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ayaghmour2 · 03-23-2025, 02:15 PM

JULY 22, 1963

Top Three in Conti Begin to Separate
Kings, Stars, Cougars All Running Four Game Win Streaks

It must be really tough chasing the Kansas City Kings.

I mean generally speaking, if you go 7-1 or 6-1 on the week, you're going to make up a lot of games on the leaders. But the Kings? Well they just go 5-2 and stay far enough ahead that you can't make up much ground!

Only the Cougars have had much successes against the Kings, as both of Kansas City's losses came to the Chicago team. The hottest team in baseball, the Cougars have won nine of their last ten, and put a beating on the Kings in Chicago. Late inning scoring got the Kings a single win, 5-4 in 10 innings, but the Cougs put up 5 on their former starter Henry Henderson (7-3, 4.18, 33) before pounding Gene Bailey (14-3, 3.27, 104). Almost unbeatable this year, Chicago's offense knocked out the recent Allen frontrunner in the third, stringing together 9 hits, 3 walks, and 8 runs, as the Cougars offense singled him out. During the week, Chicago's offense was unstoppable, as all eight regulars in the lineup had a weekly OPS+ above 140. This includes their two former Kings, as Dutch Miller (.246, 8, 30) was 10-for-25 with a double, triple, 3 homers, 8 RBIs, 5 runs, and 2 walks, while Cal Randall (.256, 7, 43) was 10-for-24 with 2 doubles, a homer, 6 RBIs, 3 runs, and a walk. 6 Cougars hit a total of 11 homers, and they got a huge bump from Dode Caudill (.303, 13, 44, 16), as their graduated top prospect was 18-for-35 with 2 triples, 2 homers, 8 RBIs, 13 runs, 3 walks, and 4 steals. Player of the Week worthy, it was a huge boost to the offense, and when paired with the staff that's allowed the fewest runs in the Continental, things have gotten a bit more interesting.

But before the Cougars can think about the Kings, they have to pass the Stars, who started their week scoring 9 or more runs in each game. Sure, they lost one 10-9 to the Sailors, but that's all the losing they did this week, outscoring their opponents 69-33 to improve to 63-36. Just three behind the Kings, they've retaken the lead in runs scored for their association on the backs of their dominant lineup. Ralph Barrell (.336, 20, 65, 6) and Lou Allen (.321, 26, 81) may get most of the publicity for their towering blasts, but 20-year-old Bobby Garrison (.314, 13, 68, 11) is only going to get better, Charlie Sax (.304, 3, 33, 8) is hitting 382/.472/.533 (173 OPS+) in July, and first year All-Star Bob Griffin (.331, 9, 58, 4) is at least putting some pressure on the Saints' Henry Woods (.355, 16, 58, 6) for best young catcher. The staff doesn't really compare to the Kings or Cougars, but Floyd Warner (11-3, 3.99, 94) is trying to emerge as the ace, and Sy Dunn (8-5, 3.74, 84), Harry Stout (8-6, 3.62, 111), and Cal Johnston (8-4, 3.75, 81) have really started to turn things around. All young and improving, the best could still be yet to come.

With just over a week to the trade deadline, none of the teams at the top seem all that interested in making a move, as all three of these teams have an enviable collection of talent. Each team does have one relative "weakness" that could still be improved. The Kings, despite Hank Williams (.367, 29, 91), just don't hit home runs, as him and Ken Newman (.312, 17, 60, 6) combine for more then half (51.7%) of the teams longballs. The Stars defense is one of the worst, 7th in zone rating and 9th in errors, which has seemed to hurt them late in games and elevate their pens ERA. And then the Cougars, as good as their pitching is, just don't strike many guys out, so if you catch the Conti's top defense on a bad day, you can string runs together. But with how talented, deep, and complete these teams are, it's more impressive that this is really all you can knock them on. It's three pennant worthy teams fighting for just one pennant, and as a baseball fan I'm hoping this race can go down to the wire.

*** Dellinger Builds Off Outstanding June, Ties Lorang in WAR Lead at 7.2 ***

Just over a month ago, it seemed like the Fed's Whitney race was all but locked up, as Tom Lorang (.374, 20, 72, 8) has provided elite offense and defense to start the season. Granted, he still is, and would probably be the winner if they took votes today, as the 21-year-old superstar is hitting .374/.462/.618 (185 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 10 triples, 20 homers, 72 RBIs, 61 walks, 94 runs, and 8 steals, worth an impressive 7.2 WAR in 99 games.

The thing is, now Harry Dellinger (.360, 26, 78, 27) can match that lofty WAR sum that was once on a historic pace, as both are on pace to finish with more then 11 wins above replacement. Dellinger, just 24, doesn't walk nearly as much as Lorang, but his .360/.389/.613 (166 OPS+) line isn't much lower, and he's got arguably the better overall counting stats. In 101 games, Dellinger has 19 doubles, 7 triples, 26 homers, 78 RBIs, 83 runs, and 27 steals, but more importantly, the speedy outfielder and 1960 Whitney and Kellogg winner is playing elite center field defense (10.0 ZR, 1.077 EFF). The reigning Player of the Week is red hot too, coming off a 15-for-33 showing with a double, 3 homers, 4 RBIs, 2 walks, and 7 runs, and since the start of June he's been hitting everything in sight, helping his Keystones go 32-17.

We can't forget about the Pioneers, as Bob Bell (.360, 24, 56, 5) and Danny Davis (.356, 25, 70) rank 1st and 3rd in OPS, and then there's Ray Waggoner (.367, 24, 76) of the first place Dynamos, competing with Lorang for a batting title and anchoring the top scoring offense with Joe Holland (.321, 26, 74, 10), who if he didn't have a glaring defensive weakness, could really cloud the overall picture. It seems to be a golden era in FABL, as there is an influx of young, talented players, all looking to secure the game's most prestigious individual award.

Tales From The Den
Wolves Score Runs in Bunches

In a week in which the team started with a -30 run differential the Wolves went 5-2 by outscoring the opposition 58-26 to finish with a +1 difference in runs. The week did not begin well with the Cougars' completing 3 game series sweep in 2 day by a 9-6 score. The home side led 4-1 after 2 innings before Chicago lit up both Medley and Sam Haygood for 8 runs between from the third to sixth inning to continue the pitching woes for the Wolves. In a visit to Tice Memorial Toronto swept three mid-week games outscoring the Cannons 23-6. The only close game in the set was the opener where Colantuono picked up with 10th win of the year. Colantuono went 7 then left the game leading leading 6-1. Cincinnati attempted a comeback by touching up Fred Clark for 3 runs in an 1 1/3 of work before Blake came into save a 6-4 final. On Wednesday Charlie Davidson was beneficiary of 12 runs on 15 hits, including Chick Reed's 27th HR, allowing only one run over 8 innings before handling the ball to Joe Jackson in the ninth after 127 pitches in a 12-1 final. Arnie Smith was on the mound for the 5-1 win, going 7, to complete the sweep.

The run scoring barrage continued when the team returned to Dominion Stadium for a weekend series with Cleveland. On Friday Lee Loeffler's move to the starting rotation looked like a good move by Hohlt. Wolves came out of the blocks fast staking Loeffler to a 9-0 lead after 2 in a game the ended 13-2 with Loeffler pitching into the ninth. Medley was the recipient of all the runs on Saturday in a game where the final score was identical to night before, 13-2. Jesse Taylor was 4 for 5 with 6 RBI being a double short of the cycle. The winning streak ended at 5 on Sunday when it was the Foresters' turn to score often early, they got to Colantuono for 4 in the third, a total of 7 before he left the game in the sixth. Cleveland made the most of their hits in the 7-4 game, Colantuono gave up all 7 runs boosted by 6 walks, the Foresters only had 8 hits for the game.

Hohlt's charges now face stiffer competition with a trip into KC for three then on to Chicago for 4 games in a 3 day weekend series.

Brett now takes a quick look at the system:
Buffalo Nickels: 48-33 First in Union League by 1 game
Top Hitter: OF Babe Harris .284/.356/.528 16 HR 43 RBI
Top Pitcher: Danny Horne 7-4, 3.11 ERA+ 119
Chattanooga Reliables: 39-42 Fifth League in Dixie League 9 GB
Top Hitter: C Jimmy Crozier .343/.439/.686 9 HR 25 RBI
Top Pitcher: Harmon Alexander 7-2, 3.42 ERA+ 120
Davenport Dusters: 37-44 Seventh in Heartland League 12 GB
Top Hitter: OF Joe Bellamy .269/.415/.423 2 HR 12 RBI
Top Pitcher: Hugh Gregg 7-7, 2.85 ERA+150
Vancouver Mounties: 42-41 Sixth in C-O-W League by 13 GB
Top Hitter: SS Les Warner .298/.304/.452 6 HR 26 RBI
Top Pitcher: Bob Estes 7-2, 2.50 ERA+ 139
Tuscaloosa Tomcats: 9-7 Fourth Gulf States League by 5 GB
Top Hitter: OF Carl Stefanski .468/.542/.532 0 HR 11 RBI
Top Pitcher: Buck Olson 2-1, 2.35 ERA+ 232

Stars slugger Lou Allen (.321, 26, 81) celebrated his birthday week in the best way possible, taking home the Player of the Week in the Continental. 28 on Monday he started the week with an off day, proceed to go 18-for-34 with 2 doubles, 3 homers, 10 RBIs, and 9 runs scored. The way he capped off the week cemented it, as he was a perfect 5-for-5 with a double and three runs in LA's 8-1 win over the Saints. Now hitting .321/.352/.569 (141 OPS+) in 98 games, he's trying to make the voters regret not picking him for the All-Star game, as he's one of the many top performers blocked by the depth of the outfield position. He's currently on pace for 43 homers and 133 RBIs, both of which would be career highs.
Surprisingly, Allen's 5-hit game was not the most of the week, as Keystones infielder Bob G. Murphy (.286, 10, 52, 4) was 6-for-6 in a 4-2 12-inning loss to the Suns. All six hits were singles, and Murphy didn't score or drive in a run. A 6-hit game is rare, but it's easier when you get a few extra innings to get the at bats.
Earlier in the same day, Keystone catcher Dick Christian (.312, 14, 53) hit three homers in a 17-7 slugfest. The two games of the double header could not have been much different, as their 18 hits in 8 innings of offense was more then their 15 hits of offense in 12 innings. Perhaps tired from all the run scoring, Bruce McInturf (4-6, 4.12, 47) and a parade of relievers were able to wiggles out of almost all trouble.
St. Louis may have won four straight, sweeping the Suns, but the double header came with an oblique strain. Now 2.5 games behind the Dynamos, they'll be without center fielder Bill Bather (.292, 13, 40, 12) for approximately 5-6 weeks. One of the top defenders, Bather has played great center field (6.3, 1.030), and paired with a 124 WRC+ he was well on his way to a second 5+ WAR season. St. Louis just got healthy too, as Jerry Smith (.229, 12, 35) recently went back to right. Center is a tough position to fill, unless they decide to move Danny Davis (.356, 25, 70) from left to center.
Adrian Czerwinski (12-3, 2.52, 101) threw his 56th career shutout and 5th of the season, outdueling Gene Faulkenberry (8-6, 5, 3.10, 86) in a 1-0 win over the Saints. Czerwinski scattered 9 hits and a walk, striking out 4 in the victory. Czerwinski improved to 12-3 with a 2.52 ERA (171 ERA+), 3.29 FIP (76 FIP-), and 1.07 WHIP, striking out 101 to just 30 walks. He's making a serious case for a 6th Allen award, leading the Conti in ERA, ERA+, WAR (4.2), innings (161), complete games (11), WHIP, and tied for quality starts (15).
Washington is making a change in their infield, shifting superstar Tom Lorang (.374, 20, 72, 8) from third to second. He'll replace Myles Barber (.258, 2, 28), allowing Alex Wilson (.305, 6, 44) to return to a starting role. Wilson played some second base earlier in the season, but Eagles management prefers the range Lorang can give up the middle. He's never played any second base in the pros, but I don't think there is much he can't do.
Saints righty Jim Montgomery (6-11, 5.30, 79) had a rare good start, as the control artist put together a dominant shutout over the Wranglers. Allowing just 5 hits and 3 walks, he struck out 11, allowing Montreal to cruise to a 6-0 win. Other shutouts include the Keystone's Joe Kienle (3 H, 4 K) against the Millers and the Pioneers' Charlie Blake (6 H, BB, 7 K) bested the Suns. Two Chiefs twirled shutouts too, with Joe Cipolla (4 H, 5 BB, 6 K) leading the Chiefs to a 3-0 win over the first place Dynamos before Bud Andrews (8 H, 4 BB, K) did the same thing, this time 6-0, in an inefficient victory.
Gotham outfielder Otto Pilkerton (.270, 5, 49, 4) strained his hamstring early in the week, and is looking to play through the nagging injury. Impacting his running, it could hinder him for a few weeks, but New York has made no indications that he would be placed on the IL. A 25-year-old Diamond Defense winner, he's hit a respectable .270/.332/.395 (92 OPS+) to go with his generally effective defense.
Cincinnati is dealing with a pair of day-to-day injuries, with Marco Middleton (8-4, 1, 3.82, 88) and Charlie Ham (.161, 5, 11) dealing with minor ailments. Middleton, 20, graduated as the #4 prospect in FABL, but after starting in the rotation he's been pitching mainly out of the pen. Losing Ham won't be too much of an issue, as he's struggled in a pinch hit role.
San Francisco took an injury hit as well, as backstop Larry McLaren (.229, 4, 8) will miss 3-4 weeks with a fractured rib. He recently replaced Bill Jenkins (.205, 1, 23) in the starting lineup, as the now 25-year-old had just a 30 WRC+ in 301 PAs. If the Sailors were still single digit games behind the Kings, they may have looked at an outside move, but I can see them bringing up longtime roster member Dick Hunt from AAA.
Pittsburgh welcomed back shortstop John Moreland (.322, 8, 54, 3), who missed three weeks with a high ankle sprain. One of the building blocks on the Miners, the 27-year-old had a 21-game hit streak earlier in the season, and he's gone 3-for-12 with a double, walk, run, and RBI in his four games since coming back.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 07/21/1963

The Kingdom of Tonga issued the first round postage stamps in history. The stamps (which were also the first to be made of gold foil rather than paper) were designed to commemorate the first gold coins in Polynesia.
For the first time in history, a U.S. federal court ordered a change in the size of the legislature of a U.S. state, decreasing the number of seats in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 120 to 100. The court also ordered a reapportionment of both the House and the state Senate on a strict population basis. The decision was the first to rely on the U.S. Supreme Court case of Baker v. Carr, decided on March 26, 1962, holding that federal courts could review state legislative apportionment.
Colonel Jassem Alwan of the Syrian army, backed by financing from President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, led an attempt to overthrow the government of Syria in order to establish a pro-Nasser government that would reunite with the United Arab Republic. The coup attempt came only 30 minutes after President Lu'ay al-Atassi had departed from Damascus on an invitation from President Nasser for a meeting in Egypt.
After Alwan seized the Damascus radio station and the Syrian Army headquarters, Interior Minister Amin al-Hafiz, "sub-machinegun in hand", directed the Ba'ath Party National Guard on a counterattack and regained control. Hundreds of people were killed in the battle; Alwan was able to escape, but 27 officers who had participated in the coup were executed by firing squad, marking an end of "the time-honoured tradition whereby losers were banished to embassies abroad".
An artificial heart pump was placed inside a human being for the first time, at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas University of Houston by a team led by Dr. Michael E. DeBakey.
A 25-pound (11 kg) bomb was inadvertently dropped on downtown San Francisco by a U.S. Navy Reserve pilot on a routine exercise flight. The unarmed bomb fell at the intersection of Market Street and Front Street, bounced over the eight-story tall IBM building and damaged another building three blocks away, but nobody was injured.
An attempt to reconcile the differences between the Soviet Communist Party and the Chinese Communist Party ended in failure, after more than a week of conferences in Moscow.
The first Yaoundé Convention was signed in the capital of Cameroon by 18 African nations that had gained independence relatively recently. It would take effect on June 1, 1964, and be operative for five years. Parties to the agreement were Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville), the Republic of the Congo (Leopoldville), Dahomey, Gabon, the Ivory Coast, the Malagasy Republic, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, Togo, and Upper Volta.
For the first time since June 30, 1954, a total solar eclipse was visible from North America and was "the most scientifically observed eclipse in history" up to that time. A chartered DC-8 jet airplane flew a group of astronomers along the path of the eclipse so that the totality could be observed for 44 seconds longer than for people on the ground. The point of greatest eclipse was in Canada's Northwest Territory, near its border with Alberta.

03-23-2025, 02:15 PM	#1101
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 2,999	July 22nd, 1963 JULY 22, 1963 Top Three in Conti Begin to Separate Kings, Stars, Cougars All Running Four Game Win Streaks It must be really tough chasing the Kansas City Kings. I mean generally speaking, if you go 7-1 or 6-1 on the week, you're going to make up a lot of games on the leaders. But the Kings? Well they just go 5-2 and stay far enough ahead that you can't make up much ground! Only the Cougars have had much successes against the Kings, as both of Kansas City's losses came to the Chicago team. The hottest team in baseball, the Cougars have won nine of their last ten, and put a beating on the Kings in Chicago. Late inning scoring got the Kings a single win, 5-4 in 10 innings, but the Cougs put up 5 on their former starter Henry Henderson (7-3, 4.18, 33) before pounding Gene Bailey (14-3, 3.27, 104). Almost unbeatable this year, Chicago's offense knocked out the recent Allen frontrunner in the third, stringing together 9 hits, 3 walks, and 8 runs, as the Cougars offense singled him out. During the week, Chicago's offense was unstoppable, as all eight regulars in the lineup had a weekly OPS+ above 140. This includes their two former Kings, as Dutch Miller (.246, 8, 30) was 10-for-25 with a double, triple, 3 homers, 8 RBIs, 5 runs, and 2 walks, while Cal Randall (.256, 7, 43) was 10-for-24 with 2 doubles, a homer, 6 RBIs, 3 runs, and a walk. 6 Cougars hit a total of 11 homers, and they got a huge bump from Dode Caudill (.303, 13, 44, 16), as their graduated top prospect was 18-for-35 with 2 triples, 2 homers, 8 RBIs, 13 runs, 3 walks, and 4 steals. Player of the Week worthy, it was a huge boost to the offense, and when paired with the staff that's allowed the fewest runs in the Continental, things have gotten a bit more interesting. But before the Cougars can think about the Kings, they have to pass the Stars, who started their week scoring 9 or more runs in each game. Sure, they lost one 10-9 to the Sailors, but that's all the losing they did this week, outscoring their opponents 69-33 to improve to 63-36. Just three behind the Kings, they've retaken the lead in runs scored for their association on the backs of their dominant lineup. Ralph Barrell (.336, 20, 65, 6) and Lou Allen (.321, 26, 81) may get most of the publicity for their towering blasts, but 20-year-old Bobby Garrison (.314, 13, 68, 11) is only going to get better, Charlie Sax (.304, 3, 33, 8) is hitting 382/.472/.533 (173 OPS+) in July, and first year All-Star Bob Griffin (.331, 9, 58, 4) is at least putting some pressure on the Saints' Henry Woods (.355, 16, 58, 6) for best young catcher. The staff doesn't really compare to the Kings or Cougars, but Floyd Warner (11-3, 3.99, 94) is trying to emerge as the ace, and Sy Dunn (8-5, 3.74, 84), Harry Stout (8-6, 3.62, 111), and Cal Johnston (8-4, 3.75, 81) have really started to turn things around. All young and improving, the best could still be yet to come. With just over a week to the trade deadline, none of the teams at the top seem all that interested in making a move, as all three of these teams have an enviable collection of talent. Each team does have one relative "weakness" that could still be improved. The Kings, despite Hank Williams (.367, 29, 91), just don't hit home runs, as him and Ken Newman (.312, 17, 60, 6) combine for more then half (51.7%) of the teams longballs. The Stars defense is one of the worst, 7th in zone rating and 9th in errors, which has seemed to hurt them late in games and elevate their pens ERA. And then the Cougars, as good as their pitching is, just don't strike many guys out, so if you catch the Conti's top defense on a bad day, you can string runs together. But with how talented, deep, and complete these teams are, it's more impressive that this is really all you can knock them on. It's three pennant worthy teams fighting for just one pennant, and as a baseball fan I'm hoping this race can go down to the wire. * Dellinger Builds Off Outstanding June, Ties Lorang in WAR Lead at 7.2 * Just over a month ago, it seemed like the Fed's Whitney race was all but locked up, as Tom Lorang (.374, 20, 72, 8) has provided elite offense and defense to start the season. Granted, he still is, and would probably be the winner if they took votes today, as the 21-year-old superstar is hitting .374/.462/.618 (185 OPS+) with 14 doubles, 10 triples, 20 homers, 72 RBIs, 61 walks, 94 runs, and 8 steals, worth an impressive 7.2 WAR in 99 games. The thing is, now Harry Dellinger (.360, 26, 78, 27) can match that lofty WAR sum that was once on a historic pace, as both are on pace to finish with more then 11 wins above replacement. Dellinger, just 24, doesn't walk nearly as much as Lorang, but his .360/.389/.613 (166 OPS+) line isn't much lower, and he's got arguably the better overall counting stats. In 101 games, Dellinger has 19 doubles, 7 triples, 26 homers, 78 RBIs, 83 runs, and 27 steals, but more importantly, the speedy outfielder and 1960 Whitney and Kellogg winner is playing elite center field defense (10.0 ZR, 1.077 EFF). The reigning Player of the Week is red hot too, coming off a 15-for-33 showing with a double, 3 homers, 4 RBIs, 2 walks, and 7 runs, and since the start of June he's been hitting everything in sight, helping his Keystones go 32-17. We can't forget about the Pioneers, as Bob Bell (.360, 24, 56, 5) and Danny Davis (.356, 25, 70) rank 1st and 3rd in OPS, and then there's Ray Waggoner (.367, 24, 76) of the first place Dynamos, competing with Lorang for a batting title and anchoring the top scoring offense with Joe Holland (.321, 26, 74, 10), who if he didn't have a glaring defensive weakness, could really cloud the overall picture. It seems to be a golden era in FABL, as there is an influx of young, talented players, all looking to secure the game's most prestigious individual award. Tales From The Den Wolves Score Runs in Bunches In a week in which the team started with a -30 run differential the Wolves went 5-2 by outscoring the opposition 58-26 to finish with a +1 difference in runs. The week did not begin well with the Cougars' completing 3 game series sweep in 2 day by a 9-6 score. The home side led 4-1 after 2 innings before Chicago lit up both Medley and Sam Haygood for 8 runs between from the third to sixth inning to continue the pitching woes for the Wolves. In a visit to Tice Memorial Toronto swept three mid-week games outscoring the Cannons 23-6. The only close game in the set was the opener where Colantuono picked up with 10th win of the year. Colantuono went 7 then left the game leading leading 6-1. Cincinnati attempted a comeback by touching up Fred Clark for 3 runs in an 1 1/3 of work before Blake came into save a 6-4 final. On Wednesday Charlie Davidson was beneficiary of 12 runs on 15 hits, including Chick Reed's 27th HR, allowing only one run over 8 innings before handling the ball to Joe Jackson in the ninth after 127 pitches in a 12-1 final. Arnie Smith was on the mound for the 5-1 win, going 7, to complete the sweep. The run scoring barrage continued when the team returned to Dominion Stadium for a weekend series with Cleveland. On Friday Lee Loeffler's move to the starting rotation looked like a good move by Hohlt. Wolves came out of the blocks fast staking Loeffler to a 9-0 lead after 2 in a game the ended 13-2 with Loeffler pitching into the ninth. Medley was the recipient of all the runs on Saturday in a game where the final score was identical to night before, 13-2. Jesse Taylor was 4 for 5 with 6 RBI being a double short of the cycle. The winning streak ended at 5 on Sunday when it was the Foresters' turn to score often early, they got to Colantuono for 4 in the third, a total of 7 before he left the game in the sixth. Cleveland made the most of their hits in the 7-4 game, Colantuono gave up all 7 runs boosted by 6 walks, the Foresters only had 8 hits for the game. Hohlt's charges now face stiffer competition with a trip into KC for three then on to Chicago for 4 games in a 3 day weekend series. Brett now takes a quick look at the system: Buffalo Nickels: 48-33 First in Union League by 1 game Top Hitter: OF Babe Harris .284/.356/.528 16 HR 43 RBI Top Pitcher: Danny Horne 7-4, 3.11 ERA+ 119 Chattanooga Reliables: 39-42 Fifth League in Dixie League 9 GB Top Hitter: C Jimmy Crozier .343/.439/.686 9 HR 25 RBI Top Pitcher: Harmon Alexander 7-2, 3.42 ERA+ 120 Davenport Dusters: 37-44 Seventh in Heartland League 12 GB Top Hitter: OF Joe Bellamy .269/.415/.423 2 HR 12 RBI Top Pitcher: Hugh Gregg 7-7, 2.85 ERA+150 Vancouver Mounties: 42-41 Sixth in C-O-W League by 13 GB Top Hitter: SS Les Warner .298/.304/.452 6 HR 26 RBI Top Pitcher: Bob Estes 7-2, 2.50 ERA+ 139 Tuscaloosa Tomcats: 9-7 Fourth Gulf States League by 5 GB Top Hitter: OF Carl Stefanski .468/.542/.532 0 HR 11 RBI Top Pitcher: Buck Olson 2-1, 2.35 ERA+ 232 Stars slugger Lou Allen (.321, 26, 81) celebrated his birthday week in the best way possible, taking home the Player of the Week in the Continental. 28 on Monday he started the week with an off day, proceed to go 18-for-34 with 2 doubles, 3 homers, 10 RBIs, and 9 runs scored. The way he capped off the week cemented it, as he was a perfect 5-for-5 with a double and three runs in LA's 8-1 win over the Saints. Now hitting .321/.352/.569 (141 OPS+) in 98 games, he's trying to make the voters regret not picking him for the All-Star game, as he's one of the many top performers blocked by the depth of the outfield position. He's currently on pace for 43 homers and 133 RBIs, both of which would be career highs. Surprisingly, Allen's 5-hit game was not the most of the week, as Keystones infielder Bob G. Murphy (.286, 10, 52, 4) was 6-for-6 in a 4-2 12-inning loss to the Suns. All six hits were singles, and Murphy didn't score or drive in a run. A 6-hit game is rare, but it's easier when you get a few extra innings to get the at bats. Earlier in the same day, Keystone catcher Dick Christian (.312, 14, 53) hit three homers in a 17-7 slugfest. The two games of the double header could not have been much different, as their 18 hits in 8 innings of offense was more then their 15 hits of offense in 12 innings. Perhaps tired from all the run scoring, Bruce McInturf (4-6, 4.12, 47) and a parade of relievers were able to wiggles out of almost all trouble. St. Louis may have won four straight, sweeping the Suns, but the double header came with an oblique strain. Now 2.5 games behind the Dynamos, they'll be without center fielder Bill Bather (.292, 13, 40, 12) for approximately 5-6 weeks. One of the top defenders, Bather has played great center field (6.3, 1.030), and paired with a 124 WRC+ he was well on his way to a second 5+ WAR season. St. Louis just got healthy too, as Jerry Smith (.229, 12, 35) recently went back to right. Center is a tough position to fill, unless they decide to move Danny Davis (.356, 25, 70) from left to center. Adrian Czerwinski (12-3, 2.52, 101) threw his 56th career shutout and 5th of the season, outdueling Gene Faulkenberry (8-6, 5, 3.10, 86) in a 1-0 win over the Saints. Czerwinski scattered 9 hits and a walk, striking out 4 in the victory. Czerwinski improved to 12-3 with a 2.52 ERA (171 ERA+), 3.29 FIP (76 FIP-), and 1.07 WHIP, striking out 101 to just 30 walks. He's making a serious case for a 6th Allen award, leading the Conti in ERA, ERA+, WAR (4.2), innings (161), complete games (11), WHIP, and tied for quality starts (15). Washington is making a change in their infield, shifting superstar Tom Lorang (.374, 20, 72, 8) from third to second. He'll replace Myles Barber (.258, 2, 28), allowing Alex Wilson (.305, 6, 44) to return to a starting role. Wilson played some second base earlier in the season, but Eagles management prefers the range Lorang can give up the middle. He's never played any second base in the pros, but I don't think there is much he can't do. Saints righty Jim Montgomery (6-11, 5.30, 79) had a rare good start, as the control artist put together a dominant shutout over the Wranglers. Allowing just 5 hits and 3 walks, he struck out 11, allowing Montreal to cruise to a 6-0 win. Other shutouts include the Keystone's Joe Kienle (3 H, 4 K) against the Millers and the Pioneers' Charlie Blake (6 H, BB, 7 K) bested the Suns. Two Chiefs twirled shutouts too, with Joe Cipolla (4 H, 5 BB, 6 K) leading the Chiefs to a 3-0 win over the first place Dynamos before Bud Andrews (8 H, 4 BB, K) did the same thing, this time 6-0, in an inefficient victory. Gotham outfielder Otto Pilkerton (.270, 5, 49, 4) strained his hamstring early in the week, and is looking to play through the nagging injury. Impacting his running, it could hinder him for a few weeks, but New York has made no indications that he would be placed on the IL. A 25-year-old Diamond Defense winner, he's hit a respectable .270/.332/.395 (92 OPS+) to go with his generally effective defense. Cincinnati is dealing with a pair of day-to-day injuries, with Marco Middleton (8-4, 1, 3.82, 88) and Charlie Ham (.161, 5, 11) dealing with minor ailments. Middleton, 20, graduated as the #4 prospect in FABL, but after starting in the rotation he's been pitching mainly out of the pen. Losing Ham won't be too much of an issue, as he's struggled in a pinch hit role. San Francisco took an injury hit as well, as backstop Larry McLaren (.229, 4, 8) will miss 3-4 weeks with a fractured rib. He recently replaced Bill Jenkins (.205, 1, 23) in the starting lineup, as the now 25-year-old had just a 30 WRC+ in 301 PAs. If the Sailors were still single digit games behind the Kings, they may have looked at an outside move, but I can see them bringing up longtime roster member Dick Hunt from AAA. Pittsburgh welcomed back shortstop John Moreland (.322, 8, 54, 3), who missed three weeks with a high ankle sprain. One of the building blocks on the Miners, the 27-year-old had a 21-game hit streak earlier in the season, and he's gone 3-for-12 with a double, walk, run, and RBI in his four games since coming back. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 07/21/1963 The Kingdom of Tonga issued the first round postage stamps in history. The stamps (which were also the first to be made of gold foil rather than paper) were designed to commemorate the first gold coins in Polynesia. For the first time in history, a U.S. federal court ordered a change in the size of the legislature of a U.S. state, decreasing the number of seats in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 120 to 100. The court also ordered a reapportionment of both the House and the state Senate on a strict population basis. The decision was the first to rely on the U.S. Supreme Court case of Baker v. Carr, decided on March 26, 1962, holding that federal courts could review state legislative apportionment. Colonel Jassem Alwan of the Syrian army, backed by financing from President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, led an attempt to overthrow the government of Syria in order to establish a pro-Nasser government that would reunite with the United Arab Republic. The coup attempt came only 30 minutes after President Lu'ay al-Atassi had departed from Damascus on an invitation from President Nasser for a meeting in Egypt. After Alwan seized the Damascus radio station and the Syrian Army headquarters, Interior Minister Amin al-Hafiz, "sub-machinegun in hand", directed the Ba'ath Party National Guard on a counterattack and regained control. Hundreds of people were killed in the battle; Alwan was able to escape, but 27 officers who had participated in the coup were executed by firing squad, marking an end of "the time-honoured tradition whereby losers were banished to embassies abroad". An artificial heart pump was placed inside a human being for the first time, at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas University of Houston by a team led by Dr. Michael E. DeBakey. A 25-pound (11 kg) bomb was inadvertently dropped on downtown San Francisco by a U.S. Navy Reserve pilot on a routine exercise flight. The unarmed bomb fell at the intersection of Market Street and Front Street, bounced over the eight-story tall IBM building and damaged another building three blocks away, but nobody was injured. An attempt to reconcile the differences between the Soviet Communist Party and the Chinese Communist Party ended in failure, after more than a week of conferences in Moscow. The first Yaoundé Convention was signed in the capital of Cameroon by 18 African nations that had gained independence relatively recently. It would take effect on June 1, 1964, and be operative for five years. Parties to the agreement were Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville), the Republic of the Congo (Leopoldville), Dahomey, Gabon, the Ivory Coast, the Malagasy Republic, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, Togo, and Upper Volta. For the first time since June 30, 1954, a total solar eclipse was visible from North America and was "the most scientifically observed eclipse in history" up to that time. A chartered DC-8 jet airplane flew a group of astronomers along the path of the eclipse so that the totality could be observed for 44 seconds longer than for people on the ground. The point of greatest eclipse was in Canada's Northwest Territory, near its border with Alberta.