MARCH 2, 1942
THROW FOUR NAMES IN A HAT TO PICK WINNER
Normally this time of year as This Week in Figment Baseball begins it's preseason previews we are talking about all of the big additions made over the course of the winter. There are changes this season to be sure, but unless we are discussing the baseball squads at various Army and Navy grounds around the country there are no additions to talk about. Well, that's not entirely true as one - yes just one- FABL veteran was traded this off-season but we will save that for next week when we look at the Continental Association. This week our focus is on the Fed and the challenge of picking a winner this time around is in trying to determine who lost the least, rather than what team gained the most.
BOSTON MINUTEMEN: The World Champions lost third baseman Mack Sutton (.240,15,54) to the Army Air Force but as long as the infielders can stay healthy they will hardly feel the loss. Boston added Balladeer Bill Moore at the deadline last year and between him, Art Spencer and Bob Donoghue the corner infield spots are taken care of. The loss of Sutton just means it's imperative that Spencer, who missed nearly two months last season, stays healthy. Moore gives them added insurance if Bob Donoghue gets hurt once again. A full season of veteran lefthanders Walt Wells and Dean Astle on the mound should also help. The one concern is can Ray Dalpman and to a lesser extent Duke Hendricks pitch like they did as rookies. If so, the Minutemen will be right in the mix once again.
CHICAGO CHIEFS: While some of their minor league affiliates took heavy casualties, the Chiefs are one of the few FABL teams not to suffer a serious loss from their big league team to the war effort. The Chicago offense remains solid - if Ron Rattigan can come close to his totals last season and Tom Bird and Hank Barnett rebound from slight drops last season the Chiefs will be a force. The big question mark is likely the one hovering over Rabbit Day. Day is now 37 and perhaps starting to slow down but if he can find the magic one more time he and Al Miller may just lead the Chiefs to their third pennant since 1936. If Day falls apart then the Chiefs might just miss Ralph Kendall - the 24 year old pitcher who was likely their biggest contribution to the war effort.
DETROIT DYNAMOS: Is this finally the year? With the most dangerous offense in the game and a veteran rotation that appears healthy this time around can Detroit finally win that long expected pennant? Any team with Sal Pestilli and Red Johnson is one to be feared. Add in Frank Crawford and Sergio Gonzales on the mound and the Dynamos are downright scary. But there are questions, most around age. Frank Vance will turn 40 in May and Joe Shaffner is 38. Do those two still have enough left in the tank? And how much will they feel the absence of Frank Gordon? If Shaffner or one of the other key pitchers struggle or get hurt the loss of Gordon could really sting but if they stay healthy there is no reason not to suspect another thrilling September for the Dynamos. Their fans just hope that this is finally the one that ends in a celebration.
NEW YORK GOTHAMS: That Million Dollar Infield is still around, but they are all getting a little older and while each has been solid at times the quartet never seemed to put it altogether. Walt Messer had a big year but played primarily in the outfield. Whether he stays there or returns to first base hinges on if Bud Jameson remains effective now that he is about to turn 38, although a glance across the city at Dave Trowbridge might reassure Gothams fans that their aging star still has something left to give. Leon Drake rebounded nicely from an awful 1940 season but the concern in Gotham land remains where it has been since Rabbit Day and Jim Lonardo were shipped out so many years ago. How will the pitching be? Can Bunny Edwards prove his 1941 campaign was not a fluke? Will Gus Goulding and, to a lesser extent, Rusty Petrick turn it up this season and finally become the stars that has been predicted since each was drafted what no seems so long ago by the Baltimore Cannons? New York is improving but the bar set by the first division clubs in the Fed is very high.
PHILADELPHIA KEYSTONES: After their outstanding run two years ago big things were expected by the Keystones young team last year. Instead the club succumbed to the pressure that comes along with high expectations and took a big step back, dropping 4 games below .500 and losing a dozen more games than they did in 1940. They are for the most part still a young club and there is a lot of potential but the challenge this season will be not only to forget last year and get back on track but also to replace one of the key young pieces in second baseman Billy Woytek, who is now in the Navy along with a fine young pitching prospect in Ernie Espanoza. There is a lot to like in Philadelphia and many believe they will surprise some teams but, like the Gothams, the Keystones fans need to realize the first division of the Federal Association is a very exclusive club.
PITTSBURGH MINERS: For a change we are not rehashing a Miners WCS collapse as they begin the spring but that is not a good thing as Pittsburgh was forced to settle for second place last season ending their two-year run (and 3 in four seasons) as Fed champion. Lefty Allen turns 28 next week and should be in his prime. No one has been better over the past half dozen seasons than the Miners flame throwing lefthander which is likely why we are calling an 18-13, 3.65 season a down year for the young star. But it was. For the first time since 1936 Allen failed to win at least twenty games but he also started just 35 contests - five less than each of the previous two seasons and seven less than the two before that. Some were on the Miners in the past about overusing Allen so they cut his workload slightly. Did that cost them the pennant? Likely not but 5 more Allen starts might just have won them the 3 more games they needed to finish ahead of Boston.
That was last season. Let's look ahead. Like most of the contenders the Miners do have a hole to fill courtesy of Uncle Sam and a concern about age. The hole will be the absence of Joe Owens, the outfielder who hit .344 a year ago but now will swinging a mop instead of a bat as he swabs decks in the Navy. This might create an opening for Luke Berry, a promising 23 year old who hit .344 at AAA and went 11-for-25 in a brief trial in Pittsburgh. If Berry is the real deal the Miners won't miss Owens much. If not then Wally Flowers, Whit Williams and Pinky Pierce will be counted on to handle the corner outfield duties in Owens absence. The age concern surrounds Charlie Stedman as he will turn 40 in early May. Hard Luck Chuck may just be shedding that nickname as he went 16-10 and had his second straight winning season after a lot of years of pitching well but getting little run support. It is hard to bet against the Miners not being in the thick of things as the season winds down...so we won't. Pittsburgh has as good a chance as anyone of playing in the WCS next year. Now winning a WCS? Well, that is an entirely different story.
ST LOUIS PIONEERS: A lot is new in St Louis this season. A new owner in Daniel 'Dee' Rose. A new manager in former bench coach Hugh Luckey and a new scouting director in veteran Rube Carter. Unfortunately for Pioneers fans most of the lineup will not be new. The Pioneers do have so very good young talent, both already in St Louis and climbing the ranks of their farm system. Maybe the likes of Carl Roe, Mal Bianco, Jasper Moore and Preacher Pietsch will take a big step forward like Danny Hearn did last year. Maybe Harry Sharp will look more like he did as a 22 year old two yeas ago than he did last season. Maybe Tommy Wilson will continue his progression towards being recognized as one of the best young players in the game. Maybe catcher Heinie Zimmer will come closer to duplicating his outstanding offensive season of 1940. Maybe Dutch Breunig, Earl Kimmell or prospect Bob Johnston Jr. establishes himself as the kind of first baseman the Pioneers have missed since Fred McCormick was dispatched north of the border. Yes, there are some things to look forward to but unfortunately for Pioneers fans that is just a few too many "maybe's" for this season to be a winning one for Dee Rose's new ballclub. Hey, at least they are not the Los Angeles Pioneers right now, so St Louis baseball fans have that to be thankful for.
WASHINGTON EAGLES: Why do we feel like this section of the Federal Association preview can just be copied from any one of several previous years predictions for the Washington ballclub? 'Eagles suffer through yet another losing campaign' the plot goes. A new General Manager comes to town and perhaps brings with him hope, something that has been promised several times over the past dozen years by a new regime only to see the new man suddenly leave, or run away to Canada, and leave the team no better than it was when he arrived. But maybe this time is really different. Under the previous regime noise was made right away, when a new manager claimed that Jack Bush was a hall of fame shortstop despite being a 25 year old rookie who barely hit .260 in AAA ball the year before. Bush is still around, although most assuredly not on a Hall of Fame pace to his career. The GM and his manager who made the boast at the time, are both long gone but not before the GM saddled his replacement with yet another hurdle to vault by dealing what turned out to be the first overall draft pick for a shortstop- apparently to replace his future Hall of Famer - a 22 year old kid who appears to have everything you want in a middle infielder except apparently the ability to field ground balls.
So the new GM comes into town with one hand tied behind his back because his first overall draft pick has been handed over to the defending World Champions. Then he gets the not entirely unexpected news that the clock has run out on his best pitcher and 24-year old Jim Douglass is now 1-A and off to the Army. No sooner does he process that but the GM then finds out his best young arm, Juan Tostado, a player he and second year manager John Lawrence were counting on to help replace Douglass, has also been taken by the Army along with his starting second baseman Karl O'Reilly. Talk about a rough first few weeks on the job. The Eagles minor league system is the worst in the league. Their pitching staff would likely get hit pretty good by an average AAA outfit and there are a number of holes in the lineup. It won't be easy but the new GM does have a pair of talented 25 year old's to try and build around in pitcher Del Burns and slugging first baseman Sig Stofer. It will take some time, and likely a couple of more seasons at or near the Federal Association cellar, but with some prudent waiver pickups and smart drafting going forward perhaps the long promised turnaround can begin. Baseball needs have a much bigger presence in the nation's capital. The attendance is rising, thanks a new ballpark in Columbia Stadium and an exciting slugger in The Boardwalk Bopper Stofer. Show some promise and win some ballgames and the popularity of the club will increase as Washington only backs a winner - something the Eagles have rarely been in going on well over a decade.
MY FEDERAL ASSOCIATION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
I feel I could have thrown the top 4 teams into a hat and been very happy with calling whichever one I pulled out of that hat my pick as the Fed champion for 1942. A big deadline deal or deals- similar to what Boston did last year- a crucial injury, or a midseason call from Selective Service will quite likely be what decides this year's winner but the way I draw them out this season is as follows:
1- Detroit
2- Pittsburgh
3- Boston
4- Chicago
5- Philadelphia
6- New York
7- St Louis
8- Washington
TOURNAMENT CONTENDERS
With the beginning of March the annual college basketball championship tournament is just two weeks away from finalizing it's field of 32 teams. Here is a look at the teams in contention for either one of the 15 guaranteed spots as a conference champion or the 17 at-large bids.
First up the major conferences:
ACADMIA ALLIANCE: Ellery and Brunswick are both 9-3 and tied for top spot. It appears certain that only the champion of the Academia eight will qualify for post-season play but that choice is wide open since they are the only group to hold an end of season conference tournament.
DEEP SOUTH: Western Florida (16-9) has some impressive wins and should be a lock with Georgia rivals Noble Jones (19-6) and Georgia Baptist (17-9) likely in as well and a good chance Alabama Baptist (19-6) could make it 4 schools from the Deep South in the field of 32.
GREAT LAKES ALLIANCE: It seems almost a certainty that 5 GLA schools will make the tournament including Detroit City College (20-5), Minnesota Tech (20-5), Central Ohio (18-7), Western Iowa (18-8) and Whitney College (19-6). The conference title is very much still up for grabs with six teams -those five plus St Magnus - separated by just one game.
MIDWESTERN ALLIANCE: Lambert College (22-4) has already clinched the conference title but even if they did not win it the Stags are a top twenty team and a lock for the field of 32.
NORTHEAST CONFERENCE: The big three of Liberty College (23-3), Garden State (20-6) and defending National Champion Brooklyn State (20-5) are in with a chance that St Patrick's (18-8) joins them.
SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE: North Carolina Tech (20-7) and Carolina Poly (18-7) should be in with Charleston Tech (18-7) on the bubble. There are several other schools still in the hunt for the conference title and an automatic berth including Mobile Maritime and Central Carolina.
SOUTHWESTERN ALLIANCE: Texas Gulf Coast (21-5) is a lock but only a conference title would allow anyone else from the SWA qualify. That is a possibility as at the moment both the Hurricanes and Darnell State are 7-3 in conference play, just a half game up on Lubbock State.
WEST COAST ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION: CCLA (24-2) and Rainier College (21-6) are in and Lane State (17-9) might make it three schools from the WCAA.
As for the
INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS expect Great Plains State (26-3) and Annapolis Maritime (25-5) to be playing in the tournament with a very good chance Miami State (22-6) joins them.
That makes 25 schools with the remaining seven spots coming from the other conference champions which at this stage appear to be Quaker College (19-6), either Western State (14-11) or NW New York State (13-12), Bigsby College (15-11), either Berwick (13-12) or Rose Point (9-16), Iowa A&M (14-11), Wyoming A&I (9-16) and El Paso Methodist (14-12).
Code:
AIAA BASKETBALL TOP TWENTY FPV REC LW
1. CC Los Angeles (63) 24-2 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Liberty College (8) 23-3 2 Northeast Conference
3. Great Plains State (1) 26-3 3 Independent
4. Detroit City College 20-5 5 Great Lakes Alliance
5. Garden State 20-6 4 Northeast Conference
6. Brooklyn State 20-5 6 Northeast Conference
7. Annapolis Maritime 25-5 7 Independent
8. Minnesota Tech 20-5 8 Great Lakes Alliance
9. Central Ohio 18-7 14 Great Lakes Alliance
10. North Carolina Tech 20-7 13 South Atlantic Conference
11. Whitney College 19-6 15 Great Lakes Alliance
12. St. Patrick's 18-8 19 Northeast Conference
13. Rainier College 21-6 11 West Coast Athletic Association
14. Western Iowa 18-8 10 Great Lakes Alliance
15. Carolina Poly 18-7 9 South Atlantic Conference
16. Ohio Poly 21-8 16 Independent
17. Lambert College 22-4 20 Midwestern Association
18. Miami State 22-6 18 Independent
19. Chesapeake State 18-7 12 South Atlantic Conference
20. Noble Jones College 19-6 NR Deep South Conference
LAST WEEK RESULTS INVOLVING TOP TEN SCHOOLS
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 25
#2 Liberty College 49 Frankford State 40
#5 Brooklyn State 54 #5 Garden State 38
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 26
#4 Detroit City College 50 St Magnus 38
#8 Minnesota Tech 50 Lincoln 38
#9 Central Ohio 46 Indiana A&M 40
#10 North Carolina Tech 52 Lexington State 44
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 27
#1 CCLA 49 Custer College 37
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 28
St Martin's College 39 #5 Garden State 37
#2 Liberty College 41 St Matthew's College 22
#9 Central Ohio 42 #14 Western Iowa 37
#4 Detroit City College 68 Wisconsin State 45
#8 Minnesota Tech 51 St Ignatius 35
#10 North Carolina Tech 60 Mobile Maritime 52
SUNDAY MARCH 1
#1 CCLA 49 #13 Rainier College 32
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 3/01/1942
- In a radio address to the nation, President Roosevelt warned that the Allies must win the war in the southwest Pacific or the United States should expect to fight Japanese invaders on California, Oregon and Washington beaches.
- Amy fliers and Navy ships are on the lookout for a submarine that shelled an oil refinery near Santa Barbara, California while President Roosevelt was addressing the nation. A day later there was a scare in Los Angeles when the approach of an unidentified aircraft precipitated a call for a blackout and "considerable anti-aircraft firing" but it turned out no bombs were dropped and no planes were shot down.
- A major victory for Allied forces as they virtually wiped out the Japan invasion fleet of Bali and furiously hammered enemy forces on the island approach to Java.