FEBRUARY 15, 1943
FABL DRAFT GOES ON DESPITE MANPOWER UNCERTAINTY
The opening round of the FABL amateur player draft has been completed and for the first time since 1936 a pitcher was not among the top three selections. That year it was Sal Pestilli, Walt Messer and Billy Woytek at the head of the draft with the New York Stars ending the trend by selecting high school hurler Johnnie Jones with the fourth pick. Interestingly, you have to go all the way back to the 1923 draft -in the pre-human GM era- to find a first round that held off until at least the fifth pick before selecting a pitcher. Rabbit Day was the arm that broke the run in the '23 draft.
So here we are 20 years later and it was not until Detroit tabbed New Orleans born high schooler Alf Keeter with the fourth selection did we hear a pitcher's name called. The top pick, as reported last week, was St. Ignatius shortstop Jim Adams Jr., son of the former Toronto and Philadelphia Keystones infielder by the same name, who was chosen by the Cleveland Forsters. Washington followed up with another college choice in catcher Bob Newcomer, out of Cesar Rodney. Next up was the Brooklyn Kings and they may have found their eventual replacement for slugging outfielder Al Wheeler in a Duluth, Minnesota high schooler by the name of Pat Petty.
Most General Managers were in agreement the biggest surprise was the fact that two-time All-American shortstop Homer Mills slipped all the way to sixth in the draft when many of them felt he was the top player available. Mills, a Chicago-area native who plays his college ball at Weston in Ohio, was finally selected by the St Louis Pioneers with the sixth pick and, had Detroit not opted for Keeter, there is a likelihood that Mills may have slid even further.
Here is the complete first round. Round two selections will be announced in the next issue followed by the regional round 3 choices with the remainder of the 25 round draft to take place after the high school and college seasons conclude in June.
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1943 FIRST ROUND SELECTIONS
PK TEAM PLAYER POS AGE SCHOOL HOMETOWN
1 CLE Jim Adams Jr. SS 21 St Ignatius Philadelphia, Pa.
2 WSH Bob Newcomer C 20 Cesar Rodney Auburn, Me.
3 BKN Pat Petty OF 18 Duluth(MN) HS Superior, Wi.
4 DET Alf Keeter RHP 18 Redeemer HS-NewOr New Orleans, La.
5 PHS Hoppy Johnson RHP 21 Charleson Tech Birmingham,Al.
6 STL Homer Mills SS 21 Weston College East Chicago, Il.
7 TOR Jim Carter RHP 20 Ellery College Quincy, Ma.
8 CHI Joe Davis 1B 18 Copley HS-Boston Boston, Ma.
9 MON Luke Weaver 3B 20 American Atlantic Miami, Fl.
10 PHK Johnnie Porter OF 18 Huntington(WV) HS Huntington, WV
11 CIN Hal Friedlander RHP 18 Pelham (NY) HS Brooklyn, NY
12 PIT Jim Hawkins LHP 18 Oakmont (PA) HS Philadelphia, Pa.
13 CHC Tommy Seymour RHP 17 Olathe (KS) HS Manhattan, Ks.
14 BOS Frankie Gonnella 3B 20 Canton State Newark, NJ
15 NYS Jock Stone 3B 21 Meade College Philadelphia, Pa.
16 NYG Tommy Kelly OF 18 Dexter (MI) HS Dexter, Mi.
- Baseball magnates and FABL President Sam Belton will be watching closely when the football bosses go to Washington this week. Action on the problem of whether professional football will continue in 1943 or be thrown for a loss by the acute manpower shortage perhaps will be learned in a matter of days after Jack Kristich, President of the American Football Association, heads to Washington to help straighten out matters. Kristich and a few AFA club owners are set to meet with Manpower boss Paul McNutt and Transportation Tycoon Joe Eastman tomorrow afternoon with a goal of firming up the pro football plans for next fall.
DENIED USE OF STUDENT-SOLDIERS, COLLEGE SPORTS WILL CONTINUE
Despite a recent Army ruling against Army-sponsored student-soldiers from participating in intercollegiate sports college officials today expressed a grim determination to carry on. Col. Herman Beukema, director of the Army's specialized training corps in Washington, explained that the soldier-athletes in their new college training program simply wouldn't have time for such extra-curricular activities and added, "We are not sending the men there (to colleges) to participate in big-time athletic programs." Beukema's decision was more stunning because previously the college authorities had hinted that soldiers sent to AIAA campuses would be declared eligible to compete on the teams of those schools.
The Great Lakes Alliance commissioner said in Chicago after studying the order that "I'm sure we always will be able to find 11 boys in every school who want to play football. College football may be hurt, but it won't be killed."
*** COACHES STILL OPTIMISTIC ***
Virtually the same sentiments were expressed by AIAA football coaches across the country. "Of course we will have football," declared Paddy O'Callaghan, who recently moved from Maryland State to Strub College. "Calisthenics develops the boy, but competitive sport develops the man."
One eastern football coach expressed regret at the ruling "because we have felt we could assist materially in the development and training of these younger members of the armed forces. While none went on record, several other coaches said this will be the demise of inter-collegiate athletics at their schools for the duration. Despite the ban on soldier-students for the fall, many colleges are carrying on with plans to hold as reasonable a facsimile of spring training as possible. While disappointed and somewhat surprised over the Army's ruling forbidding soldier-students from playing, a survey by the Associated Press showed most major AIAA schools intend to play football as long as they can field 11 men on a side and can get a man to blow the whistle. Squads will be much smaller next year but there will be football and with that in mind nearly all the big-time programs are set to proceed with their spring camps.
It is estimated that at it's peak about 150,000 soldiers will be attending college and that the men would have to meet the scholastic requirements of the schools to which they were sent. Tests will be given at the end of each 12-week period and the men who fail will be returned to duty with the troops. In addition to 24 or 25 hours of classroom work each week the soldier-students also would be required to participate in five hours of military drill daily, as well as an hour of athletics. Beukema indicated the athletics would be competitive, but of the intramural variety.
"From that schedule," he said, "you can figure out easily whether there is time to put a man in condition for bigtime athletics."
The Navy also will send men to schools for special courses, but it's attitude on intercollegiate competition has not yet been announced.
COASTAL CALIFORNIA TAKES OVER TOP SPOT
The Coastal California Dolphins moved into the number spot in the weekly AIAA college basketball poll. The Dolphins improved to 20-2 overall and 8-1 in West Coast Athletic Association play with a pair of conference wins last week. Idaho A&M gave the Dolphins a scare on Friday before eventually falling 59-58 to the Dolphins in Los Angeles. Coastal Cal had less problems yesterday on the road in Sacramento as they scored a ten point win over the Northern California Miners. Next week will be a tough test for the Dolphins with games against 3rd ranked CC Los Angeles and #20 Lane State.
Liberty College dropped to number two in the rankings as the Bells have lost two of their last three games including a 40-31 defeat at home to 15th ranked Brooklyn State.
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AIAA TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
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1. Coastal California (64) 20-2 1791 2 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Liberty College (7) 19-3 1729 1 Northeast Conference
3. CC Los Angeles 19-4 1600 4 West Coast Athletic Association
4. Chesapeake State 21-1 1512 6 South Atlantic Conference
5. Detroit City College 16-5 1460 5 Great Lakes Alliance
6. St. Ignatius 16-5 1408 3 Great Lakes Alliance
7. Great Plains State (1) 25-3 1397 7 Independent
8. North Carolina Tech 18-3 1386 9 South Atlantic Conference
9. Central Ohio 19-3 1276 8 Great Lakes Alliance
10. Rainier College 18-4 1197 10 West Coast Athletic Association
11. Western Iowa 17-4 1017 11 Great Lakes Alliance
12. Carolina Poly 18-3 982 13 South Atlantic Conference
13. Alabama Baptist 20-2 977 14 Deep South Conference
14. St. Patrick's 18-4 876 12 Northeast Conference
15. Brooklyn State 15-6 778 17 Northeast Conference
16. St. Magnus 17-4 699 16 Great Lakes Alliance
17. Minnesota Tech 17-5 685 15 Great Lakes Alliance
18. Annapolis Maritime 23-6 551 19 Independent
19. Garden State 15-7 455 20 Northeast Conference
20. Lane State 16-6 446 18 West Coast Athletic Association
21. Chicago Poly 22-6 415 21 Independent
22. Whitney College 14-7 268 23 Great Lakes Alliance
23. Elyria 19-5 258 22 Independent
24. Brooklyn Catholic 20-7 140 NR Independent
25. St. Blane 18-7 69 NR Independent
Others Receiving Votes: St Andrews College 16-5 12 Deep South Conference
Darnell State 16-6 11 Southwestern Alliance
Rome State 20-8 5 Independent
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS AND OTHER MAJOR SCHOOLS
MONDAY FEBRUARY 8
#19 Garden State 41 St Matthew's College 28
#23 Elyria 41 Laclede 34
#24 Brooklyn Catholic 48 Bardney 37
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 9
#7 Great Plains State 55 Wisconsin Catholic 23
#18 Annapolis Maritime 59 Eastern Kansas 27
#25 St Blane 49 Potomac College 47
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 10
#15 Brooklyn State 40 #2 Liberty College 31
#13 Alabama Baptist 65 Georgia Baptist 44
#21 Chicago Poly 56 Grange College 37
#24 Brooklyn Catholic 47 Harper College 38
Rome State 49 Mississippi Tech 42
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 11
#4 Chesapeake State 47 Bulein 42
#5 Detroit City College 51 #11 Western Iowa 46
#6 St Ignatius 53 Wisconsin State 39
#8 North Carolina Tech 49 Lexington State 33
#9 Central Ohio 66 #17 Minnesota Tech 58
#12 Carolina Poly 53 Columbia Military Academy 52
#22 Whitney College 48 #16 St Magnus 37
#23 Elyria 56 Cesar Rodney 41
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 12
#1 Coastal California 59 Idaho A&M 58
Portland Tech 36 #3 CC Los Angeles 25
#10 Rainier College 49 Northern California 35
#18 Annapolis Maritime 50 Hartford Wesleyan 33
#20 Lane State 46 Custer College 37
#21 Chicago Poly 44 Bronx Tech 32
#25 St Blane 57 Plover College 43
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 13
#4 Chesapeake State 56 Alexandria 40
#9 Central Ohio 55 #5 Detroit City College 53
#16 St Magnus 46 #6 St Ignatius 39
#7 Great Plains State 47 Springfield State 27
#8 North Carolina Tech 41 Mobile Maritime 35
#11 Western Iowa 43 Lincoln 35
#13 Carolina Poly 66 Maryland State 56
#13 Alabama Baptist 46 Central Kentucky 43
#17 Minnesota Tech 54 Indiana A&M 48
#22 Whitney College 46 Wisconsin State 35
#24 Brooklyn Catholic 42 Ferguson 40
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 14
#1 Coastal California 50 Northern California 40
#3 CC Los Angeles 61 Idaho A&M 53
#10 Rainier College 44 #20 Lane State 35
#21 Chicago Poly 55 Topeka State 47
The Knights continue to have problems in Great Lakes Alliance play as once again they split their two games this week and are just 4-4 in GLA action and 16-5 overall. They are in a tough stretch, with 9 of 10 games against ranked opponents but that seems to be a normal schedule for schools in the powerful GLA. The Knights beat 11th ranked Western Iowa 51-46 at home on Thursday behind a 14 point effort from Andrew Bennett but then on Saturday they lost for the second time this season to their rivals from Columbus. Central Ohio came into the Motor City and pulled out a 55-53 win over the Knights thanks to a late basket from Levi Fierro, giving the Aviators senior forward a 17-point outing. Roman Sollars also had 17 for DCC in the loss.
With 8 conference games remaining Detroit City College is still very much in the running for the GLA crown but at 4-4 they sit two games back of the three co-leaders: St Magnus, Central Ohio and St Ignatius.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Next week begins with a game at home against 17th ranked Minnesota Tech. The Lakers are 17-5 overall but just 3-5 in GLA play although they did beat Detroit City in Minneapolis a little over a week ago. On Saturday it will be a trip to Lansing for the rematch with St Ignatius, a school that also beat DCC in their opener. The Lancers are 16-5 on the year and ranked 5th in the nation.
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 2/14/1943
- Prime Minister Churchill revealed in a House of Commons speech that the Allies were scoring encouraging success against German submarines and planned to throw their full weight against Germany on a mass scale within the next 9 months.
- Former President Herbert Hoover says a 'Labor Draft' of men to age 65 and women to age 50 is necessary as America faces an "extremely grave" shortage of food, metals and oils unless 1 million workers are shifted from other employment to join on farms, in factories and mines.
- Footwear is the latest item expected to be rationed as shoe shortages plague the nation.
- The War Manpower Commission announced that 48-hour work weeks will begin in areas of the country with crucial manpower shortages effective March 31st.
- Russian troops continue their drive, routing the Nazis in a savage battle near Kharkov.
- With Americans attacking by day and British bombing by night the Allies have a non-stop offensive against a wide-range of Axis objectives ranging from the German-held coast of France to the Italian mainland, Sicily and Sardinia