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ayaghmour2 · 03-19-2025, 12:05 PM

JULY 1, 1963

Dynamos, Pioneers Enter July Tied, Begin Month in St. Louis

Both the Dynamos and Pioneers are playing some of their best baseball right now, but since the Dynamos were better in Detroit, they've managed to tie the Pioneers atop the Fed. Winning three of four, including a major 16-2 thrashing of Billy Hasson (IP, 7 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, K), they've brought themselves tied with St. Louis, winning two more games and losing two more. Technically, St. Louis has the higher win percentage, so they're technically still in first place, but the entire dynamic of the Fed has shifted with this big series win.

It started on Monday in a pitcher's duel, where John Jackson (6-4, 3.11, 62) delivered 8 strong innings, scattering 5 hits, 1 runs, and 2 walks, striking out 9 before Bill Follis' (4-3, 9, 4.59, 49) scoreless 9th earned him his 8th save of the season. It's not that Steve Madden (10-3, 2.31, 71) pitched poorly, he allowed 9 hits with 3 runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts, but Ed McNaughton's (.333, 11, 49, 8) RBI double ended up the difference in a close game. After this came the 16-2 thrashing, but St. Louis did avoid the sweep with some late inning heroics. After Danny Daniels (8-5, 2.68, 81) and Dave Irwin (7-2, 2, 3.47, 31) duked it out, as resurgent stopper John Gibson (4-2, 14, 1.27, 23) followed up a scoreless 8th to keep it tied with a scoreless 9th to finish it off. In between was Steve Schultz's (.325, 20, 60) team leading 19th home run, scoring three to give Gibson a 5-2 lead he could keep. One of the many big swings Schultz's has given his team, it seemed that he saved the series.

In the finale, St. Louis even got on the board first, with two on Jim Norris (10-2, 3.69, 68) before a Dynamo stepped into the box. The only problem was the bottom half, where Joe Holland (.320, 21, 61, 9) doubled home two, and McNaughton doubled home two more. That wasn't it, they got two in the six on back-to-back homers from McNaughton and Dick Tucker (.301, 10, 60), but it was more then enough to come away with the series win. Norris ended up going all nine, allowing 8 hits, 3 runs, and a walk with 3 strikeouts.

Detroit left the series ahead by a game, but after just taking three of four from the Suns at home, they actually lost a game as the Pioneers swept right through the Chiefs, knocking them down to 44-34 and nine out of first. Interestingly, they get one more against the Chiefs, a rare five game series, which sets up yet another class with the Dynamos. This time it's four games, a double header on Thursday to finish the series, but St. Louis will be the one batting second. It's a chaotic week for the Pioneers, as before the break they have to play nine games in seven days to finish off 23 games in just 20 days. If anyone's pitching can handle it, it's there's, as the French Mack (11-2, 1.09, 106) picking staff is not one to be trifled with.

Lloyd Coulter Blasts 400th Home Run

Long one of the top sluggers in the game, even at 35, Lloyd Coulter (.280, 18, 53) can still hit it a mile, and his 17th home run of the season was the 400th in his 14 year career. Just the 8th player to reach the 400 home run mark, Coulter has been a bastion of consistency, appearing in 150 or more games in each of the past six seasons, and he hasn't appeared in fewer then 145 since 1953 (139), the only one of his full seasons he missed significant time.

A rare draft-to-FABL bat, Coulter wasn't even a 1st Round pick, but Cleveland made the 32nd pick of the 1950 draft their starting third basemen right when the ink dried. The power wasn't there yet, just 5 homers in 70 games, but he hit a strong .309/.422/.436 (139) and helped lead the Foresters to a pennant and eventual title. Excluding this season, he's now gone on to hit 20 or more homers each year, all with average or better batting lines. In his first full season, he made a Conti high 701 trips to the plate, hitting 25 homers and 73 RBIs with his .275/.371/.419 (117 OPS+) batting line. He spent the next four seasons in Cleveland, finishing with two All-Star selections and two titles, but in a rather shocking and detrimental trade, he was cast off with Al Dyer and cash for young infielder Parson Allen (.227, 1, 15) right before Opening Day.

Allen was ranked as the 62nd best prospect, but it was a strange deal even at the time. Appearing in 808 games for the Foresters, Coulter slashed .258/.369/.431 (123 OPS+) with 141 homers and 435 RBIs. Surprisingly, his 141 homers still rank 8th All-Time for a Forester, and he'd be the club leader by now, as his teammate Sherry Doyal (.341, 7, 25) ranks first with 331. Allen meanwhile hit just 3 as a Forester, shipped away to the Stars that offseason with Hooks Bloomquist for a third basemen. The position they should have had locked up for the next decade.

Their loss was the Keystones gain, as they have not had to worry about the hot corners since they placed the now 6-Time All-Star there. In his first year in the Fed, he launched a career high 39 homers, hitting an impressive .270/.373/.515 (145 OPS+) with 96 RBIs, 80 walks, and 92 runs. His homer total dipped to 27 in year two, but in each season since he's knocked 30 or more. This includes a career best 43 last year, where he led the Fed with 132 runs batted in. He's not catching Bobby Barrell for the Keystone home run record, but he's comfortably in 5th with 260, and he recently reached the top-10 for RBIs with 748. The next will tie him for 9th, but even if he spent his whole career with the Keystones, Barrell's RBI record would be unreachable too.

Granted, success shouldn't be compared to Bobby Barrell, as Coulter has already done enough to enshrine himself in history with the Georgia Jolter. Having turned 35 this April, Coulter enters July with 1,832 career hits, batting a comfortably above average .260/.363/.459 (124 OPS+) in 1,939 FABL games. Along with the now 401 home runs, he took Miller spot-starter Bill Parkhurst (1-4, 6.05, 28) deep to finish the week, Coulter has drawn 1,008 walks, contributing 180 doubles, 1,110 runs, and 1,183 RBIs. An extremely talented hitter, he's shown no signs of slowing down this year, hitting .280/.368/.459 (132 OPS+) through 76 games. A big reason the Keystones rank 1st in homers and 3rd in runs scored, he's got a skillset that ages well, and an outside chance of the elusive 500 homer mark.

We won't have to wait too much longer for a 9th 400 home run hitter, as Chiefs slugger Rod Shearer (.248, 10, 48) is two homers away from joining Coulter. Unfortunately, it won't be in the next three weeks, as he's dealing with both shoulder tendinitis and an elbow strain. Like Coulter, he was a 1928 baby, and will turn 35 in October. Unlike Coulter, his home run rate has come down from his prime, as he had a five season run with 35 or more homers, including a Fed leading 48 in 1953 and 46 in 1954. He's got 10 in 71 games this season, and he hasn't gone above 30 since 1959. Once healthy, it shouldn't take him more then a few weeks to club a pair of homers, though he's had just two since May 22nd.

June Monthly Awards Announced
*** Waggoner, Williams Named Batter of the Month ***

As is the case each month, the FABL sports writers name the top players for the month, and this time it was a double u selection. It was Detroit's Ray Waggoner (.363, 21, 64) and Kansas City's Hank Williams (.356, 22, 72) taking home the main awards. Two Whitney candidates, even if Waggoner has his work cut out with Tom Lorang (.359, 17, 62, 5), these two have been some of the best players not just this month, but all season long.

Waggoner's big month coincides with the Dynamos big month, as Detroit went 22-9 to stay tied with St. Louis at the top. Despite back spasms popping up at the end of the month, Waggoner turned a middling May into a June jolt, hitting to the tune of .437/.511/.815 (248 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 2 triples, and 10 home runs. Waggoner scored 32 times and drove in 33 runs, drawing 17 walks to just 9 strikeouts. Doing about everything right, the 1962 All-Star should do the same in 1963, as he enters July with a .363/.424/.657 (184 OPS+) batting line. The 27-year-old is tied for the Fed lead with 21 home runs, adding 20 doubles, 3 triples, 64 RBIs, 67 runs, and 32 walks to his ledger.

For Williams, it was his second Batter of the Month, as Kansas City's slugger was named the best bat in April too, batting .333/.409/.747 (201 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 8 homers, and 16 RBIs. Hammerin' Hank hit an even better .376/.475/.673 (203 OPS+) in June, clubbing 6 homers with 10 doubles, a triple, 20 runs, 30 RBIs, and 18 walks. Looking to add a 4th Whitney, the most recent Continental winner is maintaining an elevated .356/.443/.676 (194 OPS+), and his 22 homers are two shy of the association lead. Add in 19 doubles, 3 triples, 64 runs, 72 RBIs, and 46 walks, and the talented vet is continuing to do all the things that makes him great.

*** Mack, Czerwinski Top Pitchers ***

As it seems with nearly every month, no one can come close to Frenchy Mack (11-2, 1.09, 106), who like Hank Williams, has taken home two awards all ready. Despite one of his two losses, June might have been Mack's best month, as he put together back-to-back shutouts and finished 5-1 with a 0.90 ERA (465 ERA+), 0.94 WHIP, 17 walks, and 53 strikeouts. An impressive 11-2 for the season, his 1.09 ERA (384 ERA+) is less then half as high as any other qualified pitcher, while he leads in WAR (5.2), shutouts (5), strikeouts, WHIP, ERA+, FIP (2.22), opponent average (.190), and quality starts (15), while tied with Bob Ball (11-2, 2.83, 102) for wins and innings (124). Well on his way to a 3rd All-Star selection and a 2nd Allen, Mack will make his 16th start this week, taking on the first place Dynamos in St. Louis.

Opposite of Mack, Adrian Czerwinski (10-2, 2.22, 79) continues to show that he's still got it, and like Mack he took home the April and June Pitcher of the Month awards. A second perfect month, "The Mad Professor" was a perfect 5-0, boasting a 1.72 ERA (246 ERA+) and 0.73 WHIP with 33 strikeouts and just 6 walks. Continuing to showcase his elite command, he has an excellent 3.0 K/BB in 130 innings, 10-2 with a 2.22 ERA (191 ERA+) and 1.01 WHIP. A 6th Allen will be tough, but the 38-year-old seems to be a lock for his 12th All-Star selection. Not much has gone right for Cleveland this season, as even with ace-level production from their ace they're just 42-39, and will need a lot of help from the rest of the cast.

*** Brandt, Boyd Named Top June Rookies ***

Just five of his seven FABL starts came in June, but pretty much all seven of 14th ranked prospect Roy Brandt's (4-0, 2.62, 36) starts have been impressive. That's why he took home the Fed rookie award, 3-0 with a 3.15 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 14 walks, and 28 strikeouts. He was actually better in the May starts, allowing just 2 runs on 11 hits and 2 walks with 8 strikeouts in 15 innings. Now 4-0, the 22-year-old sports a 2.62 ERA (158 ERA+) and 1.20 WHIP, as he looks to establish himself in a rotation that needs a boost. The five pitch hurler has great stuff, headlined by a fastball/curve combo, and all the tools needed to pitch at the front or near the front of a FABL rotation.

Mark Boyd (.290, 18, 43) took home the hardware in the Continental, though June has actually been his worst month so far. His .269/.384/.481 (127 OPS+) batting line, while still impressive, is his first in three months with an OPS+ that isn't 150, an OBP of .424, and a slugging of .529, but no award came due to Johnnie Higgins' (6-4, 2.91, 80) perfect April and Henry Woods' (.348, 14, 45, 6) astronomical May. In June, Boyd added 7 more homers, 14 RBIs, and 20 walks, as the 21-year-old opens his birth month with 18 homers, 43 RBIs, and 53 walks. A disciplined slugger, Boyd owns a well above average .290/.409/.511 (142 OPS+) triple slash, contributing mightily to the second ranked offense. Looking right at home at first, Boyd is on pace to crush over 30 homers and draw 100 walks in his first full season, establishing himself as one of the top young stars in the game.

Tales From The Den
Wolves Finish Homestand, Now on the Road

Wolves wrapped up their two week stay in Toronto then began a road trip that extends to the All-Star game. The week started well at Dominion Stadium with the Sailors in town. On Monday the Colantuono led team wrapped up the game early when they scored 7 in the second on an old teammate, Zane Kelly, who shut the Wolves out in the first then failed to get an out in the second. Tom Reed led off the second with his 10th HR which opened the floodgates. Before the dust settled the Wolves had sent 11 men to the plate scoring 7 times on 7 hits, 1 walk. Colantuono went into the 8 innings for his 9th victory of the season. The next evening Charlie Davidson was bitten by what has been problem all season, the base on balls. Davidson gave up 5 runs, 3 earned, on only 3 hits along with 6 free passes and a critical error by Dick Rabkin going only 5 innings in a 7-3 defeat to the Sailors. Davidson's 6-2 record looks good until you delve deeper, he has walked 48 in 89 IP along with surrendering 9 balls that came to rest in the seats. Davidson needs to work with Max Monell on his control in the second half. In their last home game for two weeks Jimmy Pepper's first start of the year was going well until the 5th when SF scored 3 to take a 4-1 lead into the 6th. After Pepper left with one out in the sixth the Sailors feasted on the Wolves relievers, scoring 2 in 7, 2 more in the seventh, then 5 in their half of the eighth to cruise to 13-1 final for the Sailors 43rd win of '63. Fred Clark was touched up for 5 runs in only two-thirds of an inning. The 12573 on hand were not a happy bunch leaving the park to say nothing of Randy Hohlt.

The road trip began in Cleveland with a 4 game series that will wrap on Monday July 1st. Arnie Smith started the Friday game at Forester Stadium against Czerwinski who has not lost anything on any of his pitches at age 38. Smith continued his recent poor performance not making out of the fifth before giving up 7 runs on 7 hits. With 5 time Allen Award winner Czerwinski on the hill for Cleveland 1 run would have been enough as he shutout Toronto scattering 5 hits sending 10 batters back to the dugout after striking out. Wolves only highlight was that Sid Cullen extended his hitting streak to 20 games. The next night Bill Medley continued his hot streak winning his ninth of the year helped by a Chick Reed 2 run HR in the first to win 4-1 in a game in which Cullen was held hitless in 4 trips to the plate. Medley has been as hot lately as Smith has been cold on the mound. June ended with a story that has been repeated far to often this year. Colantuono entered the eighth with the game knotted at 2, Hohlt came to get him after giving up a leadoff single to Sherry Doyal. Zeke Blake then walked Tom Carr on a close full count pitch, then the walls caved in. After a single plus Cullen error made it 3-2 the game was delayed 30 minutes due to rain. Blake was back back on the mound after the delay, single, sacfly, single along with a Savage wild toss, strikeout, single Blake was done with the score 8-2. Haygood finished the inning giving up one more run aided by a Fisher miscue for 3 errors in the inning. Cleveland wins 9-2 to put the Foresters 2 games ahead of the Wolves in the standings.

The Wolves head into July with a 40-38 record including a 15-13 June. Going forward the team has to right the pitching staff in order to make some noise in the CA. Colantuono, Medley pitching well is not enough coupled with bullpen that is hit and miss with far more misses than shutdowns late in games. Hohlt, Monell have their work cut out for them in the second half.

THE STORY OF SKIPPER ATKINS

William James Atkins never knew a time when he wasn’t called “Skipper.” It was a name given to him before he was even old enough to understand why. His father, Henry Atkins, had served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II, patrolling the treacherous North Atlantic as part of convoy escort missions. While Henry was at sea, back home in Philadelphia, his wife, Margaret, gave birth to their first and only child in the summer of 1944.

When Henry finally returned home in 1945, he took one look at his nearly two-year-old son—already tottering around the house with the confident swagger of a seasoned sailor—and started calling him “Skipper.” It was part habit, part sentiment. Aboard his ship, the skipper was the one who kept things steady, the one the crew depended on. To Henry, his son was the anchor that had kept his family grounded while he was away, and the nickname stuck.

The Making of a Pitching Prodigy

Growing up in Philadelphia, Skipper Atkins had an early love for baseball, a sport deeply ingrained in the city’s culture. His father, though more familiar with the open sea than the diamond, recognized his son’s natural athletic ability. When Skipper picked up a baseball for the first time at age five and started throwing with a smooth, effortless motion, Henry knew there was something special there.

By the time he was in middle school, Skipper was already throwing harder than kids several years older. He joined the fiercely competitive Philadelphia high school baseball circuit, where his name quickly became known. His fastball had a late life to it, like a wave cresting just before it reached shore, and his screwball had a sharp, biting drop that made hitters look foolish. But it wasn’t just his raw talent that set him apart—it was his poise.

Teammates and coaches often remarked on how Skipper never seemed rattled. Whether he was pitching in front of a hostile crowd or facing the city’s best hitters in a championship game, he had the same unshakable presence—just like a true skipper guiding a vessel through rough waters.

By his senior year in 1962, Skipper was the best high school pitcher in Philadelphia, a city with a rich tradition of producing pitchers selected in the opening round of the FABL draft. Names like Carl Potter, John Edwards, Joe Quade and more recently Arnie Smith were high opening round picks. It was not just pitchers produced by the city said to have a high school league rivalled only by that of Chicago and New York. Names like Ralph Barrell, Al Farmer, John Wells, Denny Andrews and Jim Adams Jr. all got their start in the competitive Philadelphia high school loop.

Scouts, always in abundance it seems in the Philly sandlots, were more numerous that usual as they crowded the stands for his games, radar guns flashing, notebooks filling with notes about his near-perfect mechanics and his advanced understanding of how to set up hitters. He had offers from top colleges, but when the 1962 FABL Draft was held that summer, Skipper’s future was decided.

Draft Day: A New Journey Begins

With the seventh pick in the 1962 Draft, the Detroit Dynamos attempted to repeat history when they draft Carl Potter out of a Philadelphia High School in 1944 -the same year that Atkins was born- called Skipper's name. The Philadelphia kid with the name that hinted at leadership and a calm under pressure was heading to the professional ranks.

As he shook hands with scouts and team executives, his father—standing proudly by his side—couldn’t help but grin.

“You’ve always been the skipper, kid,” Henry said, giving his son a firm pat on the back. “Now go take command of the mound.”

Skipper Atkins was ready to do just that.

Present Day: Skipper Has Company in Dynamos Collection of Young Arms

Skipper is currently two months shy of his 19th birthday and is pitching at Class B Chattanooga after getting a quick taste of A ball earlier in the summer. Like when Potter was getting his big league career underway in Detroit and the Dynamos were loaded with young arms as they prepared to embark on a dominant run not since since the Boston Minutemen of the turn of the century, the current edition of the Detroit club has four young pitchers ranked amongst the top 100 prospects in the game. High on that list is Skipper Atkins, who hopes to be helping steer the ship when the next Dynamos Dynasty arrives.

In part due to his strong work in the series with the Pioneers, Dynamo center fielder Ed MacNaughton (.333, 11, 49, 8) took home Player of the Week. Almost a month since he turned 22, MacNaughton was 18-for-29 with 6 runs, 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 8 RBIs. The speedster hasn't been as successful at stealing bases this season, but he's hitting an impressive .333/.374/.503 (132 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 11 homers, 49 RBIs, and 54 runs.
Cincinnati's Bonnie Chapin (.340, 17, 55) played just five games, but going 12-for-22 with 6 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 6 RBIs, and a walk. One of the Cannons four elite outfielders, Chapin should finally get selected to his first career All-Star game, hitting .340/.408/.581 (158 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 17 homers, and 55 RBIs. His third full season, he's yet to have a WRC+ in a season below 140, and I'd question the selection committee in 1961 for not allowing in the guy who ended up hitting .345/.421/.574 (162 OPS+) and winning a batting title.
At the top of the Conti, both the Kings and Stars won 5 games. KC played one more, 5-1 to the Stars perfect 5-0, so they're lead dropped half a game to 3. LA has won 9 straight, but with the Kings not missing a step, they haven't been able to make up too much ground. Helping them to close the gap will be Dewey Allcock (3-1, 4.10, 26) returning, as after a few setbacks he's recovered from his strained triceps.
Percy Pringle Jr. has a few notes on the Kings, starting with them "juggling the minor league system as the draft has added new bodies (some with talent) to the organization. We again chopped off 3 drafted C’s as there always seems to be an abundance of them. Prior to today’s sim class C was down to 37 players."
One player that is still on the class C roster won’t who be is 3rd college draftee LF Tom White. After closer evaluation he will start his career at AA Knoxville. It's a big jump for White, but the Kings new top prospect checks in at 28th overall, and he hit a productive .296/.377/.476 in three seasons at Utah A&M.
Several pitchers are in evaluation in starting their pro careers at class B. 8th draft pick Joe Sherwood, 12th round pick David Wing, 14th rd pick Wally Aquinaga are already there. 3 others could be joining them are high schoolers P Bill Aldrich (2nd rd and still 16 years old), Marty Yates (1st rd) and 6th rd pick Tom Stidham.
Our last piece of Kings news is a minor injury note. CF Tom Hicks (.303, 3, 23, 7), who has shown great improvement in his 2nd season will go to the IL with a mild hamstring injury. Hicks is hitting .303/.377/.770 on the season and had just been moved up to the leadoff spot from both lineup cards. The Kings will not mess around with this injury and hope that he will rest the two weeks around the All Star break. Veteran Ben Crawford (.358, 2, 13, 2) will start in CF and the Kings will likely bring up OF Vern Boyd. The 100th ranked prospect historically has been a corner OF, but has been playing CF a majority of the time in AAA Seattle.
John Moreland (.325, 8, 53) had the most unlucky end to his 21-game hit streak, as after just one at bat in the Miners 4-0 win over the Millers, he suffered a high ankle sprain and left the game. Diagnosed to be too much to play through, Moreland will hit the IL for the time being, expected to miss 2-3 weeks. He was replaced in the lineup by Clay Waters (.147, 1, 11, 1), as Reid Barrell (.222, 6, 36, 5) shifts from third to short.
Sticking with Pittsburgh, it's worth covering their other talented infielder, Dixie Turner (.342, 8, 33, 6), who's in the midst of a breakout at 21. The former #1 pick and prospect, Turner hit just .282/.324/.420 (94 OPS+) as a rookie, but the Diamond Defense winner upped that to an outstanding .342/.389/.514 (136 OPS+) in 77 games. His 26 doubles, 3 triples, and 8 homers are all within striking distance of last year's totals, and with 3.3 WAR he just surpassed his 3.2 from 136 games as a rookie. With Bob Bell (.372, 15, 42, 3) at second, he's not going to start the All-Star game, but Turner should be highly considered for one of the reserve spots.
Another hit streak ended at 20, as the Wolves' Sid Cullen (.310, 12, 34) saw his lengthy streak fizzle out. No injury here, just an 0-for-3 with a walk, but Cullen hit a strong .359/.396/.553 (147 OPS+) in June. As the Reeds Tom (.233, 10, 37) and Chick (.315, 18, 45) regressed towards the mean, Cullen has gotten better as time goes, now hitting .310/.365/.498 (125 OPS+) with a 134 WRC+, 26 extra base hits, and 46 runs, all while playing excellent center field defense.
Hits were a plenty this week, with 5-hit games from both Hal Kennedy (.325, 14, 44) and Harry Dellinger (.362, 21, 64, 17). Kennedy had one of the most impressive days of the year, putting together a rare "full house," which in this case corresponds to 2 doubles and 3 home runs. Kennedy was responsible for 7 of the Foresters 8 runs in a game they escaped 8-7 despite allowing 4 runs in the last 2 innings. Dellinger's was more run of the mill, 5-for-6 with a double and 2 RBIs as his Keystones beat the Millers 4-2.
New York's Continental team has gotten back to their losing ways, dropping 10 straight to join their expansion counterpart Wranglers with double digit losing streaks. Dallas has them beat with 12 straight losses, but the biggest loss of the week is on the mound. One of the few bright spots for the Imps, 24-year-old Frankie Sawyer (5-6, 3.71, 71) will be on the shelf for at least the next month, dealing with bone chips in his elbow. Acquired almost a year ago, Sawyer has worked to a strong 3.71 ERA (113 ERA+) and 3.57 FIP (85 FIP-) in 15 starts.
St Louis' Jerry Smith (.233, 10, 32, 3) replacement Grady Smith (.231) may be joining Smith on the IL, as the 21-year-old outfielder is dealing with some knee inflammation. Just recalled from Oakland for his FABL debut, Smith was 0-for-4 in the 16-2 loss to the Dynamos, finishing the week 3-for-13 with a double and walk. Smith, a former 9th pick and top-100 prospect, was traded from the Chiefs to the Saints in 1960, before joining the Pioneers in 1961 with Walter Medlin and cash for the graduated #21 prospect Bill Gillman (.242, 4, 6, 4).

LEIVERS BACK ON TOP WITH FIFTH-ROUND KO OF GALLASHAW
JUNE 20, 1963 – Gothams Stadium, New York, N.Y. – George Gallashaw (36-2-1, 28 KO) vs. Steve Leivers (51-3-1, 44 KO) – Referee: Frank Blakeslee

Much has changed in the six years since Steve Leivers was the heavyweight champ, not only in boxing, but in the world. Leivers was a vestige of previous era of boxing, the European Invasion. Leivers won the title by defeating a fellow Englishman, Joe Brinkworth. The middleweight belt was won later in 1957 by Yohan Revel of France. Other than Lenny Shafto, who had a small cameo as the welterweight champion in 1962, no European has held any championship in any of the three sanctioned weight classes.

Leivers and the current champion, George Gallashaw, tangled two years ago in Philadelphia. Gallashaw won by disqualification in the fifth round in what was an even match to that point. The referee in that 1961 bout, Frank Blakeslee, was picked for this assignment as well.

Gallashaw came off a bout with Will Flowers in February and his start was concerning to his trainer. Flowers had dominated a couple of the early rounds, and the fight was even until Gallashaw took over late in the fight. There was doubt on whether Gallashaw was past his prime at 27 years old.

Both fighters had something to prove, with Gallashaw showing he is worthy to continue to hold the belt and Leivers a chance to turn back the clock at this stage of his career. It was an enticing matchup, as heavyweight fights usually are, and the venue was upstaged from Bigsby Garden to Gothams Stadium to more than triple the seating capacity. Gothams Stadium used to be a second home for the greatest heavyweight champion, Hector Sawyer, for some of his fights.

Gallashaw had the upper hand early, popping his jab and keeping Leivers off-balance. Leivers tasted that jab and held his hands high, but he left his midsection exposed. While it may have been more prudent to work the body, Gallashaw went upstairs again and penetrated Leivers’s defenses on a successful hook and a cross that snapped Leivers’s head back and drew blood. Gallashaw kept going and connected on another cross, but he was content to dodge and clutch the rest of the round.

Leivers had a cut above his left eyebrow, but being bloodied in the first round is usually a recipe for a tough evening. His corner went to work to repair the cut and patched him up for the second round. Gallashaw continued with a simple, yet successful game plan. The champion was coming right at Leivers with right hands and hard jabs. Leivers had to adjust and waited until the tail end of the second round, when he connected on a hook to Gallashaw’s jaw at the bell to salvage the round.

As the third round began, Gallashaw wanted to start fast again, but Leivers launched an offensive as well. Gallashaw ran to meet Leivers and unleashed a combination to the midsection. Leivers quickly countered with an uppercut, followed by a combo and a cross. About halfway through the round Gallashaw re-opened the cut over Leivers’s eyebrow with a hard right hand. As Leivers bled, you might have expected the former champion to change his style. Instead of taking a defensive posture and covering his face, occasionally peeking from the side of his stance, he turned into a man possessed.

Leivers connected on a beautiful uppercut that staggered Gallashaw, who countered with a hook. The two men went toe-to-toe. Gallashaw and Leivers threw more punches than you could see. Leivers landed more of them, including an effective hook, a combination, and he capped off his assault with a crushing uppercut. The bell sounded, but Gallashaw did not let it rest. Both fighters continued to throw punches, as Blakeslee had to get in between them.

The last time these two fighters met, Leivers was disqualified and now it was Gallashaw who played the aggressor. In the next round, Blakeslee kept a close eye on both men and stepped in often to ruin any momentum either boxer could have generated in that round. Entering the fifth round, Leivers had a look of disgust on his face. He was angry and he was motivated.

Gallashaw tried to open the fifth round as he had in every round, by getting the first punch in. Leivers defended well and hit Gallashaw hard with a hook and an uppercut in nearly the same motion. The champion was against the ropes as Leivers fed him another uppercut. Leivers turned his back the ropes, fearless against any possibility Gallashaw would counter. Leivers unleashed a combination that showed Gallashaw to the canvas. Halfway through Blakeslee’s ten-count, Gallashaw waved away the referee, fine to continue.

No sooner had Gallashaw stood up than Leivers spun him back into the corner, offering a combination to buckle the champion’s knees and a right hand that struck Gallashaw’s ribs. Leivers was going for it, incidentally in the same round as he was disqualified two years ago. Leivers landed his shots at will, but he had time left in the round to build up to a crescendo. He circled Gallashaw, popped a jab, and continued to maraud around the ring. When he saw his chance, he threw a hellacious uppercut that sprawled Gallashaw on the floor. He could not even rise to a knee before he was counted out. Gallashaw rolled over on his back, staring up at the starry June sky. His belt was gone.

Leivers (52-3-1) may have passed his prime, but he had more than enough on this night. After trading rounds, he dominated the fifth round to take the title back. How long he keeps the belt will be an entirely different matter. Gallashaw (36-3-1) is still only 27 years old and still has a boxing life ahead of him. A completion to a trilogy between the two fighters could be a possibility. Leivers could take his title back with him to England and fight in the European circuit for a while.

Title fights have consequences. The fighters who show up in the big moments change the trajectory of careers, the trajectory of lives, the trajectory of history. The fifth round tonight was one of those big moments and Leivers showed up. We will see where the arc of where he goes next.

BOLOGNA’S BIG BOPPERS
Round 1: Gallashaw, 2-0 (1:32 hook/head, 2:00 cross)
Round 2: Gallashaw, 2-1 (G: 0:29 right, 2:19 jab; L: 3:00 hook/jaw)
Round 3: Leivers, 3-0 (1:38 uppercut, 2:23 hook/head, 2:58 uppercut)
Round 4: Tied, 1-1 (G: 1:58 uppercut; L: 0:34 left hook/body)
Round 5: Leivers, 5-0 (0:34 uppercut, 1:02 combo/knockdown #1, 1:22 combo, 1:35 right/ribs, 2:24 uppercut/knockdown #2)
TOTAL: Leivers 10, Gallashaw 5

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 06/30/1963

President John F. Kennedy delivered a fiery speech in West Berlin, expressing solidarity with the people of Berlin during the Cold War. His declaration, "Ich bin ein Berliner," meaning "I am a Berliner," was one of many anti-Communist speeches delivered by Kennedy.
A car bomb intended for Mafia boss Salvatore Greco exploded in Ciaculli, near Palermo, Sicily. The blast killed seven police and military officers, marking a significant escalation in the Mafia wars
The International Labour Organization excluded South Africa from its meetings due to its apartheid policies, reflecting growing international condemnation of the country's racial segregation laws.
The Alfred-Brehm-Haus, the largest enclosed zoo building in the world, was opened at Tierpark Berlin.
David Ben-Gurion was replaced by Levi Eshkol as prime minister of Israel. Eshkol was elected to execute a soft-landing for an overheated economy.

03-19-2025, 12:05 PM	#1098
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,993	July 1st, 1963 JULY 1, 1963 Dynamos, Pioneers Enter July Tied, Begin Month in St. Louis Both the Dynamos and Pioneers are playing some of their best baseball right now, but since the Dynamos were better in Detroit, they've managed to tie the Pioneers atop the Fed. Winning three of four, including a major 16-2 thrashing of Billy Hasson (IP, 7 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, K), they've brought themselves tied with St. Louis, winning two more games and losing two more. Technically, St. Louis has the higher win percentage, so they're technically still in first place, but the entire dynamic of the Fed has shifted with this big series win. It started on Monday in a pitcher's duel, where John Jackson (6-4, 3.11, 62) delivered 8 strong innings, scattering 5 hits, 1 runs, and 2 walks, striking out 9 before Bill Follis' (4-3, 9, 4.59, 49) scoreless 9th earned him his 8th save of the season. It's not that Steve Madden (10-3, 2.31, 71) pitched poorly, he allowed 9 hits with 3 runs, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts, but Ed McNaughton's (.333, 11, 49, 8) RBI double ended up the difference in a close game. After this came the 16-2 thrashing, but St. Louis did avoid the sweep with some late inning heroics. After Danny Daniels (8-5, 2.68, 81) and Dave Irwin (7-2, 2, 3.47, 31) duked it out, as resurgent stopper John Gibson (4-2, 14, 1.27, 23) followed up a scoreless 8th to keep it tied with a scoreless 9th to finish it off. In between was Steve Schultz's (.325, 20, 60) team leading 19th home run, scoring three to give Gibson a 5-2 lead he could keep. One of the many big swings Schultz's has given his team, it seemed that he saved the series. In the finale, St. Louis even got on the board first, with two on Jim Norris (10-2, 3.69, 68) before a Dynamo stepped into the box. The only problem was the bottom half, where Joe Holland (.320, 21, 61, 9) doubled home two, and McNaughton doubled home two more. That wasn't it, they got two in the six on back-to-back homers from McNaughton and Dick Tucker (.301, 10, 60), but it was more then enough to come away with the series win. Norris ended up going all nine, allowing 8 hits, 3 runs, and a walk with 3 strikeouts. Detroit left the series ahead by a game, but after just taking three of four from the Suns at home, they actually lost a game as the Pioneers swept right through the Chiefs, knocking them down to 44-34 and nine out of first. Interestingly, they get one more against the Chiefs, a rare five game series, which sets up yet another class with the Dynamos. This time it's four games, a double header on Thursday to finish the series, but St. Louis will be the one batting second. It's a chaotic week for the Pioneers, as before the break they have to play nine games in seven days to finish off 23 games in just 20 days. If anyone's pitching can handle it, it's there's, as the French Mack (11-2, 1.09, 106) picking staff is not one to be trifled with. Lloyd Coulter Blasts 400th Home Run Long one of the top sluggers in the game, even at 35, Lloyd Coulter (.280, 18, 53) can still hit it a mile, and his 17th home run of the season was the 400th in his 14 year career. Just the 8th player to reach the 400 home run mark, Coulter has been a bastion of consistency, appearing in 150 or more games in each of the past six seasons, and he hasn't appeared in fewer then 145 since 1953 (139), the only one of his full seasons he missed significant time. A rare draft-to-FABL bat, Coulter wasn't even a 1st Round pick, but Cleveland made the 32nd pick of the 1950 draft their starting third basemen right when the ink dried. The power wasn't there yet, just 5 homers in 70 games, but he hit a strong .309/.422/.436 (139) and helped lead the Foresters to a pennant and eventual title. Excluding this season, he's now gone on to hit 20 or more homers each year, all with average or better batting lines. In his first full season, he made a Conti high 701 trips to the plate, hitting 25 homers and 73 RBIs with his .275/.371/.419 (117 OPS+) batting line. He spent the next four seasons in Cleveland, finishing with two All-Star selections and two titles, but in a rather shocking and detrimental trade, he was cast off with Al Dyer and cash for young infielder Parson Allen (.227, 1, 15) right before Opening Day. Allen was ranked as the 62nd best prospect, but it was a strange deal even at the time. Appearing in 808 games for the Foresters, Coulter slashed .258/.369/.431 (123 OPS+) with 141 homers and 435 RBIs. Surprisingly, his 141 homers still rank 8th All-Time for a Forester, and he'd be the club leader by now, as his teammate Sherry Doyal (.341, 7, 25) ranks first with 331. Allen meanwhile hit just 3 as a Forester, shipped away to the Stars that offseason with Hooks Bloomquist for a third basemen. The position they should have had locked up for the next decade. Their loss was the Keystones gain, as they have not had to worry about the hot corners since they placed the now 6-Time All-Star there. In his first year in the Fed, he launched a career high 39 homers, hitting an impressive .270/.373/.515 (145 OPS+) with 96 RBIs, 80 walks, and 92 runs. His homer total dipped to 27 in year two, but in each season since he's knocked 30 or more. This includes a career best 43 last year, where he led the Fed with 132 runs batted in. He's not catching Bobby Barrell for the Keystone home run record, but he's comfortably in 5th with 260, and he recently reached the top-10 for RBIs with 748. The next will tie him for 9th, but even if he spent his whole career with the Keystones, Barrell's RBI record would be unreachable too. Granted, success shouldn't be compared to Bobby Barrell, as Coulter has already done enough to enshrine himself in history with the Georgia Jolter. Having turned 35 this April, Coulter enters July with 1,832 career hits, batting a comfortably above average .260/.363/.459 (124 OPS+) in 1,939 FABL games. Along with the now 401 home runs, he took Miller spot-starter Bill Parkhurst (1-4, 6.05, 28) deep to finish the week, Coulter has drawn 1,008 walks, contributing 180 doubles, 1,110 runs, and 1,183 RBIs. An extremely talented hitter, he's shown no signs of slowing down this year, hitting .280/.368/.459 (132 OPS+) through 76 games. A big reason the Keystones rank 1st in homers and 3rd in runs scored, he's got a skillset that ages well, and an outside chance of the elusive 500 homer mark. We won't have to wait too much longer for a 9th 400 home run hitter, as Chiefs slugger Rod Shearer (.248, 10, 48) is two homers away from joining Coulter. Unfortunately, it won't be in the next three weeks, as he's dealing with both shoulder tendinitis and an elbow strain. Like Coulter, he was a 1928 baby, and will turn 35 in October. Unlike Coulter, his home run rate has come down from his prime, as he had a five season run with 35 or more homers, including a Fed leading 48 in 1953 and 46 in 1954. He's got 10 in 71 games this season, and he hasn't gone above 30 since 1959. Once healthy, it shouldn't take him more then a few weeks to club a pair of homers, though he's had just two since May 22nd. June Monthly Awards Announced * Waggoner, Williams Named Batter of the Month * As is the case each month, the FABL sports writers name the top players for the month, and this time it was a double u selection. It was Detroit's Ray Waggoner (.363, 21, 64) and Kansas City's Hank Williams (.356, 22, 72) taking home the main awards. Two Whitney candidates, even if Waggoner has his work cut out with Tom Lorang (.359, 17, 62, 5), these two have been some of the best players not just this month, but all season long. Waggoner's big month coincides with the Dynamos big month, as Detroit went 22-9 to stay tied with St. Louis at the top. Despite back spasms popping up at the end of the month, Waggoner turned a middling May into a June jolt, hitting to the tune of .437/.511/.815 (248 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 2 triples, and 10 home runs. Waggoner scored 32 times and drove in 33 runs, drawing 17 walks to just 9 strikeouts. Doing about everything right, the 1962 All-Star should do the same in 1963, as he enters July with a .363/.424/.657 (184 OPS+) batting line. The 27-year-old is tied for the Fed lead with 21 home runs, adding 20 doubles, 3 triples, 64 RBIs, 67 runs, and 32 walks to his ledger. For Williams, it was his second Batter of the Month, as Kansas City's slugger was named the best bat in April too, batting .333/.409/.747 (201 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 8 homers, and 16 RBIs. Hammerin' Hank hit an even better .376/.475/.673 (203 OPS+) in June, clubbing 6 homers with 10 doubles, a triple, 20 runs, 30 RBIs, and 18 walks. Looking to add a 4th Whitney, the most recent Continental winner is maintaining an elevated .356/.443/.676 (194 OPS+), and his 22 homers are two shy of the association lead. Add in 19 doubles, 3 triples, 64 runs, 72 RBIs, and 46 walks, and the talented vet is continuing to do all the things that makes him great. * Mack, Czerwinski Top Pitchers * As it seems with nearly every month, no one can come close to Frenchy Mack (11-2, 1.09, 106), who like Hank Williams, has taken home two awards all ready. Despite one of his two losses, June might have been Mack's best month, as he put together back-to-back shutouts and finished 5-1 with a 0.90 ERA (465 ERA+), 0.94 WHIP, 17 walks, and 53 strikeouts. An impressive 11-2 for the season, his 1.09 ERA (384 ERA+) is less then half as high as any other qualified pitcher, while he leads in WAR (5.2), shutouts (5), strikeouts, WHIP, ERA+, FIP (2.22), opponent average (.190), and quality starts (15), while tied with Bob Ball (11-2, 2.83, 102) for wins and innings (124). Well on his way to a 3rd All-Star selection and a 2nd Allen, Mack will make his 16th start this week, taking on the first place Dynamos in St. Louis. Opposite of Mack, Adrian Czerwinski (10-2, 2.22, 79) continues to show that he's still got it, and like Mack he took home the April and June Pitcher of the Month awards. A second perfect month, "The Mad Professor" was a perfect 5-0, boasting a 1.72 ERA (246 ERA+) and 0.73 WHIP with 33 strikeouts and just 6 walks. Continuing to showcase his elite command, he has an excellent 3.0 K/BB in 130 innings, 10-2 with a 2.22 ERA (191 ERA+) and 1.01 WHIP. A 6th Allen will be tough, but the 38-year-old seems to be a lock for his 12th All-Star selection. Not much has gone right for Cleveland this season, as even with ace-level production from their ace they're just 42-39, and will need a lot of help from the rest of the cast. * Brandt, Boyd Named Top June Rookies * Just five of his seven FABL starts came in June, but pretty much all seven of 14th ranked prospect Roy Brandt's (4-0, 2.62, 36) starts have been impressive. That's why he took home the Fed rookie award, 3-0 with a 3.15 ERA (132 ERA+), 1.32 WHIP, 14 walks, and 28 strikeouts. He was actually better in the May starts, allowing just 2 runs on 11 hits and 2 walks with 8 strikeouts in 15 innings. Now 4-0, the 22-year-old sports a 2.62 ERA (158 ERA+) and 1.20 WHIP, as he looks to establish himself in a rotation that needs a boost. The five pitch hurler has great stuff, headlined by a fastball/curve combo, and all the tools needed to pitch at the front or near the front of a FABL rotation. Mark Boyd (.290, 18, 43) took home the hardware in the Continental, though June has actually been his worst month so far. His .269/.384/.481 (127 OPS+) batting line, while still impressive, is his first in three months with an OPS+ that isn't 150, an OBP of .424, and a slugging of .529, but no award came due to Johnnie Higgins' (6-4, 2.91, 80) perfect April and Henry Woods' (.348, 14, 45, 6) astronomical May. In June, Boyd added 7 more homers, 14 RBIs, and 20 walks, as the 21-year-old opens his birth month with 18 homers, 43 RBIs, and 53 walks. A disciplined slugger, Boyd owns a well above average .290/.409/.511 (142 OPS+) triple slash, contributing mightily to the second ranked offense. Looking right at home at first, Boyd is on pace to crush over 30 homers and draw 100 walks in his first full season, establishing himself as one of the top young stars in the game. Tales From The Den Wolves Finish Homestand, Now on the Road Wolves wrapped up their two week stay in Toronto then began a road trip that extends to the All-Star game. The week started well at Dominion Stadium with the Sailors in town. On Monday the Colantuono led team wrapped up the game early when they scored 7 in the second on an old teammate, Zane Kelly, who shut the Wolves out in the first then failed to get an out in the second. Tom Reed led off the second with his 10th HR which opened the floodgates. Before the dust settled the Wolves had sent 11 men to the plate scoring 7 times on 7 hits, 1 walk. Colantuono went into the 8 innings for his 9th victory of the season. The next evening Charlie Davidson was bitten by what has been problem all season, the base on balls. Davidson gave up 5 runs, 3 earned, on only 3 hits along with 6 free passes and a critical error by Dick Rabkin going only 5 innings in a 7-3 defeat to the Sailors. Davidson's 6-2 record looks good until you delve deeper, he has walked 48 in 89 IP along with surrendering 9 balls that came to rest in the seats. Davidson needs to work with Max Monell on his control in the second half. In their last home game for two weeks Jimmy Pepper's first start of the year was going well until the 5th when SF scored 3 to take a 4-1 lead into the 6th. After Pepper left with one out in the sixth the Sailors feasted on the Wolves relievers, scoring 2 in 7, 2 more in the seventh, then 5 in their half of the eighth to cruise to 13-1 final for the Sailors 43rd win of '63. Fred Clark was touched up for 5 runs in only two-thirds of an inning. The 12573 on hand were not a happy bunch leaving the park to say nothing of Randy Hohlt. The road trip began in Cleveland with a 4 game series that will wrap on Monday July 1st. Arnie Smith started the Friday game at Forester Stadium against Czerwinski who has not lost anything on any of his pitches at age 38. Smith continued his recent poor performance not making out of the fifth before giving up 7 runs on 7 hits. With 5 time Allen Award winner Czerwinski on the hill for Cleveland 1 run would have been enough as he shutout Toronto scattering 5 hits sending 10 batters back to the dugout after striking out. Wolves only highlight was that Sid Cullen extended his hitting streak to 20 games. The next night Bill Medley continued his hot streak winning his ninth of the year helped by a Chick Reed 2 run HR in the first to win 4-1 in a game in which Cullen was held hitless in 4 trips to the plate. Medley has been as hot lately as Smith has been cold on the mound. June ended with a story that has been repeated far to often this year. Colantuono entered the eighth with the game knotted at 2, Hohlt came to get him after giving up a leadoff single to Sherry Doyal. Zeke Blake then walked Tom Carr on a close full count pitch, then the walls caved in. After a single plus Cullen error made it 3-2 the game was delayed 30 minutes due to rain. Blake was back back on the mound after the delay, single, sacfly, single along with a Savage wild toss, strikeout, single Blake was done with the score 8-2. Haygood finished the inning giving up one more run aided by a Fisher miscue for 3 errors in the inning. Cleveland wins 9-2 to put the Foresters 2 games ahead of the Wolves in the standings. The Wolves head into July with a 40-38 record including a 15-13 June. Going forward the team has to right the pitching staff in order to make some noise in the CA. Colantuono, Medley pitching well is not enough coupled with bullpen that is hit and miss with far more misses than shutdowns late in games. Hohlt, Monell have their work cut out for them in the second half. THE STORY OF SKIPPER ATKINS William James Atkins never knew a time when he wasn’t called “Skipper.” It was a name given to him before he was even old enough to understand why. His father, Henry Atkins, had served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II, patrolling the treacherous North Atlantic as part of convoy escort missions. While Henry was at sea, back home in Philadelphia, his wife, Margaret, gave birth to their first and only child in the summer of 1944. When Henry finally returned home in 1945, he took one look at his nearly two-year-old son—already tottering around the house with the confident swagger of a seasoned sailor—and started calling him “Skipper.” It was part habit, part sentiment. Aboard his ship, the skipper was the one who kept things steady, the one the crew depended on. To Henry, his son was the anchor that had kept his family grounded while he was away, and the nickname stuck. The Making of a Pitching Prodigy Growing up in Philadelphia, Skipper Atkins had an early love for baseball, a sport deeply ingrained in the city’s culture. His father, though more familiar with the open sea than the diamond, recognized his son’s natural athletic ability. When Skipper picked up a baseball for the first time at age five and started throwing with a smooth, effortless motion, Henry knew there was something special there. By the time he was in middle school, Skipper was already throwing harder than kids several years older. He joined the fiercely competitive Philadelphia high school baseball circuit, where his name quickly became known. His fastball had a late life to it, like a wave cresting just before it reached shore, and his screwball had a sharp, biting drop that made hitters look foolish. But it wasn’t just his raw talent that set him apart—it was his poise. Teammates and coaches often remarked on how Skipper never seemed rattled. Whether he was pitching in front of a hostile crowd or facing the city’s best hitters in a championship game, he had the same unshakable presence—just like a true skipper guiding a vessel through rough waters. By his senior year in 1962, Skipper was the best high school pitcher in Philadelphia, a city with a rich tradition of producing pitchers selected in the opening round of the FABL draft. Names like Carl Potter, John Edwards, Joe Quade and more recently Arnie Smith were high opening round picks. It was not just pitchers produced by the city said to have a high school league rivalled only by that of Chicago and New York. Names like Ralph Barrell, Al Farmer, John Wells, Denny Andrews and Jim Adams Jr. all got their start in the competitive Philadelphia high school loop. Scouts, always in abundance it seems in the Philly sandlots, were more numerous that usual as they crowded the stands for his games, radar guns flashing, notebooks filling with notes about his near-perfect mechanics and his advanced understanding of how to set up hitters. He had offers from top colleges, but when the 1962 FABL Draft was held that summer, Skipper’s future was decided. Draft Day: A New Journey Begins With the seventh pick in the 1962 Draft, the Detroit Dynamos attempted to repeat history when they draft Carl Potter out of a Philadelphia High School in 1944 -the same year that Atkins was born- called Skipper's name. The Philadelphia kid with the name that hinted at leadership and a calm under pressure was heading to the professional ranks. As he shook hands with scouts and team executives, his father—standing proudly by his side—couldn’t help but grin. “You’ve always been the skipper, kid,” Henry said, giving his son a firm pat on the back. “Now go take command of the mound.” Skipper Atkins was ready to do just that. Present Day: Skipper Has Company in Dynamos Collection of Young Arms Skipper is currently two months shy of his 19th birthday and is pitching at Class B Chattanooga after getting a quick taste of A ball earlier in the summer. Like when Potter was getting his big league career underway in Detroit and the Dynamos were loaded with young arms as they prepared to embark on a dominant run not since since the Boston Minutemen of the turn of the century, the current edition of the Detroit club has four young pitchers ranked amongst the top 100 prospects in the game. High on that list is Skipper Atkins, who hopes to be helping steer the ship when the next Dynamos Dynasty arrives. In part due to his strong work in the series with the Pioneers, Dynamo center fielder Ed MacNaughton (.333, 11, 49, 8) took home Player of the Week. Almost a month since he turned 22, MacNaughton was 18-for-29 with 6 runs, 3 doubles, 2 homers, and 8 RBIs. The speedster hasn't been as successful at stealing bases this season, but he's hitting an impressive .333/.374/.503 (132 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 11 homers, 49 RBIs, and 54 runs. Cincinnati's Bonnie Chapin (.340, 17, 55) played just five games, but going 12-for-22 with 6 runs, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 6 RBIs, and a walk. One of the Cannons four elite outfielders, Chapin should finally get selected to his first career All-Star game, hitting .340/.408/.581 (158 OPS+) with 18 doubles, 17 homers, and 55 RBIs. His third full season, he's yet to have a WRC+ in a season below 140, and I'd question the selection committee in 1961 for not allowing in the guy who ended up hitting .345/.421/.574 (162 OPS+) and winning a batting title. At the top of the Conti, both the Kings and Stars won 5 games. KC played one more, 5-1 to the Stars perfect 5-0, so they're lead dropped half a game to 3. LA has won 9 straight, but with the Kings not missing a step, they haven't been able to make up too much ground. Helping them to close the gap will be Dewey Allcock (3-1, 4.10, 26) returning, as after a few setbacks he's recovered from his strained triceps. Percy Pringle Jr. has a few notes on the Kings, starting with them "juggling the minor league system as the draft has added new bodies (some with talent) to the organization. We again chopped off 3 drafted C’s as there always seems to be an abundance of them. Prior to today’s sim class C was down to 37 players." One player that is still on the class C roster won’t who be is 3rd college draftee LF Tom White. After closer evaluation he will start his career at AA Knoxville. It's a big jump for White, but the Kings new top prospect checks in at 28th overall, and he hit a productive .296/.377/.476 in three seasons at Utah A&M. Several pitchers are in evaluation in starting their pro careers at class B. 8th draft pick Joe Sherwood, 12th round pick David Wing, 14th rd pick Wally Aquinaga are already there. 3 others could be joining them are high schoolers P Bill Aldrich (2nd rd and still 16 years old), Marty Yates (1st rd) and 6th rd pick Tom Stidham. Our last piece of Kings news is a minor injury note. CF Tom Hicks (.303, 3, 23, 7), who has shown great improvement in his 2nd season will go to the IL with a mild hamstring injury. Hicks is hitting .303/.377/.770 on the season and had just been moved up to the leadoff spot from both lineup cards. The Kings will not mess around with this injury and hope that he will rest the two weeks around the All Star break. Veteran Ben Crawford (.358, 2, 13, 2) will start in CF and the Kings will likely bring up OF Vern Boyd. The 100th ranked prospect historically has been a corner OF, but has been playing CF a majority of the time in AAA Seattle. John Moreland (.325, 8, 53) had the most unlucky end to his 21-game hit streak, as after just one at bat in the Miners 4-0 win over the Millers, he suffered a high ankle sprain and left the game. Diagnosed to be too much to play through, Moreland will hit the IL for the time being, expected to miss 2-3 weeks. He was replaced in the lineup by Clay Waters (.147, 1, 11, 1), as Reid Barrell (.222, 6, 36, 5) shifts from third to short. Sticking with Pittsburgh, it's worth covering their other talented infielder, Dixie Turner (.342, 8, 33, 6), who's in the midst of a breakout at 21. The former #1 pick and prospect, Turner hit just .282/.324/.420 (94 OPS+) as a rookie, but the Diamond Defense winner upped that to an outstanding .342/.389/.514 (136 OPS+) in 77 games. His 26 doubles, 3 triples, and 8 homers are all within striking distance of last year's totals, and with 3.3 WAR he just surpassed his 3.2 from 136 games as a rookie. With Bob Bell (.372, 15, 42, 3) at second, he's not going to start the All-Star game, but Turner should be highly considered for one of the reserve spots. Another hit streak ended at 20, as the Wolves' Sid Cullen (.310, 12, 34) saw his lengthy streak fizzle out. No injury here, just an 0-for-3 with a walk, but Cullen hit a strong .359/.396/.553 (147 OPS+) in June. As the Reeds Tom (.233, 10, 37) and Chick (.315, 18, 45) regressed towards the mean, Cullen has gotten better as time goes, now hitting .310/.365/.498 (125 OPS+) with a 134 WRC+, 26 extra base hits, and 46 runs, all while playing excellent center field defense. Hits were a plenty this week, with 5-hit games from both Hal Kennedy (.325, 14, 44) and Harry Dellinger (.362, 21, 64, 17). Kennedy had one of the most impressive days of the year, putting together a rare "full house," which in this case corresponds to 2 doubles and 3 home runs. Kennedy was responsible for 7 of the Foresters 8 runs in a game they escaped 8-7 despite allowing 4 runs in the last 2 innings. Dellinger's was more run of the mill, 5-for-6 with a double and 2 RBIs as his Keystones beat the Millers 4-2. New York's Continental team has gotten back to their losing ways, dropping 10 straight to join their expansion counterpart Wranglers with double digit losing streaks. Dallas has them beat with 12 straight losses, but the biggest loss of the week is on the mound. One of the few bright spots for the Imps, 24-year-old Frankie Sawyer (5-6, 3.71, 71) will be on the shelf for at least the next month, dealing with bone chips in his elbow. Acquired almost a year ago, Sawyer has worked to a strong 3.71 ERA (113 ERA+) and 3.57 FIP (85 FIP-) in 15 starts. St Louis' Jerry Smith (.233, 10, 32, 3) replacement Grady Smith (.231) may be joining Smith on the IL, as the 21-year-old outfielder is dealing with some knee inflammation. Just recalled from Oakland for his FABL debut, Smith was 0-for-4 in the 16-2 loss to the Dynamos, finishing the week 3-for-13 with a double and walk. Smith, a former 9th pick and top-100 prospect, was traded from the Chiefs to the Saints in 1960, before joining the Pioneers in 1961 with Walter Medlin and cash for the graduated #21 prospect Bill Gillman (.242, 4, 6, 4). LEIVERS BACK ON TOP WITH FIFTH-ROUND KO OF GALLASHAW JUNE 20, 1963 – Gothams Stadium, New York, N.Y. – George Gallashaw (36-2-1, 28 KO) vs. Steve Leivers (51-3-1, 44 KO) – Referee: Frank Blakeslee Much has changed in the six years since Steve Leivers was the heavyweight champ, not only in boxing, but in the world. Leivers was a vestige of previous era of boxing, the European Invasion. Leivers won the title by defeating a fellow Englishman, Joe Brinkworth. The middleweight belt was won later in 1957 by Yohan Revel of France. Other than Lenny Shafto, who had a small cameo as the welterweight champion in 1962, no European has held any championship in any of the three sanctioned weight classes. Leivers and the current champion, George Gallashaw, tangled two years ago in Philadelphia. Gallashaw won by disqualification in the fifth round in what was an even match to that point. The referee in that 1961 bout, Frank Blakeslee, was picked for this assignment as well. Gallashaw came off a bout with Will Flowers in February and his start was concerning to his trainer. Flowers had dominated a couple of the early rounds, and the fight was even until Gallashaw took over late in the fight. There was doubt on whether Gallashaw was past his prime at 27 years old. Both fighters had something to prove, with Gallashaw showing he is worthy to continue to hold the belt and Leivers a chance to turn back the clock at this stage of his career. It was an enticing matchup, as heavyweight fights usually are, and the venue was upstaged from Bigsby Garden to Gothams Stadium to more than triple the seating capacity. Gothams Stadium used to be a second home for the greatest heavyweight champion, Hector Sawyer, for some of his fights. Gallashaw had the upper hand early, popping his jab and keeping Leivers off-balance. Leivers tasted that jab and held his hands high, but he left his midsection exposed. While it may have been more prudent to work the body, Gallashaw went upstairs again and penetrated Leivers’s defenses on a successful hook and a cross that snapped Leivers’s head back and drew blood. Gallashaw kept going and connected on another cross, but he was content to dodge and clutch the rest of the round. Leivers had a cut above his left eyebrow, but being bloodied in the first round is usually a recipe for a tough evening. His corner went to work to repair the cut and patched him up for the second round. Gallashaw continued with a simple, yet successful game plan. The champion was coming right at Leivers with right hands and hard jabs. Leivers had to adjust and waited until the tail end of the second round, when he connected on a hook to Gallashaw’s jaw at the bell to salvage the round. As the third round began, Gallashaw wanted to start fast again, but Leivers launched an offensive as well. Gallashaw ran to meet Leivers and unleashed a combination to the midsection. Leivers quickly countered with an uppercut, followed by a combo and a cross. About halfway through the round Gallashaw re-opened the cut over Leivers’s eyebrow with a hard right hand. As Leivers bled, you might have expected the former champion to change his style. Instead of taking a defensive posture and covering his face, occasionally peeking from the side of his stance, he turned into a man possessed. Leivers connected on a beautiful uppercut that staggered Gallashaw, who countered with a hook. The two men went toe-to-toe. Gallashaw and Leivers threw more punches than you could see. Leivers landed more of them, including an effective hook, a combination, and he capped off his assault with a crushing uppercut. The bell sounded, but Gallashaw did not let it rest. Both fighters continued to throw punches, as Blakeslee had to get in between them. The last time these two fighters met, Leivers was disqualified and now it was Gallashaw who played the aggressor. In the next round, Blakeslee kept a close eye on both men and stepped in often to ruin any momentum either boxer could have generated in that round. Entering the fifth round, Leivers had a look of disgust on his face. He was angry and he was motivated. Gallashaw tried to open the fifth round as he had in every round, by getting the first punch in. Leivers defended well and hit Gallashaw hard with a hook and an uppercut in nearly the same motion. The champion was against the ropes as Leivers fed him another uppercut. Leivers turned his back the ropes, fearless against any possibility Gallashaw would counter. Leivers unleashed a combination that showed Gallashaw to the canvas. Halfway through Blakeslee’s ten-count, Gallashaw waved away the referee, fine to continue. No sooner had Gallashaw stood up than Leivers spun him back into the corner, offering a combination to buckle the champion’s knees and a right hand that struck Gallashaw’s ribs. Leivers was going for it, incidentally in the same round as he was disqualified two years ago. Leivers landed his shots at will, but he had time left in the round to build up to a crescendo. He circled Gallashaw, popped a jab, and continued to maraud around the ring. When he saw his chance, he threw a hellacious uppercut that sprawled Gallashaw on the floor. He could not even rise to a knee before he was counted out. Gallashaw rolled over on his back, staring up at the starry June sky. His belt was gone. Leivers (52-3-1) may have passed his prime, but he had more than enough on this night. After trading rounds, he dominated the fifth round to take the title back. How long he keeps the belt will be an entirely different matter. Gallashaw (36-3-1) is still only 27 years old and still has a boxing life ahead of him. A completion to a trilogy between the two fighters could be a possibility. Leivers could take his title back with him to England and fight in the European circuit for a while. Title fights have consequences. The fighters who show up in the big moments change the trajectory of careers, the trajectory of lives, the trajectory of history. The fifth round tonight was one of those big moments and Leivers showed up. We will see where the arc of where he goes next. BOLOGNA’S BIG BOPPERS Round 1: Gallashaw, 2-0 (1:32 hook/head, 2:00 cross) Round 2: Gallashaw, 2-1 (G: 0:29 right, 2:19 jab; L: 3:00 hook/jaw) Round 3: Leivers, 3-0 (1:38 uppercut, 2:23 hook/head, 2:58 uppercut) Round 4: Tied, 1-1 (G: 1:58 uppercut; L: 0:34 left hook/body) Round 5: Leivers, 5-0 (0:34 uppercut, 1:02 combo/knockdown #1, 1:22 combo, 1:35 right/ribs, 2:24 uppercut/knockdown #2) TOTAL: Leivers 10, Gallashaw 5 The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 06/30/1963 President John F. Kennedy delivered a fiery speech in West Berlin, expressing solidarity with the people of Berlin during the Cold War. His declaration, "Ich bin ein Berliner," meaning "I am a Berliner," was one of many anti-Communist speeches delivered by Kennedy. A car bomb intended for Mafia boss Salvatore Greco exploded in Ciaculli, near Palermo, Sicily. The blast killed seven police and military officers, marking a significant escalation in the Mafia wars The International Labour Organization excluded South Africa from its meetings due to its apartheid policies, reflecting growing international condemnation of the country's racial segregation laws. The Alfred-Brehm-Haus, the largest enclosed zoo building in the world, was opened at Tierpark Berlin. David Ben-Gurion was replaced by Levi Eshkol as prime minister of Israel. Eshkol was elected to execute a soft-landing for an overheated economy. __________________ Check out The Figment Sporting Journal, a collaborative multi-sport effort that dives into the Figment Sports Universe You can also view my solo project, my Dynasty Report on the Chicago Cougars of FABL, the baseball league in the Figment universe Last edited by ayaghmour2; 03-19-2025 at 01:43 PM.