1951 ~ 1952 Offseason(December 1951)
Heading into the Rule V draft the Chiefs had exactly one top 120 prospect and that was last year's first-round pick, 19-year-old OF Hugh Ferebee. After signing with the Chiefs Ferebee hit just .182 in Class C ball proving to everyone that he is a long way away from Chicago. We certainly didn't expect to get a top-30 prospect in the Rule V draft...especially in the second round.
We had the fifth pick in the Rule 5 draft but none of the four teams in front of us submitted a pick so essentially we had the first pick. After cutting ties with veteran Charlie Artuso we were on the lookout for a shortstop. We'd love to get one that could hit and field but those are not usually left unprotected. We settled on 25-year-old Archie Cunningham from the crosstown Cougars farm system. Cunningham was an 8th-round pick of the Cougars in 1948 after two years at Carolina Poly. He's never been listed as a top 100 prospect but the kid knows how to win helping his teams take home minor league championships the last three seasons. In two years at AA he's hit almost .280 and stole over 90 bases while drawing 150 walks. If he comes close to those numbers this year then the Chiefs will be happy because he has the glove of a big leaguer and he should only get better.
What's wrong with Earl Leckie? You see a guy like that on the Rule V eligible list and you think it's a mistake and that he'll be pulled back. But you put his name on your list just in case. This time it paid off as the 30th overall prospect in the FABL, one Earl Leckie, was somehow left unprotected by the Boston Minutemen and somehow everyone missed him. It's not like Leckie is stuck in the low minors or has been hurt for several seasons in a row. No, the 24-year-old Leckie played the entire season for Boston's AAA club scoring 84 runs and drawing 77 walks while hitting .261 and playing outstanding defense in centerfield.
Bob Hobbs is a curious choice for our third round pick in the Rule V draft. Everyone is always looking for pitching and Hobbs, at 30 years old, is no secret to the FABL front offices. But he's worth a look after spending all of part of the past six seasons in AAA for the Cougars. Hobbs finished last season with a 3.09 ERA and he only gave up eight homers in over 177 innings and it doesn't really cost us anything to give him a try. If he bombs he goes back to AAA for the Cougars but if he works out then he's a steal for us.