FEBRUARY 10, 1975
EAGLES TEARDOWN BEGINS
Cougars Acquire Lorang For Prospects
The long-anticipated dismantling of the Washington Eagles is underway, and it began with a thunderclap. In a deal that ranks among the most significant trades of the modern era, Washington has sent franchise icon Tom Lorang to the Chicago Cougars, signaling a clear shift toward rebuilding after years of frustration in the capital.
The move inevitably draws comparison to the landmark 1968 trade that sent Dixie Turner from Pittsburgh (now Atlanta) to Montreal, a deal that ultimately delivered championship banners to both cities. Whether this transaction can produce similar dividends remains to be seen, but there is no mistaking its magnitude.
Lorang, now 33, remains one of the premier players in the game. Coming off his 12th All-Star selection, the four-time Whitney Award winner shows little sign of slowing down. The third baseman has led the Federal Association in batting average three times, captured 10 Diamond Defense Awards, and built a Hall of Fame résumé entirely in an Eagles uniform since debuting in Washington as an 18-year-old in 1960. His career totals—2,609 hits and 448 home runs—place him among the greats of the game.
For Chicago, the acquisition represents a major upgrade at third base and a dramatic boost to an offense that has lagged behind its pitching staff. Lorang is expected to slot into the heart of the Cougars lineup, batting third or fourth, and his presence immediately elevates Chicago’s standing in a brutally competitive division that includes defending World Champion Seattle along with the Los Angeles Stars and Dallas. Around the league, the consensus is that Lorang alone may not be enough to deliver a division title, but he puts the Cougars closer than they have been in decades to ending a playoff drought that stretches back to 1941.
Despite already owning the league’s highest payroll, Chicago appears far from finished. Lorang’s $250,000 salary—matching Montreal’s Dixie Turner for the highest individual figure in the sport—has not deterred the Cougars’ front office. Assistant General Manager Ted Tucker acknowledged that ownership remains willing to spend, with a power-hitting corner outfielder reportedly next on the club’s wish list.
Eagles Return Includes Two Top-30 Prospects
For Washington supporters, saying goodbye to a player who may ultimately be remembered as the greatest Eagle of all time—rivaled only by T.R. Goins—is a bitter pill to swallow. Still, the return package offers legitimate promise and a clear direction for a franchise in need of renewal.
The Eagles receive three teenage prospects, all of whom will be asked to help justify the decision to part with a first-ballot Hall of Famer still very much in his prime. Headlining the group is 19-year-old lefthander Hank Oliver, Chicago’s first-round pick in 1973. Selected 15th overall out of a Florida high school, Oliver is regarded by OSA as one of the top young pitching prospects in the minors, currently ranked 27th on its pipeline list, though he has yet to pitch above short-season Class A.
Joining him is outfielder Ralph Russell, an 18-year-old Milwaukee native chosen ninth overall last June. Ranked 28th by OSA, Russell flashed emerging power in his first professional season and projects as a slightly above-average power hitter if his development continues on course.
The third piece is second baseman Joe Stocksdale, a 19-year-old selected in the third round of the 1973 draft out of Illinois. While ranked further down OSA’s list at 151st, Stocksdale is viewed as a potential everyday player capable of developing into an above-average regular at the major league level.
SAILORS SEND EVANS TO MONTREAL
A second trade was completed last week, though it was largely overshadowed by the blockbuster in Washington. The Montreal Saints officially finalized a deal with San Francisco, acquiring catcher Woody Evans in exchange for a minor league pitcher.
Evans, 26, has served as the Sailors’ primary catcher for the past three seasons and hit .254 with nine home runs last year. Montreal views him as a clear upgrade over Eddie Thomas, the light-hitting backstop who has been the Saints’ regular since arriving in the original Dixie Turner trade in 1968.
San Francisco, meanwhile, will hand the reins behind the plate to 27-year-old Earl Frazee, Evans’ longtime backup. Frazee is expected to hold the job until highly regarded prospect Cyrus O’Shields—selected in the second round of the 1974 draft and ranked among the top 100 prospects in the game—is ready for major league duty.
Heading west is righthander Les Davis, a 20-year-old California native drafted by Montreal in the fifth round in 1972. Davis has seen limited action in three minor league seasons, posting a 2–5 record with a 4.38 ERA last year across rookie and short-season Class A ball. OSA projects him as a possible mid-rotation arm, though there are concerns about whether he will develop the stamina required to thrive as a full-time starter at the major league level.
EXTRA INNINGS -The Chicago Cougars also made a move to bring Jerry McMillan back in the fold, signing him as a free agent. The 37-year-old spent more than a decade and a half with the club before his trade to the New York Imperials midway through the 1973 season. He was a spare part for the Imperials last year and was released at the end of the season. McMillan, who has 2,549 career hits, has played all but 95 of his 2,363 big league games for the Cougars. If he sticks with Chicago, McMillan is due to make $55,000 this season....Another move designed to hold control of players as long as possible before free agency was made by the Atlanta Copperheads as they agreed to 1-year extension with five regulars including pitchers Jack Kotarski and Marco Middleton.
PAYING THE MEN WHO FILL THE PARKS
By Mooney Vetter
The reaction to Red Burtch’s new contract with the San Francisco Sailors has been swift and loud. Doom, they call it. Financial ruin. The first crack in baseball’s foundation as true free agency approaches. All because a 37-year-old pitcher—waived three times in three years—has been offered $70,000 to throw a baseball.
From where I sit, that reaction says far more about the owners than it does about Red Burtch.
I played more than 15 years in the FABL. I was never a star, never an All-Star, just a steady backup infielder who showed up, played when asked, and helped clubs win games. I never made more than $42,000 in a season, and that was in my final two years, 1973 and 1974. Before that, I never even reached $20,000. I can promise you this: the game made plenty of money while I was playing it, even if most of us never saw much of it.
Now we are told that Burtch’s contract is proof that owners are about to destroy themselves. Yet hockey figured this out years ago. Three seasons back, Hobie Barrell—the so-called “Million Dollar Man”—signed a five-year deal with Ottawa of the Continental Hockey League worth $200,000 per season. Today, only Tom Lorang in Washington at $250,000 and Dixie Turner in Montreal at $200,000 make that kind of money in baseball, both multiple-time Allen Award winners. Baseball is the most popular sport in the country, plays twice as many games as hockey, and fills far more seats. Somehow, its players are supposed to believe they are worth less.
Take Atlanta as just one example. The Copperheads drew more than two million fans last season, with an average ticket price just shy of four dollars. That’s nearly five million dollars at the gate alone, before television, radio, concessions, and sponsorships are counted. Their entire payroll was well under two million, and no player on the club made more than $125,000. If that sounds like a business on the brink of collapse, it’s a collapse most industries would happily accept.
We are also told that salaries have exploded beyond reason. History tells a different story. In 1950, home run king Bobby Barrell earned $97,000. Twenty-five years later, only 13 players in all of baseball make more than $100,000. The typical fringe big leaguer—the kind of player who keeps rosters afloat through injuries and long seasons—is still lucky to earn $25,000. That is not runaway growth. That is stagnation dressed up as restraint.
At the end of the 1975 World Championship Series, players with more than six years of service will finally be free to sell their skills on the open market. The reserve clause era will end, and not a moment too soon. Baseball will not collapse because players earn a fairer share. The parks will still fill, the games will still be played, and the owners will still profit.
The truth is simple: players are not the problem. They are the product. They are the reason fans buy tickets, tune in on the radio, and watch on television. If Red Burtch’s contract tells us anything, it’s not that the sky is falling—it’s that the game has been keeping a far larger share of its riches than it ever admitted.
It’s time that changed.
MILESTONE FOR MONTREAL STAR MOGGYMark Moggy played in his 1,000 career game on Thursday night and did so with his usual flair as the Montreal Valiants superstar defenseman scored once and set up two other goals to lead the Valiants to a 4-1 victory in Detroit. The 33-year-old Moggy has accumulated 810 points in those 1,000 outings including 72 so far this season.
Moggy, who has won the Dewar Trophy as the top defenseman in the NAHC a record seven times, is already the highest scoring rearguard in league history and likely still has a number of high production seasons ahead of him. He broke in with the Vals as a 19-year-old after being selected first overall out of Sherbrooke in the same draft that saw Detroit grab scoring star Hobie Barrell, who is now with Ottawa of the Federal Hockey League. Moggy won the McLeod Trophy as rookie of the year that season and has been named a first-team all-star 10 times in a career that is now in its 15th season. He was a second team selection three times and in 1968-69 became the first defenseman to win the McDaniels Trophy as league MVP. Moggy has also been a part of four Challenge Cup winning Valiants teams.
NAHC WEEKLY RESULTS
MONDAY FEBRUARY 3
New York at San Francisco : Ken Soin's powerplay goal and Jake Paiment's shorthanded marker lifted the Shamrocks to a 2-1 win over San Francisco
Toronto at Boston : Mark Berg scored twice and added an assist while Andy Agar had three helpers to pace Boston to a 6-1 victory over Toronto in a battle between the Connelly division leading Bees and the last place Dukes.
Montreal at Pittsburgh : Clyde Raines had a goal and an assist as Montreal scored three times in the third period to push past Pittsburgh 3-2.
Washington at St Louis : The Federals snapped a 3-game losing streak with a 5-2 road win in St Louis. Burt Fenwick had a goal and an assist to pace the winners.
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 4
Vancouver at St Louis : The Sawyers bounced back from last night's defeat with a 5-4 win over Vancouver, handing the slumping Totems their fifth consecutive loss and ruining a 2 goal, one assist night for Vancouver winger Johnny Gruber. The victory keeps St Louis just a point back of Minneapolis in the battle for second place in the Yeadon Division.
San Francisco at Boston :Eddie Lafleur was involved in all 3 Boston goals as the Bees and the visiting San Francisco Gulls skated to a 3-3 draw.
Cincinnati at Los Angeles :Make it 14 straight without a loss for the Los Angeles Stingrays, who nipped Cincinnati 3-2 and moved 3 points ahead of sinking Vancouver atop the Thomas Division.
Atlanta at Calgary :The Grizzlies are unbeaten in 5 games and Alex Wilkins earned his second shutout during that streak with a 3-0 blanking of Atlanta. Brian Sanders paced the offense with a goal and an assist as Calgary had a quick start, scoring all three of their goals in the opening 16 minutes of the game.
Detroit at Minneapolis : Tom Rowley had a goal and an assist while Al Ferguson made 36 saves to lead Minneapolis to a 4-1 win on home ice over the Detroit Motors.
Philadelphia at Chicago :A pair of division leaders met at the venerable Lakeside Auditorium where the hometown Packers, keyed by 2 goals and an assist from Terry Foster, extended their unbeaten streak to 4 games while handing the Rogues their fourth consecutive defeat in a 4-1 Chicago win.
Pittsburgh at Quebec :Pittsburgh has now lost 4 in a row after absorbing a 6-2 defeat to the Citadels. Nate Asselin scored twice, both with the man advantage to lead the Quebec attack.
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 5
Cincinnati at Quebec :Alan Porter's 34th goal of the season and three Dan Ross assists helped Cincinnati to a 4-1 victory over Quebec.
Philadelphia at Atlanta : Four third period goals helped the Rogues end a 4-game losing streak with a 5-3 win in Atlanta. Bill Camposano, who had scored just once in his first 15 games of the season, had a natural hat trick over a nine minute span early in the third period.
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6
Pittsburgh at Vancouver : The Totems snapped a 5-game losing streak and extended Pittsburgh's skid to five games with a 6-2 victory at the Vancouver Civic Coliseum. Ian Malka scored twice in the third period as Vancouver snapped a 2-2 with 4 unanswered goals.
Chicago at Toronto :A 6-2 road win at Dominion Gardens extended Chicago's winning streak to four games. Veteran Ken York scored twice for the Packers giving him 13 on the season and 552 for his career- 12 shy of Tommy Burns for second all-time.
St Louis at San Francisco :Mike Hampton scored twice and added two assists while Pat Valentine chipped in with two goals to lead St Louis past San Francisco 7-3. The Gulls are winless in their last four outings.
Washington at Los Angeles :The Stingrays have not lost in over a month with their latest win being another tight one, taking a 3-2 decision over the Washington Federals.
Calgary at New York :The Shamrocks won back to back games for the first time since December 17-18, scoring five times in the first period and holding on for a 7-5 win over Calgary. 15 different New York players earned at least a point with Greg Sutherland leading the way with a goal and two assists.
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 7
Philadelphia at Chicago :Adam McPherson had a goal and two assists while his mates on the Scotch Line Gary Yeadon and Glenn Mackenzie each picked up two points to lead the Rogues past the Packers 5-3.
Quebec at Los Angeles : The Stingrays are 15-0-1 in their last 16 games but have won each of their last five by just a single goal including a 3-2 decision over Quebec. Cory Shepley's 8th of the season midway through the third period proved to be the game winner.
Toronto at Vancouver :Vancouver fell 5 points behind the Stingrays for top spot in the Thomas Division following the Totems 5-2 loss to the Toronto Dukes. League scoring leader Ollie Perreault tallied twice for the winners.
Calgary at Minneapolis : Bill Sullivan now has both a 14 game point and assist streak after scoring once and setting up another goal in Minneapolis' 3-3 tie with Calgary. The 23-year-old Sullivan, in his fourth season with the Norsemen after being selected in the first round of the 1970 NAHC draft, has 2 goals and 14 assists in the last 14 games.
Montreal at Detroit : Mark Moggy became just the 14th player in NAHC history to appear in 1,000 regular season games. The 33-year-old eight time winner of the Dewar Trophy as top defenseman made it a memorable night by scoring once and earning two assists in a 4-1 Valiants victory over Detroit.
New York at Boston :New York's modest two-game winning streak came to an end with a 6-4 loss to the Bees at Denny Arena despite a pair of goals from Shamrocks star Danny Cabbell. David Bertrand and Bruce Callahan led the Bees offense with a goal and two assists each.
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 8
Minneapolis at Cincinnati : Bill Sullivan's 14 game point and assist streak ends as the Ironclads blank the Minneapolis Norseman 4-0. Brad Wall made 22 saves for his third shutout.
Washington at Atlanta :Henry Waugh scored twice to help lead the Federals to a 5-3 victory over the Atlanta Blazers. The win moves Washington two points ahead of Pittsburgh and out of last place in the Dewar Division.
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 9
no games scheduled
MAULERS PULL EVEN WITH WINNIPEGA three game winning streak has allowed the expansion Milwaukee Maulers to move into a tie with the Winnipeg Falcons for the best record in the Continental Hockey League. The Maulers have played 59 games, one more than the Falcons, but have equaled the Winnipeg point total of 79 following victories last week over Toronto, New York and Houston. The Falcons went 1-1-1 over the past seven days to allow the Maulers to close the gap.
The Maulers lack an elite scorer like Tim Moore or Swedish import Mattias Jacobsson of the Falcons but a late December trade that brought former Philadelphia Rogues and Houston Outlaws veteran forward Larry Ewbanks to Milwaukee seems to have ignited the Maulers offense. Ewbanks has scored 16 goals and 31 points in the 17 games since he arrived in Milwaukee. The Maulers have gone 12-5-0 over that span.
That outburst gives Ewbanks 59 points on the season, tying him for top spot among Milwaukee players and 10th overall in the CHL with defenseman Matt Mosher. Thirteen Maulers have already scored at least 10 goals on the season and their balanced attack has helped them keep pace with the high flying Falcons.
ATLANTIC SUDDENLY A FIVE TEAM RACE There is no division in professional basketball, and perhaps all of sports right now, that is more competitive than the Atlantic Division of the Federal Basketball League where only two and a half games separate first place from fifth. Big weeks from the Washington Statesmen and Toronto Falcons have tightened thins up considerably in the division, where the Philadelphia Phantoms and New York Knights are separated by mere percentage points with the Boston Centurions just a half game back.
A seven game winning streak that included a pair of wins over New York and one over Boston moved the Statesmen into contention while the Falcons are back on track with a four game winning streak of their own allowing them to right the ship following a stretch where they appeared to fall out of contention with 7 losses in an eight game span.
The fact that the big three also had some struggles helped contribute to the resurgence for Washington and Toronto. The Philadelphia Phantoms have lost four of their last six games including back to back defeats last week at the hands of the Statesmen and Falcons. New York had dropped five of six before rebounding with wins over Detroit and Boston last week while the Centurions are presently on a 4-game skid.
There is also a mild surprise in the Midwest Division where the St Louis Rockets suffered back to back losses in Chicago and Los Angeles last week. With five of their next six games on the road and an awful 8-17 record away from the Gateway Center - the Rockets are 24-2, best in the league at home- the door is open for Minneapolis or Houston to catch St Louis for the division lead. The Bobcats and Apollos are tied for second, 2 games behind St. Louis.
FULL STEAM AHEAD Although their 13 game winning streak came to an end on the weekend in the back half of a home and home set with the Philadelphia Mariners, the mighty Cincinnati Steamers continue to add to their lead atop the Continental Basketball League's East Division. The Steamers sole opponent last week was the Mariners, who sit second in the East Division but are now 11 games off the pace.
Cincinnati took the first two games of the three game setting, winning both at the Queen City Arena. The opener was a 133-112 triumph led by for Steamers topping the 20 point mark - Johnnie Carden, Bob Baldwin, Benny Zimmerman and Roger Williams. A day later it was a 133-122 win as Williams scored 29 and reserve center Doc Oney chipped in with 23. The Mariners came up short despite a 37-point showing from forward Cliff Schneider. The two met in Philadelphia on the weekend and this time the Mariners prevailed, claiming a 147-135 win.
The race in the West Division is tighter with the San Antonio Outlaws holding a 4 game bulge on second place Denver. The Bighorns may be fading as they have struggled lately with five losses in their last six games including a 122-119 defeat at the hands of Kansas City on the weekend.
KNIGHTS HOLD TOP SPOT DESPITE LOSS TO REAPERSThe Detroit City College Knights remain the number one ranked team in the nation despite the fact the school split it's two Great Lakes Alliance contests during the week. Detroit City College entered the week 4-0 in second play and 16-1 overall and they showed their dominance in a 54-40 drubbing of a Whitney College squad that entered the game ranked 5th in the nation. DCC did not have the same success on the road as they headed to Terre Haute to face the 12th ranked Indiana A&M Reapers. It was a cool reception for the Knights who fell behind early and could not rally, dropping a 58-54 decision to the Reapers, who moved into the top ten with the victory and share top spot in the GLA with the Knights at 5-1.
Maryland State remains second but closed the gap slightly and picked up a first place vote, something the Knights owned all of in the last poll. The Bengals led the South Atlantic Conference with a 5-0 section mark following an impressive 71-65 victory over North Carolina Tech. The week ahead will be a tough one for the Bengals who face 17th ranked Charleston Tech and 3rd ranked Carolina Poly next week. Both games will be held in Baltimore and it is the third ranked Cardinals who will likely be the tougher test although Carolina Poly did suffer its lone conference loss to the Admirals in the SAC opener for both schools late last month.
Three Deep South Conference schools hold down the fourth, fifth and sixth slot in the polls. #6 Northern Mississippi is the conference leader at 5-1 after wins over Opelika State and Bluegrass State last week. Baton Rouge State and Mississippi A&M are tied for second in the Deep South at 4-2 in conference play after the Generals upended the Red Devils 57-49 in Baton Rouge on Thursday.
ABF Heavyweight champion Leon Frazier will put his title on the line in Las Vegas on March 21. The 28-year-old champ, who knocked out Tony Rocca in Vegas last October to win the title and followed that up in late December with an unanimous decision over Curtis Rollins in the first heavyweight title fight to be contested in South Africa has been training in his Detroit gym in preparation for his next defense.
Frazier, with a record of 31-5 with 15 knockouts, will face Barry Bernard in March. The 32-year-old Bernard, a Lakeland, FL., native is presently the 6th ranked heavyweight according to TWIFS. He owns a record of 42-6-1 with his most recent outing being a second round knockout of Donald Brown three weeks ago. Bernard briefly held the heavyweight title when he upset then-champ Curtis Rollins in the fall of 1972 but lost to Tony Rocca in his first title defense.
Frazier is expected to be a resounding favourite to win the bout, which will be the first meeting of the two pugilists.
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 02/09/1975
- President Ford presses Congress for deep budget cuts to curb inflation, warning that recession and rising unemployment leave little room for expanded federal spending.
- Congress intensifies debate over aid to South Vietnam, with lawmakers weighing further reductions as reports indicate communist forces continue to gain ground.
- Unemployment figures fuel recession fears, as new data show joblessness rising sharply across U.S. manufacturing centers and Canada’s industrial heartland.
- CIA domestic spying revelations dominate Washington, following disclosures tied to the Rockefeller Commission probing intelligence abuses during the Cold War era.
- Oil prices remain stubbornly high despite talk of easing embargo pressures, keeping gasoline costs and heating bills a top concern across the continent.
- Patty Hearst legal maneuvering continues, with defense attorneys filing motions emphasizing coercion and brainwashing ahead of a trial expected to grip the nation.
- Ottawa faces renewed labor unrest over inflation, as unions warn against wage restraint measures while the Trudeau government searches for ways to slow price increases.