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ayaghmour2 · 04-18-2025, 11:57 AM

OCTOBER 3, 1963

Instant Classic!
Extra Game Needs Extra Innings

It's only fitting, right? If 162 games weren't enough to separate the top two teams in the Fed, surely 9 innings wouldn't be either?

Exciting from the beginning, Billy Hasson (17-8, 3.28, 181) took on Eagles stopper Otto Caudill (17-10, 14, 3.91, 112), as Washington was hoping a collection of arms could help keep the Pioneers off balance. Unfortunately, the plan failed quickly, as homers from Jerry Smith (.261, 24, 77, 8) and Steve Schultz (.304, 32, 98) netted the hosts a pair of runs in the 1st and 3rd, while Washington was able to knock one out off Hasson, though Howdy Oakes' (.315, 20, 104) twentieth homer was of the solo variety. They then got their second run in the 4th, as Alex Wilson (.320, 13, 93) doubled and later scored.

Washington went to the pen in the fifth, as Caudill left with just as many runs allowed as innings pitched. He wouldn't get a loss, however, as the Eagles offense woke up in the 6th. After pitching well most of the game, Hasson ran into some struggles, allowing three singles on four pitches. Trusting Hasson, Lou Ormsby left him out to get him out of the jam of his own making. Instead, all three runs ended up scoring, and when Hasson finally finished the sixth, his Pioneers were down 5-4.

It increased to 7-4 in the seventh, as 6th ranked prospect Harry Johnson (1-0, 2.35, 5) showed his inexperience. With one on and two out, he forgot that you really shouldn't try to sneak ahead of Tom Lorang (.378, 35, 128, 10) who absolutely clobbered a get-me-over pitch, extending the lead with a 400-foot 2-run blast. His offense helped him quickly, matching the two runs in the bottom half, as the Pioneers drew back within one with two innings to go.

Neither team got any scoring in the 8th, and since Washington couldn't score in the 9th, they'd have a one run lead to preserve. The only problem?

They used their stopper in the first four innings.

Enter Dick Adams Jr. (10-5, 9, 2.60, 50), who kept them scoreless in the 8th, and at least has plenty of late inning experience this year. Now, he had to try and finish off the Pioneers and cap off an improbable pennant run. The task? Find a way to get Bob Bell (.339, 43, 117, 9), Steve Schultz (.304, 32, 98), and Danny Davis (.350, 40, 130, 11) out without allowing a run. Easier said then done, right?

Right.

Bell ruined things right away, tying the game up with a high fly ball that just barely cleared the left field wall. Washington quickly got the pen going, as Adams got a quick ground out, but went to arm number five for the last two outs. Lou Curry (2-1, 3.79, 15) got them, but just like the season, extra time was needed.

Ten wasn't enough either, both Curry and John Gibson (8-7, 22, 2.50, 57) got quick 1-2-3 innings. Mel Hall (3-4, 2, 2.97, 27) came out for the top of the 11th and kept Washington off the board. In the bottom half, they called upon minor league pickup and 2-Time Allen Winner Tony Britten (0-1, 5.40, 0), putting their season in the hands of a guy who made just one regular season appearance in his aged 37 season. He had some issues, a single and a walk, but again, the top two teams went scoreless in an extra frame.

The 12th came and saw Hill come back out, getting two outs before a George Whaley (.300, 34, 128, 6) single. It didn't last long, he was quickly caught stealing second, erasing what would have been the go-ahead run. Now the ball was back in the Pioneer court, as they saw Britten on the mound once again. He got two quick outs, but could not get the third, as reserve shortstop and in-game replacement Aeneas Bouloukos (.250) with all of six FABL in-game appearances this season singled to keep things going. Rattled, Britten lost command, walking pinch-hitter John Sander (.338, 5, 20), and setting up a chance to be a hero for Bill Tutwiler (.304, 3, 20, 8; .294, 12, 62, 19) to make the entire trade worth it.

With one swing of a bat, he did, and while it wasn't a towering blast, a 3-2 line drive was enough, allowing the speedy Bouloukos to race home from second. Sliding in to home, the benches quickly emptied, as the Pioneer players mobbed Bouloukos, Tutwiler, and anyone the rowdy players could get their hand on. With the roaring of the crowd, celebration of the fans, and chaos at Pioneer park, championships were again back on the menu.

This was the first extra inning tiebreaker, but the sixth overall. Below is the competitors, who won, and what year:

*** Previewing the WCS ***

After the extra game, a 105-win team will look to take on a 112-win team for the 1963 World Championship Series. It hasn't been long for the Pioneers, don't forget they won last season, but it's hard to bet against the Kings. They haven't gone too long without an appearance themselves, but they came up short in '54, '55, and '58, all against the Dynamos, and haven't won since 1937. That was between two WCS losses, and their only nine attempts. Tenth times a charm?

St. Louis, meanwhile, wins most of the time they're there, including back-to-back wins in '47 and '48. This is their third time making back-to-back postseason appearances, and the seventh time they won the pennant, as with the Pioneers good things tend to come into pairs.

Here's a look a the positional breakdown between the teams:

Catcher: This might be the weakest combined position for the two stacked clubs. You can have the bat of Bob Burge (.290, 7, 56) or the glove of Sam Ruggles (.230, 9, 62). I'm calling this one a Wash

First Base: He may not have been a first basemen since this season, but Jerry Smith (.261, 24, 77, 8) is a 10-Time All-Star and former Whitney winner with a 145 career WRC+. Only thing is no one is as good as Hank Williams (.374, 44, 141), who won his 2nd Triple Crown and will win his 4th Whitney. Kings with a major advantage over everyone who isn't Hank Williams.

Second Base: A position filled for both teams by trade, unless you still consider Al Farmer (.265, 17, 86, 5) the starter. Stan Kleminski (.311, 1, 14, 3; .272, 3, 49, 15) came over from the Foresters, and boasts more playoff experience then anyone. Easy to add to his historical records. A gifted defender, he hit well since coming over. St. Louis added shortstop Joe Kleman (.290, 5, 33; .287, 15, 93) from Boston, moving him to an unfamiliar second. He's a better hitter, even if he didn't hit too well post-trade, while Kleminski has the edge with the glove. It's hard to pick, but since the Kings also have Farmer, I'll give a Slight Edge to Kings.

Third Base: I do like Steve Schultz (.304, 32, 98). I really do. Strong defender, talented slugger, a real impact player. But Ken Newman (.304, 26, 97, 9). That's a three-time Whitney winner with 11 All-Star selections. This year included. He's got the pop and glove, just with an elite eye too. This one goes to Kings, but Schultz is legit.

Shortstop: One of the Kings weakest positions, Bill Denney (.220, 5, 48) is just a pretty glove with no bat. Good eye, good speed, good range. But a 67 WRC+. Multiply by 3 and you get 201, eight points lower then Bob Bell's (.339, 43, 117, 9) 209 in his Whitney season last year. It was "just" 178 this season as Bell was elite once again, and effortlessly shifted from the right side of second to the left. Pioneers x 3. At least.

Left Field: Happy birthday Danny Davis (.350, 40, 130, 11)! Hope you enjoy being the best left fielder at 24! One of just four hitters to reach 40 home runs, Davis is already a star in year two, and one of the best players in the game. Even a Hall-of-Famer who may end up the league's double leader in Charlie Rogers (.277, 8, 67, 13) can't compare. Pioneers.

Center Field: This is one of the closest matchups. Do you want the youth, elite glove, and elite eye of Tom Hicks (.281, 7, 54, 18)? Or the experience, elite glove, and elite eye of Bill Bather (.282, 13, 44, 12)? Oh yeah, and they both missed time with injury this season. Can't choose between them? Me either! Wash.

Right Field: Another position St. Louis filled at the deadline, Bill Tutwiler (.304, 3, 20, 8; .294, 12, 62, 19) was as advertised for the Pioneers, crushing a 143 WRC+ that's right in line with his career 144 mark. But as good as he is, the soon-to-be 26-year-old Pat Davis (.319, 12, 84, 40) might be better, leading the Conti with 40 steals while offering outstanding defense and a hoard of extra base hits. Tutwiler is a great hitter, probably better then Davis, but Davis just does so much more. Kings.

Rotation: This seems unfair. I mean the Kings rotation is elite. Even if Gene Bailey (21-4, 3.06, 173) can't pitch, they have Beau McClellan (17-10, 3.07, 187), Jack Halbur (16-5, 2.88, 129), and Allie Boone (12-7, 3.33, 163), but St. Louis is just on another level. Frenchy Mack (20-6, 2.07, 211) is the best pitcher in baseball, and on literally any other team, Steve Madden (18-9, 2.83, 162) or Billy Hasson (17-8, 3.28, 181) would be the best pitcher on the staff. And Danny Daniels (17-11, 3.40, 173) is trying to join them. This might be the best rotation of all time. Or at least until 1964 where either Charlie Blake (13-10, 4.25, 182) or Harry Johnson (1-0, 2.35, 5) becomes the breakout arm. Pioneers.

Pen: Both teams have a lot of quality high leverage arms, but John Gibson (8-7, 22, 2.50, 57) is as lock-down as it gets. St. Louis has a deep collection of lefties, with him, Doc Greenwood (1-1, 2, 3.38, 32), and Mel Hill (3-4, 2, 2.97, 27), but KC has a dominant southpaw of their own in Del Lamb (11-4, 24, 2.82, 93). Righties Fred Myers (4-1, 5, 2.30, 31) and Washington (2-1, 3.50, 21) transitioned well to the pen, but St. Louis has the advantage with overpowering stuff. Pioneers.

Prediction: These are two really good teams, but one was able to cruise and the other had to fight. I think this helps the more rested team, and Kansas City is just too deep. They do everything well and it's about time Hank Williams gets his ring. Kings over Pioneers in 5.

Tales From The Den
A Look Forward For The Wolves[/CENTER]

Brett will take a look forward at the Wolves by taking a look back. He will assess the 1963 season for the hitters, pitchers, then the system in a series of articles. First the bats:

C- Al Curtis Started 81 games after being recalled from Buffalo in early May. Curtis is a viable option in '64 after slashing .263/.298/.386 with 25 XBH 52 RBI in 362 trips to the plate. If he improves his defense Al can be counted on for between 100-120 starts in '64

1B- Tom Reed The move to 1B seemed to affect Reed's bat more than his glove. Starting 97 games, along with 35 OF starts, at first he provided above average defense. His performance at the plate were career lows in all 3 slash line stats at .228/.314/.409 driving in less than 80 RBI for the first since he became a starter in 1955. Hopefully the bat will bounce back next year as he knows his home for the rest of his time in the FABL is at first. The Wolves probably made a good shifting him at age 32 may add a couple of years to his time in the FABL.

2B- Phil Story was a pleasant surprise at the plate in '63 posting .286/.361/.492 17HR 66 RBI while occupying the leadoff spot most days. He is a superior defender at second who can also move to short when needed by the manager. If he can improve his base stealing stats, 13 successes in 20 attempts, the Wolves will have a multifaceted threat at leadoff.

3B- Cal Wells, Clyde Fisher basically split roles at third in a platoon. Batting stats were almost equal for the two with Fisher having an edge with the glove. Expect the platoon to continue next season if both remain with the team.

SS- Jesse Taylor's work with both the bat and glove will be a hard player to remove for Hohlt's daily lineup. A defensive wizard at short he also contributed with bat .261/.300/.429 21 HR 64 RBI although he went back to the dugout 121 times when retired on strikes.

LF- Chick Reed's season was a tale of two halves. Before the ASG he was one the top hitters in the CA before fading in the second half of the season. Hohlt would definitely sign up for another season of .304/.313/810 35 HR 98 RBI even with below average defense in left.

CF- Sid Cullen, barring injury, will probably be patrolling CF for the Wolves into the next decade. He covers more than his fair share of ground in the OF many times covering for his less than fleet afoot partners in the outfield. He continues to hit for average with his 4th straight year over .300 finishing '63 at .310/.365/.488 with career highs in both HR, 23, RBI. 74. He is another who many fans thing should be given more rein to steal bases.

RF- Ed Savage's bat keeps him in the lineup. How do you take .288/.380/.481 23 HR 89 RBI out of the lineup despite being a statue in right? If Savage can become even a little less awful in RF he will be a force in the CA. He constantly works on his fielding but the results have not yet been seen from his work. Hohlt started replacing him late innings at the end of the season due to his being too much of a defensive liability.

Bench- Dixie Williams is an adequate second C. Ty Rusconi's versatility will probably guarantee him a spot on the roster even if only a late inning defensive replacement. Joe Parker's right hand bat along with glove at first should keep him the FABL. His bat came around towards the end of season after a tough start in Toronto. Dick Rabkin gives Hohlt a good option if either Taylor or Story need a night off with a .293/.316/.425 7 HR 33 RBI line in 275 plate appearances from he right side. Gus Koval may not have much of a future in Toronto.

Next time Brett will look at the biggest disappointment of 1963, the pitching staff.

WASPS STING STARS AGAIN

For the second week in a row the Washington Wasps proved to be too much for the New York Stars. After winning 21-6 at home last Sunday, the Wasps went into Gothams Stadium and staged a strong fourth quarter comeback to complete the season sweep of their East Division rivals with a 20-17 victory. At 3-1, the Washington team that went just 4-10 a year ago, now finds itself tied with Cleveland for top spot in a very competitive East Division, one in which none of the seven teams presently own a losing record. Washington will face a stiff test next weekend with a trip to Detroit to play a Maroons team that was idle Sunday and now finds itself, at 3-0, the only team in the AFA yet to suffer a loss this season.

As for Sunday's game at Gothams Stadium, the hosts entered the final period with a 17-10 lead only to see Washington rally for the win. The game winning touchdown came midway through the fourth quarter and was keyed by two big plays. The first a 30 year run by backup halfback Charlie Stensrud to help set up Pat Roberts' second touchdown throw of the afternoon, a 20-yarder to Jim Edmonds. Roberts, in his first year as the Wasps number one option at quarterback, completed 10 of 20 tosses for 181 yards but more importantly he did not make any mistakes. Roberts has yet to throw an interception in his 144 pass attempts as a pro.

Cleveland, which like Washington won just four times last year, had its luck run out after starting the season with three straight victories. The Finches had an awful first quarter, allowing 4 Philadelphia touchdowns and could not recover, dropping a 31-13 decision at home to the visiting Frigates. Doug Lucy, the veteran halfback who has been a fixture in the Frigates backfield for over a decade, scored three first quarter touchdowns and ran for 173 yards.

Boston got back on track as the defending league champion Americans snapped their two game losing streak with a 24-0 shutout win on the road in Pittsburgh. Kevin Sova ran for 203 yards to lead the Boston attack.

Any hopes of a follow-up to their Cinderella season of a year ago when the second year Houston Drillers went from 3-11 in their inaugural season to 10 wins and a trip to the AFA championship game seem to be rapidly dissipating. The Drillers are now 1-2 after dropping a 21-10 decision at Pioneer Field to the St. Louis Ramblers. The other two games, both on the west coast, saw the Chicago Wildcats and San Francisco Wings each pick up their first victory of the season. The Wildcats outscored winless Los Angeles 41-26 while the Wings downed Kansas City 30-17.

DEEP SOUTH POWERS CONTINUE TO SET COLLEGIATE GRID PACE

For the second week in a row the top three schools in the nation all hail from the Deep South Conference as Cumberland, Georgia Baptist and Noble Jones College improved their cumulative records to a combined 10-0. All three of them have won two National Collegiate Grid titles in the past decade and each posted another impressive win over section opponents on Saturday.

The most impressive victory belonged to top ranked Cumberland as the Explorers ran their mark to 4-0 with a 93-6 drubbing of perennial Deep South doormat Baton Rogue State. Now beating the Red Devils is no big accomplishment- Bayou State has not won a football game in nearly four years- but to surrender 93 points to a section rival is a new low point for the Louisiana school. R.J. Walker ran for 267 yards and four touchdowns despite the fact he did not play at all in the fourth quarter but Henry Virkler filled in well with 148 yards and 4 touchdowns of his own. In all, Explorers backs discovered more land than Lewis & Clark, by reeling off 517 yards against a Baton Rogue State team that clearly should not remain in the Deep South Conference.

The scores in Georgia were far more reasonable as the Georgia Baptist Gators held steady at number two in the polls with a 27-0 whitewashing of Bluegrass State (1-3) while Noble Jones College remains third and, like their cross-state rivals, 3-0 following a 19-6 win over Bayou State (2-2).

Spots four and five on the latest rankings belong to the West Coast Athletic Association after both Coastal California and Portland Tech posted victories. The Dolphins moved up one slot to fourth after Alan Callow threw for 140 yards and two touchdowns to lead Coastal California to a 34-10 road win over Spokane State. Portland Tech moved up to fifth from 13th a week ago after the Magpies had little trouble disposing of Idaho A&M by a 45-5 count.

Payne State slipped from fourth to 8th despite the fact the Mavericks improved to 4-0, but they had their struggles and needed a late touchdown to nip Lubbock State(1-2) 27-24. Texas Gulf Coast held strong at number six after the Hurricanes ran their mark to 3-0 with a 27-10 road win over Southwestern Alliance rival Darnell State (0-3).

The Week That Was
Current events from the week up to 10/02/1963

The Pantone Color Matching System, developed in the United States, was introduced and would become "a de facto international colour standard" for printing companies around the world.
The Sand War began when troops from Morocco invaded Algeria and seized control of two oases that had served as border stations on the road to Tindouf.
On its third anniversary as an independent nation, Nigeria became a republic, as Governor-General Nnamdi Azikiwe assumed office as the first President of Nigeria.
McDonnell Aircraft Corporation began a study of using batteries instead of fuel cells in all Gemini spacecraft scheduled for two-day rendezvous missions. While fuel cells previously could last 600 hours (25 days), the Gemini coolant system reduced fuel cell life by two-thirds to 200 hours (8 days and 8 hours).
The White House announced that withdrawal of American troops from South Vietnam could be completed by December 31, 1965, following a report to President Kennedy by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara and General Maxwell D. Taylor, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

04-18-2025, 11:57 AM	#1113
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,000	October 3rd, 1963 OCTOBER 3, 1963 Instant Classic! Extra Game Needs Extra Innings It's only fitting, right? If 162 games weren't enough to separate the top two teams in the Fed, surely 9 innings wouldn't be either? Exciting from the beginning, Billy Hasson (17-8, 3.28, 181) took on Eagles stopper Otto Caudill (17-10, 14, 3.91, 112), as Washington was hoping a collection of arms could help keep the Pioneers off balance. Unfortunately, the plan failed quickly, as homers from Jerry Smith (.261, 24, 77, 8) and Steve Schultz (.304, 32, 98) netted the hosts a pair of runs in the 1st and 3rd, while Washington was able to knock one out off Hasson, though Howdy Oakes' (.315, 20, 104) twentieth homer was of the solo variety. They then got their second run in the 4th, as Alex Wilson (.320, 13, 93) doubled and later scored. Washington went to the pen in the fifth, as Caudill left with just as many runs allowed as innings pitched. He wouldn't get a loss, however, as the Eagles offense woke up in the 6th. After pitching well most of the game, Hasson ran into some struggles, allowing three singles on four pitches. Trusting Hasson, Lou Ormsby left him out to get him out of the jam of his own making. Instead, all three runs ended up scoring, and when Hasson finally finished the sixth, his Pioneers were down 5-4. It increased to 7-4 in the seventh, as 6th ranked prospect Harry Johnson (1-0, 2.35, 5) showed his inexperience. With one on and two out, he forgot that you really shouldn't try to sneak ahead of Tom Lorang (.378, 35, 128, 10) who absolutely clobbered a get-me-over pitch, extending the lead with a 400-foot 2-run blast. His offense helped him quickly, matching the two runs in the bottom half, as the Pioneers drew back within one with two innings to go. Neither team got any scoring in the 8th, and since Washington couldn't score in the 9th, they'd have a one run lead to preserve. The only problem? They used their stopper in the first four innings. Enter Dick Adams Jr. (10-5, 9, 2.60, 50), who kept them scoreless in the 8th, and at least has plenty of late inning experience this year. Now, he had to try and finish off the Pioneers and cap off an improbable pennant run. The task? Find a way to get Bob Bell (.339, 43, 117, 9), Steve Schultz (.304, 32, 98), and Danny Davis (.350, 40, 130, 11) out without allowing a run. Easier said then done, right? Right. Bell ruined things right away, tying the game up with a high fly ball that just barely cleared the left field wall. Washington quickly got the pen going, as Adams got a quick ground out, but went to arm number five for the last two outs. Lou Curry (2-1, 3.79, 15) got them, but just like the season, extra time was needed. Ten wasn't enough either, both Curry and John Gibson (8-7, 22, 2.50, 57) got quick 1-2-3 innings. Mel Hall (3-4, 2, 2.97, 27) came out for the top of the 11th and kept Washington off the board. In the bottom half, they called upon minor league pickup and 2-Time Allen Winner Tony Britten (0-1, 5.40, 0), putting their season in the hands of a guy who made just one regular season appearance in his aged 37 season. He had some issues, a single and a walk, but again, the top two teams went scoreless in an extra frame. The 12th came and saw Hill come back out, getting two outs before a George Whaley (.300, 34, 128, 6) single. It didn't last long, he was quickly caught stealing second, erasing what would have been the go-ahead run. Now the ball was back in the Pioneer court, as they saw Britten on the mound once again. He got two quick outs, but could not get the third, as reserve shortstop and in-game replacement Aeneas Bouloukos (.250) with all of six FABL in-game appearances this season singled to keep things going. Rattled, Britten lost command, walking pinch-hitter John Sander (.338, 5, 20), and setting up a chance to be a hero for Bill Tutwiler (.304, 3, 20, 8; .294, 12, 62, 19) to make the entire trade worth it. With one swing of a bat, he did, and while it wasn't a towering blast, a 3-2 line drive was enough, allowing the speedy Bouloukos to race home from second. Sliding in to home, the benches quickly emptied, as the Pioneer players mobbed Bouloukos, Tutwiler, and anyone the rowdy players could get their hand on. With the roaring of the crowd, celebration of the fans, and chaos at Pioneer park, championships were again back on the menu. This was the first extra inning tiebreaker, but the sixth overall. Below is the competitors, who won, and what year: * Previewing the WCS * After the extra game, a 105-win team will look to take on a 112-win team for the 1963 World Championship Series. It hasn't been long for the Pioneers, don't forget they won last season, but it's hard to bet against the Kings. They haven't gone too long without an appearance themselves, but they came up short in '54, '55, and '58, all against the Dynamos, and haven't won since 1937. That was between two WCS losses, and their only nine attempts. Tenth times a charm? St. Louis, meanwhile, wins most of the time they're there, including back-to-back wins in '47 and '48. This is their third time making back-to-back postseason appearances, and the seventh time they won the pennant, as with the Pioneers good things tend to come into pairs. Here's a look a the positional breakdown between the teams: Catcher: This might be the weakest combined position for the two stacked clubs. You can have the bat of Bob Burge (.290, 7, 56) or the glove of Sam Ruggles (.230, 9, 62). I'm calling this one a Wash First Base: He may not have been a first basemen since this season, but Jerry Smith (.261, 24, 77, 8) is a 10-Time All-Star and former Whitney winner with a 145 career WRC+. Only thing is no one is as good as Hank Williams (.374, 44, 141), who won his 2nd Triple Crown and will win his 4th Whitney. Kings with a major advantage over everyone who isn't Hank Williams. Second Base: A position filled for both teams by trade, unless you still consider Al Farmer (.265, 17, 86, 5) the starter. Stan Kleminski (.311, 1, 14, 3; .272, 3, 49, 15) came over from the Foresters, and boasts more playoff experience then anyone. Easy to add to his historical records. A gifted defender, he hit well since coming over. St. Louis added shortstop Joe Kleman (.290, 5, 33; .287, 15, 93) from Boston, moving him to an unfamiliar second. He's a better hitter, even if he didn't hit too well post-trade, while Kleminski has the edge with the glove. It's hard to pick, but since the Kings also have Farmer, I'll give a Slight Edge to Kings. Third Base: I do like Steve Schultz (.304, 32, 98). I really do. Strong defender, talented slugger, a real impact player. But Ken Newman (.304, 26, 97, 9). That's a three-time Whitney winner with 11 All-Star selections. This year included. He's got the pop and glove, just with an elite eye too. This one goes to Kings, but Schultz is legit. Shortstop: One of the Kings weakest positions, Bill Denney (.220, 5, 48) is just a pretty glove with no bat. Good eye, good speed, good range. But a 67 WRC+. Multiply by 3 and you get 201, eight points lower then Bob Bell's (.339, 43, 117, 9) 209 in his Whitney season last year. It was "just" 178 this season as Bell was elite once again, and effortlessly shifted from the right side of second to the left. Pioneers x 3. At least. Left Field: Happy birthday Danny Davis (.350, 40, 130, 11)! Hope you enjoy being the best left fielder at 24! One of just four hitters to reach 40 home runs, Davis is already a star in year two, and one of the best players in the game. Even a Hall-of-Famer who may end up the league's double leader in Charlie Rogers (.277, 8, 67, 13) can't compare. Pioneers. Center Field: This is one of the closest matchups. Do you want the youth, elite glove, and elite eye of Tom Hicks (.281, 7, 54, 18)? Or the experience, elite glove, and elite eye of Bill Bather (.282, 13, 44, 12)? Oh yeah, and they both missed time with injury this season. Can't choose between them? Me either! Wash. Right Field: Another position St. Louis filled at the deadline, Bill Tutwiler (.304, 3, 20, 8; .294, 12, 62, 19) was as advertised for the Pioneers, crushing a 143 WRC+ that's right in line with his career 144 mark. But as good as he is, the soon-to-be 26-year-old Pat Davis (.319, 12, 84, 40) might be better, leading the Conti with 40 steals while offering outstanding defense and a hoard of extra base hits. Tutwiler is a great hitter, probably better then Davis, but Davis just does so much more. Kings. Rotation: This seems unfair. I mean the Kings rotation is elite. Even if Gene Bailey (21-4, 3.06, 173) can't pitch, they have Beau McClellan (17-10, 3.07, 187), Jack Halbur (16-5, 2.88, 129), and Allie Boone (12-7, 3.33, 163), but St. Louis is just on another level. Frenchy Mack (20-6, 2.07, 211) is the best pitcher in baseball, and on literally any other team, Steve Madden (18-9, 2.83, 162) or Billy Hasson (17-8, 3.28, 181) would be the best pitcher on the staff. And Danny Daniels (17-11, 3.40, 173) is trying to join them. This might be the best rotation of all time. Or at least until 1964 where either Charlie Blake (13-10, 4.25, 182) or Harry Johnson (1-0, 2.35, 5) becomes the breakout arm. Pioneers. Pen: Both teams have a lot of quality high leverage arms, but John Gibson (8-7, 22, 2.50, 57) is as lock-down as it gets. St. Louis has a deep collection of lefties, with him, Doc Greenwood (1-1, 2, 3.38, 32), and Mel Hill (3-4, 2, 2.97, 27), but KC has a dominant southpaw of their own in Del Lamb (11-4, 24, 2.82, 93). Righties Fred Myers (4-1, 5, 2.30, 31) and Washington (2-1, 3.50, 21) transitioned well to the pen, but St. Louis has the advantage with overpowering stuff. Pioneers. Prediction: These are two really good teams, but one was able to cruise and the other had to fight. I think this helps the more rested team, and Kansas City is just too deep. They do everything well and it's about time Hank Williams gets his ring. Kings over Pioneers in 5. Tales From The Den A Look Forward For The Wolves[/CENTER] Brett will take a look forward at the Wolves by taking a look back. He will assess the 1963 season for the hitters, pitchers, then the system in a series of articles. First the bats: C- Al Curtis Started 81 games after being recalled from Buffalo in early May. Curtis is a viable option in '64 after slashing .263/.298/.386 with 25 XBH 52 RBI in 362 trips to the plate. If he improves his defense Al can be counted on for between 100-120 starts in '64 1B- Tom Reed The move to 1B seemed to affect Reed's bat more than his glove. Starting 97 games, along with 35 OF starts, at first he provided above average defense. His performance at the plate were career lows in all 3 slash line stats at .228/.314/.409 driving in less than 80 RBI for the first since he became a starter in 1955. Hopefully the bat will bounce back next year as he knows his home for the rest of his time in the FABL is at first. The Wolves probably made a good shifting him at age 32 may add a couple of years to his time in the FABL. 2B- Phil Story was a pleasant surprise at the plate in '63 posting .286/.361/.492 17HR 66 RBI while occupying the leadoff spot most days. He is a superior defender at second who can also move to short when needed by the manager. If he can improve his base stealing stats, 13 successes in 20 attempts, the Wolves will have a multifaceted threat at leadoff. 3B- Cal Wells, Clyde Fisher basically split roles at third in a platoon. Batting stats were almost equal for the two with Fisher having an edge with the glove. Expect the platoon to continue next season if both remain with the team. SS- Jesse Taylor's work with both the bat and glove will be a hard player to remove for Hohlt's daily lineup. A defensive wizard at short he also contributed with bat .261/.300/.429 21 HR 64 RBI although he went back to the dugout 121 times when retired on strikes. LF- Chick Reed's season was a tale of two halves. Before the ASG he was one the top hitters in the CA before fading in the second half of the season. Hohlt would definitely sign up for another season of .304/.313/810 35 HR 98 RBI even with below average defense in left. CF- Sid Cullen, barring injury, will probably be patrolling CF for the Wolves into the next decade. He covers more than his fair share of ground in the OF many times covering for his less than fleet afoot partners in the outfield. He continues to hit for average with his 4th straight year over .300 finishing '63 at .310/.365/.488 with career highs in both HR, 23, RBI. 74. He is another who many fans thing should be given more rein to steal bases. RF- Ed Savage's bat keeps him in the lineup. How do you take .288/.380/.481 23 HR 89 RBI out of the lineup despite being a statue in right? If Savage can become even a little less awful in RF he will be a force in the CA. He constantly works on his fielding but the results have not yet been seen from his work. Hohlt started replacing him late innings at the end of the season due to his being too much of a defensive liability. Bench- Dixie Williams is an adequate second C. Ty Rusconi's versatility will probably guarantee him a spot on the roster even if only a late inning defensive replacement. Joe Parker's right hand bat along with glove at first should keep him the FABL. His bat came around towards the end of season after a tough start in Toronto. Dick Rabkin gives Hohlt a good option if either Taylor or Story need a night off with a .293/.316/.425 7 HR 33 RBI line in 275 plate appearances from he right side. Gus Koval may not have much of a future in Toronto. Next time Brett will look at the biggest disappointment of 1963, the pitching staff. WASPS STING STARS AGAIN For the second week in a row the Washington Wasps proved to be too much for the New York Stars. After winning 21-6 at home last Sunday, the Wasps went into Gothams Stadium and staged a strong fourth quarter comeback to complete the season sweep of their East Division rivals with a 20-17 victory. At 3-1, the Washington team that went just 4-10 a year ago, now finds itself tied with Cleveland for top spot in a very competitive East Division, one in which none of the seven teams presently own a losing record. Washington will face a stiff test next weekend with a trip to Detroit to play a Maroons team that was idle Sunday and now finds itself, at 3-0, the only team in the AFA yet to suffer a loss this season. As for Sunday's game at Gothams Stadium, the hosts entered the final period with a 17-10 lead only to see Washington rally for the win. The game winning touchdown came midway through the fourth quarter and was keyed by two big plays. The first a 30 year run by backup halfback Charlie Stensrud to help set up Pat Roberts' second touchdown throw of the afternoon, a 20-yarder to Jim Edmonds. Roberts, in his first year as the Wasps number one option at quarterback, completed 10 of 20 tosses for 181 yards but more importantly he did not make any mistakes. Roberts has yet to throw an interception in his 144 pass attempts as a pro. Cleveland, which like Washington won just four times last year, had its luck run out after starting the season with three straight victories. The Finches had an awful first quarter, allowing 4 Philadelphia touchdowns and could not recover, dropping a 31-13 decision at home to the visiting Frigates. Doug Lucy, the veteran halfback who has been a fixture in the Frigates backfield for over a decade, scored three first quarter touchdowns and ran for 173 yards. Boston got back on track as the defending league champion Americans snapped their two game losing streak with a 24-0 shutout win on the road in Pittsburgh. Kevin Sova ran for 203 yards to lead the Boston attack. Any hopes of a follow-up to their Cinderella season of a year ago when the second year Houston Drillers went from 3-11 in their inaugural season to 10 wins and a trip to the AFA championship game seem to be rapidly dissipating. The Drillers are now 1-2 after dropping a 21-10 decision at Pioneer Field to the St. Louis Ramblers. The other two games, both on the west coast, saw the Chicago Wildcats and San Francisco Wings each pick up their first victory of the season. The Wildcats outscored winless Los Angeles 41-26 while the Wings downed Kansas City 30-17. DEEP SOUTH POWERS CONTINUE TO SET COLLEGIATE GRID PACE For the second week in a row the top three schools in the nation all hail from the Deep South Conference as Cumberland, Georgia Baptist and Noble Jones College improved their cumulative records to a combined 10-0. All three of them have won two National Collegiate Grid titles in the past decade and each posted another impressive win over section opponents on Saturday. The most impressive victory belonged to top ranked Cumberland as the Explorers ran their mark to 4-0 with a 93-6 drubbing of perennial Deep South doormat Baton Rogue State. Now beating the Red Devils is no big accomplishment- Bayou State has not won a football game in nearly four years- but to surrender 93 points to a section rival is a new low point for the Louisiana school. R.J. Walker ran for 267 yards and four touchdowns despite the fact he did not play at all in the fourth quarter but Henry Virkler filled in well with 148 yards and 4 touchdowns of his own. In all, Explorers backs discovered more land than Lewis & Clark, by reeling off 517 yards against a Baton Rogue State team that clearly should not remain in the Deep South Conference. The scores in Georgia were far more reasonable as the Georgia Baptist Gators held steady at number two in the polls with a 27-0 whitewashing of Bluegrass State (1-3) while Noble Jones College remains third and, like their cross-state rivals, 3-0 following a 19-6 win over Bayou State (2-2). Spots four and five on the latest rankings belong to the West Coast Athletic Association after both Coastal California and Portland Tech posted victories. The Dolphins moved up one slot to fourth after Alan Callow threw for 140 yards and two touchdowns to lead Coastal California to a 34-10 road win over Spokane State. Portland Tech moved up to fifth from 13th a week ago after the Magpies had little trouble disposing of Idaho A&M by a 45-5 count. Payne State slipped from fourth to 8th despite the fact the Mavericks improved to 4-0, but they had their struggles and needed a late touchdown to nip Lubbock State(1-2) 27-24. Texas Gulf Coast held strong at number six after the Hurricanes ran their mark to 3-0 with a 27-10 road win over Southwestern Alliance rival Darnell State (0-3). The Week That Was Current events from the week up to 10/02/1963 The Pantone Color Matching System, developed in the United States, was introduced and would become "a de facto international colour standard" for printing companies around the world. The Sand War began when troops from Morocco invaded Algeria and seized control of two oases that had served as border stations on the road to Tindouf. On its third anniversary as an independent nation, Nigeria became a republic, as Governor-General Nnamdi Azikiwe assumed office as the first President of Nigeria. McDonnell Aircraft Corporation began a study of using batteries instead of fuel cells in all Gemini spacecraft scheduled for two-day rendezvous missions. While fuel cells previously could last 600 hours (25 days), the Gemini coolant system reduced fuel cell life by two-thirds to 200 hours (8 days and 8 hours). The White House announced that withdrawal of American troops from South Vietnam could be completed by December 31, 1965, following a report to President Kennedy by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara and General Maxwell D. Taylor, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Last edited by ayaghmour2; 04-18-2025 at 06:12 PM.