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Tiger Fan · 04-12-2023, 11:14 AM

SEPTEMBER 9, 1946

BOSTON PITCHING GROUNDS EAGLES

The opening 3 rounds of a September battle that sees heavyweight Federal Association contenders Boston and Washington meet 8 times in the final 25 days of the season went to the Boston Minutemen who rode three dominant pitching performances to a 3-game sweep at Columbia Stadium in the Nation's Capital, opening up a 3.5 game lead on the Eagles in the process. It was the centerpiece of a nightmare week for the Stockdales, who were swept by Pittsburgh in a Labour Day doubleheader to start the week before at least salvaging one victory in the last seven days by splitting a 2-game weekend series with Philadelphia. The Minutemen bookended their big performance in Washington with a split of their two-games against each of the Keystones and Miners.

Many in Boston were feeling like the pennant was lost when veteran lefthander Dean Astle joined ace Ray Dalpman on the sidelines after injuring a finger on his throwing hand just over a week ago. The Minutemen have outstanding pitching depth, however, and the three starters who had taken a back seat to Dalpman and Astle to start the year each came up big in Washington. Ed Wood became FABL's first 20-game winner this season with a sparkling 4-hit 3-1 victory in the series opener on Wednesday. A day later Duke Hendricks was even better, twirling a 2-hit shutout in a 2-0 Boston victory to run his record to 11-9 on the year. Finally on Friday it was John Edwards turn to shine. The 30-year old had been confined to the bullpen in his first year back after three seasons missed while serving in the Coast Guard but was inserted in the rotation when Dalpman went down. All he has done in 13 starts since then is go 7-3 with a 2.59 era including a complete game 2-1 victory over the Eagles to complete the sweep.

The cold spell could not come at a worse time for Washington as the Eagles desperately try to win their fist pennant since 1925. Washington entered the week on a roll, riding a 22-10 stretch into the Labour Day showdown with Pittsburgh, but a 1-6 week drops their title chances to just 5.6% according to the pennant predictors.
*** Cougars Remain 3 Back in CA ***

The Continental Association forecast calls the New York Stars an overwhelming 82% favourite to claim the flag in that loop, giving the second place Chicago Cougars less than 18% chance of winning their first pennant since 1941. The two clubs split their Labour Day showdown in the Big Apple with Pete Papenfus and the Chicago nine shelling the Stars 8-1 in the opener but New York got its revenge with an 8-2 triumph in the nightcap. Both clubs would finish out the week with 4 victories in 5 games keeping the Stars lead at 3 with 3 weeks remaining in the season. The duo will meet for a 3-game series at Cougars Park to open the final week of the campaign and despite the odds heavily favouring the Stars, it seems like a foolish assumption to count the Cougars and baseball's best pitching staff -at least west of Boston- out of the race.

1946 DRAFT PREVIEW PART FIVE: A LOOK AHEAD TO THE 1948 DRAFT CLASS

As we do with every draft preview, TWIFB also attempts to gaze into its crystal ball two years down the road and try and project -with a big assistance from OSA- the top candidates for the draft that is still a year and a half away. This group has a lot of players with major league connections. The son's of Tom Bird,John Dibblee, Jim Watson and Al Wheeler are in this class as is Charlie Barrell, who's brother Deuce is the star pitcher of the Cincinnati Cannons. It also projects to have a lot of talent, at least at this early stage as by our count OSA lists roughly 40 players in this group capable of being at least middle of the rotation or an above average position player.

It is a long ways away before this group will even get a taste of pro ball, never mind actually making it to the pinnacle of the sport, but here are 16 names to keep an eye on in our annual "WAY TO EARLY MOCK DRAFT"

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		      1946 WAY TOO EARLY MOCK FIRST ROUND DRAFT
RK  NAME	         POS AGE  SCHOOL	         	HOMETOWN          OSA ASSESSMENT
 1 Joe Kleman*	   SS  16 Princeton(IL) HS  	Princeton, IL     multiple trips to ASG
 2 Dave Smith	   RHP 15 Bellmore(NY) HS     Brooklyn, NY	immense ceiling, a future rotation anchor
 3 Al Bennett	   RF  16 Oak Hill(OH) HS     Cleveland, OH     star could be blinding
  4 Buck Burdell	   CF	 16 Gillette(WY) HS     Gilletee, WY       multiple trips to allstar game
 5 Dixie Gaines	   LHP 19 Capital(MS) Univ.   Starkville, MS	stuff and talent needed to be a #1
 6 Ken Crossley	   RHP 16 Gainesville(GA)HS   Gainesville, GA	ceiling of an ace
 7 Curt Brooks       2B	 15 Princeton(IL) HS    Chicago, IL   	star could be blinding
 8 Gene Curtis	   RHP 15 Furness HS, Philly  Steelton, PA	golden arm and top of rotation
 9 Charlie Barrell*  2B  16 Capital Acad., DC   Los Angels, CA	very promising future
10 Walt Cooper	   RHP 15 Grand Rapids(MI)HS  Fiint, MI    	top of rotation starter
11 Roy Snedden*	   3B	 16 Rowlesburg(WV) HS   Rowlesburg, WV    elite 3B
12 Miguel Rocha	   CF	 20 Maryland State      Plattsburgh, NY   above average big league CF
13 Charlie Craighead LHP 16 Kensett(AR) HS      Kensett, AR 	top of rotation
14 Andy Bonner	   RF  16 Benton (KY) HS      Benton, KY  	cornerstone player
15 Don Goldman	   CF  16 Malden (MA) HS      Malden, MA  	elite CF 
16 Eddie Whitney     RHP 19 Long Island Maritm. Washington, DC	front of the rotation
* All-American Selection

		HONOURABLE MENTION 
  NAME		POS AGE   SCHOOL		    HOMETOWN	         OSA ASSESSMENT
Phil Belleau      2B  16  Groveland (FL) HS   Orlando, FL       above average player
Bob Benton	      2B  16  Middlesboro(KY) HS  Middlesborough,KY productive regular on contender
Bill Browning     1B  16  Holden(WV) HS       Holden, WV        above average player
Roland Hawe	      LF  16  Normandy HS, StL    St Louis, MO      above average OF
George Hodges	2B  14  Brownsville(PA)HS   Youngstown,OH	    cornerstone 2B
Glen Holbrook	CF  15  Cleveland(OK) HS    Winfield, KS      above average
John Hubbard	RHP 16  Kellerman(AL) HS    Kellerman, AL     mid-rotation starter
Pete Ireton	      2B  15  Muhall (PA) HS      Munhall, PA	    potential elite 2B
Fred Kelley	      CF  16  Roanoke(IL) HS      Roanoke, IL       key role on a contender
Phil Lee          CF  16  Natick (MA) HS      Natick, MA        can make impact on a top team
Jimmy Morris	RHP 16  Monroeville(OH) HS  Monroeville,OH    top of rotation
Frankie Raymond	RHP 16  Waite HS Toledo     Toledo, OH 	    mid-rotation starter
Ansel Rohling	RHP 15  Creston(IA) HS      St Joseph, MO	    mid-rotation starter
George Smith      C   16  Ridgefield Park HS  Ridgefield Park,NJ above average catcher
Gene Tracy        LHP 16  Fulton (NY) HS      Fulton, NY        front of the rotation
Joe Watson        CF  16  Wheaton(IL) HS      Wheaton, IL       all the skills scouts look for in CF
Steve Wheeler     CF  16  Hillcrest HS, Cincy Detroit, MI	    good potential and promising future
Pug White         LHP 16  Monterey (CA) HS    San Francisco,CA  mid-rotation starter
Bill Wooten       LHP 16  Princeton (IL) HS   Princeton, IL     top half of rotation

DYANMOS ROUGH SEASON ENTERS HOMESTRETCH

Just three weeks remaining in what has been for the most a pretty disappointing season for the Dynamos ballclub. After making another unsuccessful pennant push a year ago, owner Powell Thompson slashed salary and parted ways with his old General Manager. The new group was given a mandate to get costs in line and that was one of the few areas that they can be considered successful.

We all knew the young team was unlikely to contend this season but they have been even worse than feared. Certainly the season ending injury to ace Dixie Lee in June sent them down the wrong path and likely played a factor in dumping the contracts of Art White, Mack Sutton and Rip Curry as well as several unproductive vets. Much more was expected of young outfielder Dick Blaszak, who has a load of pressure on him after being part of the January deal that sent the number one pick - which turned out to be Piedmont University ace John Stalllings- to the rival Chicago Chiefs. Blaszak underperformed and neither of the 19 year old elite prospects -shortstop Stan Kleminski and outfielder Edwin Hackberry- proved ready which led to Detroit having the worst offense in the Federal Association.

The good news is all 3 of those players are young and great things are still expected one day soon from Hackberry and Kleminski. The Dynamos also found a potential all-star pair in the 23 year old double-play duo of second baseman Del Johnson and shortstop Bob Montgomery, but it does seem to be just a matter of time before Montgomery gives way to Kleminski -assuming the latter can figure out his defensive problems. Detroit also found a keeper on the mound in 24 year old rookie Wally Huner, who leads the team in wins and seems like he will be a perfect 1-2 combination with 20 year old Carl Potter for the next decade.

We might have to watch this club struggle a little while longer but the foundation to build a bright future at Thompson Field certainly appears to be in place.
*** DCC Grid Eleven Has High Hopes ***

The mood on the Detroit City College campus is one of excitement as the grid Knights continue workouts in preparation for their September 28 season opener against Indiana A&M. Many are saying this will be the best opportunity the school has ever had to make its first trip to Santa Ana on New Year's Day for the East-West Classic. DCC has never played in the big game, and were passed over last season in favour of Alabama Baptist despite finishing 10-1 and ranked 3rd in the nation after beating Travis College in the Lone Star Classic.

There is plenty of talent returning this year and the Knights grid team has a very friendly schedule for the upcoming season. Seven of the Knights 9 games will be contested in Detroit including six at City College Stadium with only the Nov 2 game at Minnesota State and the traditional season-ender against Central Ohio to played on the road. Early indications are the Knights have a terrific ballclub and may contend for the National Title. The big tests are expected to come in the form of two-time defending national champion Rome State, with the All-American backfield duo of Gus Thompson and Chet Donelson, as well Great Lakes Alliance rivals Lincoln and Minnesota Tech.

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 DETROIT CITY COLLEGE GRID SCHEDULE[
Sep 28  Indiana A&M
Oct 5   Western Iowa
Oct 12  Rome State (at Thompson Field)
Oct 19  St Magnus
Oct 26  Lincoln
Nov 2   at Minnesota Tech (in Minneapolis)
Nov 9   St Ignatius
Nov 16  Wisconsin State
Nov 23  at Central Ohio (in Columbus)

*** Maroons Enter Post Vaught Era ****

There is far less anticipation of big time grid success for the Motor City's pro entry. Head Coach Frank Yurik was never Stan Vaught's biggest fan, but the Maroons bench boss may be longing for his all-star end a few games into the upcoming campaign. Vaught has retired, and says it is for good this time around, leaving the game as the leader in virtually every receiving category. Without their offensive star, the Maroons may be hard-pressed to reach the AFA championship game for the third consecutive season. They came up short each of the past two seasons and also lost in the 1940 title tilt. Last time Rollie Barrell's ballclub won the AFA crown was 1936 when they beat Pittsburgh at Thompson Field.

Speaking of Barrell, the Maroons owner will be pulling double-duty this season as he is also the President of the new Federal Basketball League entry. Rollie, with the backing of the Whitmore Motor Car Company, will own the cage entry -to be called the Mustangs- in the 8 team pro loop this fall. They are expected to play out of Thompson Arena and will be part of the first big league basketball circuit since the old Federal League -in which Barrell co-owned the Brooklyn club- folded in 1930.

TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN

Wolves Weekly Woes Continue -As the Toronto nine careen towards their worst finish in CA since 1939 along with a win total probably in the sixties for the first time since 1935 Brett will give a short synopsis on the causes of the disappointing 1946 results.

The team, as reported many times in the Mail & Empire, has performed far under expectations in all three key areas of the game Pitching, Hitting, Defense.

Pitching: The Wolves have had a highly regarded staff throughout the decade, one that was supposed to be bolstered by the return of servicemen, in particular Joe Hancock. With a one, two punch of Allen Award winner Garrison followed by Hancock long losing streaks should have a thing of the past. Unfortunately Garrison, 10-14, 3.16, Hancock 9-14, 3.86 have not had successful seasons. Their total of 19 wins by the middle of September would have been the expectation of at least one if not both these pitchers at this point in 1946. When the staff leader in wins at 11 is Bob Walls 11-11, 4.00 does not speak well of the season. Myer 8-4, 2.76 has given the staff a boost after Morrison was relegated to the 'pen but it wasn't nearly enough. Gibbs, 9-8, 3.76 after a hot first half has given the team what was expected of him.

The relief corps has been a unmitigated disaster all season. The return of Jayson was supposed to give Manager Call a reliable arm to call on late in the game, as are his tendencies to save his SP. Jayson's 4-7, 3.82 with 15 saves is a far cry from this once elite stopper. Five blown saves were not expected, failing to close out 25% of his opportunities has given Call fits. Chick Wirtz was supposed to give Call a second reliable arm to go to in tight games, That has not been the case as Wirtz is almost a forgotten man with an ERA on the wrong side of 5. A second to last in the CA staff ERA, 3.80, is a long way from the way this season was supposed play out for the fans.

Hitting: The Wolves may have been able withstand a down season from one of the regulars but 4 Pack, Stickels, Artuso, Pomales was probably 3 too many in 1946. Pack's, .231/.291/.331with only 8 HR, 52 RBI, fall has been the most baffling to the staff. The biggest problem is that those number have been improving lately, Pack was almost an automatic out early in 1946. Giordano's, Wood's bats have provide a boost to an anemic offense but not enough to overcome the steps back taken by others in the lineup.

Defense: The second cornerstone, behind pitching, of Call's keys to success in Toronto has been a millstone around the necks of the team in 1946. While not dreadful compared to other CA teams the Wolves defense has not given the run prevention needed to support both pitching and hitting deficiencies that have emerged in '46. While Giordano, Wood have contributed with their bats their work in the field has leaves a lot to be desired, Giordano has been charged with 13 errors, Wood 19. The Wolves defensive woes can be summed in the last game the Wolves played on Sunday. In the second game of the doubleheader managed to throw away, literally, a 4-1 in the top of ninth when the Sailors scored 5 aided by 2 errors to win 6-4. Those 2 miscues were part of 5 made during the game. This is 1946 not 1906!

Lost in the excitement of Boston's big week was Chick Donnelly's 2,500 career FABL hit. The 34 year old got the milestone in Boston's only loss of the week, as part of his 3-hit performance in a 5-0 loss to the Keystones in the nightcap of a Monday twinbill.
Not all are happy in Boston. It is no secret that veteran outfielder Joe Watson is not happy with his reduced role on the team this season after starting 90 games in the Minutemen outfield a year ago and that perhaps was a factor in his wife lashing out at the city last week. Mrs. Watson called Boston "a one-horse town with nothing to do and no good shops." She added that she would love to see her husband be the face of the franchise in a 'nice' city. Watson attempted to distance himself from his wife's comments.
Bill Wise, selected 11th overall by the Eagles in this year's draft, continues to dominate no matter the level. The 18 year old second baseman went 10-for-26 last week in his first taste of AAA pitching. Wise has been through all 5 Eagles minor league affiliates in less than two months as a pro and is slashing .421/.488/.590 thru his first 43 games of minor league ball.
All the talk about the league's new rookie of the year award -to be named after Hall of Famer Rankin Kellogg seems to have motivated Walt Hunter of Detroit. The Dynamos rookie went 2-0 last week with a 1.80 era to hike his season totals to 16-7, 2.45. Hunter has an outside chance at a 20-win season.
Another dreadful week for the Toronto Wolves, who have gone from pennant contenders to battling to stay out of the Continental Association cellar. The Wolves were officially eliminated from the pennant chase after a 2-5 week that saw their record dip to 61-76. They are on pace for their worst season since 1935, which was right about the time many felt the club would have to be moved out of Toronto due to declining attendance caused by 8 straight losing seasons.
A few notes from Brooklyn courtesy of Percy Pringle Sr. of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle: "Well, that was a tough week with games against the Stars and Cougars. Only win came when SP Leo Hayden heard he might not get the proper consideration for the rookie award. So what does he do? He pitches a 6-hit shutout against the Cougars in a 4-0 win.....2B Gil London continues to swing a hot bat 10-26 and is still slashing .417/.440/.968 since coming over to the Kings....CF Ralph Johnson went 7-20 in his second week (15-42 overall) hitting .357/.472/.924. He’s driven in 11 RBI’s and scored 7 runs. He’s walked 10 times but is still searching for that first career home run. Johnson picked up a sore shoulder so he will sit out the first part of this week...RF Joe Rutherford is slowly raising his average but will miss the next 2 weeks with an ankle sprain. We will likely give Vernon Ruch a farewell tour the next couple of weeks. He may stick around as a veteran pinch hitter next season, the jury is still out there or maybe 1B

CFC TAKES FLIGHT

Born out of the vision of newspaperman Percy Sutherland and brought to life by former St Blane All-American and retired Navy Lt. Commander Ben Montgomery, the Continental Football Conference sprang to life Friday evening in Chicago with the first contest of the newest professional football league. With Sutherland and Montgomery, who is the President of the new loop, on hand along with over 42,000 other patrons at a nearly sold out Cougars Park to witness the historic event as the visiting New York Gothams topped the hometown Chicago Comets 24-7 to win the first game in CFC history.

The first score in CFC history came early and was on a 46-yard interception return from Gothams back Ken Hale after picking off a John Mecham pass just over 3 minutes into the ballgame. The Gothams were led by Hale's 52 yards rushing and quarterback Hal Collett throwing for 100 yards in a game that saw New York's strong run defense force the hometown Comets to rely almost exclusively on the arm of Mechem for any sort of offense. Chicago's only score came on a 75-yard punt return from Bo Mandish, the former Indiana A&M All-American back.

Two more games were played over the weekend as all but coast entries Los Angeles and San Francisco got underway. The Kansas City Cowboys look like they may be the team to beat as two-sport college star Pat Chappell had a dominant passing game. The former football star and basketball All-American at St Magnus threw for 323 yards and 4 touchdowns to pace the Cowboys to a 43-14 victory over the Brooklyn Football Kings at tiny Packer Park, which doubles as home for the local AAA baseball team. The final game of the weekend also took place at a minor league baseball stadium -this one in New Orleans- where the visiting Buffalo Bulls blanked the New Orleans Crescents 21-0.

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CONTINTENTAL CONFERENCE STANDINGS
EAST           W  L  T   PCT
Buffalo        1  0  0  1.000
NY Gothams     1  0  0  1.000
New Orleans    0  1  0   .000
Brooklyn       0  1  0   .000

WEST           W  L  T   PCT
Kansas City    1  0  0  1.000
Chicago	       0  1  0   .000
Los Angeles    0  0  0   .000
San Francisco  0  0  0   .000

LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
NY Gothams 24 Chicago 7
Kansas City 43 Brooklyn 14
Buffalo 21 New Orleans 0

UPCOMING GAMES
FRIDAY SEPT 13
Buffalo at Los Angeles
Chicago at San Francisco
SATURDAY SEPT 14
New Orleans at Brooklyn
SUNDAY SEPT 15
NY Gothams at Kansas City

MONTGOMERY THRILLED WITH CFC START

"It was a long time coming, but well worth the wait," declared Lt. Commander Bob Montgomery over the weekend. He was referring to the opening weekend of the Continental Football Conference, of which he is the President, and was all smiles after the proceedings in Chicago, Kansas City and New Orleans went off without a hitch. There were plenty of names well known to collegiate football fans including former St Magnus star Pat Chappell, who put on a quarterbacking clinic in Kansas City yesterday and each of the three venues were at or near capacity.

The fact that two of those venues greatly paled when compared to the 50,000 seat monstrosities that some of the AFA teams play did nothing to dampen Montgomery's spirits. He says bigger stadiums may come and the owners in Kansas City -which plays in a stadium that barely holds 15,000- and New Orleans, which does not have room for much more than that, are committed to building the game in cities that had never seen bigtime professional team sports firsthand before.

"We have some big venues too," noted Montgomery who quickly pointed out Cougars Park in Chicago, Kings County in Brooklyn and Gothams Stadium in New York. "The 14 game schedule will help for sure, and our great group of owners are well connected and well financed to prove that football can easily handle two major leagues. Baseball has done it for decades with the Federal and Continental Associations and we think football will be no different."

The Continental Conference still has a pair of aces up its sleeve in Los Angeles and San Francisco, both of which will debut at home next week. The Los Angeles Lobos have a movie mogul owner in Dee Rose -who also owns baseball's St Louis Pioneers- and promises to make Lobos football a spectacle worthy of Tinsel Town. Los Angeles and San Francisco have both quickly embraced big-time baseball with the arrival of the Great Western League as a major loop, and football will likely get the same treatment from coast fans eager for pro sports.

HIGGINS RETURNING WEST

Boston high school guard Don Higgins, considered the most talented basketball player to come out of a New England school in years, has announced he will play his college ball in Washington State at Rainier College beginning next year. The 18 year old guard is the younger brother of current Chicago Chief and former Boston Minutemen pitcher Dick Higgins. Don grew up in California but came east for high school to live in Boston with his brother's family and is a 3-sport star at St Patrick's Prep. Both St Patrick's University and Commonwealth Catholic -the two major Boston colleges- were wooing Higgins but their chances all but vanished when his brother was waived by the baseball Minutemen and signed with the Chiefs.

Dick Higgins, known as Pistol, plans to sell his Boston home and move his family to Chicago over the winter. With no ties to New England any longer, Don changed his mind on plans to attend St Patrick's University and will join the Majestics instead. Don is a 6'2" guard who is known as 'Popgun' and plays football and baseball in addition to starring for the St Patrick's Prep cage squad.

FIELD FINALIZED FOR COLLEGE CAGE SHOWCASES

The teams have been confirmed for each of the 3 major tournaments that mark the start of another collegiate basketball season. The events are the New York City Tournament of Champions, the Jack Easton Tip-Off Classic and the Preseason AIAA Showcase. Defending National Champion CC Los Angeles will be one of the 8 teams descending on Boston in the first week of November. The group joining the Coyotes in the Jack Easton Tip-Off Classic, which is named after the founder of the sport and one of the key figures behind the formation of AIAA basketball, will include Miami State, Coastal State and Detroit City College. The Gulls finished 6th in the end of season rankings a year ago while the Eagles were 10th and the Knights were 15th.

JACK EASTON TIP-OFF CLASSIC (Boston, Ma.)
CC Los Angeles Coyotes
Miami State Gulls
Detroit City College Knights
Coastal State Eagles
University of New Jersey Warriors
Elyria Pioneers
Henry Hudson Explorers
Bigsby College Gents

The other two opening weekend tournaments are each four team events. The Bigsby Garden in New York City will host the Tournament of Champions while Lake Side Arena in Chicago will remain the venue for the Preseason AIAA Chicago Showcase.

NYC TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
Rainier College Majestics
Garden City Redbirds
Annapolis Maritime Navigators
Lambert College Stags

Rainier College made the national semi-finals a year ago while Garden State and Annapolis Maritime both finished in the top 15 of the polls.

PRESEASON AIAA CHICAGO SHOWCASE
Liberty College Bells
Brunswick Knights
Brooklyn State Bears
Redwood Mammoths

Liberty College reached the national championship game a year ago before falling by a single point to CCLA in the title contest.

WHITMORE MOTORS BACKS DETROIT CAGE ENTRY

A Bio of Detroit Mustangs Majority Owner Harrison Whitmore

By John Brinker, New York Daily Mirror

In 1942, the Whitmore Motor Car Company shifted its production entirely to support the war effort. Throughout World War II, Whitmore played a pivotal role in building aircraft engines, including the V-1650, a licensed version of the Merlin engine from Rolls-Royce, which powered the renowned P-51 Mustang fighter plane often referred to as the "Cadillac of the Skies" by GIs during WWII. Additionally, Whitmore also manufactured V-12 marine engines with power outputs ranging from 1350 to 1500 horsepower for American PT boats, with three engines powering each boat, as well as supplying engines for Britain's patrol boats. As a result, Whitmore ranked 18th among all US corporations in terms of the value of wartime production contracts, highlighting their significant contribution to the war effort.

In 1945, Harrison Whitmore, the CEO of Whitmore Motors, and Roland Barrell, the owner of the Detroit Maroons in the AFA (American Football Association), struck up a collaboration. Whitmore, a sports enthusiast, was keen on expanding his business interests beyond the automotive industry. Together, they decided to venture into professional basketball and formed a new team called the Detroit Mustangs. Whitmore would own 60% of the club, while Barrell would own 30%, and the remaining 10% would be held by minority shareholders. The Detroit Mustangs would become one of the inaugural teams in the Federal Basketball Association, which commenced its first season in the fall of 1946, marking Whitmore's foray into the world of professional sports ownership

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

Sep 21 - Noble Jones College Arena, Atlanta, Ga. : World Welterweight champion Dennis 'The Jacksonville Jackhammer' O'Keefe (20-1) vs Mark Westlake (19-2-1).
Sep 23- Brooklyn: John Edmonds (20-2) vs Brooks O'Connor (21-3-2) ranked middleweights.
Sep 26- Denny Arena, Boston: Scott Baker (15-0-2) vs Roy Crawford (21-2) ranked heavyweights
Oct 15- Denny Arena, Boston: World Middleweight champion Frank 'The Tank' Melanson (30-0-2) makes his third title defense against European champion Edouard Desmarais (36-0).

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 9/08/1946

Admiral Nimitz warned the nation that strong occupation of far-flung 'enemy' bases is equally as important as a strong American fleet to prevent future wars.
A day later General Eisenhower echoed Nimitiz sentiment, calling for formation of a powerful military security force to escape "an alternative too devastating to contemplate."
The head of the National Civil Service Commission urged the National Federation of Federal Employees to adopt a written code of ethics, "noting that communists and Ku Klux Klan members cannot be tolerated in Federal jobs, nor can persons who believe that Government workers have the right to strike."
The Paris Peace Conference is now hung up on how to treat the disposition of the Adriatic port of Trieste. Italy warns that creation of a free territory of Trieste would be a "permanent threat to the peace" between Italy and Yugoslavia.
Returning to the White House from his summer vacation, President Truman hit at the "disturbing evidence of intolerance and prejudice" in the country, declaring it was "similar in kind, though perhaps not in degree, to that which we fought against in the war."

04-12-2023, 11:14 AM	#679
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,873	September 9, 1946 - CFC begins and owners backtrack on 168 game slate SEPTEMBER 9, 1946 BOSTON PITCHING GROUNDS EAGLES The opening 3 rounds of a September battle that sees heavyweight Federal Association contenders Boston and Washington meet 8 times in the final 25 days of the season went to the Boston Minutemen who rode three dominant pitching performances to a 3-game sweep at Columbia Stadium in the Nation's Capital, opening up a 3.5 game lead on the Eagles in the process. It was the centerpiece of a nightmare week for the Stockdales, who were swept by Pittsburgh in a Labour Day doubleheader to start the week before at least salvaging one victory in the last seven days by splitting a 2-game weekend series with Philadelphia. The Minutemen bookended their big performance in Washington with a split of their two-games against each of the Keystones and Miners. Many in Boston were feeling like the pennant was lost when veteran lefthander Dean Astle joined ace Ray Dalpman on the sidelines after injuring a finger on his throwing hand just over a week ago. The Minutemen have outstanding pitching depth, however, and the three starters who had taken a back seat to Dalpman and Astle to start the year each came up big in Washington. Ed Wood became FABL's first 20-game winner this season with a sparkling 4-hit 3-1 victory in the series opener on Wednesday. A day later Duke Hendricks was even better, twirling a 2-hit shutout in a 2-0 Boston victory to run his record to 11-9 on the year. Finally on Friday it was John Edwards turn to shine. The 30-year old had been confined to the bullpen in his first year back after three seasons missed while serving in the Coast Guard but was inserted in the rotation when Dalpman went down. All he has done in 13 starts since then is go 7-3 with a 2.59 era including a complete game 2-1 victory over the Eagles to complete the sweep. The cold spell could not come at a worse time for Washington as the Eagles desperately try to win their fist pennant since 1925. Washington entered the week on a roll, riding a 22-10 stretch into the Labour Day showdown with Pittsburgh, but a 1-6 week drops their title chances to just 5.6% according to the pennant predictors. * Cougars Remain 3 Back in CA * The Continental Association forecast calls the New York Stars an overwhelming 82% favourite to claim the flag in that loop, giving the second place Chicago Cougars less than 18% chance of winning their first pennant since 1941. The two clubs split their Labour Day showdown in the Big Apple with Pete Papenfus and the Chicago nine shelling the Stars 8-1 in the opener but New York got its revenge with an 8-2 triumph in the nightcap. Both clubs would finish out the week with 4 victories in 5 games keeping the Stars lead at 3 with 3 weeks remaining in the season. The duo will meet for a 3-game series at Cougars Park to open the final week of the campaign and despite the odds heavily favouring the Stars, it seems like a foolish assumption to count the Cougars and baseball's best pitching staff -at least west of Boston- out of the race. 1946 DRAFT PREVIEW PART FIVE: A LOOK AHEAD TO THE 1948 DRAFT CLASS As we do with every draft preview, TWIFB also attempts to gaze into its crystal ball two years down the road and try and project -with a big assistance from OSA- the top candidates for the draft that is still a year and a half away. This group has a lot of players with major league connections. The son's of Tom Bird,John Dibblee, Jim Watson and Al Wheeler are in this class as is Charlie Barrell, who's brother Deuce is the star pitcher of the Cincinnati Cannons. It also projects to have a lot of talent, at least at this early stage as by our count OSA lists roughly 40 players in this group capable of being at least middle of the rotation or an above average position player. It is a long ways away before this group will even get a taste of pro ball, never mind actually making it to the pinnacle of the sport, but here are 16 names to keep an eye on in our annual "WAY TO EARLY MOCK DRAFT" Code: 1946 WAY TOO EARLY MOCK FIRST ROUND DRAFT RK NAME POS AGE SCHOOL HOMETOWN OSA ASSESSMENT 1 Joe Kleman* SS 16 Princeton(IL) HS Princeton, IL multiple trips to ASG 2 Dave Smith RHP 15 Bellmore(NY) HS Brooklyn, NY immense ceiling, a future rotation anchor 3 Al Bennett RF 16 Oak Hill(OH) HS Cleveland, OH star could be blinding 4 Buck Burdell CF 16 Gillette(WY) HS Gilletee, WY multiple trips to allstar game 5 Dixie Gaines LHP 19 Capital(MS) Univ. Starkville, MS stuff and talent needed to be a #1 6 Ken Crossley RHP 16 Gainesville(GA)HS Gainesville, GA ceiling of an ace 7 Curt Brooks 2B 15 Princeton(IL) HS Chicago, IL star could be blinding 8 Gene Curtis RHP 15 Furness HS, Philly Steelton, PA golden arm and top of rotation 9 Charlie Barrell* 2B 16 Capital Acad., DC Los Angels, CA very promising future 10 Walt Cooper RHP 15 Grand Rapids(MI)HS Fiint, MI top of rotation starter 11 Roy Snedden* 3B 16 Rowlesburg(WV) HS Rowlesburg, WV elite 3B 12 Miguel Rocha CF 20 Maryland State Plattsburgh, NY above average big league CF 13 Charlie Craighead LHP 16 Kensett(AR) HS Kensett, AR top of rotation 14 Andy Bonner RF 16 Benton (KY) HS Benton, KY cornerstone player 15 Don Goldman CF 16 Malden (MA) HS Malden, MA elite CF 16 Eddie Whitney RHP 19 Long Island Maritm. Washington, DC front of the rotation * All-American Selection HONOURABLE MENTION NAME POS AGE SCHOOL HOMETOWN OSA ASSESSMENT Phil Belleau 2B 16 Groveland (FL) HS Orlando, FL above average player Bob Benton 2B 16 Middlesboro(KY) HS Middlesborough,KY productive regular on contender Bill Browning 1B 16 Holden(WV) HS Holden, WV above average player Roland Hawe LF 16 Normandy HS, StL St Louis, MO above average OF George Hodges 2B 14 Brownsville(PA)HS Youngstown,OH cornerstone 2B Glen Holbrook CF 15 Cleveland(OK) HS Winfield, KS above average John Hubbard RHP 16 Kellerman(AL) HS Kellerman, AL mid-rotation starter Pete Ireton 2B 15 Muhall (PA) HS Munhall, PA potential elite 2B Fred Kelley CF 16 Roanoke(IL) HS Roanoke, IL key role on a contender Phil Lee CF 16 Natick (MA) HS Natick, MA can make impact on a top team Jimmy Morris RHP 16 Monroeville(OH) HS Monroeville,OH top of rotation Frankie Raymond RHP 16 Waite HS Toledo Toledo, OH mid-rotation starter Ansel Rohling RHP 15 Creston(IA) HS St Joseph, MO mid-rotation starter George Smith C 16 Ridgefield Park HS Ridgefield Park,NJ above average catcher Gene Tracy LHP 16 Fulton (NY) HS Fulton, NY front of the rotation Joe Watson CF 16 Wheaton(IL) HS Wheaton, IL all the skills scouts look for in CF Steve Wheeler CF 16 Hillcrest HS, Cincy Detroit, MI good potential and promising future Pug White LHP 16 Monterey (CA) HS San Francisco,CA mid-rotation starter Bill Wooten LHP 16 Princeton (IL) HS Princeton, IL top half of rotation DYANMOS ROUGH SEASON ENTERS HOMESTRETCH Just three weeks remaining in what has been for the most a pretty disappointing season for the Dynamos ballclub. After making another unsuccessful pennant push a year ago, owner Powell Thompson slashed salary and parted ways with his old General Manager. The new group was given a mandate to get costs in line and that was one of the few areas that they can be considered successful. We all knew the young team was unlikely to contend this season but they have been even worse than feared. Certainly the season ending injury to ace Dixie Lee in June sent them down the wrong path and likely played a factor in dumping the contracts of Art White, Mack Sutton and Rip Curry as well as several unproductive vets. Much more was expected of young outfielder Dick Blaszak, who has a load of pressure on him after being part of the January deal that sent the number one pick - which turned out to be Piedmont University ace John Stalllings- to the rival Chicago Chiefs. Blaszak underperformed and neither of the 19 year old elite prospects -shortstop Stan Kleminski and outfielder Edwin Hackberry- proved ready which led to Detroit having the worst offense in the Federal Association. The good news is all 3 of those players are young and great things are still expected one day soon from Hackberry and Kleminski. The Dynamos also found a potential all-star pair in the 23 year old double-play duo of second baseman Del Johnson and shortstop Bob Montgomery, but it does seem to be just a matter of time before Montgomery gives way to Kleminski -assuming the latter can figure out his defensive problems. Detroit also found a keeper on the mound in 24 year old rookie Wally Huner, who leads the team in wins and seems like he will be a perfect 1-2 combination with 20 year old Carl Potter for the next decade. We might have to watch this club struggle a little while longer but the foundation to build a bright future at Thompson Field certainly appears to be in place. * DCC Grid Eleven Has High Hopes * The mood on the Detroit City College campus is one of excitement as the grid Knights continue workouts in preparation for their September 28 season opener against Indiana A&M. Many are saying this will be the best opportunity the school has ever had to make its first trip to Santa Ana on New Year's Day for the East-West Classic. DCC has never played in the big game, and were passed over last season in favour of Alabama Baptist despite finishing 10-1 and ranked 3rd in the nation after beating Travis College in the Lone Star Classic. There is plenty of talent returning this year and the Knights grid team has a very friendly schedule for the upcoming season. Seven of the Knights 9 games will be contested in Detroit including six at City College Stadium with only the Nov 2 game at Minnesota State and the traditional season-ender against Central Ohio to played on the road. Early indications are the Knights have a terrific ballclub and may contend for the National Title. The big tests are expected to come in the form of two-time defending national champion Rome State, with the All-American backfield duo of Gus Thompson and Chet Donelson, as well Great Lakes Alliance rivals Lincoln and Minnesota Tech. Code: DETROIT CITY COLLEGE GRID SCHEDULE[ Sep 28 Indiana A&M Oct 5 Western Iowa Oct 12 Rome State (at Thompson Field) Oct 19 St Magnus Oct 26 Lincoln Nov 2 at Minnesota Tech (in Minneapolis) Nov 9 St Ignatius Nov 16 Wisconsin State Nov 23 at Central Ohio (in Columbus) * Maroons Enter Post Vaught Era There is far less anticipation of big time grid success for the Motor City's pro entry. Head Coach Frank Yurik was never Stan Vaught's biggest fan, but the Maroons bench boss may be longing for his all-star end a few games into the upcoming campaign. Vaught has retired, and says it is for good this time around, leaving the game as the leader in virtually every receiving category. Without their offensive star, the Maroons may be hard-pressed to reach the AFA championship game for the third consecutive season. They came up short each of the past two seasons and also lost in the 1940 title tilt. Last time Rollie Barrell's ballclub won the AFA crown was 1936 when they beat Pittsburgh at Thompson Field. Speaking of Barrell, the Maroons owner will be pulling double-duty this season as he is also the President of the new Federal Basketball League entry. Rollie, with the backing of the Whitmore Motor Car Company, will own the cage entry -to be called the Mustangs- in the 8 team pro loop this fall. They are expected to play out of Thompson Arena and will be part of the first big league basketball circuit since the old Federal League -in which Barrell co-owned the Brooklyn club- folded in 1930. TALES FROM THE WOLVES DEN Wolves Weekly Woes Continue -As the Toronto nine careen towards their worst finish in CA since 1939 along with a win total probably in the sixties for the first time since 1935 Brett will give a short synopsis on the causes of the disappointing 1946 results. The team, as reported many times in the Mail & Empire, has performed far under expectations in all three key areas of the game Pitching, Hitting, Defense. Pitching: The Wolves have had a highly regarded staff throughout the decade, one that was supposed to be bolstered by the return of servicemen, in particular Joe Hancock. With a one, two punch of Allen Award winner Garrison followed by Hancock long losing streaks should have a thing of the past. Unfortunately Garrison, 10-14, 3.16, Hancock 9-14, 3.86 have not had successful seasons. Their total of 19 wins by the middle of September would have been the expectation of at least one if not both these pitchers at this point in 1946. When the staff leader in wins at 11 is Bob Walls 11-11, 4.00 does not speak well of the season. Myer 8-4, 2.76 has given the staff a boost after Morrison was relegated to the 'pen but it wasn't nearly enough. Gibbs, 9-8, 3.76 after a hot first half has given the team what was expected of him. The relief corps has been a unmitigated disaster all season. The return of Jayson was supposed to give Manager Call a reliable arm to call on late in the game, as are his tendencies to save his SP. Jayson's 4-7, 3.82 with 15 saves is a far cry from this once elite stopper. Five blown saves were not expected, failing to close out 25% of his opportunities has given Call fits. Chick Wirtz was supposed to give Call a second reliable arm to go to in tight games, That has not been the case as Wirtz is almost a forgotten man with an ERA on the wrong side of 5. A second to last in the CA staff ERA, 3.80, is a long way from the way this season was supposed play out for the fans. Hitting: The Wolves may have been able withstand a down season from one of the regulars but 4 Pack, Stickels, Artuso, Pomales was probably 3 too many in 1946. Pack's, .231/.291/.331with only 8 HR, 52 RBI, fall has been the most baffling to the staff. The biggest problem is that those number have been improving lately, Pack was almost an automatic out early in 1946. Giordano's, Wood's bats have provide a boost to an anemic offense but not enough to overcome the steps back taken by others in the lineup. Defense: The second cornerstone, behind pitching, of Call's keys to success in Toronto has been a millstone around the necks of the team in 1946. While not dreadful compared to other CA teams the Wolves defense has not given the run prevention needed to support both pitching and hitting deficiencies that have emerged in '46. While Giordano, Wood have contributed with their bats their work in the field has leaves a lot to be desired, Giordano has been charged with 13 errors, Wood 19. The Wolves defensive woes can be summed in the last game the Wolves played on Sunday. In the second game of the doubleheader managed to throw away, literally, a 4-1 in the top of ninth when the Sailors scored 5 aided by 2 errors to win 6-4. Those 2 miscues were part of 5 made during the game. This is 1946 not 1906! Lost in the excitement of Boston's big week was Chick Donnelly's 2,500 career FABL hit. The 34 year old got the milestone in Boston's only loss of the week, as part of his 3-hit performance in a 5-0 loss to the Keystones in the nightcap of a Monday twinbill. Not all are happy in Boston. It is no secret that veteran outfielder Joe Watson is not happy with his reduced role on the team this season after starting 90 games in the Minutemen outfield a year ago and that perhaps was a factor in his wife lashing out at the city last week. Mrs. Watson called Boston "a one-horse town with nothing to do and no good shops." She added that she would love to see her husband be the face of the franchise in a 'nice' city. Watson attempted to distance himself from his wife's comments. Bill Wise, selected 11th overall by the Eagles in this year's draft, continues to dominate no matter the level. The 18 year old second baseman went 10-for-26 last week in his first taste of AAA pitching. Wise has been through all 5 Eagles minor league affiliates in less than two months as a pro and is slashing .421/.488/.590 thru his first 43 games of minor league ball. All the talk about the league's new rookie of the year award -to be named after Hall of Famer Rankin Kellogg seems to have motivated Walt Hunter of Detroit. The Dynamos rookie went 2-0 last week with a 1.80 era to hike his season totals to 16-7, 2.45. Hunter has an outside chance at a 20-win season. Another dreadful week for the Toronto Wolves, who have gone from pennant contenders to battling to stay out of the Continental Association cellar. The Wolves were officially eliminated from the pennant chase after a 2-5 week that saw their record dip to 61-76. They are on pace for their worst season since 1935, which was right about the time many felt the club would have to be moved out of Toronto due to declining attendance caused by 8 straight losing seasons. A few notes from Brooklyn courtesy of Percy Pringle Sr. of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle: "Well, that was a tough week with games against the Stars and Cougars. Only win came when SP Leo Hayden heard he might not get the proper consideration for the rookie award. So what does he do? He pitches a 6-hit shutout against the Cougars in a 4-0 win.....2B Gil London continues to swing a hot bat 10-26 and is still slashing .417/.440/.968 since coming over to the Kings....CF Ralph Johnson went 7-20 in his second week (15-42 overall) hitting .357/.472/.924. He’s driven in 11 RBI’s and scored 7 runs. He’s walked 10 times but is still searching for that first career home run. Johnson picked up a sore shoulder so he will sit out the first part of this week...RF Joe Rutherford is slowly raising his average but will miss the next 2 weeks with an ankle sprain. We will likely give Vernon Ruch a farewell tour the next couple of weeks. He may stick around as a veteran pinch hitter next season, the jury is still out there or maybe 1B CFC TAKES FLIGHT Born out of the vision of newspaperman Percy Sutherland and brought to life by former St Blane All-American and retired Navy Lt. Commander Ben Montgomery, the Continental Football Conference sprang to life Friday evening in Chicago with the first contest of the newest professional football league. With Sutherland and Montgomery, who is the President of the new loop, on hand along with over 42,000 other patrons at a nearly sold out Cougars Park to witness the historic event as the visiting New York Gothams topped the hometown Chicago Comets 24-7 to win the first game in CFC history. The first score in CFC history came early and was on a 46-yard interception return from Gothams back Ken Hale after picking off a John Mecham pass just over 3 minutes into the ballgame. The Gothams were led by Hale's 52 yards rushing and quarterback Hal Collett throwing for 100 yards in a game that saw New York's strong run defense force the hometown Comets to rely almost exclusively on the arm of Mechem for any sort of offense. Chicago's only score came on a 75-yard punt return from Bo Mandish, the former Indiana A&M All-American back. Two more games were played over the weekend as all but coast entries Los Angeles and San Francisco got underway. The Kansas City Cowboys look like they may be the team to beat as two-sport college star Pat Chappell had a dominant passing game. The former football star and basketball All-American at St Magnus threw for 323 yards and 4 touchdowns to pace the Cowboys to a 43-14 victory over the Brooklyn Football Kings at tiny Packer Park, which doubles as home for the local AAA baseball team. The final game of the weekend also took place at a minor league baseball stadium -this one in New Orleans- where the visiting Buffalo Bulls blanked the New Orleans Crescents 21-0. Code: CONTINTENTAL CONFERENCE STANDINGS EAST W L T PCT Buffalo 1 0 0 1.000 NY Gothams 1 0 0 1.000 New Orleans 0 1 0 .000 Brooklyn 0 1 0 .000 WEST W L T PCT Kansas City 1 0 0 1.000 Chicago 0 1 0 .000 Los Angeles 0 0 0 .000 San Francisco 0 0 0 .000 LAST WEEK'S RESULTS NY Gothams 24 Chicago 7 Kansas City 43 Brooklyn 14 Buffalo 21 New Orleans 0 UPCOMING GAMES FRIDAY SEPT 13 Buffalo at Los Angeles Chicago at San Francisco SATURDAY SEPT 14 New Orleans at Brooklyn SUNDAY SEPT 15 NY Gothams at Kansas City MONTGOMERY THRILLED WITH CFC START "It was a long time coming, but well worth the wait," declared Lt. Commander Bob Montgomery over the weekend. He was referring to the opening weekend of the Continental Football Conference, of which he is the President, and was all smiles after the proceedings in Chicago, Kansas City and New Orleans went off without a hitch. There were plenty of names well known to collegiate football fans including former St Magnus star Pat Chappell, who put on a quarterbacking clinic in Kansas City yesterday and each of the three venues were at or near capacity. The fact that two of those venues greatly paled when compared to the 50,000 seat monstrosities that some of the AFA teams play did nothing to dampen Montgomery's spirits. He says bigger stadiums may come and the owners in Kansas City -which plays in a stadium that barely holds 15,000- and New Orleans, which does not have room for much more than that, are committed to building the game in cities that had never seen bigtime professional team sports firsthand before. "We have some big venues too," noted Montgomery who quickly pointed out Cougars Park in Chicago, Kings County in Brooklyn and Gothams Stadium in New York. "The 14 game schedule will help for sure, and our great group of owners are well connected and well financed to prove that football can easily handle two major leagues. Baseball has done it for decades with the Federal and Continental Associations and we think football will be no different." The Continental Conference still has a pair of aces up its sleeve in Los Angeles and San Francisco, both of which will debut at home next week. The Los Angeles Lobos have a movie mogul owner in Dee Rose -who also owns baseball's St Louis Pioneers- and promises to make Lobos football a spectacle worthy of Tinsel Town. Los Angeles and San Francisco have both quickly embraced big-time baseball with the arrival of the Great Western League as a major loop, and football will likely get the same treatment from coast fans eager for pro sports. HIGGINS RETURNING WEST Boston high school guard Don Higgins, considered the most talented basketball player to come out of a New England school in years, has announced he will play his college ball in Washington State at Rainier College beginning next year. The 18 year old guard is the younger brother of current Chicago Chief and former Boston Minutemen pitcher Dick Higgins. Don grew up in California but came east for high school to live in Boston with his brother's family and is a 3-sport star at St Patrick's Prep. Both St Patrick's University and Commonwealth Catholic -the two major Boston colleges- were wooing Higgins but their chances all but vanished when his brother was waived by the baseball Minutemen and signed with the Chiefs. Dick Higgins, known as Pistol, plans to sell his Boston home and move his family to Chicago over the winter. With no ties to New England any longer, Don changed his mind on plans to attend St Patrick's University and will join the Majestics instead. Don is a 6'2" guard who is known as 'Popgun' and plays football and baseball in addition to starring for the St Patrick's Prep cage squad. FIELD FINALIZED FOR COLLEGE CAGE SHOWCASES The teams have been confirmed for each of the 3 major tournaments that mark the start of another collegiate basketball season. The events are the New York City Tournament of Champions, the Jack Easton Tip-Off Classic and the Preseason AIAA Showcase. Defending National Champion CC Los Angeles will be one of the 8 teams descending on Boston in the first week of November. The group joining the Coyotes in the Jack Easton Tip-Off Classic, which is named after the founder of the sport and one of the key figures behind the formation of AIAA basketball, will include Miami State, Coastal State and Detroit City College. The Gulls finished 6th in the end of season rankings a year ago while the Eagles were 10th and the Knights were 15th. JACK EASTON TIP-OFF CLASSIC (Boston, Ma.) CC Los Angeles Coyotes Miami State Gulls Detroit City College Knights Coastal State Eagles University of New Jersey Warriors Elyria Pioneers Henry Hudson Explorers Bigsby College Gents The other two opening weekend tournaments are each four team events. The Bigsby Garden in New York City will host the Tournament of Champions while Lake Side Arena in Chicago will remain the venue for the Preseason AIAA Chicago Showcase. NYC TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS Rainier College Majestics Garden City Redbirds Annapolis Maritime Navigators Lambert College Stags Rainier College made the national semi-finals a year ago while Garden State and Annapolis Maritime both finished in the top 15 of the polls. PRESEASON AIAA CHICAGO SHOWCASE Liberty College Bells Brunswick Knights Brooklyn State Bears Redwood Mammoths Liberty College reached the national championship game a year ago before falling by a single point to CCLA in the title contest. WHITMORE MOTORS BACKS DETROIT CAGE ENTRY A Bio of Detroit Mustangs Majority Owner Harrison Whitmore By John Brinker, New York Daily Mirror In 1942, the Whitmore Motor Car Company shifted its production entirely to support the war effort. Throughout World War II, Whitmore played a pivotal role in building aircraft engines, including the V-1650, a licensed version of the Merlin engine from Rolls-Royce, which powered the renowned P-51 Mustang fighter plane often referred to as the "Cadillac of the Skies" by GIs during WWII. Additionally, Whitmore also manufactured V-12 marine engines with power outputs ranging from 1350 to 1500 horsepower for American PT boats, with three engines powering each boat, as well as supplying engines for Britain's patrol boats. As a result, Whitmore ranked 18th among all US corporations in terms of the value of wartime production contracts, highlighting their significant contribution to the war effort. In 1945, Harrison Whitmore, the CEO of Whitmore Motors, and Roland Barrell, the owner of the Detroit Maroons in the AFA (American Football Association), struck up a collaboration. Whitmore, a sports enthusiast, was keen on expanding his business interests beyond the automotive industry. Together, they decided to venture into professional basketball and formed a new team called the Detroit Mustangs. Whitmore would own 60% of the club, while Barrell would own 30%, and the remaining 10% would be held by minority shareholders. The Detroit Mustangs would become one of the inaugural teams in the Federal Basketball Association, which commenced its first season in the fall of 1946, marking Whitmore's foray into the world of professional sports ownership UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS Sep 21 - Noble Jones College Arena, Atlanta, Ga. : World Welterweight champion Dennis 'The Jacksonville Jackhammer' O'Keefe (20-1) vs Mark Westlake (19-2-1). Sep 23- Brooklyn: John Edmonds (20-2) vs Brooks O'Connor (21-3-2) ranked middleweights. Sep 26- Denny Arena, Boston: Scott Baker (15-0-2) vs Roy Crawford (21-2) ranked heavyweights Oct 15- Denny Arena, Boston: World Middleweight champion Frank 'The Tank' Melanson (30-0-2) makes his third title defense against European champion Edouard Desmarais (36-0). The Week That Was** Current events from the week ending 9/08/1946 Admiral Nimitz warned the nation that strong occupation of far-flung 'enemy' bases is equally as important as a strong American fleet to prevent future wars. A day later General Eisenhower echoed Nimitiz sentiment, calling for formation of a powerful military security force to escape "an alternative too devastating to contemplate." The head of the National Civil Service Commission urged the National Federation of Federal Employees to adopt a written code of ethics, "noting that communists and Ku Klux Klan members cannot be tolerated in Federal jobs, nor can persons who believe that Government workers have the right to strike." The Paris Peace Conference is now hung up on how to treat the disposition of the Adriatic port of Trieste. Italy warns that creation of a free territory of Trieste would be a "permanent threat to the peace" between Italy and Yugoslavia. Returning to the White House from his summer vacation, President Truman hit at the "disturbing evidence of intolerance and prejudice" in the country, declaring it was "similar in kind, though perhaps not in degree, to that which we fought against in the war." __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles Last edited by Tiger Fan; 04-12-2023 at 05:35 PM.