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ayaghmour2 · 03-25-2025, 11:06 AM

JULY 29, 1963

Pioneers Win 9 Straight, Reclaim First
Dynamos Right Behind with Extra Loss and Win

They might have lost the second game of a double header with the Pittsburgh Miners, but that was the last time the Pioneers lost since July 18th. Also to the Miners. Then 2-1 in 10 innings, yesterday 6-3 after a 6-3 win in the morning, the loss was their first in the middle of a 14-game homestand. Now 69-34, St. Louis is back to a more familiar spot, as the bats are hitting and the pitchers are pitching. Frenchy Mack (14-4, 1.67, 133) is back to being an immortal, as two starts removed from allowing 8 in a 13-0 beatdown by the Keystones, he spun a shutout in a tidy 1-0 victory. His 6th shutout of the season, he enters a tie with teammate Steve Madden (14-4, 2.38, 103) for the most wins in the Fed, and of course his 1.67 ERA (253 ERA+) is the lowest, but now Mack also leads with 133 strikeouts. Having won the Triple Crown last year, he might not mind too much if Madden ends up with the win lead, but he's a fierce competitor, team leader, and a major reason this Pioneers team isn't going anywhere soon.

Setting up an exciting pennant race as we near the end of July, as the best pitching staff looks to tame the best lineup. Plenty gets said about the Pioneers rotation, but their three lefties in the back of the pen have been downright dominant. Led by John Gibson (5-3, 17, 1.77, 29), the pen's 2.95 ERA is slightly lower then the rotation's 3.01, as young arms Doc Greenwood (0-0, 1, 1.29, 14) and Mel Hill (1-1, 1, 1.29, 16) have been lethal, as has journeyman righty Dave Roberts (1-0, 1, 1.98, 11). With how good St. Louis' rotation is, Gibson is the only one who usually gets used, but when it is close, the pen delivers, allowing the Pioneers to post an 18-5 record in one-run games.

Detroit couldn't take advantage of two bottom feeders, as they split series with both the Millers and Minutemen. Somehow, Minneapolis crushed the Dynamos 12-6 in game two of a double header, but the schedule gets tougher as their road trip continues. Their next stop is the nation's capital, as the 66-42 Eagles will host the co-leaders for three games. 5.5 back, they're still a threat to enter the pennant race themselves, and with stars like Tom Lorang (.368, 22, 77, 8) and George Whaley (.305, 20, 88, 4), you can go on a win streak quick. Detroit is lucky to avoid Bob Ball (13-3, 3.08, 125), but Owen Lantz (10-2, 2.79, 96) and Jim Stewart (11-5, 3.38, 84) are projected to close out the series. Countering with John Jackson (10-4, 3.02, 84), Earl Shields (12-4, 2.97, 101), and Jim Norris (12-2, 3.55, 97), these should be three real exciting games, and they'll have major postseason implications.

The biggest winner may be the Pioneers, as while the Dynamos and Eagles push each other to the brink, they get a pair of squads in the bottom of the standings. Hosting the Gothams for three and the Minutemen for four, they have a chance to pad their record and prepare for tougher road games in August. They'll get Washington and Philly the week of the 5th, and they have eight games with the Dynamos, four in Detroit and four at home.

*** Kings Climb, Stars Slips, Cougars Question: KC Stretches Lead to 6.5 ***

Cougar fans may have gotten a glimpse of hope when they took two of three from the Kings in Chicago, but ever since Kansas City has been on a mission. After dropping their only series in July, the Kings ran off wins in 9 of 10, opening their lead to 6.5 games before what could be the biggest week of their season. Ready and rested, the Kings will welcome the two teams chasing them, as the Cougars and Stars come in for series. Chicago is the only team that's kept up with the Kings in July, as their 20-7 record is slightly better then the 20-8 Kansas City has put together. This series will determine who has the better month, as the first two games will close the fourth month of the season.

Now 64-41, the Cougars have allowed the fewest runs while in a tie for the third most runs scored. A team that does almost everything well, the Cougars play clean baseball, with strong, fundamental defense and a deep pen that takes leads and keeps them. Aside from their early one-run game struggles and an unlucky Arch Wilson (2-7, 1, 3.06, 20) the Cougar pen is even better then St Louis', as theirs actually gets a lot of innings. Their 256 innings is more then double the Pioneers' 128.1, and Wilson's 3.06 ERA (136 ERA+) is the highest on the team. Stopper Pug White (9-3, 18, 2.36, 71) has 95.1 himself, while Earle Turner (3-3, 2, 1.01, 45) and Bob Allen (3-3, 2, 2.69, 30) are both north of 50. In what could be tight, close games, Chicago's stable is more secure, as the Kings tend to rely strictly on Del Lamb (9-2, 11, 3.22, 65) and Fred Myers (3-0, 5, 2.36, 21). Chicago has also seen rookie star-in-the-making Dode Caudill (.314, 15, 46, 16) show out in their stellar July. The 24-year-old outfielder has hit .409/.488/.636 (200 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, 12 RBIs, 34 runs, 17 walks, and 8 steals. A true stat sheet stuffer, he does a little bit of everything, gathering 78 runs, 16 doubles, 11 triples, 15 homers, 46 RBIs, 45 walks, and 16 steals. His emergence has really given the Cougars their claws, and it sets up a

LA is a completely different club, and having to deal with a more traditional, gritty team, KC will have to completely adjust to a group of bombers who score early and often. Seven of the eight lineup members have double digit homers -- though four have exactly ten -- with the 28-year-old Lou Allen (.310, 27, 87) leading the way with 27. Ralph Barrell (.339, 20, 68, 7) has some of the best raw power in the game, and in year five he's set a career high with 5.2 WAR. You can't just avoid this high-powered duo, as everyone eats in this deep lineup. They were streaky this week, scoring one or two runs in their four losses and nine and eleven runs in the two wins, but when they get in a little run, a pitching staff will really have their hands full.

*** 2,000th Hit for Shearer ***

Back healthy after an elbow strain, Rod Shearer reached the first of two expected milestones this season, recording his 2,000th career FABL hit. It came in the second off All-Star Joe Kienle (8-2, 2.50, 66), a single with one on in the 2nd inning. He hit his 399th home run three days ago, and after finishing the week he's up to 2,002 hits. All have came in a Chiefs' uniform, as the clubs All-Time homer and WAR (80.5) leader became the 8th player to record 2,000 hits as a Chief. At 34, he's got time to keep adding to that number, but he's got little-to-no change of breaking Bob Martin's record of 3,314.

A veteran of 1,832 games, Shearer enters the week with a .252/.341/.456 (110 OPS+) season line, well shy of his .291/.376/.544 (147 OPS+) career line. A common Whitney finalist, he was always the bridesmaid and never the bride, coming close to the prestigious award on many occasions. His best chance was 1954, where he hit .325/.409/.663 (187 OPS+) and led the Fed in runs (129), homers (46), RBIs (133), slugging, OPS (1.072), WRC+ (181), wOBA (.466), and WAR (10.0). What to me was an obvious snub, the award instead went to Buddy Miller (.283, 16, 61, 4), who not only one the year before, but he trailed Shearer in most offensive categories. Miller did have an excellent .351/.408/.608 (173 OPS+), but aside from average and really just hits, Shearer had the statistical advantage.

Kings Add Kleminski in Three Prospect Swap

After hitting #2,500 with the Cleveland Foresters, Stan Kleminski (.260, 2, 35, 12) will be getting 2,600 with the Kansas City Kings. This is the first real move in a quiet July, as the only trade was a minor deal between Dallas and Pittsburgh that saw the Miners pick up swingman Clarence Miller (2-4, 2, 3.51, 22) for a pair midrange prospects. The Continental leaders are preparing for the worst, as the Kings are worried about the health of their vets and Al Farmer's (.258, 10, 50) ability to play second base. Kleminski is a far superior defender, and even at 36 he's one of the nest and most consistent at the position. If Diamond Defense Awards were around when he came up, he'd have more then one he got two years ago.

Set to join his third FABL organization, he may be most valued for his postseason experience, as he's the postseason leader in games (56), at bats (225), and hits (62), and he's 2nd in runs (30) and tied for 1st in doubles (12). Winning four championships with the Dynamos, and competed in 9 of 10 World Championship Series from 1952 to 1961, hitting .276/.344/.378 (96 OPS+) with 22 RBIs, 24 walks, and 17 extra base hits. A little lower then his career .283/.373/.367 (102 OPS+) career line, he's not going to have any nerves should the team reach the postseason, and he'll have a chance to increase his historic counting stats.

1963 is a bit of a down year for Kleminski, as his .260/.357/.328 (80 OPS+) line is the worst since he hit .268/.329/.320 (80 OPS+) as a rookie way back in 1947. His 92 WRC+ is still solid, especially when paired with his always impressive defense, which is what attracted the Kings to him in the first place. Farmer is the better hitter, batting .258/.360/.420 (107 OPS+) this season and .285/.366/.454 (125 OPS+) for his career, but he's long past his days of a capable defender. Plus Ken Newman (.311, 17, 63, 6) has dealt with injuries lately, and adding Kleminski gives the Kings a high quality infield option in case of emergency. He may not play everyday, at least right away, but he could enter a rotation with the rest of the infield, keeping their regular rested while improving the overall team.

For Cleveland, they get a three prospect package headlined by young infielder Herb Connelly. 19 in August, the speedy infielder was taken 32nd last draft, and ranks just outside the top-100. He sits at 113 and was the Kings 5th ranked prospect. Off to an excellent start in Class C, Connelly has hit .330/.500/.602 (151 OPS+) with 10 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, 13 RBIs, 27 runs, 29 walks, and 24 steals in just 25 tries. Speed is the real weapon of Connelly's build, but he's a strong hitter and defender too. Defensively, he looks a lot like former King infielder Cal Randall (.256, 7, 46), a rangy infielder with an elite glove, boasting an outstanding arm and excellent double play ability. Then at the plate, he makes consistent, hard contact, and when he puts the ball in play good things happen. His line drives in the gap are easy extra base hits, and anything on the ground puts pressure on the defense. His combination of skills destines him for a regular role, likely at short, and he's probably a bit underrated by the prospect pickers.

Completing the package is a pair of minor league pitchers in George Costa and Johnny Campbell. Like Connelly, Costa is a ranked prospect, checking in at 12th in the Kings system and 293rd overall. A 7th Rounder in 1960, he worked his way up to AAA, and has gone 9-6 in 19 starts for the Thunderbirds. Working to a 3.33 ERA (116 ERA+), 3.41 FIP (88 FIP-), and 1.27 WHIP, striking 70 with 58 walks. A four pitch pitcher, he's on the cusp of being FABL ready, and could quickly enter the Foresters rotation. Able to pitch long innings without any obvious weakness makes him a useful arm, and at 21 he's got plenty of time to improve. Same goes for Campbell, who's a full year younger. Taken in the 5th of the 1961 draft, he's also in AAA, where he's made 11 of his 17 starts this season. An even 4-4 he has an elevated 4.41 ERA (88 ERA+) and 1.49 WHIP, but they were much better at AA. A hard-thrower, he sits in the 95-97 range, and can trick hitter with his five pitch mix. Cleveland's pieced together rotation has been okay, but once Adrian Czerwinski (13-4, 2.71, 117) is ready to call it quits, they don't have many options to replace his production, and now they have two more young, impressionable arms to turn into quality starters.

Tales From The Den
Wolves Falter on The Road

Toronto fans, players, management knew the team was heading for a tough test with a 7 game, 6 day trip into the parks of two of three leaders in the CA, KC then Chicago. The question was "Would the team be up to the challenge"? The short answer was no, the team went 1-6 after a 5-2 the week before to fall 2 games under the .500 mark heading into the trade deadline. Starting on Tuesday in Prairie Park with the Kings as hosts Charlie Davidson kept the game close, for 5 innings. Going into the bottom of six trailing 2-1 Davidson walked the leadoff man, Ken Newman the got Pat Davis to flyout to right. Things went downhill from there as single, single, single led to one run. A the Wolves almost got out of the inning with a close double play in which the runner was called safe at first. Then a wild pitch on a third strike allowed another run. After Charlie Rodgers singled to load the bases Hohlt went to get Davidson bring in Sam Haygood. Haygood then fooled Al Curtis with a pitch that went to the backstop allowing 2 more runs in 6 run inning that the Wolves should have been out of on two occasions. Gene Bailey then cruise to victory to run his record for the season to 15-3.

Toronto came close the next night taking a 2-0 lead in the top of 8 before the combination of Campbell, Pepper could not hold the lead. Campbell allowed the Kings to tie the game in the eighth before Rodgers walked off the Wolves in nine with a single off Pepper. The next night the Kings completed the sweep, after Dick Rabkin hit a leadoff HR Hank Williams put a Loeffler offering into the seats with 2 of his mates aboard in the bottom half of the first. Rabkin's shot would be the only time a Wolves' runner crossed the plate off Allie Boone who came away for 6-1 complete game.

Into Cougars Park where on Friday Chicago score 4 times in their first trip to the plate on 4 hits, 2 walks off Bill Medley. They could not overcome that deficit as Dick Champ was strong for seven in a game that ended 5-2. On Saturday Wolves jumped out 3-0 on Savage's first inning HR, his 15th. Colantuono, after rocky first in which the Cougars narrowed the gap to one. settled in to make his record 11-6 with a scoring that was the same as the night before, 5-2. Toronto had a chance to salvage the trip with two games on Sunday. Scoring only one run in two games is not a recipe for wins. Davidson pitched well in the first game although Roy Ellis was better for the Cougars. Ellis held the Wolves to 3 hits winning 3-1 in a game neither manager went to the bullpen. In the nightcap John Mitchell gave up 2 more hits than Ellis but one less run. Dode Caudill hit his 15th HR of the year off Smith to open the fourth, adding 2 more later giving the home team a 3-0 advantage, This would be all that Mitchell would need for complete game that ended 4-0. Hohlt told the media "We are close but close is not good enough in this league. Close only counts in horseshoes, tidily winks, hand grenades. We get another chance starting Tuesday with the Cannons coming to town."

In the minors Bob Green is making noise after tossing a 104 pitch no-hitter against Charleston Blue Legs on Friday. Nickels only got to Charleston pitching for 2 hits, one being Hardin's 12th HR of the year to give Buffalo a 1-0 win. In other news Adolph Young was POTW in the Gulf States going 13 for 29 (.448) with 4 HR 7 RBI.

When Kansas City announced they were looking to add someone who could play second base, Stan Kleminski wasn't who most had in mind, as Cleveland wasn't an obvious seller. He may be in the middle of a down season, but Boston has Ed Wise (.183, 15, 37, 5), who has seen moved from second to third as the Minutemen get a look at the now 23-year-old Clarence James (.225, 6, 29) at second. Another creative option could have ben Cecil Cummings (.282, 12, 49), who has set a career best with 12 homers for the 80 loss Millers.
The injury to 2B/3B Joe Dorsh opened the door for the Kings to start looking if there was a bench upgrade or maybe even more than that. The pitchers would definitely like Kleminski out in the field as much as he can. He will probably split time with Farmer at 2B against RHP's and start at 2B against lefties, allowing Farmer to move to 1B. This would allow Whitney favorite Hank Williams to get some innings in LF against LHSP's, giving Charlie Rogers a rest.
Speaking of Williams, last year's CA Whitney and triple crown winner, has had a really good July, hitting 400/467/1276 with 10 HR's 31 RBI's and 27 runs scored. With that blistering month he is leading the CA in HR's with 32, RBI's with 103 and is sneaking up on the CA battling leader with his 368 batting average on the season. San Francisco 2B Heinie Spitler (.373, 5, 60, 10) still leads with a 373 batting average, but his lead is quickly dwindling. If he stays healthy and the Kings stay hot, you could have a back to back triple crown winner and Whitney Award winner. It would be his 4th Whitney if he can pull it off, but what he really wants is to be a World Series Champion. The Kings have the CA led, but there is a lot of work left in the season before any of those dreams become a reality.
For Cleveland, it looks to be the start of a reset, as management has noted that their team is on the older side. Major moves may be held until the offseason, and you can expect the non-Czerwinski players to be considered, but in the short-term they have a few exciting young infielders to try out. That includes 20-year-old Herb Reed (.287, 5, 30), who has filled in at short with John Low's (.268, 2, 29) injury, and he can shift to second with Low's likely return next week.
After the trade was announced, a close near the Pioneers front office stated that the organization was putting together an offer for Kleminski. No specifics were described, but a potential trade option could have been a 1-for-1 swap with 46th ranked infielder Rich Hood, as the Foresters seemed interested in adding a low minors infielder in the squad.
Last note on the trade is that it may not have happened, as Kansas City was exploring other avenues before the deal became official. A deal centered around 60th ranked prospect Platon Daniels was considered, but the Kings were hesitant to trade the 20-year-old they selected in the first round last season. More of a deal for the long-term, it would have involved a young infielder the Kings could have started the rest of the way this year and in the future.
A pair of outfielders took home Player of the Week, with Washington's Al Clark (.324, 11, 58) and Cincinnati's Bonnie Chapin (.348, 24, 74) recognized for their weeks. Clark finished 15-for-28 with 2 doubles, a homer, 4 RBIs, 4 walks, and 9 runs as he continues his outstanding rookie season. A Kellogg candidate, Clark came over from the Wolves in the offseason, and has hit .324/.374/.456 (122 OPS+) on the season. Chapin was 12-for-27, but he knocked 4 homers and 2 doubles, adding 9 runs, 7 RBIs, and 5 walks. Chapin is riding the longest active hit streak too, completing 20 games without failing to record a hit.
Keystone slugger Lloyd Coulter (.262, 24, 72) had his second career three-homer game, this time coming in an 8-1 win over the Chiefs. 3-for-5, two were solo shots and the third was a two-run variety, giving him 23 for the season. He hit hist 24th to finish the week, and the game's most recent 400 homer hitter is already up to 407.
Coulter didn't have the only three-homer game, as Cannons rookie Mark Boyd (.291, 25, 58) crushed three in an 11-5 loss to the Kings. Boyd was responsible for 4 of the Cannons runs, as the Kellogg hopeful now has 25 longballs in his rookie season. Recently 22, Boyd holds a robust .291/.406/.527 (143 OPS+) season line and is one of the many worthy contenders for the Continental Kellogg.
Offense had most of the fun this week, as FABL had just two shutouts, one of those the previously mentioned Frenchy Mack 1-0 win. The other came from an unlikely source, as Cougar spot starter John Mitchell (6-1, 2.84, 36) spun a 5-hit shutout of the Wolves, walking 2 while striking out 5. His second of the season, Mitchell started the season in the minors, but has been used in the rotation when the Cougars have double headers. Shuffled often between Chicago and Milwaukee, Mitchell won't make start #9 this week, but will be available out of the pen to stay fresh.
Bad news for the Imperials, as 24-year-old righty Frankie Sawyer (5-6, 3.71, 71) suffered a setback in his recovery. The lone bright spot in a rough staff, Sawyer was initially expected to miss six weeks with bone chips in his elbow, but he's now been shutdown for the remainder of the season. Acquired from the Kings for currently injured infielder Joe Dorch (.325, 1, 8), Sawyer is a career 10-14 pitcher with a 4.73 ERA (94 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, and 144 strikeouts.
Boston will be without first basemen Jack Denis (.255, 11, 58) for at least a week as he's dealing with an intercostal strain. No longer a feared hitter, the soon-to-be 32-year-old former Whitney winner has appeared in 93 games so far, hitting .255/.309/.433 (95 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 11 homers, and 58 RBIs. Denis hit 45 homers as a rookie in 1956, comfortably more then the 36 he's hit in the last three seasons combined.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 07/28/1963

Sarawak was granted conditional independence from the British Empire pending the establishment of the Federation of Malaysia.
The Supreme Court of East Germany sentenced Hans Globke, Chief of Staff for West Germany's Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, in absentia to life imprisonment "for continued war crimes committed with complicity and crimes against humanity in partial combination with murder".
A modified prototype Super Frelon helicopter broke the FAI absolute helicopter world speed record, attaining a maximum speed of 217.7 mph (350.4 km/h) during the flight.
Vasile Luca, 65, former Romanian Vice-Premier who had been imprisoned since 1952 following his purge from the Romanian Communist Party Politburo, died in prison.
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Hal Russell Crandall, 34, one of 12 finalists for the selection of NASA Astronaut Group 1 (the first U.S. astronauts, known as the "Mercury Seven"), was killed in the crash of his F-8 Crusader into Subic Bay in the Philippines. In 1959, Crandall had been one of the 32 finalists for the Mercury program, and remained after the group had been reduced to 27, and then 12 before seven were selected by NASA.
Representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union initialed the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the first agreement ever for the banning of nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere, outer space and underwater. Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, U.S. Undersecretary of State W. Averell Harriman, and the British Minister of Science, Lord Hailsham, gave their tentative approval at the Spiridonovka Palace in Moscow, in advance of the formal signing.
NASA launched Syncom 2, the world's first geostationary (synchronous) satellite.
Syria's Lu'ay al-Atassi, whom rebels loyal to the United Arab Republic had attempted to overthrow on July 18, resigned as both the Chairman of the Syrian Revolutionary Council, equivalent to the president of the Middle Eastern republic and as Commander in Chief of the Syrian Army, and was replaced in both jobs by the Deputy Premier, Major General Amin al-Hafiz, who was also Minister of Defense and Minister of the Interior.
Tom and Jerry returned to movie theaters in their first cartoon short since 1962, Pent-House Mouse.
Garrett Morgan, African-American inventor known for inventing the smoke hood (in 1912) and a hair-straightening product, and the automatic "semaphore arms" traffic light, passed away at the age of 86.
All 63 people on United Arab Airlines Flight 869 were killed when the de Havilland Comet 4C, crashed into the Arabian Sea at 1:50 in the morning while preparing to land in India at Bombay-Santa Cruz Airport, in heavy rain and turbulence. The dead included 26 Boy Scouts from the Philippines, who had been on their way to the 11th World Scout Jamboree in Greece. This happened just over a year after another UAA Flight 869, also a de Havilland Comet 4C, had crashed on its approach to Bangkok, killing all 26 people on board.
Three days after the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was initialed in Moscow, the Soviet Defense Minister, Marshal Rodion Malinovsky, published an announcement in Red Star and in Pravda, indicating the military's opposition to Premier Khrushchev's treaty with the "imperialist camp".

03-25-2025, 11:06 AM	#1102
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	July 29th, 1963 JULY 29, 1963 Pioneers Win 9 Straight, Reclaim First Dynamos Right Behind with Extra Loss and Win They might have lost the second game of a double header with the Pittsburgh Miners, but that was the last time the Pioneers lost since July 18th. Also to the Miners. Then 2-1 in 10 innings, yesterday 6-3 after a 6-3 win in the morning, the loss was their first in the middle of a 14-game homestand. Now 69-34, St. Louis is back to a more familiar spot, as the bats are hitting and the pitchers are pitching. Frenchy Mack (14-4, 1.67, 133) is back to being an immortal, as two starts removed from allowing 8 in a 13-0 beatdown by the Keystones, he spun a shutout in a tidy 1-0 victory. His 6th shutout of the season, he enters a tie with teammate Steve Madden (14-4, 2.38, 103) for the most wins in the Fed, and of course his 1.67 ERA (253 ERA+) is the lowest, but now Mack also leads with 133 strikeouts. Having won the Triple Crown last year, he might not mind too much if Madden ends up with the win lead, but he's a fierce competitor, team leader, and a major reason this Pioneers team isn't going anywhere soon. Setting up an exciting pennant race as we near the end of July, as the best pitching staff looks to tame the best lineup. Plenty gets said about the Pioneers rotation, but their three lefties in the back of the pen have been downright dominant. Led by John Gibson (5-3, 17, 1.77, 29), the pen's 2.95 ERA is slightly lower then the rotation's 3.01, as young arms Doc Greenwood (0-0, 1, 1.29, 14) and Mel Hill (1-1, 1, 1.29, 16) have been lethal, as has journeyman righty Dave Roberts (1-0, 1, 1.98, 11). With how good St. Louis' rotation is, Gibson is the only one who usually gets used, but when it is close, the pen delivers, allowing the Pioneers to post an 18-5 record in one-run games. Detroit couldn't take advantage of two bottom feeders, as they split series with both the Millers and Minutemen. Somehow, Minneapolis crushed the Dynamos 12-6 in game two of a double header, but the schedule gets tougher as their road trip continues. Their next stop is the nation's capital, as the 66-42 Eagles will host the co-leaders for three games. 5.5 back, they're still a threat to enter the pennant race themselves, and with stars like Tom Lorang (.368, 22, 77, 8) and George Whaley (.305, 20, 88, 4), you can go on a win streak quick. Detroit is lucky to avoid Bob Ball (13-3, 3.08, 125), but Owen Lantz (10-2, 2.79, 96) and Jim Stewart (11-5, 3.38, 84) are projected to close out the series. Countering with John Jackson (10-4, 3.02, 84), Earl Shields (12-4, 2.97, 101), and Jim Norris (12-2, 3.55, 97), these should be three real exciting games, and they'll have major postseason implications. The biggest winner may be the Pioneers, as while the Dynamos and Eagles push each other to the brink, they get a pair of squads in the bottom of the standings. Hosting the Gothams for three and the Minutemen for four, they have a chance to pad their record and prepare for tougher road games in August. They'll get Washington and Philly the week of the 5th, and they have eight games with the Dynamos, four in Detroit and four at home. * Kings Climb, Stars Slips, Cougars Question: KC Stretches Lead to 6.5 * Cougar fans may have gotten a glimpse of hope when they took two of three from the Kings in Chicago, but ever since Kansas City has been on a mission. After dropping their only series in July, the Kings ran off wins in 9 of 10, opening their lead to 6.5 games before what could be the biggest week of their season. Ready and rested, the Kings will welcome the two teams chasing them, as the Cougars and Stars come in for series. Chicago is the only team that's kept up with the Kings in July, as their 20-7 record is slightly better then the 20-8 Kansas City has put together. This series will determine who has the better month, as the first two games will close the fourth month of the season. Now 64-41, the Cougars have allowed the fewest runs while in a tie for the third most runs scored. A team that does almost everything well, the Cougars play clean baseball, with strong, fundamental defense and a deep pen that takes leads and keeps them. Aside from their early one-run game struggles and an unlucky Arch Wilson (2-7, 1, 3.06, 20) the Cougar pen is even better then St Louis', as theirs actually gets a lot of innings. Their 256 innings is more then double the Pioneers' 128.1, and Wilson's 3.06 ERA (136 ERA+) is the highest on the team. Stopper Pug White (9-3, 18, 2.36, 71) has 95.1 himself, while Earle Turner (3-3, 2, 1.01, 45) and Bob Allen (3-3, 2, 2.69, 30) are both north of 50. In what could be tight, close games, Chicago's stable is more secure, as the Kings tend to rely strictly on Del Lamb (9-2, 11, 3.22, 65) and Fred Myers (3-0, 5, 2.36, 21). Chicago has also seen rookie star-in-the-making Dode Caudill (.314, 15, 46, 16) show out in their stellar July. The 24-year-old outfielder has hit .409/.488/.636 (200 OPS+) with 5 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, 12 RBIs, 34 runs, 17 walks, and 8 steals. A true stat sheet stuffer, he does a little bit of everything, gathering 78 runs, 16 doubles, 11 triples, 15 homers, 46 RBIs, 45 walks, and 16 steals. His emergence has really given the Cougars their claws, and it sets up a LA is a completely different club, and having to deal with a more traditional, gritty team, KC will have to completely adjust to a group of bombers who score early and often. Seven of the eight lineup members have double digit homers -- though four have exactly ten -- with the 28-year-old Lou Allen (.310, 27, 87) leading the way with 27. Ralph Barrell (.339, 20, 68, 7) has some of the best raw power in the game, and in year five he's set a career high with 5.2 WAR. You can't just avoid this high-powered duo, as everyone eats in this deep lineup. They were streaky this week, scoring one or two runs in their four losses and nine and eleven runs in the two wins, but when they get in a little run, a pitching staff will really have their hands full. * 2,000th Hit for Shearer * Back healthy after an elbow strain, Rod Shearer reached the first of two expected milestones this season, recording his 2,000th career FABL hit. It came in the second off All-Star Joe Kienle (8-2, 2.50, 66), a single with one on in the 2nd inning. He hit his 399th home run three days ago, and after finishing the week he's up to 2,002 hits. All have came in a Chiefs' uniform, as the clubs All-Time homer and WAR (80.5) leader became the 8th player to record 2,000 hits as a Chief. At 34, he's got time to keep adding to that number, but he's got little-to-no change of breaking Bob Martin's record of 3,314. A veteran of 1,832 games, Shearer enters the week with a .252/.341/.456 (110 OPS+) season line, well shy of his .291/.376/.544 (147 OPS+) career line. A common Whitney finalist, he was always the bridesmaid and never the bride, coming close to the prestigious award on many occasions. His best chance was 1954, where he hit .325/.409/.663 (187 OPS+) and led the Fed in runs (129), homers (46), RBIs (133), slugging, OPS (1.072), WRC+ (181), wOBA (.466), and WAR (10.0). What to me was an obvious snub, the award instead went to Buddy Miller (.283, 16, 61, 4), who not only one the year before, but he trailed Shearer in most offensive categories. Miller did have an excellent .351/.408/.608 (173 OPS+), but aside from average and really just hits, Shearer had the statistical advantage. Kings Add Kleminski in Three Prospect Swap After hitting #2,500 with the Cleveland Foresters, Stan Kleminski (.260, 2, 35, 12) will be getting 2,600 with the Kansas City Kings. This is the first real move in a quiet July, as the only trade was a minor deal between Dallas and Pittsburgh that saw the Miners pick up swingman Clarence Miller (2-4, 2, 3.51, 22) for a pair midrange prospects. The Continental leaders are preparing for the worst, as the Kings are worried about the health of their vets and Al Farmer's (.258, 10, 50) ability to play second base. Kleminski is a far superior defender, and even at 36 he's one of the nest and most consistent at the position. If Diamond Defense Awards were around when he came up, he'd have more then one he got two years ago. Set to join his third FABL organization, he may be most valued for his postseason experience, as he's the postseason leader in games (56), at bats (225), and hits (62), and he's 2nd in runs (30) and tied for 1st in doubles (12). Winning four championships with the Dynamos, and competed in 9 of 10 World Championship Series from 1952 to 1961, hitting .276/.344/.378 (96 OPS+) with 22 RBIs, 24 walks, and 17 extra base hits. A little lower then his career .283/.373/.367 (102 OPS+) career line, he's not going to have any nerves should the team reach the postseason, and he'll have a chance to increase his historic counting stats. 1963 is a bit of a down year for Kleminski, as his .260/.357/.328 (80 OPS+) line is the worst since he hit .268/.329/.320 (80 OPS+) as a rookie way back in 1947. His 92 WRC+ is still solid, especially when paired with his always impressive defense, which is what attracted the Kings to him in the first place. Farmer is the better hitter, batting .258/.360/.420 (107 OPS+) this season and .285/.366/.454 (125 OPS+) for his career, but he's long past his days of a capable defender. Plus Ken Newman (.311, 17, 63, 6) has dealt with injuries lately, and adding Kleminski gives the Kings a high quality infield option in case of emergency. He may not play everyday, at least right away, but he could enter a rotation with the rest of the infield, keeping their regular rested while improving the overall team. For Cleveland, they get a three prospect package headlined by young infielder Herb Connelly. 19 in August, the speedy infielder was taken 32nd last draft, and ranks just outside the top-100. He sits at 113 and was the Kings 5th ranked prospect. Off to an excellent start in Class C, Connelly has hit .330/.500/.602 (151 OPS+) with 10 doubles, a triple, 4 homers, 13 RBIs, 27 runs, 29 walks, and 24 steals in just 25 tries. Speed is the real weapon of Connelly's build, but he's a strong hitter and defender too. Defensively, he looks a lot like former King infielder Cal Randall (.256, 7, 46), a rangy infielder with an elite glove, boasting an outstanding arm and excellent double play ability. Then at the plate, he makes consistent, hard contact, and when he puts the ball in play good things happen. His line drives in the gap are easy extra base hits, and anything on the ground puts pressure on the defense. His combination of skills destines him for a regular role, likely at short, and he's probably a bit underrated by the prospect pickers. Completing the package is a pair of minor league pitchers in George Costa and Johnny Campbell. Like Connelly, Costa is a ranked prospect, checking in at 12th in the Kings system and 293rd overall. A 7th Rounder in 1960, he worked his way up to AAA, and has gone 9-6 in 19 starts for the Thunderbirds. Working to a 3.33 ERA (116 ERA+), 3.41 FIP (88 FIP-), and 1.27 WHIP, striking 70 with 58 walks. A four pitch pitcher, he's on the cusp of being FABL ready, and could quickly enter the Foresters rotation. Able to pitch long innings without any obvious weakness makes him a useful arm, and at 21 he's got plenty of time to improve. Same goes for Campbell, who's a full year younger. Taken in the 5th of the 1961 draft, he's also in AAA, where he's made 11 of his 17 starts this season. An even 4-4 he has an elevated 4.41 ERA (88 ERA+) and 1.49 WHIP, but they were much better at AA. A hard-thrower, he sits in the 95-97 range, and can trick hitter with his five pitch mix. Cleveland's pieced together rotation has been okay, but once Adrian Czerwinski (13-4, 2.71, 117) is ready to call it quits, they don't have many options to replace his production, and now they have two more young, impressionable arms to turn into quality starters. Tales From The Den Wolves Falter on The Road Toronto fans, players, management knew the team was heading for a tough test with a 7 game, 6 day trip into the parks of two of three leaders in the CA, KC then Chicago. The question was "Would the team be up to the challenge"? The short answer was no, the team went 1-6 after a 5-2 the week before to fall 2 games under the .500 mark heading into the trade deadline. Starting on Tuesday in Prairie Park with the Kings as hosts Charlie Davidson kept the game close, for 5 innings. Going into the bottom of six trailing 2-1 Davidson walked the leadoff man, Ken Newman the got Pat Davis to flyout to right. Things went downhill from there as single, single, single led to one run. A the Wolves almost got out of the inning with a close double play in which the runner was called safe at first. Then a wild pitch on a third strike allowed another run. After Charlie Rodgers singled to load the bases Hohlt went to get Davidson bring in Sam Haygood. Haygood then fooled Al Curtis with a pitch that went to the backstop allowing 2 more runs in 6 run inning that the Wolves should have been out of on two occasions. Gene Bailey then cruise to victory to run his record for the season to 15-3. Toronto came close the next night taking a 2-0 lead in the top of 8 before the combination of Campbell, Pepper could not hold the lead. Campbell allowed the Kings to tie the game in the eighth before Rodgers walked off the Wolves in nine with a single off Pepper. The next night the Kings completed the sweep, after Dick Rabkin hit a leadoff HR Hank Williams put a Loeffler offering into the seats with 2 of his mates aboard in the bottom half of the first. Rabkin's shot would be the only time a Wolves' runner crossed the plate off Allie Boone who came away for 6-1 complete game. Into Cougars Park where on Friday Chicago score 4 times in their first trip to the plate on 4 hits, 2 walks off Bill Medley. They could not overcome that deficit as Dick Champ was strong for seven in a game that ended 5-2. On Saturday Wolves jumped out 3-0 on Savage's first inning HR, his 15th. Colantuono, after rocky first in which the Cougars narrowed the gap to one. settled in to make his record 11-6 with a scoring that was the same as the night before, 5-2. Toronto had a chance to salvage the trip with two games on Sunday. Scoring only one run in two games is not a recipe for wins. Davidson pitched well in the first game although Roy Ellis was better for the Cougars. Ellis held the Wolves to 3 hits winning 3-1 in a game neither manager went to the bullpen. In the nightcap John Mitchell gave up 2 more hits than Ellis but one less run. Dode Caudill hit his 15th HR of the year off Smith to open the fourth, adding 2 more later giving the home team a 3-0 advantage, This would be all that Mitchell would need for complete game that ended 4-0. Hohlt told the media "We are close but close is not good enough in this league. Close only counts in horseshoes, tidily winks, hand grenades. We get another chance starting Tuesday with the Cannons coming to town." In the minors Bob Green is making noise after tossing a 104 pitch no-hitter against Charleston Blue Legs on Friday. Nickels only got to Charleston pitching for 2 hits, one being Hardin's 12th HR of the year to give Buffalo a 1-0 win. In other news Adolph Young was POTW in the Gulf States going 13 for 29 (.448) with 4 HR 7 RBI. When Kansas City announced they were looking to add someone who could play second base, Stan Kleminski wasn't who most had in mind, as Cleveland wasn't an obvious seller. He may be in the middle of a down season, but Boston has Ed Wise (.183, 15, 37, 5), who has seen moved from second to third as the Minutemen get a look at the now 23-year-old Clarence James (.225, 6, 29) at second. Another creative option could have ben Cecil Cummings (.282, 12, 49), who has set a career best with 12 homers for the 80 loss Millers. The injury to 2B/3B Joe Dorsh opened the door for the Kings to start looking if there was a bench upgrade or maybe even more than that. The pitchers would definitely like Kleminski out in the field as much as he can. He will probably split time with Farmer at 2B against RHP's and start at 2B against lefties, allowing Farmer to move to 1B. This would allow Whitney favorite Hank Williams to get some innings in LF against LHSP's, giving Charlie Rogers a rest. Speaking of Williams, last year's CA Whitney and triple crown winner, has had a really good July, hitting 400/467/1276 with 10 HR's 31 RBI's and 27 runs scored. With that blistering month he is leading the CA in HR's with 32, RBI's with 103 and is sneaking up on the CA battling leader with his 368 batting average on the season. San Francisco 2B Heinie Spitler (.373, 5, 60, 10) still leads with a 373 batting average, but his lead is quickly dwindling. If he stays healthy and the Kings stay hot, you could have a back to back triple crown winner and Whitney Award winner. It would be his 4th Whitney if he can pull it off, but what he really wants is to be a World Series Champion. The Kings have the CA led, but there is a lot of work left in the season before any of those dreams become a reality. For Cleveland, it looks to be the start of a reset, as management has noted that their team is on the older side. Major moves may be held until the offseason, and you can expect the non-Czerwinski players to be considered, but in the short-term they have a few exciting young infielders to try out. That includes 20-year-old Herb Reed (.287, 5, 30), who has filled in at short with John Low's (.268, 2, 29) injury, and he can shift to second with Low's likely return next week. After the trade was announced, a close near the Pioneers front office stated that the organization was putting together an offer for Kleminski. No specifics were described, but a potential trade option could have been a 1-for-1 swap with 46th ranked infielder Rich Hood, as the Foresters seemed interested in adding a low minors infielder in the squad. Last note on the trade is that it may not have happened, as Kansas City was exploring other avenues before the deal became official. A deal centered around 60th ranked prospect Platon Daniels was considered, but the Kings were hesitant to trade the 20-year-old they selected in the first round last season. More of a deal for the long-term, it would have involved a young infielder the Kings could have started the rest of the way this year and in the future. A pair of outfielders took home Player of the Week, with Washington's Al Clark (.324, 11, 58) and Cincinnati's Bonnie Chapin (.348, 24, 74) recognized for their weeks. Clark finished 15-for-28 with 2 doubles, a homer, 4 RBIs, 4 walks, and 9 runs as he continues his outstanding rookie season. A Kellogg candidate, Clark came over from the Wolves in the offseason, and has hit .324/.374/.456 (122 OPS+) on the season. Chapin was 12-for-27, but he knocked 4 homers and 2 doubles, adding 9 runs, 7 RBIs, and 5 walks. Chapin is riding the longest active hit streak too, completing 20 games without failing to record a hit. Keystone slugger Lloyd Coulter (.262, 24, 72) had his second career three-homer game, this time coming in an 8-1 win over the Chiefs. 3-for-5, two were solo shots and the third was a two-run variety, giving him 23 for the season. He hit hist 24th to finish the week, and the game's most recent 400 homer hitter is already up to 407. Coulter didn't have the only three-homer game, as Cannons rookie Mark Boyd (.291, 25, 58) crushed three in an 11-5 loss to the Kings. Boyd was responsible for 4 of the Cannons runs, as the Kellogg hopeful now has 25 longballs in his rookie season. Recently 22, Boyd holds a robust .291/.406/.527 (143 OPS+) season line and is one of the many worthy contenders for the Continental Kellogg. Offense had most of the fun this week, as FABL had just two shutouts, one of those the previously mentioned Frenchy Mack 1-0 win. The other came from an unlikely source, as Cougar spot starter John Mitchell (6-1, 2.84, 36) spun a 5-hit shutout of the Wolves, walking 2 while striking out 5. His second of the season, Mitchell started the season in the minors, but has been used in the rotation when the Cougars have double headers. Shuffled often between Chicago and Milwaukee, Mitchell won't make start #9 this week, but will be available out of the pen to stay fresh. Bad news for the Imperials, as 24-year-old righty Frankie Sawyer (5-6, 3.71, 71) suffered a setback in his recovery. The lone bright spot in a rough staff, Sawyer was initially expected to miss six weeks with bone chips in his elbow, but he's now been shutdown for the remainder of the season. Acquired from the Kings for currently injured infielder Joe Dorch (.325, 1, 8), Sawyer is a career 10-14 pitcher with a 4.73 ERA (94 ERA+), 1.52 WHIP, and 144 strikeouts. Boston will be without first basemen Jack Denis (.255, 11, 58) for at least a week as he's dealing with an intercostal strain. No longer a feared hitter, the soon-to-be 32-year-old former Whitney winner has appeared in 93 games so far, hitting .255/.309/.433 (95 OPS+) with 25 doubles, 11 homers, and 58 RBIs. Denis hit 45 homers as a rookie in 1956, comfortably more then the 36 he's hit in the last three seasons combined. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 07/28/1963 Sarawak was granted conditional independence from the British Empire pending the establishment of the Federation of Malaysia. The Supreme Court of East Germany sentenced Hans Globke, Chief of Staff for West Germany's Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, in absentia to life imprisonment "for continued war crimes committed with complicity and crimes against humanity in partial combination with murder". A modified prototype Super Frelon helicopter broke the FAI absolute helicopter world speed record, attaining a maximum speed of 217.7 mph (350.4 km/h) during the flight. Vasile Luca, 65, former Romanian Vice-Premier who had been imprisoned since 1952 following his purge from the Romanian Communist Party Politburo, died in prison. U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Hal Russell Crandall, 34, one of 12 finalists for the selection of NASA Astronaut Group 1 (the first U.S. astronauts, known as the "Mercury Seven"), was killed in the crash of his F-8 Crusader into Subic Bay in the Philippines. In 1959, Crandall had been one of the 32 finalists for the Mercury program, and remained after the group had been reduced to 27, and then 12 before seven were selected by NASA. Representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union initialed the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the first agreement ever for the banning of nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere, outer space and underwater. Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko, U.S. Undersecretary of State W. Averell Harriman, and the British Minister of Science, Lord Hailsham, gave their tentative approval at the Spiridonovka Palace in Moscow, in advance of the formal signing. NASA launched Syncom 2, the world's first geostationary (synchronous) satellite. Syria's Lu'ay al-Atassi, whom rebels loyal to the United Arab Republic had attempted to overthrow on July 18, resigned as both the Chairman of the Syrian Revolutionary Council, equivalent to the president of the Middle Eastern republic and as Commander in Chief of the Syrian Army, and was replaced in both jobs by the Deputy Premier, Major General Amin al-Hafiz, who was also Minister of Defense and Minister of the Interior. Tom and Jerry returned to movie theaters in their first cartoon short since 1962, Pent-House Mouse. Garrett Morgan, African-American inventor known for inventing the smoke hood (in 1912) and a hair-straightening product, and the automatic "semaphore arms" traffic light, passed away at the age of 86. All 63 people on United Arab Airlines Flight 869 were killed when the de Havilland Comet 4C, crashed into the Arabian Sea at 1:50 in the morning while preparing to land in India at Bombay-Santa Cruz Airport, in heavy rain and turbulence. The dead included 26 Boy Scouts from the Philippines, who had been on their way to the 11th World Scout Jamboree in Greece. This happened just over a year after another UAA Flight 869, also a de Havilland Comet 4C, had crashed on its approach to Bangkok, killing all 26 people on board. Three days after the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was initialed in Moscow, the Soviet Defense Minister, Marshal Rodion Malinovsky, published an announcement in Red Star and in Pravda, indicating the military's opposition to Premier Khrushchev's treaty with the "imperialist camp".