OCTOBER 20, 1975
PAIR OF UPSETS IN DEEP SOUTH HIGHLIGHT COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEKEND The Deep South Conference is known for its parity and how many national championship hopefuls were upended by conference rivals. It might be a little early to declare Georgia Baptist's dreams of a record seventh AIAA football title dead, but the Gators dug themselves a deep hole with a loss to Central Kentucky in their conference opener, a defeat that knocked Georgia Baptist from the top of the rankings. The Gators had company in their misery as Mississippi A&M, which entered the weekend ranked second behind only the Gators, also was knocked off by a conference rival.
In Lexington, the Central Kentucky Tigers and Gators met in what was billed as the top game of the weekend and it did not disappoint with the Tigers pulling out a 24-17 victory in a wild finish. The game was scoreless at the break and tied at 10 entering the final 15 minutes. A Frank McKethan field goal with 2:14 left on the clock put the Tigers up 16-10 and with the biggest lead of the day, but that lead would change two more times in the final 78 seconds.
Gators quarterback Alfred Morgan, who went 13-for-19 for a rather pedestrian 133 yards connected with wide receiver Marvin Bautista on what was the Gators longest play from scrimmage all day - a 40-yard touchdown pass that put the Gators ahead 17-16 following William Tharp's extra point with only 1:18 left on the clock. Fans in the visitors section of Tiger Stadium began celebrating but Tigers quarterback Joe Dobson had a big play of his own up his sleeve. On third and four near midfield and with only 34 seconds remaining, Dobson found senior wideout Wilbur Hicks for a 49-yard score that proved the difference and gave the Tigers the upset victory.
Dobson was outstanding on the day as the junior quarterback completed more than 70% of his pass attempts for 250 yards and two big play touchdowns. The game winner to Hicks, of course, plus a 65 yard scoring toss to David Jennings on the opening play of the second half.
Having vanquished what is sure to be their toughest test, the Tigers seem well positioned to make a run at their first Deep South title in 25 years. Central Kentucky is on the road next week, heading to Louisiana to face the Bayou State Cougars but that is a game they cannot take lightly as it was the Cougars who pulled off the other big upset on opening weekend for the conference.
Bayou State fell behind second ranked Mississippi A&M 9-0 early but scored 27 straight points including three touchdown throws from John Andres and held on to upset the Generals 27-12
The remainder of the slate in the Deep South Conference went according to script including Northern Mississippi's 31-10 drubbing over Opelika State. Other results saw Noble Jones College double Bluegrass State 12-6, Alabama Baptist blank Baton Rouge State 27-0 behind 189 yards rushing from Rafael Martin while in Tallahassee Western Florida nipped Cumberland 16-14.
AVIATORS FLY TO TOP OF POLLS
The Georgia Baptist loss opened the door from Central Ohio to move to the top of latest college football poll. The Aviators improved to 2-0 in Great Lakes Alliance play and 5-0 overall with a hard fought 16-13 victory over Minnesota Tech. Central Ohio needed a late 74 yard scoring drive that culminated in a 3-yard touchdown run by Guy Bennett to secure the comeback win over a gritty Lakers squad that matched the Aviators blow for blow nearly all game.
Elsewhere in the Great Lakes Alliance the Detroit City College Knights are 2-0 in section play after starting the season with three consecutive non-conference losses. Freshman running back Ricky Jones scored three touchdowns and ran for 140 yards to help the Knights roll over Western Iowa 44-6. Whitney College is 0-2 in conference play and St Ignatius 2-0 after the Lancers last minute touchdown pulled them to a 37-30 road victory over the Engineers. St Magnus topped Indiana A&M 37-27 while Lincoln blanked Wisconsin State 26-0 in the other GLA contests.
In the South Atlantic Conference Eastern State remained perfect with a relatively easy victory over Carolina Poly 28-3. The victory in the conference opener helps the Monitors climb to number two in the rankings.
The St Blane Fighting Saints had a statement victory over St. Patrick's, clubbing the Shamrocks 57-6. Raleigh Cutler ran for 135 yards and a touchdown for the Saints who are now 5-0 all-time against St. Patrick's. The win runs St Blane's record to 4-0 and moves them up to fifth in the polls behind idle El Paso Methodist.
WEEKEND COLLEGE FOOTBALL RESULTS
Cowpens State Fighting Green - 22, North Carolina Tech Techsters - 10
Charleston Tech Admirals - 16, Columbia Military Academy Cadets - 6
Eastern State Monitors - 28, Carolina Poly Cardinals - 3
Maryland State Bengals - 21, Coastal State Eagles - 14
Iowa A_M Bulls - 23, Eastern Oklahoma Pioneers - 17
Oklahoma City State Wranglers - 31, Daniel Boone College Frontiersmen - 24
College of Omaha Raiders - 20, Eastern Kansas Warriors - 13
Lawrence State Chippewa - 7, Boulder State Grizzlies - 3
St Ignatius Lancers - 37, Whitney College Engineers - 30
Lincoln Presidents - 26, Wisconsin State Brewers - 0
Central Ohio Aviators - 16, Minnesota Tech Lakers - 13
St Magnus Vikings - 37, Indiana A_M Reapers - 27
Detroit City College Knights - 44, Western Iowa Canaries - 6
George Fox Reds - 10, Sadler Bluecoats - 9
Brunswick Knights - 45, Pierpont Purple - 6
Dickson Maroons - 27, Ellery Bruins - 17
Henry Hudson Explorers - 35, Grafton Scholars - 28
Queen City Monarchs - 38, Ferguson Wildcats - 20
Topeka State Braves - 21, McKinney State Renegades - 14
Payne State Mavericks - 41, Northern Minnesota Muskies - 7
Spokane State Indians - 17, Portland Tech Magpies - 14
Northern California Miners - 20, Coastal California Dolphins - 14
Lane State Emeralds - 20, CC Los Angeles Coyotes - 16
Redwood Mammoths - 17, Rainier College Majestics - 7
Noble Jones College Colonels - 12, Bluegrass State Mustangs - 6
Western Florida Wolves - 16, Cumberland Explorers - 14
Central Kentucky Tigers - 24, Georgia Baptist Gators - 17
Alabama Baptist Panthers - 27, Baton Rogue State Red Devils - 0
Bayou State Cougars - 27, Mississippi A_M Generals - 12
Northern Mississippi Mavericks - 31, Opelika State Wildcats - 10
Provo Tech Lions - 48, Wyoming A_I Prospectors - 7
Utah A_M Aggies - 40, Mile High State Falcons - 34
Cache Valley Cowboys - 27, Colorado Poly Redbirds - 0
South Valley State Roadrunners - 34, Custer College Cavalry - 10
Chesapeake State Clippers - 34, Mobile Maritime Middies - 3
Potomac College Pelicans - 21, Central Carolina Lions - 14
Richmond State Colonials - 30, Petersburg Patriots - 24
Alexandria Generals - 23, Bulein Hornets - 17
Amarillo Methodist Grizzlies - 23, Travis College Bucks - 9
Arkansas A_T Badgers - 31, Red River State Rowdies - 27
Texas Gulf Coast Hurricanes - 30, College of Waco Cowboys - 6
Darnell State Legislators - 26, Lubbock State Hawks - 20
Huntington State Miners - 42, Rome State Centurions - 7
Commonwealth Catholic Knights - 29, St Pancras Lions - 6
Chicago Poly Catamounts - 30, Minns College Mavericks - 19
St Blane Fighting Saints - 57, St Patrick's Shamrocks - 6
Pittsburgh State Finches - 20, Miami State Gulls - 13
Garden State Redbirds - 12, Penn Catholic Crusaders - 9
Annapolis Maritime Navigators - 34, Idaho A_M Pirates - 0
Boston State Pirates - 17, American Atlantic Pelicans - 6
College of San Diego Friars - 48, Lambert College Stags - 12
Liberty College Bells - 25, Wisconsin Catholic Cavaliers - 3
Abilene Baptist Chaparrals - 17, Cleveland Tigers - 13
THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES INVOLVING TOP 20 TEAMS
#1 Central Ohio (5-0) at #16 St Magnus (4-1)
#2 Eastern State (5-0) at Coastal State (0-5)
Lambert College (0-5) at #3 El Paso Methodist (5-0)
#4 Central Kentucky (4-0) at Bayou State (1-3)
Miami State (2-3) at #5 St Blane (4-0)
Utah A&M (3-2) at #6 Provo Tech (5-0)
Cumberland (1-3) at #7 Northern Mississippi (4-0)
#8 Georgia Baptist (3-1) at Opelika State (2-2)
Daniel Boone College (3-2) at #9 Lawrence State (4-1)
Lincoln (3-2) at #10 St Ignatius (4-1)
#11 Oklahoma City State (4-1) at Iowa A&M (1-3)
Pierpont (1-2) at #12 George Fox (3-0)
Canyon A&M (2-2) at #13 Payne State (4-1)
Ellery (1-2) at #14 Brunswick (3-0)
#15 Dickson (3-0) at Grafton (2-1)
Bluegrass State (2-2) at #17 Mississippi A&M (3-1)
Valley State (3-2) at #18 American Atlantic (4-1)
#24 Noble Jones College (3-1) at #19 Alabama Baptist (3-1)
#20 Amarillo Methodist (3-1) at Texas Gulf Coast (2-3)
WASPS WITHSTAND LATE PHILLY PUSH, BEAT FRIGATES 27-20
Washington and Kansas City Each Win to Remain Undefeated It ended up as a much tighter game than expected but both when the final gun sounded the Washington Wasps were 5-0 and their American Conference East Division rivals from Philadelphia were 0-5. The 27-20 Wasps win leaves Washington, along with the Kansas City Cowboys, with their perfect records intact.
The Wasps were heavily favoured and enjoyed a 27-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter until the Frigates, who have had their struggles this season, put together a pretty solid 15 minutes of football and closed the gap but eventually fell just short. Butch White had a strong game at quarterback for the winless Frigates, throwing for 200 yards and a pair of scores but the Wasps, led by running back Charlie Radley's 138 yards on the ground proved to be just a little to much for Philadelphia.
The National Conference Central Division leading Cowboys had a much easier time running their record to 5-0 as they completely shutdown Detroit's offense in a 24-7 victory over the visiting Maroons. Tom Whitney, a backup at running back each of the previous two seasons, continues to shine in a co-starring role with Armando Close. Whitney set a career high with 136 yards rushing while Close chipped in with an additional 57 on the ground. The Maroons defense had a solid game, led linebacker William Peebles, who leads the AFA in sacks, but there was no way they could keep up with the Cowboys, especially with Detroit forced to use backup quarterback Jimmy Moore once more in place of the injured Charles Sonnenberg. Moore completed just 7 of his 32 pass attempts on the afternoon.
Possibly the most anticipated game of the weekend was the American Conference West Division showdown in San Francisco and it lived up to expectations with the New Orleans Crescents improving to 4-1 with a hard fought 27-24 victory over the Wings. Both teams entered the game tied for the division lead at 3-1 and the two sides proved to be very evenly matched but it was the Crescents who held on for the victory but barely as New Orleans led 27-10 at the two-minute warning before the Wings scored two touchdowns in the final 22 seconds but simply ran out of time. The win came at a cost for the Crescents who lost starting quarterback Royce Neill early in the game with a hamstring issue that is expected to force him to miss next weekend's game in Cleveland. Crescents backup Mark Glover did a solid job in relief, completing 13 of 19 throws for 95 yards and a touchdown.
In other action the New York Stars did all their scoring in the opening 12 minutes and went on to beat the winless Los Angeles Tigers 13-3. Stars defensive lineman Justin Thompson had two sacks and forced a pair of Los Angeles fumbles.
A last second 36-yard field goal by James Trask gave Pittsburgh a 20-17 win on the road in Cincinnati and completed the biggest comeback of the day. The Paladins trailed 17-10 after Cincinnati scored with 1:30 remaining in regulation. It took just 4 plays and 57 seconds for Pittsburgh to re-tie the game on a 32 yard Charlie Stillwell to Vic Walker touchdown pass. Inexplicably with just 14 seconds left on the clock and deep in his own territory, Rivermen quarterback Chuck Rayford attempted a pass and was intercepted by rookie Paladins cornerback Chad Goss, who alertly fell to the ground with 4 seconds remaining to set up the game winning field goal and avert overtime.
After an 0-3 start the Buffalo Red Jackets won for the second week in a row, dumping 0-5 Atlanta 13-3. The Buffalo offense was practically non-existent with quarterback Justin Myers completing just 5 of 24 pass attempts and the Red Jackets running game was held to 89 yards but the Firebirds were no better.
If the lack of offense was bad in Atlanta it was downright offensive in San Diego where the hometown Admirals defeated the Milwaukee Stags by a hockey score that read 6-5. Milwaukee led 5-0 at the break on a Robert Acker field goal and a safety recorded by defensive end Mel Weigert. The only touchdown came on a 6-yard run by San Diego's Ted Shaffer early in the fourth quarter to complete a long drive that advanced primarily because of 4 Stags defensive penalties on the possession.
The New York Titans strong start has slowed as they were defeated for the second week in a row, falling 20-17 in Los Angeles to the Olympians. Jim Moran's 7-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Oliver with 3:23 remaining in the game proved the margin of victory. It was the second time in the game Moran and Oliver teamed up on a scoring play in the contest. Any hopes for a Titans comeback were crushed when Olympians linebacker Louis Gonzales sacked New York backup quarterback Louis Snyder in the final minute. Snyder was forced into the game when starter James Tovar was knocked out earlier in the fourth quarter following another of the Admirals four sacks on the day.
Small victories I suppose in Chicago where the Wildcats scored a season high 10 points in a game. They still lost to fall to 0-5 after Cleveland tamed the Wildcats 32-10 and the offensive line was once more to blame, allowing Chicago quarterback Carl Pederson to be sacked 14 times in the game.
The Houston Drillers were impressive for the second week in a row, edging the visiting Boston Americans 24-21 to put both teams at 3-2 on the year. Randall Silva led the Houston offense, throwing for 204 yards and a touchdown while Bobby Barrell Jr. was once more a force on the defensive line and collected his 5th sack of the season.
It was a tight game in Miami as well where the Mariners nipped the Seattle Roughnecks 20-17. Miami quarterback Jeff Conroy had his ups and downs but a 77-yard touchdown strike to Marco Ellison midway through the fourth quarter helped secure the win. The Seattle loss took away from a terrific game from Roughnecks cornerback Tim Handshoe, who returned an interception for a touchdown and also forced and recovered a fumble.
Denver had little trouble with Minnesota as Mountaineers quarterback Robert Haas threw for 139 yards and a score while also rushing for 51.
Finally in Dallas the visiting St Louis Ramblers marched the ball 80 yards in the closing minutes of the game, completing the drive with a 9 yard touchdown pass from Pat Kelly to Freddie Hopkins with just 33 seconds remaining and give the Ramblers a 21-17 win over the Stallions.
END OF AN ERA: FIVE FABL STARS SEE NUMBERED RETIRED IN HISTORIC OFFSEASON
By TWIFS Baseball Editor Tip Harrison
It's not every year the game says good bye to their stars, but you know what never happens? Saying good bye to five!
Chicago Cougars fans may hate seeing Pug White and Jim Norris hanging it up when they still had something to give, but Philly fans were thrilled to find out they wouldn't have to see Buddy Miller ever wear anything but his Keystones #8 jersey. Future Cougars could wear Norris' 15, but you won't catch another Dynamo in an 11. Or a Chief with a 4. Or a Cougar or Pioneer with a 35. Those numbers are reserved for legends.
You have to imagine most will enter the Hall-of-Fame, but they certainly won't all be in the same class. Miller didn't play a FABL inning this year, so the 3-Time Whitney and Championship winner will see his name on a ballot one year earlier. A potential unanimous selection, the legendary Keystone finished his career with a .313/.376/.504 (143 OPS+) batting line. Miller ended his career with 441 doubles, 434 homers, 924 walks, 1,556 RBIs, and 1,621 runs. Some of the highest marks in FABL history, they rank 37th, 13th, tied for 83rd, 15th, and 23rd, and his 85.47 WAR is 51st among FABL batters, one spot ahead of legendary catcher T.R. Goins (85.32) and one behind two-time WCS MVP Pete Layton (86.85). Miller is also one of 19 players with 3,000 hits, and his 3,105 currently sit 15th in league history.
He appeared in exactly 2,220 games with the Keystones, the third most in team history. Their former 5th pick hit a robust .323/.380/.530 (150 OPS+) with 374 doubles, 79 triples, 397 homers, 1,359 RBIs, 1,414 runs, 710 walks, and almost all (83.3) of his career WAR. His name is all over the Keystones top-10, including average (10th), OBP (8th), slugging (3rd), OPS (2nd, .910), WAR (5th), runs (4th), hits (4th, 2,686), doubles (5th), homers (3rd), RBIs (4th), and walks (8th). A lot of times the guys ahead of him are Rankin Kellogg or Bobby Barrell, sometimes a Zebulon Banks or George McDermott, players of the highest caliber.
Miller earned all ten of his All-Star selections and three Diamond Defense awards with the Keystones, but they didn't really do him any favors at the end of his career. He could have climbed higher on the counting stats leaderboards, but by time he left the organization his playing time was almost gone. He never quite turned into a regular, but he appeared in at least half of the Saints games all five years he spent there. He followed that up with two seasons in Boston, including a non-Keystone high 385 PAs in 1973. He clearly wasn't the same player, but when he returns for his ceremony next season all he'll be remembered for were the multitude of five star plays in his time with Philly.
A more shocking retirement came in Chicago, with one of the game's most winningest pitchers announcing his end. Sure, being 45 should have been a giveaway, but Jim Norris had agreed to a contract for 1976 with the Cougars, and until September was an extremely effective pitcher. By choosing to retire, he's giving up the opportunity to be one of the five most winningest pitchers in FABL history. He was two away from 5th and two more away from 4th, finishing his career with 337 wins.
The long time Dynamo ace finishing his career 337-248 in 877 outings and 5,338.2 innings pitched. His appearances are tied for 6th and his innings 8th, while his 3,007 strikeouts are 4th among all FABL pitchers. Norris is one of just 11 pitchers with triple digit WAR, as his 102.1 is 11th after being passed by Jorge Arellano. A 3-Time Allen winner, 4-Time World Champion, and 8-Time All-Star, he's about as obvious as a Hall of Famer as it gets, and he has a case for being the best Dynamo pitcher.
215 of his 337 wins came with the Dynamos, where he started 411 of his 449 appearances. He held an excellent 3.45 ERA (120 ERA+) and 3.50 FIP (83 FIP-), striking out 1,884 in 3,320 innings pitched. A common entrant on the franchise's top-5 list, he places in wins (2nd), win percentage (5th, .613), WAR (2nd, 73.5), games (3rd, 449), starts (2nd, 411), shutouts (2nd, 39), innings (2nd, 3,320), and strikeouts (2nd), generally trailing just 1910s standout Jim Golden (269-158, 2.27, 2,060), who pitched in a much different game. When he was at his best, there was no one better, as he had the innate ability to take the bats out of batters hands. Even at 45 he was generating whiffs, and for the first time since 1951 baseball will be played without an appearance from Gloversville's most successful product.
His teammate and fellow 45-year-old Pug White retired too, but all 933 of his FABL record games pitched came with the Cougars. They didn't draft him -- that was Montreal's doing in the 5th Round of the 1948 draft -- but the veteran southpaw will always be remembered for all he gave to the team. Acquired for former #1 pick and thought to be future Hall-of-Famer Sal Pestilli, it might be Pug who gets his named called, though his case would be his longevity and consistency opposed to multiple awards. Hall-of-Famer or not, he'll end his career as the Cougars All-Time wins (261), WAR (75.8), starts (535), innings (4,390.1), strikeouts (2,687) and of course, games. Every FABL pitch he threw was with a Cougar jersey, and I imagine it's only a matter of time before he puts it back on as a coach.
Pug did get selected to 7 All-Star games, but he was never in consideration for any Allen awards. His sheer number of appearances helped him build counting stats, but his 4,390 innings were 31st in FABL history. That makes his placements on league leaderboards still legitimate, as he's tied for 31st in wins, 9th in strikeouts, and 39th in WAR. He finished his career with an outstanding 3.37 ERA (117 ERA+) and 1.26 WHIP, as while their certainly was quantity, it tended to be of the upmost quality as well. He did whatever he needed to help his team, sometimes the ace, sometimes the stopper, sometimes a middle rotation arm, but regardless of role he was dependable up until his last FABL pitch.
Two other pitchers saw their numbers retired, but both retirements were planned, and the eventual announcements expected. One came from the crosstown Chiefs, who retired the number of former 6th overall pick Vern Osborne. Osborne, selected by the Gothams, came to Chicago for former #1 pick John Stallings, and spent all but the last three years of his FABL career with the Chiefs. It was where he was best, winning a title, going to 6 All-Star games, and leading the league in wins (1967, 21) and ERA (1956, 2.65) with a few top-3 Allen finishes.
4,173 of his 4,345 innings came with the Chiefs, and his franchise strikeout record will remain at 2,530. He doesn't have wins, as his 252 are second to Hall-of-Famer Al Miller (327-256, 3.49, 2,344), as is his 78.7 WAR, 572 starts, and his innings count. He has a few notable appearances on the All-Time lists too, with his 2,597 strikeouts 13th, his 257 wins tied for 34th, and his 77.36 WAR 35th. After two decades in the big leagues, he finished with a solid 3.60 ERA (110 ERA+) and 1.27 WHIP, and while not scary in his time with the Cannons, Fed hitters will be glad they'll never see a #4 on the mound for the Chiefs at Whitney Park.
Last, but certainly not least, was a second 3-Time Allen winner, as the Pioneers honored their former 5th rounder Billy Hasson who wrapped up his seven year stint with the Keystones. Part of the dominant Mack-Hasson-Madden three-headed monster, he ended up with the most wins of the three, and should join Frenchy in the Hall. Mack had more as a Pioneer, finishing with exactly 200 wins, as just 174 of Hasson's 266 FABL wins were with St. Louis. Granted, St. Louis was where all his Allens and all but one of his seven All-Star selections came, finishing with a 3.02 ERA (128 ERA+), 1.18 WHIP, and 2,881 strikeouts. His 68.2 WAR is second to Mack, as are his 25 shutouts and 2,064 strikeouts. Even though he wasn't always the "ace" of the rotation, Hasson was an ace, giving you a consistent 31+ start 230+ inning his entire Pioneer career.
Including his somewhat successful time in Philly, he was able to pass Frenchy Mack in strikeouts, becoming the pitcher with the 5th most in FABL history. His 2,881 beat Mack's 2,766 by just over 100, but he could not join Jim Norris in the 3,000 club. Hasson also finished 26th in WAR (86.12) and 30th in wins (266), putting himself in truly elite company. In his prime, few hitters could touch him, it may be some time before we see someone with the combination of endurance and whiff generation that Hasson and Norris both displayed during their reigns of terror.
OFFSEASON OPENS WITH TRIO OF TRADES
Why they couldn't do it all in one, I do not know, but the Houston Comets and Baltimore Clippers agreed to three separate trades in short succession to kick off what could be a busy offseason for FABL GMs.
It was a concerted effort to upgrade their pen, as the second place Comets looked to shore up the back of their pen, as behind All-Star stopper Bob Young (11-8, 28, 2.05, 76) there were a lot more questions then answers. They'll get to add a guy with plenty of high leverage experience, picking up soon-to-be 34-year-old righty Davey Cronin.
Signed as a Free Agent by the Clippers in April, Houston will be Cronin's fourth FABL stop, spending two years in LA and seven with the Kings before his release. It made sense, he was really bad in each of his two previous seasons, but he had an excellent bounce back in Baltimore. Their stopper went 9-7 with 23 saves, working to a 3.40 ERA (113 ERA+) and 1.39 WHIP in 127 innings pitched. He has experience as a starter too, but Cronin will enter 1976 with 526 appearances, with 65% of his outings coming out of the pen. An 11-year vet, he's 105-104 with 78 saves and 23 holds, worth 14.1 WAR in 1,721.1 innings. An up and down career, his 3.84 ERA (93 ERA+) is a little below average, but he seems to make adjustments when guys start figuring him out. It may take him some time to do it, but the Comets don't need greatness, they just need a little better so they can take first from the Suns.
In return, the Clippers picked up 20-year-old infielder Claude Middlefield, who ranks outside the league's top 500 prospects. A 17th Rounder in 1973, he didn't have the greatest season in A-ball last year, but he swings a quick bat and has a cannon at the hot corner. Baltimore might see something they can get out of him, as it's a position of weakness on the big league club.
The day after, two more righties were added, picking up veterans Stan Boone (2-6, 2, 3.93, 18) and Roy Brandt (4-1, 5.73, 15). Neither pitcher had much of a season, and Brandt was downright awful, but both are experienced depth arms who can eat up innings. Plus if it doesn't work out, they're easy to cut bait with, but it does seem like they cost them more then Cronin, who's a far better pitcher.
I'll try not to confuse you, but this netted the Clippers a Bernard and Barnard, both of who rank in the club's top-20 and the league's top-500. Melvin Bernard is higher, 13th and 318th respectively, and is praised for his work ethic and hit tool. An OSA darling, the 19-year-old infielder is projected to be a reliable hitter, with average power and an elite hit tool. Taken in the 5th Round of last year's draft, he hit a respectable .254/.365/.385 (97 OPS+) in Low-A, picking up 15 doubles, 8 triples, 5 homers, 36 RBIs, 53 runs, and 58 walks. An intriguing, high-upside pickup, getting him for Boone is a huge pickup and one that might give them props in the future.
Willard Barnard is no slouch himself, but as a strictly bullpen arm with three fastballs his overall upside might be capped. Also 19, he doesn't tun 20 till June, and has all the makings of a high leverage reliever. The stuff isn't great, and he doesn't throw too hard, but he locates his pitches well, and the subtle differences in break makes them tough to adjust too. He plays off his fastball, using his cutter and sinker almost as half-slider and change up. This is also his second time being trades, going from Dallas to Houston last season. It's a lot of movement for a guy taken in the 7th Round just two drafts ago, and Barnard is hoping he has now found his forever home.
One can expect more moves to be made, as both the defending champion Imperials and the Chicago Cougars are expected to be active in the offseason. A speculative match could be Phil Terry, who's still recovering from a severe hip strain he suffered in August. When healthy he was one of the Imperials most effective hitters, batting .301/.369/.466 (128 OPS+) with 17 homers, 71 RBIs, and 14 steals. New York's most desirable piece, WCS MVP Al Reece (.337, 9, 66, 18) is one of a few listed untouchables, something Chicago should have gone three offseasons ago. As nice as Bob Goldman (13-10, 3.32, 105) has been, the Cougars could have really used the former 9th Overall pick. He was one of four prospects in the blockbuster, and now both him and Bud Pace (8-6, 7, 3.21, 29) carved out important roles in the Big Apple.
Houston could also, especially in the power department. Terry would work well there too, as despite missing most of the last two month's, he'd have led the Comets in homers. They do have a crowded outfield with Stan Francis (.332, 3, 51), Hank Andrew (.301, 14, 76, 19), and John Edwards (.259, 14, 88, 27) left, right, and center, but they could shift Francis to center and send Andrew to the hot corner. Terry could provide much needed thump to the Comet lineup, and they have shown early that they won't shy away from making a move.
[b]
]NORRIS, WHITE, RENEG ON EXTENSIONS, FOREGO 1976 SEASONAs if their awful September wasn't bad enough, the Cougars rotation was hit with two big blows, as despite having contracts agreed for the 1976 season, likely Hall-of-Famers Jim Norris and Pug White decided that 1975 would be their last dance.
Both pitchers still had it going, with respectable 1975 seasons, but instead of their continued pursuit of history, the cleats were hung, with father time finally catching up.
Norris, who was a few months older, had a chance to enter the top-5 All-Time in FABL wins. He was two away from 5th and two more away from 4th, finishing his career with 337 wins -- all with the Cougars and Dynamos -- as the sixth most winningest pitcher. He got their by picking up 12 wins in 29 starts, finishing his career 337-248 in 877 outings and 5,338.2 innings pitched. His appearances are tied for 6th and his innings 8th on their own, and his 3,007 strikeouts are 4th in FABL history. His name is littered across the top-10 in league history, as well as 11th in WAR as one of 11 pitches worth more then 100 WAR.
As nice as his late career time with the Cougars was, he'll always be known as a Dynamo, where 215 of his wins came. After his retirement announcement they quickly announced his number would hang, and that #11 would never be worn by another Dynamo. Long their 2nd Round pick, he won 3 Allens and was named to 8 All-Star games, twice leading the Fed in wins, once in ERA, once in WHIP, twice in innings, and once in starts. He had just one below average season with them, his last, and finished with a 3.45 ERA (120 ERA+), 3.50 FIP (83 FIP-), 1.26 WHIP, and 1,884 strikeouts in 3,320 innings pitched. He added 68.2 more in the postseason, winning titles in four of his five postseasons.
Pug, however, spent every FABL appearance in a Cougar uniform, even though he wasn't drafted by them. Picked up over two decades ago from the Saints, he debuted in 1953, and by time he retired he pitched 933 times, more then any other FABL pitcher. He spend time in both the rotation and pen, as 535 of those appearances were starts. He had four full seasons out of the pen, with a few more where he split time in both roles. He did what he needed to help the team, but it's a real shame he never got to pitch in the postseason. In his 23-year career, he finished 261-220 with 91 saves, a 3.37 ERA (117 ERA+), 3.55 FIP (89 FIP-), 1.26 WHIP, and 2,687 strikeouts.
Like Norris, his number will be retired, as no more Cougars will wear #35. Obviously he leads the franchise in appearances, but Put is also the team leader in wins, WAR (75.8), starts, innings (4,390.1), and strikeouts. He went to 7 All-Star games, two as a stoper and five as a starter, and despite suffering two major injuries in his first two FABL seasons, he only had one later injury lasting more then a month. Availability was one of his best abilities, as you knew regardless of when he was called upon, he would provide you with results.
So what does this mean for our Cougars? Instead of focusing soley on offensive upgrades, they now need at least one starting pitcher, losing two of the five members of their rotation. One spot can be filled by veteran Hal Adams (3-9, 2, 4.41, 43) who was hurt and then pushed to the pen after Bill Bartlett's (13-5, 2.14, 72) breakout, but internal options after him are few and far between. Waiver claims Leroy Williams (0-5, 4.09, 13; 0-6, 6.75, 14) and Bob McKinney (1-0, 5.01, 16; 5-5, 2, 3.30, 76) and AAA righty Walt Wilson are possibilities, but neither inspire much confidence if the intent is to contend.
White and Norris weren't the only two Cougars to retire either, as they accounted for four of the eight notable retirements off of active FABL rosters. The other two didn't play key roles on the 1975 team, but the Cougars also said goodbye to the franchise home run leader. A former 1st Rounder of the Saints, he joined the same way as Pug, just a few seasons later. He also spent his full big league career in Chicago, batting .277/.322/.450 (119 OPS+) with 288 doubles, 284 homers, 991 runs, 1,083 RBIs, and 139 steals. He didn't have much of a role with the Cougars lately, but in his first six seasons he was one of the top sluggers, putting together 20 or more homers each year, as well as two over 30.
Charlie Lawson was the last to call it quits, but like Watson his retirement was expected. The ultimate "peak early" story Lawson led the CA in ERA (2.91) and WHIP (1.07) as a rookie, and after four ace-level seasons, he was mysteriously demoted and seemed to lose all his pitching ability. He only had 9 starts from 1966 to his retirement, coming after at least 33 in each of his first four seasons. In that same post-peak period he had just three above average ERA+ seasons, but those nine seasons saw well under half of his career innings. That's why his 4.03 ERA (100 ERA+) stayed average, but 105% of his career WAR (18.6) comes in his first four seasons. He spent parts of four seasons with the Cougars, and his 173.2 innings in Chicago were second only to his time with the Sailors. He was average, working to a 3.73 ERA (99 ERA+) and 1.21 WHIP, and had similar numbers to his norms in his final year.
LALIBERTE HAS TOTEMS STANDING TALLThe Vancouver Totems are tied for the overall lead in the NAHC thanks in no small part to the emergence of Charles Laliberte between the pipes. The 22-year-old goaltender made the club as a 19-year-old right after being drafted with the 16th selection in 1972 but he had his ups and downs during his first three seasons in the league. He did show signs of promise with a quick start a year ago, something that earned Laliberte a spot in the mid-season all-star game before struggling down the stretch. Laliberte did help Vancouver reach the Challenge Cup finals two years ago but last spring had his struggles as his club made a first round exit.
It is early but at 22 he is displaying much more confidence in the net and is a big reason the Totems are off to a 4-0-2 start. The young goaltender has played four of the six games and leads the NAHC among qualified goaltenders with a sparkling 1.75 goals against average and a .931 save percentage that trails only Quebec's Cliff Graham.
NAHC WEEKLY RESULTS
TUESDAY OCTOBER 14
Vancouver 4 Cincinnati 2: Third period goals from Hugo Lafreniere, Ian Markle and Scott Spencer lifted the Vancouver Totems past the Cincinnati Ironclads 4-2. It was Cincinnati's first loss of the season after starting 2-0-1.
Detroit 8 St Louis 2:Charlie Rodgers scored twice and added two assists as Detroit continued its surprising start with an 8-2 drubbing of the struggling Sawyers. St Louis, a preseason Challenge Cup favourite, is still searching for its first victory.
Atlanta 5 Philadelphia 3: The Rogues three game winning streak comes to an end with a 5-3 road loss despite a two-goal night from Gary Yeadon. Atlanta, which missed the playoffs a year ago, now has 5 points to show from its first four games after scoring three answered goals in the third period to rally past Philadelphia.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 15
Chicago 4 New York 1: Four different Packers scored as Chicago evened its record at 2-2-0 with a 4-1 victory keyed by a 33 save effort from veteran goaltender Rejean Gillies.
Philadelphia 3 Washington 3:Gary Yeadon scored his fourth goal of the season and third in two nights to help Philadelphia salvage a point in Washington. Yves Dagenais was involved in all three Rogues goals.
Montreal 9 Minneapolis 4: Roger MacKinnon had the hat trick and defenseman Mark Moggy collected 4 points as Montreal remained unbeaten by blasting the Norsemen.
San Francisco 3 Los Angles 2: The Gulls improved to 3-0-1 while the Stingrays suffered their third consecutive loss to open the season. Marty Jensen got the winner for San Francisco with his 4th goal of the season midway through the third period.
Toronto 4 Pittsburgh 3: The Dukes handed the winless Sentinels their third consecutive loss, with newcomer Alain Ducharme leading the way for Toronto with 3 points. Another new addition to the Dukes, 31-year-old forward Milt Young, collected his 900th career point in the game, becoming just the seventh player in NAHC history to reach that milestone.
THURSDAY OCTOBER 16
Chicago 4 Quebec 2: Kevin Kelly scored for the fourth straight game while Terry Foster had two assists to give him 10 points in the last five outings to lead the visiting Packers to a victory in Quebec City.
Boston 4 New York 2: Boston doubled the New York Shamrocks 4-2 with Matt Brophey's goal and an assist leading the way.
Calgary 6 St Louis 2: The Sawyers woes continue as St Louis falls to 0-3-1 on the year with a 6-2 loss to the Grizzlies. 28-year-old rookie defenseman Liam Nason, who has spent nearly a decade bouncing around the minors before getting his shot with Calgary, scored his first career NAHC goal and added a helper.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 17
Vancouver 4 Los Angeles 3: The Totems continue to be one of the hottest teams in the league with the Stingrays the coldest. Vancouver held off a third period really to improve to 4-0-1 while Los Angeles has lost all four of its games this season.
Montreal 7 Philadelphia 2: A battle in Montreal between the last two Challenge Cup winners proved to be a one-sided affair with a dominant showing from the host Valiants. Charles Thibeault and John Partridge each had three points for the winners with Montreal defenseman Mark Moggy picking up two more assists to give him 9 points in his last three games.
Washington 3 Atlanta 1: Federals winger Bert Fenwick scored a pair of second period goals to snap a 1-1 tie and carry Washington to a victory over Atlanta.
SATURDAY OCTOBER 18
New York 4 Pittsburgh 1: The Sentinels remain winless after Larry Palmer scored twice to pace the Shamrocks to a 4-1 victory.
San Francisco 6 Toronto 3: The Gulls remain hot and run their record to 4-0-1 with a road win. Sam DaSilva scored twice in the opening period for the Dukes who led 3-0 at one point before the Gulls took complete control of the game.
Boston 4 Vancouver 4: Neither club has tasted defeat yet this season as the Bees and Totems battled to a 4-4 tie at the Vancouver Civic Coliseum.
St Louis 4 Quebec 2: The Sawyers finally notched their first victory of the season, outshooting Quebec 54-18 but had their troubles trying to solve Citadels goaltender Cliff Graham for much of the game.
Detroit 4 Los Angeles 3: Andrew Williams had two assists while Charlie Rodgers scored his 5th goal of the season to help the Motors run their record to 3-1-0. The Stingrays have lost each of their five games.
Montreal 4 Washington 4: Vals defenseman Mark Moggy continues his torrid scoring pace with another 3 points and leads the NAHC but it was not enough to earn his club a win as the Federals scored three times in the third period to earn a draw on home ice with the defending champs.
Minneapolis 4 Chicago 1: The Norsemen finally earned their first win of the season thanks to some strong goaltending from Al Ferguson. The only puck to elude the veteran goaltender was fired by the Packers Kevin Kelly, who has now scored in five consecutive games.
Cincinnati 6 Calgary 5: Bryan Coulter scored twice and added two assists while his linemate Alan Porter also enjoyed a 4-point night in the Ironclads win on home ice over the Grizzlies.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 19
Chicago 3 Minneapolis 3: The back half of the home and home weekend between the Packers and Norsemen ended in a draw with Kevin Kelly scoring another one for Chicago. The 28-year-old right winger has scored in each of the last six games and has 13 points through 7 games. Last year he finished with a career best 73 in 76 games.
Boston 4 Toronto 1: Eddie Lafleur finally got his first goal of the season while Boston backup goaltender Jim Goodrunning stopped 30 of 31 Toronto shots in the Bees win. Boston has not lost in 5 games this season but does have 3 ties.
Philadelphia 6 Quebec 1: Gary Yeadon had 3 goals and an assist as Philadelphia handed the Citadels their third consecutive loss while snapping the Rouges 3 game winless streak.
San Francisco 6 Atlanta 3: The Gulls are now 5-1-0 and tied with Vancouver and Montreal for the most points in the NAHC following 6-3 doubling of the Blazers. Don McTavish scored twice and had two assists while Mark Collins chipped in with 4 helpers for the winners.
Calgary 2 New York 0: Jon Girard made 39 saves in the Calgary net for his first NAHC shutout in 3 years. Archer Cook and Andrew Cleverly were the Grizzlies goal scorers.
EAGLES OFFENSE SOARINGThe New York Eagles have had little success in the their first three years of existence. The team in the Continental Hockey League's biggest market won just 18 games -lowest in the league- in it's first season and missed the playoffs twice in three tries including last year. Things may be changing and it is all thanks to a European road trip taken by a pair of hockey legends in coach Quinton Pollack and Eagles owner Badger Rigney.
It may turn out that failing to qualify for the postseason last April may be the best thing to ever happen to the franchise as it allowed Pollack to attend hockey's World Championships in West Germany. It was there that Pollack restocked his team with the signing of three European forwards including Swedes Stefan Edberg and Sven Holmqvist. The others were Finnish forward Paavo Virta along with 31-year-old West German defenseman Dieter Schloss.
With the newcomers joining holdovers like Pollack's two sons Jack and Billy plus the addition of Ben Hirsch from the Cleveland Immortals, the Eagles offense has been the most dangerous in the CHL in the early going. New York has outscored its opponents 21-9 over its first four games and Edberg, with 9 points, leads the CHL in scoring.
Each of their first games have been in the friendly confines of the Chelsea Arena, which has made the job easier but New York has looked very difficult to stop in the early going. The Buffalo Keepers are the only other team in the 14 team league that has yet to lose a game. The Keepers are 3-0 with the goaltending tandem of Antoine Charbonneau and Nick D'Amico a big reason for the Keepers early success.
FEDERAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE CAMPAIGN TIPS OFFThe Federal Basketball League commenced its 30th season last week, complete with a record number of teams. The rival Continental Basketball League is no longer but four of the CBL teams- the Cincinnati Steamers, Denver Bighorns, San Antonio Outlaws and New Jersey Demons have joined the established loop boosting its membership to 22 teams.
The Outlaws and Demons wasted no time getting in to the action as they squared off on opening night in Texas. It was the visitors who came out on top, squeaking out a 127-126 victory that was keyed by 35 points off the bench from New Jersey's Jack Bicknell. San Antonio would get its first win a night later, downing the Washington Statesmen 117-101. Denver would also pick up a win in its debut Friday, topping the Chicago Panthers 112-102. Of the four newcomers only the Cincinnati Steamers are yet to notch their first FBL victory. The Steamers, who won the CBL title in the league's swan song last June, started the season with two games in Texas but fell to both Houston and CBL cousin San Antonio over the weekend.
While much has changed at least one thing remains the same. That would be the scoring dominance of John Brantner. The FBL scoring legend and 4 time league MVP poured in 36 points to lead his St Louis Rockets to a 113-97 win on the road in Seattle against the Jets on Saturday. It was the Rockets only game of the week.
The Week That Was
Current events from the week ending 10/19/1975
- China's Foreign Minister welcomed US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to Peking with a thinly-veiled warning on the dangers of detente with the Soviet Union. Kissinger responded in a way that would keep his lines of communication open in Moscow as well as Peking, saying that US-China relations "would threaten no one" but made it clear that the United States would stand up to the Soviet Union if the security of third countries were involved.
- A bipartisan group of seven Senators began laying the groundwork for cutting the defense budget, calling for even more cuts that the nearly $1 billion requested by the House appropriations bill if Congress is to demonstrate "fiscal responsibility" and make its new budgetary process work.
- New York City continues to struggle even with recent investment. Mayor Abraham Bearne says even if the city defaulted and was thereby spared from paying interest on its debts, it would still be $1 billion short of cash needed to meet payrolls from December to March. The chiefs of the city's police, fire and other front-line unions said they planned to tell President Ford that default "could trigger riots and anarchy" if welfare and payroll cheques were stopped.
- Parti Quebecois leader Rene Levesque has confirmed that his party, if elected in the next Quebec provincial election, will not implement Quebec independence from Canada without first holding a referendum to gauge public reaction. Levesque says his party will benefit greatly during the next provincial election, which he estimated may be held as soon as next spring, if Quebecers realize that they will have the final say on independence for Quebec by way of a referendum.
- The Montreal Citizens Movement says that the 1976 Olympic games will carry a $1 billion price tag by the time total costs have be tallied, noting that mismanagement and rising costs for contractors rushing to meet deadlines has caused the cost to soar well above original projections.