[Tiger Fan]

JANUARY 30, 1950

WHEELER AND LONARDO HEAD LIST OF CANDIDATES FOR BOONE COUNTY

The ballot for candidates to join baseball's hallowed Hall of Fame have been made public with the voting results expected in two weeks' time. Heading the list for induction into the Boone County, Il. baseball museum is a pair of first-time eligible players in Al Wheeler and Jim Lonardo.

Wheeler played with four teams during a twenty-year career that saw him win 5 Whitney Awards and become one of just three players to accumulate more than 500 homers and 3,000 career hits. He won World Championship Series titles with three different teams in Detroit, Brooklyn and Cincinnati and also was the very first player ever drafted in the human GM portion of FABL. Lonardo is one of just 13 pitchers to record at least 300 career victories and is the only pitcher to win four Whitney Awards.

Each are expected appear on the 75% or greater of the ballots needed for enshrinement but with all voting members allowed to name no more than 5 players on their list the competition for additional spots will be fierce. Last year, no one received enough support to be inducted with Jack Cleaves coming closest. The second baseman who starred for the Philadelphia Sailors and Pittsburgh Miners before finishing his career as a teammate of Wheeler's in Cincinnati, was selected on 62% of the ballots. Only catcher Tom Bird, who was named to 10 all-star teams during his career, joined Cleaves in appearing on more than half of the ballots.

The Hall did induct one new member last year. That was John Cook, a second baseman who played for Boston and Brooklyn from 1902-1919 and logged more than 2,500 career hits. Cook was named by the Veteran's Committee, which is also expected to add at least one former player to the Hall this time around. In total there are 41 men currently in the Hall including 4 former executives and 37 who played and/or were managers.

CASTING MY HALL OF FAME BALLOT

This is one of the toughest ballots I've had to submit as a writer for the "Chicago Daily News", and now "This Week in Figment Sports", there are far more than five deserving candidates available for the vote. But I am forced to select just five players to earn baseball's highest honor. There should be at least two new members voted in, with additional players expected to be selected in the veteran's committee. As much as I am a small hall guy, I am hoping ours expands plenty this time around. Here's who I picked, and how likely I expect them to get in:

The Locks

RF Al "Wonder Wheel" Wheeler (1st Ballot)
Teams: Detroit Dynamos, Brooklyn Kings, Chicago Chiefs, Cincinnati Cannons
Drafted: 1st Round, 1st Overall (1925) by the Detroit Dynamos
Career Stats: .295/.383/.496 (139 OPS+), 2,951 G, 2,846 PA, 1,953 R, 422 2B, 124 3B, 516 HR, 2,014 RBI, 1,623 BB, 64 SB, 139 WRC+, 83.7 WAR
Accolades: 5 All-Star Selections, 5 Whitney Awards, 3 Championships
All-Time Leaderboard: Runs (2nd, 1,953), Hits (9th, 3,248), Homers (3rd, 516), RBIs (3rd, 2,014), Walks (4th, 1,623)
Dynamos Records: OBP (2nd, .407), Slugging (1st, .549), OPS (1st, .956), Runs (3rd, 828), Homers (3rd, 204), RBIs (4th, 821), Walks (5th, 607)
Dynamos Single Season Records: Average (3rd, .372, 1930), OBP (3rd, .447, 1930), Slugging (1st, .670, 1930; 3rd, .631, 1932), OPS (1st, 1.117, 1930; 2nd, 1.055, 1932), Runs (4th, 129, 1930), Hits (4th, 219, 1930), Homers (4th, 38, 1932), RBIs (1st, 146, 1932)
Kings Records: Slugging (4th, .493), OPS (4th, .872), Homers (1st, 227), RBIs (3rd, 862), Walks (1st, 682)
Kings Single Season Records: OBP (4th, .444, 1936), Slugging (1st, .649, 1935; 3rd, .604, 1936), OPS (1st, 1.087, 1935; 3rd, 1.048, 1936), Homers (1st, 38, 1936; 4th, 34, 1935), RBIs (1st, 145, 1936; t-2nd, 130, 1935)
Association Season Highs: Runs (2; 1932, 1936), Homers (5; 1932, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938), RBIs (6; 1932, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938), Average (1; 1935), OBP (4; 1930, 1932, 1935, 1936), Slugging (4; 1932, 1935, 1936, 1937), WRC+ (4; 1932, 1935, 1937, 1945), wOBA (4; 1932, 1935, 1936, 1945), WAR (3; 1930, 1932, 1936)

When a player is taken first overall, expectations are sky high.

Al Wheeler still managed to shatter them.

It took just two minor league seasons for Al Wheeler to make the Detroit Dynamos Opening Day roster, and even at twenty it was clear that the "Wonder Wheel" was truly gifted. As you can see, his name is all over the record books, from being top five all time in runs, homers, walks, and RBIs to leading both the Kings and Dynamos All-Time for OPS. He then won 5 Whitney's and 3 Championships, and if the All-Star game was around when he debuted, I can't imagine him having less then ten All-Star selections. I'm not going to bore you with all the numbers -- that can go on his Hall of Fame plaque -- but plain and simple Al Wheeler is a Hall of Famer, and any hall without him isn't one worth being in. Not many hitters have walked 500 times more then he struck out, or hit 500 homers, or recorded 3,000 hits. And he's done all of that. And more!

RHP Jim Lonardo (1st Ballot)
Teams: New York Gothams, Chicago Chiefs, Chicago Cougars, Detroit Dynamos
Drafted: 10th Round, 147th Overall (1925) by the New York Gothams
Career Stats: 312-233, SV, 5,031.1 IP, 3.56 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.28 WHIP, 1,019 BB, 1,483 K, 1.5 K/BB, 3.72 FIP (91 FIP), 93.0 WAR
Accolades: 3 All-Star Selections, 4 Allen Awards, 2 Championships
All-Time Leaderboard: Innings (8th, 5,031)
Gothams Records: Wins (2nd, 202), WAR (1st, 65.9), Games (1st, 430), Stars (2nd, 413), Complete Games (4th, 209), Shutouts (4th, 23), Innings (2nd, 3,292), BB/9 (4th, 1.8), Strikeouts (3rd, 1,082), rWAR (1st, 66.9)
Gothams Single Season Records: K/BB (3rd, 3.29, 1931; 4th, 3.26, 1930)
Association Season Highs: Wins (3; 1930, 1931, 1933), ERA (1, 1938), Strikeouts (2; 1930, 1931), WHIP (2; 1930, 1931), K/BB (4; 1930, 1931, 1934, 1935), WAR (2; 1930, 1934)

A member of the same draft class as Al Wheeler, it took 145 other selections before the Gothams finally made Jim Lonardo the 147th pick. Looking back, you can pretty confidently say that Lonardo should have been picked in the same place he is on my ballot, right after Al Wheeler. Lonardo defied all expectations just by making the majors, so to cap off a 312-win career is the 99th percentile outcome regardless. After a subpar rookie season (13-14, 4.90, 91), he quickly became one of the best and most reliable pitchers, producing above average ERA+ and FIP- from his aged 24 season through his aged 35 season. That's a run of dominance worth recognition, and it earned him 4 Allens and 2 Rings. Most of this came from his time as the Gotham's ace, where he had 8 5-WAR seasons, six 15-Win seasons, five sub-3.40 ERA seasons, and 14 appearances on the tops of the leaderboard. But his most impressive season may have been the one that came after his 19-loss campaign in 1937.

The Gothams have been known to have no issue trading for or away stars, and Lonardo was no exception. Sure, he came back a few times, but this time the Gothams regretted letting him go, as Lonardo bounced back and led the Chiefs to a championship. He went 25-7 with a league low 2.68 ERA (158 ERA+) and league high 7.1 WAR. He also won both of his starts in the finals over the Kings, which at the time made him 7-2 in the World Championship series. That asserted Lonardo's legacy, but he was long a top pitcher before, and he continued that into his 40s. His longevity has made him the 11th most winning FABL pitcher, which is more then five Hall-of-Famers. It can be said that those worthy of the Hall are the ones you want pitching with the game on the line, and Lonardo proved time and time again that he could come up clutch when the occasion called for it.

50/50

C Tom Bird (2nd Ballot, 54%)
Teams: St. Louis Pioneers, Montreal Saints, Chicago Chiefs, Cincinnati Cannons
Drafted: Undrafted (1929)
Career Stats: .308/.416/.470 (145 OPS+), 1,451 G, 6,113 PA, 874 R, 325 2B, 27 3B, 146 HR, 805 RBI, 958 BB, 3 SB, 150 WRC+, 56.5 WAR
Accolades: 10 All-Star Selections, 3 Championships, 1 World Championship Series MVP
Chiefs Leaderboard: Average (5th, .313), OBP (1st, .422), Slugging (5th, .481), OPS (1st, .903), Homers (5th, 127), Walks (3rd, 797)
Chiefs Single Season Records: OBP (1st, .458, 1937; 2nd, .457, 1938), Slugging (5th, .552, 1937), OPS (3rd, 1.010, 1937; 4th, 1.007, 1938), Walks (3rd, 116, 1937; 4th, 111, 1938)
Association Season Highs: Walks (1; 1937), OBP (1; 1938), OPS (1; 1938), WRC+ (1; 1938), wOBA (1; 1938)

One of, if not the most, controversial players on any ballot yet, there has been plenty of debate on whether Tom Bird is Hall of Fame worthy or not. I've written on Tom Bird plenty before, so I'll keep this short and sweet. Bird is one of the few players who has had an 11-year span where in 10 seasons he had a WRC+ above 125, something a few Hall-of-Famers and even the great Bobby Barrell haven't managed. And like Barrell, he's had 8 straight with one above 135. Very few players can even come close to that, let alone his career 150 WRC+, which means that for the entirety of his career, he was 50% better then the average hitter. And when it comes to catchers, you'll be lucky to grab one who's just average. Bird is a 10-Time All-Star who was on two occasions deserving of a Whitney, and among catchers he ranks top five in average (3rd), OBP (1st), slugging (3rd), OPS (2nd), and walks (3rd).

The thing is, this year there are a lot of deserving candidates, and it's going to be tough to change the minds of other voters who left him off last season. His career was short, just 8 seasons with more then 125 games played, leaving him with just 1,451 career games and 6,113 plate appearances. His counting stats don't match up to others, but when it comes to a catcher, especially one with a peak like Bird, I don't think it matters. He was a top hitter for ten years and you can say he was the reason the Chiefs won the 1936 World Championship Series. When he was playing, he was always one of the best catcher's in the league, and whether its now or on the veteran's ballot, he deserves to be recognized for his historic career.

2B Jack "Three Bagger" Cleaves (2nd Ballot, 62%)
Teams: Philadelphia Sailors, Pittsburgh Miners, Cincinnati Cannons
Drafted: 1st Round, 10th Overall (1925)
Career Stats: .300/.380/.457 (129 OPS+), 2,368 G, 10,046 PA, 1,327 R, 428 2B, 216 3B, 167 HR, 1,380 RBI, 1,111 BB, 5 SB, 132 WRC+, 71.6 WAR
Accolades: 4 All-Star Selections, 4 World Championships
Sailors Leaderboard: Slugging (2nd, .480), OPS (2nd, 861), WAR (5th, 49.7), Runs (5, 876),Triples (3rd, 173), Homers (2nd, 113), RBIs (4th, 949), Walks (2nd, 358)
Sailors Single Season Records: Slugging (4th, .549, 1929), OPS (4th, .974, 1929), Triples (3rd, 24, 1929; t-4th, 23, 1932), Homers (5th, 17, 1929)
Association Season Highs: Triples (3; 1929, 1932, 1933), Walks (1; 1928)

As crazy as it might sound for someone who's name is on a Hall-of-Fame ballot, Jack Cleaves may not end up the best Cleaves to play baseball. I'd already argue that his former teammate George Cleaves is already a far superior and surefire Hall-of-Famer, but half-brother Roger Cleaves is looking to take the crown from George as the game's top catcher when he inevitably hangs up the cleats.

But if you want counting stats, he certainly has them! Everything but steals!

Even for someone who doesn't care too much about those, I'm in awe of some of these. Over 10,000 plate appearances with 1,327 runs, 2,590 hits, 428 doubles, 216 triples, 1,380 RBIs, and 1,111 walks. He's even got 71.6 WAR for those who like that, and looking past the counting stats, the rate stats back up the work. He produced a 132 WRC+ with a 11.1 BB% and just a 8.6 K%. He hit .300/.380/.457 (129 OPS+) in an impressive 19-year career. He surpassed 600 PAs eight times, including four of those where he had a WRC+ above 140. His bat was perfect for the Sailors Park, where he made his name and one the first two of his four championships. He was always able to find the gaps, and as a Sailor he hit 551 extra base hits while walking two percent (10.5-8.5) more often then he struck out.

At the back end of his career, he won back-to-back titles with the Cincinnati Cannons, who acquired him at the 1943 deadline. He was more of a part-time player at that time. and ironically the only two seasons he didn't have a WRC+ above 100 were the two years he won with the Cannons. He was much better on the team that lost in 1945, and Cleaves ended his career by hitting .301/.409/.426 (141 OPS+) in 105 games. Despite the long career, he fought injuries even before his debut at 20, and its hard not to wonder if he could have been first ballot had he stayed healthy his whole career. He came close in his first try last season, as 62% of the vote isn't too far from qualifying. He'll have to hope a strong class doesn't push him down, but I think Cleaves has the best chance of the repeat guys on the ballot.

Longshot

LHP Dick Lyons (2nd Ballot, 15%)
Teams: Chicago Cougars
Drafted: 2nd Round, 23rd Overall (1921)
Career Stats: 237-187, 3,972 IP, 3.80 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 848 BB, 970 K, 1.5 K/BB, 3.75 FIP (92 FIP), 67.6 WAR
Accolades: 5 All-Star Selections, 4 Allen Awards, 2 Championships
Cougars Leaderboard: Wins (2nd, 237)
Cougars Single Season Leaderboard: Winning Percentage (3rd, .769, 1938)
Association Season Highs: ERA (1; 1938), WHIP (1; 1938), HR/9 (1; 1928)

Go ahead, call me a homer. But after two decades of covering Dick Lyons, I just cannot take the longtime Cougar of my ballot. If it's just me voting, I think he'll fall off, but Dick Lyons was a truly remarkable pitcher. The only player on the ballot who spent his entire career with one organization, Dick Lyons was drafted in the fall of 1921, and threw his final pitch in the fall of 1945. A FABL veteran of twenty years, Dick Lyons retired and remains the Cougars second most winningest pitcher, and is believed to be the oldest pitcher to win a FABL game at 45 years and 64 days. That was the 237th in his career, as the soft tossing southpaw won 50 more games then he lost.

There weren't many instances when he was the best pitcher on his team, but he was always reliable. In his first 13 seasons with 150 or more innings pitched, he had a FIP- of 96 or lower, and in nine of those seasons, he had the above average ERA+ to match. In his later career, he did the reverse, as in just one of his last five seasons he had a FIP- below 96, but he had ERA+ from 101 to 123. As impressive as that is, he had just one 20 win season and only one additional season with more then 17. He had an extremely unlucky 1935 season with a 5.50 ERA (79 ERA+) despite a 4.09 FIP (93). If he came up earlier, he could have had his name on the FABL record books, as he won almost 200 games after turning 30. But what made Lyons most impressive is that he never once missed a star, as Lyons is one of the few lucky pitchers to leave baseball without so much of a scratch on his arm.

A Few Others Deserving Consideration

LHP Dean Astle (1st Ballot): A 6-Time All-Star and 2-Time Champion, Dean Astle threw 3,048 innings, all with the Foresters and Minutemen. When he was 36, he was still at the top of his game, 11-6 with a 1.57 ERA (213 ERA+) and 1.04 WHIP in 149.1 innings pitched. But a ruptured tendon in his finger ended his season, and his spring was cut short with a ruptured UCL. That caused him to miss all season, before eventually hanging up the cleats. Had he not been hurt, he likely would have won the '46 Allen, and with 187 wins it's not outlandish to think he would have gone well past 200. Combine that with a career 3.34 ERA (119 ERA+) and 1.29 WHIP, he had rate stats that would have backed up the counting stats. That and pitching for some really bad Foresters teams, as he had some tough seasons in terms of wins and losses.

1B Bud Jameson (3rd Ballot, 23%): The longtime Gotham first basemen and their current manager, even if "Saint Bernard" doesn't get in as a player, he could once he finishes his managing career. Along with a career .316/.383/.487 (131 OPS+) career batting line, the 45-year-old is already 402-368 as a manager and he's coming off back-to-back second place finishes. I don't see him leaving anytime soon, as he's been with them ever sense they took him 3rd Overall back in 1925. What hurts his case is his lack of starts, as he made more then 140 just one time. After he turned 32, he started 100 games just twice, and he had only three 600 PA seasons.

LHP Del Lyons (2nd Ballot, 8%): Relievers don't get much love, but Del Lyons was the best when there weren't many, and he was as important to the Kings as David Molina was to the Sailors. Molina will be the guy to eventually break Del's FABL record 182 saves, all of which came with the Brooklyn Kings. He went 98-80 in 1,200 innings with a strong 3.23 ERA (122 ERA+) and 1.38 WHIP. He did have some command issues, with 465 strikeouts and 456 walks, but the Kings stopper was ahead of his time, and in a way, worthy of some consideration for his impact on the game.

RHP Charlie Stedman (2nd Ballot, 38%): I voted for Stedman last year, but this time "Hard Luck Chuck" won't be getting my vote. I don't think he has much of a chance to get in, but he's had an excellent career. A bit of a journeyman, he made 70 or more starts with each of his four teams, and won exactly 250 games in 560 starts. He had a strong 3.60 ERA (116 ERA+) and 3.62 FIP (86 FIP-) with 1,799 strikeouts in 4,360.1 innings pitched. He did win the 1929 Allen Award with the Saints, but there's always been the argument he was never the best pitcher in a given season. And it may be right. His longevity gives him a chance to stick on the ballot for another year, but I can't see him getting the jump needed to secure a nomination this go around.

1B Dick Walker (1st Ballot): Longtime Sailor first basemen who is the reason Jack Cleaves doesn't have a few Sailors records. Walker appeared in 2,784 games, 1,911 with the Sailors and the other 873 with the Cougars, and hit .272/.379/.426 (123 OPS+). He walked 1,769 times and struck out just 816 times, tallying 1,840 runs, 433 doubles, 272 triples, 193 homers, 1,262 RBIs, and 422 steals. He walked too much to reach 3,000 hits, but still managed 2,742 of them. Unless next year's ballot is stacked, or Lonardo and/or Wheeler don't get in, Dick Walker will be on my Hall-of-Fame ballot.

NAHC RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 25

Detroit 0 at Boston 6: Boston may be struggling against other teams but they shut out Detroit for the second straight game, blanking the Motors 6-0 behind a 3-point night from Tommy Hart and a perfect 21-save evening out of Oscar James.

Toronto 2 at New York 5: The Shamrocks moved into a first place tie with the Dukes after a 5-2 win at Bigsby Garden. Orval Cabbell scored once and added two assists for the Greenshirts, who stretched their unbeaten streak to six games. Jack Barrell's Dukes are heading in the opposite direction as Toronto has just one win to show for their last 8 games.

THURSDAY JANUARY 26

Chicago 3 at Boston 2: Marty Mahoney, with his second of the game, and Moose Vezina each scored early in the third period to lift the visiting Packers to a 3-2 victory in a game that Boston had led 2-0. The victory ends a 6-game winless skid for Chicago.

Montreal 4 at Detroit 3: Adam Sandford scored the game winner and added two assists to lift last place Montreal past the Detroit Motors 4-3.

SATURDAY JANUARY 28

Boston 2 at New York 6: The streaking Shamrocks won their third in a row and are unbeaten in 8 games after downing Boston 6-2. Simon Savard scored twice for New York while Orval Cabbell had his second straight 3 point night.

Montreal 3 at Detroit 1: The Valiants completed a sweep of back-to-back games in Detroit with a 3-1 victory. All of Montreal's scoring came in the second period on goals from Clarence Skinner, John McDonald and Paulie Mosca. The Motors have dropped 3 games in the past four nights while Montreal has won 3 in a row and is closing in on Boston and Chicago in the battle for fourth place and the final playoff berth.

Toronto 7 at Chicago 4: Lou Galbraith scored 3 times and added 2 assists while linemates Les Carlson (1G, 3A) and Quinton Pollack (1G,2A) also had big evenings as the Dukes got back on track with a big win over Chicago. The victory keeps Toronto tied with the New York Shamrocks for first place.

SUNDAY JANUARY 29

Boston 2 at Detroit 2: The Motors snapped a 3-game losing streak but had to settle for a single point against Boston. Eno Sclisizzi and Hank Walsh scored for the Motors with former Detroit rearguard Bryant Williams and Joe Morey replying for the Bees.

Chicago 3 at Toronto 5: Back-to-back wins for the Dukes over Chicago has allowed Toronto to regain sole possession of first place. Lou Galbraith followed up a 5-point effort the previous night with another big game as 22-year-old winger scored his 20th goal of the season while adding 3 assists. Quinton Pollack also had 3 helpers for the winners. Chicago squandered a big game from Tommy Burns as the Packers star scored all 3 of his team's goals including his 20th of the campaign.

New York 1 at Montreal 5: The Valiants won for the fourth consecutive game and now trail Chicago and Boston by just a single point in the fight for fourth place following a 5-1 win over the New York Shamrocks. For New York, the loss ended an 8-game unbeaten streak and left them 2 points behind Toronto in the race for first place in the NAHC. Brett Lanceleve scored twice to pace the Montreal attack while Tom Brockers had one of his better outings with 26 saves.

UPCOMING GAMES
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 1
Boston at New York
Chicago at Toronto
Detroit at Montreal

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 2
Montreal at New York

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 4
Montreal at Chicago
Toronto at Detroit

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 5
Boston at Toronto
Chicago at Montreal
Detroit at New York

DUKES TAKE TWO OF THREE TO RETAIN NAHC LEAD

Toronto's frozen pond team in the NAHC surged to finish January with a .500 record of 5-5-2 allowing them to maintain a 2 point lead in the standings over the New York Shamrocks who went 6-3-4 during the month. The two met at Bigsby Garden on Wednesday night but it was the Shamrocks that came out flying, firing pucks relentlessly at Gordie Broadway in the Toronto net. They were successful on 2 of 12 attempts in the first period. Tommy Brescia open the scoring on the power play when he took a pass from Trevor Hooton in the slot then buried it behind Broadway at 11:41 and Simon Savard double the lead less than five minutes later on a play setup by one the league's premier puck handlers in Orval Cabbell, who picked his 32nd assist of the year.

Following the slow opening stanza the Dukes did manage to put a little more pressure on Alex Sorrell in the New York cage but could not get anything by him until the last minute of play in the middle frame when Quinton Pollack reached double digits in goals with a man advantage after Rusty Mullins had been kicked out of the game for a high sticking major that cut the Toronto player. Unfortunately before the Dukes goal the Shamrocks had lit the lamp twice on goals by Cabbell and George Collingsworth while short handed to go to the dressing room up 4-1 after two. The final period was uneventful with Jim Macek making it 5-1 before Bobbie Sauer made the score respectable at 5-2 with his 16th as the Dukes headed to Grand Central station to board their coach to head to Chicago.

Most of the 15,107 in attendance at the Lakeside Aud Saturday would have come expecting a tight checking, low scoring game between the Dukes and Packers. The first period went to that script with the only two goals being scored, both in the last 4 minutes of the period. With Charlie Brown serving time for what Barrell was heard to scream at the official a "cheap" unsportsmanlike call Jarrett Glynn slammed home a Max Lavigne rebound. Exactly 2 minutes later Lou Galbraith tied the score at 1 on a pretty 3-way passing from Pollack and Carlson. That was to be start of big night for that line. During the second period the line sored all 4 goals registered by the Dukes, Galbraith has 2 to complete his hat trick along with 2 helpers, Carlson had a goal plus an assist, Pollack also had a marker along with a helper. Ed Delarue scored Chicago's only goal in the period to make it 3-2 at the time. Max Ducharme, on an end to end rush made it 5-3 with 13 and a half minutes remaining in the game. Clyde Lumsen restored the 3 goal lead only to have Mark Brooks cut it to two with 105 seconds left in the game. J.C Martel's empty netter secured the 7-4 victory in a game that neither Broadway nor the combination of Norm Hanson, who was pulled after allowing 5, and Michael Cleghorn distinguished themselves in goal.

The two teams met again Sunday in Ontario in another game that started out as a high scoring affair. Spencer Hoffard was put in the sin bin before all of the 14,627 on hand had to a chance to find their seats. Tommy Burns scored at 0:39 mark, his 18th of the season. The Carlson, Pollack, Galbraith line continued to torment Hanson when Carlson tied it at 1 with both linemates picking up a point. Burns scored his 2nd of the game again with the man advantage at 12:43 only to be matched 4 minutes later when Trevor Parker scored on the power play with help from Pollack and Galbraith to end the first stanza at 2-2.

The second period was a little tighter for the first half until Hanson's nightmare with the Galbraith, Pollack, Carlson trio continued when Carlson found the twine, assisted by both his linemates. Burns complete his hat trick, this time 5 on 5, to tie the games at 13:03 but Galbraith scored again giving him 9 points for the weekend to restore the Dukes' lead. Featherstone had a shot elude Hanson to put the Dukes up 2 the last minute of the middle fame. That was to be all the scoring this night as both teams settled down to their normal tight checking form after five periods of high-octane offense. Toronto completed the weekend sweep holding on to a 5-3 advantage until the final bell.

Coach Barrell: "We came out flat in New York, for reasons I cannot understand, the Shamrocks sensed it and then took it to us. The score was flattering to our team. We had a team meeting on the train out of New York. I usually don't that. I usually let the players rest on the train, but I did not like what I saw in the game so decided to lay it out while it was still fresh in everyone's mind. One hard practice in the Windy City seemed to help us on the offensive end. Nineteen total goals in two games against Chicago is not something that I thought would be in the cards. Pollack's line was almost unstoppable, not that we did a good job containing Tommy Burns. With him you have to take him with the body, you look at the puck you are done, he will make you look silly."

"We finished January with an even record which was probably better than we deserved given our play. Time to start knuckling down when we don't have the puck. It is going to be dog eat dog the last third of the season. When there are only 12 points between first and last you know you are in for a battle every night. I keep telling the team to look at the Shamrocks, they are moving up the standings by mainly preventing goals. We have a team that can play that way if everyone buys in to defense first.

• A second Statesmen starter has been knocked out with a multi-week injury. SF Willie Wright is out for 2-3 weeks with a hyperextended knee after suffering the injury in Washington's loss in Boston. Wright's injury, paired with Blake Brooks's hip injury, will leave Washington without 40% of its starting lineup for the next two weeks. In Brooks's absence, Washington has used Don Brito with Erich Smith playing a large role off the bench. Smith was the Player of the Game against New York in an 100-82 win, scoring 16 points in 23 minutes with four steals. In all, Washington won two of three to stay in front in the East.
• The Baltimore Barons have won 11 of 15, marked by two separate four-game winning streaks to climb into a tie for second place in the Eastern Division with Philadelphia, 1-1/2 games behind Washington. A costly stumble against St. Louis this past week, 88-86, might say more about the Steamers than it does on the Barons. Baltimore has had a balanced attack, with four players averaging in double figures, led by C Jack Hirst and his 16.1 points per game. PG Bobby Ray Cornett is arguably the team's most valuable player over the first half of the season, with season averages of 12.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 9.0 assists. The team is first in the FBL in assists at 24.2 per game while their sharpshooters are second in the league in field goal percentage at 33.9%.
• Don't look now, but the St. Louis Steamers are on a five-game winning streak and have won six of seven to push its record to 7-27. After a dreadful start that made a lot of people wonder if the franchise would survive past its inaugural season, the team has picked up its scoring pace. St. Louis is still last in the league in scoring at 71.2 points per game, but the team has scored more than 80 points in four straight. Journeyman SF Mitchel Budd, on his third team in three years, has scored 20+ points in two straight, scoring 21 points against Buffalo and 26 against Pittsburgh. Isaac Luck is also one rebound short of achieving a double-double in each of the last five games. Also, likely the most positive news is #1 pick Cyril Worley had a huge game in the 83-77 win in Chicago, scoring a career high with 20 points and matching a career high with 13 rebounds.
• A quiet week for the West Division leading Detroit Mustangs who only played once. That was Thursday night when they went to Chicago and dumped the Panthers 75-56 for their 10th consecutive victory. Despite the Mustangs success on the court, where they continue to own the best record in the league, there is said to be some tension in the clubhouse. Center Jack Kurtz is said to be unhappy at sharing the spotlight with Ward Messer. The youngster has garnered much of the attention but the duo playing together has been a benefit to both of them and Kurtz has been one of the top scorers in the league this season.

CARDINALS FALL TO ALEXANDRIA IN SAC PLAY

The Carolina Poly Cardinals are the latest club to fall from the ranks of the unbeaten, after dropping a 58-41 decision on the road at Alexandria in South Atlantic Conference action. The Thursday evening loss to the Generals ended the Cardinals 16 game winning streak to start the season and left only three unbeaten schools remaining in the entire AIAA. Carolina Poly did rebound with a 56-41 win at home over Chesapeake State Saturday afternoon led by 14 points from forward Bill Florence but that did not prevent them from slipping from second to third in the weekly national rankings.

Liberty College remains in the top spot, a position the 22-0 Bells have held all year. The independent school had a pair of easy victories last week with a 32-point win over West Corners followed by a 79-39 drubbing of Topeka State. Noble Jones College, which has yet to start play in the Deep South Conference but is 17-0 after beating Michigan Lutheran 57-47 Friday night, bounces up a spot and replaces Carolina Poly at #2 in the latest college cage poll.

The third unbeaten team is Indiana A&M and the Reapers, at 17-0 overall and 4-0 in Great Lakes Alliance play, are coming off a very impressive week that saw them win back-to-back games against ranked opponents. On Thursday in Detroit, four Reapers scored in double-figures to beat the DCC Knights 55-44 while two nights later sophomore guard Von Bowyer led the way with a career best 18 points in a 60-49 victory at home over Whitney College. The Reapers are 6th in the rankings but trail another GLA school in Western Iowa (14-3, 3-1), as the Canaries hold down the fourth slot.

WEEKEND RESULTS FOR RANKED TEAMS
FRIDAY JANUARY 27
at #2 Noble Jones College 57, Michigan Lutheran 47
at #7 Lane State 63, Idaho A&M 51
at #8 Rainier College 62, #11 Coastal California 46
at #15 CC Los Angeles 56, Portland Tech 47
at #19 Redwood 48, Northern California 46
#20 Lubbock State 63, at Texas Gulf Coast 52

SATURDAY JANUARY 28
at #3 Carolina Poly 56, Chesapeake State 41
at #4 Western Iowa 55, Wisconsin State 33
at #5 Indiana A&M 60, #9 Whitney College 49
at #12 Alabama Baptist 59, Grant (IN) 52
at #13 Brunswick 54, Henry Hudson 43
#14 Detroit City College 59, at Minnesota Tech 35
#16 Maryland State 70, at Lexington State 55
at #17 Frankford State 49, Tinker 47
at #18 St. Blane 44, St. Martin's College 27
#20 Lubbock State 71, at Travis College 51
at #21 Pierpont 51, George Fox 44
#22 Central Carolina 44, at Bulein 34
#24 North Carolina Tech 69, at Cowpens State 38

SUNDAY JANUARY 29
at #1 Liberty College 79, Topeka State 39
at #7 Lane State 75, #19 Redwood 50
at #8 Rainier College 65, Idaho A&M 55
#11 Coastal California 56, at Spokane State 31
at #15 CC Los Angeles 60, Northern California 53

RECENT KEY RESULTS

• On Monday in Galveston, Tx. former welterweight contender Ben 'Baby Face' Bishop was disqualified for repeated violations in his 10-round bout with George Crawford. Bishop, a 31-year-old Atlanta native, was once considered one of the rising stars in the sport and even beat former champ Harold Stephens but lost 4 straight fights including two by disqualification and has been in frequent trouble with various state boxing boards.
• Wednesday in Hartford another once promising welterweight by the name of George Gibbs (26-5) scored a majority decision over Bob Thomas (27-8-1). Gibbs began his pro career with 14 straight knockouts, earning him the moniker 'Mr. Sandman" but he struggled against elite competition in taking successive losses to Jamie Rotz, Carl Taylor and Ira Mitchell a few years back and the 31-year-old native of Colorado is no longer considered a factor in the weight class.
• Friday night in Montreal former world middleweight champion Adrian Petrie lost in a bid take the Canadian title when he came up on the short end of a decision against Kevin Rawlings. Petrie has now gone 3 fights without a victory including his title loss to the late Edouard Desmarais followed by a draw against Bill Boggs in September. Rawlings, a 28-year-old Oshawa native, gained a measure of revenge for his loss to Petrie two years ago.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

• Feb 9 - Washington DC - welterweight contender Ira Mitchell (24-4) vs Ronald Head (26-12-1)
  {*]Feb 11- Hartford, CT- welterweight contender Danny Rutledge (18-1-1) vs Stuart White (32-15-3)
• Feb 17- Youngstown, Oh- Veteran heavyweight Cannon Cooper (29-4-1) vs Bob Moore (19-14-1)
• Feb 18- Keystone Arena, Philadelphia- World Heavyweight champ Hector Sawyer (62-3-1) defends his title against Englishman Ben Budgeford (21-1)
• Feb 18- Keystone Arena, Philadelphia -Italian middleweight Hugo Caino (16-0-2) vs Chris Cummins (19-5-2)
• Feb 26- Lakeside Auditorium, Chicago- Heavyweight Scott 'The Chef" Baker (21-4-3) vs Joe White (27-13-3)
• Feb 26- San Francisco, Ca- HW contender Tommy Cline (16-2) vs Mark Green (15-2)
• Feb 27 - Richmond, Va - veteran Boston heavyweight Roy Crawford (30-5) vs Denny Smith (11-8-3)
• Feb 28- Bigsby Garden, New York - Welterweight contender Artie Neal (27-8-1) vs Jammer McDonald (13-11-3)
• Mar 24- Bigsby Garden, New York - John Edmonds will face Bill Boggs for the world middleweight title, made vacant by the tragic death of former champ Edouard Desmarais in an October plane crash.
• Apr 8- Lake Erie Arena, Cleveland- World Welterweight champion Mac Erickson (21-0) defends his title in a rematch with Mark Westlake (27-5-1)

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 1/29/1950

• President Truman asked Congress for $1 billion in new revenue through a two-point tax revision program that would raise corporation, estate and gift rates.
• Truman also asked Congress for a three-year extension of the draft act, which expires in June.
• The Atomic Energy Commission didn't learn until 1948 that the Army's wartime effort to corner all uranium supplies had failed, learning that Russia had received 1,000 pounds of uranium compound in 1943.
• 89,000 auto workers went on strike last week against Chrysler.
• Officials of the United States Steel Corp blame pensions and insurance benefits won by the Steel Workers Union for the recent increase in the price of steel. Steel plants are presently dealing with massive layoffs due to the ongoing soft coal shortage. The coal situation has now reached the national emergency stage.
• Peace talks in the soft coal dispute resumed on the weekend but most miners are expected to remain off the job at least to start the week.
• Eight Western European nations formally agreed to use American arms aid to "promote an integrated defense" of the North Atlantic area.
• Alger Hiss says he will appeal his 5-year sentence following his conviction on two perjury counts.