OCTOBER 3, 1942
DEAL CLOSE TO SEND BARNETT TO COUGARS
A major deal is in the works between the two Chicago clubs that reportedly will see Hank Barnett return to the Continental Association. The 33 year old Barnett, who hit .310 with 24 homers and 107 rbi's, second only behind Bobby Barrell in the Federal Association this past season, is said to be the centerpiece of the move that will see him make the short move north from the Chicago Chiefs to the Chicago Cougars. A 1927 6th round pick, Barnett spent the first 8 seasons of his career in Montreal before being traded twice in a 3 week span in November 1938. He has spent the past five seasons with the Chiefs and helped lead them to the 1938 WCS title. Barnett's 239 career FABL homeruns are good enough to place him 16th on the all-time list and he is just 77 hits shy of reaching the 2,000 mark as a FABL player.
While full details of the transaction have not been made available, TWIFB has confirmed with two separate sources that a deal is either finalized or very close to being so, and will be announced immediately after the World Championship Series concludes. A source in the Chiefs organization revealed yesterday a trade with the Cougars has "probably a 90% chance it goes through." A different source connected to the Cougars confirmed that Barnett was a player that organization had long coveted and later suggested there would be "a story to break once the subway series ends."
The Cougars had made it known a week ago that, with John Lawson's skills fading, the need to add a big bat on left side of the infield would be an off-season priority for the organization. A few days later reports out of the Windy City confirmed that the Chiefs had received inquiries about Barnett and that the club would be willing to listen to offers on the 5-time all-star. What the Cougars will be surrendering to acquire Barnett has not been confirmed but the Chiefs are looking to get younger with Percy Sutherland of the Chicago Herald-Examiner recently reporting the Chiefs organization felt that the loss of young pitching talent to the war effort, notably Bob Crowley and Lou Eaker, has made it tough for the club to see itself competing for a Federal Association title at the moment. The trading of Barnett indicates that the Chiefs appear to be willing to take a step back with an eye towards adding two or three young players who can help the organization take two steps forward over the next few seasons.
Based on that criteria one has to project that at least one of the players switching Chicago addresses will be a young pitcher. It is highly unlikely the Cougars would part with Johnnie Jones, older brother of standout rookie Donnie Jones and the Cougars top minor league prospect. However, there is a good chance that Danny Goff Jr., a 24 year old righthander who made his big league debut in September and threw a shutout in his first big league start, is involved in the trade.
One also has to think the Chiefs, without a good young option at the hot corner in their system, would demand a third baseman in return for moving Barnett. That points to Otto Christian, a 20 year old who was a 4-time High School All-American out of Walla Walla, Washington before being taken 13th overall by the Chiefs in the 1941 draft. Christian split this past season between Class C and B, hitting a combined .283 with 17 homers and perhaps might well be best described as a Hank Barnett-type prospect with a similar righthanded power swing. It is unlikely that Christian would be ready for FABL next season so the Chiefs might struggle at that position in the short-term should Christian be the third sacker they receive in return for Barnett.
There is also a good chance the Chiefs receive a third young player in the deal and there are several possibilities. The Cougars have been shopping top catching prospect Solly Skidmore, but if moved Skidmore would go from being stuck behind Harry Mead to backing up Tom Bird. However, there is always the possibility the Chiefs add Skidmore with the plan of moving Bird either over the winter or more likely as the deadline approaches next season in an effort to address the need for more pitching. If not Skidmore, perhaps another pitcher - maybe even 20 year old Duke Bybee who is presently a marine but was a top prospect prior to joining Uncle Sam's team, might be the final piece to the proposed trade. That is a longshot though as surrendering Goff Jr, Christian and Bybee might just be more than the Cougars would be willing to be. A more likely scenario, assuming Goff Jr and Christian are two of the pieces, is a slightly lower ranked pitching prospect along the lines of George Oddo, Leo Hayden or possibly even Mel Haynes.
We will have to wait until after the Series is concluded and trading is allowed once more before we get the full details but the move of Barnett to the Cougars seems a near certainty.
- It may be the WCS or it may be the war, but never in the history of Manhattan Island and it's environs has there been such a crush of humanity in the downtown area. Everything is jammed as seeing both the Gothams and Stars in the series has ignited the city. Ticket demand is unprecedented and reports of scalpers getting over $100 for ducats that over the normal counter were $16.50 for the series.
- Interesting tidbit: Harry Parker (21-10, 2.92) finished the season with just one no decision in 32 starts; a start he left with one out in the first inning of a July game in Cincinnati, one in which the Cannons scored 7 runs, all unearned, in the opening inning.
- Looks like Jack Elder (33) of the Washington Eagles was the only pitcher with 30 or more starts to not pitch a no decision. His is even more impressive when you consider four of his starts went to extras. Elder was 15-18 with a 3.71 era on the season.
- The CA had three teams with 80+ CG. Toronto and Chicago led FABL with 87 and Cincy had 80. Gothams were the only FA team over 70, leading with 84. The Gothams led all teams with 17 Shutouts.
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
GAME ONE: Gothams 2 Stars 1 (11)
GAME TWO: Stars 7 Gothams 2
GAME THREE: Today- Stars (Vern Hubbard 17-5) at Gothams (Gus Goulding 16-15)
GAME FOUR: Tomorrow Stars at Gothams
GAME FIVE: Monday Stars at Gothams
GAME SIX (if neccessary): Wednesday Gothams at Stars
GAME SEVEN (if necessary): Thursday Gothams at Stars
WASPS LOOK TO CONTINUE WINNING WAYS
The Washington Wasps have a chance to equal their win total of all of last season with a victory over the visiting Chicago Wildcats tomorrow. The Wasps are off to a strong 3-0 start but will face their toughest test of the season in the defending AFA champion Wildcats. The kick-off at Columbia Field will be delayed until 4 o'clock to avoid conflict with the radio broadcast of the World Championship Series. The other four contests on tomorrows docket will also not start before 4 pm.
The Wildcats looked very strong in their debut last week, a 26-7 thumping of Detroit that took place right in the Maroons back yard. It was just another in a long run of subpar showings, regardless the sport, from the home side at Thompson Stadium this year. Chicago quarterback Gus Brown had his way with the Detroit defense, passing for 174 yards as the Maroons had no answer for speedy ends Dutch Hoffman and Freeman Stahlberg. The Wasps will have a tough decision to make. Do they sit back in an effort to limit the Chicago passing attack? The downside of that is the Wildcats rushing game, done by a committee that includes Ira Hartly and Marsh Schroeder, would have a field day if the Washington defenders are not crowding the line. The Washington defense has looked very good in wins over Cleveland, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh but the Wildcats will present a much greater challenge.
The Washington offense has also thrived this season, averaging nearly 32 points a game behind the fleet feet of Mike Sadowski and the arm of Jeff Proos but the Wildcats defense is expected to be like no other the Wasps have seen this season, including the talented group of soldiers they played in Los Angeles prior to the start of the campaign.
Code:
AFA STANDINGS
EASTERN W L T PCT
Washington 3 0 0 1.000
Boston 2 0 0 1.000
Brooklyn 1 0 0 1.000
New York 0 1 0 .000
Philadelphia 0 3 0 .000
WESTERN W L T PCT
Chicago 1 0 0 1.000
St Louis 1 1 0 .500
Cleveland 1 1 0 .500
Detroit 0 1 0 .000
Pittsburgh 0 2 0 .000
AFA WEEKEND SCHEDULE
SUNDAY OCTOBER 4
New York at St Louis
Chicago at Washington
Brooklyn at Pittsburgh
Detroit at Cleveland
Boston at Philadelphia
SENATORS TOO MUCH FOR TIRED GENERALS ELEVEN
The St. Matthew's College Senators scored 21 second half points to break open a tight game and go on to beat a travel-weary Mississippi A&M Generals squad 28-14 in Friday night college football action. The Generals ran into all kinds of difficulty even before the game began, as they were twice bumped from trains, and were forced to reduce the size of their travel contingent before finally reaching Washington D.C. close to midnight Thursday. The Generals were competitive in the opening two periods but were clearly worn out in the second half and saw their record drop to 1-1 on the season. St. Matthew's College improved to 2-0 following up a 13-3 win over Conwell College with a solid effort last evening. It was one of nine games on the Friday night docket for college gridiron squads.
FRIDAY NIGHT SCORES
St. Matthew's College 28 Mississippi A&M 14
Mile High State 29 Lawrence State 3
Northern Minnesota 20 Dearborn State 7
Bronx Tech 23 Trescott College 7
Georgia Pre-Flight 24 North Carolina Pre-Flight 3
Laclede 10 Boone College-St. Louis 6
Texas Panhandle 21 South Valley State 7
Fremont State 34 Perry State College 24
Utah A&M 24 Wyoming A&I 17
TODAY IN THE NEWS
- Supreme Court Justice James F. Byrnes tendered his resignation today. Byrnes resigned at President Roosevelt's request to assume the role of 'Director of Stabilization as emergency price and wage controls are set to be implemented.
- Lord Halifax, British Ambassador to the United States, predicted today that Germany could not maintain her present high pitch of military and industrial efforts in another campaign in the spring of 1943, but would have to choose between them.
- Sir Stafford Cripps, the British Ambassador to Russia, declared at the United Aid to China Fund meeting that "the Chinese are determined that a New China shall become the leading exponent of a peaceful civilization in the Far East." Despite the Japanese invasion, Cripps said China is well under the way to a new democracy under the leadership of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek.
- The headmaster and 28 pupils killed Tuesday when their schoolhouse was bombed by a German raider, were laid to rest in a communal grave in a village in southern England.