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Tiger Fan · 07-03-2024, 02:51 PM

AUGUST 6, 1951

DYNAMOS BEAT TRADE DEADLINE WITH ANOTHER DEAL

Saints Surprise Participant in a CA Move

It is a wonder the Detroit Dynamos have enough players remaining in their organization to field five minor league teams after the toll the trade deadline has taken on their prospects. One went to the New York Stars, 10 to Brooklyn along with an aging catcher in Adam Mullins if you include the opening day move to add Pat Petty and now three more have been dealt to Toronto in a deadline beating move to add veteran pitcher Joe Hancock to the Dynamos staff.

Hancock is 38 years old and clearly far removed from the zenith of his career, which would be 1939 when he won the Continental Association Allen Award. This year has been a struggle for the six-time all-star, with a 4-11 record and a 4.14 era but shoddy defense and an abysmal run support of less than 3 per game certainly should shoulder much of the blame. The Dynamos are hoping the groundball specialist still has enough left in the tank to look more like the pitcher who went 13-9 with an ERA just a shade about 3.00 a year ago once he has the best defense in the Federal Association backing him up.

Detroit had little left in the way of elite prospects, the system cleaned out in deals to add the bats of Mack Sutton, Ralph Johnson and Dan Smith along with 30-year-old hurler Bob Arman, so they parted with a 26-year-old arm off their big league roster and a pair of younger prospects. The 26-year-old is George Avery, who has not received a lot of respect from OSA scouting but is 30-9 with a 2.57 era over parts of four seasons in AAA and has not allowed a run in 5 innings of relief work since his recent promotion to the big leagues.

Also heading to the Wolves organization are pitcher Bill Sweet and catcher Bob Longstreth. Both were with Detroit's Class A affiliate. Sweet is a 23-year-old righthander originally selected by the Chicago Cougars in the 7th round of the 1946 draft while Longstreth, 21 and a third round selection in the 1950 draft, was batting .271 in 80 games with Terre Haute.
*** SAINTS SURPRISE WITH ADDITION OF PESTILLI ***

The only other deadline day deal involving contenders came as a surprise when nine time all-star Sal Pestilli was traded to the Montreal Saints by the Chicago Cougars. The fact that Pestilli was moved was only a mild surprise as the Cougars, 14.5 games out and in the midst of another season of disappointment, had been trying to move a veteran although most of their focus seemed to be on unloading either first baseman Red Bond or outfielder Chubby Hall.

The big surprise was the fact that the destination for Pestilli turned out to be Montreal and not a team like the New York Gothams, or even Brooklyn for that matter as the Kings also made no secret they wanted a veteran bat for their outfield. In the end the price was deemed too heavy by the Kings, as they decided against parting with any of their large collection of young talent for what in the words of one Brooklyn source was not a prudent acquisition for a team that was "going nowhere this year and for an extra ping pong ball (in the draft later) it just didn't feel worth it." That assessment is accurate as the Kings certainly stand no shot at a Continental flag and the only place they are going is to Kansas City at the conclusion of the season.

The Gothams may or may not have been involved in talks for Pestilli. Their manager Bud Jameson had lamented early on deadline day the fact that the Gothams had tried but had simply been unable to get things done and while not mentioning Pestilli by name it seemed that New York assistant General Manager Tom Johnson was describing the former Gotham star perfectly when he asked around the league for "an aging star who might like one more run at a title, especially if they haven't won one, and wouldn't mind being a bench bat?"

In the end it was the surprise news, coming just hours before the deadline that the Montreal Saints had acquired Pestilli in a desperate hope to catch both the Philadelphia Sailors and Cleveland Foresters for the Continental crown, a bauble that has eluded the Quebecois nine since 1921- the longest drought of any team in either association.

The Saints, hopes buoyed by a 21-7 July run, may find even with Pestilli the task of making up 7 games on two teams a little beyond their grasp, but give them credit for reaching high in trying to make what seemed an impossible task at the beginning of July a reality. The cost was steep and may prove to be one that Saints brass regrets down the road as Montreal sends the Cougars a pair of top 100 prospects in return.

Going to the Windy City Kitties organization are 22-year-old outfielder Herm Kocher, formerly a first round selection of the Keystones in 1947 and presently ranked #80 by OSA on its prospect pipeline, and 21-year-old Pug White, a lefthander selected by the Saints in the fifth round of the 1948 draft and currently number 98 on the scouting service prospect list. Neither receives a glowing scouting report from OSA this year but they became additional pieces in the Cougars prospect cabinet, one that always seems to be fully stocked and among the best in either loop.

The question is will the addition of Pestilli, a 35-year-old outfielder batting just .242 with 8 homers in 50 games who has dealt with both back and elbow problems this season, be enough in itself to allow the Saints to end their long October drought? And assuming Pestilli can remain healthy the rest of the way, how does that impact Joe Austin, the pepper pot table setter at the top of the Saints order who had been playing centerfield in recent weeks? Saints fans remember all too well the injuries to Austin and Maurice Carter that caused a strong pennant push a year ago to crash and burn down the stretch and perhaps just the security of having Pestilli waiting in the wings was the peace of mind Montreal management craved this time around.

The Foresters and Sailors in the CA and the Gothams and Pioneers in the Fed all were unwilling or unable to make moves to improve at the deadline. The Dynamos and Saints - two clubs that have gone the longest in each association without a flag- each hope their aggressive deadline deals can lead to October baseball for a pair of long suffering fanbases.

FED RACE REMAINS UNCHANGED IN LAST TEN DAYS

Each of the three pennant hopefuls in the Federal Association have won seven of their last ten outings, meaning the St Louis Pioneers remain at the top of the heap, a game up on the Detroit Dynamos and four ahead of the New York Gothams. The Dynamos latest veteran acquisition, 38-year-old pitcher Joe Hancock, had a strong outing in his Federal Association debut. The former Toronto Wolves ace doubled Pittsburgh 6-3 in his first start in the Fed but the buzz in the Motor City was focused on Ralph Johnson as the former Brooklyn King enjoyed his best stretch of games since being moved to Detroit in that 13 player blockbuster deal three weeks ago. The 27-year-old outfielder looked like a three-time Whitney Award winner with a .348 batting average and 6 rbi's last week raising his Detroit totals to .286,4,12 in 21 games.

Johnson's week, while solid, was far from player of the week worthy. That honour was bestowed on Pioneers rookie slugger Rex Pilcher as The Buckeye Bomber, in just his second week in the big leagues, batted .423 with 3 homers and 10 rbi's, clearly easing any concerns the Pioneers might have had that they promoted him too early after a tough first week for the second overall selection in the June draft.

The week ahead promises to be very interesting in the Federal Association. The Pioneers will play in Detroit twice to open the week before moving on to New York for a 4-game set at Gothams Stadium. St Louis will be short-handed as smooth fielding but light-hitting shortstop Win Hamby suffered an elbow injury in a game last week, ending his season. There is some good news for the Pioneers as Frank Kirchner, who missed two weeks with a hip injury, returned to the lineup last week and did not miss a beat, batting .304 in the six games he played.

Meanwhile in the Continental Association the Philadelphia Sailors, who stumbled a little after the all-star break, are back on track and extended their lead on second place Cleveland to two and a half games after going 7-0 against the Chicago Cougars and New York Stars last week. The Foresters faced the same two opponents last week but managed to come out on top in just 3 of their 7 contests. The Montreal Saints ended their losing streak at 4 games with wins in each of their last five, but sit 7.5 games behind the Sailors. Sal Pestilli went 3-for-19 (.158) in his first five games with Montreal.

FED RACE HEATS UP OVER NEXT TWO WEEKS

As the deadline came and went, the three teams atop the Federal Association now must hope that all the pieces they need for a pennant are in place, as it will be very hard to make any major additions to the squads they start August with. St. Louis in particular may wish trades were open for just one more week, as after deciding against a shortstop upgrade in the Cougars' Elmer Grace (.343, 2, 16), they saw their regular shortstop Win Hamby (.219, 3, 36) suffer a season ending injury. With no natural shortstop ready and waiting, it may end up being the difference in a race that could be decided by the thinnest margins, but the hope is Homer Mills (.307, 1, 19) can return to the position he spent plenty of time at in the minors.

They have a tough task, fending off the Dynamos and Gothams, who sit one and four games behind them. Whether it will make it easier or harder, those are the only two teams the Pioneers face for the next two weeks, allowing them to completely control their own destiny. Each week it's two with Detroit and four with New York, this week on the road, next week at Pioneer Field, as they attempt to go worst-to-first for the second time in five years. With 66 wins, they've already surpassed their season win total from last season, and will match their 1949 mark with their next win. Even with some bad ERA luck for ace Danny Hern (12-8, 4.52, 67), who's 3.80 FIP (88 FIP-) is far prettier then his ERA, St. Louis' pitching has gotten them to where they are. Both Hiram Steinberg (10-7, 2.92, 64) and Hal Hackney (13-7, 2.40, 78) have been dominant, with Hackney in particular a frontrunner for what would be his second Allen Award. Former 2nd Overall Pick Tom Buchanan (8-4, 3.65, 57) is having a breakout year at 28, giving St. Louis a front four that can match up with anyone else in the game.

Even better, the St Louis offense is scoring a lot more in the second half, up to second in runs scored with big seasons from Larry Gregory (.313, 14, 77, 4), Ray Bates (.343, 5, 38), and Frank Kirchner (.309, 2, 55), who has somehow outplayed trade partner Jim Adams Jr. (.268, 6, 37, 9) who's been able to draw 75 walks and score 74 runs. Add in recent 2nd Overall Pick Rex Pilcher (.325, 4, 14), who already has a 5-hit game and Player of the Week after just two weeks in the St. Louis, and the Pioneers have all the pieces to compete.

The only issue for them, is so does Detroit, as the active Dynamos have made numerous additions to their roster. They only play the Gothams twice, with series against the Eagles and Chiefs when they're not playing their top competition, much easier tasks for the All-Star laden squad. No longer a bottom feeder lineup, Detroit made big deals for Ralph Johnson (.301, 17, 58, 5) and Mack Sutton (.292, 24, 82), adding Dan Smith (.245, 9, 47) and Bob Arman (8-10, 4.54, 84) with Johnson in a major thirteen player deal that sent ten players to the Brooklyn Kings.

The last add was longtime Wolf Joe Hancock (5-11, 4.11, 60), who won over 200 games in Toronto and has 6-All Star selections in his 14 year career. Hancock gives them a veteran presence with experience in the postseason, leading a strong rotation that has seen big years from Wally Hunter (12-4, 2.68, 67) and Jack Miller (12-12, 3.48, 78). The lineup now really has only one hole, 21-year-old Dino Sharp (.241, 4, 16), but he's the 15th ranked prospect and offers plenty of pop in the eight spot. He's the only Dynamo regular with a WRC+ below 100, and if he can't pick things up, they have veteran Tony Mullis (.254, 3, 24) and the former 15th ranked prospect Jim Gaiter (.260, 7, 29) on the bench to replace him.

Then of course there is the uncharacteristically quiet New York Gothams, who despite attempting to make a big acquisition, had to settle for just Jim Morrison (8-8, 3.79, 47). Morrison has won all four of his Gothams starts while working to a 3.10 ERA (135 ERA+) and 1.07 WHIP, but there were rumors they had their eyes set on bigger targets. One of those was Continental home run leader Red Bond (.306, 24, 71), who the Cougars tried their hardest to move, but the 38-year-old veteran would rather waste away on a second division team then sit on the bench behind Red Johnson (.312, 26, 88). Lucky for the reigning pennant leaders, they are the team that needed acquisitions the least, as they have a ton of star power and a four game deficit isn't too much to make up.

Along with the two teams ahead of them, the Gothams have five with the Chiefs, and no one has had any success stopping their top ranked offense. Billy Moody (.277, 12, 46) has been a pleasant surprise a top their lineup, setting the table for the big boppers like Johnson, George Cleaves (.302, 14, 39), and Walt Messer (.283, 21, 62). 29th ranked prospect Hank Estill (.292, 5, 18) has been one of the best rookie hitters despite just 128 PAs, and Cecil LaBonte's (.300, 3, 42, 5) 99 WRC+ is the only sub-100 in the lineup. The 25-year-old still provides plus defense at short, and while maybe they could have used a natural center fielder or a big corner outfield bat to replace Flipper Robinson (.294, 7, 65, 6), they have all the firepower they need to keep up with the teams above them. None of them have Ed Bowman (13-4, 2.56, 93) either, and while the Gothams could have used an extra arm, that could instead come in the form of a rebound from Lefty Allen (9-8, 5.05, 22).

The next two weeks will have huge impacts on the Federal pennant race, but I don't see any of these three teams slowing down. They're at the top for a reason, and I don't see anyone separating from the pack. Neutral fans should be in for a show in August and September, with plenty of baseball drama in store as we look to crown the next pennant winner. This is going to be a fun one!

The Cougars are set to call up 61st ranked prospect Frank Reece from AAA to replace Sal Pestilli in center field. A former 2nd Round Pick, Reece hit .333/.397/.550 (145 OPS+) in AA, but upped that to an even better .340/.375/.642 (187 OPS+) in AAA. He had WRC+ of 158 and 206, with 22 doubles, 15 triples, 12 homers, 67 RBIs, 32 walks, and 7 steals between the two levels. There was consideration in bringing up 7th ranked prospect Jerry Smith, who is hitting a slightly lower .295/.386/.523 (158 OPS+) in AAA, but word around the Cougars front office is they want him and top ranked pitching prospect Bob Allen to join the team together. Allen has been dominant in his last three AAA starts, with a no-hitter and just 1 run in his last 27 innings, but 25-year-old waiver claim George Polk has impressed since coming over from the Keystones. In 40 innings he has a 2.92 ERA (141 ERA+) and 1.23 WHIP, and has earned himself a few more starts with his quality pitching.

TALES FROM THE LAIR

Wolves Deal Hancock To Dynamos -In a late deal at the deadline Toronto moved a mainstay of the Wolves starting rotation since 1936: the first overall selection in 1933, Joe Hancock. A fan favourite for his 15 years in Toronto Joe led the CA in wins three times, 1937 (20), 1938 (22), 1943 (20). He was the league leader in strikeouts 3 straight years starting in 1937 along with being a 6 time All-Star.

One remarkable stat that often goes unnoticed is in the first season affected by WWII, 1942, Hancock only allowed one HR in 286 2/3 innings of work. Overall in a Wolves uniform he pitched 3394 2/3 innings with a 204-162 record with a 3.30 ERA. He leaves the Wolves organization with the third most victories for the team, third in games, quality starts and innings pitched, second in starts and strikeouts. Joe may see a HOF plaque with his name on in the future.

In return the Wolves received some much needed young pitching help. George Avery, 26, a righty will move into the starting rotation next week, he pitched 3 time in relief this week giving up no runs. Also included in the deal were Bill Sweet, 23, who is a groundball pitcher who will move into the Davenport rotation for the balance of the A season along with a 3rd round pick in 1950, a catcher by the name of Bob Longstreth. The 22-year-old is said to have a bat with some pop who will also report to Davenport.

Brett has learned from his front office sources the deal with Detroit came together quickly with Hancock agreeing to move before the paperwork was submitted to the league offices. Detroit is trailing St. Louis by only one game in the FA came looking for a starter to push them over the top. He made his first start with his new team on Friday in Pittsburgh pitching into the 8th winning 6-3.

The Wolves continue their recent trend of trading aging mainstays but only to contenders for another shot at a title in waning FABL years. Hancock told Brett that he was fine with the deal and that he understood the reasoning of the team. He said, as the consummate pro he has always been, "Time to help Detroit to a championship.".

The team statement thanked Hancock for his contributions over 13 years in a Wolves uniform interrupted by war service in 1944-45. The mantle of leading the pitching staff on and off the field falls to George Garrison, 33, who was rumoured to be subject of trade talks before the Hancock move to the FA. Garrison will now probably remain with the Wolves to anchor the rotation in the coming years while the youth develops for the team.

On the field the Wolves historically bad season continues, going 1-6 by losing 3 of 4 to Brooklyn then all 3 to the Saints over the weekend. Losses continue to add up in the all to familiar pattern of blowing leads late, not hitting or kicking the ball to lose games. The only highlight of the week has Les Ledbetter's first big league victory on Tuesday over the Kings. He pitched into the seventh only giving up 2 runs on 8 hits striking out 6, more importantly walking no one. He avoided walks along with the big inning which has been his undoing early during his time in Toronto.

Speaking of historically bad the team at 30-73, .291 winning percentage is rivalling only the Border Association Wolves of 1890 in racking up losses. That team went 40-100 (,286). If this team does win 15 of its final 51 they will have the lowest winning percentage ever of a Wolves team in history. That is a winning percentage of .294 might be a tough task for a team on a 5 game losing streak. Now the team will have a goal, avoid being the worst team in Toronto baseball history.

JOHNSON UNLIKELY HERO FOR SAILORS

John Thomas Johnson, who started the season in the Sailors bullpen, has opened some eyes with his first two starts since being inserted into the rotation. In his first start against the Kings, he tossed a six-hit shutout and fanned eight in a 9-0 Sailors victory on July 29. He followed that up on six days later with a second complete game in a tight 3-2 win over the Stars, allowing two runs (both on solo homers) but surrendering just five hits while walking three and striking out four. If you're scoring at home, that's 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in two starts. Can he keep it up? Well, the Sailors have won seven straight and nine of ten to reclaim the top spot with a 2.5 game edge on Cleveland.
*** Foresters Outfield Leads the Way ***

While everyone tends to focus (for good reason) on Adrian Czerwinski as he seeks another Allen Award with a 14-4, 3.14 record thus far, the real story in Cleveland has been the play of the club's trio of flycatchers. Each of Sherry Doyal, Joe Wood and Frenchy Sonntag came up as highly-touted centerfielders. Doyal is the one patrolling the big pasture, flanked by Wood in left and Sonntag in right. And all three are having outstanding seasons at the plate. Doyal leads the way with a .329 average, 22 homers and 86 RBIs - those numbers are 3rd, 2nd and 2nd in the Continental this season as Doyal flirts with a potential Triple Crown. Sonntag missed a few weeks due to injury but has still belted 20 HRs and has 69 RBIs with a .329 average. Wood, the rookie amongst the group of youngsters, has a .304-12-65 line.

Here's a scary thought - the only Forester hitter older than 25 is Lorenzo Samuels and the only 25-year-old is Eddie Morris, both of whom are likely to be replaced by Stump Patterson & John Low respectively within a season. On the pitching side, Czerwinski's 26, Larry Beebe is 23, Ollie White is 27 and Gordie Irwin (29) and Ducky Davis (30) are the "old men" - this is a team that if the pitching is reasonably decent is going to be a headache for other CA clubs for a while.

The Montreal Saints added Sal Pestilli to the roster trying to boost the starting nine in to pennant winning position. The 35-year-old, who owns a Whitney Award and nine all-star game invitations, was acquired from the Chicago Cougars at the trade deadline. With that move, Joe Austin returns full time to second base while Pestilli will cover center field as the Saints hope to make up what now sits as a 7.5 game deficit behind first place Philadelphia in the Continental Association flag race.

Some positive news this week as pitcher Ted Coffin gets rookie of the month award while Otis O'Keefe was named the batter of the month in the CA for July. Coffin is getting more confident as season progress (12-5, 3.02 ERA). But with all this great news, highlighted by a 5-2 week, Montreal still 7.5 games behind as the Philadelphia Sailors seemed to have returned to their winning ways.

Pestilli is not the only newcomer in the starting lineup as Saints skipper Jim Cator has decided to give the starting first base job to Hank Smith. The 1945 first round pick, 11th overall, has always been a backup since being with Montreal, caddying for starting first baseman Maurice Carter. This season, Carter is struggling a lot, and his offensive stats went way down compare to the last two years. After three seasons of 20+ HRs, Carter only got 8 this season with a batting average in the .230s. Back in time, in 1947, Hank Smith was playing well in AAA to be ready to become the next "Red Bond" of Montreal, but when the Saints made a trade to bring Maurice Carter from Washington at trade deadline and to finish the season, Smith was relegated to the second choice at first base.

Carter finished the season batting well enough and got the starting job for each of the last three season, putting up more than decent numbers until this year. During that time, Smith played as a substitute for Carter, more often against lefty pithchers and as a regular pinch hitter. Now this has changed... This is now Hank Smith's time at 1B in Montreal and time to see if he can perform well enough to keep Carter on the bench.

"Finish strong and get the job next season" is probably what is in Hank Smith head at the moment. In the opinion of many around the ball club, the leash is short for Smith, because Montreal drafted many prospects at this position in the last few years and some of them will be hitting the door in Montreal soon. Here is the list of first base prospects in the Montreal organization: AAA Bill Duckworth (OSA #46), AAA Ben Rogers (SA #225), AA Andy Green (OSA #127), A Andy Bonner (OSA #96) and B Gilberto Ocasio (OSA #194).

Overall, Saints are on a 5-win streak, entering a 13 games stretch playing exclusively against the Stars and the Cougars in the next two weeks. Every Montreal fan will have an idea of how September will look like depending how good or bad the Saints perform during that stretch!

I have discussed in the past the breakout season John Stallings is having. Another Chiefs pitcher having the best season of his career is 32-year-old Ernie Espanoza. Espanoza spent the entire 1950 season in the Chiefs bullpen. After getting a chance to start in early May, Espanoza has made the most of that opportunity, He has an ERA+ of 121 and is on pace for 4.1 WAR (his previous high was 2.9 in 1949). On Saturday in Washington, Espanoza threw a one-hitter to beat the Eagles 6-0.

There is more to like about the Chiefs, certainly more than their current 50-58 record might indicate. 23-year-old rookie Bill Kline had his best start a little over a week ago in a 1-0 loss in Philadelphia. Kline's only misstep was allowing a solo home run to Rudy Minton in the 3rd inning.

Ed Bloom now has an even 900 PA in the FABL: .286/.418/.388 with an OPS+ of 116. 30 doubles, 7 triples, 10 home runs, and 18 stolen bases. Here's to the Chiefs lead-off hitter for the next decade.

Here are some nice numbers on the Chiefs rebuild. This is cool image of a rebuild. 6 of the top 7 run producers in Chicago this season are additions from the last few seasons (Hopkins being the holdover).

Thinking about, Rutherford was acquired the year after Hopkins. And Hopkins was acquired in 46. So all 7 were acquired in the past 5 seasons. Actually it is all eight I guess, if you count D'Alessandro, who was acquired in the same season as Hopkins.

Looking to the future Chiefs 2nd round pick Jim Upchurch hit 7 home runs in his first 23 games for Class C Waterloo after slugging 3 in a game against Marshalltown. Upchurch and 1st round pick Hugh Ferebee have combined for 12 home runs in their 3 weeks in Waterloo.

The Chiefs have a chance to make an impact on the Federal Association pennant race. It should be an interesting couple of weeks for the cub: 12 games, all against either New York (5) or Detroit (7).

NOW THE PENNANT RACE BEGINS

All the deals have been made, four months of separating the contenders from the rest are over, and it's time to get down to business. August finds your New York Gothams four off the lead, but just two in the loss column. Yes, August also brings the annual focus on the "loss column". The next two weeks should go a long ways towards determining whether the Gothams will close that gap. 10 of the next 15 games are against league leading St. Louis or second place Detroit. A couple of series against Chicago are mixed in to catch your breath. This week closes with St. Louis in town for 4 games. Time to start juggling rotations for the best matchups.

One new weapon, New York's only deadline move, is Jim Morrison. The 36-year-old acquired from the Cougars moved to 4-0 as a Gotham. Morrison has a 3.10 ERA since moving to Queens.

As hot as the weather - Walt Messer hit .333 with 9 homers and 20 RBI in July. He missed out on batter of the month honors, but ace Ed Bowman did take the FA pitcher award for July. Red Johnson continues to lead the FA in homers and RBI with 26 and 88.

Team Owner Chester Coleman introduced a Missouri native Bob Gould as the Kings new Asst GM. Many speculate that Gould is someone who will be the owners personal "voice" in the office of the owner.

After some thought, Manager Tom Barrell has accepted a 2-year contract to remain with the Kings. Barrell in his 6th season has a 421-457 with the Kings. That record is greatly effected by the first season record in which the Kings finished 61-93 in the 1946 season.

itting coach Milo Kimble and 1B Coach Elmer De Gray have accepted offers to return while pitching coach Karl Johnson is already signed for the new year. The feeling is that bench coach Jim Dudkiewicz will likely retire at the end of the year as he has indicated he isn't interested in moving to Kansas City to remain the bench coach. Speculation is that the Kings will promote Tampa Manager Don Fox to be the Kings bench coach for the 1952 season. Fox has already signed a 2-year extension to keep managing in the organization, but thoughts are that Fox is highly regarded by the King's front office. No mention if longtime Brooklyn Scouting Director John Spears will be returning.

On the field3B Ken Newman 22 has been on a tear since July 1st. Since July 1st Newman has hit 360/467/971. He has 10 extra base hits with 17 RBI's and 20 runs scored in this games. Newman appears to be cementing himself as the King's long term #2 hitter.
Rumor has it the Kings were set to ship LHP Jackson Scott to Washington for a mid-level minor league 3B prospect, but midnight struck before the teams could get the paperwork finalized.

DALTON INJURY OPENS DOOR FOR CAREER MINOR LEAGUE

Boston loses Billy Dalton for 6 weeks causing a domino effect of moves throughout the Minutemen's' system. Fred Williams gets called up to the club not because of performance but simply because there is literally nobody else to bring up.

I can imagine the conversation from Columbus manager Ben Hatfield...Fred Williams standing in front of the visitors locker in St. Paul after a 2-1 loss. He went 1-4 in the game raising his average to .203, not even 20 points above his playing weight as equipment manager/bench coach Monty Hackworth alerts Williams that "Hatty" wants a word with him.

Williams looks up at the ragged uniform hanging in his locker wondering if this is it? Is the dream over at 24? Is this the last day he will ever be able to call himself a pro ballplayer? With a heavy exhale of his breath Fred turns and walks into the office to face the music. "Hatty" is sitting at the desk in a tank top style undershirt more yellow than the original white it was. There is a thin line of smoke coming off the Chesterfield Hatty has in the corner of his mouth and a can of red, white and blue is already open on the desk.

"Hey Fred, will you close the door? I have some news for you." As Fred closes the door and turns, Hatty gets right to the point. This will be quick and easy Fred thought. That's good, I don't need to be treated like a kid. I'm not getting the job done, but man, I wish they would at least give me another chance in AA before sending me back to Iowa.

As Fred was playing out his own fate he totally tuned out the fact that Hatty was talking until he heard the word "Boston".

Snapping out of his funk Fred replied "Wait, what did you say Hatty?"

Hatty shakes his head and says "You got corn in your ears boy? I said Billy Dalton is out and you are the next man up. You are going to Boston, they bought your contract."

Dumbfounded, Fred tried to reply before Hatty cut him off "I thought that...." "You thought you were being released, and to be honest kid, that day may have been coming. But baseball works in weird ways sometimes. Sometimes one man's loss is another man's opportunity. And this is a good opportunity for you. They tell me that Billy is going to be on the shelf for at least six weeks. You will be a reserve, but you will have a good month and a half to show them something kid. Some ball players never get that chance. Hell kid, I never got out of "A" ball. So save the tears for another day and put your mind on how you are going to impress these guys up there. Your going to the big time Fred, go out there and celebrate with the fellas for a minute and pack your bags. Good luck Fred, make us proud."

Brooklyn and Washington had a deadline deal done that would have sent Kings 25-year-old pitcher Jackson Scott to the Eagles for minor league 3B prospect Earl Avery but the deal failed to be confirmed prior to the deadline.
2nd overall selection Rex Pilcher is clearly FABL ready. Player of the week hit .423 with 3 homers and 10 rbis the past seven days for the Pioneers. Meanwhile, first overall selection Charlie Barrell must be livid seeing this and knowing what he is capable of doing- while being demoted from Class B to C in Cincinnati after only hitting 6 homers in 22 games at bat. Now in C ball, the lowest of the low, Barrell had a 3 homer week and likely spent his spare time working on his passing skills with pigskin, eyeing a September return to the campus of Noble Jones College.
Rip Curry is going home. Waived by the Boston Minutemen the 41-year-old will likely finish out his career with the team he started it, after being claimed by the Philadelphia Keystones. Curry made his big league debut with the Keystones in 1934 and spent six years with the club until being traded to Detroit prior to the 1940 season. He was moved to Boston in 1946, his first year back after missing two seasons serving in the Army during WWII. Always a solid hitter, Curry has 2,211 big league hits and a career FABL batting average of .326.

UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS

Aug 13- Baltimore, MD: longtime welterweight George "Mr Sandman" Gibbs (29-7) against Hubert Boyd (11-7)
Aug 13- Miami, FL: veteran heavyweight Scott 'The Chef' Baker (25-7-3) faces Bob Cooley (21-9-1)
Aug 14- Montreal Arena: Adrian Petrie (21-4-3) and Kevin Rawlings (19-6), Canadian middleweights meet for the third time. Each won once previously. Petrie briefly held the World Middleweight title in 1948-49.
Aug 22- Lakeside Auditorium, Chicago: Heavyweight contenders Lewis Jones (24-4-1) and Cannon Cooper (34-6-1) meet.
Aug 22- Flatbush Gardens, Brooklyn: veteran Boston heavyweight Roy Crawford (34-8) takes on Irwin Hoffman (20-3-2)
Aug 25- Atlanta, GA: Italian middleweight Hugo Canio (20-2-2) meets Junior Shaw (35-8-3)
Aug 27- Philadelphia, PA: middleweight Bob Hinkle (30-10-1) squares off against Gil Bailey (8-4-3)
Aug 28 - Pittsburgh, PA: middleweight contenders Dan Drewery (27-3-5) and Jim Ward (28-3) clash.
Aug 31- Holyoke, MA: Heavyweight Harvey Winter (26-7-2) faces Malcolm Harrington (18-11-1)
September 8- Gothams Stadium New York: World heavyweight champion Hector Sawyer (65-3-1) faces Max Bradley (22-1-1) in the final fight of his career.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 8/05/1951

Defense Secretary Marshall warned Congress that "the enemy's buildup" is increasing the danger of an all-out war. Marshall left no doubt he was referring to Russia as the enemy, and to reported Communist buildup of troops and supplies in Korea and elsewhere.
Peace talks in Korea continued but made little progress towards solving the key issues with the major one being the location of a buffer zone between North and South Korea.
Chairman Connally of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee criticized administration plans for spreading economic aid to Asia and other parts of the world instead of concentrating on building up the defenses of Western Europe in the pending $8.5 billion foreign aid bill.
The bitter dispute over Iranian oil took a drastic step when the British turned off the last gasoline producing machine of the world's largest refinery. The Anglo-Iranian Oil Co.'s production had been slowed during the dispute but not halted entirely before last week.
A Senator from Arkansas has called for the suspension of service academy sports, primarily Rome State and Annapolis Maritime football after the majority of the Centurions football squad was among the 90 Rome State cadets kicked out of school last week for cheating.
The Chairman of the House Monopoly Subcommittee has told FABL President Dan Barrell that some ballplayers oppose the "reserve clause" tying them to one club for their baseball life. It is the first indication the committee has found player witnesses perhaps willing to testify against the reserve clause.

07-03-2024, 02:51 PM	#976
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,873	August 6, 1951 AUGUST 6, 1951 DYNAMOS BEAT TRADE DEADLINE WITH ANOTHER DEAL Saints Surprise Participant in a CA Move It is a wonder the Detroit Dynamos have enough players remaining in their organization to field five minor league teams after the toll the trade deadline has taken on their prospects. One went to the New York Stars, 10 to Brooklyn along with an aging catcher in Adam Mullins if you include the opening day move to add Pat Petty and now three more have been dealt to Toronto in a deadline beating move to add veteran pitcher Joe Hancock to the Dynamos staff. Hancock is 38 years old and clearly far removed from the zenith of his career, which would be 1939 when he won the Continental Association Allen Award. This year has been a struggle for the six-time all-star, with a 4-11 record and a 4.14 era but shoddy defense and an abysmal run support of less than 3 per game certainly should shoulder much of the blame. The Dynamos are hoping the groundball specialist still has enough left in the tank to look more like the pitcher who went 13-9 with an ERA just a shade about 3.00 a year ago once he has the best defense in the Federal Association backing him up. Detroit had little left in the way of elite prospects, the system cleaned out in deals to add the bats of Mack Sutton, Ralph Johnson and Dan Smith along with 30-year-old hurler Bob Arman, so they parted with a 26-year-old arm off their big league roster and a pair of younger prospects. The 26-year-old is George Avery, who has not received a lot of respect from OSA scouting but is 30-9 with a 2.57 era over parts of four seasons in AAA and has not allowed a run in 5 innings of relief work since his recent promotion to the big leagues. Also heading to the Wolves organization are pitcher Bill Sweet and catcher Bob Longstreth. Both were with Detroit's Class A affiliate. Sweet is a 23-year-old righthander originally selected by the Chicago Cougars in the 7th round of the 1946 draft while Longstreth, 21 and a third round selection in the 1950 draft, was batting .271 in 80 games with Terre Haute. * SAINTS SURPRISE WITH ADDITION OF PESTILLI * The only other deadline day deal involving contenders came as a surprise when nine time all-star Sal Pestilli was traded to the Montreal Saints by the Chicago Cougars. The fact that Pestilli was moved was only a mild surprise as the Cougars, 14.5 games out and in the midst of another season of disappointment, had been trying to move a veteran although most of their focus seemed to be on unloading either first baseman Red Bond or outfielder Chubby Hall. The big surprise was the fact that the destination for Pestilli turned out to be Montreal and not a team like the New York Gothams, or even Brooklyn for that matter as the Kings also made no secret they wanted a veteran bat for their outfield. In the end the price was deemed too heavy by the Kings, as they decided against parting with any of their large collection of young talent for what in the words of one Brooklyn source was not a prudent acquisition for a team that was "going nowhere this year and for an extra ping pong ball (in the draft later) it just didn't feel worth it." That assessment is accurate as the Kings certainly stand no shot at a Continental flag and the only place they are going is to Kansas City at the conclusion of the season. The Gothams may or may not have been involved in talks for Pestilli. Their manager Bud Jameson had lamented early on deadline day the fact that the Gothams had tried but had simply been unable to get things done and while not mentioning Pestilli by name it seemed that New York assistant General Manager Tom Johnson was describing the former Gotham star perfectly when he asked around the league for "an aging star who might like one more run at a title, especially if they haven't won one, and wouldn't mind being a bench bat?" In the end it was the surprise news, coming just hours before the deadline that the Montreal Saints had acquired Pestilli in a desperate hope to catch both the Philadelphia Sailors and Cleveland Foresters for the Continental crown, a bauble that has eluded the Quebecois nine since 1921- the longest drought of any team in either association. The Saints, hopes buoyed by a 21-7 July run, may find even with Pestilli the task of making up 7 games on two teams a little beyond their grasp, but give them credit for reaching high in trying to make what seemed an impossible task at the beginning of July a reality. The cost was steep and may prove to be one that Saints brass regrets down the road as Montreal sends the Cougars a pair of top 100 prospects in return. Going to the Windy City Kitties organization are 22-year-old outfielder Herm Kocher, formerly a first round selection of the Keystones in 1947 and presently ranked #80 by OSA on its prospect pipeline, and 21-year-old Pug White, a lefthander selected by the Saints in the fifth round of the 1948 draft and currently number 98 on the scouting service prospect list. Neither receives a glowing scouting report from OSA this year but they became additional pieces in the Cougars prospect cabinet, one that always seems to be fully stocked and among the best in either loop. The question is will the addition of Pestilli, a 35-year-old outfielder batting just .242 with 8 homers in 50 games who has dealt with both back and elbow problems this season, be enough in itself to allow the Saints to end their long October drought? And assuming Pestilli can remain healthy the rest of the way, how does that impact Joe Austin, the pepper pot table setter at the top of the Saints order who had been playing centerfield in recent weeks? Saints fans remember all too well the injuries to Austin and Maurice Carter that caused a strong pennant push a year ago to crash and burn down the stretch and perhaps just the security of having Pestilli waiting in the wings was the peace of mind Montreal management craved this time around. The Foresters and Sailors in the CA and the Gothams and Pioneers in the Fed all were unwilling or unable to make moves to improve at the deadline. The Dynamos and Saints - two clubs that have gone the longest in each association without a flag- each hope their aggressive deadline deals can lead to October baseball for a pair of long suffering fanbases. FED RACE REMAINS UNCHANGED IN LAST TEN DAYS Each of the three pennant hopefuls in the Federal Association have won seven of their last ten outings, meaning the St Louis Pioneers remain at the top of the heap, a game up on the Detroit Dynamos and four ahead of the New York Gothams. The Dynamos latest veteran acquisition, 38-year-old pitcher Joe Hancock, had a strong outing in his Federal Association debut. The former Toronto Wolves ace doubled Pittsburgh 6-3 in his first start in the Fed but the buzz in the Motor City was focused on Ralph Johnson as the former Brooklyn King enjoyed his best stretch of games since being moved to Detroit in that 13 player blockbuster deal three weeks ago. The 27-year-old outfielder looked like a three-time Whitney Award winner with a .348 batting average and 6 rbi's last week raising his Detroit totals to .286,4,12 in 21 games. Johnson's week, while solid, was far from player of the week worthy. That honour was bestowed on Pioneers rookie slugger Rex Pilcher as The Buckeye Bomber, in just his second week in the big leagues, batted .423 with 3 homers and 10 rbi's, clearly easing any concerns the Pioneers might have had that they promoted him too early after a tough first week for the second overall selection in the June draft. The week ahead promises to be very interesting in the Federal Association. The Pioneers will play in Detroit twice to open the week before moving on to New York for a 4-game set at Gothams Stadium. St Louis will be short-handed as smooth fielding but light-hitting shortstop Win Hamby suffered an elbow injury in a game last week, ending his season. There is some good news for the Pioneers as Frank Kirchner, who missed two weeks with a hip injury, returned to the lineup last week and did not miss a beat, batting .304 in the six games he played. Meanwhile in the Continental Association the Philadelphia Sailors, who stumbled a little after the all-star break, are back on track and extended their lead on second place Cleveland to two and a half games after going 7-0 against the Chicago Cougars and New York Stars last week. The Foresters faced the same two opponents last week but managed to come out on top in just 3 of their 7 contests. The Montreal Saints ended their losing streak at 4 games with wins in each of their last five, but sit 7.5 games behind the Sailors. Sal Pestilli went 3-for-19 (.158) in his first five games with Montreal. FED RACE HEATS UP OVER NEXT TWO WEEKS As the deadline came and went, the three teams atop the Federal Association now must hope that all the pieces they need for a pennant are in place, as it will be very hard to make any major additions to the squads they start August with. St. Louis in particular may wish trades were open for just one more week, as after deciding against a shortstop upgrade in the Cougars' Elmer Grace (.343, 2, 16), they saw their regular shortstop Win Hamby (.219, 3, 36) suffer a season ending injury. With no natural shortstop ready and waiting, it may end up being the difference in a race that could be decided by the thinnest margins, but the hope is Homer Mills (.307, 1, 19) can return to the position he spent plenty of time at in the minors. They have a tough task, fending off the Dynamos and Gothams, who sit one and four games behind them. Whether it will make it easier or harder, those are the only two teams the Pioneers face for the next two weeks, allowing them to completely control their own destiny. Each week it's two with Detroit and four with New York, this week on the road, next week at Pioneer Field, as they attempt to go worst-to-first for the second time in five years. With 66 wins, they've already surpassed their season win total from last season, and will match their 1949 mark with their next win. Even with some bad ERA luck for ace Danny Hern (12-8, 4.52, 67), who's 3.80 FIP (88 FIP-) is far prettier then his ERA, St. Louis' pitching has gotten them to where they are. Both Hiram Steinberg (10-7, 2.92, 64) and Hal Hackney (13-7, 2.40, 78) have been dominant, with Hackney in particular a frontrunner for what would be his second Allen Award. Former 2nd Overall Pick Tom Buchanan (8-4, 3.65, 57) is having a breakout year at 28, giving St. Louis a front four that can match up with anyone else in the game. Even better, the St Louis offense is scoring a lot more in the second half, up to second in runs scored with big seasons from Larry Gregory (.313, 14, 77, 4), Ray Bates (.343, 5, 38), and Frank Kirchner (.309, 2, 55), who has somehow outplayed trade partner Jim Adams Jr. (.268, 6, 37, 9) who's been able to draw 75 walks and score 74 runs. Add in recent 2nd Overall Pick Rex Pilcher (.325, 4, 14), who already has a 5-hit game and Player of the Week after just two weeks in the St. Louis, and the Pioneers have all the pieces to compete. The only issue for them, is so does Detroit, as the active Dynamos have made numerous additions to their roster. They only play the Gothams twice, with series against the Eagles and Chiefs when they're not playing their top competition, much easier tasks for the All-Star laden squad. No longer a bottom feeder lineup, Detroit made big deals for Ralph Johnson (.301, 17, 58, 5) and Mack Sutton (.292, 24, 82), adding Dan Smith (.245, 9, 47) and Bob Arman (8-10, 4.54, 84) with Johnson in a major thirteen player deal that sent ten players to the Brooklyn Kings. The last add was longtime Wolf Joe Hancock (5-11, 4.11, 60), who won over 200 games in Toronto and has 6-All Star selections in his 14 year career. Hancock gives them a veteran presence with experience in the postseason, leading a strong rotation that has seen big years from Wally Hunter (12-4, 2.68, 67) and Jack Miller (12-12, 3.48, 78). The lineup now really has only one hole, 21-year-old Dino Sharp (.241, 4, 16), but he's the 15th ranked prospect and offers plenty of pop in the eight spot. He's the only Dynamo regular with a WRC+ below 100, and if he can't pick things up, they have veteran Tony Mullis (.254, 3, 24) and the former 15th ranked prospect Jim Gaiter (.260, 7, 29) on the bench to replace him. Then of course there is the uncharacteristically quiet New York Gothams, who despite attempting to make a big acquisition, had to settle for just Jim Morrison (8-8, 3.79, 47). Morrison has won all four of his Gothams starts while working to a 3.10 ERA (135 ERA+) and 1.07 WHIP, but there were rumors they had their eyes set on bigger targets. One of those was Continental home run leader Red Bond (.306, 24, 71), who the Cougars tried their hardest to move, but the 38-year-old veteran would rather waste away on a second division team then sit on the bench behind Red Johnson (.312, 26, 88). Lucky for the reigning pennant leaders, they are the team that needed acquisitions the least, as they have a ton of star power and a four game deficit isn't too much to make up. Along with the two teams ahead of them, the Gothams have five with the Chiefs, and no one has had any success stopping their top ranked offense. Billy Moody (.277, 12, 46) has been a pleasant surprise a top their lineup, setting the table for the big boppers like Johnson, George Cleaves (.302, 14, 39), and Walt Messer (.283, 21, 62). 29th ranked prospect Hank Estill (.292, 5, 18) has been one of the best rookie hitters despite just 128 PAs, and Cecil LaBonte's (.300, 3, 42, 5) 99 WRC+ is the only sub-100 in the lineup. The 25-year-old still provides plus defense at short, and while maybe they could have used a natural center fielder or a big corner outfield bat to replace Flipper Robinson (.294, 7, 65, 6), they have all the firepower they need to keep up with the teams above them. None of them have Ed Bowman (13-4, 2.56, 93) either, and while the Gothams could have used an extra arm, that could instead come in the form of a rebound from Lefty Allen (9-8, 5.05, 22). The next two weeks will have huge impacts on the Federal pennant race, but I don't see any of these three teams slowing down. They're at the top for a reason, and I don't see anyone separating from the pack. Neutral fans should be in for a show in August and September, with plenty of baseball drama in store as we look to crown the next pennant winner. This is going to be a fun one! The Cougars are set to call up 61st ranked prospect Frank Reece from AAA to replace Sal Pestilli in center field. A former 2nd Round Pick, Reece hit .333/.397/.550 (145 OPS+) in AA, but upped that to an even better .340/.375/.642 (187 OPS+) in AAA. He had WRC+ of 158 and 206, with 22 doubles, 15 triples, 12 homers, 67 RBIs, 32 walks, and 7 steals between the two levels. There was consideration in bringing up 7th ranked prospect Jerry Smith, who is hitting a slightly lower .295/.386/.523 (158 OPS+) in AAA, but word around the Cougars front office is they want him and top ranked pitching prospect Bob Allen to join the team together. Allen has been dominant in his last three AAA starts, with a no-hitter and just 1 run in his last 27 innings, but 25-year-old waiver claim George Polk has impressed since coming over from the Keystones. In 40 innings he has a 2.92 ERA (141 ERA+) and 1.23 WHIP, and has earned himself a few more starts with his quality pitching. TALES FROM THE LAIR Wolves Deal Hancock To Dynamos -In a late deal at the deadline Toronto moved a mainstay of the Wolves starting rotation since 1936: the first overall selection in 1933, Joe Hancock. A fan favourite for his 15 years in Toronto Joe led the CA in wins three times, 1937 (20), 1938 (22), 1943 (20). He was the league leader in strikeouts 3 straight years starting in 1937 along with being a 6 time All-Star. One remarkable stat that often goes unnoticed is in the first season affected by WWII, 1942, Hancock only allowed one HR in 286 2/3 innings of work. Overall in a Wolves uniform he pitched 3394 2/3 innings with a 204-162 record with a 3.30 ERA. He leaves the Wolves organization with the third most victories for the team, third in games, quality starts and innings pitched, second in starts and strikeouts. Joe may see a HOF plaque with his name on in the future. In return the Wolves received some much needed young pitching help. George Avery, 26, a righty will move into the starting rotation next week, he pitched 3 time in relief this week giving up no runs. Also included in the deal were Bill Sweet, 23, who is a groundball pitcher who will move into the Davenport rotation for the balance of the A season along with a 3rd round pick in 1950, a catcher by the name of Bob Longstreth. The 22-year-old is said to have a bat with some pop who will also report to Davenport. Brett has learned from his front office sources the deal with Detroit came together quickly with Hancock agreeing to move before the paperwork was submitted to the league offices. Detroit is trailing St. Louis by only one game in the FA came looking for a starter to push them over the top. He made his first start with his new team on Friday in Pittsburgh pitching into the 8th winning 6-3. The Wolves continue their recent trend of trading aging mainstays but only to contenders for another shot at a title in waning FABL years. Hancock told Brett that he was fine with the deal and that he understood the reasoning of the team. He said, as the consummate pro he has always been, "Time to help Detroit to a championship.". The team statement thanked Hancock for his contributions over 13 years in a Wolves uniform interrupted by war service in 1944-45. The mantle of leading the pitching staff on and off the field falls to George Garrison, 33, who was rumoured to be subject of trade talks before the Hancock move to the FA. Garrison will now probably remain with the Wolves to anchor the rotation in the coming years while the youth develops for the team. On the field the Wolves historically bad season continues, going 1-6 by losing 3 of 4 to Brooklyn then all 3 to the Saints over the weekend. Losses continue to add up in the all to familiar pattern of blowing leads late, not hitting or kicking the ball to lose games. The only highlight of the week has Les Ledbetter's first big league victory on Tuesday over the Kings. He pitched into the seventh only giving up 2 runs on 8 hits striking out 6, more importantly walking no one. He avoided walks along with the big inning which has been his undoing early during his time in Toronto. Speaking of historically bad the team at 30-73, .291 winning percentage is rivalling only the Border Association Wolves of 1890 in racking up losses. That team went 40-100 (,286). If this team does win 15 of its final 51 they will have the lowest winning percentage ever of a Wolves team in history. That is a winning percentage of .294 might be a tough task for a team on a 5 game losing streak. Now the team will have a goal, avoid being the worst team in Toronto baseball history. JOHNSON UNLIKELY HERO FOR SAILORS John Thomas Johnson, who started the season in the Sailors bullpen, has opened some eyes with his first two starts since being inserted into the rotation. In his first start against the Kings, he tossed a six-hit shutout and fanned eight in a 9-0 Sailors victory on July 29. He followed that up on six days later with a second complete game in a tight 3-2 win over the Stars, allowing two runs (both on solo homers) but surrendering just five hits while walking three and striking out four. If you're scoring at home, that's 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in two starts. Can he keep it up? Well, the Sailors have won seven straight and nine of ten to reclaim the top spot with a 2.5 game edge on Cleveland. * Foresters Outfield Leads the Way * While everyone tends to focus (for good reason) on Adrian Czerwinski as he seeks another Allen Award with a 14-4, 3.14 record thus far, the real story in Cleveland has been the play of the club's trio of flycatchers. Each of Sherry Doyal, Joe Wood and Frenchy Sonntag came up as highly-touted centerfielders. Doyal is the one patrolling the big pasture, flanked by Wood in left and Sonntag in right. And all three are having outstanding seasons at the plate. Doyal leads the way with a .329 average, 22 homers and 86 RBIs - those numbers are 3rd, 2nd and 2nd in the Continental this season as Doyal flirts with a potential Triple Crown. Sonntag missed a few weeks due to injury but has still belted 20 HRs and has 69 RBIs with a .329 average. Wood, the rookie amongst the group of youngsters, has a .304-12-65 line. Here's a scary thought - the only Forester hitter older than 25 is Lorenzo Samuels and the only 25-year-old is Eddie Morris, both of whom are likely to be replaced by Stump Patterson & John Low respectively within a season. On the pitching side, Czerwinski's 26, Larry Beebe is 23, Ollie White is 27 and Gordie Irwin (29) and Ducky Davis (30) are the "old men" - this is a team that if the pitching is reasonably decent is going to be a headache for other CA clubs for a while. The Montreal Saints added Sal Pestilli to the roster trying to boost the starting nine in to pennant winning position. The 35-year-old, who owns a Whitney Award and nine all-star game invitations, was acquired from the Chicago Cougars at the trade deadline. With that move, Joe Austin returns full time to second base while Pestilli will cover center field as the Saints hope to make up what now sits as a 7.5 game deficit behind first place Philadelphia in the Continental Association flag race. Some positive news this week as pitcher Ted Coffin gets rookie of the month award while Otis O'Keefe was named the batter of the month in the CA for July. Coffin is getting more confident as season progress (12-5, 3.02 ERA). But with all this great news, highlighted by a 5-2 week, Montreal still 7.5 games behind as the Philadelphia Sailors seemed to have returned to their winning ways. Pestilli is not the only newcomer in the starting lineup as Saints skipper Jim Cator has decided to give the starting first base job to Hank Smith. The 1945 first round pick, 11th overall, has always been a backup since being with Montreal, caddying for starting first baseman Maurice Carter. This season, Carter is struggling a lot, and his offensive stats went way down compare to the last two years. After three seasons of 20+ HRs, Carter only got 8 this season with a batting average in the .230s. Back in time, in 1947, Hank Smith was playing well in AAA to be ready to become the next "Red Bond" of Montreal, but when the Saints made a trade to bring Maurice Carter from Washington at trade deadline and to finish the season, Smith was relegated to the second choice at first base. Carter finished the season batting well enough and got the starting job for each of the last three season, putting up more than decent numbers until this year. During that time, Smith played as a substitute for Carter, more often against lefty pithchers and as a regular pinch hitter. Now this has changed... This is now Hank Smith's time at 1B in Montreal and time to see if he can perform well enough to keep Carter on the bench. "Finish strong and get the job next season" is probably what is in Hank Smith head at the moment. In the opinion of many around the ball club, the leash is short for Smith, because Montreal drafted many prospects at this position in the last few years and some of them will be hitting the door in Montreal soon. Here is the list of first base prospects in the Montreal organization: AAA Bill Duckworth (OSA #46), AAA Ben Rogers (SA #225), AA Andy Green (OSA #127), A Andy Bonner (OSA #96) and B Gilberto Ocasio (OSA #194). Overall, Saints are on a 5-win streak, entering a 13 games stretch playing exclusively against the Stars and the Cougars in the next two weeks. Every Montreal fan will have an idea of how September will look like depending how good or bad the Saints perform during that stretch! I have discussed in the past the breakout season John Stallings is having. Another Chiefs pitcher having the best season of his career is 32-year-old Ernie Espanoza. Espanoza spent the entire 1950 season in the Chiefs bullpen. After getting a chance to start in early May, Espanoza has made the most of that opportunity, He has an ERA+ of 121 and is on pace for 4.1 WAR (his previous high was 2.9 in 1949). On Saturday in Washington, Espanoza threw a one-hitter to beat the Eagles 6-0. There is more to like about the Chiefs, certainly more than their current 50-58 record might indicate. 23-year-old rookie Bill Kline had his best start a little over a week ago in a 1-0 loss in Philadelphia. Kline's only misstep was allowing a solo home run to Rudy Minton in the 3rd inning. Ed Bloom now has an even 900 PA in the FABL: .286/.418/.388 with an OPS+ of 116. 30 doubles, 7 triples, 10 home runs, and 18 stolen bases. Here's to the Chiefs lead-off hitter for the next decade. Here are some nice numbers on the Chiefs rebuild. This is cool image of a rebuild. 6 of the top 7 run producers in Chicago this season are additions from the last few seasons (Hopkins being the holdover). Thinking about, Rutherford was acquired the year after Hopkins. And Hopkins was acquired in 46. So all 7 were acquired in the past 5 seasons. Actually it is all eight I guess, if you count D'Alessandro, who was acquired in the same season as Hopkins. Looking to the future Chiefs 2nd round pick Jim Upchurch hit 7 home runs in his first 23 games for Class C Waterloo after slugging 3 in a game against Marshalltown. Upchurch and 1st round pick Hugh Ferebee have combined for 12 home runs in their 3 weeks in Waterloo. The Chiefs have a chance to make an impact on the Federal Association pennant race. It should be an interesting couple of weeks for the cub: 12 games, all against either New York (5) or Detroit (7). NOW THE PENNANT RACE BEGINS All the deals have been made, four months of separating the contenders from the rest are over, and it's time to get down to business. August finds your New York Gothams four off the lead, but just two in the loss column. Yes, August also brings the annual focus on the "loss column". The next two weeks should go a long ways towards determining whether the Gothams will close that gap. 10 of the next 15 games are against league leading St. Louis or second place Detroit. A couple of series against Chicago are mixed in to catch your breath. This week closes with St. Louis in town for 4 games. Time to start juggling rotations for the best matchups. One new weapon, New York's only deadline move, is Jim Morrison. The 36-year-old acquired from the Cougars moved to 4-0 as a Gotham. Morrison has a 3.10 ERA since moving to Queens. As hot as the weather - Walt Messer hit .333 with 9 homers and 20 RBI in July. He missed out on batter of the month honors, but ace Ed Bowman did take the FA pitcher award for July. Red Johnson continues to lead the FA in homers and RBI with 26 and 88. Team Owner Chester Coleman introduced a Missouri native Bob Gould as the Kings new Asst GM. Many speculate that Gould is someone who will be the owners personal "voice" in the office of the owner. After some thought, Manager Tom Barrell has accepted a 2-year contract to remain with the Kings. Barrell in his 6th season has a 421-457 with the Kings. That record is greatly effected by the first season record in which the Kings finished 61-93 in the 1946 season. itting coach Milo Kimble and 1B Coach Elmer De Gray have accepted offers to return while pitching coach Karl Johnson is already signed for the new year. The feeling is that bench coach Jim Dudkiewicz will likely retire at the end of the year as he has indicated he isn't interested in moving to Kansas City to remain the bench coach. Speculation is that the Kings will promote Tampa Manager Don Fox to be the Kings bench coach for the 1952 season. Fox has already signed a 2-year extension to keep managing in the organization, but thoughts are that Fox is highly regarded by the King's front office. No mention if longtime Brooklyn Scouting Director John Spears will be returning. On the field3B Ken Newman 22 has been on a tear since July 1st. Since July 1st Newman has hit 360/467/971. He has 10 extra base hits with 17 RBI's and 20 runs scored in this games. Newman appears to be cementing himself as the King's long term #2 hitter. Rumor has it the Kings were set to ship LHP Jackson Scott to Washington for a mid-level minor league 3B prospect, but midnight struck before the teams could get the paperwork finalized. DALTON INJURY OPENS DOOR FOR CAREER MINOR LEAGUE Boston loses Billy Dalton for 6 weeks causing a domino effect of moves throughout the Minutemen's' system. Fred Williams gets called up to the club not because of performance but simply because there is literally nobody else to bring up. I can imagine the conversation from Columbus manager Ben Hatfield...Fred Williams standing in front of the visitors locker in St. Paul after a 2-1 loss. He went 1-4 in the game raising his average to .203, not even 20 points above his playing weight as equipment manager/bench coach Monty Hackworth alerts Williams that "Hatty" wants a word with him. Williams looks up at the ragged uniform hanging in his locker wondering if this is it? Is the dream over at 24? Is this the last day he will ever be able to call himself a pro ballplayer? With a heavy exhale of his breath Fred turns and walks into the office to face the music. "Hatty" is sitting at the desk in a tank top style undershirt more yellow than the original white it was. There is a thin line of smoke coming off the Chesterfield Hatty has in the corner of his mouth and a can of red, white and blue is already open on the desk. "Hey Fred, will you close the door? I have some news for you." As Fred closes the door and turns, Hatty gets right to the point. This will be quick and easy Fred thought. That's good, I don't need to be treated like a kid. I'm not getting the job done, but man, I wish they would at least give me another chance in AA before sending me back to Iowa. As Fred was playing out his own fate he totally tuned out the fact that Hatty was talking until he heard the word "Boston". Snapping out of his funk Fred replied "Wait, what did you say Hatty?" Hatty shakes his head and says "You got corn in your ears boy? I said Billy Dalton is out and you are the next man up. You are going to Boston, they bought your contract." Dumbfounded, Fred tried to reply before Hatty cut him off "I thought that...." "You thought you were being released, and to be honest kid, that day may have been coming. But baseball works in weird ways sometimes. Sometimes one man's loss is another man's opportunity. And this is a good opportunity for you. They tell me that Billy is going to be on the shelf for at least six weeks. You will be a reserve, but you will have a good month and a half to show them something kid. Some ball players never get that chance. Hell kid, I never got out of "A" ball. So save the tears for another day and put your mind on how you are going to impress these guys up there. Your going to the big time Fred, go out there and celebrate with the fellas for a minute and pack your bags. Good luck Fred, make us proud." Brooklyn and Washington had a deadline deal done that would have sent Kings 25-year-old pitcher Jackson Scott to the Eagles for minor league 3B prospect Earl Avery but the deal failed to be confirmed prior to the deadline. 2nd overall selection Rex Pilcher is clearly FABL ready. Player of the week hit .423 with 3 homers and 10 rbis the past seven days for the Pioneers. Meanwhile, first overall selection Charlie Barrell must be livid seeing this and knowing what he is capable of doing- while being demoted from Class B to C in Cincinnati after only hitting 6 homers in 22 games at bat. Now in C ball, the lowest of the low, Barrell had a 3 homer week and likely spent his spare time working on his passing skills with pigskin, eyeing a September return to the campus of Noble Jones College. Rip Curry is going home. Waived by the Boston Minutemen the 41-year-old will likely finish out his career with the team he started it, after being claimed by the Philadelphia Keystones. Curry made his big league debut with the Keystones in 1934 and spent six years with the club until being traded to Detroit prior to the 1940 season. He was moved to Boston in 1946, his first year back after missing two seasons serving in the Army during WWII. Always a solid hitter, Curry has 2,211 big league hits and a career FABL batting average of .326. UPCOMING MAJOR FIGHTS Aug 13- Baltimore, MD: longtime welterweight George "Mr Sandman" Gibbs (29-7) against Hubert Boyd (11-7) Aug 13- Miami, FL: veteran heavyweight Scott 'The Chef' Baker (25-7-3) faces Bob Cooley (21-9-1) Aug 14- Montreal Arena: Adrian Petrie (21-4-3) and Kevin Rawlings (19-6), Canadian middleweights meet for the third time. Each won once previously. Petrie briefly held the World Middleweight title in 1948-49. Aug 22- Lakeside Auditorium, Chicago: Heavyweight contenders Lewis Jones (24-4-1) and Cannon Cooper (34-6-1) meet. Aug 22- Flatbush Gardens, Brooklyn: veteran Boston heavyweight Roy Crawford (34-8) takes on Irwin Hoffman (20-3-2) Aug 25- Atlanta, GA: Italian middleweight Hugo Canio (20-2-2) meets Junior Shaw (35-8-3) Aug 27- Philadelphia, PA: middleweight Bob Hinkle (30-10-1) squares off against Gil Bailey (8-4-3) Aug 28 - Pittsburgh, PA: middleweight contenders Dan Drewery (27-3-5) and Jim Ward (28-3) clash. Aug 31- Holyoke, MA: Heavyweight Harvey Winter (26-7-2) faces Malcolm Harrington (18-11-1) September 8- Gothams Stadium New York: World heavyweight champion Hector Sawyer (65-3-1) faces Max Bradley (22-1-1) in the final fight of his career. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 8/05/1951 Defense Secretary Marshall warned Congress that "the enemy's buildup" is increasing the danger of an all-out war. Marshall left no doubt he was referring to Russia as the enemy, and to reported Communist buildup of troops and supplies in Korea and elsewhere. Peace talks in Korea continued but made little progress towards solving the key issues with the major one being the location of a buffer zone between North and South Korea. Chairman Connally of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee criticized administration plans for spreading economic aid to Asia and other parts of the world instead of concentrating on building up the defenses of Western Europe in the pending $8.5 billion foreign aid bill. The bitter dispute over Iranian oil took a drastic step when the British turned off the last gasoline producing machine of the world's largest refinery. The Anglo-Iranian Oil Co.'s production had been slowed during the dispute but not halted entirely before last week. A Senator from Arkansas has called for the suspension of service academy sports, primarily Rome State and Annapolis Maritime football after the majority of the Centurions football squad was among the 90 Rome State cadets kicked out of school last week for cheating. The Chairman of the House Monopoly Subcommittee has told FABL President Dan Barrell that some ballplayers oppose the "reserve clause" tying them to one club for their baseball life. It is the first indication the committee has found player witnesses perhaps willing to testify against the reserve clause. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles