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AUGUST 19, 1963

Pioneers, Dynamos Split Four in Detroit
Four More Scheduled Over the Weekend in St. Louis

Two of the biggest series of the season started last week as the second place Dynamos hosted the first place Pioneers. Just a game separating the two Federal powerhouses, the opener saw a typical Frenchy Mack (15-5, 1.87, 158), 8 innings, 2 runs, 7 strikeouts, while new Pioneer and leadoff man Bill Tutwiler (.293, 5, 4; .289, 9, 47, 15) made himself useful to the new team. The awesome outfielder was 2-for-4 with a double, triple, walk, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs, as his 6 runs were more then the 2 Detroit got in a 9-2 loss. The Dynamos did bounce back on Saturday, as Allen hopeful Steve Madden (16-5, 2.52, 119) did not keep pace with Mack, tagged for 9 hits, 7 runs, and 3 walks in 3.1 innings. It was Madden's first start of the season without a strikeout, as he's even gone 9 or more on three separate occasions. That day he wasn't sharp, as crucial offseason acquisition Joe Holland (.317, 33, 94, 11) blasted his 33rd home run and Whitney candidate Ray Waggoner (.371, 30, 94) was 4-for-5 with a triple.

With the series all evened up, Sunday saw a double header, with the first game seeing Billy Hasson (14-5, 3.43, 140) and John Jackson (11-4, 3.58, 97) square off in a close one. St. Louis took an early 1-0 lead in the 2nd, but things fell apart in the bottom of the sixth. Errors from Danny Davis (.338, 31, 93, 6) and Bob Bell (.341, 29, 75, 6) contributed to three runs, with just one charged to the starter Hasson. He gave up a second earned run in the 7th, allowing the Dynamos to take a 4-1 lead. In the top of the 8th, Jackson started to get into some trouble, as Hasson himself started things off with a single. Jackson walked Jerry Smith (.264, 20, 60, 6) and Bob Bell (.341, 29, 75, 6) to load the bases and end his night. With two outs, Bill Follis (7-7, 15, 4.66, 73) needed to preserve the three run lead, but the first-year stopper couldn't stop the bleeding. Steve Schultz (.325, 30, 89) ripped a liner to center, scoring Hasson and Smith, and just like that the Pioneers were within one. That's were they'd stay, as new second basemen Joe Kleman (.246, 1, 2, 1; .281, 12, 68, 4) grounded out to end the inning. Hasson had no trouble in the bottom half, so St. Louis had one more chance for victory. They would not get it, as Hollis stranded a pinch-hit single, completed a 4-3 win where neither team had an extra base hit.

Now in an even tie, the guests needed to win to reclaim sole possession of first, calling on second year standout Danny Daniels (14-9, 2.93, 143) to bring his club to victory against the hard throwing Earl Shields (14-6, 3.51, 129). Daniels had a somewhat shaky start, 6 innings with 8 hits, 4 runs, 3 walks, and 5 strikeouts, but he was given plenty of support before he left. Down 2-1 in the 6th, St. Louis rallied for 6 off Shields, with a Kleman double and Smith grand slam comprising the entirety of the rally. It was Kleman's second double of the game, and he finished 4-for-5 and a single short of the cycle. He helped push Shields out of the game, 6 hits, 7 runs, and 4 walks despite 8 strikeouts in 5.2 innings, as Detroit surprisingly went back to Follis with the game out of reach. Despite an inning and a third in game one, he ate up 3.1 to finish the 10-4 loss, allowing 7 hits, 3 runs, and a walk with 2 strikeouts.

Before these two teams meat again, the Dynamos will be on the road in Chicago, while the Pioneers will head home to host the Suns. Both have an off-day to travel on Monday, but the schedule vastly favors the Pioneers. Hosting LA, who's the second Fed team to be eliminated, they welcome in a 42-82 ballclub that ranks 9th in runs scored and allowed. Aside from third basemen Bill Burke's (.307, 21, 69) breakout at third, the defensive wizardry of 24-year-old infielder Bill Bell (.267, 11, 60, 18), and a quality campaign from control artist Grant Davis (6-6, 4.05, 87), little has gone right out west. But in the Windy City, the Chiefs are 66-59 and capable of getting hot at any time, even if they've been treading water the last month or so. Chicago has welcomed a few talented rookies to the roster, as Rookie of the Month Bob Starr (.299, 18, 55) has torn the cover off the ball and graduated 15th ranked prospect Roy Brandt (8-1, 3.02, 77) has emerged as a weapon on the mound. This will be a tough matchup for the Dynamos, and a slip up on the road could make a pennant chase even harder then it already is.

*** Kings and Stars Red Hot with 6, 5, Game Win Streaks ***

In their last 10 games, both the Kansas City Kings and Los Angeles Stars are 8-2, as whenever LA tries to make up ground in the pennant race, the Kings just keep on winning. 9.5 games separate the two, as the Kings have been playing .700+ ball since the calendar flipped to June.

Now 86-38, the Kings have eliminated both the Imperials (41-84) and Wranglers (35-88), and seem poised to fade the other seven teams that still have a "chance" at taking their crown. The Kings were perfect this week, sweeping the Wranglers and Foresters, with their only series loss of the month hosting the Wolves the week before. In July the lone loss was a three game set in Chicago, while in June they lost a series to the Sailors in KC. To find a sweep, you have to go all the way back to May 21st to 23rd, when the Cincinnati Cannons delivered a blow to the home fans, dropping the Kings to 24-18 and a game and a half out of first.

Ever since, it's been almost only winning for Kansas City, as triple crown leader Hank Williams (.377, 36, 115) is ready to etch his name into history yet again. The 30-year-old slugger is almost unstoppable, hitting a meteoric .377/.459/.706 (203 OPS+) through 121 games. Add in 31 doubles, 6 triples, 36 homers, 115 RBIs, 71 walks, and 104 runs and you can already see the Whitney award in his future, and if the Kings continue to run away with the association, there's no good reason he shouldn't be unanimous. As good as Ken Newman (.309, 22, 80, 6) and Pat Davis (.312, 10, 67, 34) are, this team is nothing without Williams, and the rest of the CA will have to learn how to top this unstoppable force.

For LA, they have to find a way to sabotage the Kings when they're playing the bottom feeders in the association, as they only have three more games against the leaders. A still strong 76-47, they now have 7 of their 8 lineup members with 11 homers, led by Lou Allen (.289, 29, 99) who's just a homer away from a second 30/100 season. Ed Howard (.316, 12, 49) has been a nice add to the lineup, as the utility man as earned the starting second base spot, shifting veteran Charlie Barrell (.261, 8, 47) to a reserve role. No longer the star he once was, even a regular season from him wouldn't be enough to catch the Kings, as offense hasn't been the problem. They've just been stuck having a good year when someone else is great, but there's no signs of defeat coming from Charley McCullough's clubhouse. As long as there are games left on the schedule, there is a chance, and the Stars will try to do everything they can to extend the pennant race.

Tales From The Den
Rollercoaster Ride Continues For Wolves

Toronto returned to Canada for a week before heading out again not returning home until Labour Day for a doubleheader with New York Imperials. The reference to a ride at the fair was that the team swept a series this week before being swept to finish a 3-3 week. After travelling home Monday the team got their bats going early on Tuesday, Ed Savage hit a grand slam in the bottom of the first off Cleveland starter Sonny Stover. Davidson pitched just well enough for 7 innings to win his 10th of the season 6-4. The next evening the game was close until the Wolves' batted around in the fifth scoring 5 times on 3 hits, 3 walks with the big hit being Al Curtis' base clearing double off Ike Johnson. Arnie Smith matched Davidson for wins in this 10-0 whitewash. The talk amongst the fans post game was the fact that Smith came out of the game in the seventh again obviously tiring despite being ahead 7-0. Toronto ran their winning streak to 5 on Thursday. Cleveland tied the game at 2 in the top of the ninth before Dick Rabkin sent the 12469 in attendance home happy with a two-run shot in the bottom of the inning, his 4th HR in 1963.

The winning streak came to an end on Friday with Sailors coming out on top of a pitching between Zane Kelley, Bill Medley by a 3-2 score. Medley was good helped by 3 double plays. Kelley was just a little better on this evening. On Saturday afternoon the Wolves lost 7-4 on a game where they had 13 hits, 4 more than SF. The score was secondary news to the fact that Phil Colantuono left the mound with an arm injury in the fifth. Initial reports are that he will head to the DL for two weeks which may end any hopes of an Allen Award. Colantuono chances might be slim with a 13-7 record even though his 2.62 ERA leads the CA. Favourites for the Allen in the CA look to be Gene Bailey or the ageless wonder Adrian Czerwinski. Sailors completed the weekend sweep with an 11 inning 8-5 victory spoiling Chick Reed's CA record tying record for hits in an extra inning, 6. Reed was 6 for 6 with 5 RBI including his 30 HR of 1963. This was another example of the bullpen failing to protect a lead. Davidson handed the ball to Jackson in the eighth with his team ahead 4-1. Sam Barnes HR led a comeback in the 9th to send the game to extras tied at 4. Zeke Blake got hung with the loss after he and Pepper were tagged for 4 runs in the eleventh.

Phil Story was POTW with a 13-22 (.591) week. Jack Goodman's first week in A ball was a rough, going 4 for 25 although one of hits was a HR.

• Much has been spoken on the Minneapolis Millers and their quest for history, but the Dallas Wranglers are now right there with them. Having lost 13 in a row, the Wranglers now have 88 losses to the Millers 92. They are now on pace to match the Imperials' 116 losses from last year, though in a longer season they will end up with a better win percentage.
• St. Louis' Steve Schultz (.325, 30, 89) and Toronto's Phil Story (.290, 13, 41, 11) were named Players of the Week. Schultz was 15-for-29 with a double, 3 homers, 7 runs, 9 RBIs, and 2 walks, and a big part of the Pioneers' series split with the Dynamos. Story hit a better 13-for-22, adding 3 doubles, a triple, a homer, 2 RBIs, 4 walks, and 9 runs.
• In three consecutive days this week, a FABL player recorded 5 or more hits in the same game. Longtime veteran Marshall Thomas (.264, 6, 24) started things with a 5-for-6 in Philly's 24-4 piecing of the Millers. Adding a homer, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs, it was the 5th 5-hit game of his career. Next up was the Miners' Frank Selander (.299, 4, 40, 5), who was 5-for-6 with a double, homer, and 3 RBIs as Pittsburgh fell short to Washington 8-7. Chick Reed (.316, 30, 80) then finished it with the best game, though like Selander's his came in a loss. Despite Toronto losing 8-5 to the Sailors, Reed was a perfect 6-for-6 with a homer and 5 RBIs. His came in an 11 inning affair where the Sailors got 3 in the 9th and 4 in the 11th to win 8-5.
• Kings SP and the reigning Allen Award winner Beau McClellan (13-9, 3.28, 144) started the 1963 season with a 3-9 with a 4.15 ERA. Since then he has won his last 10 starts going 10-0 2.30 ERA and in August is 4-0 0.77 ERA. For the season he is now 13-9 with a 3.28 ERA (same at home and on the road). He will not figure highly into this seasons Allen voting (but he might gets some top 5 votes now) this year as his teammate Gene Bailey (19-3 2.77 ERA) battles with Cleveland’s Adrian Czerwinski 14-6 3.04 ERA and Toronto’s Phil Colantouno (13-7 with a CA leading 2.62 ERA). Colantuono has a biceps strain that might sideline or affect his results for the next couple of weeks.
• Last year Kings SP McClellan and 1B Williams won the Allen and Whitney respectively. This year they might get Bailey and Williams winning those honors but both players said it was a championship they are after. They might get their wish this season.
• AA Nashville pitcher Herb Drennan threw a no-hitter in the Chieftain's 5-0 win over Atlanta. Coming just a few days before his 23rd birthday, the Memphis native walked just 2 and struck out 8, improving to 5-1 with a 1.77 ERA (230 ERA+), 1.04 WHIP, and 41 strikeouts in 7 starts. A former 20th Round pick of the Cannons way back in 1958, he bounced around a lot before finding a home with the Saints, where he's been since mid-1960. This is Drennan's second career no-hitter, as he had a walk and 7 strikeouts in a shutout over the Buffalo Nickels in AAA last season.
• We had five shutouts this week, including from two of the top Allen candidates in the Continental. To start the week, Adrian Czerwinski (14-6, 3.04, 139) held the Imperials to 2 hits and a walk, striking out 9 in a tight 1-0 victory. Three days later, the Kings' Gene Bailey (19-3, 2.77, 152) got within a win of 20, twirling a 4-hit shutout with 1 walks and 12 strikeouts as the Kings beat down the Wranglers 4-0.
• San Francisco welcomed back Rip Rogan (.274, 3, 15) this week, activating the first basemen from the IL after missing three months with a torn hamstring. 7-for-28 with 4 walks and RBIs in his return to first base, Rogan was a big part of the pennant winning team last season, and has hit .274/.336/.406 (97 OPS+) with 7 extra base hits, 11 walks, 12 runs, and 15 RBIs in 29 games this year.
• New York added another former Forester to their staff, claiming 26-year-old righty Les Hanauer (6-6, 5.80, 95) off waivers. Off to a brutal start this season, the Imperials can afford to let him figure things out on the fly, but with three options left they could let him get back on track in a low stress environment. New York has had reasonable success with the now 27-year-old Johnny Britton (2-8, 4.23, 63; 3-9, 4.49, 76), who they picked up from Cleveland in early May.
• Toronto may be without "The King" Frank Colantuono (13-7, 2.62, 111) for the next two weeks as he deals with a biceps strain. It is a DTD injury he might be able to pitch through, but it impacts his throwing arm and may not be something the Wolves' training staff feels comfortable making him pitch through. 27 in October, the former 3rd pick missed 4 months last season with forearm inflammation, which could lead the Wolves to be cautious in a lost season.
• Another minor injury could cause Gotham shortstop Isaiah Redbird (.279, 11, 57, 5) to miss time, as a sore elbow could keep him off the field for two weeks as well. The speedy shortstop is expected to be a big part of the Gothams future, and the 22-year-old already has an All-Star Game MVP under his belt. His second full season hasn't been as good, watching his batting line drop from .324/.367/.488 to .279/.326/.426 (97 OPS+). One thing that hasn't dropped is his defense, as "Duke" is one of the better defenders at short.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 08/18/1963

• The "Trois Glorieuses" uprising began in Congo-Brazzaville (formerly the French Congo), as political rallies degenerated into violent clashes. Striking workers in the capital, Brazzaville, stormed the city prison and released all of the inmates.
• A forest fire in Brazil killed 110 people and caused damage in 128 villages and towns in the state of Paraná.[50] The fire, which broke out in four districts around the city of Londrina, started when local farmers were clearing their land by setting small blazes that grew out of control. Eventually, two million hectares or 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi) were burned by the blaze before it was brought under control. Besides the 110 known dead, another 1,000 were injured and 5,700 families were left homeless. The death toll may have been as high as 250 people, more than twice the official report.
• British police arrested five people believed to have been members of the gang that had carried out the robbery of the Glasgow-London mail train the previous week and recovered £100,000 of the loot that had been stolen.
• Fulbert Youlou was forced to resign as president of the Republic of Congo, after a three-day uprising in the capital.[55] A delegation of military leaders, led by Colonel David Mountsaka and Major Felix Mouzabakani, refused to obey President Youlou's order for the Congolese Army to shoot at the protesters, and demanded his resignation.
• Youlou was replaced the next day by Alphonse Massamba-Débat, who was designated by the title "chief of government", rather than president.
• Test pilot Milton Orville Thompson made the first flight of the NASA M2-F1, a wingless lifting body glider nicknamed the "flying bathtub". The lifting body design, which permitted a spacecraft to descend horizontally through the atmosphere, would be put into service through the U.S. Space Shuttle.
• Two people walking in Dorking Woods discovered a briefcase, a holdall and a camel-skin bag, all containing money. The evidence would lead to the arrest of Brian Field, a member of the gang who had carried out the Great Train Robbery a few days earlier. The discovery raised the total amount of money recovered to £141,000 ($394,800).
• Fifty-five people were drowned when the Japanese ferry boat Midori Maru capsized in heavy waves as it sailed from the Okinawan capital to Kumejima Island. Another 185 of the passengers and crew were rescued by fishing boats and U.S. military aircraft