FEBRUARY 21, 1944
DYNAMOS OWNER CALLS FOR END OF FARM TEAMS
SAYS CAP OF 50 CONTROLLED PLAYERS MAKES SENSE
After every other member of the Postwar Planning Committee had voiced his opinion on the subject of postwar baseball and the first meeting of the committee was set to adjourn, Powell Thompson, owner of the Detroit club, took the floor and read the following prepared statement:
The suggestions were submitted not for immediate action, but for consideration and with the hope that the postwar Planning Committee will approve the plan at it's meeting next fall.
Thompson is convinced that it is the only solution for baseball's many problems. He claims "an independent club stands little chance against a rival that is owned by a FABL club. In but few instances can the independent club match the financial backing of the farm club. It has no more chance when it comes to talent."
He went on to explain the minors were losing their identity as major league clubs moved players up and down, eliminating the opportunity for minor league fans to have home team heroes to cheer for, adding it is even worse with all the changes the war has brought on. However, the real reason behind has desire for change may have come out in an off-the-cuff remark he made to a reporter saying "the Detroit club is sick of paying the salaries of 30 players in places like Chattanooga - with only one or two of them ever likely to see the big leagues."
The Thompson plan divorces the majors from the minors. It does away with farm systems and working agreements. It makes every minor league club independent. It gives all of them a chance to sell players to FABL and gives FABL a chance to purchase players at prices they all can afford.
It would be a radical departure to return to the old way of doing things, something FABL abandoned in the teens when the amateur draft and the affiliation system began. Thompson proposes dropping the amateur draft to three rounds and re-instituting a minor league draft with draft prices as the following:
AAA League - first round choice $12,500. Second round choice $10,000. All other players drafted $7,500.
AA League- first choice $10,000, Second choice $7,500. All other players $5,000
A League- first choice $6,000. Second choice $5000. All other players $4,000
Under Thompson's plan the minor leagues of higher classifications (AAA, AA, A) would draft from leagues of B and C classification. In this way, he feels all minor leagues would benefit. If a FABL club bought 6 players in the draft and discovered it could only use two of them, the four others would be sent out on three-year options for further development. Thompson adds the FABL clubs could also profit from selling off their minor league affiliates to independent baseball operators.
As expected, there was plenty of opposition to Thompson's proposal. Cleveland Assistant General Manager Bill Terry scoffed at the notion. "It is very nice of that guy in Detroit to give away Cleveland's baseball holdings and all of our minor league system, something we have worked very hard to develop. He has obviously decided it makes no sense to invest in the future of his ballclub, but most of us do not feel that way."
It is highly unlikely anything will come of Thompson's plan, but it certainly spiced up the final day of the Postwar Planning Committee's activities.
- Baseball glowed with added self-esteem today after robust verbal pats on the back received at the 21st annual dinner of the New York baseball writers at which satire and the serious side of the game as it pertains to the war effort were adroitly blended for the entertainment of some 1,300 guests. The satire came from the scribes themselves in their homespun skits, in which nothing was sacred and the Gothams collapse from first to last was the biggest target. The serious notes came in the utterances of such esteemed citizens as Gen. Brehon Somervell, Senator Scott Lucas of Illinois, Congressman Max Morris of Ohio and baseball's own head honcho - President Samuel Belton. General Somervell was the lead speaker and he praised the sport for its help in the maintenance of morale both at home and among our troops. "In the winning of the war," Somervell said, "the sandlots and big league ball parks of America have contributed their share to our military success." He also noted that nearly a third of pro ball players that were active in the sport at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor are wearing the uniform today and giving a splendid account of themselves in the armed forces."
- A couple more minor leaguers received their draft notices and reported for military service this week. Howie Harris, a 20 year old pitcher in the Cannons system, and Cleveland's 21 year old minor league infielder Joe Mudd are the latest to get tabbed by Selectve Service.
RAINIER COLLEGE STILL LEADS THE WAY
With a two week jump since the last edition of TWIFB little has changed at the top of the college basketball standings. Rainier College continues to hold down the number one spot Nationally and atop the West Coast Athletic Association where the Majestics improved to 10-1 in conference play. This will be a big week for the Washington State school as they have a pair of tough road games in Los Angeles - first on Friday against 5th ranked CCLA (8-3, 19-5) and then a showdown with #2 Coastal California (7-4, 19-5) on Sunday. The Majestics beat each of those schools at home in mid-January.
North Carolina Tech (6-2, 19-4) is now third in the rankings despite losing 55-41 on the road against 6th ranked South Atlantic Conference rival Chesapeake State (7-2, 19-5) two weeks ago. Western Iowa (7-3, 19-5) no longer leads in the Great Lakes Alliance as the 4th ranked Canaries suffered recent back to back losses to Detroit City College (8-2, 18-5) and Central Ohio (4-6, 12-11). There is quite a battle for supremacy in the Northeast Conference with 8th ranked Frankford State (9-1, 20-3) holding a slim lead on 7th ranked Brooklyn State (9-2, 19-4) and number 10 Liberty College (8-2, 18-5). Those three schools all have one game remaining against each of the other two so there is plenty of uncertainty who will claim the conference crown.
Three losses in their last 6 games has sent independent Ohio Poly (23-6) plummeting in the polls, as has Brooklyn Catholic (19-9) after back to back losses last week but fellow Annapolis Maritime (25-5) -with 10 wins in their last 11 games following a tough two-point loss to Chesapeake State- is in the rise. Those three schools have all completed their schedules and now must wait nearly a month to see if they earn bids to the year-end tournament.
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AIAA COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. Rainier College (72) 22-2 1800 1 West Coast Athletic Association
2. Coastal California 19-5 1706 3 West Coast Athletic Association
3. North Carolina Tech 19-4 1620 4 South Atlantic Conference
4. Western Iowa 19-5 1607 2 Great Lakes Alliance
5. CC Los Angeles 19-5 1451 6 West Coast Athletic Association
6. Chesapeake State 19-5 1430 7 South Atlantic Conference
7. Brooklyn State 19-4 1291 9 Northeast Conference
8. Frankford State 20-3 1286 8 Northeast Conference
9. Detroit City College 18-5 1226 5 Great Lakes Alliance
10. Liberty College 18-5 1142 11 Northeast Conference
11. Perry State College 22-2 1119 12 Midwestern Association
12. Indiana A&M 18-5 1107 13 Great Lakes Alliance
13. Annapolis Maritime 25-5 930 14 Independent
14. Ohio Poly 23-6 926 10 Independent
15. Minnesota Tech 19-5 795 15 Great Lakes Alliance
16. Bronx Tech 22-6 654 17 Independent
17. Texas Gulf Coast 19-5 618 18 Southwestern Alliance
18. Whitney College 14-9 609 23 Great Lakes Alliance
19. Brookland 22-5 564 16 Independent
20. Carolina Poly 16-8 382 20 South Atlantic Conference
21. Sadler 18-7 380 21 Academia Alliance
22. Troy State (NY) 20-7 305 22 Independent
23. Garden State 15-9 169 19 Northeast Conference
24. Dickson 18-7 122 24 Academia Alliance
25. Alabama Baptist 16-7 89 NR Deep South Conference
Others Receiving Votes:
St. Ignatius 13-10 47 Great Lakes Alliance
Lambert College 14-9 10 Midwestern Association
Noble Jones College 17-8 5 Deep South Conference
Brooklyn Catholic 19-9 4 Independent
Hamman 20-8 4 Independent
St. Magnus 14-9 2 Great Lakes Alliance
RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS
MONDAY FEB 14
#8 Frankford State 51 St Patrick's 41
#10 Liberty College 38 #23 Garden State 36
#22 Troy State(NY) 35 Boston State 33
TUESDAY FEB 15
#19 Brookland 47 Orrville 37
WEDNESDAY FEB 16
#7 Brooklyn State 46 St Pancras 44
#13 Annapolis Maritime 54 Centerville 39
#21 Sadler 52 Ellery 42
#24 Dickson 59 Brunswick 49
#25 Alabama Baptist 51 Central Kentucky 40
THURSDAY FEB 17
#3 North Carolina Tech 56 Columbia Military Academy 46
Central Ohio 41 #4 Western Iowa 38
#6 Chesapeake State 50 #20 Carolina Poly 40
#9 Detroit City College 50 Lincoln 47
#12 Indiana A&M 47 St Ignatius 39
Chicago Poly 43 #14 Ohio Poly 42
#16 Bronx Tech 47 Bardney 37
#18 Whitney College 62 #15 Minnesota Tech 60
FRIDAY FEB 18
#1 Rainier College 55 Idaho A&M 35
#2 Coastal California 41 Spokane State 31
#5 CC Los Angeles 53 Redwood 42
#13 Annapolis Maritime 47 Eastern Virginia 31
#17 Texas Gulf Coast 57 Lubbock State 36
Hampden 40 #19 Brookland 38
St Blane 44 #22 Troy State(NY) 41
SATURDAY FEB 19
#3 North Carolina Tech 56 Coastal State 48
#4 Western Iowa 53 Wisconsin State 42
#6 Chesapeake State 52 Cowpens State 45
#7 Brooklyn State 55 St Martin's College 46
#8 Frankford State 40 St Matthew's College 35
#12 Indiana A&M 58 #9 Detroit City College 42
#11 Perry State College 47 Laclede 32
#15 Minnesota Tech 62 St Magnus 57
#17 Texas Gulf Coast 49 Arkansas A&T 32
#18 Whitney College 46 Central Ohio 40
#20 Carolina Poly 58 Charleston Tech 50
George Fox 38 #21 Sadler 29
Commonwealth Catholic 46 #23 Garden State 44
#25 Alabama Baptist 49 Cumberland 25
SUNDAY FEB 20
#1 Rainier College 45 Lane State 36
#2 Coastal California 60 Idaho A&M 50
#5 CC Los Angeles 55 Custer College 37
AIAAstandings
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 2/20/1944
- The US Fleet bombards the home island of the Japanese. Hitting targets on Paramushiru and Shimushu, bases less than 1,200 miles from Tokio, marks the first time in the war American surface vessels have shelled one of Japan's home islands.
- Week long heavy fighting on beachheads south of Rome finally leads to a breakthrough as the week comes to an end with word from Britain saying the battle to capture Rome "will be won."
- A German airplane divebombed an American evacuation hospital on the beachhead south of Rome, killing 26 including a number of Army nurses.
- More than 2 million civilians have been evacuated from Berlin, it was reported today following the latest Allied raids on the Nazi capital.
- As the Soviets bomb Finland, the US has urged the Scandinavian nation that it must make peace with Russia and Britain or face the consequences.
