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Christmas in June: FABL Draft Brings New Hope to Clubs and Cities Alike


It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, folks. Not the kind with jingle bells or snow, but the kind that comes gift-wrapped in raw talent and untapped potential. Yes, June is upon us, and so is the Federally Aligned Baseball League’s Amateur Draft. For teams like our Chicago Chiefs, it’s a season of new beginnings, a chance to unwrap the future stars of tomorrow and rekindle the hope that only baseball can bring.

Down in the war rooms of FABL headquarters, the air is thick with anticipation. Young men, most barely out of high school, sit by the phone, their dreams hanging in the balance. These boys, with their sandlot innocence and hometown pride, are poised to step into the grand stage of professional baseball. For some, it’s a golden ticket. For others, it’s the first step in a long, winding road to the big leagues.

For the Chiefs, who’ve had their fair share of rough seasons lately, this draft represents a fresh shot of adrenaline. Imagine the scene—coaches and scouts poring over scouting reports like kids shaking presents under the Christmas tree. The right pick could mean a future superstar in Comiskey Park, a player to anchor the lineup or dazzle the crowd with a golden glove. A glimmer of promise for a team aching to claw its way back to glory.

Let us not forget, though, the beauty of this moment isn’t just for teams and executives. It’s for the fans. For the fathers and sons who gather around the radio, hoping their team finally found “the one.” For the neighborhoods that see their local kid don an FABL cap, carrying the pride of a city on his shoulders. It’s a reminder that, in this game, no matter how tough the losses or how bleak the standings, hope is always just around the corner.

So here’s to June, the month where dreams come alive. Here’s to the players who will soon don the uniform and the teams who believe, against all odds, that this is the year their luck will turn. And here’s to the great game of baseball, which, much like Christmas, fills us all with childlike wonder and belief in the magic of tomorrow.

Stay tuned, folks. The draft board is lighting up, and who knows? The next Chicago Chief might just be a name none of us will ever forget.

Until then, play ball!
-John "Scoop" Mitchell, Windy City News Sportswriter


ROUND 1




The Chiefs settled into the middle of the draft selecting 10th out of 20 teams in every round.
This draft was very pitcher-heavy, particularly high school pitcher-heavy. The Chiefs have
made moves over the past season to even out what was, at the start of the 1962 season,
also a very pitcher-heavy minor league system so that going into this draft we could take the
best available player without regard to position.

With that in mind, the Chiefs watched as the best of the position players fell off the board early, and
when it was their turn to pick they settled on a high school pitcher of their own. 17-year-old Augustus
"Augie" Hicks had just one year of high school baseball under his belt but that was enough to convince
the Chiefs to select him in the first round. Chicago scout Charlie Green says Hicks has a golden arm
and, as he's known to be a little dramatic, threatened to quit(again) if the Chiefs were to pass on him.
He boasted the fourth-best ERA in the country amongst prep pitchers at 0.69 and the best among the
48 high school pitchers to toss at least 100 innings. OSA scouting service says that with Hicks' "dominant
change-up combined with his plus-sinker...he has the potential to be an impact pitcher!"


ROUND 2



In round two the Chiefs went with an infielder who at 20 years old already has three years of
college experience under his belt. John Butts is the only player in the draft that OSA has given
a five rating for both infield and outfield range. He is considered one of the top three fielders in the
1963 draft due to his ability to cover the entire field. Do not look for him to play anywhere besides
short for the Chiefs as that is where they see his value. He can field in the big leagues right now
but his bat needs to catch up to the glove.


ROUND 3



Al Williams is a lot like John Butts in that he is only 20 years old but he has three years of
college experience. His stats were progressively worse every season but his competition was
great so that may not be much of a bad thing. Green liked Williams more than OSA with the
FABL scouting service putting him at the back of the rotation and Green swearing he'll be
at the top someday but they both agreed he would need to improve his control to be successful.
Other experts say Williams was a reach and the Chiefs left some other good players on the
board. This one won't be settled for a few years.


ROUND 4




OSA had OF George Wampole listed as the 12th pick of the second round (32 overall) in its annual
mock draft so the Chiefs feel that any value they lost in taking Williams in the third was regained
with this selection in the fourth round. Wampole is the third consecutive college player selected
by the Chiefs and at 19 he's younger than the other two. His speed is his most obvious asset
allowing him to easily roam the gaps in the outfield and steal a good amount of bases but his
arm will keep him in center or left for his career. He has a good eye and a teachable hit tool that
should transfer to the big leagues.


ROUND 5




17-year-old Arnold Strange was also predicted to be drafted in the second round by OSA but that
is where the similarities between him and Wampole end. Strange dropped to the fifth round
because he zero defensive versatility and, despite being listed as an outfielder, the only way
he makes the FABL is as a first baseman, and not a very good one. Why draft him? Because
Charlie Green says "he projects to be an elite hitter." That's enough to get your name called.
If he comes close to that projection then he'll be worth the fifth-round pick the Chiefs used on
him and he'll be considered a steal.


ROUND 6




The Chiefs end up splitting their first six picks evenly between high schoolers and collegiate
(three of each) and pitchers and position players(three of each). Sixth-round pick Harley
Thompson is a high school pitcher who shares a lot with his fellow Chicago draftees.
Like Hicks, he is a one-year wonder pitcher who didn't lose a game, pitched a lot of
innings, and struck out a ton of batters. Like Wampole and Strange he is a value pick in
the eyes of OSA who had him projected to be a fourth-rounder. None of the Chiefs' top
six picks in 1963 are older than 20 at the time of the draft so it could be a long time before
we can even grade them. Green thinks his swing-and-miss change-up and ability to
avoid the long ball (only two HRs allowed in high school) is enough to project him as
a number three starter. He's an intelligent guy who asks a lot of questions and can learn
by watching others.