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ayaghmour2 · 04-25-2025, 11:20 AM

OCTOBER 21, 1963

World Championship Series Stars Lead Award Winners
Frenchy Mack, Hank Williams Both Capture Consecutive Award by Unanimous Vote

There was little surprise when it came to the votes casted by FABL writers, as you could make the case that each major award had the "favorite" for said award come home with it. In the case of the Fed Allen and the Whitney Kellogg, it was a unanimous selection, and anything less would have made a mockery of democracy. Both were triple crown winners, as Frenchy Mack went 20-6 with a 2.07 ERA (205 ERA+), 2.49 FIP (58 FIP-), 1.10 WHIP, 211 strikeouts and 9.2 WAR, while Hank Williams hit an excellent .374/.454/.696 (199 OPS+) with 39 doubles, 9 triples, 44 homers, 141 RBIs, 126 runs, 87 walks, and a 9.2 WAR. Both absolutely dominated the competition all season and were crucial parts of the pennant winners.

For the Fed Whitney and Conti Allen, there were a few players to pick from, but in the end it was Tom Lorang and Gene Bailey getting the call. Lorang got off to a red-hot start, posting a full 3 WAR in May with a 247 WRC+. Leading the Fed in all three triple slash categories and his 11.7 WAR, Lorang hit .378/.461/.650 (191 OPS+) while fueling the Eagles major breakout. His Eagles may have fell short despite a heroic effort and 104-win season, but Lorang's overall value is immense and without him the Eagles wouldn't have come close. Bailey was cruising to the Allen himself, but a mid September injury cut his season short and cost him a chance for a Triple Crown of his own. An outstanding 21-4, he led the Conti in wins and groundball percentage (0.55), working to a 3.06 ERA (138 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, and 173 strikeouts. Lorang captured 16 first place votes and Bailey 15, both securing a large portion of the first place votes as voters were in near agreement.

Along with major award winners, the two pennant winners took home Manger of the Year, with Lou Ormsby and Glenn Carney taking home the non-player awards. For Carney it makes sense, his team was the favorite, won a franchise high 112 games, and captured the pennant by 15 games, but in the Fed Ormsby feels a little undeserving. Sure, the Pioneers won the pennant and title, but they did the same last season. But in the nation's capital, third year manager Roger Cleaves improved the Eagles' win total by nearly 20 games, almost pulling off a historic comeback against a team with a lot more talent.

*** Phelps, Woods, Win Tight Kellogg Race ***

Where there was less agreement is in the Kellogg races, specifically the showdown between talented Federal outfielders who both decided that Robert was not the name they preferred. Winning by 1 first place vote and 5 total points, Keystone slugger Bobby Phelps was rewarded for playing more, as the 21-year-old appeared in 152 of the Keystones 162 games. Hitting a strong .265/.346/.522 (130 OPS+), Phelps crushed 37 longballs, tallying 58 total extra base hits with 83 runs, 90 RBIs, and outstanding left field defense. The counting stat advantage gave him the edge over Chiefs' center fielder Bob Starr, who hit .284/.388/.507 (136 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 4 triples, 22 homers, 80 runs, 84 RBIs, and 69 walks, with his elite defense in center. In the end, it was starting his season in Fort Worth, and then spending a few weeks in Chicago on the bench, that stopped the three true outcomes Chicagoan from stealing the award from the Opening Day #1 prospect.

In the Continental, it was another Chicago outfielder that was named runner up, as Dode Caudill came short of Montreal backstop Henry Woods. Despite Caudill's late-season surge, Woods held on to become the second Saint in as many years to win. Securing 12 first place votes to 7, the 21-year-old hit an outstanding .338/.402/.557 (151 OPS+) with 30 doubles, 26 homers, and 93 RBIs, making a legitimate case for the top catcher in FABL, and easily top-3. A hard worker and strong defender, he was worth a tenth of a win shy of 7 WAR, two tenths above Caudill for most among rookies. Appearing in 160 games, the 24-year-old outfielder stuffed the stat sheet with 29 doubles, 17 triples, 26 homers, 23 steals, 67 walks, 83 RBIs, and 130 runs, leading the CA in runs and triples. Far from the only talented rookies this season, Otis Haldeman (.320, 25, 138, 7), Johnnie Higgins (15-7, 3.02, 161), and Mark Boyd (.276, 33, 90) were all outstanding, and in another year any of these five guys would have ran away with the prize.

*** Diamond Defense Winners Announced ***

Baseball's newest award was announced for the fourth time, and now just one player has been named to the top defense team in each of the four seasons. To the surprise of little, that would be all-world defender Carlos Jaramillo (.290, 9, 64, 35) was named the top defensive shortstop in the CA yet again. Always at the top of the defensive leaderboards, he led all shortstops with a 34.6 zone rating and 1.134 efficiency. He was one of three Conti players entering the year with three selections, but both Hal Kennedy (.335, 24, 81) and John Kingsbury (.318, 21, 120, 10) coming up short. The only Fed player with three selections was Joe Reed (.280, 21, 77, 8), but this season the Dynamos shortstop ceded the award to slick fielding Eagle Al Marino (.292, 14, 81).

The full list of Diamond Defense Award winners is below:

Federal Association:
P: Steve Madden, STL
C: Sam Ruggles, STL (3)
1B: Joe Holland, DET
2B: Bob Bell, STL
3B: Tom Lorang, WAS (2)
SS: Al Marino, WAS
LF: Bobby Phelps, PHI
CF: Otto Pilkerton, NYG (2)
RF: Buddy Miller, PHI (3)

Continental Association:
P: George Fuller, SFS
C: Bill Jenkins, SFS
1B: Ham Flanders, MON
2B: Bill Vernon, MON
3B: Clyde Fisher, TOR
SS: Carlos Jaramillo, SFS (4)
LF: Don Berry, CIN
CF: Sid Cullen, TOR (3)
RF: Earl Howe, CLE

While their staff is far from complete, the Dallas Wranglers are looking to shop outfielder Elmer Piper (.370, 9, 52), who was selected for the Continental's All-Star team. Recently 30, Piper came from the Sailors system in the expansion draft, and made a career high 353 PAs in 1963. Despite not starting early in the year, he finished with 23 extra base hits and 52 RBIs.
In other trade news, the Chicago Cougars have been rumored to be hunting for a major acquisition, already contacting multiple Federal Association clubs as they look to depose to the Kings. Shooting high, the targets included St. Louis' Steve Madden (18-9, 2.83, 162) and Detroit's Ray Waggoner (.368, 35, 122), though offers for both were laughed out the door. Chicago's Fed team is looking for upgrades as well, with a focus on swapping young pitching for a slugger.
Although the Waggoner deal was not agreed upon, Detroit is tentatively listening to offers, as they are stuck between rebuilding and retooling. With St. Louis likely set up for long-time success, GM Harris Dixon is mulling all options, but nothing is expected to come together quickly.
There has been shuffling in the prospect rankings, but FABL scouts seems to agree the top three prospects are all 1963 draftees. Currently New York's Tony Nava leads the way, but him, Boston's Bill Dunlop, and Cincinnati's Edwin Viramontes have rotated between the top spot.
Some FABL clubs are dealing with some financial uncertainty, including the second place Washington Eagles. Hit with big raises to some of their stars, owner Calvin Stockdale seems unwilling to invest much of his personal wealth into the organization. Having not won a title since 1923, they came close to their second pennant in the last 30 years, there are now some rumblings of a potential move northeast to Baltimore. Once home of the Cannons, the Maryland city is currently without an affiliated club, though they were considered in the first round of expansion.

RAMBLERS COOL OFF WILDCATS WITH 38-17 WINDY CITY WIN

The Chicago Wildcats entered Sunday's game at Cougars Park with the St Louis Ramblers riding high on a four-game winning streak but the visitors made a statement early and rolled to a 38-17 victory over an outgunned Wildcats eleven.

Chicago's passing game had been so strong the past four weeks but Wildcats quarterback Chip Fitch and his mates looked lost against the Ramblers defense. Fitch completed just 4 of 17 passes as St Louis beat Chicago for the second time this season. The Ramblers running game helped them open an early 14-3 lead and never slowed down as Brian Boss threw for 212 yards while their backfield led by Dean Turgeon and Pete Hylton added 283 more on the ground. The victory runs the St Louis record to 6-2, best in the entire AFA.

Detroit and Houston both won yesterday to keep within shouting distant of the Ramblers. The Maroons and Drillers are each at 5-3 after Detroit upset East Division leading Washington 16-6 while Houston needed overtime to nip Kansas City 22-16.

The defending AFA champion Boston Americans moved to 6-3 and tied with Washington for the East lead following a 31-21 victory over Philadelphia in a game that saw Yanks back Bob Callender run for 144 yards and two touchdowns. In other action the Cleveland Finches dumped Pittsburgh 23-6, Buffalo topped New York 19-9 and Los Angeles withstood a late San Francisco rally to hold off the Wings 24-21.

HURRICANES CLINCH SWA CROWN

The Texas Gulf Coast Hurricanes appear poised to make their first ever appearance in the Oilman Classic after they clinched the Southwestern Alliance title with a 24-3 victory over Travis College on Saturday. That boosts the Hurricanes section record to 5-0 with one more conference game yet to be played. Texas Gulf Coast also has an outside chance at winning its first national title since 1935.

The Hurricanes are 8-0 and ranked third behind Deep South Conference rivals Cumberland and Georgia Tech. While the bid has not yet formally been extended, the Oilman Classic traditionally features the champions of the Deep South and Southwestern Alliance which means the January 1 game may well be a showdown between Hurricanes and either the Explorers or Gators and that quite probably means the winner of that game is crowned national champion.

Cumberland and Georgia Baptist each improved to 8-0 and 5-0 in conference play with section victories on Saturday. The Explorers, led by R.J. Walker's 172 yards on the ground, downed Mississippi A&M 24-6 while the Gators pounded conference doormat Baton Rouge State 58-3. Cumberland's remaining two games are on the road against Bluegrass State before finishing at home against Opelika State while Georgia Baptist hosts Central Kentucky before finishing on the road against their in-state rivals from Noble Jones College. Cumberland and Georgia Baptist do not face each other so if all goes according to plan they will share the Deep South Conference champion and then it will be up to the Oilman Classic to decide which team to invite to Dallas for New Year's Day.

Coastal California also has its sights set on a long-awaited return trip to Santa Ana for the East-West Classic. The Dolphins beat Portland Tech 21-3 Saturday to improve to 5-0 in West Coast Athletic Association play. They finish WCAA play with road games against Redwood and CC Los Angeles but seem well positioned for their first appearance in the East-West Classic since 1944. The victory over the previously unbeaten Magpies moves the Dolphins up two slots in the polls to fourth and drops Portland State from third to twelfth.

Minnesota Tech looks well positioned to earn its third trip in the past seven years to Santa Ana. The Lakers dumped cross-town rival St. Magnus 20-7 to improve to 5-0 in Great Lakes Alliance play (7-1 overall) and now just 2-6 Whitney College and 4-4 Indiana A&M stand in their way of winning the GLA crown. If they stumble, Central Ohio - which had its hopes dashed early with a September loss to the Lakers- is waiting in the wings. The Aviators defeated Indiana A&M 20-6 Saturday and are 7-1 overall with section games against St. Ignatius and Detroit City College remaining.

04-25-2025, 11:20 AM	#1118
ayaghmour2 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 3,000	October 21st, 1963 OCTOBER 21, 1963 World Championship Series Stars Lead Award Winners Frenchy Mack, Hank Williams Both Capture Consecutive Award by Unanimous Vote There was little surprise when it came to the votes casted by FABL writers, as you could make the case that each major award had the "favorite" for said award come home with it. In the case of the Fed Allen and the Whitney Kellogg, it was a unanimous selection, and anything less would have made a mockery of democracy. Both were triple crown winners, as Frenchy Mack went 20-6 with a 2.07 ERA (205 ERA+), 2.49 FIP (58 FIP-), 1.10 WHIP, 211 strikeouts and 9.2 WAR, while Hank Williams hit an excellent .374/.454/.696 (199 OPS+) with 39 doubles, 9 triples, 44 homers, 141 RBIs, 126 runs, 87 walks, and a 9.2 WAR. Both absolutely dominated the competition all season and were crucial parts of the pennant winners. For the Fed Whitney and Conti Allen, there were a few players to pick from, but in the end it was Tom Lorang and Gene Bailey getting the call. Lorang got off to a red-hot start, posting a full 3 WAR in May with a 247 WRC+. Leading the Fed in all three triple slash categories and his 11.7 WAR, Lorang hit .378/.461/.650 (191 OPS+) while fueling the Eagles major breakout. His Eagles may have fell short despite a heroic effort and 104-win season, but Lorang's overall value is immense and without him the Eagles wouldn't have come close. Bailey was cruising to the Allen himself, but a mid September injury cut his season short and cost him a chance for a Triple Crown of his own. An outstanding 21-4, he led the Conti in wins and groundball percentage (0.55), working to a 3.06 ERA (138 ERA+), 1.30 WHIP, and 173 strikeouts. Lorang captured 16 first place votes and Bailey 15, both securing a large portion of the first place votes as voters were in near agreement. Along with major award winners, the two pennant winners took home Manger of the Year, with Lou Ormsby and Glenn Carney taking home the non-player awards. For Carney it makes sense, his team was the favorite, won a franchise high 112 games, and captured the pennant by 15 games, but in the Fed Ormsby feels a little undeserving. Sure, the Pioneers won the pennant and title, but they did the same last season. But in the nation's capital, third year manager Roger Cleaves improved the Eagles' win total by nearly 20 games, almost pulling off a historic comeback against a team with a lot more talent. * Phelps, Woods, Win Tight Kellogg Race * Where there was less agreement is in the Kellogg races, specifically the showdown between talented Federal outfielders who both decided that Robert was not the name they preferred. Winning by 1 first place vote and 5 total points, Keystone slugger Bobby Phelps was rewarded for playing more, as the 21-year-old appeared in 152 of the Keystones 162 games. Hitting a strong .265/.346/.522 (130 OPS+), Phelps crushed 37 longballs, tallying 58 total extra base hits with 83 runs, 90 RBIs, and outstanding left field defense. The counting stat advantage gave him the edge over Chiefs' center fielder Bob Starr, who hit .284/.388/.507 (136 OPS+) with 19 doubles, 4 triples, 22 homers, 80 runs, 84 RBIs, and 69 walks, with his elite defense in center. In the end, it was starting his season in Fort Worth, and then spending a few weeks in Chicago on the bench, that stopped the three true outcomes Chicagoan from stealing the award from the Opening Day #1 prospect. In the Continental, it was another Chicago outfielder that was named runner up, as Dode Caudill came short of Montreal backstop Henry Woods. Despite Caudill's late-season surge, Woods held on to become the second Saint in as many years to win. Securing 12 first place votes to 7, the 21-year-old hit an outstanding .338/.402/.557 (151 OPS+) with 30 doubles, 26 homers, and 93 RBIs, making a legitimate case for the top catcher in FABL, and easily top-3. A hard worker and strong defender, he was worth a tenth of a win shy of 7 WAR, two tenths above Caudill for most among rookies. Appearing in 160 games, the 24-year-old outfielder stuffed the stat sheet with 29 doubles, 17 triples, 26 homers, 23 steals, 67 walks, 83 RBIs, and 130 runs, leading the CA in runs and triples. Far from the only talented rookies this season, Otis Haldeman (.320, 25, 138, 7), Johnnie Higgins (15-7, 3.02, 161), and Mark Boyd (.276, 33, 90) were all outstanding, and in another year any of these five guys would have ran away with the prize. * Diamond Defense Winners Announced * Baseball's newest award was announced for the fourth time, and now just one player has been named to the top defense team in each of the four seasons. To the surprise of little, that would be all-world defender Carlos Jaramillo (.290, 9, 64, 35) was named the top defensive shortstop in the CA yet again. Always at the top of the defensive leaderboards, he led all shortstops with a 34.6 zone rating and 1.134 efficiency. He was one of three Conti players entering the year with three selections, but both Hal Kennedy (.335, 24, 81) and John Kingsbury (.318, 21, 120, 10) coming up short. The only Fed player with three selections was Joe Reed (.280, 21, 77, 8), but this season the Dynamos shortstop ceded the award to slick fielding Eagle Al Marino (.292, 14, 81). The full list of Diamond Defense Award winners is below: Federal Association: P: Steve Madden, STL C: Sam Ruggles, STL (3) 1B: Joe Holland, DET 2B: Bob Bell, STL 3B: Tom Lorang, WAS (2) SS: Al Marino, WAS LF: Bobby Phelps, PHI CF: Otto Pilkerton, NYG (2) RF: Buddy Miller, PHI (3) Continental Association: P: George Fuller, SFS C: Bill Jenkins, SFS 1B: Ham Flanders, MON 2B: Bill Vernon, MON 3B: Clyde Fisher, TOR SS: Carlos Jaramillo, SFS (4) LF: Don Berry, CIN CF: Sid Cullen, TOR (3) RF: Earl Howe, CLE While their staff is far from complete, the Dallas Wranglers are looking to shop outfielder Elmer Piper (.370, 9, 52), who was selected for the Continental's All-Star team. Recently 30, Piper came from the Sailors system in the expansion draft, and made a career high 353 PAs in 1963. Despite not starting early in the year, he finished with 23 extra base hits and 52 RBIs. In other trade news, the Chicago Cougars have been rumored to be hunting for a major acquisition, already contacting multiple Federal Association clubs as they look to depose to the Kings. Shooting high, the targets included St. Louis' Steve Madden (18-9, 2.83, 162) and Detroit's Ray Waggoner (.368, 35, 122), though offers for both were laughed out the door. Chicago's Fed team is looking for upgrades as well, with a focus on swapping young pitching for a slugger. Although the Waggoner deal was not agreed upon, Detroit is tentatively listening to offers, as they are stuck between rebuilding and retooling. With St. Louis likely set up for long-time success, GM Harris Dixon is mulling all options, but nothing is expected to come together quickly. There has been shuffling in the prospect rankings, but FABL scouts seems to agree the top three prospects are all 1963 draftees. Currently New York's Tony Nava leads the way, but him, Boston's Bill Dunlop, and Cincinnati's Edwin Viramontes have rotated between the top spot. Some FABL clubs are dealing with some financial uncertainty, including the second place Washington Eagles. Hit with big raises to some of their stars, owner Calvin Stockdale seems unwilling to invest much of his personal wealth into the organization. Having not won a title since 1923, they came close to their second pennant in the last 30 years, there are now some rumblings of a potential move northeast to Baltimore. Once home of the Cannons, the Maryland city is currently without an affiliated club, though they were considered in the first round of expansion. RAMBLERS COOL OFF WILDCATS WITH 38-17 WINDY CITY WIN The Chicago Wildcats entered Sunday's game at Cougars Park with the St Louis Ramblers riding high on a four-game winning streak but the visitors made a statement early and rolled to a 38-17 victory over an outgunned Wildcats eleven. Chicago's passing game had been so strong the past four weeks but Wildcats quarterback Chip Fitch and his mates looked lost against the Ramblers defense. Fitch completed just 4 of 17 passes as St Louis beat Chicago for the second time this season. The Ramblers running game helped them open an early 14-3 lead and never slowed down as Brian Boss threw for 212 yards while their backfield led by Dean Turgeon and Pete Hylton added 283 more on the ground. The victory runs the St Louis record to 6-2, best in the entire AFA. Detroit and Houston both won yesterday to keep within shouting distant of the Ramblers. The Maroons and Drillers are each at 5-3 after Detroit upset East Division leading Washington 16-6 while Houston needed overtime to nip Kansas City 22-16. The defending AFA champion Boston Americans moved to 6-3 and tied with Washington for the East lead following a 31-21 victory over Philadelphia in a game that saw Yanks back Bob Callender run for 144 yards and two touchdowns. In other action the Cleveland Finches dumped Pittsburgh 23-6, Buffalo topped New York 19-9 and Los Angeles withstood a late San Francisco rally to hold off the Wings 24-21. HURRICANES CLINCH SWA CROWN The Texas Gulf Coast Hurricanes appear poised to make their first ever appearance in the Oilman Classic after they clinched the Southwestern Alliance title with a 24-3 victory over Travis College on Saturday. That boosts the Hurricanes section record to 5-0 with one more conference game yet to be played. Texas Gulf Coast also has an outside chance at winning its first national title since 1935. The Hurricanes are 8-0 and ranked third behind Deep South Conference rivals Cumberland and Georgia Tech. While the bid has not yet formally been extended, the Oilman Classic traditionally features the champions of the Deep South and Southwestern Alliance which means the January 1 game may well be a showdown between Hurricanes and either the Explorers or Gators and that quite probably means the winner of that game is crowned national champion. Cumberland and Georgia Baptist each improved to 8-0 and 5-0 in conference play with section victories on Saturday. The Explorers, led by R.J. Walker's 172 yards on the ground, downed Mississippi A&M 24-6 while the Gators pounded conference doormat Baton Rouge State 58-3. Cumberland's remaining two games are on the road against Bluegrass State before finishing at home against Opelika State while Georgia Baptist hosts Central Kentucky before finishing on the road against their in-state rivals from Noble Jones College. Cumberland and Georgia Baptist do not face each other so if all goes according to plan they will share the Deep South Conference champion and then it will be up to the Oilman Classic to decide which team to invite to Dallas for New Year's Day. Coastal California also has its sights set on a long-awaited return trip to Santa Ana for the East-West Classic. The Dolphins beat Portland Tech 21-3 Saturday to improve to 5-0 in West Coast Athletic Association play. They finish WCAA play with road games against Redwood and CC Los Angeles but seem well positioned for their first appearance in the East-West Classic since 1944. The victory over the previously unbeaten Magpies moves the Dolphins up two slots in the polls to fourth and drops Portland State from third to twelfth. Minnesota Tech looks well positioned to earn its third trip in the past seven years to Santa Ana. The Lakers dumped cross-town rival St. Magnus 20-7 to improve to 5-0 in Great Lakes Alliance play (7-1 overall) and now just 2-6 Whitney College and 4-4 Indiana A&M stand in their way of winning the GLA crown. If they stumble, Central Ohio - which had its hopes dashed early with a September loss to the Lakers- is waiting in the wings. The Aviators defeated Indiana A&M 20-6 Saturday and are 7-1 overall with section games against St. Ignatius and Detroit City College remaining.