[Tiger Fan]

JULY 14, 1975

ROSTERS NAMED FOR FABL ALL-STAR GAME

The greats of baseball will gather tomorrow evening at Peachtree Stadium in Atlanta as FABL prepares for its 43th annual all-star game. The midseason classic, a staple since 1933, will once again see the best of the Federal Association square off with the class of the Continental Association. It marks the first time the game will be played in Atlanta and comes just 18 months after the Pittsburgh Miners franchise moved to Georgia and became the Copperheads.

Only 22 of the 24 teams will be represented as while the Continental Association moved to ensure each of its member clubs had at least one player on the 25 man roster, the Federal Association went strictly with a merit based approach which left both the Boston Minutemen and New York Gothams without a player participating in the contest. The Continental Association did have some leeway as their roster contains 27 names since Montreal Saints pitcher Hal Bennett and Los Angeles Stars shortstop Lew Smith, both selected to the team, will not be able to play due to injury. The Seattle Kings, Dallas Wranglers and Atlanta Copperheads each had five players selected to lead the way with the most all-stars.

Surprisingly, the CA did not name a shortstop to replace Smith and the Continental Association will be without a natural shortstop for the game which likely means one of the two third-baseman in Buck Stout of Dallas or the New York Imperials George Love will likely shift to shortstop for the contest.

The Continental Association won last years game by a 6-3 score with Stout being named the Most Valuable Player. All told, the Federal Association, which has won 9 of the last 11 games, leads the overall series 22 victories to 20.

IMPERIALS WIN SIX STRAIGHT, TAKE CA EAST LEAD INTO THE ALL-STAR BREAK

No team has entered the All-Star break hotter then the New York Imperials, who took two of three from the Cannons, two of three from the Stars, and then all four against the Sailors. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Arrows are the coldest, losing nine straight and 11 of their last 12. Not only did it erase the 5.5 game lead the Arrows had entering the month, but it put the Imperials a game ahead.

A team who's never made the playoffs or even win 90 games in a season, they've also never finished a season within 5 games of first place. This year it could all change, as they're playing their best baseball of the season, and after the break they'll get back their co-ace John Alfano (4-6, 4.61, 34). Him and Jim White (12-4, 3.68, 132) are two of the most talented pitchers in baseball, and they've gotten outstanding and unexpected performances from Don Bradner (6-4, 3.15, 56) and Emmett Thornton (9-3, 1, 3.13, 44), while back-to-back All-Star Ed Cooper (2-4, 20, 2.83, 37) is able to hold nearly any lead he's given.

They do some hitting too, getting a ton of power from leadoff hitter George Love (.276, 14, 45, 13) and cleanup hitter Phil Terry (.273, 12, 51, 10), but what's really changed their fortune is the surprise breakout of Woody Richardson. Acquired in the offseason from the Sailors, the 26-year-old hit his was into the lineup, and is now batting .357/.410/.461 (140 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 6 homers, 27 walks, 36 runs, and 43 RBIs. He's been worth 2.5 WAR in 86 games, and aside from poor first base defense, there's not much he's had issues with. Along with Al Reece (.330, 7, 33, 12), these four make up an imposing top of the order. It's helped push them into the top-5 for many offensive categories, and if they want to keep their new found first place, they will continue to rely on this group.

Milwaukee, meanwhile, is trying to survive the downfall of a Whitney winner, as between mediocre performance and his bone spur, Harry Edwards has been a much different player. The now 26-year-old is hitting just .245/.340/.436 (113 OPS+), and he's not expected to return until August. Despite the low average, he is producing runs, hitting 11 doubles, 11 homers, and 52 RBIs, but coming into the season he never had an OPS+ or WRC+ above 140. It would take a miracle to get there now, and the Arrows just don't have the bats to make up for it. They have one of the top staffs in baseball, led by Tex Cavanaugh (4-9, 3.47, 65), Joe Wright (9-5, 3.53, 100), and Johnny Hoskinson (6-6, 2.99, 50), but they are just not providing them with the support they need. Despite his struggles, Edwards has been one of their more productive hitters, and their most effective hitter Rich Moyer (.342, 4, 28, 7) also missed time with injury. They've have played very few games together, and it's led to a lot of low scoring losses. Unless they right the ship fast, they could continue to slip, as Cleveland is just a half game behind them, and the .500 Saints are just 3.5 back of the Imperials.

Shaping up to be one of, if not the only, divisional race this season, only one other FABL division has a team within 5 games. No one is within 20 of FABL's best team, the 64-25 Atlanta Copperheads, and the 60-31 Seattle Kings have ten more wins and losses then the second place Cougars. Poor Chicago would lead the East, and they'd be a game closer then the 4.5 out the Detroit Dynamos find themselves in the Fed West. At 54-38, the Suns have not been able to pull away despite Tom Lally's (.317, 21, 67, 7) Whitney season and Sam Forrester's (.305, 19, 78, 24) 30/40 quest.

You'd think in the end, a team with stars like that with an ace like Heinie Schmidt (10-6, 3.12, 91) and a lockdown closer in Ron Clark (3-1, 21, 2.91, 46) would be enough, but baseball is all about the whole being worth more then the sum of the parts. Even Houston and Chicago are just six out, and like Detroit they don't have superstar bats. What they all do have is a strong supporting cast, which might suggest the Suns will go shopping after the break. With two divisions seemingly settled, this could lead to a large group of sellers, as even someone like the Dallas Wranglers could sell. Even though they've won ten in a row, they're still 12 games out of first, and a falling back to earth could lead to a selloff. Team like Boston, Washington, Toronto, Cincinnati, and Kansas City should all be open for business, but they may not be able to capture the prospect package they are looking for with so few teams confident on making a run.

• Major round milestones were reached, most notably Jorge Arellano's (4-8, 3.58, 68) 300th victory. A long-time Gotham and Keystone, the 44-year-old came close to his 40th career shutout too, leaving with two outs to go in an eventual 5-0 win over the Comets. Arellano did walk 5, which led to him not finishing things off, allowing 5 m ore hits with a single strikeout. Despite his record, he has a respectable 3.58 ERA (107 ERA+) and 3.68 FIP (94 FIP-) in his 18 starts. A veteran of 4,989 FABL innings, he's set to be the 14th pitcher to reach the 5,000 inning mark. They've been filled with quality, leading to a 3.57 ERA (112 ERA+), 3.47 FIP (85 FIP-), and 3,261 strikeouts, as Arellano has amassed 101.5 career WAR. Most impressively may be that he leads the Keystones in wins, and despite spending the first eight and a half years of his career in the Big Apple, he's two wins away from being the first pitcher in franchise history to win 200 games with the club.
• We had a fourth guy get to 100 saves, with Arellano's teammate Jim Steuber (3-6, 14, 2.66, 48) getting his save two days after Arellano's win, but more notably we have a new 2,000 hit hitter. That would be Ernie Carter (.246, 3, 29, 10) of the Comets, who hit his first 1,920 base hits with the San Francisco Sailors. Suffering through the two worst seasons of his long FABL career, he's a career .273/.326/.397 (107 OPS+) hitter, notching 335 doubles, 65 triples, and 148 RBIs. His current 86 WRC+ would be the second worst since his 1962 debut, and Houston has not gotten the bounce back they were betting on when they added the 34-year-old infielder.
• Perhaps it impacted Tom Lally too, as for a reason I cannot understand, he was not one of the unanimous All-Star selections. I guess for one voter, perhaps one based in Georgia, a .317/.392/.556 (165 OPS+) batting line with 21 homers, 67 RBIs, 73 runs, and an 11.3 WAR pace isn't enough to get to the All-Star game. Leading in homers and WAR (6.4) just isn't quite enough. It wasn't an association thing, as the two unanimous winners were Minneapolis' Carl Kilkenny (.317, 19, 56) and Atlanta's Marco Middleton (12-1, 2.65, 94). Kilkenny received all the third base votes, leading the Fed with a .565 slugging and .969 OPS, earning his second selection in his short three year career. This year's is far more deserved, as the former 15th Rounder hit just .278/.346/.426 (113 OPS+) when first selected as a rookie, and he's continuing to improve on that each season.
• Pitching is a little different, as you cast three votes, but all voters used one of those selections on the now 8-Time All-Star. Ironically his most recent appearance was awful, coming in for two innings of relief work and providing 4 runs (3 earned), 3 hits, and 3 walks. He struck out just one of the thirteen guys he faced, well worse then his usual rate as a starter. Readers will know that he was 5-0 as the June Pitcher of the Month. He has shutouts in two of his previous three starts, entering the second half 12-1 with a 2.65 ERA (144 ERA+), 2.99 FIP (76 FIP-), and 1.14 WHIP. Before that, he'll toe the rubber at his home stadium and kick off the annual festivities.
• With Hal Bennett hurt, there's no word on who will start for the Continental against the 4-Time Allen Winner. You can't go wrong with either King, but if it was me I'd go with first time All-Star Bill Harris. Arguably he biggest pickup of the offseason, the former Forester went 11-3 with a 2.18 ERA (176 ERA+) and 1.07 WHIP. His 71-to-25 strikeout-to-walk ratio is one of the best in the league, as Seattle's staff has really unlocked his command, giving them yet another elite arm on the right side of 30.
• New York baseball teams swept the weekly awards, with the Gothams' Sam Hamilton (.289, 8, 43, 21) and the Imperials' Woody Richardson (.357, 6, 43) named the top players of the week. Hamilton hit an outstanding .565/.600/.739 (268 OPS+) with a double, a homer, and 2 RBIs, swiping 6 bases in 8 attempts. Now with 21 on the season, he's the only member of his team with at least ten. Richardson meanwhile has been instrumental in bringing the Imps to first, going 12-for-27 with 5 runs, 3 doubles, 3 walks, and 10 RBIs.
• I might have jinxed Saints pitcher Hal Bennett, saying you can pen his name into the All-Star game. I was right, he was one of the players selected, but the Montreal ace will not get to pitch in what would have been his first All-Star game. The former first rounder left with knee discomfort during his 18th start of the season, as after two perfect frames he had to depart. The diagnosis was grim, a torn PCL, and the 29-year-old now runs the risk of missing Opening Day 1976. It's a terrible way for the season to end, as the reliable righty took a major step forward this year. Finishing with 115 innings, he was 11-4 with a 1.96 ERA (198 ERA+), 1.11 WHIP, and 60 strikeouts. At 46-46, Montreal was still technically in the race for a crowded Conti East, but without easily their best pitcher, it may be time to shift focus on to next season.
• Milwaukee's offensive struggles are well noted, as their nine game skid has seen them score two or fewer runs in all but one game. This includes three shutouts in Dallas, starting with eighteen innings of scoreless baseball and finishing with nine more. Ed Smith (6-7, 4.14, 79) had a 3-hitter with 2 walks and 8 strikeouts, while Larry Perry's (6-8, 3.86, 84) 5-hitter saw 4 walks and 2 strikeouts. Neither are dominant pitchers either, as it really hasn't mattered who has been on the mound. The only thing working in their favor now is three full days off, as they can reset before hosting three series at beautiful Lakefront Park.
• It may not be the solution to their woes, but they will have a new guy they could put at first or in the outfielder. Recently waived by the Suns, 8-Time All-Star Harry Dellinger (.277, 2, 24, 6) will join his third organization, with all the moves coming recently. He was just average at the plate, batting .277/.342/.373 (101 OPS+) with 10 extra base hits, 24 RBIs, 26 runs, and 6 steals. With a lot of versatile quality players, they can find a way into the lineup if they want to, as his right handed bat would compliment the six lefties they have right now even if it's just coming off the bench.
• Dellinger wasn't the only guy on the move, as the Dynamos claimed the versatile Bill Calvin (.224, 2, 9) off waivers from the Suns. Another guy who started his career with the Keystones, Calvin was their first round pick in 1962, and the former top 15 prospect made Philly his home from 1965 to 1972. His time in LA was far shorter, lasting just two and a half seasons after being added following the '72 season. It worked out well for the Keystones, as James Powers (6-5, 3.29, 82) has been excellent out of the rotation this year, while Calvin was pushed out of playing time. Used primarily at first for the Suns, he started 27 of his 37 appearances, but there's no chance he displaces rookie Lou Strader (.309, 10, 34). Instead, he can come off the bench at seven different positions, all of which he's played in FABL.
• The Chiefs had a lot of injury issues, as not only did John Butts (.286, 2, 25, 8) suffer a setback in his rehab from back stiffness, they lost two hitters to more serious injuries. At least for Ricardo Castillo (.321, 4, 47, 16), it may just be a week, but he will not be able to play through his back strain. Lost for longer though, is reserve outfielder Andy Ellefson (.389, 3, 35), who will miss at least a month with a fractured hand. Despite limited appearances, he's played frequently, making 182 plate appearances across 70 of the Chiefs' games. His .389/.462/.529 (172 OPS+) batting line was well above average, and it would be a blow if the 26-year-old lost all the momentum he built up.

Western Teams Continue to Rack Up Wins Playing Wolves

Toronto heads into the All-Star Game break 15 games below the breakeven mark at 37-52 after a 2-4 week playing opponents from the CA West. In the first half the team has played teams from the other division 40 times compiling a 13-27 (.325) record. Seattle has now won 8 of 9 when Wolves provide the opposition including a 3 game sweep out scoring the home team 17-7 even with a close first game that Kings needed 10 to win 3-2.

Not that the fans need anymore bad news, the schedule has the Wolves starting in Seattle after the break which does not bode well for a hot start to the second half of the season. The headline might be a little misleading as the team did take 2 of 3 from the Stars over the weekend after blowing a 3-0 lead on Friday night when Los Angeles put up 8 straight runs while torturing the Toronto pitching staff with 15 hits. They almost blew a 6-3 lead going into 9 when Joe Henke had to deliver a walk off single in the bottom of the ninth for a 7-6 win. Wolves won their first series of the month with a 2-1 taming of the Stars on Sunday. Not surprisingly no Wolves were voted in by the fans for the game in Atlanta on Wednesday. The only member of the team going to Atlanta is Phil Story who is an obligatory selection to have all teams represented in the game.

Dunbar sees the second half as experiment for Evans with his team. The front office is said to be leaning towards more development of the next generation rather than pushing players to the FABL. The moves in the coming months will be concentrated on moving players to their highest minor league level before making the ultimate step to the majors. In draft news both INF Eugene Orton, selected in the second round, along with OF Howie Carter, chosen in the fifth, have signed with organization. They will begin their journey in Tuscaloosa next week.

Only 4 teams in FABL have a lower winning percentage than the Wolves. An improvement in the last half of the season would be to get the winning percentage to 45%. This would mean a record of 73-89 or a 36-37 record in the remaining games on the schedule.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW: PLAINS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

The Plains Athletic Association has a rich history dating back to the early days of the sport and one of the first national champions came from the conference when College of Omaha shared the 1907 national title with Centerville, a school that no longer is in division one. The Raiders are still searching for a second national title, but the Plains Athletic Association did win two more national titles in the ensuing years. Both came from the Oklahoma City State Wranglers, who shared the 1917 crown with Georgia Baptist and won a title of their own in 1949 following a perfect 10-0 season that culminated in a Lone Star Classic upset of Bayou State. That was the last time a school from the conference won a national title but there have been some very competitive seasons including two years ago when the Wranglers went 10-2 and finished third in the rankings. Lawrence State in 1962 and Daniel Boone College in 1959 also finished third, which is the high water mark for the conference since 1949.

The champion of the Plains Athletic Association usually goes to Miami for New Years Day and plays in the Sunshine Classic. A year ago it was a game that determined the national title as the Boulder State Grizzlies upset then #1 ranked Annapolis Maritime 27-7, costing the naval academy what would have been its first national title since 1913.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW: MIDWESTERN ASSOCIATION

The Midwestern Association's north-south footprint is one of the largest in the nation, extending from Thief River Falls, Minnesota all the way down to Houston, Texas. A lower tier conference, it had a lot of movement with schools coming and going in the early days but has been stable with its current seven members since 1961.

In recent years the conference has been dominated by Topeka State as the Braves have won five consecutive conference titles and seven in the last eleven years. General the Midwestern Association schools do not have a lot of success outside of the conference, but the Braves have been an exception recently, finishing in the top ten in both 1972 and 1973.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 07/13/1975

• President Ford formally proposes federal loan guarantees for New York City, sending legislation to Congress and igniting sharp debate over conditions attached to the rescue.
• Congress opens hearings on New York aid package, with lawmakers split over fears of setting a national bailout precedent.
• Unemployment rate holds stubbornly high, reinforcing concerns that economic recovery remains fragile despite easing inflation pressures.
• Draft amnesty debate returns to Washington, with renewed calls for clemency for Vietnam-era draft resisters gaining political traction.
• U.S.-Soviet relations strained by arms talks slowdown, as officials acknowledge limited progress ahead of a planned fall summit.
• Energy officials warn of tight gasoline supplies in some regions, prompting localized shortages during peak summer travel.
• Bicentennial security and budget concerns surface, as planners acknowledge rising costs and crowd-control challenges for 1976 celebrations.