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JUNE 24, 1963

Pioneers, Dynamos Set to Settle Score in Detroit

Just one game separates the St. Louis Pioneers (46-20) and the Detroit Dynamos (47-23), and after four games at Thompson Field the top of the Fed could look different.

Washington (46-29) won't be in first, they're four and a half games out and scheduled to play one in Philly (41-33) and three in New York (25-44), but they'd love to watch the two teams ahead of them beat up on each other. St. Louis has the best pitching in baseball, as somehow two weeks before the All-Star Game Frenchy Mack's (10-2, 1.00, 98) 1.00 ERA in 117 innings is at least half of every other qualified pitcher. The next lowest ERA is Washington's Jim Stewart's (8-4, 2.36, 59) 2.36, as the Pioneer ace has lapped the competition. Almost guaranteed back-to-back Allens, he's coming off shutouts of both the Eagles (3 H, 2 BB, 9 K) and Chiefs (4 H, 4 BB, 12 K), and he'll actually miss the battle for first. Even with Charlie Blake's (5-5, 5.96, 65) high ERA they have four solid starters going, and both Steve Madden (10-2, 2.39, 57) and Danny Daniels (8-5, 2.69, 77) should join Mack at the All-Star game. The lineup doesn't lack for star power either, as Danny Davis (.341, 17, 50), Bob Bell (.368, 14, 39, 3), and Steve Schultz (.329, 17, 54). Detroit has the stronger lineup, but this group can provide more then enough runs needed for the win.

Mack isn't the only one the Pioneers will be without, but while Mack will be ready to host the Chiefs (41-29), Jerry Smith (.233, 10, 32, 3) will be out the rest of the week. The 34-year-old outfielder is dealing with forearm tendinitis, opening up time for Ray O'Connor (.115, 1) or Curt Harrington down in AAA Oakland. O'Connor is an excellent defender, and filled in while Bill Bather (.297, 8, 24, 9) was out last season. If they want more offense, Continental Home Run Leader Turk Ramsey (.304, 24, 63) is more then available, and with as many spots locked in as they have most of their prospects could be dispensable.

Detroit doesn't seem likely to pursue a bat like Ramsey, as they're tied with Washington for the most amount of runs scored (427). The Ray Waggoner (.356, 20, 59)/Joe Holland (.314, 21, 53, 6) duo has been superb, allowing the rest of the lineup to take a breath and play their game. If Brad Keylon (.307, 3, 26) takes over behind the plate, they won't have a single hole in the lineup, and there is enough depth to survive an injury or two. They've pitched well too, getting solid starts from their front four. Just Paul Anderson (9-4, 3.69, 45) will miss the series, with John Jackson (5-3, 3.46, 49), Earl Shields (7-3, 3.01, 64), and Jim Norris (9-2, 3.74, 65) ready to go. This series is certainly winnable at home, and the increase in games played has caused the Pioneers to slow their pace.

*** NAVA REPLACES GRADUATED PHELPS AS #1 PROSPECT ***

Somewhat expected, 1963's #1 prospect Tony Nava is now BNN's top ranked prospect, as the top four prospects come from the recent 1963 draft. New York's newest Imperial, Nava looks to be a superstar in the making, and with a smaller system the highest he likely goes this year is Class B. The Imps, and all other expansion teams, only have three minor league teams in year two, as they don't have enough depth to field multiple low minors teams yet.

Many thought Frank Bradshaw might have been #2, as the second pick is set to report directly to AAA Charleston. A college standout, Bradshaw could be FABL ready as soon as next season, but he still needs now work finding his position. The third ranked prospect will eventually join 19-year-old John Edwards (.271, 2, 15) is some capacity, as Minneapolis' current center fielder could eventually show case his arm in right. Edwards and Bradshaw both have the range for center, but Bradshaw's speed seems to give him the overall advantage. If he shows he belongs in AAA to finish the season, he can do just what Edwards did this year, and make an Opening Day lineup in his first full seasons.

Between Nava and Bradshaw is Boston hurler Bill Dunlop, who snuck ahead four of the guys drafted in front of him. "The Tobacco Twister" is a legit talent nonetheless, boasting all the tools of an ace. The nickname comes from his perfect change up, and he's one of the hardest workers in the class. One of the many top arms, Dunlop could skip some of the low minors and run an expedited trip to the minors, ready in two or three seasons to be the rotation fronter they so desperately need.

In total, six of the new top ten come from this years draft class, with Edwin Viramontes the fourth and final member of the top four. An intimidating presence with impressive power, it's fitting he ended up with the Cannons, as he could challenge Joe Case (.317, 11, 34, 8), Bonnie Chpain (.324, 14, 49), and Dallas Berry (.277, 15, 52, 6) once he reaches his lofty potential. 4th pick Pete Meissner (7th) and defensive specialist Jack Goodman (9th) join the top-10, with 7 more in the top 25. Below is a list of all top-100 draftees and the first rounders that rank outside.

Detroit, who just saw the guy in charge of drafting take a step back, led the way with four draftees ranked inside the top-100, though all four are outside the top-50. 4th Rounder Joe Talley is the only one outside the top-100, checking in at 230th. This accounts for all but one of their five top-100 prospects, so their 19th ranked system is lower then everyone except Washington. Continuing to lead the system rankings in the Miners, who have the top ranked prospect to not be selected in this draft. That's the 5th ranked Dan Wilson, who despite recovering from rotator cuff surgery is expected to be one of the game's top pitchers. Pittsburgh enters the week with four top-25 prospects and 8 top-100 prospects. With 164 points, they lead the Imperials (139), Wolves (129), Saints (121), and Gothams (116). Only Montreal lacks a top-10 pick, with 5th pick Roy Wheeler leading the way at 20.

A Look at the Graduated Top-10 Prospects:
LF Bobby Phelps (#1 Overall): Philadelphia Keystones: The former #1 prospect, Bobby Phelps has been the Keystones everyday left fielder, hitting .238/.329/.431 (105 OPS+) with 7 doubles, 13 homers, 32 RBIs, 40 runs, and 34 walks. What's been most impressive is his outfield defense in left, where he's produced a 6.1 zone rating and 1.098 efficiency. The power is looking great too, but he's not finding the holes he's used to finding. Just 20, he should eventually hit for a high average, but it's clear his game still needs a little work.

1B Mark Boyd (#2 Overall): Cincinnati Cannons: On track for a 30-home run season, the almost 22-year-old Mark Boyd ranks 6th in the Conti in OBP, slashing .290/.410/.494 (138 OPS+) with 15 homers, 38 RBIs, 50 runs, and 49 walks. The 6'4'' outfielder was taken 4th in 1959, but has filled in at first to get his bat in the lineup. One of the most disciplined hitters already, he has four more walks then strikeouts (45), and this is in spite of him batting behind the three guys that took his outfield spots. An early candidate for the Kellogg, Boyd already looks like a star, and he's already an important part of the second ranked offense. Boyd made 21 appearances last year, so he was the first here to graduate, and he's already totaled 24 homers in 92 career games.

LF Dode Caudill (#3 Overall): Chicago Cougars): Another starter since Opening Day, Dode Caudill has appeared in 71 of the Cougars 73 games this season. Worth just shy of 2 WAR (1.8), the 24-year-old has hit .289/.347/.487 (123 OPS+), logging 11 doubles, 7 triples, 10 homers, 32 RBIs, 43 runs, 25 walks, and 7 steals. An all-around contributor, Caudill is an impressive athlete, a rare mix of power and strength, he should be able to hit a lot of homers and steal a lot of bases, but it's taken him a little longer then the average star to get to where he is. Not yet among the top at his position, he has a lot of development ahead of, and the Cougars could use a big second half from him to spark their pennant run.

C Henry Woods (#5 Overall): Montreal Saints: Arguably the top performer of this group, Henry Woods exploded in May, slashing .449/.490/.730 (222 OPS+) with 7 homers and 21 RBIs. He hasn't quite came near that in the other two months, but the 20-year-old catcher has an elite .352/.423/.601 (171 OPS+) batting line. Knocking 12 doubles and 13 homers with 33 runs and 41 RBIs, Woods has been more then just good for a catcher, and if he maintains this pace he'll win the Kellogg. I think the long season will eventually take it's toll on him, but he should start at catcher for the CA in the All-Star game, and he's already a top-3 catcher at the onset of his FABL career.

CF John Edwards (#6 Overall): Minneapolis Millers: It was a slow start to the year for John Edwards, but the now 19-year-old outfielder has celebrated his birthday month with a strong offensive showing. A member of the 54-loss Millers, he's hit .346/.424/.531 (150 OPS+) with 9 doubles, 2 homers, 9 RBIs, 10 runs, and 11 walks in 21 June games. Hitting just a middling .271/.360/.369 (93 OPS+) overall, he'll need to string a few more hits together, but he's walking (36) more then he strikes out (30), and has absolutely no protection in the lineup. The work in center has been rough, and with the addition of the 3rd ranked Frank Bradshaw, they might consider giving him the occasional start in right.

RHP Marco Middleton (#7 Overall): Cincinnati Cannons: The only pitcher to start on the active roster, Marco Middleton has started all 13 of his appearances this year after relieving each of his 7 last year. He's been better as a starter, as the 20-year-old is 7-4 with a 4.13 ERA (102 ERA+), 1.36 WHIP, and 79 strikeouts in 93.2 innings pitched. Despite how good he's looked, there have been thoughts of moving him to the pen to conserve innings, with graduated 16th ranked prospect Moe Powell (2-1, 3, 2.31, 20) slated for turns in the rotation.

Tales From The Den
Wolves Homestand Shows Results

Toronto is finishing up a 15 day, 15 game stay at Dominion Stadium. With 3 games left against the Sailors the team is 8-4 after going 5-1 over the past week. On Monday the Stars were in to start a 3 game set, on a chilly evening Bill Medley had an unexceptional outing going the distance, despite a half hour rain delay in the sixth, win run his record to 7-6 with a 3-2 win. Jesse Taylor, who went on to win the POTW in the CA, provided al the offense with a 3 run shot in the 5th off Ted Ferguson. That was his 12th HR of the season. For the week Taylor slashed .474/.474/.947 1 HR 9 RBI continuing to swing a hot bat. The next night, another cool, windy one, the Wolves dropped their only game of the week. Colantuono put his team in a position to win before he left in the 8th leading 2-1. Hohlt handed the ball to Jimmy Pepper who immediately gave up the tying run after a Lou Allen doubled to right followed by a seeing eye infield single by Bobby Garrison then a fielders' choice on a hot smash to third by Bob Griffin scored Allen. Pepper was touched up for 4 more runs in the ninth on a walk, single, double, single before Loeffler came to finish of the inning in which LA ran 7 runs across the plate in a 9-2 win. Hohlt was visibly upset in the dugout when what was a close game turned into a rout before a chilly crowd of under 10000. Toronto won the rubber match of the series in a wild 8-7 win on a more seasonable Wednesday night. Hoxworth was staked to early 4-0 lead when Story, Chick Reed hit back to back homers to start the game. This was not enough for Hoxworth who continues to struggle, he left after 6 giving up 5 runs on 5 hits, 3 walks, which actually lowered his ERA to 8.82. Stars took 7-6 lead after scoring 2 in their half of the eighth before Ty Rusconi singled in Dixie Williams for a walk win after Williams' double had scored Tom Reed from first to tie the game. Hohlt looked stressed but relieved after the 8-7 win brought the Wolves' record to 35-34.

After a rare Thursday day off the Wranglers were in town for a weekend series. Charlie Davidson shutout Dallas on 3 hits Friday night although walks were an issue, as he allowed 7 over 9 innings. His mates cashed in for 7 runs on only 8 hits with Al Curtis hitting his second big fly in the fifth. Arnie Smith, who seems to be tiring early of late, left the game before the end of 5 holding a 5-1 lead on Saturday. The Wolves stretched the lead to five before the bullpen almost gave away another game with Pepper bailing out Loeffler to hang on for a 6-4 win. Ed Savage got to double digits in HR with a 2 run blast in the third inning. Bill Medley gave the bullpen a rest on Sunday to complete the sweep with second complete game of the week in a 9-2 win before Sunday afternoon crowd of 13215.

Wolves are now 38-34, in 5th place 9 games out. Hoxworth has been sent back to AAA, with Jim Jackson recalled to try to help the relief corps. Jimmy Pepper will be placed in the rotation to see if he can give a boost to the front end. He started 24 games in 1962 going the distance four times. In another move Clyde Fisher has been activated from the DL after missing 8 weeks with a severe hip strain. He will platoon with Cal Wells for at least two weeks. Charlie Harvey was DFA, placed on waivers, on not a surprising move by the front office. Harvey, 35, is another LHB of which the Wolves are overstocked. In 74 trips to the plate this season he is slashing .191/.243/.397, his 4 HR may attract some interest on the waiver wire.

Jack Goodman, a SS who Wolves selected 7th overall, will begin his pro career next week in Vancouver. He is the #9 ranked prospect in the FABL. The team's 2nd round pick, Joe Glenn, a right handed starter is ranked #29. Glenn will start with Tuscaloosa in what many expected to be a short stay. The front office predicts that Glenn will be heading to Vancouver in July.

• Perhaps threatened by the addition of Jack Goodman, Wolves shortstop Jesse Taylor (.276, 12, 32, 9) was named Player of the Week, going 9-for-19. The 26-year-old infielder added 2 doubles, 2 triples, a homer, 3 runs, and 9 RBIs, all while continuing to play outstanding defense on the dirt. Taylor now has a 10.1 zone rating and 1.133 efficiency, paired beautifully with his .276.,307/.485 (105 OPS+) season line. It's been a nice breakout for Taylor, who has 23 extra base hits, 32 RBIs, 35 runs, and a perfect 9-for-9 mark on stolen base attempts.
• Despite two shutouts on the week, Frenchy Mack (10-2, 1.00, 98) did not join Taylor in the award celebration, as it was Dynamo first basemen Joe Holland (,314, 21, 53, 6) who earned the hardware. "Dutch" crushed 5 homers, 14-for-28 with 3 doubles, a triple, 10 runs, and 11 RBIs. It's hard to call it a breakout season for the former #1 pick, as he's always been a useful contributor, but with a more stable role in Detroit he's really thrived. Still 25, the fifth year first basemen has slugged .293/.386/.529 (!43 OPS+) with 21 homers, 53 RBIs, and 57 runs scored.
• Another top offensive performance came from Miners starting shortstop John Moreland (.327, 8, 53), who's now hit safely in 20 consecutive games. Now 27, "Bullets" has hit .422/.424/.651 (178 OPS+) in 21 June games, tallying 6 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 25 RBIs, and 2 steals. While not the same level of defender as Taylor, Moreland is a skilled hitter, producing a 135 WRC+ in 279 trips to the plate.
• Plenty of shutouts this week too, as Mack's teammate Billy Hasson (8-3, 3.75, 79) held the Eagles to 6 hits, a walk, and 8 strikeouts. With Mack two days before, the top ranked staff shut out the top ranked offense twice in one series, though the middle game went to Washington by the score of 4-1. There it was Tom Arencibia (3-1, 4.29, 45) outdueling Steve Madden (10-2, 2.39, 57), who like Mack has now gone 10-2 on the season.
• Other shutouts include Joe Cipolla (6 H, 5 BB, 6 K) against the Millers, Sam Franklin (8 H, 2 K) against the Wranglers, Roy Brandt (5 H, 2 BB, 10 K) against the Pioneers, Charlie Davidson (3 H, 7 BB, 8 K) against the Wranglers, and Vern Osborne (6 H, 8 K) against the Pioneers. There was a theme this week, as the shutout was either by the Chiefs (Cipolla, Brandt, Osborne), involving the Pioneers (Mack, Hasson, Brandt, Osborne), or against the Wranglers (Franklin, Davidson).
• Washington's Al Marino (.274, 8, 33) was placed on the IL with a sprained rankle, forcing the team to go with 23-year-old rookie Myles Barber (.227, 1, 11) at short. Barber, once a 20th Round selection of the Eagles, is a glove first player, and has split his time between the nation's capital and AAA Richmond. 10-for-44 on the season, Barber has a double, homer, 7 walks, and 11 RBIs, with interestingly his only run scored coming on his first FABL homer. Losing Marino will hurt, even if it is only for a few weeks, but at least here they saw 22-year-old George Fox (.370, 6, 16, 2) step up with more ABs, 8-for-12 with 4 runs, a double, and 2 RBIs.
• To make it easier on his throwing arm, the ailing Rod Shearer (.240, 10, 45) was shifted from right to first as the Chiefs look to keep his big bat in the lineup. The 34-year-old made his first three starts at first base, the other three in the outfield, but it was his bat that failed to impact. Just 3-for-21, he did add a triple and homer, but "Hot Rod's" shoulder tendinitis seems to be getting in the way of his usual production. On the plus side, Chicago's outfield defense remains strong, as Doc Zimmerman (.275, 8, 35, 7), Bob Starr (.270, 3, 17), and Joe Siniscalchi (.266, 6, 38, 5) are all excellent defensively.
• San Francisco might be without batting title leader Heinie Spitler (.381, 5, 42, 9) for some time, as the speedy second basemen is suffering from some back stiffness. Early indications are that the injury is not severe, but it could impact both his hitting and running. Still 23, the Nashville native has been one of the game's top performers early on, hitting a robust .381/.441/.546 (164 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 5 triples, 5 homers, 42 RBIs, 9 steals, 29 walks, and 53 runs. If Spitler is to miss time, they can turn to 22-year-old rookie Sam Barnes (.271, 3, 7) or veteran Chet Harris (.200), with the latter announcing his retirement at the end of this season.
• Cleveland's lineup took a big loss, as star shortstop John Low (.268, 2, 29) will hit the IL with a herniated disc in his neck. Having just celebrated his 34th birthday on the 15th, Low has taken a step back this season, hitting just .268/.357/.385 (95 OPS+), which would be a personal low for OPS+ and WRC+ (108). Replacing his offense, defense, and leadership will be a tough task, though it could be a chance for 51st ranked prospect and former 1st Rounder Herb Reed (.250, 2, 10, 1) to get some regular action. Turning 20 just two days after Low turned 34, he's looked a little overmatched this season, but Reed has all the talent to be the heir apparent to Low.
• The Cougars added some minor league depth, signing star defender Elmer Walters to a minor league deal with a $2,000 signing bonus. Now 33, Walters spent 8 seasons with the crosstown Chiefs, and is a veteran of 11 FABL seasons. Accumulating a 131.4 zone rating and 1.062 efficiency at short, he's been worth 16.6 WAR despite a career .236/.295/.314 (68 OPS+) batting line. Chicago is comfortable with Tom Halliday (.262, 3, 24) at short, but Cal Randall (.238, 5, 30) is both struggling and hurt, while other shortstop options in the organization are limited.
• Stars reporter Artie Mortimer had a few comments on LAs draft. "Stars first round pick, Chris Candelario, was a bust weighing in at #188 overall in the pipeline. We knew better because we have Ralph already, but we wanted a bat, so we picked what we thought was the best bat available at the time. Live and Learn, should have gone with one of those golden arms. But all is not lost. RP Tom Johnson was picked in round 8 but comes in as #89 overall. SP Lyle Kirby, picked round 3, plops in at #113, which is... acceptable.... And second rounder Charlie Sether slides in at #43. Not the best draft, but at number 15 in the order we didn't do too horribly."

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 06/23/1963

• The city of Atlanta has voted to set in motion plans for a municipal stadium, compatible for baseball and football, to be completed in the next year. Atlanta is hoping to lure an existing FABL or AFA team to the city or be granted an expansion franchise.
• The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against mandatory Bible reading and prayer in public schools in the case of Abington School District v. Schempp. This landmark decision reinforced the constitutional principle of separation of church and state.
• President Kennedy, on a swing through Western Europe, met with German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and they pledged "to use best efforts" to bring into being a NATO multinational nuclear force to strengthen the defenses of Western Europe
• The first Southern move to slow down Kennedy's civil rights program came this week when South Carolina Senator Thurmond, a Democrat, told his party leaders he would object to any meetings of the Commerce Committee while the Senate is in session. The committee is handling the most controversial part of the program, a bill to ban segregation in hotels, restaurants and other places of public accommodation.
• Civil rights continues to be an issue in the United States, with many more protests and demonstrations occurring nationwide. Rumors of an organized march began to swirl as unrest continues.
• An all-out political brawl is brewing over the prospects of the 1964 Republican presidential nomination. The battle will likely begin in the New Hampshire primary next March if Senator Goldwater of Arizona and New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller jump into the race.
• Outside of the US, the British House of Commons debated the Profumo scandal. This scandal is one of a political and sexual nature, involving John Profumo, the Secretary of State for War, and Christine Keeler. This scandal raised concerns about political integrity and national security during the Cold War.
• Following President Ngô Đình Diệm's announcement of a Joint Communiqué to address the Buddhist crisis, riots erupted in South Vietnam. These events highlighted the growing religious and political tensions in the country.