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Chiefs Ride Roller Coaster Finish as 1963 Winds Down

Chicago, Illinois – As the 1963 season nears its conclusion for 18 of the 20 teams in the Federally Aligned Baseball League, the Chicago Chiefs didn’t exactly charge to the finish line. September was a month of extremes, a microcosm of the ups and downs that defined the entire season.

The Chiefs came out firing, winning five of their first six games in September, only to skid through a brutal stretch where they dropped nine out of ten. Just when it seemed they might coast to a forgettable finish, they rallied again, closing the month with six wins in their final eight contests. When the dust settled, Chicago’s September record stood at a dead-even 12-12—an appropriate reflection of a season filled with highs and lows.

But amid the chaos, there was one undeniable bright spot—Rod Shearer. The Chicago icon missed most of July with an elbow strain, and when he returned in August, the rust showed. His bat, typically so reliable, looked sluggish. The whispers began: Was this finally the decline of the great Shearer

Turns out, those doubts were nothing more than premature panic. As soon as the calendar turned to September, Shearer turned back the clock. He batted .312 for the month, clubbing seven home runs, bringing his season total to 18. The timing of his resurgence couldn’t have been better—just when speculation about his future reached its peak, he reminded everyone exactly who he is.

Shearer’s revival gives the Chicago faithful reason to look ahead with optimism. Alongside fellow veterans Ed Bloom and Al Padgett, Shearer forms the foundation of an offense that, in 1964, will be joined by a talented youth movement. Bob Starr, whose last name is almost too fitting given his electric emergence onto the FABL scene this year, will team up with Tom Spruill and Joe Siniscalchi to give the lineup some fresh firepower.

On the pitching side, the results were unspectacular, but just effective enough to keep Chicago ten games over .500 with an 86-win season, even if they wound up in the lower half of the Federal League standings. Veteran Vern Osbourne led the way, putting together an 18-9 record with a 3.29 ERA, while 20-year-old John Thomas 13-11, 3.59 ERA and 22-year-old Roy Brandt 10-4, 3.61 ERA showed flashes of their promise.

AAA Fort Wayne remains stacked with overlooked pitching talent, with several unheralded starters waiting for their chance—or potentially waiting to be dealt for complementary pieces that could help the big club take the next step.

The bullpen carried the load, leading the Federal League with a 3.48 ERA, despite an uneven season from Dutch Lane. The stopper was up and down all year, but still managed 18 saves. Rule V draftees Ed Funk and Bobby McGough stuck with the club all season and proved their worth, joining reliable bullpen veterans Al Mielcarek, Jack Miller, and Paul MaGee in keeping games competitive.

All told, this wasn’t a disappointing season for Chicago, but once again, they find themselves saying "wait until next year." And that sentiment isn’t exclusive to the Chiefs—18 other teams are saying the same thing as the FABL winds down another unpredictable campaign.

Will 1964 finally be the year Chicago breaks through? Fans at Whitney Park will be hoping the highs outnumber the lows next time around.

-John "Scoop" Mitchell, Windy City News Sportswriter








PLAYERS OF THE MONTH FOR SEPTEMBER 1963
Hitter of the Month: Rod Shearer(.312/.426/.623, 24-77, 3 2B, 7 HR, 22 RBI, 15 RS, 14 BB, 2 SB)
Pitcher of the Month: Vern Osbourne(4-1, 2.77 ERA, 5 GS, 39.0 IP, 38 K, 13 BB, 1.33 WHiP)
Rookie of the Month: Roy Brandt(2-1, 3.79 ERA, 5 GS, 35.2 IP, 27 K, 11 BB, 1.43 WHiP)
Minor League Player of the Month: Ted McFarland(AA)(4-0, 1.56 ERA, 5 GS, 34.2 IP, 23 K, 17 BB, 0.95 WHiP)

Game of the Month for September 1963

Chiefs Knock Dynamos Down a Peg with Explosive Win in Detroit

Detroit, Michigan – September 18, 1963


If the Detroit Dynamos wanted to keep their Federal League title hopes alive, they needed this one. The Chicago Chiefs? They were long out of the race but came into Thompson Field ready to prove they could still go toe-to-toe with the league’s best.

And that’s exactly what they did.

Powered by a scorching offensive performance and a steady outing from John Thomas, Chicago took it to Detroit early and never let up, coasting to an 11-5 victory that put a dent in the Dynamos’ playoff push.

The Chiefs wasted no time getting to Detroit starter Earl Shields, striking in the first inning when Joe Flanagan ripped a triple to deep left, immediately putting Chicago in business. Ed Bloom followed with an RBI double, making it 1-0 before Shields could find his footing. Though Shields managed to retire the next three batters on fly balls, the damage was already done—and just getting started.

Thomas worked his way out of trouble in the bottom half, stranding two runners, then watched as his lineup erupted in the second inning, tagging Shields for four more runs. Flanagan and Bloom continued their early hit parade, both notching their second hit in as many innings as Chicago extended the lead to 5-0.

Detroit finally broke through in the third when Ed MacNaughton doubled and scored on a Ray Waggoner single, giving the home fans a glimmer of hope. That hope grew stronger in the fourth, when Joe Reed launched a two-run homer that barely cleared the right-field fence, cutting the deficit to 5-3.

And then, suddenly, the game felt different.

Detroit’s momentum continued to build in the fifth, with back-to-back doubles from Waggoner and Joe Holland, pulling the Dynamos within one run at 5-4. It looked like the Chiefs were starting to buckle under the pressure. But as quickly as the tide had shifted, Chicago stole it right back.

With Detroit reliever Dick Greenhalgh on the mound in the sixth, Gene Rader and Thomas led off with singles, and a walk to Ed Bloom loaded the bases. That set the stage for rookie Bob Starr, who delivered the biggest blow of the night—a towering drive to deep right-center that nearly left the park. Instead, the ball kicked off the top of the wall, eluding Detroit’s outfielders long enough for Starr to leg out a three-run triple, effectively silencing Thompson Field.

Before Detroit could recover, Bill Follis gave up back-to-back RBI hits to Joe Siniscalchi and Rod Shearer, tacking on five runs in the inning and stretching Chicago’s lead to 10-4.

From there, the Chiefs never looked back.

Detroit managed to push across one more run, but Thomas held firm, keeping the Dynamos’ lineup off balance and earning his 13th win of the season.

"These games still matter to us," Thomas said afterward. "I know we’re not in the race, but we’re building for next year. We wanted to show we can compete with these teams, and I think we did just that tonight."

Flanagan, who finished with three hits, echoed the sentiment.

"Detroit came in needing this win," Flanagan said. "We wanted to remind everyone that we’re not just rolling over. Next year, they’ll have to deal with us for a full season, not just one game."

Chiefs manager Dutch Becker praised his team’s performance, emphasizing the importance of finishing the season strong.

"I loved the way we fought tonight," Becker said. "We took some punches, but we punched right back. That’s what we need to carry into next year—when this team is going to be even better."

The loss proved to be the first of many down the stretch for Detroit, which dropped seven of its final nine games and fell out of the Federal League title chase.

For Chicago, the win meant momentum heading into the final week—a glimpse of what could be coming in 1964.


-John "Scoop" Mitchell, Windy City News Sportswriter