, they might just be the ones who's absence is felt the most next season.
-------WHY HAS WOODY TREASE NEVER BEEN GIVEN A BIG LEAGUE JOB? -------
One of the most perplexing questions in baseball is why has no FABL club ever given Woody Trease a shot as their manager. Trease is 61 years old now, so perhaps the big league opportunity that has eluded him for so long will now never come but it is hard to imagine someone having more success at the minor league level. In 12 seasons of work in the Philadelphia Sailors organization Trease has led his team to 8 league championships including 5 in the past seven years with AAA San Francisco of the Great Western League.
Trease seems to have more than enough qualifications, ones that stretch well beyond his 704-486 career AAA record with the Hawks, a winning pace better than any other manager who has more than 150 games experience in the pacific loop. He is also a Hall of Fame pitcher, with 325 career FABL wins and owner of three World Championship rings. He also has the bloodlines as he is the son of Lynwood Trease, long-time big league catcher and accomplished minor league manager in his own right. His uncle Frank Trease played in the early days of baseball but is better known as the long-time manager of three FABL clubs and 8th all-time in career wins. Then there is Woody's son Lyn Trease, a 21 year old former 4th round draft pick who is pitching in the Brooklyn Kings organization. Yet, somehow, despite all of that experience of his own and his family Woody Trease remains a life-long minor league manager.
QUICK HITS
- Still no trades in an off-season unlike any other but at least teams are starting to talk. The New York Stars are said to be shopping veteran reliever Boyd Harper. The 37 year old has 140 career saves, third most all-time. Meanwhile the Chicago Cougars have announced their annual house cleaning by putting about a dozen minor leaguers on the trade block.
- In the first act of it's kind between the Army and baseballers since 1918, President Sam Benton of FABL and Washington Eagles owner William Stockdale conferred with Captain Frederick Weston of the Army morale division in Washington last week and out of the talk came an order for 1,500 baseball kits to be distributed free to the men in the armed forces.
- It's not just baseball feeling the pinch from the war as golf is considering dropping a number of tournaments and now news that the US Chess Federation's biennial championship tournament, scheduled for March, has been called off because of conditions resulting from war.
- Most Rule-5 picks aren't that interesting, but newest Chicago Cougar addition Hooks Camp surely is. He goes by Hooks because of an outstanding curve, but the young righty has a rubber arm as well. He's never been hurt more then a week, and he can throw as many pitches as needed. You can blame part of it on the Eagles lack of pitching in their system, but he's been able to pass 150 pitches five times. He reached 175 on August 14th, but that's not even his high on the season. In what is almost a guaranteed high pitch count in Dixie League history, the the former 19th Rounder threw 267(!) pitches in a 16 inning loss to the Knoxville Knights. He fell apart in the 16th, with 5 of his 10 runs coming in that inning, and finally left the game with one out. It will be hard for him to crack the Opening Day roster for the reigning CA champions, but the Cougars coaching staff is a big fan of the team first hurler.
- The Toronto Wolves saw seven guys from their Class B affiliate enlist over the last couple of weeks. The plan, like it will be for most organizations, is just run those low minors clubs with what they have left, meaning most teams will likely be short-staffed. And there is always the fear that more get drafted during the season.
- Boston found a way to avoid losing top-100 prospects. The Minutemen simply don't have any. But don't cry for them as Boston has a World Championship Series trophy and the first overall pick in this month's draft.
DARNELL STATE AND CAROLINA POLY WIN CLASSIC GAMES
The Darnell State Legislators and Carolina Poly Cardinals each completed a perfect season with victories in New Year's Day Classic games. The two schools, along with Annapolis Maritime (9-0) are the only 3 college football outfits to complete the season without a loss or a draw. Those three, along with Travis College (10-1), will be anxiously awaiting news tomorrow of who the National Champion will be.
There is much support for the Navigators to earn the number one ranking in the year end polls despite the fact the naval college declined to take part in a Classic Game. Darnell State went 11-0 but struggled to beat Daniel Boone College (8-2) by a 6-3 score in the Cajun Classic on New Years. In the Legislators favour as they attempt to lay claim to the national title is a 23-13 win over previously unbeaten Travis College in the game to decide the Southwestern Alliance champion.
Despite the loss to Darnell State, Travis College (10-1) has a very impressive resume this season and many feel they could have beaten Annapolis Maritime had the Navigators accepted an offer to play in the Lone Star Classic. Instead it was Alabama Baptist (8-3) who was tabbed to face the Bucks and Travis College claimed a 28-17 victory. Travis College is another squad that may get support from the voters in the final poll as, despite the loss to Darnell State, the Bucks played a much tougher non-conference schedule than the Legislators.
Carolina Poly went 10-0 culminating their season with a 21-3 victory over Commonwealth Catholic (4-7) in Miami's Sunshine Classic. The knock on the Cardinals was they played a lot of weak opponents and the Classic Game did little to dispel that notion as the Knights were a surprise choice for a New Year's game after such a disappointing season.
Pacific Northwest power Lane State was denied an opportunity to play in California but with the East-Coast Classic shifted to New York, the Emeralds were unaffected by the long train trip and blanked Eastern State (6-2-2) 28-0. The final New Years game saw Minnesota Tech improve to 7-2 on the year with a 51-23 drubbing of Canyon A&M in the Desert Classic.
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NEW YEAR'S DAY CLASSIC RESULTS
Travis College 28 Alabama Baptist 17 Lone Star Classic (Austin, TX)
Darnell State 6 Daniel Boone College 3 Cajun Classic (New Orleans, LA)
Carolina Poly 21 Commonwealth Catholic 3 Sunshine Classic (Miami, FL)
Lane State 28 Eastern State 0 East-West Classic (* at Bigsby Bowl, NYC)
Minnesota Tech 51 Canyon A&M 23 Desert Classic (El Paso, TX)
*moved from California due to war conditions
BUFFALOES WINNING STREAK COMES TO AN END
Great Plains State finally suffered it's first defeat after a very busy start to their college basketball season that saw them go 17-0 before the streak ended at Minnesota Tech. The Lakers are unbeaten themselves at 11-0 on the year after knocking Great Plains State out of the top spot in the weekly polls with a 68-56 victory yesterday. That allowed City College of Los Angele (8-0) to take over the number one spot in the rankings.
While the 17 straight victories for Great Plains State, a school that has missed the tournament for 4 consecutive years and won just 3 tournament games in their 33 year history, it was a very solid start but truth be told none of those 17 opponents were against what one would call quality clubs with Lubbock State (5-5) probably being the best of the lot. The first team ranked in the top twenty the Buffaloes faced this season was yesterday's game with Minnesota Tech and it did not go well for the Wichita school as Tech had a 17 point lead at one point before letting off the gas and settling for a 66-56 victory.
The Lakers are up to 9th in the polls and their 11-0 record is the best start in the history of the program, one which has not seen post-season action since 1911 and not had a winning season since going 16-14 in 1936-37. The expectation is that both schools will fade in the second half of the season, especially Minnesota Tech as they embark on the difficult Great Lakes Alliance schedule. One has to go all the way back to 1924-25 to find the last time the Lakers finished over .500 in Alliance play.
One team that is expected to battle for top spot all season is CCLA. The Coyotes are a consistent challenger for the National Crown, having won 3 of them already (1916,1928,1933) and looking to recover from their worst season in 5 years when they went 22-11 a year ago.
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1941 West Coast Athletic Association Standings
TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct
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#15 Portland Tech Magpies 0 0 .000 10 1 .909
#11 Rainier College Majestics 0 0 .000 10 1 .909
#1 CC Los Angeles Coyotes 0 0 .000 8 0 1.000
Lane State Emeralds 0 0 .000 7 4 .636
#18 Coastal California Dolphins 0 0 .000 7 3 .700
Idaho A&M Pirates 0 0 .000 6 3 .667
Spokane State Indians 0 0 .000 6 5 .545
Redwood Mammoths 0 0 .000 6 4 .600
Custer College Calvery 0 0 .000 5 5 .500
Northern California Miners 0 0 .000 4 6 .400
1941 Great Lakes Alliance Standings
TEAM CW CL Pct W L Pct
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#9 Minnesota Tech Lakers 0 0 .000 11 0 1.000
#3 Detroit City College Knights 0 0 .000 10 1 .909
#12 Whitney College Engineers 0 0 .000 10 1 .909
#6 Central Ohio Aviators 0 0 .000 9 1 .900
#8 St. Ignatius Lancers 0 0 .000 9 2 .818
#24 Lincoln Presidents 0 0 .000 8 2 .800
#22 Western Iowa Canaries 0 0 .000 8 3 .727
#19 Wisconsin State Brewers 0 0 .000 8 2 .800
St. Magnus Vikings 0 0 .000 4 5 .444
Indiana A&M Reapers 0 0 .000 4 7 .364
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AIAA BASKETBALL TOP TWENTY FPV REC LW DIVISION
1. CC Los Angeles (39) 8-0 2 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Great Plains State (33) 17-1 1 Independent
3. Detroit City College 10-1 3 Great Lakes Alliance
4. Chesapeake State 10-1 7 South Atlantic Conference
5. Garden State 10-1 6 Northeast Conference
6. Central Ohio 9-1 5 Great Lakes Alliance
7. Liberty College 11-2 8 Northeast Conference
8. St. Ignatius 9-2 10 Great Lakes Alliance
9. Minnesota Tech 11-0 9 Great Lakes Alliance
10. Brooklyn State 10-2 4 Northeast Conference
11. Rainier College 10-1 13 West Coast Athletic Association
12. Whitney College 10-1 15 Great Lakes Alliance
13. St. Patrick's 10-2 18 Northeast Conference
14. Columbia Military Academy 9-2 16 South Atlantic Conference
15. Portland Tech 10-1 11 West Coast Athletic Association
16. North Carolina Tech 11-3 12 South Atlantic Conference
17. Annapolis Maritime 14-3 20 Independent
18. Coastal California 7-3 NR West Coast Athletic Association
19. Wisconsin State 8-2 NR Great Lakes Alliance
20. Ferguson 11-2 NR Independent
SCORES INVOLVING THIS WEEK'S TOP TEN
Monday December 29
#4 Chesapeake State 55 Dickson 54
#1 CCLA 57 California Catholic 50
Tuesday December 30
#3 Detroit City College 56 Canton State 49
#8 St Ignatius 47 College of Omaha 45
#10 Brooklyn State 71 Bronx Tech 33
#2 Great Plains State 63 Oklahoma City State 40
#7 Liberty 39 Pierpont 31
Thursday January 1
#1 CCLA 55 Quaker College (CA) 38
#6 Central Ohio 55 Granville 27
Friday January 2
#4 Chesapeake State 66 Bardney 34
#10 Brooklyn State 49 Bigsby College 47
#2 Great Plains State 66 Spokane State 39
Saturday January 3
#5 Garden State 48 Mobile Maritime 42
#3 Detroit City College 63 Needham 38
Sunday January 4
#9 Minnesota Tech 66 #2 Great Plains State 56
#4 Chesapeake State 58 Kansas Agricultural 36
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 1/04/1942
- Japan's bombing assault on Manila continues and their invading forces continue to push back and inflict heavy damage to United States and Philippines forces, who are retreating. Reports indicate that General MacArthur has been wounded but Washington says it has heard nothing of the sort.
- A British raid on Norway has wiped out two key Nazi ports. The British also reported sinking five Axis ships in the Mediterranean.
- As 1942 begins Allied commanders say they are ready to face any threat that the new year might bring them, and vow they will prevail.
- Stiff sentences, some close to the maximum were handed out as the guilty verdicts came in on 33 persons who were part of the Nazi espionage system that operated out of the New York City area.
- A record flood of applicants is inundating marriage license bureaus has Selective Service charging that many were prompted by a "desire to evade military service."