[Jiggs McGee]

APRIL 12, 1943

IS CHIEFS HOT SPRING SIGN OF THINGS TO COME?

An argument can easily be made that the Chicago Chiefs were the FABL club to be least affected by the loss of veteran talent to the war effort. In fact one could make a case the Chicago Feds only established player of consequence to depart over the winter was Hank Barnett -and that was only because the Chiefs dealt the the 33 year old to the Chicago Cougars. Uncle Sam certainly took his share of youth from the Chiefs but left their veteran roster pretty much intact and that has meant bad news in the Citrus Circuit this season for their opponents. The Chiefs have been so dominant this spring that perhaps they should be considering abandoning Florida permanently and making Spartanburg, SC their long-term spring home, what with a 16-3 record overall including wins in their last 11 games.

The question now on the minds of FABL fans is whether this is just a team riding a hot streak or a clear indication of what is to come in the Federal Association this summer? In his preseason predictions, TWIFB's Jiggs McGee called on the Chiefs as the team to beat in the Fed and so far they look even stronger than Jiggs predicted.

Al Miller (3-0, 1.50) and Rabbit Day (2-0, 1.29) are reminding observers of the Chiefs glory days when they won two WCS in a 3-year span and the revamped infield with Bob Martin shifting from second base to the hot corner and Sam Orr taking over at the keystone bag looks just fine. There still may be some questions about the outfield and if Red Hampton and George Thomas can handle the back of the rotation but all signs at the moment point to a big year ahead for the Whitney Field faithful.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

Through the first three weeks of spring training the Wolves have given hope to the Toronto fans. With a 12-7 record in the tune-up games the fans are dreaming of another 1940 season in Southern Ontario. These hopes may have to be tempered, with the question being "Did the Wolves decision only invite 32 players to camp inflate their record?" The entire league is in a state of flux as teams trying to determine the best way to present a team to the fans given the over 900 players throughout all levels that have to serve their country overseas.

It seems the big question of the spring has been answered: Juan Pomales will begin the season as a true two-way player as the everyday CF. In 58 times to the plate in Tennessee Pomales is slashing .346/.370/.426 with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 5 RBI, 3 SB. These numbers make it next impossible not to at least begin the season without his bat in the lineup. Extra responsibility has been given to bench coach Dick Dennis to position the OF defense properly for all hitters to give the fielders the best opportunity to make a play given the lack of foot speed in the group. Charlie Reed's decision is now is how to use Pomales as a pitcher, does he go to the bullpen or remain in the rotation starting every 4th or 5th day? Current rumours are is he will be in the rotation which will require lineup juggling to insure proper rest while Pomales performs double duty.

Walter Pack seems poised for a rebound after a sub-par 1942. His spring stats .308/.424/.426 are an encouraging sign. Ockie Holliday has not rebounded in the same way hitting only .250 with only one XBH in 40 spring AB. The surprise of the spring in camp has been Joe Bell with a .419 batting average. Bell was going to Toronto with the team because the previously mentioned numbers-game faced by management. Fans are now thinking he should be given a chance if Holliday's hitting woes continue after the team moves north. Charlie Artuso has had a difficult training period but Reed has stated in public he has no concerns about this slow start. The starting pitching has been outstanding in March, early April. The team appears set to move home with 11 arms which seems like a extremely high number but two of those players -Pomales and Roscoe Zeiler- also serve in other roles.

The roster is almost set as 7 players have been sent to the minors. With one more cut to be made the smart money is saying it will be one of Homer Betts, Roscoe Zeiler, or even aging veteran Frank Huddleston.

DYANMOS PLAN BASEBALL SCHOOLS FOR DETROIT-AREA YOUTH

Mike Walton is one of the younger Assistant General Managers in the league at the age of 39 and the Detroit Dynamos executive has some forward thinking ideas. The Sadler University grad believes the future of baseball depends entirely on what steps FABL takes to foster the game until after the war and that now is the time to make post-war plans. "A great many players who have gone into the armed forces, and who are yet to go, will be lost to the game forever," Walton says. "They may be too old when peace is restored and many of them will be unable to come back even then since a vast Army and Navy will be needed to police the world. If we are to have baseball after the war, we'll have to start right now preparing for the perpetuation of the game. We'll have to develop players for the pos-war era and the players must be lads of 12,13 and 14 years of age. Catch 'em young and team 'em well must be our motto."

To accomplish just that Walton has come up with a plan to hold baseball schools at Thompson Field every day when the Dynamos are playing away from home this summer. The idea is to use some former Detroit players as coaches and invite every schoolboy in town who has ambitions to become a ballplayer. "We have to take steps to ensure the game survives. If the present system continues baseball will die, war or no more. We need to develop the next generation of players as basketball, football and other sports compete with us for young athletes."

• The Gothams must be reading the BBN predictions. They are now at the bottom of the Fed spring standings.
• The SS situation if far from settled as both Lee Miller and Ed White have struggled with the bat. Manager Zeihl will look at other options this week before making a final decision.
• A scorekeeper's nightmare looms as Bill Dalton has had a strong spring and is making a case to be the backup for Billy Dalton in Queens.
• A strong week for Harry Clark puts him in the driver's seat for the starting CF spot. Zeihl had been looking at Leon Drake for the position, but no one has stepped up in the RF auditions.
• Sandy Giles appears to have locked up the #4 spot in the rotation. With Billy Seawood optioned to Toledo and Monk Adams moved to the pen for the final week, the 3rd round selection in the 1935 draft has taken advantage of the open audition and will make the jump from A ball. Giles has had a mix of strong and struggling seasons as he slowly worked his way through the Gothams system, often passed by as later selections advanced. Now at 25 it will be his big chance to show the team what he can do. Waiting in the wings is #40 prospect Monk Adams.

• Sam Belton, President of FABL, when asked about the prospects of the season ahead: "No one knows what will happen in baseball this summer," he blurted. "It would only be a guess. But I have every hope that we will finish the season, as usual, and that the pennant races, in both leagues, will be exciting."
• You have to excuse Gothams fans if they are having a few flashbacks to 1936 right now. Fresh off a WCS win the previous October, the New York nine got off to a terrible start in '36 and management dismantled the club. They made it back to the top last fall after six years in the second division but are clearly struggling with some holes this spring. I don't think another tear down is in order, even if the Gothams dismal camp showing carries over to April and May, as the losses to the military hit hard, but with the Gothams you never know what to expect.
• Just who is Jocko Goodrum and should Mahlon Strong be worried in Pittsburgh? Goodrum, a 1937 15th round pick out of Gates University is showing Mahlon-like power with 4 homers this spring including a pair in back-to-back games over the weekend. The 28 year old first baseman only has 4 hits in 23 spring at bats so he is hardly setting the world on fire, but all 4 have been of the longball variety. Four, by the way is the same number of homers Goodrum hit all of last year, in 266 AAA at bats. He was homerless in 19 games for the Miners last season when he made his big league debut.
• Staying with the Miners they have received a very impressive spring showing thus far from another late round pick. Outfielder Jasper Wright, who was a 20th round pick of the Chiefs out of Minneapolis High School where he was a teammate of Donnie Jones, is hitting .412 with a spring leading 12 rbi's. The 25 year old has had a couple of sips of the big league coffee, but hit just .083 in 24 FABL at bats.
• Let's give another late round pick his brief moment of FABL fame. Bill Nettles, a 27 year old Philadelphia Keystones farmhand who was a 13th rounder in 1933, has been all or nothing this spring. He leads with 20 strikeouts in 34 innings of work but has also allowed a spring most 5 homeruns against.
• Baseball takes over the spotlight on college campuses as basketball ends it's season. Like other college sports, many schools are short-staffed but all of the major colleges say they are able to field teams. Bluegrass State is the defending champion, having ended the Maryland State Bengals two year old on the title last year.

AFA SAYS IT IS GOOD TO GO IN FALL

As of today the American Football Association plans to operate in the fall, but there is still some question whether or not each of the 10 teams will field a club in September. AFA President Jack Kristich confirmed that the owners have vowed to play next season but would not comment on rumours that several teams have asked to remain in the league but have their franchises 'frozen' until the war is over.

The franchise uncertainty is the likely reason the league has delayed the release of it's schedule until June. While the number of teams is not confirmed to remain at 10, the plan is likely to reduce the schedule by one game so that each squad is expected tp play 10 games in the fall. However, Kristich cautioned that even that is not a certainty.

"We do want to take every step we can to reduce travel, as we have promised Mr. Eastman," explained Kristich in reference to his meeting with War Transportation chief Joseph Eastman two months ago. "With that goal, it has also been decided that all of our clubs will train either in their home cities or a location very close to them."

The other order of business was to try and address the severe manpower shortage. The AFA clubs voted to cut the maximum player limit for each team from 33 to 25, a figure which proved adequate some half dozen yeas ago. The league also adopted the free substitution rule for the war's duration, which permits any number of substitutions and will serve as a physical conservation measure. The league is believed to have conducted it's player draft of college seniors but Kristich was unwilling to elaborate on that matter. The thinking among observers was the loop wanted to ensure all teams planned to operate next season before releasing a list of drafted players for a squad that will not field a club.

RAINIER COLLEGE WINS NATIONAL TITLE

The Rainier College Majestics celebrated as the National Champion of collegiate basketball for the second time, beating St Magnus 54-44 Monday night at the Bigsby Garden in New York to claim the crown. The Majestics, who won their first title 3 yeas ago, led 29-20 at the break and never let St Magnus take over the lead in the second half. The Vikings, who had never won a game in tournament history entering this seasons event, managed to close to within 5 points of Rainier College on several occasions during the second half of the game but failed to get any closer than that.

Gary Harrison led the way for the Majestics with 12 points with center Sam Alvis and backup guard Kent Schreck chipping in with 9 points each. It was a fitting final game foe Schreck and fellow senior Fred Lacombe, both of whom are joining the Navy next month after completing the semester. Schreck and Lacombe were both freshman on the first Rainier College team to win a National Tournament and they finish their collegiate careers the same way they started them - as champions.

It was a disappointing end to an incredible season for St Magnus as the Minnesota school had not appeared in a tournament since the 1932-33 season and had never won a tournament game in it's three previous trips to the event. After going 25-9 and claiming a share of Great Lakes Alliance title with a 10-6 conference record (Central Ohio was declared champion on tie-breakers) the Vikings reeled off tournament wins over Utah A&M, Alabama Baptist and then GLA rivals Whitney College and Western Iowa to reach the title tilt. Junior guard Pat Chappell again led the team with a 14 point effort in the final, and the good news is he will return for his senior season to quarterback both the Vikings hoops squad from his guard position and also their football team in September. In the meantime, Chappell will moving to the diamond where he is also a member of the Vikings baseball team. The future does look bright for St Magnus as Matt Saez and Kevin Kennard, who combined for 14 points in the championship game, are both freshman and plan -unless Selective Service has other ideas- to return to the school next year.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 4/11/1943

• American Flying Fortress bombers blasted industrial targets in Antwerp and Naples while British four-engined bombers targeted Germany's big naval base at Kiel.
• German and Italian high commands are set to meet in the Brenner Pass to discuss the defense of Italy against an Allied invasion, which the Axis believes may follow close on an Allies victory in Tunisia.
• The British First Army has gained "much ground" in northern Tunisia while American and French forces have joined the Eighth Army in relentless pursuit of Marshal Rommel's battered forces in the South according to a report from Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.
  
  
• Congress received a sharply-worded warning from President Roosevelt to hold the line against inflation by boosting taxes and limiting individual spending or face the consequences of a runaway economy.
• On the first anniversary of the fall of Bataan, General MacArthur issued a ringing tribute to the heroism of Americans who fought in the Philippines.