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ayaghmour2 · 04-16-2025, 12:48 PM

SEPTEMBER 30, 1963

Hold The Presses! We Need 163!
Eagles Force Payoff With 11-Game Win Streak

If I believed in journalistic curses, I'd still blame this publication for the Cougars blowing their 2-0 WCS lead in 1933 over the Philadelphia Keystones. And then of course, I'd have to blame myself for something that's never been done before: a 163rd game.

It's somewhat ironic that the first season with 162 games ends up with a playoff, the first since 1951, when the St. Louis Pioneers were again tied, this time with the Detroit Dynamos. St. Louis came out on top that time, before eventually losing to the Sailors in the WCS 4-1, but this time it is much different.

St. Louis winning the Fed seemed like a lock, and all they had to do was win two of their last five games. All at home. Where the Pioneers were 58-18 (.763). Instead, the only win they could get was from Triple Crown winner Frenchy Mack (20-6, 2.07, 211). Securing his second with a dominant 1-hit, 9-strikeout shutout, Mack helped lead the Pioneers to a 9-0 win over the Miners, finishing 20-6 with a 2.07 ERA (205 ERA+), 2.49 FIP (58 FIP-), and 1.10 WHIP, striking out 211 with just 73 walks as he was worth 9.2 WAR in 243.1 innings. If Steve Madden (18-9, 2.83, 162) could have done the same, we wouldn't be where we are, instead relying on 3-Time Allen Winner Billy Hasson (17-8, 3.18, 176) to tame the hottest team in baseball.

Winning 11 straight, the Washington Eagles have gone on a historic run, erasing a 5.5 game deficit from September 16th. This includes two major wins over the third place Dynamos, crushing them 15-5 and 17-0 in Detroit. That 17-0 game ended the regular season, as Owen Lantz's (16-3, 2.54, 164) had an even better start then Mack. Matching his single hit, he also had a single walk, striking out 10 to keep the Eagles hope alive. Without ace Bob Ball (13-3, 3.03, 126), and now rookie righty Tom Arencibia (10-5, 3.68, 107), Lantz has stepped in effortlessly to the ace role, but he'll have to watch from the sidelines for game 163.

Washington will have to rely on 21-year-old Les Wilson (6-4, 4.11, 69), who has made 17 starts in his rookie season. With a 3.56 FIP (84 FIP-) that's much lower then his 4.11 ERA (103 ERA+), he's definitely been unlucky, but he's had some command issues that a dangerous lineup can exploit. They may have been quiet this week, but Danny Davis (.354, 40, 129, 11) and Bob Bell (.337, 42, 116, 9) are bonified stars, and from 1 to 7 there is little to no weakness. The Bills Bather (.284, 13, 44, 22) and Tutwiler (.302, 3, 19, 8; .293, 12, 61, 19) set the table for Davis, Bell, and Steve Schultz (.304, 31, 95), usually a winning strategy and a recipe for run production. St. Louis even won 11 of the 18 matchups with the Eagles this season, but Washington now has all the momentum, and it could lead to one of the more exciting one game playoffs as two 104-win teams go head-to-head for the crown.

*** Hank Williams Wins Triple Crown ***

It's official! Hank Williams is the Triple Crown winner once again!

Official now, 30-year-old slugger Hank Williams won this second consecutive Triple Crown, batting .374 with 44 homers and 141 RBIs. Set to be the unanimous Whitney Winner as well, Williams hit .374/.454/.696 (199 OPS+) -- all bests in the Continental. Williams led in WAR (9.2), hits (219), extra base hits (92), OPS+, ISO (.323), WPA (8.12), and wOBA (.478), and while they didn't lead, 39 doubles, 126 runs, and 87 walks are all really impressive. It's all what you expect from a legitimate superstar, and he'll get his first chance for postseason baseball.

Kansas City gets an extra day of rest while they wait for the play-in game to finish, and that extra day could make a huge difference. Ace Gene Bailey (21-4, 3.06, 173) is still dealing with shoulder soreness, potentially endangering his chance to make multiple starts in the WCS. A guy who had a chance for a pitching triple crown, he hit the IL with the most wins and strikeouts, while his ERA was still in reach of first. Instead, he was passed up in strikeouts, Montreal's Bob Nelson (9-16, 4.07, 188) ended up leading the Conti, but he was the only arm in his association to reach the 20 win mark. His 3.06 ERA (138 ERA+) was less then twenty points way from teammate Jack Halbur (16-5, 2.88, 129) for the ERA lead. Thankfully, having pitchers like Halbur and reigning Allen winner Beau McClellan (17-10, 3.07, 187) helps lighten the load, and still makes them the favorite even if one of the top young pitchers in the game can't get healthy in time.

Tales From The Den
Wolves Close Out 1963 In Style

Toronto finishes their 1963 campaign with a record of 85-77 for the team's most wins since 1945. Granted the team has eight extra games to play with schedule expansion to 162, in terms of winning percentage, .525, this is Wolves best season since 1948's record of 82-72, .532, in terms of winning record. To put this in context the team had a record that summed to 723-817 (.469) for the decade of the Fifties. This season is no small achievement in Randy Hohlt's second year as bench boss who said during a short interview after the last game that "We are moving forward, the key will be to continue to move in the same direction not take a step back next season. I hope the we have proved something to the fans, next year I would like to see more fans in Dominion cheering the team's success, hopefully the attendance in '64 will be into seven figures. We want to provide a team that make a good way to spend an evening for a family from April to September although some of those early or, late season evenings are a little chilly. I want all of our supporters to focus on the future, sure we finished in fifth 27 games out, no one was derailing the KC train this season they won the CA by 15 games. Planning for 1964 begins now, we still have a ways to go become a legitimate contender in the CA."

In final week of the season the week did not start out well. The team was shutout for the second straight game at Cougars Park when Ken Stone registered win 13 for the year giving up only 5 hits in his 6th complete game waltzing in 8-0 game. To add insult to injury Jesse Taylor broke his hand when an inside fastball by Stone hit him in the second ending Taylor's season. Taylor had a better season at the plate than expected posting a .261/.300/.420 with 21 HR to add to his defensive value at short where he reminds older fans of Charlie Artuso from the Wolves glory years during the war.

That would the Wolves' final loss of the year. The next evening George Hoxworth finished a disappointing 5-8, 6.67 season in 17 starts in a 5-3 win. The team has another season ending injury when Charlie Wells went down with a back injury running to first after a single in the second. The other significant event was Arnie Smith's first FABL save, Smith was sent to the 'pen for the final week to see if that is a better fit for him after struggling with conditioning in his 32 starts. With Cincinnati hot on their heels for 5th place the Wolves swept their final series from the Cannons by scores of 6-1, 6-3, 9-5. Highlights during the series were Bill Medley, after a substandard last start, picking up his team leading 17th win in a complete game on Friday striking out 10 in a 2 hitter. On Saturday Davidson tried to replicate Medley's feat but came one out short when he gave up 3 in nine after entering with a 6 -0 lead handing the ball to Bob Campbell who secured his 8th save to tie Zeke Blake for the team lead. In the season's final game Phil Colantuono pitched all 9 only because he was 9-0 after 8 thanks to Phil Story's 2 HR, giving him 17 total, along with his 30th double. Story had 6 RBI in a 9-5 final as the lights went out at Dominion Stadium until next April.

While the baseball world prepares for the game 163 in Fed between St. Louis, Washington for the right to face KC in the Series the Wolves brain trust will gather to chart the course forward in 1964. Brett will provide a season overview from the Wolves along with thoughts for the future before the Dukes return to the ice taking over the Toronto sports scene.

Kings Ready for Whoever is Next
By Archie Gouldie

KC plays a sub team the last 3 games to avoid injury. One of the subs got an injury William Buttry and will miss the playoffs. Also missing the playoffs will be sentimental favorite OF Ralph Johnson as his request to be placed on the post season roster apparently was declined by the league office (not the end of the world). Bill Guthrie who I have been trying to get out of town for 2 seasons (despite the fans love for him) will take the 25th man role for the playoffs.

More trouble on the injury front is SP Gene Bailey's return. What was a 2 week injury has now got an undetermined return time (no setback indicated). Maybe the a saving grace is the extra game in the FA will give us another day to hope he is ready. Right now he was scheduled to pitch game 3, but that appears to be a game time decision.

LF Charlie Rogers ends the regular season sitting on 543 career doubles, good for 12th place all time. He is 3 doubles short of moving into the top 10 tie with Powell Slocum and Vic Crawford.

1B/OF Hank Williams finished what presumably will be his 4th Whitney Award Season leading the CA in batting average 374, Hits 219, HR 44, RBI's 141, with 126 runs (4 off the leaders), while also leading in OB% 454 Slugging % 696 OBS% 1.150.

Kings set a record with 112 wins in the FABL (107-47 in 154 games). Giving the old adage teams win 50, lose 50 a season but its what you do in the other 62 games that matter.

After losing their last seven games, the Detroit Dynamos ended up matching their win total from last season with 96. Expected to play a key part in the Fed's pennant race, it ended up manifesting in an unexpected way, as the role they played was letting the Eagles sweep them to force game 163.
Hits were a plenty in the final week, as three Conti players recorded 5 or more hits in a game this week. The Stars' Charlie Sax (.308, 9, 74, 10) got the most hits, a perfect 6-for-6 with a triple, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. Then both Montreal outfielder Don Whited (.271, 12, 49, 6) and Cougar outfielder Jerry McMillan (.272, 21, 77, 25) were both 5-for-5. Whited had a triple, 2 homers, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs, while McMillan had one homer with and 3 RBIs.
While the Fed leaders are still technically up for grabs, everything is set in the Conti. Some races were crazy closer as Jack Halbur edged out Phil Colantuono (16-8, 2.89, 125) by a tenth of a run while Bob Nelson struck out one more hitter then Beau McClellan.
Cougar pitcher Pug White threw 147.1 innings out of the pen, coming less then 20 innings away from being a qualified pitcher. He had a team best 14-4 record with 25 saves, and his 2.56 ERA was best among Continental pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched. The pen was a real strength for the Cougars, who also saw Earle Turner (3-3, 1.87, 62) finish with a sub-2 ERA in 82 innings pitched.
The Fed Whitney race is wide open, and three guys have a chance to make one last case. Tom Lorang (.379, 34, 125, 10) may still be the favorite, and a win where he hits well could secure him the prestigious award. The same can be said for Bob Bell (.337, 42, 1116, 9) and Danny Davis (.354, 40, 129, 11), though they seem to have a slim chance. Outside of the postseason, both Keystone outfielder Harry Dellinger (.355, 38, 113, 41) and Dynamo outfielder Ray Waggoner (.368, 35, 122) have strong cases as well.
Sherry Doyal (.271, 17, 68, 10) became the 13th player to record his 900th extra base hit. 36 in November, Doyal has now tallied 455 doubles, 106 triples, and 341 homers since his 1948 debut with Cleveland. Acquired with a 1st Round pick from the Pioneers for Hiram Steinberg, the swap worked well for both teams, as each club won a WCS. Doyal was more average then his usual great in 1963, but he owns a .302/.386/.514 (147 OPS+) career line, and should be an important member of the Forester lineup next season as they look to shove this season as far away as possible.
Despite being 35, Ed Bloom (.288, 11, 59, 40) stole 40 bases for the Chiefs, good enough for second in the Fed. Always a solid base stealer, he shattered his career best of 23 in 1958, but the veteran infielder has now stolen double digit bags in each of his 13 FABL seasons.

WASPS STING YANKS IN AFA GRID ACTION

The Washington Wasps took advantage of the opportunities they were given and the result was a decisive 30-10 victory over the defending champion Boston Americans on the road in Minutemen Stadium Sunday. A pair of interceptions hurt Boston including one deep in Washington territory late in the first quarter while the Wasps lead was just 7-0 and it turned out to be a 10-point swing as the Wasps drove for a field goal. Washington's offense was not overwhelming but did enough at the right time to easily knock off the defending champs as Wasps quarterback Pat Roberts threw a pair of touchdown passes and kicker Charlie Cooney was perfect on his three field goal attempts. Both clubs record now sits at 1-1.

There are three teams atop the East Division with 2-0 records including the New York Stars. The Stars handed Philadelphia its second straight loss as Reid McDuffy rank for 139 yards and a touchdown in the New York's 24-14 victory over the Frigates. The Cleveland Finches are also 2-0 after winning a defensive struggle on the west coast in downing San Francisco 10-3. The third team atop the East is the Buffalo Red Jackets after they blasted the Los Angeles Tigers 30-10.

Two teams in the West Division remain unbeaten including the Detroit Maroons, who rallied from a 10-3 halftime deficit to be beat Houston 13-10 on Sunday. The other is the St Louis Ramblers who led by Fred Gunther's 82 yards rushing and 38 yards receiving, tamed the Chicago Wildcats 26-14. The final game of the weekend saw the Pittsburgh Paladins even their record at 1-1 with a 31-20 victory over winless Kansas City.

AVIATORS AIR GAME TOO MUCH FOR BLUEGRASS STATE

The Central Ohio Aviators showed why their are the number one ranked college football team in the nation after a dominating performance in their season opener in Columbus, a 38-6 victory over a Bluegrass State team that has lost back to back games against top ranked opponents.

A pair of sophomores both making their first collegiate starts were the key to the Aviators success through the air as quarterback Russ Burgess completed 10 of 18 tosses for 182 yards and 4 touchdowns. Two of the scoring plays, and a total of 103 passing yards overall, were to Gene Mello. As good as Central Ohio is expected to be this year, many feel they are just getting started as the club is dominated on both sides of the ball by sophomores with plenty of talent. In addition to Burgess and Mello, they also include backs Dan Crocker and Bob Norris, who combined for 127 yards on the ground, ends Danny Pierce and Greg Oakes, who each were on the receiving end of a Burgess touchdown throw, and linebacker George Werner, who seemed to be everywhere on this day in leading both clubs with 12 tackles.

Next week should pose a stern test for the young Central Ohio stars as they will open their Great Lakes Alliance slate on the road against a Minnesota Tech team that was considered a co-favourite with the Aviators for the section crown. The Lakers beat Amarillo Methodist in their opener but stumbled on Saturday in Georgia, falling 19-6 to Noble Jones College.

Elsewhere, Cumberland held strong at #2 in the polls with a 34-6 win over College of Omaha, marking the Explorers second straight week with a win over a team that entered the game ranked in the top ten. Wes Moore ran for 102 yards and John Stoltzfus threw a pair of touchdown passes as third ranked Coastal California opened its season with a 32-3 victory over Minns College. Fourth ranked Georgia Baptist had a slow start but scored 28 second half points to down Texas Panhandle 35-3 while Cowpens State moved into the top five with the Fighting Green's second straight road victory - this one a 48-6 pounding of Pierpont.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 09/29/1963

Haiti and the Dominican Republic, on the west side and east side, respectively, of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, prepared for war. Dominican president Juan Bosch threatened to drop bombs on the presidential palace of Haiti's Francois Duvalier, after artillery shells rained across the border on the Dominican Republic town of Dajabón. Haiti, in turn, accused the Dominican Republic of firing weapons on the neighboring Haitian town of Ouanaminthe.
The U.S. Department of Defense issued a plan for 22 military research experiments for the Gemini program, with 13 for the U.S. Air Force and nine for the U.S. Navy, at an estimated cost of $22 million. Their inclusion was subject to Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) review and depended on clarification of weight and volume of experiment equipment.
The U.S. Senate voted 80 to 19 to ratifythe Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, 14 more than the two-thirds majority required by the U.S. Constitution. President Kennedy felt that the ratification of the treaty, which would go into effect on October 11, to be the greatest achievement of his presidency, according to aide Theodore Sorensen.
An explosion killed 18 people and seriously injured 12 others at a fireworks factory at the Italian city of Caserta. The factory owner, who was killed in the blast, had reportedly been asking the employees to rush to produce additional fireworks for the festival of Saint Michael the Archangel.
Dominican Republic President Juan Bosch was overthrown in a military coup, only seven months after he had become the nation's first democratically elected leader. Military leaders installed a group of three civilians, headed by Emilio de Los Santos as President, to preside over the nation.
The Denning Report on the Profumo affair was published in Great Britain. The report concluded that Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, and the rest of his cabinet, had not been aware of the indiscretions of War Minister John Profumo.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 271–155 to approve the reduction of the federal income tax rate. The bill would pass the U.S. Senate, and be signed into law on February 26, 1964.
Einar Gerhardsen was appointed as Prime Minister of Norway for the fourth time, after the resignation of John Lyng.
A panicked elephant was chased for 90 minutes through the streets of Lansing, Michigan, after running away from an outdoor circus at a shopping center, injuring one man and causing extensive damage to a department store. "Little Rajjee", a 16-year old elephant, was performing at the King Circus at the parking lot of South Logan Shopping Center when she got loose. Pursued by hundreds of curious people, Rajjee fractured the pelvis of a bystander, and rampaged through a residential south Lansing neighborhood, before crashing through the doors of Arlan's Department Store on Fenton Street. Her handlers had her under control twice, but Rajje was panicked by a mob inside the store and by a burglar alarm before city police shot and killed her.
A man from Waynesville, North Carolina, crashed his pickup truck through the closed iron gates of the White House, stopping short of hitting the building. The unarmed man, who reportedly demanded to see President Kennedy and shouted that "the Communists are taking over in North Carolina", was taken to a hospital for observation. The President was out at the time.
After only one day on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, bank robber Carl Close was arrested by local authorities in Anderson, South Carolina. Close had just robbed a branch of the First National Bank in Anderson, and was stopped by a detective three minutes later while trying to commandeer another car.
T. S. Eliot's book Collected Poems 1909–1962, selected by the author, was published on his 75th birthday.
Lee Harvey Oswald arrived in Mexico City and went to the consulate of Cuba, where he applied for a transit visa in an attempt to travel to Cuba and then back to the Soviet Union, where he had lived from 1959 to 1962. The Warren Commission would later conclude that Oswald, after being refused visas by the Cuban consulate and the Soviet embassy, returned to his home near Dallas.
Joseph Kasavubu, the President of the Republic of the Congo (the former Belgian Congo, colloquially referred to as "Congo-Léopoldville"), dissolved that nation's parliament for the second time in less than four years, so that he and his allies could rule by decree.
The second period of the Second Vatican Council ("Vatican II") opened in Rome.

04-16-2025, 12:48 PM	#1111
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,010	September 30th, 1963 SEPTEMBER 30, 1963 Hold The Presses! We Need 163! Eagles Force Payoff With 11-Game Win Streak If I believed in journalistic curses, I'd still blame this publication for the Cougars blowing their 2-0 WCS lead in 1933 over the Philadelphia Keystones. And then of course, I'd have to blame myself for something that's never been done before: a 163rd game. It's somewhat ironic that the first season with 162 games ends up with a playoff, the first since 1951, when the St. Louis Pioneers were again tied, this time with the Detroit Dynamos. St. Louis came out on top that time, before eventually losing to the Sailors in the WCS 4-1, but this time it is much different. St. Louis winning the Fed seemed like a lock, and all they had to do was win two of their last five games. All at home. Where the Pioneers were 58-18 (.763). Instead, the only win they could get was from Triple Crown winner Frenchy Mack (20-6, 2.07, 211). Securing his second with a dominant 1-hit, 9-strikeout shutout, Mack helped lead the Pioneers to a 9-0 win over the Miners, finishing 20-6 with a 2.07 ERA (205 ERA+), 2.49 FIP (58 FIP-), and 1.10 WHIP, striking out 211 with just 73 walks as he was worth 9.2 WAR in 243.1 innings. If Steve Madden (18-9, 2.83, 162) could have done the same, we wouldn't be where we are, instead relying on 3-Time Allen Winner Billy Hasson (17-8, 3.18, 176) to tame the hottest team in baseball. Winning 11 straight, the Washington Eagles have gone on a historic run, erasing a 5.5 game deficit from September 16th. This includes two major wins over the third place Dynamos, crushing them 15-5 and 17-0 in Detroit. That 17-0 game ended the regular season, as Owen Lantz's (16-3, 2.54, 164) had an even better start then Mack. Matching his single hit, he also had a single walk, striking out 10 to keep the Eagles hope alive. Without ace Bob Ball (13-3, 3.03, 126), and now rookie righty Tom Arencibia (10-5, 3.68, 107), Lantz has stepped in effortlessly to the ace role, but he'll have to watch from the sidelines for game 163. Washington will have to rely on 21-year-old Les Wilson (6-4, 4.11, 69), who has made 17 starts in his rookie season. With a 3.56 FIP (84 FIP-) that's much lower then his 4.11 ERA (103 ERA+), he's definitely been unlucky, but he's had some command issues that a dangerous lineup can exploit. They may have been quiet this week, but Danny Davis (.354, 40, 129, 11) and Bob Bell (.337, 42, 116, 9) are bonified stars, and from 1 to 7 there is little to no weakness. The Bills Bather (.284, 13, 44, 22) and Tutwiler (.302, 3, 19, 8; .293, 12, 61, 19) set the table for Davis, Bell, and Steve Schultz (.304, 31, 95), usually a winning strategy and a recipe for run production. St. Louis even won 11 of the 18 matchups with the Eagles this season, but Washington now has all the momentum, and it could lead to one of the more exciting one game playoffs as two 104-win teams go head-to-head for the crown. * Hank Williams Wins Triple Crown * It's official! Hank Williams is the Triple Crown winner once again! Official now, 30-year-old slugger Hank Williams won this second consecutive Triple Crown, batting .374 with 44 homers and 141 RBIs. Set to be the unanimous Whitney Winner as well, Williams hit .374/.454/.696 (199 OPS+) -- all bests in the Continental. Williams led in WAR (9.2), hits (219), extra base hits (92), OPS+, ISO (.323), WPA (8.12), and wOBA (.478), and while they didn't lead, 39 doubles, 126 runs, and 87 walks are all really impressive. It's all what you expect from a legitimate superstar, and he'll get his first chance for postseason baseball. Kansas City gets an extra day of rest while they wait for the play-in game to finish, and that extra day could make a huge difference. Ace Gene Bailey (21-4, 3.06, 173) is still dealing with shoulder soreness, potentially endangering his chance to make multiple starts in the WCS. A guy who had a chance for a pitching triple crown, he hit the IL with the most wins and strikeouts, while his ERA was still in reach of first. Instead, he was passed up in strikeouts, Montreal's Bob Nelson (9-16, 4.07, 188) ended up leading the Conti, but he was the only arm in his association to reach the 20 win mark. His 3.06 ERA (138 ERA+) was less then twenty points way from teammate Jack Halbur (16-5, 2.88, 129) for the ERA lead. Thankfully, having pitchers like Halbur and reigning Allen winner Beau McClellan (17-10, 3.07, 187) helps lighten the load, and still makes them the favorite even if one of the top young pitchers in the game can't get healthy in time. Tales From The Den Wolves Close Out 1963 In Style Toronto finishes their 1963 campaign with a record of 85-77 for the team's most wins since 1945. Granted the team has eight extra games to play with schedule expansion to 162, in terms of winning percentage, .525, this is Wolves best season since 1948's record of 82-72, .532, in terms of winning record. To put this in context the team had a record that summed to 723-817 (.469) for the decade of the Fifties. This season is no small achievement in Randy Hohlt's second year as bench boss who said during a short interview after the last game that "We are moving forward, the key will be to continue to move in the same direction not take a step back next season. I hope the we have proved something to the fans, next year I would like to see more fans in Dominion cheering the team's success, hopefully the attendance in '64 will be into seven figures. We want to provide a team that make a good way to spend an evening for a family from April to September although some of those early or, late season evenings are a little chilly. I want all of our supporters to focus on the future, sure we finished in fifth 27 games out, no one was derailing the KC train this season they won the CA by 15 games. Planning for 1964 begins now, we still have a ways to go become a legitimate contender in the CA." In final week of the season the week did not start out well. The team was shutout for the second straight game at Cougars Park when Ken Stone registered win 13 for the year giving up only 5 hits in his 6th complete game waltzing in 8-0 game. To add insult to injury Jesse Taylor broke his hand when an inside fastball by Stone hit him in the second ending Taylor's season. Taylor had a better season at the plate than expected posting a .261/.300/.420 with 21 HR to add to his defensive value at short where he reminds older fans of Charlie Artuso from the Wolves glory years during the war. That would the Wolves' final loss of the year. The next evening George Hoxworth finished a disappointing 5-8, 6.67 season in 17 starts in a 5-3 win. The team has another season ending injury when Charlie Wells went down with a back injury running to first after a single in the second. The other significant event was Arnie Smith's first FABL save, Smith was sent to the 'pen for the final week to see if that is a better fit for him after struggling with conditioning in his 32 starts. With Cincinnati hot on their heels for 5th place the Wolves swept their final series from the Cannons by scores of 6-1, 6-3, 9-5. Highlights during the series were Bill Medley, after a substandard last start, picking up his team leading 17th win in a complete game on Friday striking out 10 in a 2 hitter. On Saturday Davidson tried to replicate Medley's feat but came one out short when he gave up 3 in nine after entering with a 6 -0 lead handing the ball to Bob Campbell who secured his 8th save to tie Zeke Blake for the team lead. In the season's final game Phil Colantuono pitched all 9 only because he was 9-0 after 8 thanks to Phil Story's 2 HR, giving him 17 total, along with his 30th double. Story had 6 RBI in a 9-5 final as the lights went out at Dominion Stadium until next April. While the baseball world prepares for the game 163 in Fed between St. Louis, Washington for the right to face KC in the Series the Wolves brain trust will gather to chart the course forward in 1964. Brett will provide a season overview from the Wolves along with thoughts for the future before the Dukes return to the ice taking over the Toronto sports scene. Kings Ready for Whoever is Next By Archie Gouldie KC plays a sub team the last 3 games to avoid injury. One of the subs got an injury William Buttry and will miss the playoffs. Also missing the playoffs will be sentimental favorite OF Ralph Johnson as his request to be placed on the post season roster apparently was declined by the league office (not the end of the world). Bill Guthrie who I have been trying to get out of town for 2 seasons (despite the fans love for him) will take the 25th man role for the playoffs. More trouble on the injury front is SP Gene Bailey's return. What was a 2 week injury has now got an undetermined return time (no setback indicated). Maybe the a saving grace is the extra game in the FA will give us another day to hope he is ready. Right now he was scheduled to pitch game 3, but that appears to be a game time decision. LF Charlie Rogers ends the regular season sitting on 543 career doubles, good for 12th place all time. He is 3 doubles short of moving into the top 10 tie with Powell Slocum and Vic Crawford. 1B/OF Hank Williams finished what presumably will be his 4th Whitney Award Season leading the CA in batting average 374, Hits 219, HR 44, RBI's 141, with 126 runs (4 off the leaders), while also leading in OB% 454 Slugging % 696 OBS% 1.150. Kings set a record with 112 wins in the FABL (107-47 in 154 games). Giving the old adage teams win 50, lose 50 a season but its what you do in the other 62 games that matter. After losing their last seven games, the Detroit Dynamos ended up matching their win total from last season with 96. Expected to play a key part in the Fed's pennant race, it ended up manifesting in an unexpected way, as the role they played was letting the Eagles sweep them to force game 163. Hits were a plenty in the final week, as three Conti players recorded 5 or more hits in a game this week. The Stars' Charlie Sax (.308, 9, 74, 10) got the most hits, a perfect 6-for-6 with a triple, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. Then both Montreal outfielder Don Whited (.271, 12, 49, 6) and Cougar outfielder Jerry McMillan (.272, 21, 77, 25) were both 5-for-5. Whited had a triple, 2 homers, 3 runs, and 5 RBIs, while McMillan had one homer with and 3 RBIs. While the Fed leaders are still technically up for grabs, everything is set in the Conti. Some races were crazy closer as Jack Halbur edged out Phil Colantuono (16-8, 2.89, 125) by a tenth of a run while Bob Nelson struck out one more hitter then Beau McClellan. Cougar pitcher Pug White threw 147.1 innings out of the pen, coming less then 20 innings away from being a qualified pitcher. He had a team best 14-4 record with 25 saves, and his 2.56 ERA was best among Continental pitchers with at least 100 innings pitched. The pen was a real strength for the Cougars, who also saw Earle Turner (3-3, 1.87, 62) finish with a sub-2 ERA in 82 innings pitched. The Fed Whitney race is wide open, and three guys have a chance to make one last case. Tom Lorang (.379, 34, 125, 10) may still be the favorite, and a win where he hits well could secure him the prestigious award. The same can be said for Bob Bell (.337, 42, 1116, 9) and Danny Davis (.354, 40, 129, 11), though they seem to have a slim chance. Outside of the postseason, both Keystone outfielder Harry Dellinger (.355, 38, 113, 41) and Dynamo outfielder Ray Waggoner (.368, 35, 122) have strong cases as well. Sherry Doyal (.271, 17, 68, 10) became the 13th player to record his 900th extra base hit. 36 in November, Doyal has now tallied 455 doubles, 106 triples, and 341 homers since his 1948 debut with Cleveland. Acquired with a 1st Round pick from the Pioneers for Hiram Steinberg, the swap worked well for both teams, as each club won a WCS. Doyal was more average then his usual great in 1963, but he owns a .302/.386/.514 (147 OPS+) career line, and should be an important member of the Forester lineup next season as they look to shove this season as far away as possible. Despite being 35, Ed Bloom (.288, 11, 59, 40) stole 40 bases for the Chiefs, good enough for second in the Fed. Always a solid base stealer, he shattered his career best of 23 in 1958, but the veteran infielder has now stolen double digit bags in each of his 13 FABL seasons. WASPS STING YANKS IN AFA GRID ACTION The Washington Wasps took advantage of the opportunities they were given and the result was a decisive 30-10 victory over the defending champion Boston Americans on the road in Minutemen Stadium Sunday. A pair of interceptions hurt Boston including one deep in Washington territory late in the first quarter while the Wasps lead was just 7-0 and it turned out to be a 10-point swing as the Wasps drove for a field goal. Washington's offense was not overwhelming but did enough at the right time to easily knock off the defending champs as Wasps quarterback Pat Roberts threw a pair of touchdown passes and kicker Charlie Cooney was perfect on his three field goal attempts. Both clubs record now sits at 1-1. There are three teams atop the East Division with 2-0 records including the New York Stars. The Stars handed Philadelphia its second straight loss as Reid McDuffy rank for 139 yards and a touchdown in the New York's 24-14 victory over the Frigates. The Cleveland Finches are also 2-0 after winning a defensive struggle on the west coast in downing San Francisco 10-3. The third team atop the East is the Buffalo Red Jackets after they blasted the Los Angeles Tigers 30-10. Two teams in the West Division remain unbeaten including the Detroit Maroons, who rallied from a 10-3 halftime deficit to be beat Houston 13-10 on Sunday. The other is the St Louis Ramblers who led by Fred Gunther's 82 yards rushing and 38 yards receiving, tamed the Chicago Wildcats 26-14. The final game of the weekend saw the Pittsburgh Paladins even their record at 1-1 with a 31-20 victory over winless Kansas City. AVIATORS AIR GAME TOO MUCH FOR BLUEGRASS STATE The Central Ohio Aviators showed why their are the number one ranked college football team in the nation after a dominating performance in their season opener in Columbus, a 38-6 victory over a Bluegrass State team that has lost back to back games against top ranked opponents. A pair of sophomores both making their first collegiate starts were the key to the Aviators success through the air as quarterback Russ Burgess completed 10 of 18 tosses for 182 yards and 4 touchdowns. Two of the scoring plays, and a total of 103 passing yards overall, were to Gene Mello. As good as Central Ohio is expected to be this year, many feel they are just getting started as the club is dominated on both sides of the ball by sophomores with plenty of talent. In addition to Burgess and Mello, they also include backs Dan Crocker and Bob Norris, who combined for 127 yards on the ground, ends Danny Pierce and Greg Oakes, who each were on the receiving end of a Burgess touchdown throw, and linebacker George Werner, who seemed to be everywhere on this day in leading both clubs with 12 tackles. Next week should pose a stern test for the young Central Ohio stars as they will open their Great Lakes Alliance slate on the road against a Minnesota Tech team that was considered a co-favourite with the Aviators for the section crown. The Lakers beat Amarillo Methodist in their opener but stumbled on Saturday in Georgia, falling 19-6 to Noble Jones College. Elsewhere, Cumberland held strong at #2 in the polls with a 34-6 win over College of Omaha, marking the Explorers second straight week with a win over a team that entered the game ranked in the top ten. Wes Moore ran for 102 yards and John Stoltzfus threw a pair of touchdown passes as third ranked Coastal California opened its season with a 32-3 victory over Minns College. Fourth ranked Georgia Baptist had a slow start but scored 28 second half points to down Texas Panhandle 35-3 while Cowpens State moved into the top five with the Fighting Green's second straight road victory - this one a 48-6 pounding of Pierpont. The Week That Was Current events from the week ending 09/29/1963 Haiti and the Dominican Republic, on the west side and east side, respectively, of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, prepared for war. Dominican president Juan Bosch threatened to drop bombs on the presidential palace of Haiti's Francois Duvalier, after artillery shells rained across the border on the Dominican Republic town of Dajabón. Haiti, in turn, accused the Dominican Republic of firing weapons on the neighboring Haitian town of Ouanaminthe. The U.S. Department of Defense issued a plan for 22 military research experiments for the Gemini program, with 13 for the U.S. Air Force and nine for the U.S. Navy, at an estimated cost of $22 million. Their inclusion was subject to Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) review and depended on clarification of weight and volume of experiment equipment. The U.S. Senate voted 80 to 19 to ratifythe Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, 14 more than the two-thirds majority required by the U.S. Constitution. President Kennedy felt that the ratification of the treaty, which would go into effect on October 11, to be the greatest achievement of his presidency, according to aide Theodore Sorensen. An explosion killed 18 people and seriously injured 12 others at a fireworks factory at the Italian city of Caserta. The factory owner, who was killed in the blast, had reportedly been asking the employees to rush to produce additional fireworks for the festival of Saint Michael the Archangel. Dominican Republic President Juan Bosch was overthrown in a military coup, only seven months after he had become the nation's first democratically elected leader. Military leaders installed a group of three civilians, headed by Emilio de Los Santos as President, to preside over the nation. The Denning Report on the Profumo affair was published in Great Britain. The report concluded that Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, and the rest of his cabinet, had not been aware of the indiscretions of War Minister John Profumo. The U.S. House of Representatives voted 271–155 to approve the reduction of the federal income tax rate. The bill would pass the U.S. Senate, and be signed into law on February 26, 1964. Einar Gerhardsen was appointed as Prime Minister of Norway for the fourth time, after the resignation of John Lyng. A panicked elephant was chased for 90 minutes through the streets of Lansing, Michigan, after running away from an outdoor circus at a shopping center, injuring one man and causing extensive damage to a department store. "Little Rajjee", a 16-year old elephant, was performing at the King Circus at the parking lot of South Logan Shopping Center when she got loose. Pursued by hundreds of curious people, Rajjee fractured the pelvis of a bystander, and rampaged through a residential south Lansing neighborhood, before crashing through the doors of Arlan's Department Store on Fenton Street. Her handlers had her under control twice, but Rajje was panicked by a mob inside the store and by a burglar alarm before city police shot and killed her. A man from Waynesville, North Carolina, crashed his pickup truck through the closed iron gates of the White House, stopping short of hitting the building. The unarmed man, who reportedly demanded to see President Kennedy and shouted that "the Communists are taking over in North Carolina", was taken to a hospital for observation. The President was out at the time. After only one day on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, bank robber Carl Close was arrested by local authorities in Anderson, South Carolina. Close had just robbed a branch of the First National Bank in Anderson, and was stopped by a detective three minutes later while trying to commandeer another car. T. S. Eliot's book Collected Poems 1909–1962, selected by the author, was published on his 75th birthday. Lee Harvey Oswald arrived in Mexico City and went to the consulate of Cuba, where he applied for a transit visa in an attempt to travel to Cuba and then back to the Soviet Union, where he had lived from 1959 to 1962. The Warren Commission would later conclude that Oswald, after being refused visas by the Cuban consulate and the Soviet embassy, returned to his home near Dallas. Joseph Kasavubu, the President of the Republic of the Congo (the former Belgian Congo, colloquially referred to as "Congo-Léopoldville"), dissolved that nation's parliament for the second time in less than four years, so that he and his allies could rule by decree. The second period of the Second Vatican Council ("Vatican II") opened in Rome. Last edited by ayaghmour2; 04-16-2025 at 12:49 PM.