MARCH 9, 1942
EVEN WITHOUT PAPENFUS, COUGARS TEAM TO BEAT
Most Continental batters likely breathed a sign of relief when it was learned that reigning Allan Award winner Pete Papenfus, alias Peter the Heater and the two-time Continental Association strikeout leader, has officially joined the Navy. Well, all expect for the few like Toronto's Fred McCormick who many still have to face Papenfus in various Army-Navy camp exhibition showings. For the rest of the CA the news is good but even without Papenfus there are plenty of reasons why the defending CA champion Cougars remain the team to beat this time around.
Here is a team by team look at the Continental Association followed by our fearless predictions.
BROOKLYN KINGS: The Kings suffered a few losses of their own as a trio of youngsters from the big league club were among the mass exodus of players to the military following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Gone are 25 year old lefthander Jack Goff, who went 12-12 a year ago, along with infielders Jim Lightbody and Jimmie Field. Goff will be missed although perhaps Sergio Vergara or Ike O'Donnell can fill the void but there is plenty of worry that Powell Slocum's boys just won't have the arms to compete. As usual the Brooklyn outfield is sound led by Al Wheeler, who enters the season just 2 homers shy of 400 and needing 8 hits to reach the 2,500 mark. Wheeler is no longer the force he was when he won 5 Whitney Awards but he had a very solid season last year after some tough times the previous two years. The infield also has enough depth it should withstand the losses of Lightbody and Field with perhaps this being the opportunity Tim Hopkins needs to finally get a full season of playing time in which to show off his tremendous power. Harry Barrell is still one of the best shortstops in the game but there are worries that his brother Fred is nearing the end of the line for his time as a big league catcher.
CHICAGO COUGARS: Only one team made a trade this off-season to add a big league player and it turned out to be the defending CA champs. It is just a depth move but Chicago added second sacker Clark Car for the Stars in exchange for a draft pick. Car is likely just insurance in case the often injured Billy Hunter does not recover fully from a knee injury that will prevent him from participating in spring training. The Cougars are loaded although perhaps there are some concerns about age with pitchers Dick Lyons and Jim Lonardo turning 42 and 38 during the season while John Lawson, who needs just 81 hits to reach 3,000 for his career, is 39. All 3 showed little signs of slowing down last year so the Cougars think they will be just fine this season and most observers tend to agree. Pete Papenfus will, of course, be missed -no team wouldn't miss the best young pitcher in the game- but there is also no team in the Continental Association better positioned to withstand the loss of a key arm than the Cougars. If there is a worry it is perhaps behind the plate as Mike Taylor - who was once traded for Fred Barrell- is, like his Brooklyn counterpart, showing signs of wearing down. The Cougars have depth everywhere and behind the plate is no exception with Harry Mead and youngster Solly Skidmore both waiting in the wings.
CINCINNATI CANNONS: You have to think the Cannons, who were the surprise team of baseball two years ago after their dramatic pennant push in their first season since escaping both Baltimore and the basement - two words that really were synonymous for quite some time- can't have the run of bad luck they did last year again this time around. Last season the pitching staff was decimated with Deuce Barrell and prize youngsters Vic Carroll and Bill Sohl all going down for extended periods. The Cannons made their trainer the fall guy for the rash of injuries and replaced him but while Barrell is back they need to replace Sohl - who joined the Navy - for four years and Carroll- who is still hurt- at least until June. The Navy hit Cincinnati with three torpedoes, taking not just Sohl but also all-star second baseman Charley McCullough and talented young outfielder Mike T. Taylor. There is some depth in Cincinnati but the losses likely mean a pennant chase is out of the question this year but their spot in the first division should be secure.
CLEVELAND FORESTERS: Cleveland sold off most it's remaining movable assets at the deadline last year and now it feels like the Foresters are just in a wait and see mode until High School legend Hiram Steinberg is ready for the big leagues. That will still be a couple of years at least as the 19 year old has less than a full season of pro ball under his belt. He is the best of a deep crop of promising young arms on their way up through the system. The list includes Richie Hughes, Bill Martino and Dick Lamb but until then Forester fans will have to suffer through some more lean years. 24 year old second baseman George Dellinger was to be counted on this season as was 23 year old outfielder Si Crocker but both put their careers on hold for military service. 25 year old Leon Blackridge is the closest thing Cleveland has to a star player and the third baseman, who came over from Washington in the deal that sent Mel Carrol back to the Eagles, will be counted on heavily. But really it is just a tread water situation for the organization as they wait for Steinberg and the rest of the arms to be ready.
MONTREAL SAINTS: Montreal is one of those teams I certainly expected more from last year. Even after the decision to move Adam Mullins to Cincinnati. I don't mean pennant contention but 6th place should have been within reach. Certainly not the awful 58 win season - their worst showing since 1906- that they provided us with last year. The Saints have the best minor league system in the game according to OSA. But that was the case last year...and they were second best the year before. Even in 1938 they were ranked 4th. They have had loads of pitching prospects and added more young talent in the Mullins trade so the question on the tip of the tongue in all of Quebec is 'When are these prospects going to pay off and deliver big league wins?' Wally Doyle is 22-26 over parts of 4 seasons with the Saints and is still just 23 years old. He has not lived up to his first round billing out of high school but it is far too early to give up on The Waco Kid. We may see Wally Reif and Pat Weakley this season and that means Bert Cupid and Jackie James can't be far behind. Like Cleveland there are some impressive pitching prospects but unlike the Foresters right now there are also some solid young hitters already in the big leagues. The first division is likely still just a dream and something not seen since the Saints snuck into fourth with a 75-79 season in 1935, but there is no way they can be last in the CA again this year, is there?
NEW YORK STARS: You have to think this is the time that Dave Trowbridge finally starts to slow down. He will be 44 before the season ends yet Father Time hit .319 last season, although his average dipped in the second half as he hit just .277 after August 1st. Assuming he has one more productive year left (or more) the Stars may just give Chicago a run for the pennant. Bill Barrett is making a case for being considered the best hitter in the game despite being just 22 years old. Big things are expected of rookie outfielder Chubby Hall making the trio of Barrett, Hall and centerfielder Chink Stickels one of the most deadly outfield combinations in the game. The Stars were in a class by themselves for the first half of last season and perhaps with a little more consistency this time around we could be treated to another WCS appearance by Barrett and Trowbridge, both of whom looked so good against Pittsburgh 3 years ago. They do need to replace the bullpen arm of Robert Curry, who joined the Navy, and perhaps upgrade behind the plate but the rest of the club is pretty solid.
PHILADELPHIA SAILORS: After five straight seasons of at least 80 wins the Sailors suffered through a 66-88 campaign a year ago- their worst showing since 1919. They dealt away some veteran pieces last year in Dick Walker (to the Cougars) and Walt Wells (to Boston) signaling a bit of a rebuild. That did not extend to the minors where, as usual, Sailors farm teams were dominant in winning 4 pennants and the fifth club -AA Providence - had to deal with the 'embarrassment' of only finishing second in it's league. The loss of shortstop Rip Lee, who was drafted into the Army, will hurt but the Sailors still have a decent mix of veterans and up and coming talent. The first division might be a stretch again this season but they should settle in comfortably in 5th or 6th place.
TORONTO WOLVES: The WCS hangover is gone but the question is can the Wolves get back on track and prove the 1940 title was not just a freak occurrence? Not having Fred McCormick certainly hurt but Walt Pack filled in fairly nicely at first base and with McCormick reupping he likely won't be back in a Toronto uniform until the war is over. The key to a successful season for Toronto depends on it's pitching staff and now that Papenfus is gone one could easily make a case for Toronto's to be the best rotation in the CA. It's hard to top a 1-2-3 of Joe Hancock, George Garrison and Bernie Johnson, who combined to win 91 games over the past two seasons. There is talent in the everyday lineup too, led by Pack, Larry Vestal and one of the best defensive shortstops in the game in Charlie Artuso. If things break right they can surprise but I would feel a lot better in picking them to win it all if they had McCormick's bat in the lineup.
CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION PREDICTIONS
There are questions in Chicago such as can someone prove to be an adequate replacement for Papenfus, especially considering the most likely candidate, Harl Haines, is also now in the Navy. Age is a worry too but I think the Cougars have the depth and should hold off New York once more for the pennant. If Toronto finds another bat, either internally with someone stepping up like Walt Pack did last year or through a trade, the Wolves might just pull off an upset. Until, or if, that happens I have to call the Cougars as my expected 1942 CA champs with New York second and Toronto third. I think Cincinnati and Philadelphia fight it out for fourth with Brooklyn trying to hold off Montreal for sixth. I see the Kings dropping as I would not be surprised if their pitching runs into trouble this year and they perhaps even slide to seventh. The only way the Cleveland Foresters will not draft first next year is either through a trade of if the league implements a draft lottery- as rumours are circulating as a possibility.
1- Chicago
2- New York
3- Toronto
4- Cincinnati
5- Philadelphia
6- Brooklyn
7- Montreal
8- Cleveland
SLOW DEATH IS FACED BY BASEBALL IN WAR, VET OWNER FEELS
Portland, Oregon- A slow death for baseball-even the major leagues if the war continues long enough- is feared by a club owner who has devoted over 40 years to the game. Rankin Crosby, long-time owner of the Great Western League's Portland Green Sox, an independent club, recalled that many minor leagues disbanded during the first World War. Crosby, who was involved with the Green Sox even back then, commented about the future of the game which he has followed actively since he was a youth in the 1880s.
"I'm afraid this war is likely to have a different effect. Instead of losing men all at once we will be losing them by dribbles. If and when the man power of the clubs is gone baseball will have to suspend operations, but I have an idea that it will take some time to do that. We have more clubs in operation and more players to be fed to clubs of higher classifications. The smaller minors will be the first to die a slow death and if the war lasts long enough it eventually will reach the majors, I'm afraid."
The CCLA quintet improved to a perfect 15-0 in West Coast Athletic Association play and are one win away from becoming the first team in the history of the WCAA to go undefeated in conference play. The Coyotes finish their season with a road game against Redwood on Friday. There have been six 1-loss teams in the 32 year history of the conference and each of those were Coastal California squads with the most recent one coming in 1926 when the Dolphins went 15-1. CCLA remains the top ranked team in the nation heading into the final week of the season and a lock to earn a number one seed in the 32 team championship tournament.
The Great Lakes Alliance champion may well come down to next Saturday's game in Detroit between Western Iowa and the Detroit City College Knights. With two games remaining they share the lead at 9-5 but there are 4 other schools just one game off the pace.
Liberty College is on the verge of clinching the Northeast Conference title. The Bells are 13-1 in conference play, good for a 2 game lead on Brooklyn State with two remaining games. Liberty visits Brooklyn State for the season finale but each has a game remaining before then. The Bears will need to win at Commonwealth Catholic and hope Liberty College loses to St. Martin's College Wednesday to have the season ending game mean something.
Code:
AIAA BASKETBALL TOP TWENTY FPV REC LW
1. CC Los Angeles (54) 26-2 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Liberty College (18) 25-3 2 Northeast Conference
3. Great Plains State 26-3 3 Independent
4. Detroit City College 21-6 4 Great Lakes Alliance
5. Brooklyn State 22-5 6 Northeast Conference
6. Garden State 20-7 5 Northeast Conference
7. Annapolis Maritime 25-5 7 Independent
8. Western Iowa 20-8 14 Great Lakes Alliance
9. North Carolina Tech 21-7 10 South Atlantic Conference
10. Minnesota Tech 20-7 8 Great Lakes Alliance
11. Central Ohio 18-9 9 Great Lakes Alliance
12. Rainier College 22-7 13 West Coast Athletic Association
13. Miami State 23-6 18 Independent
14. Carolina Poly 19-8 15 South Atlantic Conference
15. Ohio Poly 21-8 16 Independent
16. Whitney College 19-8 11 Great Lakes Alliance
17. St. Patrick's 18-10 12 Northeast Conference
18. Lambert College 22-5 17 Midwestern Association
19. Coastal California 18-10 NR West Coast Athletic Association
20. Texas Gulf Coast 22-6 NR Southwestern Alliance
LAST WEEK RESULTS INVOLVING TOP TEN SCHOOLS
MONDAY MARCH 2
#2 Liberty College 45 #6 Garden State 44
#5 Brooklyn State 48 #17 St Patrick's 29
FRIDAY MARCH 6
#1 CCLA 57 Spokane State 51
SATURDAY MARCH 7
#2 Liberty College 57 Commonwealth Catholic 34
#5 Brooklyn State 60 Frankford State 30
Lincoln 38 #4 Detroit City College 36
St Magnus 51 #10 Minnesota Tech 45
#9 North Carolina Tech 52 Alexandria 21
SUNDAY MARCH 8
#1 CCLA 55 Idaho A&M 41
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 3/08/1942
- General George C Marshall, army chief of staff, says that "the time has no come to carry the war to the enemy" and focus on getting troops out of America and into the Pacific. He also warns that Americans must be prepared for "isolated air raids" by a few enemy planes "for no other purpose than to create a public reaction which will adversely affect the sound military purpose of defending America by engaging and defeating the enemy in theatres distant from our shores."
- German built planes were among those taking part in the most recent bombing attacks on General MacArthur's troops in the Philippines.
- A Navy destroyer was sunk off Cape May, N.J., in the first known naval loss in the enemy U-boat campaign along the eastern seaboard that has claimed many merchant ships.
- Regrettable but necessary, is how London described a major bombing attack conducted by the R.A.F on factories in and around Paris.
- As the week ends Java is near collapse, with greatly superior Japanese forces crashing through the northern defense line according to the Dutch News Agency.