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Jiggs McGee · 06-14-2022, 09:52 AM

THURSDAY OCTOBER 8, 1942

SEVENTH GAME!

If this does indeed turn out to be the final World Championship Series for the duration the two New York clubs are doing their best to make it one we will long remember. The series has been pushed to it's limit with the Stars and Gothams deadlocked at 3 wins apiece. The Stars took the fifth game on the road as Bill Barrett was finally roused from his series long slumber but while the Stars made the short trek back to Dyckman Stadium with ideas of clinching their 9th World Title, Gothams rookie Ed Bowman had other ideas. Bowman and bullpen stalwart Charlie Sutton combined to pitch the Gothams to victory once again and force the seventh game.
*** WHO STARTS? ***

The big question in New York, and really everywhere that FABL touches, is who will the Gothams start in this winner-take-all contest? Bowman, who has pitched well over 300 innings this year and started the 3 Gothams victories, is exhausted and one would think there is no way he can pick up a ball, not even for an inning or two, today. Rusty Petrick, Gus Goulding and Harry Carter, all good pitchers during the regular season, are a combined 0-3 in the Series. Petrick got shelled early in the second game. Carter was not much better in Monday's fifth contest. That leaves Goulding, who has been erratic at times this season but were it not for a Billy Dalton error in game four, he might just have won the third game and been in the midst of a championship parade at this very moment. So you figure it has to be Goulding on the hill for the Gothams. The Stars choice, on the other hand, seems very easy. Billy Riley started and won both the second and fifth games and is rested and ready so he seems a lock to get the ball.

One would not blame Ed Ziehl if he let's Ed Bowman start the game and pitch to just one batter before being replaced. Going back to September 10th the Gothams have won each of the last seven contests Bowman has started but are just 8-7 if someone else gets the ball. With numbers like that one might just be tempted to have Bowman trot out to the mound and face the first Stars hitter before being replaced, even if he needs to throw to that one hitter lefthanded to prevent his exhausted right arm from falling off.

Most expected the Stars to be celebrating their 9th WCS title by this time and the club has not come up on the short end of a Series since 1903. Will they extend a streak that presently sits at victories in the last seven WCS that the Stars have participated in or will the Gothams somehow find a way to win a game this series without Bowman starting? Seventh games are always fun so long as you have no serious rooting interest either way, otherwise they are very stressful. There is a lot of nervous anticipation throughout the New York City area today.

GAME 5: BARRETT BLAST KEYS BIG INNING FOR STARS

The first four games of this World Championship Series were not ones that Bill Barrett wanted to remember. The superstar Star was a dismal 1-for-10 at the plate in the series entering this game but he broke out of his slump in a big way. Barrett had a pair of hits in the fifth game including a 2-run homer that keyed a 4-run inning which proved to be the difference in the contest, allowing the New York Stars to move within one victory of the 9th WCS title in franchise history.

The Stars scored quickly as Dave Trowbridge, the 44 year old first baseman, continues to have a fine series. Father Time hit a run-scoring single, the third base hit of the opening inning surrendered by Gothams starter Harry Carter and gave the Stars an early 1-0 lead. An inning later it was 2-0 as Joe Angevine led off with a double and would score on a sacrifice fly.

The Gothams showed they still had some fight left in them when Leon Drake delivered a 2-run homer- his third extra base hit of the series- that tied the game up in the bottom of the second inning. The team's traded runs in the third thanks to lead-off doubles from Bill Barrett for the Stars and, surprisingly, Gothams hurler Harry Carter. For a change neither side could plate a run in the fourth but the Stars broke the game open the following inning.

Stars rookie Andy Gross continues to make a name for himself in this series as he hit a 1-out triple which set the stage for Barrett, who doubled two innings ago, to continue his breakout performance with a two-run homer that made the score 5-3 in the Stars favour. A Roosevelt Brewer error followed by back-to-back doubles off the bats of Gary Carmichael and Angevine brought two more runs in and would prove to be all the offense the Stars would need.

Trailing 7-3 the Gothams made a go of it in the bottom of the seventh when they scored twice on 4 hits before the Stars went to the pen and George Hampton got them out of trouble, inducing a fly out from Walt Messer to end the inning and leave the tying runs stranded on base. The Gothams would get a base runner in both the 8th and 9th innings but Hampton did not allow them to get any closer and the contest ended 7-5 leaving the Stars just one win away from the title.

GAME 6: GOTHAMS PROLONG SERIES WITH 5-3 WIN

Ed Bowman starting the sixth game meant most expected the need for a seventh game and that proved to be the case as the Gothams improved to 3-0 on the series in games started by Bowman, as compared to 0-3 when anyone else gets the call on the mound. Bowman kept the Stars off the scoresheet until after his mates had built a 5-0 lead and with some relief help once more from Charlie Sutton, pitched the Gothams to a 5-3 win and kept their championship hopes alive by forcing a 7th game. The Gothams are 14-2 in games Bowman has started since the end of July.

The Gothams tried to be aggressive but it cost them at least a run in the first inning as, despite 3 singles, the Gothams came out of the opening frame empty. Mule Monier was the victim of a Chink Stickels perfect toss, nailing the Gothams infielder when he tried to advance to third on the second hit of the inning.

Fortunately for the Federal Association nine the hits kept coming as Stars starter Chuck Cole struggled. Monier led off the third inning with a double and it was the first of 5 straight hits that led to 3 runs. By the time Cole got out of the mess it was 4-0 and he was lucky it wasn't more as the final Gothams batter of the inning was pitcher Ed Bowman. There was no way New York was pulling Bowman but all he could do with 2 out and the bases loaded was fly out.

Cole would somehow stick around for 6 innings before being lifted for a pinch-hitter with the Stars trailing 5-0 at the time. It has been a truly awful few days for Cole. He pitched well in the opener taking Bowman to extra innings, but he was shelled in Game Four and again on this afternoon.

The Stars did get 3 runs and made things tense for Gothams fans in the ninth inning but could not prevent Ed Bowman and company from taking the series to it's limit.

CATCHING UP WITH MANAGER ED ZIEHL -I had a chance to talk with Gothams manager Ed Ziehl behind the batting cage at Gothams Stadium this morning. The Gothams are loosening up at their home park then will have a bus caravan, no not the subway, over to the Stars ballpark.

Wedge: Ed, why the home stadium work outs?
Ziehl: I think having the comfort of our own clubhouse and equipment is better than whatever another team can provide. It's a short ride over that highway there, so we can arrive ready to go. I spoke with Bud (Jameson) and he agreed that the boys would appreciate it.
Wedge: Will Pete Casstevens be in the linup today? He had a big game at Dyckman Stadium yesterday.
Ziehl: Yes, Pete will be behind the plate. I trust either of my receivers, but Pete has the hot bat. Same with Rosey and Mule, before you ask.
Wedge: One more. Could we see Ed Bowman in game seven?
Ziehl: He wears a Gothams jersey, so anything is possible. But in all honesty, that might be a stretch. The kid has thrown over 300 innings now. He's done all we could ask for and more.
Wedge: On a personal note, how satisfying is it to be back in this situation. You know of course there have been rumblings the past couple of years. A bit of impatience from up high. This is your 5th time in the Championship series, but it has been awhile.
Ziehl: I don't listen to those things. I saw the young talent we'd acquired and I knew it was a matter of time. Sure I'd like to have been here sooner. It's why we play. And it's not about me anyway. It's all these guys getting a shot to prove themselves. It's Bud getting one more crack at it.
Wedge: One final question. Is it Goulding for game seven?
Ziehl: Yeah, Gus is getting the ball. He has something to prove. I think he'll do the job.

There you have it, Gothams legend as a player and now trying to bring home his second championship team as a manager, Ed Ziehl.

*** The Stories We Will Tell ***

As a writer and reporter awaiting game 7 there are many thoughts floating around my head. There are the expected narratives, Big Ed Bowman coming through in each of his starts. Or Billy Dalton, the first of the "Infield of the Future" to arrive, but now wearing the goat horns, which unfortunately for him go all too well with his first name. Then there are the possibilities. The Stars have their share too of course, but let's take a look at the Gothams.

Redemption - This one of course would belong to Dalton. He's been a consistent, if not great, contributor. He's a leader in the clubhouse and is having a solid series with the bat. He doesn't deserve to be labeled "Billy Goat" Dalton for all time.

Promise Delivered - Gus Goulding was the #2 pick in the 1934 draft by the Cannons. After leading the league in losses 3 times he was traded to New York solely based on perceived skills and promise. Two more double digit losing seasons brought us to 1942. After a slow start, he was 11-15 entering September, Goulding strung together 5 straight wins, lowering his ERA from 3.99 to 3.48. Now after being the unfortunate party in the Dalton incident, Goulding is getting the ball for game 7. His moment to shine is here. Can he deliver?

One More Time - Bud Jameson was drafted by the Gothams 3rd overall, in 1925. He's been through the ups and downs. He's the only survivor of the purge of '36. He's also among the all time leaders in the Championship Series leader boards. Maybe he had one more big moment up his sleeve.

Break through - So many options here, but maybe one of those future promises can come up with the big hit. Roosevelt Brewer, Mule Monier, Pete Casstevens and Walt Messer. Can one of them stamp their name in Gothams lore?

You Can't Make This Up - Or maybe I am. Picture this. Game 7, bottom of the 9th. Gothams up by one skinny run. The Stars have the winning runs on base and their big hitter , Bill Barrett at the plate. Ed Ziehl goes to the mound and takes the ball. The bullpen gate opens and who trots in? Big Ed Bowman. With maybe 5 more pitches in his strong right arm. We can dream, right?

NO MORE BURGER IN CHICAGO

After six years as the pitching coach of the Chicago Chiefs, George Burger has been fired. Burger, who had previously coached in Washington following a very successful big league career with the Eagles and Brooklyn in which he fashioned a 236-213 record, joined the Chiefs staff in 1937. He was a member of their World Championship winning club in 1938 but after the Chiefs finished below .500 for the second year in a row he was let go this week.

The Chiefs quickly named Max Wilder as his replacement. The 45 year old Wilder had been the pitching coach for Chicago's AAA affiliate in Fort Wayne the past two seasons. Prior to joining the coaching ranks in 1936 Wilder enjoyed a 15 year FABL career that saw him win 157 games while making multiple stops that included several years with the Chiefs.

Charlie Sutton has set a WCS record by appearing in his 5th game as a pitcher. There's a decent chance he'll get to extend that record in game 7.
How about Father Time! Dave Trowbridge is quietly leading the series in hits and now is a career .509 hitter in 59 WCS at bats which is second best all-time at the moment. It is just too bad he had played less than 200 games by his 28th birthday but has made up for it in his forties, and actually has 723 hits after turning 40. John Brinker of the New York Daily Mirror summed up the feelings of most everyone in the press box when he noted that Trowbridge has clearly cemented a spot in the Hall of Fame.
Oh for the love of hindsight. It is just amazing that the Pittsburgh Miners somehow felt that Johnny Stevens and George Simpson were better options that Trowbridge was in his mid-twenties to play first base for the club. Stevens retired 12 years ago but Simpson looks like he might be trying to match Trowbridge for longevity. Simpson is still active at age 40 although he is doing it in the Great Western loop and has not played in the big leagues since 1932.
A Gothams fan may be forgiven for asking, "where is Casstevens?" Casstevens, who has started 2 games, is 6 for 10, while Green, who has started the other 4 games, is 4 for 17.
Percy Sutherland notes on likely Gothams Game Seven starter Gus Goulding. "If Goulding can pull off a win, it would completely flip the script on the narrative of his career--from someone who hasn't quite lived up to potential to game-seven-winner."
Longer stays are in the cards for FABL clubs next season. League President Sam Belton has said that baseball, adjusting itself to the exigencies of war travel, will make it's city-to-city visits longer and farther apart during 1943. The plan is for clubs to make three instead of the customary four visits around the circuit. It means more doubleheaders and a number of 5 game series next season but the reduction will effect a saving of over 40,000 miles of travel by teams according to Belton, who added other dramatic changes in FABL may develop before the close of the annual meeting in December, which will be held in New York this year.
Everywhere you go in New York during this series people ask if there is going to be baseball next year. We don't know and we don't know anybody who does for sure. FABL President Sam Belton and the baseball magnates are carrying on publicly as if all is normal, talking about plans for spring training and next season's schedules. The baseball heads will admit privately, however, that the lack of players and transportation problems have them worried.
The Chicago series is tied at 3 wins apiece after the Cougars won yesterday by a 2-1 score in 10 innings. Freddie Jones fly ball to right field in the 10th scored Rich Langton, who had tripled, to break up a pitching duel between Dick Lyons and Les Zoller. The deciding game is tonight at Whitney Field with former teammates Rabbit Day and Jim Lonardo getting the call to start.
Among those spotted in the crowd at Gothams Stadium over the weekend were a couple of top prospects for the January phase of the draft. They included University of New Jersey catcher Al Hurd, Maryland State outfielder and Brooklyn native Jim Waters along with New Jersey high schoolers Wally Boyer and Ed Campbell.

GATORS EXPOSE FLAWS IN ST BLANE'S T FORMATION

What happened to St Blane and Eastern State - and so many of those other teams functioning out of the Chicago Wildcats now popular 'T' formation? A member of the coaching staff of the Georgia Baptist Gators, who surprised St Blane 14-6 on the weekend, summed up the answer in a nutshell with "The quarterback still has to go back five yards or more before he passes - if he can be taught the trick of fading back. And," one of the Gators coaches points out as he swiftly filled a big sheet of paper with diagrams of all varieties of offensive formations, "it also remains a fact that the T formation power is, basically, restricted to inside tackle plays," so having the right fullback is a must.

The Gators did a great job of limiting the St. Blane offense last weekend, just as Wisconsin State did in a 14-10 win the week before and after going 7-2 a year ago the normally powerful Fighting Saints now find themselves in a heap of trouble as the make the long trek to California to face Redwood University on Saturday. Redwood (1-1) will be especially motivated to get back on track after the Mammoths were upended 17-14 by Sunnyvale last weekend.

Eastern State is another school facing an important contest this weekend, and like St Blane, the Monitors T-formation has had trouble getting going this year. The Monitors played in the prestigious East-West Classic a year ago but are 0-2 in the early going this season, although losing All-American back Bob Holt to the St Louis Ramblers of the AFA certainly creates a big hole in their offense and goes a long ways towards explaining why Eastern State has had it's troubles. Losing 14-0 to Annapolis Maritime is not something to be ashamed of but falling to Hampden-Sydney 20-17 in their opener was a crushing blow for the Monitors, who are desperate for a win this weekend over Alexandria if they want any chance to salvage their season.

*** BENGALS FIND FORMATION SUITS THEM TO A T! ***

While St Blane and Eastern State have struggled with the T-formation, one school that is enjoying success with it is Maryland State. The Bengals are now using that alignment after some bad seasons that included a terrible 1-8 campaign a year ago, prompting the school to lure longtime Redwood University coach Paddy O'Callaghan east to Baltimore this season and take over running not just the Bengals AIAA program but also an extensive intermural football program designed to help students prepare for the military.

The first thing O'Callaghan did after taking a look at his expected roster for this season was spend some time in the spring on the campus of St Blane, picking up nuances that the Fighting Saints used in their offense. Things are looking up for the Bengals on the field this season and part of it might be simply having the right personnel in place to match O'Callaghan's new T-Formation system. O'Callaghan says the key for him in running the T-formation is to not only have a solid quarterback with quick feet but also a powerhouse fullback as a running threat who forces the opposition secondary defense to play close, thus making the long passes so effective.

O'Callaghan has both those positions covered in aerial slingshot quarterback Sammy Kleinhans and fullback Fred Mercer. The new coach feels Kleinhans is a perfect fit for the formation and goes so far as to compare him favourably with Dewey Burnett of the Detroit Maroons. "Sammy's is a good, accurate thrower and has the feet to be able to quickly dance back from the line and create time for our ends to get downfield. Add in the way Mercer can pound the ball in the middle and the defense has to respect him. They drop back we run it through them and if they try and close in on us Sammy throws it over them."

That is exactly what the Bengals did last weekend in a 21-13 win over Lakehurst Naval Station and with slightly less success in their season opening 16-13 loss in a tightly contested game at Constitution State. Figures show Kleinhans is among the nation's top passers in terms of accuracy and Mercer, the powerful 206 pound redheaded fullback, has carried the ball 15 times for an average of six yards per try.

O'Callaghan notes it is a process for players to grasp the concepts of a new system but says his charges are improving with every practice. Maryland State still has a long road to travel before they can compete with South Atlantic Conference powers Carolina Poly and Richmond State but it is clear the Bengals are headed in the right direction. Next up for Maryland State is good test against Garden State this weekend.

Speaking of Bob Holt, the St Louis rookie certainly cooled down after his record setting debut in St Louis. Holt ran for a previously unheard of 254 yards and scored three touchdowns in his first pro game after the Ramblers selected him first overall in last spring's AFA draft. Since then Holt was held to just 64 yards and one score in a loss to Boston, and a mere 36 yards on 12 carries when New York shutout the Ramblers Sunday. He still leads the AFA in rushing by a wide margin but has certainly not caught teams by surprise like he did the winless Philadelphia Frigates in the opener.
New bus and rail restrictions for fans in the northeast are forcing a number of Academia Alliance football games in the coming weeks to be shifted to New York City instead of the campus fields in New Jersey, New Hampshire and Connecticut. The result is there will be some more big games at Kings County and the Bigsby Oval in the near future.
Orphans to see Pro Grid Battle. The 12th annual Orphans Football Day in New York will take place on Sunday at Kings County Park in Brooklyn when the football Kings face the St Louis Ramblers. Two thousand boys and girls from 12 area orphanages will be the guests. The two local football clubs host a game each season alternating between the Kings and gridiron Stars as the hosts.

The Week That Was
Current events from 10/05/1942 thru 10/07/1942

The Nazis are faced with a Scandinavian crisis as Norway and Denmark are on the verge of revolt. The Germans respond by clamping severe restrictions on Norway and are admitting that conditions in Denmark are becoming increasingly difficult.
As the Russians rush more reserve troops to Stalingrad, British Prime Minister Churchill refused firmly in the House of Commons to make any statement on relations with Russia. Premier Josef Stalin has been very critical of what he feels is insufficient Allied aid as the Red Army desperately tries to keep control of Stalingrad while under immense pressure from Nazi forces.
As the Senate faces the first major fight on the pending tax bill today, news comes that the government expects to spend $85 billion in the fiscal year ending next June. That would send the country's debt by the end of next June to close to 15 percent of a trillion dollars ($1,000,000,000,000)

06-14-2022, 09:52 AM	#449
Jiggs McGee All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2019 Posts: 677	Thursday October 8, 1942: WCS Games 5 & 6 THURSDAY OCTOBER 8, 1942 SEVENTH GAME! If this does indeed turn out to be the final World Championship Series for the duration the two New York clubs are doing their best to make it one we will long remember. The series has been pushed to it's limit with the Stars and Gothams deadlocked at 3 wins apiece. The Stars took the fifth game on the road as Bill Barrett was finally roused from his series long slumber but while the Stars made the short trek back to Dyckman Stadium with ideas of clinching their 9th World Title, Gothams rookie Ed Bowman had other ideas. Bowman and bullpen stalwart Charlie Sutton combined to pitch the Gothams to victory once again and force the seventh game. * WHO STARTS? * The big question in New York, and really everywhere that FABL touches, is who will the Gothams start in this winner-take-all contest? Bowman, who has pitched well over 300 innings this year and started the 3 Gothams victories, is exhausted and one would think there is no way he can pick up a ball, not even for an inning or two, today. Rusty Petrick, Gus Goulding and Harry Carter, all good pitchers during the regular season, are a combined 0-3 in the Series. Petrick got shelled early in the second game. Carter was not much better in Monday's fifth contest. That leaves Goulding, who has been erratic at times this season but were it not for a Billy Dalton error in game four, he might just have won the third game and been in the midst of a championship parade at this very moment. So you figure it has to be Goulding on the hill for the Gothams. The Stars choice, on the other hand, seems very easy. Billy Riley started and won both the second and fifth games and is rested and ready so he seems a lock to get the ball. One would not blame Ed Ziehl if he let's Ed Bowman start the game and pitch to just one batter before being replaced. Going back to September 10th the Gothams have won each of the last seven contests Bowman has started but are just 8-7 if someone else gets the ball. With numbers like that one might just be tempted to have Bowman trot out to the mound and face the first Stars hitter before being replaced, even if he needs to throw to that one hitter lefthanded to prevent his exhausted right arm from falling off. Most expected the Stars to be celebrating their 9th WCS title by this time and the club has not come up on the short end of a Series since 1903. Will they extend a streak that presently sits at victories in the last seven WCS that the Stars have participated in or will the Gothams somehow find a way to win a game this series without Bowman starting? Seventh games are always fun so long as you have no serious rooting interest either way, otherwise they are very stressful. There is a lot of nervous anticipation throughout the New York City area today. GAME 5: BARRETT BLAST KEYS BIG INNING FOR STARS The first four games of this World Championship Series were not ones that Bill Barrett wanted to remember. The superstar Star was a dismal 1-for-10 at the plate in the series entering this game but he broke out of his slump in a big way. Barrett had a pair of hits in the fifth game including a 2-run homer that keyed a 4-run inning which proved to be the difference in the contest, allowing the New York Stars to move within one victory of the 9th WCS title in franchise history. The Stars scored quickly as Dave Trowbridge, the 44 year old first baseman, continues to have a fine series. Father Time hit a run-scoring single, the third base hit of the opening inning surrendered by Gothams starter Harry Carter and gave the Stars an early 1-0 lead. An inning later it was 2-0 as Joe Angevine led off with a double and would score on a sacrifice fly. The Gothams showed they still had some fight left in them when Leon Drake delivered a 2-run homer- his third extra base hit of the series- that tied the game up in the bottom of the second inning. The team's traded runs in the third thanks to lead-off doubles from Bill Barrett for the Stars and, surprisingly, Gothams hurler Harry Carter. For a change neither side could plate a run in the fourth but the Stars broke the game open the following inning. Stars rookie Andy Gross continues to make a name for himself in this series as he hit a 1-out triple which set the stage for Barrett, who doubled two innings ago, to continue his breakout performance with a two-run homer that made the score 5-3 in the Stars favour. A Roosevelt Brewer error followed by back-to-back doubles off the bats of Gary Carmichael and Angevine brought two more runs in and would prove to be all the offense the Stars would need. Trailing 7-3 the Gothams made a go of it in the bottom of the seventh when they scored twice on 4 hits before the Stars went to the pen and George Hampton got them out of trouble, inducing a fly out from Walt Messer to end the inning and leave the tying runs stranded on base. The Gothams would get a base runner in both the 8th and 9th innings but Hampton did not allow them to get any closer and the contest ended 7-5 leaving the Stars just one win away from the title. GAME 6: GOTHAMS PROLONG SERIES WITH 5-3 WIN Ed Bowman starting the sixth game meant most expected the need for a seventh game and that proved to be the case as the Gothams improved to 3-0 on the series in games started by Bowman, as compared to 0-3 when anyone else gets the call on the mound. Bowman kept the Stars off the scoresheet until after his mates had built a 5-0 lead and with some relief help once more from Charlie Sutton, pitched the Gothams to a 5-3 win and kept their championship hopes alive by forcing a 7th game. The Gothams are 14-2 in games Bowman has started since the end of July. The Gothams tried to be aggressive but it cost them at least a run in the first inning as, despite 3 singles, the Gothams came out of the opening frame empty. Mule Monier was the victim of a Chink Stickels perfect toss, nailing the Gothams infielder when he tried to advance to third on the second hit of the inning. Fortunately for the Federal Association nine the hits kept coming as Stars starter Chuck Cole struggled. Monier led off the third inning with a double and it was the first of 5 straight hits that led to 3 runs. By the time Cole got out of the mess it was 4-0 and he was lucky it wasn't more as the final Gothams batter of the inning was pitcher Ed Bowman. There was no way New York was pulling Bowman but all he could do with 2 out and the bases loaded was fly out. Cole would somehow stick around for 6 innings before being lifted for a pinch-hitter with the Stars trailing 5-0 at the time. It has been a truly awful few days for Cole. He pitched well in the opener taking Bowman to extra innings, but he was shelled in Game Four and again on this afternoon. The Stars did get 3 runs and made things tense for Gothams fans in the ninth inning but could not prevent Ed Bowman and company from taking the series to it's limit. CATCHING UP WITH MANAGER ED ZIEHL -I had a chance to talk with Gothams manager Ed Ziehl behind the batting cage at Gothams Stadium this morning. The Gothams are loosening up at their home park then will have a bus caravan, no not the subway, over to the Stars ballpark. Wedge: Ed, why the home stadium work outs? Ziehl: I think having the comfort of our own clubhouse and equipment is better than whatever another team can provide. It's a short ride over that highway there, so we can arrive ready to go. I spoke with Bud (Jameson) and he agreed that the boys would appreciate it. Wedge: Will Pete Casstevens be in the linup today? He had a big game at Dyckman Stadium yesterday. Ziehl: Yes, Pete will be behind the plate. I trust either of my receivers, but Pete has the hot bat. Same with Rosey and Mule, before you ask. Wedge: One more. Could we see Ed Bowman in game seven? Ziehl: He wears a Gothams jersey, so anything is possible. But in all honesty, that might be a stretch. The kid has thrown over 300 innings now. He's done all we could ask for and more. Wedge: On a personal note, how satisfying is it to be back in this situation. You know of course there have been rumblings the past couple of years. A bit of impatience from up high. This is your 5th time in the Championship series, but it has been awhile. Ziehl: I don't listen to those things. I saw the young talent we'd acquired and I knew it was a matter of time. Sure I'd like to have been here sooner. It's why we play. And it's not about me anyway. It's all these guys getting a shot to prove themselves. It's Bud getting one more crack at it. Wedge: One final question. Is it Goulding for game seven? Ziehl: Yeah, Gus is getting the ball. He has something to prove. I think he'll do the job. There you have it, Gothams legend as a player and now trying to bring home his second championship team as a manager, Ed Ziehl. * The Stories We Will Tell * As a writer and reporter awaiting game 7 there are many thoughts floating around my head. There are the expected narratives, Big Ed Bowman coming through in each of his starts. Or Billy Dalton, the first of the "Infield of the Future" to arrive, but now wearing the goat horns, which unfortunately for him go all too well with his first name. Then there are the possibilities. The Stars have their share too of course, but let's take a look at the Gothams. Redemption - This one of course would belong to Dalton. He's been a consistent, if not great, contributor. He's a leader in the clubhouse and is having a solid series with the bat. He doesn't deserve to be labeled "Billy Goat" Dalton for all time. Promise Delivered - Gus Goulding was the #2 pick in the 1934 draft by the Cannons. After leading the league in losses 3 times he was traded to New York solely based on perceived skills and promise. Two more double digit losing seasons brought us to 1942. After a slow start, he was 11-15 entering September, Goulding strung together 5 straight wins, lowering his ERA from 3.99 to 3.48. Now after being the unfortunate party in the Dalton incident, Goulding is getting the ball for game 7. His moment to shine is here. Can he deliver? One More Time - Bud Jameson was drafted by the Gothams 3rd overall, in 1925. He's been through the ups and downs. He's the only survivor of the purge of '36. He's also among the all time leaders in the Championship Series leader boards. Maybe he had one more big moment up his sleeve. Break through - So many options here, but maybe one of those future promises can come up with the big hit. Roosevelt Brewer, Mule Monier, Pete Casstevens and Walt Messer. Can one of them stamp their name in Gothams lore? You Can't Make This Up - Or maybe I am. Picture this. Game 7, bottom of the 9th. Gothams up by one skinny run. The Stars have the winning runs on base and their big hitter , Bill Barrett at the plate. Ed Ziehl goes to the mound and takes the ball. The bullpen gate opens and who trots in? Big Ed Bowman. With maybe 5 more pitches in his strong right arm. We can dream, right? NO MORE BURGER IN CHICAGO After six years as the pitching coach of the Chicago Chiefs, George Burger has been fired. Burger, who had previously coached in Washington following a very successful big league career with the Eagles and Brooklyn in which he fashioned a 236-213 record, joined the Chiefs staff in 1937. He was a member of their World Championship winning club in 1938 but after the Chiefs finished below .500 for the second year in a row he was let go this week. The Chiefs quickly named Max Wilder as his replacement. The 45 year old Wilder had been the pitching coach for Chicago's AAA affiliate in Fort Wayne the past two seasons. Prior to joining the coaching ranks in 1936 Wilder enjoyed a 15 year FABL career that saw him win 157 games while making multiple stops that included several years with the Chiefs. Charlie Sutton has set a WCS record by appearing in his 5th game as a pitcher. There's a decent chance he'll get to extend that record in game 7. How about Father Time! Dave Trowbridge is quietly leading the series in hits and now is a career .509 hitter in 59 WCS at bats which is second best all-time at the moment. It is just too bad he had played less than 200 games by his 28th birthday but has made up for it in his forties, and actually has 723 hits after turning 40. John Brinker of the New York Daily Mirror summed up the feelings of most everyone in the press box when he noted that Trowbridge has clearly cemented a spot in the Hall of Fame. Oh for the love of hindsight. It is just amazing that the Pittsburgh Miners somehow felt that Johnny Stevens and George Simpson were better options that Trowbridge was in his mid-twenties to play first base for the club. Stevens retired 12 years ago but Simpson looks like he might be trying to match Trowbridge for longevity. Simpson is still active at age 40 although he is doing it in the Great Western loop and has not played in the big leagues since 1932. A Gothams fan may be forgiven for asking, "where is Casstevens?" Casstevens, who has started 2 games, is 6 for 10, while Green, who has started the other 4 games, is 4 for 17. Percy Sutherland notes on likely Gothams Game Seven starter Gus Goulding. "If Goulding can pull off a win, it would completely flip the script on the narrative of his career--from someone who hasn't quite lived up to potential to game-seven-winner." Longer stays are in the cards for FABL clubs next season. League President Sam Belton has said that baseball, adjusting itself to the exigencies of war travel, will make it's city-to-city visits longer and farther apart during 1943. The plan is for clubs to make three instead of the customary four visits around the circuit. It means more doubleheaders and a number of 5 game series next season but the reduction will effect a saving of over 40,000 miles of travel by teams according to Belton, who added other dramatic changes in FABL may develop before the close of the annual meeting in December, which will be held in New York this year. Everywhere you go in New York during this series people ask if there is going to be baseball next year. We don't know and we don't know anybody who does for sure. FABL President Sam Belton and the baseball magnates are carrying on publicly as if all is normal, talking about plans for spring training and next season's schedules. The baseball heads will admit privately, however, that the lack of players and transportation problems have them worried. The Chicago series is tied at 3 wins apiece after the Cougars won yesterday by a 2-1 score in 10 innings. Freddie Jones fly ball to right field in the 10th scored Rich Langton, who had tripled, to break up a pitching duel between Dick Lyons and Les Zoller. The deciding game is tonight at Whitney Field with former teammates Rabbit Day and Jim Lonardo getting the call to start. Among those spotted in the crowd at Gothams Stadium over the weekend were a couple of top prospects for the January phase of the draft. They included University of New Jersey catcher Al Hurd, Maryland State outfielder and Brooklyn native Jim Waters along with New Jersey high schoolers Wally Boyer and Ed Campbell. GATORS EXPOSE FLAWS IN ST BLANE'S T FORMATION What happened to St Blane and Eastern State - and so many of those other teams functioning out of the Chicago Wildcats now popular 'T' formation? A member of the coaching staff of the Georgia Baptist Gators, who surprised St Blane 14-6 on the weekend, summed up the answer in a nutshell with "The quarterback still has to go back five yards or more before he passes - if he can be taught the trick of fading back. And," one of the Gators coaches points out as he swiftly filled a big sheet of paper with diagrams of all varieties of offensive formations, "it also remains a fact that the T formation power is, basically, restricted to inside tackle plays," so having the right fullback is a must. The Gators did a great job of limiting the St. Blane offense last weekend, just as Wisconsin State did in a 14-10 win the week before and after going 7-2 a year ago the normally powerful Fighting Saints now find themselves in a heap of trouble as the make the long trek to California to face Redwood University on Saturday. Redwood (1-1) will be especially motivated to get back on track after the Mammoths were upended 17-14 by Sunnyvale last weekend. Eastern State is another school facing an important contest this weekend, and like St Blane, the Monitors T-formation has had trouble getting going this year. The Monitors played in the prestigious East-West Classic a year ago but are 0-2 in the early going this season, although losing All-American back Bob Holt to the St Louis Ramblers of the AFA certainly creates a big hole in their offense and goes a long ways towards explaining why Eastern State has had it's troubles. Losing 14-0 to Annapolis Maritime is not something to be ashamed of but falling to Hampden-Sydney 20-17 in their opener was a crushing blow for the Monitors, who are desperate for a win this weekend over Alexandria if they want any chance to salvage their season. * BENGALS FIND FORMATION SUITS THEM TO A T! * While St Blane and Eastern State have struggled with the T-formation, one school that is enjoying success with it is Maryland State. The Bengals are now using that alignment after some bad seasons that included a terrible 1-8 campaign a year ago, prompting the school to lure longtime Redwood University coach Paddy O'Callaghan east to Baltimore this season and take over running not just the Bengals AIAA program but also an extensive intermural football program designed to help students prepare for the military. The first thing O'Callaghan did after taking a look at his expected roster for this season was spend some time in the spring on the campus of St Blane, picking up nuances that the Fighting Saints used in their offense. Things are looking up for the Bengals on the field this season and part of it might be simply having the right personnel in place to match O'Callaghan's new T-Formation system. O'Callaghan says the key for him in running the T-formation is to not only have a solid quarterback with quick feet but also a powerhouse fullback as a running threat who forces the opposition secondary defense to play close, thus making the long passes so effective. O'Callaghan has both those positions covered in aerial slingshot quarterback Sammy Kleinhans and fullback Fred Mercer. The new coach feels Kleinhans is a perfect fit for the formation and goes so far as to compare him favourably with Dewey Burnett of the Detroit Maroons. "Sammy's is a good, accurate thrower and has the feet to be able to quickly dance back from the line and create time for our ends to get downfield. Add in the way Mercer can pound the ball in the middle and the defense has to respect him. They drop back we run it through them and if they try and close in on us Sammy throws it over them." That is exactly what the Bengals did last weekend in a 21-13 win over Lakehurst Naval Station and with slightly less success in their season opening 16-13 loss in a tightly contested game at Constitution State. Figures show Kleinhans is among the nation's top passers in terms of accuracy and Mercer, the powerful 206 pound redheaded fullback, has carried the ball 15 times for an average of six yards per try. O'Callaghan notes it is a process for players to grasp the concepts of a new system but says his charges are improving with every practice. Maryland State still has a long road to travel before they can compete with South Atlantic Conference powers Carolina Poly and Richmond State but it is clear the Bengals are headed in the right direction. Next up for Maryland State is good test against Garden State this weekend. Speaking of Bob Holt, the St Louis rookie certainly cooled down after his record setting debut in St Louis. Holt ran for a previously unheard of 254 yards and scored three touchdowns in his first pro game after the Ramblers selected him first overall in last spring's AFA draft. Since then Holt was held to just 64 yards and one score in a loss to Boston, and a mere 36 yards on 12 carries when New York shutout the Ramblers Sunday. He still leads the AFA in rushing by a wide margin but has certainly not caught teams by surprise like he did the winless Philadelphia Frigates in the opener. New bus and rail restrictions for fans in the northeast are forcing a number of Academia Alliance football games in the coming weeks to be shifted to New York City instead of the campus fields in New Jersey, New Hampshire and Connecticut. The result is there will be some more big games at Kings County and the Bigsby Oval in the near future. Orphans to see Pro Grid Battle. The 12th annual Orphans Football Day in New York will take place on Sunday at Kings County Park in Brooklyn when the football Kings face the St Louis Ramblers. Two thousand boys and girls from 12 area orphanages will be the guests. The two local football clubs host a game each season alternating between the Kings and gridiron Stars as the hosts. The Week That Was Current events from 10/05/1942 thru 10/07/1942 The Nazis are faced with a Scandinavian crisis as Norway and Denmark are on the verge of revolt. The Germans respond by clamping severe restrictions on Norway and are admitting that conditions in Denmark are becoming increasingly difficult. As the Russians rush more reserve troops to Stalingrad, British Prime Minister Churchill refused firmly in the House of Commons to make any statement on relations with Russia. Premier Josef Stalin has been very critical of what he feels is insufficient Allied aid as the Red Army desperately tries to keep control of Stalingrad while under immense pressure from Nazi forces. As the Senate faces the first major fight on the pending tax bill today, news comes that the government expects to spend $85 billion in the fiscal year ending next June. That would send the country's debt by the end of next June to close to 15 percent of a trillion dollars ($1,000,000,000,000) __________________ Lead Columnist of The Figment Sporting Journal The Scripture of Sports Last edited by Jiggs McGee; 06-14-2022 at 11:50 AM.