[Tiger Fan]

AUGUST 25, 1975

IMPERIALS SWITCH GEARS, WIN SIX STRAIGHT TO RETAKE EAST LEAD

Just when it looked like the New York Imperials were down and out, they decided to start winning again. Perhaps it was the two days of rest, as once they returned to the Big Apple, they managed to sweep both the Kings and the Wranglers.

It was the pitching that did the job, with each game seeing their guests score four or fewer runs. Three of their wins were by a single run, including a walk-off Woody Richardson (.356, 12, 69) single in an 11-inning nailbiter, as the Imperials quickly turned their fortunes around when it mattered most. They even managed to shutout the #1 offense in the Continental, and it was key considering it was the day they faced Seattle ace and former Allen winner Moe Lowery (16-8, 2.87, 148).

Teams in the East don't tend to win, so that 1.5 game deficit they had has turned into a 1.5 game lead. Cleveland went just 3-4 while Milwaukee was 2-5, making it too easy for the Imps to get back on top. Though to be fair, they did it without Phil Terry (.301, 17, 71, 14), an injury that I thought would make it almost impossible for them to return to first by season's end, let alone a few days into the week. His replacement, 23-year-old rookie Brian Miller (.219, 3, 10) didn't come close to matching his production, but they had help from unlikely sources. Sure, Richardson continued his great season, as the extra inning hero was 10-for-19 with a homer, 2 runs, 6 RBIs, and a walk, but not much was expected from Owen Drake (.268, 11, 49). Instead, the rookie second basemen was 7-for-16 with a triple, homer, 2 runs, and 4 RBIs, and fellow rookie John Gill had a nice debut week. The former 2nd Rounder was 4-for-11 with a double, walk, run, and 3 RBIs after replacing Terry on the roster. The 25-year-old can't play defense, but he's got a great hit tool, and may end up a key to them staying on top.

New York continues their homestand, hosting the Cougars for three, taking an off day, and then hosting the Mavericks for three more. Chicago swept the Imperials in the week before, but they just dropped five of six to the Canadian teams, who New York has had no issue with, and Kansas City is one of the few Western teams that lose more then they win. If these two series go well, New York could build a lead that will be much harder to blow then the one they just coughed up. And while they're at home, Cleveland traverses to Seattle and San Francisco, with Milwaukee first in San Francisco before heading to LA. Both teams will have to be on their best, otherwise the exciting race could get out of hand quickly.

Early Season Ends: Federal East

• When one team has 94 wins, you can assume most of the division has a lot less, but when it comes in August you know it. The Copperheads eliminated four of their competitors, with the Minutemen, Eagles, Keystones, and Clippers all earning that "e-" before their name in the standings. Who it's worst for is up for debate, but given expectations I have to pick to the Minutemen. Not only did they try to make additions, they won 83 games last year, and looked like they could try to stop the Copperheads. Instead, former #1 pick Willie Stephens (.333, 29) suffered a torn meniscus in June and even way back then things were falling apart. On the bright side, Dick Ward (.254, 26, 64, 24) looks legit and we'll be closely following his 30/30 quest, which will continue to bring fans to the stadium.
• For Washington it was expected, they traded Tom Lorang (.279, 6, 42, 9) at the perfect time, and the Keystones have been rebuilding themselves, but the expansion Clippers at one point were in first place. Sure it was super early and they quickly fell below .500, but there was hope for a winning season after an 81 and 79 in '73 and '74. Worse, none of their young guys took any major steps forward, with key guys like last year's Kellogg winner Hank Butler (.258, 5, 46, 15) take steps back. Regression should help them in both ways next season, but right now Atlanta looks too dominant to deal with in the immediate future.
• This leaves just the Gothams, but at 61-68 and 33 games out it's also just a formality at this point. They're only two clear of the Clippers, and they dropped each of their last two to the Suns. St. Louis should be an easier venue, but Atlanta isn't going to lose ten more games this regular season, let alone in the next ten days. Aside from Bunny Mullins (10-13, 3.87, 165) milestones there's not really much left to but look forward to the future. With roster expansion on the horizon, there are a lot of interesting prospects in AAA, including 14th ranked prospect Fred Dickson and 78th prospect Barney Knox. They could quickly become the new second basemen and center fielder, the latter which could be as early as today. Normally Bill Arndt (.277, 11, 72, 4) wouldn't be in any danger, but he picked up a quadricep strain in early August and he hasn't quite been able to shake it.

Weekly Awards: Richards, Bradshaw

• Atlanta has at least 10 more wins then every other FABL team, and it's because they have players like Gus Richards. A bit of an after thought on a team with John Newton (.316, 11, 59, 25), Al Hubbard (.341, 12, 63, 20), and Jack Blair (.340, 14, 97, 31), but it's the almost 27-year-old that gets everything going. After just five starts in three years, he's now the leadoff hitter, and his breakout is one of the many reasons. This week was just another example, as Richards went 12-or-25 with 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 4 runs, 5 walks, and 2 steals. The former 4th Rounder is now hitting .329/.414/.481 (147 OPS+) on the season, and if he was a rookie he'd be at least giving Bill Barber (.318, 19, 92) a run for the Kellogg, as despite spending a full season on the Copperhead roster last season he didn't come too close to the at bat threshold for rookie eligibility. That makes nearly everything a career best, as the "fourth" year player has 16 doubles, 3 triples, 9 homers, 44 RBIs, 61 runs, 45 walks, and 12 steals. Paired with okay outfield defense, he's been worth 3.3 WAR in 101 games, and with his rare combination of swing, speed, and discipline he could end keep this dynasty rolling even as the guys who started it start to get old.
• Believe it or not, the Toronto Wolves are the hottest team in baseball, winning seven straight against teams with a winning record. Now just ten games out, Clyde Bradshaw is a big reason why, capping off his week with a 4-hit, 4-RBI thrashing of Pug White (9-12, 4.07, 82) and the Cougars. Despite picking up a sore hamstring in the middle of the week, he hit .609/.623/.913 (315 OPS+) in 24 trips to the plate. He added 4 doubles, a homer, and 6 runs scored and driven in, returning to the form that earned him All-Star trips in his previous two seasons. Now 27, the third year shortstop is hitting .290/.344/.404 (103 OPS+) and his 120 WRC+ is just one point his personal best from last season. He's not much of a power hitter, just 6 homers in over 500 trips to the plate, but he has 29 doubles and that plays better at Dominion Stadium then anything but elite level power.

Exceptional Performances: Cohen, Marino, Smith, Inge, Martinez, Walker

• There was no shortage of individual efforts this week, starting with a streak that ended. For 20 games in a row, Kansas City's Chuck Cohen reached base successfully, before Ace Barrell (7-14, 5.23, 109) set him down three times and eventual game loser Charlie Wolf (3-11, 11, 4.89, 41) got out of trouble by getting Cohen out to finish the 9th. I'm not sure if he's more happy they won the game, or that he got two hits in each of the next two games the team lost, but either way he's now hitting an average .289/.348/.390 (101 OPS+) with 27 doubles, 7 triples, 3 homers, 56 RBIs, 65 runs, and 10 steals. His 144 hits are most on the team, as our his steals, while he's second in average and RBIs.
• 37-year-old vet Al Marino hasn't had much success making contact this season, but even in his old age, when he does the ball can go very far. On the 19th, everything was working, as he was 3-for-4 with 8 RBIs, as all three of his hits left the yard. Now with 11 on the season, he did go 1-for-21 in the six games following, so his .201/.280/.347 (73 OPS+) season line isn't too great. The defense has held up relatively well too (-4.1, .985), but year 17 might be his last as a FABL starter.
• Not everything has gone well for the Copperheads this year, and aside form his big five hit game this week, Howard Smith has been a major disappointment. Even with 4 RBIs and a perfect 4-for-4 showing, his .263/.329/.379 (96 OPS+) batting line remains below average -- a far cry from his .312/.396/.488 (157 OPS+) line in his 6 WAR season last year. Good defense has kept him at 2 in 107 games, but he's hit half the homers (10) and won't get anywhere near his 106 RBIs or 71 walks. It's scary to think how many games the Copperheads would win with the '74 version of him, but they'll settle for a middling year if it surfaces in the postseason.
• The rest of it was shutouts, as you can't forget that on average the FABL pitcher has their way with the FABL hitter. Copperhead #5 got things going, with 28-year-old Harry Inge spinning a 4-hit shutout of the Suns with just 1 walk and 5 strikeouts. An All-Star snub, last year's ERA leader is now 12-5 with a 2.55 ERA (151 ERA+), 2.80 FIP (71 FIP-), and 1.10 WHIP, and as surprising as it sounds you can only really argue that he should be their #4. Their rotation is so good that a guy with a 3.1 K/BB and 4.7 WAR is not the ace and it's not managerial malpractice, but it will be if Curly Anderson (7-5, 1, 3.79, 79) is starting postseason games over him.
• Baltimore's Jose Martinez (11-8, 2.61, 102) and Los Angeles' Charlie Walker (5-4, 3.07, 60; 5-4, 3.38, 64) completed the trio of shutouts. It's almost expected for Martinez, especially against the Arrows, as he'd be an Allen frontrunner if the Clippers could win him games. It was easy with the 2-hit shutout he did this week and the 1-hitter in 7 scoreless innings that came before, but on another team he'd be going for a 20-win season. It wouldn't be the same for the Stars' Walker, as he get's a ton of run support, though recently he has gotten some bad luck. Including his 2-hitter against Foresters, he's allowed 2 or fewer earned runs in each of his last five starts, but only came away with two wins.

Injury Notes: Kellison, Harris, Dennis

• It wasn't all good for the Wolves, as when the week lefty Pat Kellison quickly fractured his finger. Ending his debut season, the 24-year-old split time between Toronto and Buffalo, with 149 PAs on the Wolves. Out for the year, he'll finish with a .260/.342/.473 (120 OPS+) batting line, adding 13 doubles, 5 homers, 18 RBIs, 22 runs, and 15 walks. A good thing to build on, he'll turn 25 in March, and could open the season in left, right, or at first for Toronto. The former first rounder has nice pop and a strong hit tool, and could be reliable regular for the rest of the 70s.
• Chicago's elite defensive infield took another hit, with second basemen Cleo Harris dealing with shoulder tendinitis. The 29-year-old could play through it, but with the Cougars 16 out and on a tough skid, they may just let him rest up for two weeks and return him after the minimum. Worth a tenth of a WAR below 4, it's mostly due to his elite defense (19.6, 1.100), but he has 14 doubles, 10 homers, 51 runs, 56 RBIs, and 47 walks to go with the .251/.328/.355 (89 OPS+) line. He could be replaced by Sam Morrison (.284, 5, 20, 20), who while not an infielder, is a regular starter on rehab in Rockford.
• Nick Dennis' injury is a little more severe, as he wouldn't be able to play through his sprained PCL. Expected to last just two weeks, the backstop could return after rosters expand, and finish his rookie season. He's shown a lot of power, hitting 10 homers in 292 PAs, but the rookie's .229/.298/.370 (84 OPS+) batting line needs plenty of work. 25 in November, he's a guy they will want to build on, and they are lucky this shouldn't impact him too much long-term.

Transaction Notes: Martin, Ludwig, Fortier

• Minneapolis returned Rule-5 pick Charlie Martin to the Kings, as after 21 starts they determined he was not worth keeping long term. A former 4th Rounder, he spent parts of 1971 to 1973 in Seattle, but each of the next two seasons in their farm system. He looked solid and ate innings, but that's not what happened this time around. He lasted just 113.1 innings, working to a 4.69 ERA (82 ERA+), 4.45 FIP (115 FIP-), and 1.60 WHIP. His release opened a rotation spot for Don Barrell, who's only other FABL appearance was a two inning relief outing. A former 6th Pick, "Dangerous Don" doesn't have the upside of some of his family members, but he ranks 13th in the Millers organization and 182nd overall.
• The Millers also made a free agent add, signing first basemen Tex Ludwig to a $36,600 contract the day before. Ludwig spent the start of the season and at least part of each of the past five seasons in San Francisco, hitting .237/.303/.334 (85 OPS+) with 15 doubles, 2 triples, 9 homers, and 57 RBIs. Before joining the Millers, he last played June 8th in Cleveland, and he's gone 0-for-3 with a walk in a start and a appearance off the bench.
• Detroit rewarded Pat Fortier's breakout with a nice raise, giving their All-Star ace a $39,200 contract for 1976. It will be his aged 28 season, as he finally gets to spend a second season with a FABL club. Through 27 starts he's been brilliant, 13-5 with a 2.75 ERA (142 ERA+) and 1.15 WHIP. He's not a guy who overpowers you, striking out just 74 batters in 173.2 innings, but he generates a lot of weak contact while limiting free passes. As a soft tosser that's crucial, but his kitchen sink mix more then makes up for the lack of velocity.

Milestones: Boyd, Hicks, Zimmerman

• Ever since the Cannons took him 4th in the 1959 draft, Mark Boyd (.282, 7, 29, 7) has been known for his power, and on April 20th the Kenosha native hit his 250th FABL home run. The 70th player to do this, he hit 30 homers in three of his first four seasons as a regular, with the only miss due to injury. At 34 he's in his second year as a reserve, which snapped his streak of double digit homer seasons, but 7 in 247 PAs is not too bad. Even though most of his time has been spent with the Gothams, he has more homers six seasons with Cincy, and his 134 homers ranks 7th in Cannons history. He doesn't seem likely to reach 300, but with a 134 WRC+ this year it's too early to give up on him, even if he's only started 54 games this year.
• Add another to the list of players to reach 100 saves this season, as Cougar lefty Augie Hicks (5-5, 13, 3.62, 36) joined the club with his 13th of the season. The third closer Chicago has used this season, his 100th save was the only win, as he picked up two losses against the Wolves later in the week. Just 29, he picked up 20 or more saves in three consecutive seasons for the Chiefs from 1970 to 1972, and has an outside chance to reach that this season if he stops blowing games and his Cougars go on a run.
• Usually when a bench player debuts, it goes unnoticed, but Cleveland's Bobby Zimmerman joins a very rare group thanks to his pinch-hit debut in an 8-5 win over the Stars. Taken 463rd by the Foresters in the 1969 draft, he became the third latest FABL pick play in a game. He became the third latest with a hit two days later, one of the only two in Charlie Walker's shutout. Zimmerman now joins Vic Kiel, taken by the Wranglers 464th in 1965, and Ernie Lott, taken 478th by the Eagles in the 1964 draft, as the only FABL players taken after pick 450 to record a hit. Free agent reliver Pat Andrews is the only other guy taken that late to debut, and now the 29-year-old Zimmerman has a chance to catch Lott's 21 hits and 3 homers and make late round history.

AFA PRESEASON GAMES GET UNDERWAY

A year ago nearly half of the Buffalo Red Jackets games where decided by a touchdown or less including their 12-6 victory over Houston to earn the Red Jackets their first World Classic title. If the opening week of preseason action is any indication the Red Jackets may play a lot of close games again in 1975. Buffalo opened its preseason slate with a 10-7 victory over the Boston Americans, a game that was decided by a 32-yard field goal courtesy of Buffalo kicker Warren Maness just over 4 minutes into overtime.

The game, held at Boston's Minutemen Stadium and with backups handling most of the playing time, was a quiet affair that saw neither team put any points on the board until the midway point of the fourth quarter. Boston had opportunities earlier in the contest but failed to convert as the Americans missed on a pair of field goal attempts and fumbled away the ball at the Buffalo six yard line. Buffalo never got much going as neither backup quarterback Cal Matlock or free agent Chris Kennedy could accomplish much.

Boston finally took the goose eggs off the scoreboard when a missed assignment by the Buffalo secondary allowed Donald Horton to find rookie wideout Joe Miller for a 53-yard touchdown pass on what turned out to be the longest play of regulation. With six minutes remaining in regulation the Red Jackets finally had a sustained drive, but it was successful more became the Americans defense committed three fouls to prolong the drive. On a third and goal from the Boston one yard line with 2:44 remaining in regulation, Buffalo's Randall Peterson dove over the pile to tie the game. The Red Jackets won the coin toss in overtime and came up with a big pass play of their own - Matlock teamed up with veteran receiver Bobby Rinehart on a 56 yard catch and run that set up the game-winning 32-yard field goal by Maness.

The game in Boston was not the only one to go to overtime as Seattle and Milwaukee settled nothing after 60 minutes and another 15 did not change matters with the Roughnecks and Stags battling to a 24-24 draw. The game had plenty of drama late as each club scored on a long touchdown pass in the final minute of regulation. Seattle had a chance to win it in the extra period but Trenton Lacey, who normally handles the punting duties for the Roughriders, missed on a 45-yard field goal attempt.

In other action Charlie Stillwell and Alton Pennell connected on a pair of long touchdown passes to lift the Pittsburgh Paladins to a 17-0 victory over the New York Stars. Some good news for New York is starting quarterback Dick Cleaves, who completed just 39% of his throws a year ago, looked sharp in limited action, completing four of six throws for 45 yards.

Clinton McKnight and Jack De Lacey teamed up on a 31-yard touchdown pass with a minute and a half remaining in regulation to lift the New York Titans to a 24-21 victory over the Philadelphia Frigates. The win came at a price for the Titans as guard Michael Savage suffered an injury that will end his season almost before it began. The 22-year-old was a 1974 fourth round pick and started 6 games for the Titans last year.

All the scoring in Chicago came in the first half as the visiting San Francisco Wings downed the Wildcats 10-3 at Cougars Park. The only touchdown of the contest came on the opening drive when the Wings marched 89 yards over 14 plays culminating in a 5 yard run for Jimmy Young. Young was the Wings first round selection, fifth overall out of Portland Tech in the spring AFA draft. In total, Young had 5 carries for 27 yards.

The Dallas Stallions scored 14 points in the final four minutes to rally past the Detroit Maroons 21-20. Veteran backup quarterback Dave Lerma had a big day for the winners, throwing for 178 yards and the two late scores while rookie Carl Berger, the Stallions first round selection, had five catches for 84 yards.

Dominic Cross was successful with a 43-yard field goal attempt midway through the fourth quarter to lift the Los Angeles Tigers to a 13-10 victory over the Miami Mariners. Veteran backup defensive back Damian Clem had a big game for the Tigers as the long-time backup cornerback had an interception and recovered a fumble while also making seven tackles.

First overall draft pick Allen McAlister learned quickly that the AFA is much different than what he experienced in college at St. Blane. The quarterback, who won a national title as a freshman, struggled mightily and completed just two of 13 pass attempts as his Atlanta Firebirds were blanked 13-0 by the Minnesota Lakers.

At Prairie Park in Kansas City, Cowboys backup quarterback Scott Willard had a big day. The 24-year-old completed 11 of 14 passes for 130 yards and two second quarter touchdowns to propel the Cowboys past the New Orleans Crescents 17-7. The game marked the debut of Rick Fall with the Crescents after the defensive end spent the first 13 seasons of his career with the Cowboys. Fall looked very good against his former mates, notching 8 tackles and a sack of Willard.

Javier Headley, who gained over 900 yards a year ago for the Cleveland Finches, had a strong game rushing for 90 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Finches to a 27-7 win over visiting Houston. There were holes all day in the Drillers defense as another Finches back, Dean Langer, also had a big afternoon, rushing for 109 yards. It is the Drillers backfield where there are questions as the club copes with the retirement of long-time rushing star Vern Rebovich, who retired after a decade of averaging over 1,000 yards a season for Houston. Scott Starling, a 1975 second round pick out of Northern Cal, led the Drillers in rushing with 56 yards but carried the ball 24 times. Billy Ray Brown, the only Houston back with previous experience, was not successful either as he gained just 10 yards on five attempts.

Robert Haas, the dual threat quarterback who was named AFA player of the year last season, had his ups and downs going the distance for Denver in a 13-10 loss to the San Diego Admirals. Haas threw for 115 yards, completing 15 of 29 attempts with one touchdown and an interception. The Mountaineers signal caller had trouble when he tucked the ball and ran, netting just 10 yards on 15 carries after average 5 yards a carry a year ago.

The highest scoring game of the weekend saw the Cincinnati Riverman wallop the Ramblers 56-28 in St Louis. Rivermen starting quarterback Chuck Rayford played just one series, completing 6 of 8 for 67 yards and a score before turning the ball over to backup Charles Clark. Clark had himself a day, throwing for 223 yards and 5 touchdowns. Little seemed to go right for the Ramblers as all they did was reiterate predictions that they will be in the running for the first overall draft choice next year.

Finally in the nation's capital the Washington Wasps downed the Los Angeles Olympians 20-3. Terry Bergeron, in a battle to regain the starting quarterback job in Washington that he lost two years ago to Charles Hartman, was impressive in completing 13 of 21 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown. Hartman only played the first series for the Wasps and went 2-for-4 for 37 yards.

PRESEASON WEEK ONE RESULTS
Buffalo 10 Boston 7 (OT)
Cleveland 27 Houston 7
Pittsburgh 17 New York Stars 0
New York Titans 24 Philadelphia 21
Washington 20 Los Angeles Olympians 3
San Francisco 10 Chicago 3
Dallas 21 Detroit 20
Kansas City 17 New Orleans 7
Los Angeles Tigers 13 Miami 10
Cincinnati 56 St Louis 28
San Diego 13 Denver 10
Minnesota 13 Atlanta 0
Seattle 24 Milwaukee 24


THIS WEEKEND'S SCHEDULE
NY Titans at Cleveland
Milwaukee at NY Stars
Chicago at Philadelphia
LA Tigers at Washington
LA Olympians at Detroit
Atlanta at Kansas City
Minnesota at St Louis
Seattle at Buffalo
Houston at Boston
Dallas at Denver
San Diego at Pittsburgh
New Orleans at Cincinnati
Miami at San Francisco



SEASON PREVIEW: TOP PLAYERS

A week ago we looked at the top quarterbacks entering the 1975 American Football Association season as determined by OSA, the league scouting service. We build on that this week by taking a look at some of the other position groups. Below are the players the OSA ranks as the top ten defenders, running backs, wide receivers and offensive linemen.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW: DEEP SOUTH CONFERENCE

Born out of a 1920 break with the South Atlantic Conference, the Deep South Conference has grown into college football’s largest and most decorated league. Its twelve members have combined to make the DSC the standard by which success is measured, with eight of the schools having reached number one in the national rankings at least once. No programs better symbolize that dominance than Georgia Baptist and Noble Jones College, each the proud owner of six national championships.

Depth and balance have long been the Deep South’s calling cards. In most seasons the conference places three teams—and occasionally as many as four—into New Year’s Day Classics. Last fall, however, represented a relative dip by DSC standards, with only champion Northern Mississippi and Cumberland earning postseason invitations.

Northern Mississippi claimed just its second conference title by posting a 7–1 league record, then went on to reinforce the conference’s reputation by defeating Red River State 28–17 in the Oilman Classic. That annual New Year’s Day matchup between the Deep South and Southwestern Athletic Association champions has tilted heavily in the DSC’s favor, with Deep South teams winning 16 of the 23 meetings since the series was established.

Cumberland, the lone Tennessee school competing at the AIAA’s top level, added another postseason success by capturing the Cajun Classic in New Orleans with a 27–14 victory over Eastern State of the South Atlantic Conference. The Bulldogs finished ninth in the final national poll, six places behind the Mavericks.

As always, the Deep South enters the new season both crowded and unpredictable. Six different schools have claimed the conference title over the past six years, and early indications suggest as many as five DSC teams could appear in the preseason top ten when it is released next week. Georgia Baptist and Noble Jones are, as usual, fixtures in any championship discussion.

One program drawing particular attention in 1975 is Mississippi A&M. The Generals finished second at 7–1 in conference play two seasons ago before slipping into the middle of the pack last fall. They have not won a Deep South title since 1962, but that drought could be tested if junior quarterback Jimmy Ray Johnson proves to be as good as advertised. Central Kentucky and Alabama Baptist also appear poised to challenge for the conference crown and a coveted New Year’s Day trip to the Oilman Classic.

In a league where pedigree, depth, and weekly survival all matter, the Deep South once again shapes up as college football’s toughest proving ground.

Wolves Wakeup, Win 7 Straight

Fans, players and staff seem to be walking around Dominion Stadium with a new bounce in their step. Who can blame them? As the dog days of August wind down Toronto is riding a seven game winning streak giving the Wolves a 12-10 record in August. This is significant given that 16 of the 22 games have been against the West where the Wolves have struggled for wins all season.

With the 9-7 record so far in August the season total when the opposition comes from the CA West is now a slightly more respectable 25-40 with 7 games left in the interdivision schedule. These last games will close out August for the Wolves with 3 at home against Kansas City before going to Dallas for 4. All 26 of September's games with be within the CA East evenly split between home, road games.

The week began with Dallas in town. Pat Kellison, who would be injured later in the week, hit a grand slam in a 7-4 Monday evening victory. Kellison will be out for the remainder of the season with a broken finger. On Tuesday and Wednesday Wolves won a pair of one-run games 6-5 in 11 on Tuesday thanks to Rigby's 11th inning single, one of two walk off hits George would deliver for the home fans this week. His second came a night later in the ninth when pinch hitting for Cleaves, he smacked another single allowed the Wolves to rally for to win 3-2.

After the team's last day off in August, Chicago was in town for a weekend set. The walkoff ways continued on Friday when Edwin Viramontes sent the 13,931 on hand home happy with a 2 run shot in the 10th. Viramontes had entered the game in the second after Kellison was injured sliding into home in the first. A tight 2-1 victory Saturday afternoon kept the streak alive before a wild Sunday in which Gus Hayes had 5 RBI including a 2 run homer and a 2 run triple, Bradshaw added 4 more in a 16-6 final. By taking the last 4 matchups with Chicago the Wolves finished with a 6-6 mark playing the Cougars. Red Bullock became the first Toronto hurler with double digit wins, picking up his 10th.

Les Reid will be back on the roster to replace Kellison, while Cullen will spend a week in Buffalo to get his eye back before rosters expand in September.
In other news Clyde Bradshaw was 14 for 23 with 6 runs, 6 RBI to claim the CA POTW. Wolves have climbed to 9th place in the Weekly FABL rankings even though they remain last by percentage points in the East. Davenport Dusters, 75-43, are close to clinching the Heartland West. Gene Anderson, 18, is leading the Gulf States League in victories 6 even with 44 BB in 61 IP. At 19 Tom Allenby is feasting on GSL pitching with a .395/.525/.561 line 2 HR 19 RBI.

The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 08/24/1975

• President Ford nominates John Paul Stevens to Supreme Court, tapping the little-known Chicago appeals court judge to replace the retiring Justice William O. Douglas.
• Confirmation hearings for Stevens begin swiftly, with early reaction noting his moderate record and lack of ideological flashpoints.
• Congress moves to finalize New York City loan guarantees, as federal officials begin preparing the first large disbursements under the rescue program.
• Canada braces for backlash as wage and price controls bite, with unions staging protests and warning of escalating labor unrest.
• Energy officials warn heating oil shortages possible this winter, raising concern across northern U.S. states and Canada ahead of the cold season.
• Bicentennial preparations spotlight security concerns, with federal planners outlining crowd-control and emergency measures for 1976 events.