FEBRUARY 26, 1945
PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 1945
Spring training is just a few weeks away and baseball fever has hit all across the nation. In every FABL city, fans are thinking this might be the year -well, perhaps not in St Louis- that their heroes rise to the top. This Week in Figment Baseball took a look around the league and came up with a list of 10 names you should watch closely. The list is in no particular order nor within any specific theme beyond the fact that these are intriguing players to watch this season. Some are fine young prospects who might make their mark as rookies, others are grizzled veterans taking advantage of war-created jobs for one last moment in the spotlight and a select few are on the hotseat and needed to come up big for their respective teams to have a chance at postseason success.
1- ELI PANNETON: The 23 year old 4th overall pick in last years draft went straight from the campus of Aberdeen College to the bright lights of Dyckman Stadium. He was nothing short of amazing in his first 4 starts, but then was ordinary in August and clearly out of gas in September. Scouts are in agreement he is one of the best pitchers in the game today. Can he show it for a full season and perhaps singlehandedly lift the New York Stars into contention this summer?
2- BOBBY BARRELL: The pressure for an encore performance in follow up to his Whitney Award winning triple crown season is immense. The Keystones came up just 1 game short last season in losing the WCS but another big year from Barrell might just be enough to get them back to playing October baseball again in 1945.
3- DEUCE BARRELL: Like his uncle, Deuce has a lot of pressure on him this season. The Cincinnati Cannons have sold most of their future for a chance to become just the second team in FABL history to win three straight World Championship Series. In order to do so they will need a big season from Deuce, who won back to back Allan Awards in 1942 and 1943 before missing all of last season when he blew out his elbow in spring training.
4- KEN MAYHUGH: Mayhugh is one of several players who will need to come up big if the Chicago Cougars are going to rebound from that awful collapse last season and overcome Cincinnati and Toronto in the Continental Association. The loss of Hank Barnett, Leo Mitchell and Billy Hunter means Chicago is desperate for offense beyond that which will be contributed by Cliff Moss, Skipper Schneider and Harry Mead.
5- GEORGE GARRISON: The Wolves were licking their wounds after Selective Service took Bernie Johnson and Jimmy Gibbs but the return of George Garrison -for hardship reasons after the death of his brother overseas and the passing of his father- has given Wolves fans hopes that they may just have enough to stop Cincinnati and Chicago. In order to do so, Garrison will need to show he has not lost anything from the form that he displayed in his all-star 1942 season.
6- CARL POTTER AND ROY SCHAUB: A two-for-one deal as the Dynamos future hinges on their 4 super prospects from the 1944 draft. The two position players in outfielder Edwin Hackberry and shortstop Stan Kleminski have joined the war effort leaving just the pitching duo of Potter and Schaub. The big leagues is likely not in the card this season although Potter had some nice outings in AA as an 18 year old last season but all of Detroit will be eyeing the minor league boxscores very closely whenever either of these two are on the mound.
7-DICK BLASZAK: Badly injured fighting in the Pacific, Blaszak is back and said to be fully recovered for spring training. The Chicago Chiefs gave up a lot (Rabbit Day and Tom Bird) to bring the former second overall pick over from Cincinnati and the 23 year old has not played since 1942 but odds are we will see him in the Windy City sometime this season.
8- BILL VAN NESS: Boston has a team that could win it's second Federal Association title in three years but to do so they will need a catcher they can count on and with Buster Farrar now in the army that responsibility falls on Van Ness. The 28 year old has to be running out of chances with Boston management, who expected so much more from him when he was selected 6th overall in 1935 so this may be his final opportunity to prove he is a big-time big league catcher.
9- BOB COON: This is a crucial year for the Eagles who, after tantalizing fans with what looked like finally a return to contention in 1943, had an awful start to the 1944 campaign and never recovered. The pitching did a very good job last year and returns intact but the Eagles lost their two best hitters in Mel Carrol and Jesse Alvardo. Coon, who was a 1939 2nd round pick out of St Magnus, has shown some glimpses of his ability but never really got the chance to play everyday in an often crowded Washington outfield. Well, this is his opportuntiy to show the strong showing in short stints is a sign of what he can accomplish. A big year from Coon, and strong pitching once more, might just keep the Eagles in the thick of the Fed flag chase.
10- BUD JAMESON- manager New York Gothams- So our final name is not a player at all but rather a rookie manager thrust into the spotlight with the departure of long-time Gothams bench-boss Ed Ziehl. Ziehl is off doing his part to raise war bond funds while his son Eddie is patrolling the open seas with the navy. For the first time since 1928 the Gothams have a new skipper and there could not be more pressure on Jameson. Like his mentor Ziehl, Bud is a former franchise star so he knows what it is like to be under the microscope in New York but this might just be a little different. With the return of Harry Carter from the navy the Gothams might have the best starting 4 pitchers in baseball. Add in slugger Red Johnson, veteran Leon Drake and a solid supporting cast and expectations could not be higher for the Gothams this season- which means an awful lot of pressure on Saint Bernard, who has zero managing experience entering the start of spring training.
A bonus 11th name on this list could be all of Congress. Debate wages on over a decision on 4-Fs and if the ruling goes the wrong way for baseball it could make things very tough on the sport. President Roosevelt is on record of saying he wants to see baseball continue, but only if it doesn't interfere with the war effort and Manpower head Byrnes seems to think it will. So far, Congress seems unwilling or perhaps unable to reach a decision and the longer that drags out perhaps the better it is for baseball.
EASY NIGHT FOR SAWYER IN DEFENCE OF WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
World Heavyweight boxing champion Hector Sawyer barely broke a sweat in notching the 50th victory of his professional career. The 30 year old New Orleans native was making his return to the ring -at least on a professional basis- after 3 years in the Army and he had no trouble in his first title defense since 1940, knocking out Willie Meyer in the fifth round of their bout at the Denny Arena in Boston.
Meyer (32-7-1) was handpicked as an easy tune-up opponent for Sawyer before he takes on a true contender, but the Minneapolis native who is 2 weeks shy of his 36 birthday, put up a game effort despite being clearly out of his element and somehow survived until the fifth round.
The champ was all over Meyer right from the opening bell and most in attendance will say the challenger never landed a punch in the opening three minutes. Instead Meyer spent most of his time trying to block punishing body blows frow Sawyer. The biggest blow of the round was a vicious cross that had Meyer collapsing like a house of cards in the closing seconds of the first round but he struggled to his feet as the bell was sounding.
Meyer went down again in the second thanks to The Cajun Crusher's signature strong hook but again the Minnesota native managed to get back to his feet and somehow survive the round. Meyer kept on his feet in the third but suffered a terrible gash just outside his right eyebrow. In the fourth the challenger landed what would be his only big blow -a hard cross that seemed to catch Sawyer off-guard. It actually served to pause Sawyer's attack for much of the round but after a stern lecture from his corner during the break the champ set to finishing off the bout in the fifth.
An early salvo caused a large strem of blood to erupt from Meyer's nose, joining the gash above his eye that continued to flow. Two minutes into the round with Sawyer looking to finish his opponent off he connected with a wild overhand right that landed flush, sending Meyer down to one knee. Meyer again rose but looked badly shaken and as Sawyer reigned blow after blow it was clear Meyer was just looking for a place to fall. Finally a short cross to the temple did the challenger in, sending him to the canvas for a fourth and final time on the evening.
TOURNAMENT FIELD PICTURE COMING INTO FOCUS
With two weeks remaining in the collegiate basketball schedule the 32-team field that will comprise the postseason National Championship is starting to take shape. 15 of the bids automatically go to the conference winners leaving the remaining 17 spots for at large invitations. Here is a conference by conference look at those likely to still be playing as we hit the middle of March.
DEEP SOUTH CONFERNCE: Three schools from the Deep South seem assured of tournament berths. Each have been ranked in the top 25 pretty much the entire season. They are Noble Jones College (19-6), Mississippi A&M (18-8) and Western Florida (18-7). The only hope for a school like Alabama Baptist (17-9) or even St Andrews College (13-12) is a conference title and the Deep South race is far too close to call with six teams within a game and a half of the lead.
GREAT LAKES ALLIANCE: It has been just an awful year for the GLA, which normally sends as many as half a dozen schools to the March event. This year it will likely only be Western Iowa (22-3). With James Brown (11.8 ppg) and Joe Hampton (7.9 ppg, 4.8 apg) leading the way the Canaries are a perfect 10-0 in section play but with 4 games remaining Whitney College (14-11, 9-3) still has a slight chance to take the crown and earn a bid alongside Western Iowa.
LIBERTY CONFERENCE: The newly formed loop with some former members of the Northeastern Conference has seen some schools have a down year with only likely conference champion Garden State (20-6) qualifying for the tournament unless Brooklyn Tech (17-9), which is tied with the Redbirds for the conference lead with 3 games remaining can clinch an automatic berth with the conference title.
SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE: Carolina Poly (21-4) and North Carolina Tech (22-4) have been top five schools all season and are certain to qualify. There is a chance three other SAC schools could join them including Mobile Maritime (16-9), Charleston Tech (17-8) and Chesapeake State (16-9). In conference play there is a slight chance Central Carolina (13-12) might overtake North Carolina Tech. The Techsters are 10-0 in conference play while the second place Lions are 8-2 with 4 games remaining for each.
WEST COAST ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION: Despite some ups and downs both Rainier College (21-5) and CC Los Angeles (20-6) should have no trouble extending their streak of tournament appearances. The Majestics have made 10 straight appearances and won it all each of the last two years. CCLA has missed the tournament only once since 1915-16. Another streak might come to an end as Coastal California (17-10) appears to have come up short and if so it will be the first time in tournament history that the Dolphins did not quality -that goes back all the way to 1909-10. Lane State (17-9) is on the bubble but appears to be in the field of 32 at the moment and with a 1-game lead on Rainier College atop the loop they may just get an automatic berth as WCC champions.
INDEPENDENTS:The folding of the Northeastern Conference has made a dramatic change in the landscape for independent schools this year with 9 of them likely qualifying for the tournament including 3 former members of the Northeastern section.
In: St Patrick's (24-5), St Martin' College (24-6), Liberty College (25-4), Conwell College (21-8), Ohio Poly (24-5), Plover College (19-8), Annapolis Maritime (25-3), Miami State (21-8), Eastern State (19-9)
Out: Middlesex (21-7), St Pancras (21-7), Great Plains State (20-10), Rome State (18-10), Golden Gate (17-12)
One bid conferences
ACADEMIA ALLIANCE: With two games remaining the Ellery Bruins (14-13) are 10-2 in conference with a 2-game lead over Dickson (18-9 overall, 8-2 conference) but the Academia Alliance is the only conference that has a post-season tournament to determine it's champion.
CALIFORNIA LEAGUE: Still up for grads with California Catholic (18-9, 8-2) holding a 1-game lead on Sunnyvale (9-17, 7-3).
CENTRAL ATHLETIC ALLIANCE: Completely up for grabs with North Shore holding a 1 game lead on Cleveland and Western State but each has 4 conference games remaining and the Blackhawks will play both of the teams pursuing them in the final two weeks.
EASTERN SIX: With teams having 3 or 4 games remaining in a conference slate that sees all 6 separated by just 2 games the race is clearly wide open. Boston State won the E6 last year but right now it is the University of New Jersey and a 9-17 overall Constitution State team that are leading the way.
KEYSTONE ALLIANCE: Armstrong, which has only made the tournament twice in it's history, is currently leading the way but with 4 games remaining for each school the race is still very much wide open.
MIDWESTERN ASSOCIATION: Wichita Baptist (21-7) has already set a school record for wins in a season and will make the tournament for the first time since 1933-34. The Warriors have already clinched the conference title.
PLAINS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION: A two team race between Oklahoma City State (18-7) and Lawrence State (15-11) will decide who gets the berth. The two square off in Oklahoma City tonight in an obviously key meeting.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ATHLETIC ALLIANCE: The season finale on March 10th between Colorado Poly (13-12) and Cache Valley (13-12) will likely decide who wins the RMAA.
SOUTHERN BORDER ASSOCIATION: El Paso Methodist (12-13, 7-1) and Tempe College (18-8, 8-2) are fighting it out for the conference title, something they have only combined to win 3 times in the 21 year history of the loop.
SOUTHWESTERN ALLIANCE: Texas Gulf Coast (19-7) has been ranked most of the year and seems assured a berth with a conference best 10-1 record. Amarillo Methodist (16-10, 9-2), is still in the running and has a chance for the automatic berth but they will need a win in Houston on March 2 over the Hurricanes.
Code:
COLLEGIATE BASKETBALL RANKINGS
# Team FPV Record Points Prv Conference
1. St. Patrick's (42) 24-5 1763 1 Indy Northeast
2. North Carolina Tech (21) 22-4 1724 4 South Atlantic Conference
3. Western Iowa (9) 22-3 1605 7 Great Lakes Alliance
4. Carolina Poly 21-4 1584 2 South Atlantic Conference
5. Annapolis Maritime 25-3 1571 3 Indy South
6. Liberty College 25-4 1471 6 Indy East
7. Ohio Poly 24-5 1340 8 Indy Midwest
8. Rainier College 21-5 1325 5 West Coast Athletic Association
9. CC Los Angeles 20-6 1182 11 West Coast Athletic Association
10. Garden State 20-6 1149 10 Liberty Conference
11. St. Martin's College 24-6 1117 9 Indy Northeast
12. Texas Gulf Coast 19-7 956 12 Southwestern Alliance
13. Noble Jones College 19-6 922 16 Deep South Conference
14. Mississippi A&M 18-8 887 20 Deep South Conference
15. Western Florida 18-7 723 22 Deep South Conference
16. St. Pancras 21-7 604 18 Indy East
17. Lane State 17-9 541 25 West Coast Athletic Association
18. Wichita Baptist 21-7 452 17 Midwestern Association
19. Brooklyn State 17-9 445 NR Liberty Conference
20. Miami State 21-8 382 21 Indy South
21. St. Blane 19-9 374 19 Indy East
22. Middlesex 21-7 315 24 Indy Northeast
23. Conwell College 21-8 242 14 Indy East
24. Coastal California 17-10 225 NR West Coast Athletic Association
25. Great Plains State 20-10 214 NR Indy Midwest
Others Receiving Votes:
Plover College 19-8 94 Indy Midwest
Chesapeake State 16-9 60 South Atlantic Conference
Mobile Maritime 16-9 55 South Atlantic Conference
Eastern State 19-9 41 Indy South
Oklahoma City State 18-7 17 Plains Athletic Association
Chicago Poly 17-11 9 Indy Midwest
Dickson 18-9 8 Academia Alliance
Harper College 19-8 2 Indy East
Charleston Tech 17-8 1 South Atlantic Conference
RESULTS INVOLVING RANKED TEAMS
MONDAY FEBRUARY 19
#20 Miami State 37 Central Carolina 35
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 20
none scheduled
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 21
#13 Noble Jones College 43 Northern Mississippi 35
#14 Mississippi A&M 55 Georgia Baptist 33
#15 Western Florida 47 Bayou State 46
#18 Wichita Baptists 43 #20 Miami State 42
#21 St Blane 43 Mahoning Valley State 34
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 22
#2 North Carolina Tech 41 Petersburg 25
#3 Western Iowa 54 Minnesota Tech 35
Alexandria 50 #4 Carolina Poly 36
#10 Garden State 48 Manhattan Tech 38
#19 Brooklyn State 56 Brooklyn Catholic 38
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 23
#24 Coastal California 59 #8 Rainier College 58
#9 CC Los Angeles 43 Idaho A&M 35
#12 Texas Gulf Coast 46 Arkansas A&T 32
#17 Lane State 51 Northern California 27
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 24
#2 North Carolina Tech 48 Coastal State 40
#3 Western Iowa 44 Wisconsin State 40
#4 Carolina Poly 44 Chesapeake State 42
#10 Garden State 66 Jersey City Tech 36
#12 Texas Gulf Coast 66 Canyon A&M 48
#13 Noble Jones College 55 Central Kentucky 23
#14 Mississippi A&M 33 Baton Rogue State 32
#15 Western Florida 49 Georgia Baptist 33
#19 Brooklyn State 55 Bronx Tech 41
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25
#7 Ohio Poly 62 Needham 30
#9 CC Los Angeles 42 #8 Rainier College 30
#17 Lane State 38 Portland Tech 32
Chicago Poly 43 #18 Wichita Baptist 35
Frankford State 58 #23 Conwell College 53
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 2/25/1945
- Allied troops have opened a big push, launching a grand-scale offense near Cologne, forcing across the Roer River line at six or more points. General Eisenhower says this drive is designed to smash Germany.
- American forces strengthened their hold in the Philippines by gaining control of strategic San Bernardino Strait with the seizure of Caul Island, off southeastern Luzon.
- On Iwo, weary marines, armed with flamethrowers and bayonets, battled across the central airfield on the island and complete control of the field appears almost within their grasp. By weeks end the Marines had captured half of Iwo Jima.
- The Premier of Egypt was assassinated a few minutes after he read to the Chamber of Deputies a royal decree declaring war on Germany and Japan. A single shooter fired 4 bullets at close range as he crossed the lawn to read the same decree to the Senate.
- The Turkish National Assembly voted approval of a declaration of war against Germany and Japan.
- Amazingly 5 survivors walked away with only minor injuries after an American Airlines plane crashed in Virginia, killing 17.